Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso

 "Even when you can't see Him, when the lights are out and you can feel the darkness, God is still there" (pg 160)

This book is about Rob Shields, a man who has suffered great loss. His wife and child were ripped from his life and were long since declared dead.  Now it seems that his son has found a way to call out to him from that dark place to which he has vanished. Desperate to find and rescue his son, Rob sets out on a unlikely journey~ the hardest one of his life. 
When he meets a dark-eyed stranger in the local diner, Rob finds his spirit called to a place he never knew existed: Darlington.  As fate would have it Rob meets someone else at the diner, someone who knows about Darlington. Juli is a young waitress and she exudes a peace and grace that immediately appeals to Rob. What he doesn't know is she has been directed by God to intercede for Rob . She also harbors an unnatural dislike for the stranger with the dark eyes.  He is pure evil and is watching their every move.
When Rob decides to go to Darlington, Juli insists on coming along and here is where their journey begins.  As they travel into the depths Darlington woods, it becomes abundantly clear that they are searching for the Light that dispels all darkness. With Juli beside him at each step, Rob must fight for his life as never before.
Will either of them survive?  Is his son alive?  What is the unnatural presence in the woods that causes all the townspeople of Darlington to stay inside when the sun goes down?  You will have to read to find out!  I highly recommend this book.  Scary and suspenseful but with the underlying message is no matter what darkness you are going through, turn to the Light!!!!  "Where Light abides, Fear cannot"

The Ridge by Michael Koryta

What do you get when you combine a deadly Kentucky back road, a big cat rescue preserve, and a spooky lighthouse?  This is “The Ridge” by Michael Koryta

The local drunk (and owner of the eerie land-locked lighthouse), Wyatt French’s dead body is discovered by deputy sheriff Kevin Kimble.  After finding eerie photos in the lighthouse, he recruits Roy Darmus, retired editor of the town’s paper, to delve into the cause of dozens of car accidents that have occurred on the desolate road (known as Blade Ridge) near the lighthouse. Countless people have died, and the deaths seem to go back generations.  Somehow all of these deaths are all tied into one another. Together, Kevin and Roy must find the source of this darkness, digging through decades of the town’s history to find the answers.

Meanwhile, Audrey Clark is continuing her late husband’s dream of running a big cat rescue preserve and has just moved her operation to the land next to the lighthouse.  Soon after moving in she notices the cats grow restless at night, frightened by something in the dark.  They sense something that humans cannot, and it’s something evil.

What’s happening in this town will shock you.  This is a great book with a large cast of characters.  It really was difficult to blog about this one because there were so many plot twists.  I recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a semi-spooky Halloween time read.