In his quiet Vermont home, a man named Taft, dispirited “ex-teacher, ex-scholar, ex-abstainer,” sits alone, except for a bottle of Sir Walter’s scotch, and wonders what’s missing from his life. He’s at a loss until a voice startles him from the rocking chair, where a stranger has appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He’s well-dressed, smooth-talking, proves to be a devilishly charming drinking partner, and he offers Taft the chance to have anything he’s ever wanted—for a price.

So begins The Devil in the Valley, the new novel by the acclaimed Castle Freeman, Jr. Placed in Freeman’s classic setting of a dark, moody rural Vermont, this beguiling tale touches on temptation and greed and all the things we desire for ourselves and for others in this life. A captivating story that explores the supernatural while staying rooted deeply in our world, The Devil in the Valley is a seductively powerful novel, as bewitching as Old Nick himself, by a master of his craft.