The Children of Red Peak

Those who can’t outrun the past are doomed to fight it.

David Young, Deacon Price, and Beth Harris live with a dark secret. As children, they survived a religious group’s horrific last days at the isolated mountain Red Peak. Years later, the trauma of what they experienced never feels far behind.

When a fellow survivor commits suicide, they finally reunite and share their stories. Long-repressed memories surface, defying understanding and belief. Why did their families go down such a dark road? What really happened on that final night?

The answers lie buried at Red Peak. But truth has a price, and escaping a second time may demand the ultimate sacrifice.

“With this chilling story of cult abuse, DiLouie (Our War) proves his mastery of the slow slide from psychological drama into supernatural horror… An impressive twist…feels both shocking and inevitable. Horror readers will be hooked.” —Publisher’s Weekly, complete review here

“A heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, terrifying tale about the meaning of life … This is an emotionally devastating, ultimately hopeful horror story about trauma, the power of love, and the unexplainable forces that surround us. A great choice for fans of Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians (2020), Paul Tremblay’s Disappearance at Devil’s Rock (2016), or Alma Katsu’s The Hunger.” —Booklist, the publication of the American Library Association

“Prolific and genre-bending, Calgary-based DiLouie has a well-earned reputation for so adeptly exploring psychological horror that the eventual emergence of the supernatural seems both shocking and inevitable. Familiarly human, in fact. In this remarkable story, the now-grown childhood survivors of the night their religious cult committed mass suicide 15 years before are understandably traumatized. When one of them kills herself, the others return to Red Peak to confront their memories, and come face to face with the shattering and thought-provoking truth.” —Maclean’s, here

“I finished The Children of Red Peak several days ago and I’m still thinking about it—especially those terrific final 50 pages. Gripping, thought-provoking, and suspenseful, Craig DiLouie’s latest is a master study of darkness and light and the meaning of life.” —Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author

“Overall, DiLouie does an excellent job of turning the typical horror novel on its head… In some ways, this novel defies classification… At its core, Red Peak is a story of the human condition–a deep analysis of how trauma affects us all differently, and how we have to find individual ways to cope with it. It’s a tale of belief, faith, and religion, and how we find meaning in things we cannot see, touch, taste, or feel.” —Tor Nightfire, complete review here

“An unsettling and emotional horror novel… It meets Wild, Wild Country in this chilling story of cult abuse.” —Series Mania Forum and Best-Seller to Box-Office, part of a series of books recommended to adapt into a TV series, here

“It felt like I was reading a fascinating true-crime story with an entertaining cast of characters, and because I was creeped out from start to finish, I definitely recommend this book to lovers of the horror genre.” —I’ve Read This, complete review here

“A solid, supernatural thriller, with a suspenseful twist as to what really happened that will keep the reader on the edge of the seat, right to the final word of the novel.” —Red Carpet Crash, complete review here

“Absolutely riveting… A tapestry of past and present come together in this chilling tale of family, faith, and redemption. Craig DiLouie has a new fan.” —J.D. Barker, international bestselling author of She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be

“The Children of Red Peak is an unsettling, frighteningly ambiguous horror novel … a cult horror story, with shades of Stephen King’s It, that explores questions of trauma, faith and the search for meaning in the aftermath of tragedy.” —Shelf Awareness, complete review here

“The Children of Red Peak is thought-provoking and utterly devastating. I came to really care about the characters, and found the entire story and the characters’ various endings heart-breaking and tragic … Craig DiLouie is a gifted writer, and I will gladly read whatever he writes next.” —Bookshelf Fantasies, complete review here

“Dark, twisted and in my viewpoint very brilliant imagination. Craig DiLouie knows how to create a thick story of personality and weaves a darkness that plays the mind like music keys on a piano.” —Showcasing Books, complete review here

“I have never read anything quite like DiLouie’s story … [His] writing is flawless and, at times, almost poetic. This is one of the few books I can honestly say that I have read without putting down. The characters are captivating and relatable on many levels. DiLouie has a hit on his hands.” —Literary Titan, complete review here

“Goddamn, it was good. Insanely good! … DiLouie crafted something incredibly gripping following these survivors as they navigate real, raw trauma from their childhood and the horrific effects that it still has on them as adults, while flashing back to the events as they were taking place. He had me dipping in and out of a plethora of emotions!” —The Grimdragon, complete review here

“If you enjoy a little horror and the paranormal with your novels you will want to add The Children of Red Peak to your reading list… An interesting plot and lots of suspense…” —Brampton Guardian

“This is definitely a novel for those who like their horror existential, but it may be a surprise gut punch for those simply looking for a deep dive into the dangers of groupthink.” —The Scary Librarian, complete review here

“Truly a cathartic experience… DiLouie brings something totally original to the cult-horror trope that I don’t think existed before. I’m a believer.” —Cemetery Dance, complete review here

“The Children of Red Peak is ice-in-your-heart, nerve-racking fantastic—Heaven’s Gate by way of Stephen King’s IT. Almost every page made my skin crawl.” —Peter Clines, New York Times bestselling author of Paradox Bound and Terminus

“The Children of Red Peak is both a subtle character study and a chilling tale of horror. It goes deep into the heart of people caught up in terrifying events. Highly recommended.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Ink and V-Wars

“More than just a horror novel … Underlying this story are the weighty themes of faith and sacrifice, the meaning and purpose of life … fantastically creepy.” —Nerd Daily, complete review here

“DiLouie really knows how to simultaneously shatter nerves and break hearts. The Children of Red Peak is a genuinely unsettling psychological horror novel, a story where faith and fear combine to destroy innocence and devastate lives. Intense, compulsive, thought-provoking, and highly recommended.” —David Moody, author of the Hater and Autumn series

“The Children of the Red Peak is filled with a spirit of mystery and suspense that had me hooked.” —The Fantasy Inn, complete review here

“I feel as though Craig has somehow hacked into my brain to discover my biggest fears, the emotional triggers I have, and the utilization of characters that will reach me faster and more deeply . . . and then he uses this information so I will experience the story as it should always be experienced: personally, emotionally, viscerally. The Children of Red Peak is my favorite read this year by far.” —Michael Knost, author of Return of The Mothman

“So much more complex and satisfying than a story of cult consequences. It is a book that is about faith more than anything else. And the ending was beautiful and terrifying, at the same time.” —RA for All, complete review here

“The Children of Red Peak has been DiLouie’s most traumatic work for me so far, but it’s also one that will instigate many considerations for a long, long time.” —Space and Sorcery, complete review here

“A powerful, emotional, and horrific modern-day horror novel…. The book’s final confrontation will have readers thinking critically about the nature of the universe itself. Be sure to grab your copy of this amazing read.” —Anthony Avina, complete review here

“A dark and atmospheric tale steeped in mystery … The Children of Red Peak is my third Craig DiLouie book, and once again I’m in awe of his storytelling skills and the way he is able to evoke emotions.” —Books, Bones & Buffy, complete review here

“One of the most powerful voices in dark fiction does it again! Craig DiLouie’s The Children of Red Peak delivers a suspenseful and unpredictable psychological exploration of family, belief, and horror as chilling as it is thought-provoking. One of the best books of the year!” —James Chambers, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of On the Night Border

“With his latest novel, DiLouie applies psychological suspense to the fallout of the haunted survivors of a religious death cult with horrifying results.” —This Is Horror, here

“There’s a lot to be analyzed and digested in this story, themes of faith, sacrifice, questions about the meaning of life, and questions about God…” —Horror Bound, complete review here

“A gripping tale of psychological horror that explores humankind’s fragility as only DiLouie can.” —PJ Vernon, author of When You Find Me

“I read this novel rather quickly because I became fairly glued to the suspense and lured into the drama with a need to find out what happened … If you enjoy a little shock and chill, this could be your next read.” —Scarlett Readz & Runz, complete review here

“It’s clear [DiLouie is] just a phenomenal storyteller… The Children of Red Peak is the first true horror novel of his I’ve read, and it was a wild ride.” —Grimdark Dad, complete review here

“Thought provoking and interesting and a little different… I enjoyed reading this a lot and it did get under my skin.” —CravenWild, complete review here

Listed as one of recommended “Mysteries to Read While Waiting For Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 4,” published at Novel Suspects, and as one of recommended “Fictional Cults as Terrifying as the Real Thing,” here

“A brilliantly visualized and illuminating tale.” —David Riley, complete review here