What has been revealed to whom and is the revelation trustworthy and what will be the price of pursuing it? It all begins in 1933 when nine-year-old Stella is taken by her father to Cades Cove in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains to live with her grandmother, Motty. A tragic incident causes her to flee. Years later, making a living as a bootlegger, she returns to the Cove for Motty’s funeral. There she finds ten-year-old Stella who Motty has adopted. “Gripping . . . Gregory’s novel is packed to the gills with action and suspense, and he has an enviable skill for characterization . . . The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee become a character as well, and Gregory writes about them beautifully. This is an excellent work of horror, perfectly structured and dark as a Tennessee night. Smart, original, and scary as hell.” – Kirkus Reviews. “Full of matter-of-fact descriptions of unthinkable horror, Revelator is both weird and wonderful . . . Revelator is full of surprises both fascinating and stomach-clenching . . . Revelator [serves] a slice of cold terror, paired with a view of humanity that is equal parts revelatory and humbling.” —BookPage, starred. “An addictive tale of historical horror . . . Gregory ratches up the tension in stunning prose . . . a thrilling ride.” —Publishers Weekly. Daryl Gregory’s family roots came from Cades Cove, but he grew up in Chicago and now lives in Seattle. He is a prolific author of comics, short stories, young adult novels, and trade novels, many of which have won several awards.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2021. 352 pages. Hardback in dust jacket