Grimm Woods by D. Melhoff

Book Description:

A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a bloody, real-life rendering of a classic Grimm's fairy tale. Trapped in the wilderness, the remaining counselors must follow a trail of dark children's fables in order to outwit a psychopath and save the dwindling survivors before falling prey to their own gruesome endings.

Drawing on the grisly, uncensored details of history’s most famous fairy tales, Grimm Woods is a heart-pounding thriller about a deranged killer who uses traditional children’s stories as tropes in elaborate murders. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Michigan, it’s a journey through the mind of a dangerous zealot and a shocking glimpse into the bedtime stories you thought you knew.

Buy the Book:  Amazon

Author's Bio:

D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town that few people have heard of and even fewer have visited. While most of his stories are for adults, he also enjoys terrifying younger audiences from time to time, as seen in his series of twisted picture books for children. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Stoker, and his second grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror. For more information, visit www.dmelhoff.com.

Connect with the author:  Book Website  ~  Twitter ~  Facebook

My Review

Grimm Woods by D. Melhoff was a thrilling read that pulled me in deep right from page one and held me tight until the very last page. The aspect of the camp counselors having to survive the child tales from the old Grim fair tales and outwit a psychopath was an inspired plot. It really spoke to me because I have actually been a camp counselor so I could truly begin to imagine what they felt like (at least to a certain extent).  The suspense and the horror were perfectly balanced with attempted survival. 

The author did a truly spectacular job in crafting this horror story while still leaving just a bit of hope with the idea that the counselors are fighting to outwit a psychopath. I really liked that this focused on ordinary people instead of the police, FBI, or CIA as it gave an original feel to the book.