Billy Coffey's combination of lyrical style plus quirky characters has drawn comparisons to Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson. This novel centers around Leah, a 9-year-old whose unusual gift—and even more unusual imaginary friend—divide the community she lives in.

If Sarah Addison Allen wrote a murder mystery, this would be it.

I've read several Billy Coffey novels but not this one (yet.) RT Book Reviews calls this a "coming-of-age story about the tribulations of the heart that is profoundly believable."

Kirkus Reviews says, "Coffey spins a wicked tale . . . blends folklore, superstition, and subconscious dread in the vein of Shirley Jackson’s 'The Lottery.'"

I've read several Billy Coffey novels. He has been compared to both Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson. This collection includes three novels: When Mockingbirds Sing, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, In the Heart of the Dark Woods.

In this debut novel, Peter is a simple man who lives by a simple truth--a person gains strength by leaning on his constants. To him, those constants are the factory where he works, the family he loves, and the God who sustains him. But when news of job cuts comes against the backdrop of an unexpecte...