Devil of the Pines
1735. Leeds Point, New Jersey. A weary woman discovers she is pregnant with her thirteenth child. In a moment of despondence, she curses the unborn that it may be a devil. On the night the infant enters the world, no one in the room is left alive to recount the tale.
2005. Thirteen-year-old Patrick Shourds and his friend encounter a terrifying creature in the Pine Barrens. When only Patrick emerges from the woods alive, the residents of the small town blame and shun him. A pariah in his community, Patrick is ultimately driven away, vowing to never look back.
2025. Patrick reluctantly returns to Leeds Point after the death of his mother. Seeking to lay the ghosts of his past to rest, he soon discovers they refuse to go quietly. When a string of grisly events rock the small town, old suspicions resurface, and the residents again point their fingers at the prodigal son.
Patrick will learn that he can't run from the past. He'll have to confront his demons - the monster in the woods and the darkness that dwells within.
DISCOVER THE DISTURBING LEGEND THAT HAS HAUNTED THE PINE BARRENS FOR CENTURIES.
IN THESE WOODS, LEGENDS BECOME NIGHTMARES.
James Kaine, author of The Dead Children's Playground, brings you the next chilling tale in his American Horrors series where you'll learn fear always finds its way home.
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James Kaine
The shadows of Trenton, New Jersey, left a mark on James Kaine long before he began writing about them. As a child, he was captivated by ghost stories whispered on porches and horror paperbacks passed around at school fairs. That fascination matured into something sharper and more unsettling: a need to explore why people fear what they do, and what happens when those fears refuse to stay hidden.
Kaine is now an established name in modern horror, known for blending the cinematic tension of a filmmaker with the raw immediacy of a storyteller who understands the monsters inside us. His American Horrors series, beginning with The Dead Children’s Playground, drew critical acclaim for its unflinching atmosphere and was praised by Publishers Weekly’s BookLife as a work that could “chill readers to the bone.” The novel went on to top Amazon’s U.S. Horror charts, securing his reputation as a writer capable of crafting stories that linger long after the final page.
American Horrors
Dark legends don’t just belong to faraway places. In small towns across the United States, forgotten playgrounds, pine-thick forests, and quiet backroads hide stories no one wants to tell out loud. The American Horrors series peels back that silence, weaving unsettling tales where everyday landscapes become the stage for something far more sinister.
American Horrors consists of two books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
