Scott Nicholson, They Hunger

They Hunger

Scott Nicholson

Pinnacle, April 2007, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN 0786017139

The primordial world of the Unegawa Wilderness Area is about to be invaded by three different groups of people. The 'Boma Bomber', has entered the area with Clara; a woman who is turned on by his menace enters the area to escape the Feds that are pursuing him because he made bombs that destroyed people and abortion clinics. Two FBI agents, Jim Castle and profiler Derek Samdford, are following a tip that he is in the area and are in pursuit of him. The last group is led by Bowie Whitlock and sponsored by Pro Ventures to test a new raft as the white waters of the Gregor River.

All three groups see a bat-winged humanoid figure with grey skin, blindeyes and the need to drink blood. It is believed that the explosives that Ace set and were exploded when an FBI agent stepped on the trip wire awakened the vampire-like creatures from the underground depths. When the victims of the creatures die, they come back with the same fierce hunger for blood. As all three groups meet, Ace and Clara and one of the rafters take a raft, leaving the FBI agent and the other rafters to work together to avoid getting killed. Eventually it will fall to one person to make the move to eradicate the menace if he can.

Scott Nicholson writes horror that scares the living daylights out of the reader even if the creatures that are so frightening are non-breathing, winged bat-like humanoids with hand and feet. This could be the creatures the vampire myths were based on and they are very frightening. The characters in this bitingly good horror novel are well-developed and range from the saint to the psychopath who sees the vampires as angels. There are lots of action and chase scenes, making readers feel like they are on the fastest and most twisty roller coaster ride on Earth.

Harriet Klausner