In the Valley of the Sun: A Novel

By: Andy Davidson

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

Deftly written and utterly addictive, this Western literary horror debut will find a home with fans of authors like Joe Hill, Cormac McCarthy, and Anne Rice.

One night in 1980, a man becomes a monster.

Haunted by his past, Travis Stillwell spends his nights searching out women in West Texas honky-tonks. What he does with them doesn't make him proud, just quiets the demons for a little while. But after Travis crosses paths one night with a mysterious pale-skinned girl, he wakes weak and bloodied in his cabover camper the next morning - with no sign of a girl, no memory of the night before.

Annabelle Gaskin spies the camper parked behind her motel and offers the cowboy a few odd jobs to pay his board. Travis takes her up on the offer, if only to buy time, to lay low and heal. By day, he mends the old motel, insinuating himself into the lives of Annabelle and her 10-year-old son. By night, in the cave of his camper, he fights an unspeakable hunger. Before long, Annabelle and her boy come to realize that this strange cowboy is not what he seems.

Half a state away, a grizzled Texas Ranger is hunting Travis for his past misdeeds, but what he finds will lead him to a revelation far more monstrous. A man of the law, he'll have to decide how far into the darkness he'll go for the sake of justice.

When these lives converge on a dusty autumn night, an old evil will find new life - and new blood.

©2017 Andy Davidson (P)2017 Journalstone Publishing

A Unique Take

A well written, thought provoking and unsettling take on the vampire myth. It defies expectations and lingers in the memory. Dan John Miller does a good job with the narration.

Sinks its Teeth in Early

Thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of In The Valley of the Sun in exchange for an honest review. Receiving a copy of the novel did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

A bit long overdue is my review of Andy Davidson’s debut novel. I actually had the opportunity to meet him at an author event called ‘Noir at the Bar’ here in Birmingham, AL back in November and also had him on my ‘Authors on a Podcast Talking Books’ podcast a little over a week ago. To say these instances sort of sparked my instantaneous need and craving to read this novel doesn’t really equate. Having said that, I will be keeping this review rather short and succinct as anything extra could lead to immediate spoilers.

In the Valley of the Sun is one of those novels that sinks its teeth in early and often, draining of you any and all emotions by the turn of the final page. The fact that this is Davidson’s debut is beyond comprehension as it has some of the finest writing I have ever come across. If this is any indication of what we can come to expect from the author in the future, the horror community and those on the cusp will be clamoring to get their claws on his novels.

What really grabs you is the Prologue chapter, introducing you Travis Stillwell on the evening he meets the mysterious pale-skinned girl. The prose alone in that chapter was enough to enrapture me, but to see it continued throughout the rest of the novel with deft fluidity allowed me to be utterly engrossed. It is poetic yet terrifying in its grace; a snake in the weeds winding itself along, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

I enjoyed how Davidson tells the story as a “present-day” narrative, but also gives us glimpses into the backstories of the characters. It allows the reader to find those hidden puzzle pieces into how these behaviors manifested, but also as intriguing road maps across the storylines.

In the Valley of the Sun may be one of the best debuts I have ever come across. If you are a horror junkie, or enjoy novels by the likes of Cormac McCarthy or Joe Landsdale, this is a perfect addition to your collection.

Great Atmosphere

I enjoyed the atmosphere the author depicted, especially being so close to home. And while I can appreciate a different take on the traditional vampire lore, I found it to be a rather weak and uninteresting reimagining of it. The narrator did a really great job giving life to the different characters. I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I hated Rue. I feel like we aren’t supposed to catch on that she r*apes and destroys the life of a male character, because she’s female I feel like she’s supposed to get a pass. She’s the ultimate clingy girl next door to the boy that isn’t interested, but she practices kissing him in her closet where she keeps a shrine of his chewed bubble gum. Just ridiculous. The writing in general felt juvenile, if I had a dime for every time the word “breast” was used I’d be able to buy myself a pretty nice meal, dessert included. Really by the last hour or two I just wanted everybody to die so I could get through it already. Even the characters I kinda liked. Seeds of storyline were planted that were watered and then walked away from. We don’t see much of it grow into anything at all. Characters and backstories that seem pointless. You get the picture. All the elements were there, cowboys and vampires generally make me really happy, but this just wasn’t executed in a way that was pleasing at all.

Great story weak ending

The story was interesting and kept my attention however the ending was abrupt and left you wanting more.

WOW!

It's like Cormac McCarthy wrote a horror novel. The characters are well developed. The story told is dark and unrelenting, but beautiful all the same.

Slow Build with an Abrupt End

The story is written in a way the flashbacks and the current story mesh so fluently that you are never lost. It builds to an unknown apex but just when you think you know what's coming around the corner, something happens that makes your eyes widen with surprise. The final acts builds exceptionally well but sadly I think falls somewhere in the realm of the final Game of Thrones seasons. It is so rushed for conclusion that there seems to be no time for a solid wrap up leaving you left atop a Ferris Wheel staring into the abyss.

“Memories, monsters, they are in our blood..."

I finally got around to listening to this! It's read by Dan John Miller and he does a great job. His country accents are perfect.
I have no idea how to write this review. The story is so good and written so well. The characters are real and complex. There is some gore and lots of blood. if the summary sounds interesting to you, just read this book then you'll see what i mean when i say i loved it but i don't know how to tell you about it without spoiling everything.

a great debut from an exciting new author

what do you do when you haunted by many ghosts and you get attacked by a vampire? why, you given in to your hunger and feed. but old ghosts are chasing you as well as the law.

Surprisingly delightful!

I will be real here and admit that I spent the 1st hour or 2 of this one looking forward to giving it a bad review because the description said writing style was comparable to Joe Hill, and because I recently had the pants scared off of me by Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box, I went in feeling, entitled to the same experience. However, I kept listening because I did enjoy the prose and the narrator. I’m glad I kept going! This story has everything, love, loss, agony, terror, redemption? The narrator does a fantastic job of giving tone and complexity to each character. The story is very well written, and while not the outright terrifying jolt. I was looking for I ended up being quite satisfied with the grim feeling of uneasiness and dread that surrounds this book around all the corners. If you were looking for a cozy sultry, southern Gothic type feel with vampire elements you’ll appreciate this book. I am writing this review a week before Halloween. Anyone who sees this please this is the perfect tone book for just this time of year!

AA Waste of a Credit

The only thing that kept me listening was the narrator. The story kept jumping back and forth through time that I almost became dizzy.