A chilling, beautifully layered novel of mystery, folklore, and human fragility.
In their latest installment of the Lost Grove series, Charlotte Zang and Alex J. Knudsen return readers to the mist-shrouded redwoods of Northern California, where tragedy seems to take root in the soil itself. When glowing glyphs appear in the redwoods near Lost Grove, archaeologist Dr. Hannah Albrecht vanishes while investigating their origin. Later, a child’s mangled body is found deep in the forest. Haunted by the ghosts of his past at the Orbriallis Institute, Chief Seth Wolfe leads the investigation through fog-drenched redwoods where logic begins to falter. With Sergeant Peter Andalusian at his side, Seth searches for answers that slip further from reason
Combining elements of horror, folklore, and crime, Zang and Knudsen preserve the series’ signature unease while broadening its reach. Their prose is vivid and measured, turning the redwoods into both sanctuary and tomb—a living, breathing entity that remembers what humans choose to forget. Dialogue thrums with tension, capturing a community unraveling as fear corrodes its fragile routines. The authors handle Indigenous history with care, grounding the story’s supernatural elements in cultural authenticity rather than sensationalism. As the town’s terror reaches its peak, the Looman County Fair, once a symbol of hope and normalcy, becomes the stage for a final reckoning. Beneath the shimmer of carnival lights, Lost Grove must face what it has long buried: the past never sleeps, and the land never forgets. Terrifying and profound in equal measure, this gripping exploration of what happens when history refuses to stay buried makes for a riveting read.
Essential reading for lovers of Gothic suspense, psychological horror, and richly written crime fiction.
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