The Devil Crept In: A Novel

This chilling small-town horror novel from bestselling author Ania Ahlborn—hailed as a writer of “some of the most promising horror I’ve encountered in years” (New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire)—follows a young boy who searches for his missing cousin and uncovers a connection to earlier disappearances the town would rather forget.

When young Jude Brighton goes missing in the quiet town of Deer Valley, Oregon, panic spreads quickly. After three days with no sign of him, hope begins to fade—especially for Stevie Clark, Jude’s cousin and closest friend. Stevie knows the odds, and he knows that time is running out.

But Jude isn’t the first boy to vanish. Years earlier, another child disappeared under eerily similar circumstances and was later found dead. Pets have gone missing too. For decades, whispers of violence have haunted Deer Valley, lingering just beneath the surface.

Determined to uncover the truth, Stevie begins investigating Jude’s disappearance himself, only to uncover a horrifying secret the town has worked hard to forget. As fear resurfaces and long-buried crimes come back into the light, Stevie realizes that the truth may be far more terrifying than he ever imagined.

Dark, unsettling, and emotionally devastating, this psychological horror novel blends suspense, grief, and creeping dread into a relentless exploration of what happens when evil is allowed to fester unchecked.