THE ST. BENEDICT SERIES
A powerful family fights to keep their grim skeletons hidden after the sins of their heir apparent unravel the idyllic Louisiana town they control. But the arrival of a handsome stranger and the discovery of bones long buried beneath the river threaten to awaken dangerous ghosts in this Southern Gothic series filled with mystery, a rising body count, and a chilling pact between unlikely friends.
The Impact of the St. Benedict Series Social Media Grassroots Movement
A gripping Southern Gothic/Psychological Horror series debut inspired by true events. Reminiscent of the Gothic horror/family-sagas by V.C. Andrews, book one of the St. Benedict series, “… offers a look inside the mind of a psychopath,” says Pearry Teo, PhD, Award-winning horror director of The Assent, “and is a cautionary tale that the scariest monsters are the ones you know but never suspect.”
“The most unsettling, unforgettable horror is real life horror. Add a ghostly thread and you have River of Ashes. Highly recommended—if you dare.”
~Liana Gardner, Bram Stoker Awards-Nominee of Speak No Evil ( #14 in Ginger Nuts of Horror's Top 100 YA Horror Novels of the Decade)
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Inspired by true events, River of Ashes is a smart and gripping Southern Gothic, Psychological Horror/Thriller with elements of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, YOU by Caroline Kepnes, and the Gothic family-sagas of V.C. Andrews.
“A psychological portrait akin to Lord of the Flies.” ~Midwest Book Review
some truths are better kept secret.
some secrets are better off dead.
ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BOGUE FALAYA RIVER, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.
And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.
The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Star quarterback. Handsome. Charming. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.
He is also a psychopath.
A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.
As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear that someone must stop Beau Devereaux.
And that someone will pay with their life.
* * *
Warning: This book contains rape, violence, and a psychopath's POV, which some readers will find disturbing.
“Uncomfortably brutal.” ~Kirkus
“If Gillian Flynn and Bret Easton Ellis had a book baby, it would be River of Ashes.” ~Booktrib
"[Beau Devereaux] makes some of Stephen King's characters appear tame by comparison." ~Nanette Fandino-Diaz @tea.and.titles
“Beau Devereaux is every bit the “bad boy” our mothers warned us about. Think Mark Wahlberg from Fear but imagine if he crossed paths with Sidney Prescott.” ~GothGirlOnTheTrain
"You cannot prepare to read this kind of thing. Expect to have a strong reaction.
Expect to feel disturbed." ~JypsyLynn
“Definitely not for the faint of heart … when I read [book 2], the doors will be locked, I’ll keep a weapon nearby, and all the lights will be on.” ~Horror Tree
“An unsettling, atmospheric book that reads like a thrilling soap opera. The Virgin Suicides comes to mind … I cannot wait for book two.” ~NetGalley
"Holy snap, this was BRUTAL in the best of ways!"
~Mercedes M. Yardley, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Little Dead Red.
“River of Ashes has a gritty darkness that clings to you like a second skin. A fabulous start to an addictive series” ~Monique Snyman, Bram Stoker Awards-Nominee of
The Night Weaver and The Bone Carver
“[River of Ashes] did what every good horror movie or book should do, it kept me uncomfortable the whole time. This book really does give that horror movie dread.
Definitely a must read if you can handle it.” ~Goodreads
River of Ashes Cover Reveal in Times Square on Broadway
“The dynamic duo of Weis and Astor make magic together. A wholly evocative world propels this small-town mystery to epic heights. Highly recommended.” ~BestThrillers
More secrets are about to be uncovered, beginning with the arrival of a handsome stranger, and the discovery of bones long buried beneath the river …
Leslie Moore is struggling to get through her last semester at St. Benedict High. Even her relationship with her boyfriend Derek is falling apart. But after receding floodwaters from the Bogue Falaya River expose the bones of a woman, Leslie becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer.
Sightings of an apparition haunting The Abbey send Leslie and her friends back to the scene of the horrors from last Halloween, but no one is prepared for what they find.
After a stranger—the handsome Luke Cross—arrives in town, another girl goes missing, and the sheriff suspects the newcomer is hiding something. Leslie believes the Devereaux family is connected to everything going wrong in St. Benedict. And she means to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
Not all secrets can be kept silent. Some eventually find their way home.
* * *
“Not only has everything changed since Leslie Moore’s deal with the devil, but so has she. Readers needn't have prior familiarity with book I to appreciate this continuation—but they should. Together, the two books present an intense series of events that are intrinsically woven on many levels, questioning the evolution of heroes, psychopaths, and family connections that not only bind, but damage. A special recommendation for those interested in not just murder mysteries, but the underlying influences that create criminal psyches and victims alike.” ~Midwest Book Review
some secrets you bury.
some secrets bury you.
After another body is discovered in the Bogue Falaya River, the list of suspects gets longer. It’s only a matter of time before the authorities descend on the sleepy Louisiana town, asking questions Gage Devereaux doesn’t want answered.
Leslie’s determination to unearth more about the Devereaux family takes her on a strange journey to a remote, troubling place. Derek is by her side, but things aren’t the same between them—another has gotten under her skin.
With whispers of a serial killer plaguing the town, the people of St. Benedict demand action. Soon, they will have more than they bargained for as an excavation of the haunted land around The Abbey reveals a sinister secret no one sees coming.
Secrets can’t stay buried in a river that always gives up its dead.
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