Award-winning author André Swartley’s fourth novel, The Wretched Afterlife of Odetta Koop, was released on Oct. 31.

It is Swartley’s first novel in the horror genre, but the second in the series that began with 2012’s Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl. The new book continues the saga of Leon Martin and his friends, but through the eyes of a new protagonist.

Story plot

At the age of 24, Grover Solomon Yoder returns to his hometown of New Canaan, Iowa, to confront the ghosts of his childhood, both literally and figuratively. His former home is haunted by the spirit of Odetta Koop, who founded a strict and oppressive religious academy in the early 20th Century.

But Odetta’s death is not the only shadow that darkens Grover Solomon’s past. Like many horror stories, The Wretched Afterlife of Odetta Koop refuses to shy away from shocking or upsetting ideas and imagery. Underneath an entertaining story, the book explores cultural issues and “taboo” topics including mortality, broken families, child abuse, and struggles with sexual identity.

Swartley’s previous novel, Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl, won first place in its category of the 2013 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult fiction. Nor was this the only time Swartley’s writing has won accolades.

His debut novel, The Island of Misfit Toys, became a top-three finalist for the 2006 Best Books of Indiana. His second, Americanus Rex, was named a finalist for the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Swartley lived in Bluffton from 2007-2012. In that time he served as assistant manager at Common Grounds for one year and wrote as a columnist for the Bluffton Icon covering video games. He is currently the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Director and English Instructor at Hesston (Kansas) College.