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Boys in the Valley

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Boys in the Valley

By: Philip Fracassi
Narrated by: David Aaron Baker
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About this listen

 'THE MOST FRIGHTENING NOVEL OF THE YEAR' Esquire

'OLD-SCHOOL HORROR' Stephen King

The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, Boys in the Valley is a chilling folk horror set in a remote orphanage in turn of the century Pennsylvania.

St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future. . . a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within.

Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives - and perhaps their eternal souls - are at risk.

Praise for Boys in the Valley:

'The terror's exquisite. Fracassi's got his hand on the chisel going into your chest' Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians

'Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully' Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling

'An unrelenting and highly entertaining show of horrors' Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of Hex

'A smart and deftly-written tale instilled with the kind of creeping, claustrophobic horror I enjoy' Nick Cutter, author of The Troop

'As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending' Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger

'The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page' Ronald Malfi, author of Black Mouth

'Harrowing and claustrophobic' Christopher Golden, author of Road of Bones

'Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully...he's especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense' The New York Times

'Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying' Andy Davidson, author of The Boatman's Daughter

'Horror readers will be hooked' Publishers Weekly

'A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop.' Victor LaValle

'Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise' Guardian

'Fracassi's storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart' Esquire

'His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris' Signal Horizon©2023 Philip Fracassi (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK Horror Scary

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All stars
Most relevant  
Both the story and the narrator were brilliant! Loved it!
If you fancy a good demonic tale this spooky season this is definitely worth your time.

Fantastic for spooky season

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I thought this was excellent. Tense and disturbing in places, well written with characters you cared about.

And intense and gripping tale

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A story of possession at a Catholic orphanage in rural America that delivers gut punch after gut punch in horror and dread.

Dark demonic horror

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I'm not usually one to listen/read books with a heavy religious presence, but this one was excellent and worth it. Clearly treated as a set up for the story, not an attempt at converting the reader. Really good, thrilling story.

The end almost made me cry on my way to work

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The story was great spoilt only by the narration of the children’s voices. I imagine reading the book would have been a lot better than listening to it. Some of the voices truly grated.

The sense of dread.

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The book has a really good base for horror, a claustrophobic isolated place and a mix of different characters to build on. As the book progresses similar scenarios seem to repeat with slight variation and some plot points are a bit predictable. One thing I found that lacked was character development. I feel like we just scratched the surface and that made it difficult to care either way what happened to the characters. The narration is overall good but occasionally when the voice of a child is being portrade I found the voice acting was a little irritating. Over all, worth the cresit

Great premis!

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A beautifully read tragic story. The perfect mix of the best and worst of human nature. This book will stay with me for a long time.

I don't have the words to describe how much I loved this book.

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This is one of the easiest five star reviews I've ever given. This book delivers on every possible level and does not disappoint. Go in blind, and enjoy!

Absolutely fantastic

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this is a decent enough story narrated well. it's just far too long for what it is. also there is no depth to the story especially the entity that possessed the kids. it's just evil. not knowing the antagonist or the rules by which it's governed means we're left with just the kids who on the whole are quite well written but again very shallow.

solid if uninspired

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The Boys In The Valley was exactly what I was looking for from a demonic possession horror tale. Scary and full of suspense. This one is particularly well written and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this sort of genre, which is a bit of a niche.

The best book I’ve listened to in 2025 so far!

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