Review: 3 Gates of the Dead by Jonathan Ryan

Sometimes, the most evil things come from the most holy…

Conflicted with his faith in God and the hypocrisy of the church, Aidan Schaeffer, a young assistant pastor, is in a constant state of spiritual turmoil. When Aidan learns that his ex-fiancée is the first victim in a string of ritualistic killings, he finds himself in the middle of an even deeper fight. Tormented by demonic threats and haunted by spirits, Aidan throws himself into investigating Amanda’s death; all the while supernatural forces have begun to attack the people around him. The more questions he asks, the more he is drawn into the world of a mysterious Anglican priest, a paranormal investigation group and a rogue female detective investigating the murders. As the gruesome rituals escalate, ancient hidden secrets and an evil long buried threaten to rip Aidan’s world apart.

Chirenjenzie had the honor of being part of the cover release for 3 Gates of the Dead back in the spring. Now, I'm super stoked to announce that it's available for all the world to enjoy! Here's my review:

While I'm typically not a fan of horror, Ryan absolutely blew me away with 3 Gates of the Dead. It's entirely creepy and disturbing ... and that's a good thing.

We start off with Pastor Aidan Schaeffer who's having a bit of a faith crisis. Actually, it'd be a huge faith crisis considering he's the associate pastor of an Ohio church, and pastors are supposed to believe in God. As if that's not enough, he finds he's suddenly suspected of the ritualistic murder of his ex-fiancee, Amanda.

After being cleared of the charges, he sticks around to help the smexy Detective Brown work through the increasingly disturbing clues. With the help of some paranormal investigators and a priest you can't help but love, Aidan struggles to piece together the clues left by Amanda before the next murder occurs. Is it just some nutcase at work or is there something much more sinister at work?

Ryan does an exquisite job in creating a novel that covers every element of storytelling to its fullest. Sharing the horror limelight with the likes of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft can't be easy, but Ryan knocks it out of the park with 3 Gates of the Dead! Trust me when I tell you, you'll never look at footprints in the snow the same way again!

If you like horror, suspense, and all things paranormal, you're definitely in for a treat!

I have to recommend giving this book a try even if you aren't a horror lover. The writing is excellent, the characters a rich and unique. This is the kind of novel that leaves you thinking about it for months afterward. And that, to me, is a great read! Definitely worth 5 bloody footprints!

~ Izzie