"When the Night Comes Knocking" by Katherine Daniel

 


















The Mist meets Scream! When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel is an intense Appalachian horror novel following two estranged siblings who find themselves in a horror movie, literally.

On the way to their family's rented cabin in the Appalachian Mountains, the estranged siblings, Jane and Thomas, find themselves trapped in a roadside convenience store with some other patrons. The store is under attack by a monster, known in local legend as the Mimic, a creature said to hold up the bones of the mountains and feast on people with guilty hearts. Since the accident that nearly took their lives, Thomas has stopped talking to Jane, blaming her for all his woes. Now, they must settle their differences to survive. As the Mimic claims more victims, fear gives way to paranoia, and the survivors turn against one another in a desperate search for the guilty party. Alas, all of them have something to hide. Unless they cooperate, none will survive.

Told from multiple third-person perspectives, the story moves between characters. This is a story of grief, guilt, regret, and redemption, full of Appalachian folklore. Think The Mist, but with a twist and less scary, which is a good thing, as I am not too fond of scary books. It is chilly, suspenseful, and claustrophobic, with compelling characters that kept me turning the pages. The story explores humanity, trauma, and relationships through the bizarre circumstances the characters find themselves in.

The characters are richly drawn. I liked Jane, whom I thought was brave, but I thought her older brother, Thomas, was a jerk. As an older brother, he sucked. At first, I didn't understand the reason for their estrangement. When I did, I found his behavior unjustified, not to say silly. He did grow throughout the story, so good for him. Among the side characters, I especially liked Jackson and his dog. And yes, the dog survived! I was worried about that. I was angry at the other patrons and the lengths they went to in order to stay alive. Much like Lord of the Flies, the story shows how far people will go to survive.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and found it to be a great tale. Others have mentioned that it would make a good movie, and I agree. Don't get me wrong, that is a good thing. As I read, the story unfolded before me as though I were watching a movie. I loved the chapter names, which connected to each other and had meaning. The only issue I had with the book was the epilogue, which I found unsatisfying. While I liked its implication that some horrors never truly stay buried, it jumps ahead a couple of decades without telling us what became of the characters, except for Kimi, the store's owner, and even then, it wasn't enough.

If you like a good atmospheric horror novel that isn't too scary to stop your heart from beating, this is the book for you. Warning: when the night comes knocking, don't answer the door. I certainly wouldn't...

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.  

* For more info about the book:  "When the Night Comes Knocking" by Katherine Daniel