Niquette "Nikki" Delongpre, Ben Broyard, and Anthem Landry were practically inseparable until the night Nikki and her family vanished. Ben and Anthem tried to keep their lives going but the tragic disappearance has set them on different paths, one seeking out truth no matter how hidden while the other hides behind a bottle. Now, a decade later, the events of that fateful night are coming to light. Meanwhile, Marshall Ferriot has been in a coma-like state for years but an awakening is at hand... with Nikki at the center stage of it all. Just what happened to cause the disappearance of an entire family ten years ago?

THE HEAVENS RISE is an eerie tale of the supernatural set against the backdrop of the swamps of New Orleans. Christopher Rice does a marvelous job at incorporating the imagery of New Orleans into the tale. In fact, it is the vividness of the setting that enhances the spookiness of THE HEAVENS RISE as this is the sort of story that had to occur in New Orleans to be believable. The beauty of the imagery leaves a lasting impression, particularly as modern day events such as Katrina are interwoven into the world building.

Christopher Rice expertly weaves together the past and the present as the tale alternates back and forth between the timeframes, giving us the full history of the four main characters and how they ended up as they are today. The air of constant mystery surrounding the characters remains until all is revealed and then we can see the true horror that occurred that fateful night. The ending isn't completely unexpected but rather it is the strength of the character building and the richness of the imagery that makes THE HEAVENS RISE so chilling.

THE HEAVENS RISE focuses on the monsters within each of us as Christopher Rice gives a face and a vision to these monsters. I didn't want to put this book down, even as I wanted it to last longer. This was the first book I have read by Christopher Rice but it will most certainly not be the last. I can't recommend THE HEAVENS RISE enough!