Published in January of 2024, This Wretched Valley is Jenny Kiefer’s debut novel and is a horror written for hikers, campers, and all of your general outdoorsy type people. Reminiscent of Scott Smith’s The Ruins, with a healthy helping of Adam Nevill’s The Ritual, This Wretched Valley is a story of restless and vengeful spirits with some spectacular body horror scenes you will not forget.

The Plot.

Set in Kentucky, This Wretched Valley’s main plot covers a week in March of 2019. The time-stamped chapters follow four college friends and their faithful Australian Shepherd. One of the four friends, Clay, has discovered a rock formation that appears to have never been climbed or explored. The group embark on an expedition that is part rock climbing exploration and part scientific research. From the moment they enter the valley at the base of the rock things don’t feel right. Their dog, Slade, is acting funny and the plant life grows in unusual varieties and patterns for this part of Kentucky.
After an accident climbing the rock things go from bad to worse, with strange apparitions appearing before them and dead animals being left at the edges of the camp. The worst thing is that despite following their GPS, they can’t seem to find their way back to the car. Tempers flare, but is it because of the situation they find themselves in, or is something influencing their emotions?

Highlights.

One of the highlights of This Wretched Valley is the short chapters that are dotted throughout the book. These chapters tell the stories of other people who came before our hikers, from other centuries, that suffered due to their presence in the valley. As the main chapters culminate the characters from the historical chapters begin to pop up in the present.

The descriptions of the injuries the hikers suffer, real and imagined, are excellent. Kiefer really knows how to make a reader squirm, if you enjoy blood and gore this book is for you. There is one scene in particular with a swarm of flies that I read twice.

Drawbacks.

I know it is a necessary evil in horror, that the main characters must miss things that may seem obvious to the reader for the story to build. I mean, if the hikers in This Wretched Valley picked up on how the dog was acting in the first chapter and left we wouldn’t have this excellent book. That being said, so many things begin to go wrong, but each is shrugged off or explained away. The ignorance of huge things that were happening right in front of them seemed a little too wilful. Perhaps we can give Kiefer the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe this was the point, the wilfully ignorant get what they deserve.  

Another grip I have with this book is the head-hopping. Rather than focus on one character in a chapter and reading their point of view, Kiefer has head hopped. Delivering various points of view within a chapter, sometimes within a paragraph. And that’s fine, many authors do this. However, at times it was hard to figure out who was seeing or thinking a particular thing. Going back to reread some paragraphs did help, but stopping in the middle of the action to reread is not ideal.

The Final Take.

While I’m not an avid outdoorsman myself – camping, hiking, and climbing aren’t my passions. I found myself thoroughly engaged with the descriptions of the natural world in this novel. Kiefer, a rock climbing enthusiast, clearly brings a genuine passion and expertise to her depictions of This Wretched Valley. I believe any reader who enjoys these pursuits will find a particular resonance in her writing.

For those interested, I discovered that Jenny Kiefer owns Butcher Cabin Books, a unique horror bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky. If you’re in the area perhaps pop in and explore a book store dedicated to the world of horror literature. (4 / 5)

Episode six of Dexter Original Sin brings us Dex’s third kill, making him officially a serial killer.

Yay!

The story

This episode dealt with many things. The first, and clearly most interesting, is the kidnapping of Nicky Spencer, the police captain’s son, whom we met a few episodes ago.

This loss has sent the entire police force into an uproar. They need to find the killer fast before Nicky’s found hanging from a bridge.

Unfortunately, Harry’s still on the sidelines for this one, after horribly messing up the case against Levi Reed. He’s instead working with LaGuerta in a case regarding a dead homeless man. Despite the different victims, types of death, and the fact that they don’t appear to be related at all. Except that Dexter believes they are. They are, in fact, the first murderers of a blossoming serial killer. Just like him.

Before Dex can lean into this investigation, though, he’s drug along on a double date with Deb, Sophia and Gio. And here, we see the first shadows of danger from Gio. Shadows that will almost certainly turn into a monster.

What worked

I would first like to acknowledge that, despite my irritations, Gellar did well in this episode. She didn’t have Whedon’like one-liners. She didn’t exist to give snappy comebacks with a side of girl boss.

She looked as though she’d aged. She was serious. She behaved like a real person who felt terrible about what was happening.

And, just to shout out the costume department, she looked washed out. Yes, that is a good thing. Let me explain.

White is not a good color on her. At least not that shade. It made her look bad. This is not something that Sarah Michelle Gellar would choose to wear.

But it is something that Tanya Martin would choose to wear. And I love that. I love when shows and movies let people look bad because they’re more interested in being true to the character and not focusing on everyone looking as hot as possible at all times.

I also want to discuss Gio, Deb’s boyfriend.

Gio scares me. And I think that most women watching this will feel the same way.

Not girls. Not teenagers or even some young women. But adult women, I’m willing to bet, do not like Gio after this episode.

It was the scene at the bar. The part where he got in the face of the guy who spilled Deb’s drink. There was danger in that scene. Gio didn’t want an apology. He didn’t want to make sure Deb was okay. He didn’t even want the drink replaced. He wanted a reason to hurt that stranger. Because at that moment he was furious. And the only way to handle that fury for him was pain.

Gio is a very dangerous man. I’ll be very surprised if this season doesn’t end with Dexter having to take him out.

What didn’t work

At this point, we have a lot going on. We have Nicky’s kidnapping. We have Dexter finding himself as a serial killer. We have the flashback storyline with Laura and Harry. We have the dangerous Gio and the likely in-danger Sophia. And we have these murders of drifters and homeless people that the team is now investigating.

That’s a lot. It’s more than what can be followed comfortably. And that doesn’t even consider the one or two-episode arches like Levi, Nurse Mary or Tony Ferrer. A lot is going on, and a lot to keep track of. And it’s hard to believe, seeing what we’ve seen from this franchise and knowing what we know about how they handle endings, that these are all going to have satisfying endings. Especially since I haven’t heard anything about a season two.

We have four episodes left in this season, and I am expecting the storylines to start heating up. As of right now, we have way too many that don’t have enough to do with each other. But as we get closer to episode ten, I would expect these loose threads to knot together and form a noose around the neck of our dashing Dexter.

Disclaimer: This film was given as a screener for the review use of HauntedMTL. You can find more information about PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT HERE or buy it on Amazon HERE.

A few years ago, I was talking with a friend and we got on the subject of meditation. I was just getting into it and was looking for some insight. 

She’s a smart and well-rounded person, so when she recommended a meditation retreat, I was curious. She described a scenic, rural meditation center within Michigan that hosted weekend-long retreats. Especially silence retreats, where no one speaks at all and meditates for most of the day.

Being a podcast co-host/egoist who loves the sound of their own voice, I was fascinated by the challenge. Perhaps, I, too, could be one of those people who could go without talking for a weekend and become a smart and well-rounded person like her. Perhaps, I, too, could find enlightenment and all that shit.

So, I poked around the website of the retreat and I found something interesting…Music. There on the website were songs created by the meditation teachers. You could even buy their CDs.

“But Brannyk,” you must be thinking, “What does weird meditation music have to do with PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT?”

Well, everything.

THE PLOT OF PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT

Max (Adara Starr) is a happy-go-lucky and go-with-the flow hipster who works at Hear Kitty Records with boss Sam (Morgan Shaley Renew) and co-worker Gretchen (Shelby Lois Guinn). As she says, “I go where the music takes me.” This proves especially true as a regular comes in with one of the rarest records from Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. 

Created by a commune in the 1970’s, this illusive group created multiple albums, most which were lost to time when the group mysteriously disappeared. Now their records are worth thousands, including the very last album they created, said to be cursed. With only four copies made, those who got their hands on the final album supposedly went insane or died. 

When Max is miraculously able to get her hands on all copies – all except that last elusive album – she and her friends (including the lovely Sanethia Dresch and the hilarious Joshua R. Outzen) will go to all lengths to find that missing record. Soon they’re tangled in a web of mysticism, music and murder. Will they be able to find out the secrets of the mysterious Pater Noster (Mike Amason) and the Mission of Light in time or will this adventure be their swansong?

THOUGHTS ON PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT

Pater Noster is a strange little gem of a film by writer/director/producer/cinematographer/editor, Christopher Bickel. It’s a love letter to music, records and the weirdos who love underground music. It’s also a strange love letter to the cults who made music in that weird and wonderful time of the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

Much like Mandy, there’s a surrealist atmosphere of the cult. Unlike Mandy, the film is gritty and filthy. You rub it between your fingers and there’s sweat and dead skin. It’s manic, raw energy. It’s a bad trip you can’t come down from. A nightmare which you cannot wake. It smells like vomit and fungus-ridden bowling shoes. It’s the worst hangover you’ve ever had.

And I mean all this in the best of ways. 

The cinematography is an homage to indie films of the 70’s, looking like it was made on super 8 film and sold at an estate sale after being forgotten for years. The effects and makeup are beautifully practical, veering from subtle to ball-to-the-walls, literally puking up your guts. The shit that the crew was able to get away with in terms of action and effects is incredibly inspiring. It easily feels like this is a bigger budget film.

The acting is fantastic for the most part. Joshua R. Outzen as Jay Sin is so funny and honest with his performance. Sanethia Dresch is endearing as Sam’s friend/roommate, and film enthusiast. Morgan Shaley Renew as Sam’s boss is very charming as being like a mother hen for the group. Mike Amason as the eponymous Pater Noster is perfect casting, being able to make the switch from kindly old man to fearsome cult leader .

However, I had a hard time getting a read on Max (Adara Starr). She’s just always so happy and go-with-the-flow. Perhaps a bit naive. And maybe that’s the point. She “goes where the music takes her” and there’s little else that motivates her.

The story is clean-cut and follows a simple, but concise narrative. That’s not a bad thing, either. In fact, I prefer the simplicity. It has a clear progression and rising tension. There’s very little to detract from the story or distract the viewer. It’s smartly edited and the pacing is perfect, never meandering off and never throwing everything at you all at once. 

The ending is gruesome, chaotic and incredibly satisfying. The finale is beautifully and grotesquely shot. There’s a special balance of avoiding showing too much or not enough, especially with gore and body horror. There’s an art to cutting action just right to make sure the audience is aware of what’s happening, but adding to the tension of the scene. Thankfully, Bickel nailed it with PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT. 

BRAINROLL JUICE:

I have a longer Brainroll Juice for this one (RIP SEO readability), so I’ve set it into two parts – History of Music and Religion and the Cults in the US during the 1960’s-1970’s. Of course, these are just super brief overviews of each and I’m no expert. But I thought it would help with some of the context of my review and also PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT.

History of Music and Religion

Religion and spirituality have been intertwined with music since perhaps the dawn of time. 

The great goddess Kubile/Cybele was a huge proponent of using music and dance for healing, mental health and spirituality. Dionysus often had raves that lead to prophesies, healings and sexy times.

Meanwhile, the Assyrians used music as a war cry under Ishtar, looking for victory to the beat of cymbals, drums and war-pipes. The Egyptian goddess Isis is said to have created the sistrum (which looks like a wicked torture device). And worshipers of the child-sacrifice-friendly god, Baal-Moloch had priests singing hymns of praise during rituals and sacrifices. 

In India, the role of music was relegated to temples, using drums, conches and flutes as instruments to honor the gods. Music was integral in worship and tapping into the realm of the divine. Guy L. Beck explains in Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religion, “As Brahman pervaded the entire universe, including the human soul at its core, the notion of sacred sound as manifested through chant and music provided a veritable thread binding the human realm to the divine.”

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, taught through shabads. These were devotional hymns and mantras of the religion, of which many still survive to this day. 

And of course, from my boy Rumi, there are the Mawlawīyah, the whirling dervishes, who dance in a religious mystic fervor to prayers and music. 

Not to be beat, in the Abrahamic religions’ history, God and music are nearly inseparable. Joshua’s trumpets brought down the walls of Jericho; King David’s wrote and performed numerous psalms; Miriam (Moses’ sister) led a victory song and dance party to celebrate their freedom from the pharaoh.

Obviously, this is a very, very brief overview, but it shows the cultural significance of music of spirituality. Music is an incredibly human and old form of expression, dating back around 40,000 years ago. Songs carry power, our history, spirituality, good omens, and warnings. It’s part of our culture and social learning. We weld our songs reverently, dangerously, softly and loudly. 

It’s amazing to think that music today holds just as much joy, expression and spirituality as it did when we as humans didn’t have a written language yet. 

Cults in the US during the 1960’s-1970’s

Well, here’s the other half of Bickel’s love letter. 

During the rise of religions/cults of the 1960’s and 1970’s, particularly within the United States, music was also critical in their teachings and appeal. Through civil unrest, the rise of drug culture, search for personal identity and the global access to new religions of the East, the American youth sought answers to larger questions. They sought community. Conviction. A place to belong.

From the Beatles getting hippie-dippy with Hare Krishna, to the Helter Skelter of Charles Manson, music and cults also intertwined within this chaotic period.

Cults frequently used music as a means to communicate, to prophesize, to heal and to convert. It’s easy to feel like you belong when you know all the words of the songs and the steps to the dance. You feel like you’re in the “in-group”. Like you, yourself, are part of something larger.

On the Children of God’s website, it states that, “the Children of God became famous as their original music gained popularity when their bands landed recording contracts and big-stage performances, particularly in France and Brazil. From radical rock-style songs denouncing the hypocrisy of the establishment of the day, to heart-touching folk ballads about God′s love, original music became a prominent feature of the movement′s outreach and culture.” They even have a playlist.

The Unification Church (aka the Moonies) have a YouTube channel full of songs, including karaoke versions (worst karaoke party ever). 

Bickel created a film that encapsulates the fervor of music and the (sometimes) dangerous allure of spirituality/cults. The quest to find answers and our meaning in the universe. The love of music and its hold on the human soul. The aching desire to be connected with others, with the self, with some kind of higher plane or answer to our questions. 

Sam goes where the music takes her; her religion is music. Her worship is through the collection of these records, regardless of the danger associated with it. Not only does she go willingly into the den of Pater Noster, but follows without any suspicion or hesitation.

Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is enticing, with its cheery psychedelic songs, wrapped up in mysticism and mystery. And Bickel showcases this incredibly human desire for something more, for cosmic connection through harmony (literal and metaphorical), and its consequences.

BOTTOMLINE:

It’s Ghost World meets Mandy but dropped on the bloody floor of a mosh pit. (5 / 5)

PS – Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream is a FINE album

References:

Treitler, Leo. “History and Music.” New Literary History, vol. 21, no. 2, 1990, pp. 299–319. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/469254. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Martens, Frederick H. “The Influence of Music in World History.” The Musical Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 2, 1925, pp. 196–218. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/738578. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Hansen, Greg (2008) “Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions. by Guy L. Beck, editor,” BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 47: Iss. 1, Article 16. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol47/iss1/16

McLeod, William Hewat and Nangia, Tamanna. “Guru Nanak”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guru-Nanak. Accessed 5 January 2025.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Mawlawīyah”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May. 2012, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mawlawiyah. Accessed 5 January 2025.

Killin, A. (2018). The origins of music: Evidence, theory, and prospects. Music & Science, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/2059204317751971

Paglia, Camille. “Cults and Cosmic Consciousness: Religious Vision in the American 1960s.” Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, vol. 10, no. 3, 2003, pp. 57–111. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20163901. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.