In the Valley, Where Belladonna Grows
Tim Lebbon
Dreaming in Fire (March 8th, 2014)
$2.99 Kindle
Reviewed by Sheri White
Mary has lived alone in the valley for sixteen years, exiled by her husband due to a relationship gone awry. Now she spends her days gardening, baking, living her quiet life and enjoying her solitude. Until the day a stranger strayed away from the path and into her home. When he offers her freedom, her entire existence is threatened.
She refuses to go back, and is visited by others, urging her to return to the city and her husband. The city is crippled and her husband wants her home. Mary wants to stay, but now storms are descending upon her home and wild dogs are threatening her.
But once Mary faces her fears of her husband and the city, she is confronted with a reality she is not sure she can accept.
Tim Lebbon is well-known in the horror community for his novelizations of popular horror and science fiction movies, as well as authoring his own novels. In the Valley is a quieter story, with beautifully written scenes that spark the reader’s imagination. A sense of unease permeates the story, leading to an ending that works perfectly.
In addition to this wonderful novella, a bonus story called “The God of Rain” is found at the end of the book.
In the Valley, Where Belladonna Grows is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve read it.
