{"product_id":"in-the-valley-of-the-devil-isbn-9781683315926","title":"In the Valley of the Devil","description":"\u003cb\u003ePrivate investigator Earl Marcus thought he’d conquered his demons after vanquishing the malevolent spirit of his fundamentalist preacher father—but now, he must face something much more terrifying than the devil he knew.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEarl Marcus found new hope after confronting the unspeakable evil unleashed by his father’s fundamentalist Church of the Holy Flame. Now plying his trade as a private investigator in the North Georgia mountains, he’s drawn once again into a dark abyss of depravity, and murder. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTasked with what seems like a routine job, Earl stumbles into a mysterious cornfield where an old mountain legend appears to have awakened. Just as he begins to hear rumors of a place in the woods behind a dark cornfield where a killer collects human skulls, his partner Mary Hawkins vanishes. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the litany of terror grows, the poisoned spirits of Earl’s past return to claim their final victims. And on an old train trestle over a swift-running river at the edge of a cornfield Earl will confront his worst fears. Time is running out for Mary—and unless Earl can wrest her from the control of a secretive cabal comprised of some of the area’s most elite—and wealthiest—citizens, she could be lost to him forever in \u003ci\u003eIn the Valley of the Devil\u003c\/i\u003e, the second harrowing installment of the Earl Marcus mysteries by Hank Early.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eIn the Valley of the Devil\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Dan Brown’s fans should enjoy the mixing of supernatural and thriller elements here; those who favor southern mysteries with gothic elements will be another audience.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With \u003ci\u003eIn the Valley of the Devil\u003c\/i\u003e, Early cements his position as one of the most innovative voices in mystery and proves he’s an author who isn’t afraid to tackle important issues without sounding preachy or compromising entertainment.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eCriminal Element\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A storyline that will make the heart pump faster with its intensity...\u003ci\u003eIn the Valley of the Devil\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal to anyone who likes the hardboiled Southern private eye novel where evil lurks beneath the surface of a quiet little town.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNY Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hank Early pens rural noir with the best of them, and his protagonist, Earl Marcus, is a worthy addition to the canon of hard-as-bark detectives.\"\u003cbr\u003e—Laird Barron, author of \u003ci\u003eBlood Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You won’t put down this \u003cb\u003epowerful\u003c\/b\u003e and painful tale...a \u003cb\u003egripping\u003c\/b\u003e mystery.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Can the dead come back to life?...\u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e has \u003cb\u003eaction, suspense and a cracking good mystery\u003c\/b\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e—Phillip Margolin, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eViolent Crimes\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Third Victim\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“From the opening pages of this book, you know you’re in the hands of \u003cb\u003ea rare talent\u003c\/b\u003e. Hank Early has penned a \u003cb\u003efast-paced\u003c\/b\u003e, thought provoking, and thoroughly satisfying southern mystery. \u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e is a truly astonishing debut, and \u003cb\u003eone of the best rural mysteries I’ve ever read.\u003c\/b\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e—John Rector, \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Ridge\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAlready Gone\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Cold Kiss\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Atmospheric...Readers with a taste for \u003cb\u003eraw, intense\u003c\/b\u003e mysteries will be rewarded.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eGritty and riveting\u003c\/b\u003e...Distinct pacing, a redolent sense of place, and striking characters. The mystery is \u003cb\u003esuspenseful\u003c\/b\u003e and action packed. Fans of James Lee Burke and John Hart will want to take note.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A \u003cb\u003eskillfully crafted\u003c\/b\u003e southern gothic \u003cb\u003epage-turner\u003c\/b\u003e. Ophidiophobes, beware.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003ePowerful and profound\u003c\/b\u003e...\u003ci\u003e Heaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e is an \u003cb\u003eoutstanding\u003c\/b\u003e work of literary suspense, a tale as \u003cb\u003edevastatingly beautiful\u003c\/b\u003e as it is \u003cb\u003epowerfully intelligent...Remarkable.\u003c\/b\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNY Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With \u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e, Hank Early has not only written \u003cb\u003eone of the very best novels I’ve read this year\u003c\/b\u003e, but also introduced me to my favorite new mystery detective, Earl Marcus. This book is an \u003cb\u003eexpert mixture of action, suspense, and compelling characterization\u003c\/b\u003e that easily establishes Early as \u003cb\u003ea literary force of nature\u003c\/b\u003e. From the first page, the tension of the Marcus family’s impact on their small town, and the threat that poses to Earl, builds like a charge in the atmosphere, present and deadly threatening, leading to an ending that is electric. \u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e is going to be on a lot of Best of 2017 lists.\"\u003cbr\u003e—Bracken MacLeod, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of \u003ci\u003eStranded\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCome to Dust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A \u003cb\u003etwisty\u003c\/b\u003e, page-turning, modern southern Gothic that packs an emotional wallop...The real deal.\"\u003cbr\u003e—Paul Tremblay, author of \u003ci\u003eA Head Full of Ghosts\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDisappearance at Devil’s Rock\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The novel’s rapid pace hurries toward a conclusion that is surprisingly unexpected...A solid foundation for a new crime series.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eRiveting\u003c\/b\u003e...A humdinger of a story told with a \u003cb\u003efresh\u003c\/b\u003e voice and more than a lick of understanding.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBookpage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A first-class mystery—\u003cb\u003egripping, atmospheric, and tense\u003c\/b\u003e from beginning to end. Hank Early’s storytelling is \u003cb\u003etruly outstanding\u003c\/b\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e—Andrew Grant, author of \u003ci\u003eFalse Friend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hank Early’s \u003ci\u003eHeaven’s Crooked Finger\u003c\/i\u003e grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Evocative place writing, \u003cb\u003ememorable-as-hell\u003c\/b\u003e characters, sentences that hum, great pacing, and \u003cb\u003ea strutting brutality. Early’s a writer of great power\u003c\/b\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e—William Boyle, author of \u003ci\u003eGravesend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A Southern Gothic detective story that will long leave readers catching their breath. This one leaves a mark. Early writes like kudzu: The seed drops in the first chapters. \u003cb\u003eThe reader should run, lest they soon find themselves entangled, unable to wrest themselves free\u003c\/b\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e—Eryk Pruitt, author of \u003ci\u003eDirtbags\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHashtag\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWhat We Reckon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eHank Early\u003c\/b\u003e is a middle school teacher and writer located in Central Alabama. He enjoys good beer, strong coffee, and wild storms. He’s married and has two kids who are constantly giving him ideas for his next novel. This is his second Earl Marcus mystery.","brand":"Crooked Lane Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302326489317,"sku":"NP9781683315926","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781683315926.jpg?v=1767729990","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/in-the-valley-of-the-devil-isbn-9781683315926","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}