Ascent of a Vengeful Woman by Ashon Ruffins

In the aftermath of Goliath’s murder spree in New Orleans, Nola Maor has committed herself to becoming a more skilled hunter in order to cope with the bloodshed in her city. Confronted with tragedy in her life, but unwilling to process her own trauma and grief, she leaves her career as a New Orleans police detective behind, and suffers in solitude. Nola’s lethal reputation has grown among the most savage and depraved for her unwavering resolve to eliminate the nightmarish creatures that stalk and feed on humans. Dozens of missing people, along with an unnatural and grotesque murder, prompt Nola to travel to the small town of Dalyville, hundreds of miles away. A disturbing occurrence will push her skills as a private investigator, a hunter, and her humanity to their limits. The town’s history of wickedness is catching up with its residents as an evil force that simmers beneath the surface boils over with blood-thirsty intent. The past never dies. It festers. It cultivates in pain, waiting to rear its ugly head and inflict suffering, terror, and vengeance, bringing everyone around it to their knees. Will Nola be able to identify the vicious beast’s origins and understand its motives before it destroys the town of Dalyville? Or will the entity eviscerate everything in its path and consume both the town and, eventually, Nola Maor?

Adult • Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense/Supernatural and Paranormal • Diversity Representation/Mental Health • Horror/Paranormal Creatures • Horror/Supernatural and Occult • Horror

Content Warning: Issues of mental health and horror