Bulwark, Georgia is a small town that usually does not see much trouble. Clay Finnes is the sheriff in town. He is still recovering from a separation with his wife Jenna after the disappearance of their child, Claire. Now, Clay is dealing with a strange accident on the outskirts of Bulwark. A car has sunk in a pond that seemed to appear in the middle of the road. The older couple who were in the car are shaken and keep on insisting that Clay check out the Gingerbread House on Linden Lane, they say their children were taken there. On top of that, Clay keeps getting calls for wolf sightings and a strange death from two puncture holes to the neck. As Clay investigates these claims, he finds Bulwark's strange hidden history and what it has to do with him.
Bulwark is a paranormal horror that introduces a town with many secrets. From the sudden appearance of the weird puddle, I knew I was hooked. I loved the retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale in an even more horrifying way. Clay's character is straightforward, but has a lot of personal issues he is dealing with, because of this I think he is a little more willing to believe in the extraordinary. The mystery surrounding the Bavmorda Gingerbread House was intriguing. I do wish there was some deeper description of the house to really understand what it looked like. The intensity amplifies as Clay finds out just what the citizens of Bulwark have hidden for the past fifty years and it affects him greatly. I do wish there would have been more reveal for the how and why of the Bavmorda Gingerbread house and the cycle it brings, maybe something from the point of view from Clay's assistant Dolly or Bavmorda herself. The ending is a whirlwind of activity with a big twist. There are also two endings that the reader can choose from, one that ties everything up in a neat bow, and one that compounds the horror of the previous events and opens up many more mysterious. Overall, Bulwark is a fast paced paranormal horror that leaves you wanting more.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.