David Green is a Fantasy writer known for his character-driven fantasy and urban fantasy noir novels. His works include the Empire of Ruin series, a dark fantasy, and the Hell in Haven series, which follows a noir-style detective in a supernatural setting. Originally from the northwest of England, David now resides in Ireland, His works have been nominated for many British Fantasy Society Awards and David is a great author who always has time to speak to budding Fantasy writers like me.
Before ‘The Devil Walks In Blood’ and ‘One Life Left’, Nick Holleran, Haven’s one and only Paranormal Detective, finds himself drawn into a dangerous game destined to change his second life completely.
Treading water after being brought back from the brink of death, and finding his perception of reality altered forever, Nick is simultaneously offered a job and blackmailed into finding the same place: a motel and bar by the name of ‘Whiskey Pete’s’, and a road missing from every known map called Route Thirteen.
Curiosity and notions of self-preservation piqued, Nick travels to the Middle-of-Nowhere, Idaho, and is confronted with the supernatural, the weird, and the horrific in a thrilling prequel story from the Paranormal Detective’s early years, where Nick learns an important lesson.
No one ever leaves Whiskey Pete’s. Not really.
I’ve collected many of David Green’s books, but when I picked up this prequel, I decided it was the perfect place to start. The Darkness in the Pines introduced me to Nick Holleran, and I instantly loved it. Nick is blackmailed into visiting Whiskey Pete’s to solve the mystery of a missing journalist. It doesn’t take him long to sense that things won’t be easy. The concept of Nick’s ability to see the supernatural after a near-death experience is fascinating. His sarcastic quips about living in “Hell on Earth” made the story even more engaging.
Nick embodies the classic private investigator—witty, cynical, and dark-humored. His internal monologue alone had me eager to continue reading more of his adventures. This shorter novella is part of a larger world, but it serves as a solid introduction to Nick’s character and the supernatural setting.
If you’re a fan of Supernatural or The Dresden Files, you’ll love this novella. I highly recommend it!
In the Darkness in the Pines, Nick Holleran, a paranormal PI, is sent to investigate a missing journalist at a mysterious bar called Whiskey Pete’s. His near-death experience has granted him the ability to see the supernatural, making this case far more dangerous than it first appears. This prequel is a great entry point into David Green’s Hell in Haven series.
You can purchase Darkness in the Pines online at Amazon
