Spindle Lane - by Mark Reefe

About the Book

In the summer of 1978, the Rolling Stones begin their US tour, David Berkowitz (aka the Son of Sam) is sentenced to 365 years in prison, and Grease reaches number one at the box office. But for the residents of Bowie, Maryland, those stories are all second string. For them it is the summer of the Goatman.

Book Synopsis

In the summer of 1978, the Rolling Stones begin their US tour, David Berkowitz (aka the Son of Sam) is sentenced to 365 years in prison, and Grease reaches number one at the box office. But for the residents of Bowie, Maryland, those stories are all second string. For them it is the summer of the Goatman.

Fifteen-year-old Chris Dwyer and his friends have their summer all planned out with marathons of Atari and Dungeons and Dragons, interrupted only long enough to cool off at the local pool and possibly catch a glimpse of Melissa Casey in her pink bikini. But when reports of headless bodies surface on the evening news and a mysterious horned creature begins stalking Chris, plans change. He soon discovers his pursuer is none other than the legendary Goatman, a creature so terrifying and vicious it rips its victims apart with its bare hands. But what does it want with Chris?

With his friends and brother by his side, Chris dives deep into the dark history of his hometown, uncovering a hidden world of witchcraft and demons. He hopes to discover the creature's origin and a means to stop its murderous rampage, but what he stumbles upon chills his very soul and causes him to question whether any of them will survive when the Goatman comes knocking.

Review Quotes

"Spindle Lane is an ingenious time travel machine. The imagery is so vivid and the narrative so realistic that they instantly transported me into the story's world. I was right there with the characters, experiencing their terror and desperation as if it were my own. A writer's job is to make the story so compelling that the words disappear, and Reefe has done that job magnificently. Spindle Lane devoured me mind, heart, and soul, plopping me back into the days of my youth with a delicious demonic twist I'll savor for years to come. Ray Bradbury would be proud indeed. Kudos and bravo. Highly recommended."

-- Kerry Alan Denney, multiple award-winning author of Soulsnatcher and Jagannath

"With Spindle Lane, Mark Reefe has gifted us with Chris, a teenage boy of the best and geekiest possible variety. Chris's summer begins promisingly enough, but nose dives into a morass of soul-threatening evil once he realizes the true nature of his friendly, pipe-smoking neighbor.

Given the choice between sacrificing his soul to an old, powerful demon, or watching his brother and sister and friends die horrible, grisly deaths one after the other, Chris chooses to risk everything. Armed with the very best of friends, and all the cleverness and ten- foot-tall-and-(secretly terrified but)-bulletproof courage that teenaged boyhood is uniquely endowed, Chris and his band of brothers attempt to upset the Goatman's applecart for good.

But old demons are cunning and treacherous, and temptation has
felled older and wiser warriors than Chris. For all his friends and their bravery, he may be his own worst enemy. Reefe's portrayal of Chris and his brother rings absolutely true, and little sister Katie is glorious and cringeworthily hilarious, especially when she's borrowed by a minor demon to be a part time spy. Reefe's flashback to the 70's is spot on, and once again, his characters are doing battle for their souls.

Don't miss Spindle Lane, it's a hoot, a delight and as always, a soul- affirming read."

--Sarah Dale, author of Something Wicked and Something Haunted

"Reefe never fails to bring the characters to life." -- S.L. Kerns, author of The Rut