Under cover of darkness, something evil is at work in Hyde River, an old mining town deep in the mountains. Its latest victim, nature photographer Cliff Benson, was brutally killed while camping -- and his wife Evelyn has been driven nearly mad by what she saw, but she can't remember what it was. The sheriff thinks a rogue bear killed Cliff.
But townspeople whisper -- and Cliff's death is just the latest in a long string of bizarre "accidents." Cliff's brother Steve is determined to find out the truth about what's concealed in the old caverns near Hyde River, a mystery that the local folk legends only hint at.
This was my first book to read by this writer. A friend told me " Kathie you have to read this book and sleep with the light on!" I did read it, she let me borrow her copy. I loved the writter so much that I bought my own copy and stuck it in my newly started library.
I didn't sleep with the light on but I was on the hunt for anything this writer had already written. My second book was This Present Darkness and my third was Piercing the Darkness.
All 3 of the books I bought some 15 or so yrs ago are still in my library which has now grown to over 300 or more.
Worth the time. I read it in less than 4 days.
The book started out like a few of his other novels - describing the scenery in the Washington state area. Once I got past that, the pace of the novel went faster and faster, and I couldn't put it down!
As it says on the back of the cover: "An ancient sin, an ancient oath, a town with a deadly secret.... Something sinister is at work in Hyde River, an isolated mining town in the mountains of teh Pacific Northwest. Something evil. Under the cover of darkness, it strikes without warning, taking life in the most chilling fashion. The latest victim, nature photographer Cliff Benson, was brutally killed while camping in the mountains.
With little hard evidence to go on, Sheriff Les Collins closes the case, chalking it up to the work of a rogue bear - just like so many other unsolvable deaths and disappearances that have plagued Hyde River over the years.
But wildlife Biologist Steve Benson refuses to let his brother's death remain a mystery. He is joined in his investigation by attractive, auburn-haired Sheriff's Deputy Tracy Ellis who, having grown up in Hyde River, has seen enough swept under the rug by local law enforcement to know that something's amiss.
The more townsfolk are pressed for information, the more they close ranks, as if sworn to secrecy. As Steve peels away the layers of mystery surrounding Hyde River, he and Tracy are drawn closer to each other and to the town's terrible secret. What they discover is a predator more terrifying than anything they had imagined and a town in the grip of unspeakable evil."
This is the third Peretti novel I've read. His writing is 'thick', meaning it normally takes three-fourths of the book for everything to finally come together. But when it does, it just comes in a rush.
I really enjoyed the mystery and drama going on in this one. The main character is determined to find out what happened to his brother and his sister-in-law, despite the discouragement and threats from the townsfolk.
Wonderful, enthralling book! Loved it!
Frank Peretti is one of my favorite authors. His books always make me sit back and think about the decisions I'm making in my life.
The Oath manages to turn the everyday moral battles that christians, and all people, into a riveting work of fiction.
Oh my. What a book that keeps you going and going, a real page turner. Always tried to find a stopping point and that was hard to do. I read the Visitation and now this one and both I read in less than 4-days.
couldn't stick with it after 250 pages, just drags to the point the mystery isn't there anymore
once you get the 'predator' it just drags and drags and I can't stick with something that doesn't keep my interest and it is way way too long and that's another pet peeve, books don't need to be 500+ pages
I have the hardcopy of this book, great story. Will creep you out
i liked this book so much i couldnt put it down. frank peretti is such a wonderful writer
This was a fantastic story. It was fast paced and kept my interest from start to finish.
It had a very surprising conclusion to the story. The characters were very believable and I loved some of the action scenes. I highly recommend this book.
I was glued to this book for days until I could finish it. Love the story. It was incredibly intriguing. I was hooked right from the beginning. I gave it to my teenage son and he couldn't put it down either.
Fast-paced and exciting. The author does a great job of keeping the suspense of the book by not revealing the monster too soon. Great message, too!
The Oath is an extremely good read! It's one of those books you don't want to put down, which is not a surprise to me since Frank Peretti's books are always up to that caliber!
