As the book progresses, these storylines will intersect - with disastrous results. And just when readers begin to wonder whether they're really going to be scared by this book, Ahlborn pulls the rug out from under them, revealing a parallel storyline that will deliver all the chills and gore a horror reader might wish for. Readers are immersed in Stevie's thought process, becoming familiar with his unique habits and ways of viewing the world. This book begins quite gently, lulling the reader into a false sense of security. My favorite aspect of this book was how intentionally Ahlborn lays out her plot. Its intentional plotting and lifelike descriptions round out the read, making it impossible to ignore the skill of its author.

THE DEVIL CREPT IN has all the subtlety and intelligence of any family drama. Ahlborn's writing should be proof enough that horror writing is as much an art as any work of fiction. Just like crime books, skeptics can sometimes write off horror books as somehow 'easier' - easier to write, easier to read. I have to say, I think sometimes horror books get a bad rap.

What is that shadow lurking on the outskirts of town? And what about Max Larsen, another boy who disappeared a few years earlier? Soon Stevie's personal investigation into his cousin's disappearance will draw him into a years-old horror more terrifying than he could ever imagine. But with Jude gone, Stevie's imagination really begins to run wild. Stevie has always been different - prone to seeing things that just aren't there. THE DEVIL CREPT IN begins with a simple premise: a boy (Jude) goes missing, and his younger cousin (Stevie) is determined to find him. In this masterful and chilling horror novel, Ahlborn draws the reader into a story of evil things that surely can't be real. She has an unnerving ability to draw you into situations that are downright twisted, and make you want to stay there- and THE DEVIL CREPT IN is no exception. Each time I pick up an Ania Ahlborn book, I'm struck by her gift for storytelling.

The devil crept in