Little, Bentley - The Summoning

“Classic” horror from the 90’s heyday of the genre.
A tent preacher is called by Jesus to build a church in Rio Verde.
The congregation grows along with the building, and deaths multiply.
As ever, no one quite makes the connection.
Mr. King praises this author, and for good reason; it’s a page turner. Formula, but the pace is full steam ahead. More than that, it reads like a King novel – or Koontz – or Laymon.
Three clusters in the yarn. Preacher Wheeler and his intimates, brothers Robert (sheriff) and Rich (newspaper man), and their assorted family and colleagues, and Sue Wing and her friends and Chinese family. Other characters that crop up from time to time? Dinner is served.
Oh yeah, vampire saga. Sucking dry humans, armadillos, cacti. And the locals? They seem to stick around instead of hightailing their behinds to Vegas.
Empty headed fun, reminiscent of a drive-in movie.
Neither here nor there: I preordered a posh version of this back in 2014. Nine years later, it finally arrived in my mailbox.
May all your preorders arrive, children. If not sooner than mine, at least arrive, period.