Riverwatch

By Joseph Nassise

Book Overview

When construction workers break an ancient seal hidden beneath a decaying New England mansion, they unleash a winged demon that has been imprisoned for centuries-and now it's hunting the residents of Harrington Falls one by one in this award-nominated Gothic horror thriller from New York Times bestseller Joseph Nassise.

International Horror Guild Award nominee for Outstanding Achievement in a First Novel
Bram Stoker Award nominee for Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Jake Caruso thought he'd found the discovery of a lifetime when his crew uncovered a secret tunnel beneath the old Blake mansion. Hidden for two centuries, sealed behind stone and mortar, the tunnel leads to a chamber containing a seven-foot statue of a winged demon carved from black stone-and something far more terrifying trapped inside.

When one of Jake's workers breaks the statue open, he unleashes the Nightshade-an ancient creature of eternal bloodlust that has slumbered in darkness since the colonial era. The worker dies screaming, his face frozen in terror, with no visible wounds. It's the first death. It won't be the last.

As bodies pile up across the sleepy hamlet of Harrington Falls, Sheriff Damon Wilson realizes he's hunting something that strikes from the skies without warning or mercy. Victims are torn apart in their own homes, drained of blood, or simply vanish into the night. The killings bear no resemblance to any crime he encountered during his years on the Chicago police force. The evidence points to something impossible-something that shouldn't exist.

Jake and his friends, newspaper reporter Sam Travers and psychic Katelynn Riley, uncover the terrifying truth: the demon is the last of an ancient race called the Nightshades, imprisoned by an equally ancient guardian named Gabriel. For centuries, Gabriel watched over the creature's prison, but now the old man is dying and the beast roams free, reclaiming the night sky it ruled in ages past.

The Nightshade is a perfect predator-it heals from any wound, hunts with supernatural cunning, and grows stronger with each kill. It cannot be stopped by bullets or blades. It can fly faster than any pursuit. And it has chosen Harrington Falls as its new hunting ground, transforming the peaceful mountain town into an abattoir.

With the body count mounting and Gabriel's cryptic warnings offering little help, Jake, Sam, and Katelynn must uncover the secret to destroying an unkillable monster before everyone they love becomes the next victim. Their only weapons are a journalist's research, a psychic's visions, and a construction worker's desperate courage-and their only hope lies in an ancient conflict that began before the dawn of recorded history.

In the darkness over Harrington Falls, something watches. Something waits. Something that has hunted humans for millennia-and it's hungry.

Riverwatch is a creature feature horror novel that blends small-town terror, Gothic atmosphere, and monster hunting suspense into a relentless supernatural thriller. Perfect for fans of classic horror, winged demon stories, and heroes who face nightmare creatures with nothing but human courage and ingenuity.

"A modern gothic thriller...scary...remarkable." - Denver Rocky Mountain News

"Nasty, vicious, and perhaps most insidious of all - seductive." - Midwest Book Review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1949459357
• ISBN13: 9781949459357
• Release Date: May 2019
• Publisher: Harbinger Books
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A Superior Debut!

I am often disappointed by first novels; usually they promise us steak but serve up hamburger. This time though, Joseph Nassise has not only served up the steak he's given us filet mignon! Riverwatch is story of the culmination of a terrible war begun in a time before mankind was preeminent and brought to its climax in smalltown USA. Nassise has plenty of talent for plot, pacing and dialog. This novel is a grabber and should keep you turning pages long after your spouse tells you "enough already go to bed!!" If his next book (Heretic) is as good look for Mr. Nassise to take his place among the likes of Clark, Laymon, Clegg, Little, et al. Buy this book, stay out of dark places and enjoy a thoroughly good horror novel.

Absolutely great horror

Long before man was a sentient species, two intelligent races walked the Earth. The Elders, looking much like present day Homo sapiens, were a wise and benevolent group who saw the potential in man's ancestors and taught them what they knew. The Nightshades, a reptilian race that could fly, thought of the humans as cattle that made for a tasty meal. They ignored their kind rivals and the time came when the Elders and the Nightshades went to war. They fought each other to the point of extinction until the last Elder defeated Moloch, the last Nightshade. Moloch was in a state of suspended animation until a construction worker in a small Vermont town inadvertently awakened him. He managed to free himself and go on a killing spree in Harrington Falls. To stop this dark and evil creature will take all the courage and the strength of the three people in the town who knows what they are really dealing with. Horror fans have a special treat in store for themselves if they choose to read RIVERWATCH, a genuinely frightening novel that features a creature out of our darkest nightmares. Joseph M. Nassise is a gifted storyteller who knows how to capture and keep his audience's attention. Readers should put Mr. Nassise on their must read list.Harriet Klausner

Caught me from the first sentence!

Before history was recorded there were two main species that ruled the Earth. One were called The Elders and looked identical to humans today. The other were called The Nightshades and were evil winged creatures. The Elders thought the humans had the potential to become intelligent and began teaching them. The Nightshades considered humans to be nothing more than cattle. A war broke out resulting in the extinction of both races. However, one Nightshade had been sealed off from the world. It was buried in an underground tomb and topped with a flowing river. The world was safe. Until... In the present date, while renovating the Blake estate, a river was drained and a cement sealed passage was found. An ancient evil was released, Moloch. Moloch was hungry and had a thirst from revenge! ***** This book caught me from the first sentence and held on until the end! Be warned of graphic death scenes! I highly recommend this one for Stephen King and Dean Koontz fans! Awesome and chilling! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch

A Horror Fan's Delight!

RIVERWATCH is a horror-fan's delight! I couldn't put this one down until I was finished. Nassise breathes life into his characters--and into the genre itself. Nassise's voice is a mixture of Douglas Clegg and Frank Perretti, but uniquely his own. Don't miss it!

Excellent!

An ancient evil has been buried and sealed in a chamber beneath the Blake mansion that was never meant to be discovered. But renovations to the mansion brings an unsuspecting town to their knees when the ancient evil is mistakenly released into the night sky. Three unsuspecting townspeople are drawn into the age old conflict and together they must muster their strength and wits to defeat what has been awoken.Splendidly crafted, Joseph M Nassise weaves intricate characters into a well thought-out story. Nassise's story telling capabilities far exceed that of your average writer. Never losing me and always keeping me guessing as to the direction of the story, I was immediately sucked into the plot and found myself running from the villain along with the lead characters. You'll be scared like I was... trust me