By Jenny Kiefer
This nail-biting, bone-chilling survival horror novel is inspired by the
infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, and is perfect for fans of Alma Katsu
and Showtime's Yellowjackets.
This is going to be Dylan's big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, has
discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going
to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant
Sylvia, and Dylan's boyfriend Luke, she is going to document her achievement
on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock
climbing.
Six months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the
highway, near where the rock climbers were last seen. All are in various states
of decay: one body a stark, white skeleton; the second a mummy-like husk of
dehydrated skin; and the third a fresh but mutilated corpse with the tongue,
eyes, ears, and fingers removed.
But Dylan is still missing. Followers of her Instagram account report
disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her
vanishing into the thick woods, but no trace of her–dead or alive–has been
discovered.
Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are
their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? Is Dylan still
alive, and does she hold the answers?
This page-turning debut will have you racing towards the inevitable
conclusion.
DEBUT AUTHOR WITH BIG POTENTIAL: Jenny Kiefer is poised to be a rising star in
the horror community. She’s an award-winning writer who was selected as a 2021
PitchWars mentee, is an active member of the Horror Writers’ Association, and
regularly connects with other horror writers and readers on her active and growing
Twitter account. She is an avid rock climber herself. Jenny is brimming with ideas for
her next book and is excited to make her mark on horror as a queer woman.
RISING HORROR INFLUENCER: Jenny is also the founder/owner of Butcher Cabin
Books, an indie horror bookstore she and her mother opened in Louisville in October
2022. The soft opening drew lines around the block and earned coverage from NPR,
Shelf Awareness, online support from Patton Oswalt, Nightfire Books, Clay McLeod
Chapman, Alma Katsu, and many more.
CROSS-GENRE APPEAL: The book has a classic survival horror story framework but
veers into supernatural thriller territory as the climbers begin to have horrific
encounters with previous victims of the valley. Inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident,
the book will also appeal to readers of retellings of real-life horror stories, fans of true
crime, and people who are interested in outdoor adventures.
HOT SUBGENRE: Survival horror is an extremely hot subgenre of horror film and TV
(see Yellowjackets, The Ritual, Devil’s Pass, Wrong Turn, Preservation, Killing Ground,
The Descent and more), but it’s underrepresented in horror fiction, and this book will
help fill that gap in the market.
PAGE TURNING READING EXPERIENCE: The POV cycles between the four members
of the hiking party: Dylan, Clay, Sylvia, and Luke, amping up the suspense as they
begin to turn on each other and creating a compulsively readable feel.
MOVIE ADAPTATION POTENTIAL: The material is well-suited to adaptation and the
book has early film interest, including from the writer of Trollhunter and Snowpiercer.
