description: A literary chameleon, Stephen Dobyns is as well known for his poetry as he his for his taut and chilling mysteries. The two disciplines collide in The Church of Dead Girls , a lyrical novel that inspired Stephen King to comment, "If ever there was a tale for a moonless night, a high wind and a creaking floor, this is it ... I don't expect to read a more frightening novel this year." Aurelius is a drowsy bedroom community in upstate New York that is rocked by a vicious, seemingly random killing. A woman is found murdered in her bed, her left hand missing. Just when the grisly details begin to fade, a young girl vanishes. The only a bag with the girl's washed and folded clothes and a mannequin's left hand. Soon two more girls disappear, and when clues remain elusive, conjecture and rumour take over. The town awakens to a nightmare of suspicion and vigilantism. As the killer spirals in to kill again, the town spins out of control, and The Church of Dead Girls heads to a jolting conclusion. It'll give you goosebumps even if you read it at the beach.
language: English
title: The Church of Dead Girls
titlecomplete: The Church of Dead Girls
genres: Suspense, Crime, Novels, Horror, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Mystery Thriller
ratings_count: 2905
places: Upstate New York, Western New York, Aurelius, New York
awards: awardedAt: 852105600000
name: Bram Stoker Award
category: Best Novel, awardedAt: 852105600000
name: CWA Silver Dagger
publisher: Metropolitan Books Henry Holt