2 stars that I might consider raising to 3, but only because most of this is set in McDowell County, West Virginia, not because of literary merit.

Afton Sullivan is a nurse at a medium security men’s prison in Duck, West Virginia and she lives in Clay County, about an hour and fifteen minutes away. She begins having strange visions with some of her patients and some very odd nightmares and within them she find a link to her grandmother and the past.

She travels to Robinson Holler, near War, in McDowell County to find out more. There she meets a family-like group who knows all about her and who band together to stop evil.

It appears this book was originally published in 2026, so it’s not new, this is just a reprint. I know the author is originally from West Virginia and now lives in Maine. I wonder how long she’s been gone, because she seems to have forgotten how most people from West Virginia speak. At least once, and perhaps more often than that the book shifts from third person to first person, it appears inadvertently, and that is quite jarring.

Plus Afton, our heroine, must be around 50, but she’s treated like some sort of wide-eyed ingenue, often become faint and having to have a big, strong man physically carry her away from the danger. She’s a nurse in a prison for goodness’ sake. She should be as tough as they come! So, while I’m always going to read any book set in or near War, West Virginia, this was disappointing.

Dark Cloud on Naked Creek by Cindy O’Quinn is one of those books that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. From the very first chapter, I was drawn into a world where mystery, suspense, and deep, hidden secrets come together in a story that’s both haunting and captivating.

The plot is thick with tension, and O’Quinn does a fantastic job of building atmosphere. The setting itself—Naked Creek—feels alive, almost like a character in its own right. The remote, eerie landscape adds a layer of isolation and danger that enhances the sense of dread throughout the story. As the characters grapple with their own fears and the chilling events that unfold, you can’t help but feel like you’re right there with them, walking along that darkened creek.

What truly sets Dark Cloud on Naked Creek apart, though, is its character development. Each person in the story has their own story to tell, and O’Quinn expertly weaves together their pasts and present struggles to create a cast of complex, multi-dimensional characters. As the mystery unravels, the characters’ emotions and motivations feel real, adding depth to the eerie plot.

The pacing is spot-on—there’s no rush, but the tension is ever-present, pulling you forward with every page. O’Quinn takes her time to build the suspense, allowing the sense of unease to grow steadily until you’re completely hooked. There are twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and when the final reveal happens, it left me both satisfied and unsettled, in the best possible way.

By the end, I was left with a sense of lingering unease, the kind that stays with you even after the book is finished. Dark Cloud on Naked Creek is a beautifully crafted thriller that blends mystery, suspense, and psychological depth into a story that’s hard to forget.