Courtney Gould Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Courtney Gould is a horror author and writes books on ghosts, queer girls, and things that happen in the dark. She was born and raised in Salem, Oregon, and currently lives in Tacoma, WA. Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and publishing from Pacific Lutheran University.
She is well known for her debut novel, The Dead and The Dark.

The Dead and the Dark
As the book opens up, dark is roaming in the small town of Oregon named Snakebite. Logan Ortiz has been traveling around the country since she was young. Her two fathers Alejo Ortiz and Brandon Woodley, are famous television stars for a ParaSpectors show; that’s why the family frequently travels to do the filming.
When the father informs her of their intentions to return to their hometown, they abandoned it many years ago, and Logan doesn’t take it too seriously. All she thinks is that it’s just another location on the road ideal for filming another episode for the show and their ghost hunting adventure.

Snakebite is the town where Logan’s fathers grew up, met, and fell for each other. It’s an isolated town, and residents are always suspicious of new residents. Something is going on in the town, and even though no one can see or hear it, the people can feel it in their inner souls.

The one thing that Logan didn’t think of earlier is the cold reception her family received once they came to the town. People are blaming her dad, Brandon because of the strange things happening after his visit. They seem hopeless when more teenagers disappear, and others are found dead.
Logan and a team of teens have a rough journey as they are afraid for their lives. A lot of tension had been noticed in town after a famous boy named Tristan was reported missing. Actually, the day that Logan arrives, they are conducting a vigil for the return of Tristan.

Coincidentally, the boy went missing when Brandon, Logan, and Alejo came back to the town. Ashley Barton, Tristan’s girlfriend, still has high hopes that he will come back even when others seem hopeless. Later, Ashley starts having visions of what appears to be Tristan’s ghost.

In the visions, Tristan appears to be lost and wants help to get home, but there is a force with the evil intention of making him suffer. She’s so confused and doesn’t know what to do, and the only person she thinks can help her is Logan since he appears to have some paranormal knowledge.

She starts an odd relationship as she investigates what is happening in Snakebite. More teens have disappeared, and people have begun to raise eyebrows since this is a weird thing. The residents feel like the unwelcomed visitors have something to do with the disappearances.

Logan is threatened and warned to leave the town by a group of teenagers when she wishes for a place to settle and call home. The residents are ready to do anything to push the family out of the town as more darkness covers the town.

Additionally, Logan learns more about her dads, their relationship, and what made them leave Snakebite; she is desperate to get more information about them after her relationship with Brandon becomes strained. She suspects that they are hiding something from her, but with the help of Ashley, they are determined to find nothing but the truth.

The two join forces to find the person responsible so that their family and friends can live in peace. The investigations unveil some truths about Snakebite town, themselves, and their families, and none of them is ready for such information.

As they get more exposed to danger, they notice that their feeling towards each other are growing each day and could light a candle in the town’s darkness.
There are many veiled secrets, but the story mainly focuses on finding out if Brandon and Alejo carry on malicious activities or are the town’s saviors. Will Logan and Ashley’s friendship become something more?

The book explores themes like family, grief, sacrifice, and forgiveness. The Paranormal twists in the story make the story more fascinating. The Dead and the Dark is perfect for Lovers of dark, compelling young adult Paranormal Thriller.

Logan is an interesting character, and the reader can’t help but feel sorry for growing up alone and with her father’s involvement in paranormal activities. She lives frequently relocating and doesn’t have a normal childhood friendship and tries having friends when a chance comes on her way. The story is funny, creepy, yet intriguing, talking about ghost hunting and the activities involved.

Logan is an amazing young girl searching for a stable and close relationship with her parents, but she later craves more information.
The story has a lot of mystery pointing to Brandon and his relationship with the daughter. Things happening in the town are unsettling and make the book remarkable and unique. Courtney Gould does a superb job of keeping the mystery in its right place to the end, leaving the readers wondering how the story unfolded.

Featuring two lesbian lead characters, the book is unique in how it blends romance horror and intrigue to offer a spine-tingling story. The author also incorporates twists and turns to add more suspense to the story. It’s adorable how the author uses different perspectives in the story to build more tension.

Echo Sunset
This supernatural thriller is a story of a girl whose journalist mother has just died. In the wake of her troubled death, the girl and younger sibling go to Arizona town, which their late mother was obsessed with before her death.

Their mother liked going to the town, and they never understood the reason behind it.

Upon their arrival, nothing is what it seems, and they are left with no more options but to question their mother’s legacy, their grief, and the frightening reason for moving on. While there, they discover the reason that kept their mother going back: dark secrets, a mysterious leader, and a possible way to go back to the past.