What Happened at Sister’s Creek

What Happened at Sister’s Creek, by Lee Anderson

Hey guys, welcome back to Bookish Beyond.
How have you been?

Today, I’m excited to be reviewing What Happened at Sister’s Creek, a unique horror novel by Lee Anderson.
So, if you’ve got your favourite drink to hand and are all settled in, let’s begin.

About

Set in Loring, Sister’s Creek Park plays host to a series of horrific events, such as a family’s brutal murder at the hands of an unknown assailant, leaving only a little boy alive. Now, a search is on to uncover the strange being responsible for such a horrendous act. When an initial search party fails to report back, Clay-County Sheriff, Charlie Sparks decides to lead his own group investigation. However, the truth the sheriff’s group uncovers is beyond disturbing.

Characters

Of the characters involved, two lead characters took centre-stage, alongside the primary antagonists of the story.

Clay-County Sheriff, Charlie Sparks isn’t an entirely law-abiding sheriff, selling drugs from the evidence room and cheating on his wife. My first impression was of a man who is not to be trusted, a man whose moral compass is somewhat skewed. In addition, he proved himself to be stubborn, determined, and an excellent negotiator when put under pressure. Furthermore, there was a hardness to his character which made it difficult to see into his heart; his intentions were not always clear and there seemed to be a wall surrounding his entire being, preventing him from fully opening up to others.

The Deputy Sheriff, Sandra is at one point described as ‘a fluffy pillow surrounding a stone centre.’ While she was compassionate and empathetic, she was also a tough woman, having endured a difficult childhood. She proved herself to be a no-nonsense kind of individual who is not at all like she first appears. I really came to admire her over the course of the story, for the sheer force of her bravery and perseverance.

Meanwhile, the antagonists of the story are unique in their own way and were a complete mystery to begin with. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil the ending, however, I will say that I wouldn’t want to encounter these antagonists, no matter the circumstances.

Positive Aspects

There were many interesting features to this horror novel, some of which I have detailed below.

Firstly, the story opens with a wonderful Mary Shelley quote-
‘No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.’

In hindsight, I feel that this quote does a wonderful job at foreshadowing a core issue explored in the book.
Secondly, the author paints a vivid picture of each core event, using specific word choices to evoke the five main senses.
Thirdly, the tension builds up gradually until it reaches a satisfying peak. The author included lots of close shaves and surprises which kept me on my toes throughout.
Finally, the story ended with a surprise twist which I did not see coming.

Overview

Overall, What Happened at Sister’s Creek was a tense and gripping horror tale, which follows the dark secrets of one very unusual family.

Themes included death, deception, family secrets, and survival.

My Rating: 4 stars.
Recommended to: horror lovers, who like a lot of gore and suspense.

Would you like more information?

To learn more about What Happened at Sister’s Creek, you can visit its Goodreads page, HERE.
Or, to find out more about Lee Anderson, simply visit his website, HERE.

As always, thank you for joining me for today’s review.
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Have a wonderful week,
Ellie. xoxo