People had been vanishing from Devil's Elbow, Kentucky, for over 60 years. On July 4th, 1971, they all came walking out of the Ohio River.
Sixteen-year-old Cadillac witnesses a Bible-camp bus plunge off mountainous Devil's Elbow Road into the Ohio River. The next day, July 4th, 1971, Cadillac and other local residents witness the emergence of The Dead from the river--not just the children from the bus, one of whom is Cadillac's secret crush, but dozens of people who have disappeared over the past six decades. Devil's Elbow is a town with its share of horrors, even without Dead people walking out of the river, and residents are divided in how they see The Dead. Some see gruesome walking corpses. Others see normal, beautiful loved ones. Conflicts build between those who accept The Dead and those who want them gone. Soon The Dead discover they cannot sleep and have no desire for food--not until a terrifying hunger overcomes them. Cadillac, looking back from fifty years later, describes the horrific and redeeming events that follow.
Spencer proves once again that he is a master story-teller. An Untimely Frost will keep you up late, first to finish it, then to think about it! It has all the glorious gore of a true horror novel, but there is much more that lies beneath. This book will leave you asking yourself: What is real? What is merely perceived reality? Does true love last forever? Don't miss this one!--Rhonda G. Williams, author of Girl Brown
An innovation for the fresh generation of readers looking for a new Walking Dead, but it is also so beautifully written that an old lady like me can dig it.--Cherri Randall, author of One Vanilla Orchid
If you think you know the Dead, think again. Mark Spencer weaves an artful tale of colorful, fresh, and horrific characters (think Faulkner, Serling, and King) in his coming-of-age book. An original and beautiful story of life, death and romance--in that order.--R. L. Gemmill, author of Doomsday
A spooky page-turner with more twists and turns than a mountain highway! -- Sylvia Ann McLain, author of Spinning Jenny
Mark Spencer's novel An Untimely Frost surprises and delights. It's a horror story combined with romance, a coming-of-age story spiced with humor. At the same time, profound themes emerge: the nature of reality, the complexities of relationships, traditional vs. alternate views of life after death. An entertaining and thought-provoking read.--Constance McKee, author of the Girl in the Mirror.
Mark Spencer's breathtaking new novel, An Untimely Frost, is many things--a Southern horror story, a love story, a commentary on what divides us--but mostly it's the tangled adventure of sixteen-year-old Cadillac as he navigates through deaths and awakenings in his cloistered hometown, Devil's Elbow. Mark has masterfully combined colorful prose with a fast-paced plot to create a novel I simply couldn't put down. I read it in one sitting.--Rich Marcello, author of The Beauty of the Fall
An Untimely Frost is a gripping brew of horror and humor, love and hunger--with unexpected chilling twists and a creepy but oddly satisfying ending.--Dawn Lajeunesse, author of In Her Mother's Shoes and Autumn Colors
An Untimely Frost features vividly drawn characters in a deeply atmospheric setting. It really grabbed me. Vivid and chilling.--Barbara Barnett, Bram Stoker Award Finalist, author of The Apothecary's Curse and The Alchemy of Glass
"...a wickedly comic romp..."--Steve Heller, author of The Automotive History of Lucky Kellerman, winner of the O Henry Award
