Sallow Bend

By: Alan Baxter

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Something old and deadly has awoken.

When two teenagers go missing from the small, rural town of Sallow Bend, the residents come together to search for them. Little do they suspect that finding the wayward girls will be the start of their problems. An old evil is rising, and only one man seems to realize that everyone is in danger and this is not the first time it’s happened. With the carnival in town, people want to have a good time, but for many, this will be the worst time of their lives.

“Alan Baxter is an accomplished storyteller who ably evokes magic and menace.” (Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase)

“Baxter delivers the horror goods.” (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World)

“Step into the ring with Alan Baxter, I dare you. He writes with the grace, precision, and swift brutality of a prizefighter.” (Christopher Golden, New York Times best-selling author of Ararat and The Pandora Room)

©2022 Alan Baxter (P)2023 David N. Wilson

Wow! Pleasant Surprise!!

I was suspicious of this book simply because there weren't many reviews. However, the reviews were all great, I've never followed this author, the story seemed cool AND the book was on sale! Turns out I have a new author to follow! It was creepy, gripping and the ending was satisfying! Two thumbs up!

Charming 1970s-Esque Horror

"Sallow Bend" was an engaging experience; the performance was captivating and the narrative (with twists and turns) was enough to quickly hook me. The tone, writing and characters were similar to horror paperbacks from the 1970s... I was surprised to learn that the writing is far more contemporary. If that kind of Bradbury-small-town-mystery vibe is your speed, "Sallow" is likely to fill that need.

Another hit for Baxter!

Over the last few years I have quickly become a huge fan of Alan Baxter. The range in which he can write is incredible. Whether it’s a creature feature like The Roo, or a cosmic horror collection like The Gulp/Fall series, he’s nailed each trope. I was excited to see how he handled more of a slow burn in this small town folk horror. I was not disappointed! The dread and mystery builds with each page and all comes full circle in a satisfying conclusion. Joe Hempel did an amazing job narrating as usual, and it really brought this story to life. Highly recommended!

Pretty Good Story

This book was just “good” 3.5 stars really. If you can catch it on a deal, do it. The plot wasn’t crazy original, think a mix between Stephen King’s “IT” and Dean Koontz’s “Odd Thomas”. But again, still pretty good. I am on the fence with the narrator.

80s-Style Teen Witch Horror

3.5 A modern male feminist take on an 80s-horror-style book. Those old blood-soaked paperbacks are great, but why do they have to be so sexist all the time? Here comes Sallow Bend, a well-executed mix of pulp 80s horror and modern liberal politics. It's exciting and I agree with all this!

It's a thoughtful story about a teen witch who returns as part of a curse on a town who uses her powers to kill harassing men. So the townsfolk have to ask themselves, "How can I not be a sexist piece of shit to survive?" The main characters are surprisingly queer-positive and the violent deaths are gruesome. It's a balanced mix of horror and preachiness. I liked the worldbuilding around the evil spirit and how it implanted false memories in the town's people. Mid, but interesting and easy to read. Fairly spooky too.