Point Hollow

The setting is a timeless horror trope: an idyllic town concealing an underbelly of horrific malevolence. The wickedness skulking throughout the streets of Youers's latest book goes far beyond such reprehensible acts as a mayor demanding that businesses "hire only God-loving Republicans, and... politely dismiss any atheists, Democrats, or ethnic minorities." As Oliver Wray sees it, "there is nothing godly about Point Hollow. It is like a mad man's beautiful eye." He should know; ever since he was a child, Oliver has heard the thunderous call of Abraham's Faith, a nearby mountain that imbues Point Hollow with a lurking depravity. The mountain is hungry, and while its monstrous appetites sicken him, Oliver is too weak to refuse them. When former resident Matthew Bright returns to confront a past he cannot remember, his presence throws the uneasy relationship among Oliver, mountain, and town into brutal turmoil. Youers (Westlake Soul), with echoes of classic Stephen King and Jack Ketchum, expertly builds the tension to near-unbearable heights before the inevitably ghastly conclusion. This is a fine bout of horror that is not for the weak of nerve. (Apr.)