Boys in the Valley

'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

Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully -- Victor LaValle
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
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
A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop -- Victor LaValle, on 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
A smart and deftly-written tale instilled with the kind of creeping, claustrophobic horror I enjoy -- Nick Cutter, author of THE TROOP
An unrelenting and highly entertaining show of horrors -- Thomas Olde Heuvelt, author of HEX
As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending -- Alma Katsu, author of THE HUNGER
Harrowing and claustrophobic, Boys in the Valley is an outstanding horror novel -- Christopher Golden, author of ROAD OF BONES
The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page -- Ronald Malfi, author of BLACK MOUTH
Old-school horror -- Stephen King

Philip Fracassi is the author of the award-winning story collection, Behold the Void, which won "Best Collection of the Year" from This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.

His newest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, was published in 2021 by Lethe Press. It received a starred review from Library Journal, was named "Best Collection of the Year" by Rue Morgue Magazine, and was nominated for a Bram Stoker award.

His upcoming novels include A Child Alone with Strangers (September 2022, Talos Press), Gothic (February 2023, Cemetery Dance), and Boys in the Valley, (Summer 2023, Tor Nightfire).

Philip's books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance.

The New York Times calls his work "terrifically scary."

As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. He currently has several stories under option for film/tv adaption.

Philip lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Services. For more information, visit his website at He also has active profiles on Facebook, Instagram (pfracassi) and Twitter (@philipfracassi).

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