Coffin County Leisure Fiction Horror Book Review

The horror genre is rife with writers that make us shiver at things that go “bump” in the night. However, it’s a rare treat to find a cerebral writer who crafts tales that are thought-provoking as well as chilling. Gary A. Braunbeck is one such writer, and in “Coffin County”, he’s at the top of his scary, mind-twisting game.


Detective Ben Littlejohn’s life veered off the road when his wife and unborn child were gunned down three years ago. Since then, his world has become a drudgery of work and dreams of a different life.  Waking from one such dream, Littlejohn receives a phone call that will change everything forever. 


An ancient force has invaded the small town of Cedar Hill; one that’s visited before. Cedar Hill’s history is stained in blood, marred by periodic outbursts of violence. In a spray of bullets, a serial killer strikes at the small Hopewell Diner, drawing Ben Littlejohn into a centuries old pact that reaches back to the death of Christ. In the midst of unraveling this mysterious bloodbath, he’ll be faced with his worst nightmare, couched within his greatest wish: to have his family back again.


“Coffin County” poses the reader with the daunting question: who chooses between those who live and die? How can we reconcile a loving God with the atrocities mankind has inflicted upon itself? In a thoughtfully horrifying tale, Braunbeck not only chills the soul but also taunts the mind with unanswerable questions that are far more gruesome than blood spilled upon the page.