I meant to add this review two days ago, but time got away from me...Fevered Hills, by Keith Deininger is a highly unusual and unconventional horror novella. Martin is a 16 year old soldier has seemingly deserted his unit in an effort to return to his parents’ home. When he arrives, they are nowhere to be found. The family farm is abandoned, the livestock is dead, and the gardens overgrown and are out of control. He slowly begins to lose his grip on reality. When the soldiers arrive to capture him, Martin narrowly escapes and is rescued by two strangers: one who wants to ultimately kill him, and the other who wants to save him. Up until this part of the story, Mr. Deininger has been ramping up the suspense by spinning an astounding yarn that keeps the reader guessing as to exactly what is going on. At this point, though, he is just getting started. The “underground” portion of the story packs a wallop, with a series of eerie and bizarre encounters between Martin and his rescuers. I found the story riveting. Mr. Deininger has created an alternative world that I wholeheartedly entered. I was captivated as I followed Martin’s experiences. His prose and imagery is outstanding, and I would strongly recommend Fevered Hills as a shocking and vivid read.
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