Valley of the Shadow [Paperback]

Naoma Hardy (Author), Earl Hardy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

A fast-paced dark fantasy, VALLEY OF THE SHADOW is a powerful variation of the classic battle between good and evil. The setting is the American Old West in the early 1880's, and most of the story takes place in a long forgotten town nestled in one of the many isolated valleys of the harsh and unforgiving high desert of the northern Great Basin. Four men whose lives have been divergently molded by the world around them-a preacher, a retired sheriff, a bounty hunter and an outlaw-are brought together for a task none of them could have ever imagined to face an evil as old as time itself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A strange compulsion leads a preacher who has lost the last thing that meant anything to him to a place called Silver Valley. Jerrod is compelled to search out an odd group of disciples to aid him in the quest he must lead. He finds a lawman whose life of upholding the law has broken his body but not his spirit, a bounty hunter who has an enlightening experience in the desert and is forever changed, and an irredeemable outlaw who learned from his father how easy it was to kill and destroy without remorse.

The men have been called by God to fight an evil which has been loosed on Silver Valley. There each man must come face to face with his worst fear, his brightest hope, and must endure his fate, whether it be a long-awaited redemption or everlasting Hell.

Earl Hardy and Naoma Hardy's story is a compelling mixture of horror, good old-fashioned western, and inspirational literature, all in one compact, expertly written package. The very simplicity with which VALLEY OF THE SHADOW is written brings a spiritual elegance to the contrast of evil and good in ordinary and not so ordinary men placed in a very un-ordinary place and time. -- Bookbrowser Review, by Rickey R. Mallory, 11/27/98

Earl and Naoma Hardy's Valley Of The Shadow is one of those gripping westerns that reaches out from every page to grab the reader's full and complete attention and won't let go until the spellbinding story is completed -- and perhaps not even then. -- Internet Bookwatch, 1/99

Here we have a pretty good small press horror novel, set in the Old West. A very unconventional minister recruits three gunmen-a gunfighter, a bounty hunter, and a retired sheriff-to accompany him on a trip to a remote valley where they're to confront a malevolent force. Along the way, they must deal with the lesser minions of this evil, including a town full of zombies. In a story reminiscent of Joe Lansdale's Dead in the West, the protagonists overcome their personal differences in order to meet the challenges that face them. A good feel for the setting, reasonably good characterization, and some nicely grotesque scenes help the story along. -- Science Fiction Chronicle, by Don D'Ammassi, 3/99

The pair's (Earl's and Naoma's) fast-paced story is a vivid reenactment of the classic battle between good and evil . . . --the story is well told and compelling. The suspense is high, the characters are intriguing and the interwoven themes of good versus evil and man's search for independence are universally appealing. -- The Auburn Journal, by Sarah J. Slater, 11/29/98

From the Back Cover

Look down into Silver Valley and see what you see. You may see yourself in that murky mirror, or you may see a terror beyond your comprehension....beckoning.

John is a retired sheriff, his gun hand crippled from his last gunfight.

Clifford is a bounty hunter. Society pays him to bring in those deemed unfit, dead or alive.

Jerrod is man of the cloth. He serves his god but questions his faith.

Frank kills, instinctively and without remorse. And he is good at it.

Which of these four men would YOU want at your back as you face the darkening skies, the swarming crows and the deepening shadows of Silver Valley?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Regeje Pr; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963914782
• ISBN-13: 978-0963914781
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,895,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and filled with action, you won't put it down, January 17, 1999

By 

Bill Stanton ([e-mail]) (Martinez, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of the Shadow (Paperback)

Valley of the Shadow is filled with action and captivating struggle between good and evil. Fun and fast to read, I'll keep this one on the shelf for another read later, I don't do that with many books. I found myself wanting more or another or the next, hope I don't have to wait too long. This book would be a great study for any junior high or high school English class, or conversion to a movie script! Thank you Earl and Naoma for money well spent

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book you can't stop reading till the very last page., October 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Valley of the Shadow (Paperback)

From the moment you start reading Valley of the Shadow, until the very last page. you'll be engrossed in it. A dark and sinister mood engulfs the characters, the towns, and the countryside throughout the entire story. This is a terrific book to curl up with, on a warm bed in a dark room, just make sure there's no black crows sitting outside your window.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh and captivating story, extremely well-written., September 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Valley of the Shadow (Paperback)

Valley of the Shadow is a page-turner. The story grabs yourinterest from the first page, where you meet Jerod, the youngidealistic preacher who finds his world and everything he believes in shaken to the very foundations by the untimely death of his new wife. The setting is the Old West, in the time of horses and wagons and dust covered towns separated by miles of wilderness and beauty untamed by man. These authors skillfully lay out word pictures that create rich visual images in your mind of the surroundings, the people, and the events. You feel like you are there. In the midst of his confusion and pain Jerod finds himself propelled on a mission, to gather together an unlikely team of men, all sensing they are about to face one huge and very threatening challenge from the dark realm of the supernatural. His first pick is John Sheppard, an older former sheriff, forced into retirement after suffering near fatal gunshot wounds that left him with a crippled gun hand. The second man is Clifford Washington, a black man, a one-time deputy turned bounty hunter, refusing to accept the inferior class status inflicted on other members of his race by white men. Then finally there's Frank Meadows, a hardened cold-blooded killer whom Jerod finds and rescues from the swinging end of a rope. These four men come together to do battle with the unknown, with their lives and those of many others hanging in the balance. As the reader you go on the exciting and hair-raising journey with them, through richly detailed and descriptive narrative of every turn of events. The collaboration of Earl Hardy and Naoma Hardy has produced a fascinating story about an old theme, the battle between good and evil, in a fresh combination of two totally different genres, old-time western adventure and modern science fiction. This book is entertaining and interesting, with a surprise ending you do not expect and cannot anticipate. I highly recommend it.