Mountains and Madness

Name: Mountains and Madness
Price: 19.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9798268020212

✍️ D M DeLuca

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$19.99

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A survival horror novel featuring a brother's delusions during a global pandemic.

The plot centers on Jed Sanderson, whose life changes when a global pandemic forces him to flee to a remote mountain farm. He joins a small group of survivors who must defend their location from external threats while dealing with internal instability. Nate, Jed’s brother, suffers from mental illness and insists the house is haunted. As his medication runs out, strange events occur, blurring the line between psychological breakdown and supernatural reality. The group faces infected attackers outside, an unseen entity inside, and a violent cult hunting one of their own. They use improvised weapons and narcotics to cope with the escalating tension and danger surrounding them.

Key Themes

global pandemic survival psychological horror gothic isolation

Literary Context

Published in 2025 by Independently Published, this work sits within the contemporary landscape of self-published horror fiction. It reflects current anxieties regarding viral outbreaks and societal collapse, utilizing the independent publishing model to reach readers seeking immediate, unfiltered genre content without traditional gatekeeping delays.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Stephen King's rural horror settings · John Carpenter's The Thing · Shirley Jackson's psychological tension · Max Brooks' survivalist fiction

🧠

Psychological Horror

🏛 Independently Published 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9798268020212

📝 Description: Mountains and Madness

D M DeLuca presents a narrative where Jed Sanderson’s brief romantic success is abruptly interrupted by a violent global infection that turns people feral. He retreats to an isolated mountain farm with other survivors, expecting the primary danger to be the infected hordes outside. The situation complicates when Nate, Jed’s brother, claims the farmhouse is haunted. As his medication supply diminishes, strange occurrences on the property lead the group to question whether his mental illness or supernatural forces are at play. The characters face a three-way threat: the mindless infected beyond the walls, an unnatural presence within the house, and a violent cult targeting one specific survivor. They rely on improvised weapons and a significant amount of narcotics to survive these converging dangers. DeLuca draws on the tradition of gothic isolation horror, blending pandemic fiction with psychological thriller elements. The story examines how fear fractures community bonds when resources dwindle and sanity becomes fragile. This book suits readers who enjoy claustrophobic settings and characters dealing with mental health crises amidst apocalyptic events. It may not appeal to those seeking detailed scientific explanations for the infection or protagonists who remain entirely rational throughout the chaos.

💎 Our verdict on Mountains and Madness

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

DeLuca crafts a tense atmosphere where isolation amplifies both supernatural dread and psychological decay. The three-way threat structure—infected hordes, an unseen entity, and a violent cult—keeps the narrative driving forward with relentless urgency. The focus on Nate’s deteriorating mental state provides a poignant counterpoint to the physical dangers outside. While it lacks detailed scientific explanations for the infection, this omission serves the story's gothic roots. It is best suited for readers who enjoy characters grappling with fragile sanity rather than rational protagonists. The use of narcotics as a coping mechanism adds another layer of instability. Ultimately, the book succeeds in examining how fear erodes trust among survivors.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking claustrophobic tension and complex character dynamics will find this novel compelling. It offers a unique exploration of how fear fractures community bonds when resources dwindle and sanity becomes fragile. The narrative effectively blends pandemic survival with psychological thriller elements, appealing to those who enjoy protagonists dealing with mental health crises amidst apocalyptic events. By blurring the line between supernatural reality and psychological breakdown, it challenges readers to question the nature of their own perceptions under extreme stress. This book is ideal for fans of dark fantasy and gothic horror who appreciate stories where internal instability is as dangerous as external threats.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

DeLuca crafts a tense atmosphere where isolation amplifies both supernatural dread and psychological decay. The three-way threat structure—infected hordes, an unseen entity, and a violent cult—keeps the narrative driving forward with relentless urgency. The focus on Nate’s deteriorating mental state provides a poignant counterpoint to the physical dangers outside. While it lacks detailed scientific explanations for the infection, this omission serves the story's gothic roots. It is best suited for readers who enjoy characters grappling with fragile sanity rather than rational protagonists. The use of narcotics as a coping mechanism adds another layer of instability. Ultimately, the book succeeds in examining how fear erodes trust among survivors.