Nowhere is the creepy, shocking, read-it-in-one-sitting-because-you-can’t-put-it-down, horror novel you’ve been waiting on. If you like horror, especially horror set in Appalachia, you need to get your hands on this book yesterday.

The premise of the story is Rachel Kennan, a hardened, rough edged cop from Richmond moves her family to the middle of nowhere Dalmouth Virginia to become the town’s new chief of police. Her family are a little less than ordinary and are immediately seen as interlopers in the small, tight knit community. When the book opens our protagonist has her career, family life, and sanity all hanging by a single slender thread, not to mention her struggles with embracing her hidden sexuality. Things get even worse when a grotesquely mutilated body is discovered in the woods and something strange begins happening to the children of Dalmouth, including Rachel’s own girls…

I won’t veer into spoiler territory here because I think this book is good enough that everyone needs to experience it for themselves. I will however discuss my impressions of the book in general terms.

Right from the beginning this book had an easy to read, cinematic quality that reminded me favorably of S.A. Cosby’s phenomenal book Razorbalde Tears. From the start I could see the story unfolding in my mind with granular clarity and detail and could follow along easily with the well-paced action and exposition. The characters are also extremely vivid. Rachel especially is just the kind of complex, imperfect, messy person I absolutely love to read about. Her interactions with her husband Finn, a onetime writer now a hollow shell of himself, felt compelling and understandable without necessarily being positive or healthy. She’s the kind of character you can’t help but be charmed by even as she makes mistake after mistake. The characters adapt and change too, they don’t remain static in throughout the horrific events of the story, a shortcoming that’s all too prevalent in horror fiction. I don’t buy it when characters go through some of the most terrifying stuff imaginable and then stay completely unchanged as a person.

And the horror, oh my god the horror. This book is actually scary on so many levels! There are shocks, grotesque body horror, and some more lingering terror on a deeper, cosmic level as well. I love when a story manages to play on different levels of fear and this book certainly delivers on that. While death and supernatural creatures are certainly alarming, sometimes the most frightening thing of all is the darkness lurking dormant in ordinary people, the everyday sort of monstrousness in our friends and neighbors.

There is something gratifying about seeing the beginning of something and that’s just the sense I got when reading this debut novel. I felt like I was present to see the start of unique and compelling voice in fiction. The style of this book reads as if Paul Tremblay and S.A. Cosby collaborated while also having a unique tone quite distinct from either of those authors.

Not only will I read anything else this author writes, I’ll await any future titles with the eager anticipation.

“Nowhere” is a small town, woods aesthetic thriller that focuses on the town Police Chief, Rachel. Rachel’s family is in the process of grieving the loss of one of their children when her focus is shifted onto drastic events that begin to take place in town

Read if you enjoy:
Police procedures / investigative work
Small town thrillers
Nature
Multi layered horror
Rival families
Religious chaos
Subtext / psychological - personal growth themes
Folklore (Appalachian)

Thank you to Atria Books, Allison Gunn and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: March 25th 2025

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read the whole way through. The author did an incredible job creating a creepy atmosphere and building tension. I was genuinely shaken up by many of the scenes - that forest scene with Charlie is still lingering in my mind.

The horror was multi-layered and masterfully put together. There was the horror of the unnamed threat in the forest, but also the horror of being a hated outsider in a small community, the horror of family trauma, the horror of denying your authentic self. All these themes played off each other perfectly, building dread in the reader in multiple ways.

My only minor criticism is I feel like there was room to expand on Michelle's involvement in the story. Not only was her relationship with the main character incredibly compelling, but I think there was an opportunity for her to have played a larger role in unraveling the mystery of the forest.

This thrilling novel features Rachel Kennan, a police chief, queer mother, and transplant to a small town in Virginia. She and her family are grieving the loss of their middle child when disturbing events start stacking up in this small, conservative community.

The writing is captivating and cinematic, and the clash between the Kennan family and the meth-addled religious community creates a compelling and suspenseful narrative.

The story also draws from Appalachian folklore, creating what felt like a metaphor for purgatory while exploring themes of values, partnership, and personal demons. At the same time, the meth-addled religious community and the Kennans clash over lifestyles and Rachel's role in law enforcement.

Can Rachel forgive her husband and vice-versa? Will Finn and Rachel work together against ominous forces and, more importantly, their internal demons? Can they repair all that is broken?

This gripping page-turner keeps readers guessing. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

I truly could not connect with any of the characters. Based off of the description I also thought that I would get more of a "culty" feel, but the story was really just about a small town.

Absolutely AMAZING!!! I love a good thriller that has anything to do with the woods. Appalachian folklore, even better. We follow the Kennon family in their new home in a small town outside of Roanoke, VA. Rachel, the police chief. Finn, a once upon a time writer with an alcohol problem. When the children start to go missing and acting strange, things go downhill from there. It gave me the lost colony of Roanoke and the TV thriller Dark vibes. I look forward to adding this one to my shelf soon.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🌲🔍 In her spine-tingling debut novel “Nowhere,” Allison Gunn transports readers to a small, fundamentalist town nestled in the heart of Appalachia. Mare of Easttown meets The Outsider in this chilling tale of disappearances, dark forces, and a broken family clinging to survival.

After losing her young son in a tragic accident, Rachel Kennan throws herself into her role as police chief in a tight knit Virginia community. Her husband, Finn, a once-promising writer now battling alcoholism, struggles to redeem himself. Their two daughters harbor their own demons, and secrets fester beneath the surface.

When a disturbing crime rocks the town, Rachel’s investigation leads her to a place that doesn’t welcome outsiders. An ominous force in the forest begins calling to the children, sparking fear and hatred among the townspeople. The Kennan family finds themselves in the crosshairs, forced to rely on each other as threats multiply.

Allison Gunn draws from Appalachian folklore, weaving a haunting family saga that delves into the darkness within our hearts. The tension is palpable, the twists unexpected, and the supernatural elements spine-chilling. Gunn’s prose captures the eerie beauty of the region, where secrets lie buried like roots in the forest floor.

This novel is a gripping exploration of grief, redemption, and the bonds that hold families together—even in the face of malevolent forces. Gunn’s vivid characters and atmospheric storytelling make “Nowhere” a must-read for fans of supernatural mysteries and psychological horror.

You won't be able to put this one down until you reach the book's stunning conclusion!