The Girl in the Corn - by Jason Offutt

About the Book

Short Summary: Thomas has always known that fairies exist. As a child he faced an evil entity that threatens to devour the fairy world. Now an adult, he teams up with the girl in the corn to save her world⎯and his⎯from Dauðr, only to realize that he may not be able to distinguish good from evil before evil swallows them whole.

Book Synopsis

"Norse mythology gives this story . . . a unique touch [with] an exhilarating conclusion." --Booklist

"This was an outstanding blend of horror, speculative fiction, and apocalyptic fantasy topped with madness." --Horror DNA

Beware of what lurks in the corn.

Fairies don't exist. At least that's what Thomas Cavanaugh's parents say. But the events of that one night, when he follows a fairy into the cornfield on his parents' farm, prove them wrong. What seems like a destructive explosion was, Thomas knows, an encounter with Dauðr, a force that threatens to destroy the fairy's world and his sanity.

Years later, after a troubled childhood and a series of dead-end jobs, he is still haunted by what he saw that night. One day he crosses paths with a beautiful young woman and a troubled young man, soon realizing that he first met them as a kid while under psychiatric care after his encounters in the cornfield. Has fate brought them together? Are they meant to join forces to save the fairy's world and their own? Or is one of them not who they claim to be?

For readers who enjoy The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig, The Whispering North by Alex North, and Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay.

Review Quotes

"The Girl in the Corn is a haunting, unsettling, gripping novel. I will have nightmares of circles filled with needle teeth for years to come. In these cornfields are such original, disturbing beasts--I was hypnotized by their presence on the page." --Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson nominee

"[An] unholy mash-up of creepy, high-body-count paranormal thrills . . . Readers will find themselves well sated before the end." --Publishers Weekly

"Norse mythology gives this story . . . a unique touch [with] an exhilarating conclusion." --Booklist

"This was an outstanding blend of horror, speculative fiction, and apocalyptic fantasy topped with madness . . . The Girl in the Corn is one of the first great horror novels of 2022." --Horror DNA

About the Author

Jason Offutt writes books. This is infinitely better than what his father trained him to do, which was to drink beer and shout at the television. He is best known for science fiction, such as his end-of-the-world zombie novel Bad Day for the Apocalypse (a curious work that doesn't include zombies), his paranormal non-fiction like Chasing American Monsters (that does), and his book of humor How to Kill Monsters Using Common Household Objects. He teaches university journalism, cooks for his family, and wastes much of his writing time trying to keep the cat off his lap. You can find more about Jason at his website, www.jasonoffutt.com. There are no pictures of his cat Gary, and it serves him right.