Witch Creek (Wildlands Series #2)

by Laura Bickle

Overview

In the backcountry of Yellowstone, evil moves below the surface . . .

Following Nine of Stars comes the next chapter in Laura Bickle's critically acclaimed Wildlands series

As the daughter of an alchemist, Petra Dee has battled supernatural horrors and experienced astonishing wonders. But there’s no magic on earth that can defeat her recent cancer diagnosis, or help find her missing husband, Gabriel. Still, she would bet all her remaining days that the answer to his disappearance lies in the dark subterranean world beneath the Rutherford Ranch on the outskirts of Temperance, Wyoming.

Gabe is being held prisoner by the sheriff and heir to the ranch, Owen Rutherford. Owen is determined to harness the power of the Tree of Life—and he needs Gabe to reveal its magic. Secretly, the sheriff has also made a pact to free a creature of the underground, a flesh-devouring mermaid. Muirenn has vowed to exact vengeance on Gabe, who helped imprison her, but first . . . she's hungry. Once freed, she will swim into Yellowstone—to feed.

With her coyote sidekick Sig, Petra must descend into the underworld to rescue Gabe before it's too late . . . for both of them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062567321
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/27/2018
Series:	Wildlands Series , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	753,607
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology–Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs. Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016. More information about Laura’s work can be found at www.laurabickle.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/01/2018
Following in the footsteps of her alchemist father, Petra Dee has dealt with the supernatural for much of her life. But even magic cannot help Petra find her missing husband, Gabriel, or cure the cancer that is ravaging her body. She is certain that her spouse is being held at Sheriff Owen Rutherford's Wyoming ranch. Owen wants Gabriel to reveal the power of the Tree of Life that exists in the dark tunnels beneath the ranch; Owen has also made a pact with Muirenn, a flesh-eating mermaid imprisoned there years before by Gabe who's now hungry for revenge. Petra must rescue Gabe by confronting the darkness once again. VERDICT This second "Witchlands" title (after Nine of Stars) leads readers further into the world of alchemy and magical power. For fans of Faith Hunter's "Soulwood" titles and Suzanne Johnson's "Sentinels of New Orleans" series.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., South Deerfield

Library Journal

11/20/2017
In Bickle’s introspective fourth novel featuring geologist Petra Dee (after 2016’s Nine of Stars), Petra has recently begun treatment for an aggressive form of leukemia, and she’s desperately missing her new husband, the formerly immortal Gabriel Manget, who’s vanished from the town of Temperance, Wyo. He would never abandon her, so Petra decides to discontinue her chemo and go find him, at any cost. Unbeknownst to her, Gabe has been kidnapped by Owen Rutherford, a cop who wants revenge. Gabe killed Owen’s cousin Sal, who once reigned over the Lunaria, the Tree of Life that gave Gabe his immortality after he was hanged from it and resurrected. Owen has also unleashed on Temperance a ravenous creature called the Mermaid. Petra, accompanied by her human friend Maria, wolf-woman Nine, and coyote Sig, sets off on what may be her very last adventure into the spirit world and beyond. The looming possibility of Petra’s death makes the story harrowing, and longtime fans will appreciate new insight into Gabe’s past as a Pinkerton agent. Bickle’s story is a rich, surreal, alchemical brew, as wondrous as the magic that infuses her fascinating weird west setting. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Bickle’s story is a rich, surreal, alchemical brew, as wondrous as the magic that infuses her fascinating weird west setting.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher