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Boys in the Valley  By  cover art

Boys in the Valley

By: Philip Fracassi
Narrated by: David Aaron Baker
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Publisher's summary

This program is read by David Aaron Baker, who brings the nightmare to life with his sinister narration. He has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Male Narrator.

The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, in Boys in the Valley, a brilliant coming-of-age tale from award-winning author Philip Fracassi.

“A sublimely chilling story.”—Library Journal, STARRED review

St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys.

Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future...a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides.

Others turn up dead.

Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives—and perhaps their eternal souls—are at risk.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.

©2023 Philip Fracassi (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“The prose is precise, the terror’s exquisite, and Fracassi’s got his hand on the chisel going into your chest.”—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of My Heart Is a Chainsaw

“A sublimely chilling story….Fracassi almost cheerfully paints this gloomy tale with painfully beautiful and detailed prose that is not afraid to shy away from gore and terror.”—Library Journal, STARRED review

“Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and terrifying.”—Andy Davidson, author of The Hollow Kind

What listeners say about Boys in the Valley

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Excellent story

The narrator did a great job! I could not stop listening to this story. It was so wonderfully written.
It was scary, dreadful, yet also filled with hope & love.

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WOW!!

A book has not made me feel so much for a really long time. This book was incredible, along with the narrarator. Scary, emotional, heartwarming, heartbreaking.

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Fracassi delivers

This book has not gotten nearly enough attention. I've read a lot of "horror" that is written well enough but doesn't deliver much fear. This is not one of those books. It's very well-written but never lets up on the gas. Highly recommended.

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Super fun and scary

I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. I really enjoyed it.

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amazing. great pace, riveting characters and haunting imagery. a must read for horror fans.

the reader is amazing and has a treasure trove of different voices, the story is a non stop mesmerizing ride that is difficult to predict and even more difficult to put down. out of the hundreds of horror fiction I've read this is definitely in my top 15.

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Great Narration

I saw this book on a list of Top 10 Horror Books of 2023. I thought I would give it a try. It was better than I expected. The narration was great. David Aaron Baker was fabulous once again.

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Excellent coming of age horror

Great book in one of my favorite genres. A Catholic boys home, terror, kids turned evil...some that have not. Gruesome horror with choices being made between good and evil, sometimes for survival. through it all there are moments of hope and chances for redemption. I loved this one, Fracassi nailed the genre.

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Nasty little gem!

Enjoyed this story very much- characters were well developed, setting/time was interesting, and horror elements were on point!

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Great listen

It’s hard to put this book down. Keeps you on the edge and fills you with equal parts dread and hope.

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Great story with an awesome performance

This will become one of my favorite horror books. The story is tragic, scary, gruesome and heartbreaking but in the end it teaches us the values of bravery and sacrifice.

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