Looking for your next obsession? Check this out - The Goode People (series) by Charles Welch
Book 4 is COMING SOON!!!
Book 1 book blurb:
Peter Goode is a normal man who wants to shed his abnormal life. He wants to find a few friends and share experiences with people who aren’t put off by his physical appearance, which is why he’s decided to take a trip from his home in New York City to the expanses of Acadia National Park in Maine.
It’s in Acadia that Peter hopes to see a different way of life and people who don’t see him as ugly.
On his bus trip north, though, Peter is warned of the things in Acadia that haunt the forest and seek to lure unsuspecting people from the trails deeper into the woods.
As an old woman on the bus tells him:
My advice is not to leave that path. In the forest, off the path, and even on Mount Desert Island, there are terrible, dangerous things that are hard to explain.
Peter understands her warning because he’s seen the supernatural in action before, and in those instances, he and his anger caused devastating circumstances. He knows the spine-tingling thrill of opening the portal to another, much darker place and he hopes to never see that other place again.
It is with this hope that Peter arrives in Bar Harbor, Maine. He goes alone into the deep woods, sticking to the trails as advised, until the storm of the century rolls in with devastating winds and snowfall. As the storm builds, Peter sees a woman wandering alone through the thick vegetation. The idea of leaving her to freeze to death is no consideration for him, and against the old woman’s advice, he leaves the trail to give aid to the lost woman.
A fall down a ravine, and a subsequent knock on his head, cause him to lose track of the woman but find an old man who leads him to an isolated cabin. It is there that Peter finds sanctuary from the storm, but a much deeper level of the supernatural than he believed possible.
As someone who enjoys immersive horror novels, I found The Goode People series by Charles Welch to be a captivating blend of psychological and supernatural horror set against the eerie backdrop of Acadia National Park. The story's emphasis on venturing off the marked trail and encountering unexplainable phenomena resonated with my own experiences of hiking and exploring nature's unknowns. Welch skillfully harnesses the isolation and mystery of wilderness settings, a common theme in horror that always heightens the suspense. In this series, the protagonist Peter Goode’s conflicting desire to connect with others despite his physical differences adds a deeply human dimension to the chilling narrative. His encounters with supernatural forces off the trail echo a very relatable message: the danger and allure of the unknown often intertwine. The warning from the old woman about staying on the path is reminiscent of folklore warnings I've heard during hikes, which makes the story feel authentic and grounded even as it delves into the paranormal. Additionally, the storm that traps Peter and the appearance of mysterious characters such as the lost woman and the old man leading him to a cabin creates a rich atmosphere of suspense and fear. Welch’s portrayal of the supernatural is not just about frightening creatures but about the protagonist’s internal struggles and past mistakes, which adds layers to the horror. From personal experience, I know that nature’s silence can be unsettling, and this series taps into that sensation to amplify the terror. For readers who appreciate horror books that combine character depth, folklore elements, and atmospheric tension, The Goode People series offers a gripping and immersive experience. The upcoming release of Book 4 is something I’m looking forward to, eager to see how the saga of Peter Goode and the haunted woods of Acadia unfolds further.
