This Wretched Valley

2024 Bram Stoker Award®️ Nominee for Superior Achievement in a First Novel 

“A hallucinatory nightmare of a novel that blends adventure, horror and historical fiction, and isn’t shy about violence or strangeness.”—New York Times

“If you love wilderness horror, This Wretched Valley is a must-read.”—Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The Fervor

 

This trip is going to be Dylan’s big break. Her geologist friend Clay has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan’s boyfriend Luke, Dylan is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing.

Seven months later, investigators discover three bodies in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed. But Dylan is still missing—and no trace of her, dead or alive, has been discovered.

As questions multiply and impossible evidence emerges, the mystery surrounding the doomed expedition reveals an ancient force hidden within the forest—one that twists reality, preys on fear, and refuses to let anyone leave unchanged.

Inspired by the enduring mystery of the Dyatlov Pass incident and written by experienced climber Jenny Kiefer, This Wretched Valley combines relentless psychological suspense, visceral body horror, and Appalachian folklore into a terrifying debut that lingers long after the final page.