Usher's Passing is a masterful blend of gothic horror and family saga, set in the eerie and picturesque heart of the North Carolina mountains. The story continues the saga of the Usher family, descended from the brother of Roderick and Madeline of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher.

The haughty and aristocratic Ushers reside in a grand mansion near Asheville, while the cunning mountain folk, whose families are just as ancient, inhabit Briartop Mountain nearby. At harvest time, the mountains are ablaze with color, creating a vibrant backdrop for the unfolding drama.

Add to this a sinister history of mountain children disappearing every year, a journalist probing these mysterious vanishings, and a mythical monster known as "The Pumpkin Man." The Usher estate's vast library holds moldy books and paintings, while a secret chamber hides a strange device involving a brass pendulum and tuning forks.

This atmospheric horror novel is a splendid recipe for suspense and terror, where the past and present collide in a chilling tale of madness and evil.