Dreamthorp is a pleasant little village in Pennsylvania that is the paradigm of tranquility and peacefulness. However, when a retired couple go treasure hunting with metal detectors, they stumble upon an ancient Native American quartz carving, things start to go south. People begin to die in mysterious ways, and the circumstances keep getting weirder with each passing member in the tight-knit community.

The plot may seem a bit campy, but I was surprisingly enthralled with this book. I was expecting the worst, maybe because I'm being prejudice by linking bad horror movies from the 80's with the horror in literature, so I wasn't expecting such a well-written book, with so many likable characters. People dying in a horror novel rarely will rarely a strong emotional response in me, it's kind of expected, but Chet Williamson definitely emphasized the tragic nature of death, while still maintaining a dark and creepy atmosphere. Something other horror writers should take note of.

The book does feel a little dated at times, such as when a character struggles to come to grips with their sexuality, however the author's take on equality hit all the right buttons for me. The book offers a wide variety of characters and viewpoints and it was nice to see the full spectrum represented. What a nice change from the typical one-sided chauvinistic slants you find in most stories. ( )

This book did a good job of holding my interest, but the quotations at the beginning of each chapter annoyed me. I don't feel that they added anything to the story. My favorite quote from the story itself: "So, aside from living in a sylvan village where a homicidal maniac who makes Jack the Ripper look like the Tidy-Bowl Man is terrorizing the populace, how's life been treating you?" (Charlie Lewis) ( )

Welcome to Dreamthorp, Pennsylvania - an idyllic little resort town full of picturesque cottages, friendly neighbors and a sleepy, picture postcard-style atmosphere. It is to this quiet little town that two people from the city can finally come to get away from it all. A place where one can escape and start their life over...

Laura Stark is a woman on the run. She has fled to Dreamthorp in order to recover from a brutal attack perpetrated by a crazed rapist - the same attack during which she saw him mutilate her best friend. Dreamthorp seems like the perfect place for Laura Stark to hide - and forget the past...

Tom Brewer is a recently widowed teacher and sculptor, determinedly trying to put his life back together and helping his grieving fourteen-year-old son, Josh.

Then one day the peace of Dreamthorp is irrevocably shattered when a couple of local treasure hunters uncover several deeply-buried Native American artifacts. The couple's digging yields some ancient coins, beads, and an unusual-looking amulet. Once the haunted relics are unearthed, a hellacious and centuries-old evil is also unleashed; one that will inevitably exact a horrific vengeance that has no place outside of the gates of Hell. A series of brutal murders occur in the quiet town, rocking Dreamthorp - and its people - to its very core.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was certainly very graphic and gruesome in parts, and the story was somewhat far-fetched in places. However, I found the book to be surprisingly well-written, for horror that was written in the late 1980s and I'm currently looking for more books by this author. I would give Dreamthorp by Chet Williamson an A! ( )