The Harlan Artifact

By: Greg Marchand

Narrated by: Cailyn Bell

Lainey Tuttle, an out-of-shape bowling alley bartender, is trying to get her life together when the unimaginable happens. Something took her best friend and 15 others at Harlan, Indiana’s lantern-lit Fright Night Trail Run near ancient Cherub Mounds, leaving forensics teams scratching their heads. Ideally, her retrocognitive abilities would help her uncover the truth, but she lost those talents after a head-cracking fall during that very race.

When authorities lock down the forest, mound site, and its museum, hindering Lainey’s efforts, she finds only three people on her side: her eccentric archaeology professor, Clyde Duggard, local college wrestler Slim Dickens, and her dead father’s ex-girlfriend, Harlan Police Officer Amy Hendershot, who she despises as much as the backwoods, hillbilly town of Harlan itself.

As Lainey strives to find what’s causing more disappearances, her level of peril takes an incredible jump, and she finds herself not only face-to-face with a mysterious creature, but with her own redemption as well.

©2023 Greg Marchand (P)2023 Greg Marchand

Great story!

It was intriguing from the beginning and kept me wanting to hear more. I usually only listen in the car but kept on once I was home. I liked the way the history was intertwined giving you a few more details building the story. The characters were well developed and the writing was easy for me to have a mental picture while listening. I liked the details of the mound builder Indians and how they lived. There was just the right amount of gore and humor. Lots of twists and turns in the story I was not expecting. Well done!
Carol

Horror & Folk Tales

This story was fascinating. Lainey had retrocognitive abilities, which she kept secret from others. When townspeople went missing, Lainey thought that she might use her ability to figure out what happened to them. Due to an accident, Lainey can't connect with her ability, but townspeople kept disappearing. I admired the unusual format as the author embedded a story with historical elements. I liked that the heroine was a flawed character. There were some moments where the ambiance was very creepy. I appreciated the flashes of humor incorporated throughout the tale. Cailyn Bell's narration was good, and her performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Intriguing!

This book interweaves Native American folk horror, paranormal, and gore with regular people trying to manage past trauma and make a better life for themselves. The author keeps you gripping your seat. He made my face twist into disgust a few times; expect wonderful gore-you are certainly getting it with his use of colorful verbs that paint a very accurate picture in many scenes. It was refreshing to see into the lives of characters who have gone through a lot and handled burdens others may not understand or believe. You feel like you’re at their side seeing them work out their problems and make better choices.
The narrator was easy to understand and added a nice touch of dramatic performance in some of the conversations between characters. Cannot wait to read more of Marchand’s books!