by
“Reality took a greasy slide off-kilter. He had to be mistaken. Please, please God let him be mistaken…”
Miles Baumgartner lost his boyfriend. His house. His job. Worst of all, he lost his nephew when Ian—his almost-son—died, crushed to death in a car accident nine months ago.
So how is there a recent photo of Ian on Facebook?
A series of lies and half-truths leads Miles far north to a long-abandoned orphanage. Secrets slink within St. Hamelin’s shadowed halls, and when Miles starts piecing the truth together, the horrors that walk within its rooms tighten their grip.
They say that time heals all wounds, but time is running out for Miles. How can he start his life over now, knowing what really happened to Ian and the children of that unholy place? To have any chance, he must escape before dark forces curse him to walk eternally with the evils inhabiting St. Hamelin’s.
- 1 To Be Read list
Genres:
Tropes: Abandoned Place, I See Dead People, Person in Distress, Redemption Arc
Word Count: 95000
Setting: Wisconsin
Languages Available: English
Tropes: Abandoned Place, I See Dead People, Person in Distress, Redemption Arc
Word Count: 95000
Setting: Wisconsin
Languages Available: English
Mark Allan Gunnells wrote:“PLANK CHILDREN is a labyrinthine nightmare set in an old reform school. Michael Schutz paints the haunted corridors with heavy atmosphere and real characters battling not only the forces threatening them, but also themselves. The dread is so thick you can taste it. Not recommended for the squeamish.”
—Jason White, author of The Haunted Country and Isolation.
Ben Eads wrote:“With PLANK CHILDREN, Michael Schutz has delivered another gripping and original tale of horror. St. Hamlin's is a truly wicked locale, bringing to mind Jackson's Hill House and du Maurier's Manderley only even more sinister. PLANK CHILDREN is a tense thrill ride that surprises at every turn.”
—Mark Allan Gunnells, author of The Daylight Will Not Save You and 324 Abercorn
S.L. Kerns wrote:“Emotionally visceral, relevant, with a powerful resonance rarely seen today. Schutz’s unique voice is a breath of fresh air. A must read.” – Ben Eads, author of Cracked Sky and Hollow Heart.
“PLANK CHILDREN slithers into your mind with its haunting imagery, gothic settings, and emotional turmoil. As is his way, Schutz writes details that matter, delivering a pleasurable nightmare.”
—S.L. Kerns, author of The Rut
