All Things Bright and Strange

By: James Markert

Narrated by: Gabe Wicks

In the wake of World War I in the small, Southern town of Bellhaven, South Carolina, the town folk believe they’ve found a little slice of heaven in a mysterious chapel in the woods. But they soon realize that evil can come in the most beautiful of forms.

The people of Bellhaven have always looked to Ellsworth Newberry for guidance, but after losing his wife and his future as a professional pitcher, he is moments away from testing his mortality once and for all. Until he finally takes notice of the changes in his town . . . and the cardinals that have returned.

Upon the discovery of a small chapel deep in the Bellhaven woods, healing seems to fall upon the townspeople, bringing peace after several years of mourning. But as they visit the “healing floor” more frequently, the people begin to turn on one another, and the unusually tolerant town becomes anything but.

The cracks between the natural and supernatural begin to widen, and tensions rise. Before the town crumbles, Ellsworth must pull himself from the brink of suicide, overcome his demons, and face the truth of who he was born to be by leading the town into the woods to face the evil threatening Bellhaven.

Critic reviews

'. . . Markert's unusual story line and compelling characters offer a fresh perspective. Readers looking for lighter horror will enjoy.'

'A haunting tale of love, loss, and redemption.'

'Markert's latest supernatural novel is captivating from the beginning. . . Readers of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker will love Markert's newest release.'

'Screenwriter Markert (The Angel's Share) conjures an apocalyptic page-turner that blends Frank Peretti-style supernatural elements with the fine detail of historical novels.'

Imaginative!!

What a fascinating story that blends magical realism with history, and with a touch of horror. I’ve read this author’s other works as JH Markert, and while this was toned down from those, it was no less thrilling. Highly recommended for fans of light horror, history and the supernatural!

Going to the Chapel

A mysterious chapel in the woods draws townsfolk to it. Legend says the church has a healing floor, but the truth is the more time you spend on it, the older you get. Ellsworth, the protagonist is both enthralled by the chapel and decided to get to the bottom of the mysteries that surround it.

Not perfect, but it was fun.

This is one of those stories that twist and turn and sometimes doesn’t feel like it makes any sense why the characters do what they do. That’s not what fiction is for though. This one is fun none the less. A light hearted hero story with good closure at the end. Reads like a grown up young adult novel. A great book for a long weekend.

Slow burner

Easy listening but I wish more was happening. I kept thinking there was going to be an escalation but it never got as intense as expected