'The terror's exquisite. Fracassi's got his hand on the chisel going into your chest' Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania. Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future. . . a family. Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives - and perhaps their eternal souls - are at risk. The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, Boys in the Valley is a chilling folk horror set in a remote orphanage in turn of the century Pennsylvania. Praise for Boys in the Valley: 'Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully' Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling 'An unrelenting and highly entertaining show of horrors' Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of Hex 'A smart and deftly-written tale instilled with the kind of creeping, claustrophobic horror I enjoy' Nick Cutter, author of The Troop 'As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending' Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger 'The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page' Ronald Malfi, author of Black Mouth 'Harrowing and claustrophobic' Christopher Golden, author of Road of Bones 'Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully...he's especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense' The New York Times 'Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying' Andy Davidson, author of The Boatman's Daughter 'Horror readers will be hooked' Publishers Weekly 'A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop.' Victor LaValle 'Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise' Guardian 'Fracassi's storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart' Esquire 'His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris' Signal Horizon

"Fracassi's novel hits me like a cross between McCammon and '80s King. Might be one of them summer blockbusters readers love." -Laird Barron, author of Worse Angels "A Child Alone with Strangers starts out as a slow burn procedural with supernatural elements and inexorably cranks itself into a pulse-pounding symphony of eldritch horrors and all-too-human violence. Philip Fracassi is the best sort of horror writer--one who is unafraid to hunt for light in even the darkest places." -Shaun Hamill, author of A Cosmology of Monsters When young Henry Thorne is kidnapped and held prisoner in a remote farmhouse surrounded by miles of forest, he finds himself connecting with a strange force living in the woods-using that bond to wreak havoc against his captors. Unknown to the boy, however, is that this ancient being has its own reasons for wanting the interlopers gone-there is something hidden beneath the house, tucked away in the dark, damp root cellar . . . waiting for its return.

The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, in Boys in the Valley, a brilliant coming-of-age tale from award-winning author Philip Fracassi. "A sublimely chilling story." --Library Journal, STARRED review St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania. Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future...a family. Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives -- and perhaps their eternal souls -- are at risk.