Michael McDowell

Blackwater I: The Flood

THE DARK GOTHIC HORROR PHENOMENON, PERFECT FOR FANS OF GRADY HENDRIX, STEPHEN KING, AND SHIRLEY JACKSON OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD 'RIVETING, TERRIFYING...JUST ABSOLUTELY GREAT' STEPHEN KING You are now entering Perdido, Alabama. In this small southern town, the dark, menacing waters of the local river have risen, submerging buildings and causing the inhabitants to seek higher ground. And as those waters recede, something terrifying will emerge. The town is ruled by the Caskey clan, a family of rich local landowners dominated by the fierce matriarch, Mary-Love. When her son meets Elinor Dammert - a compelling but ambiguous young woman with a troubling past - a toxic power struggle ensues. But perhaps the biggest threat to the family lies in what they cannot see, in the swamps beyond the boundaries of their fine mansion and the sawmills and lumberyards of the town. The first to disappear is a child. He won't be the last... _______ 'Beyond any trace of a doubt, one of the absolutely best writers of horror' Peter Straub What readers say: ‘It's one of those books that doesn't just make you want to turn the page, it makes you utterly desperate to find out what happens next, as if your life depends upon it.’ ‘5 Bajillion Stars!! I can’t even fathom how to write a review at this moment. What I need to do at this time is sit back and soak it all in.’ ‘A powerful water-based beasty… The supernatural is never the focus, merely a spice. The family is the meat. Sometimes literally.’ ‘I didn’t feel like I was reading a book. I felt like I was living in Perdido and the lives of the Caskeys felt like a part of my life.’ ‘Came for the monster suspense, stayed for the family drama’ ‘Reminded me of Game of Thrones, only played out in an Alabama river town over the course of three generations.’ ‘This is going in my top ten books of all time’ 'One Hundred Years of Solitude for horror fans' ‘A bloody masterpiece of Southern Gothic historical fiction. From intricate family dramas that span decades, beautiful slice of life, brilliant characters, masterfully crafted character dynamics and so much more.’