The Night Pool - by Lauren Lee Smith (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Night Pool is a blood-soaked, page-turning horror set in the Gold Rush West, where three women must battle monsters both human and inhuman to survive--perfect for fans of Alma Katsu's The Hunger and Victor LaValle's Lone Women.

The American West is no safe haven for women--least of all in the Gold Rush town of Coloma, California. Not for Clara Tice, the blacksmith's strange and stubborn daughter. Not for Mei, the healer whose calm presence in the makeshift camp for Chinese immigrants contrasts sharply with her brother's hard-eyed pursuit of riches. And certainly not for Haloke, a Nisenan shaman's granddaughter whose native village has been devastated by smallpox, hunger, and the relentless greed of Outsiders.

One night, Clara and Haloke meet at the river's edge and watch in horror as Clementine Cobbs, the town beauty, is lured across the water. Together they witness something terrible in the Night Pool. Soon after, an unseen attacker descends upon the mining men of Coloma, abandoning heartless bodies one by one. As the gruesome killings in Coloma threaten to incite further violence, Clara, Haloke, and Mei find themselves unlikely allies--without the gangs, guns, or bravado of the men who claim Coloma's riches. The three women must work together to confront the evil that menaces them from both monsters and men.

A gripping tale of sisterhood, vengeance, and survival, The Night Pool explores the horrors of greed and lust, and the hidden strength of the most vulnerable among us.

Review Quotes

"Exceptionally well-written, original, and yes, terrifying...The writing is razor-sharp, and the author doesn't shy away from the sights, smells, and gore surrounding the harsh personal environment that all three women struggle to overcome...Smith crafts not only a uniquely harrowing story but also a poignant one that will leave the reader satisfied."

"The Night Pool is a fever dream of gold and blood, where the land itself remembers what was taken. Here, women confront the brutality of the frontier and the haunting darkness that stalks the ravaged banks of Gold Rush-era Coloma. Lauren Lee Smith writes with a visceral beauty that braids history and horror into powerful prose that is as lyrical as it is merciless."