The Devil Crept In

Fans of all ages will be enthralled by Ahlborn's latest thriller. When 12-year-old Jude goes missing in the small, quiet town of Deer Valley, OR, the residents are reminded of another incident years ago, when a young boy was found murdered in the surrounding woods. Ahlborn tells this intriguing tale from two points of view, that of Jude's 10-year-old cousin and best friend, Stevie, and that of Rosie, an older woman who lives in the woods. Stevie, an odd, unpopular boy who sees shadow people and has echolalia (a condition that compels him to repeat other people's words), is a likable protagonist who evokes sympathy as he is teased by his stepfather and older brother. His perspective is sometimes naive and often humorous, yet his perceptions are more reliable than those of the adults around him. Suspense steadily builds as Stevie tries to discover what has happened to Jude, all while encountering unfriendly townsfolk; sickly, skittish stray cats; and what is obviously a monster in the woods. With an especially creepy backstory that satisfyingly ties all the elements together, this book evokes a Stephen King novella.