The story follows a trio of unlikely allies—, Minerva Atwater , and Ebenezer Elkins . These three seasoned hitmen and mercenaries meet during a random shootout and, rather than killing each other, decide their skills are better utilized as a team. The plot is split across two main timelines:
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In the inferno, the true nature of Little Heaven is revealed. The ground splits open, and the entity beneath the soil—a vast, writhing network of veins and teeth—rises. Styx, his human mask slipping, reveals that he is not the master, but the warden. He has kept the entity fed to prevent it from spreading into the wider world. He offers the survivors a choice: take the child and leave, but leave one of their own behind as payment.
Before delving into Little Heaven , it's important to understand its creator. Nick Cutter is the horror-writing pseudonym of Canadian author Craig Davidson, a much-lauded literary fiction writer whose works include Rust and Bone and the short story collection Cascade . This dual identity is key to the Cutter aesthetic; his prose features the poetic beauty of literary fiction while delivering the visceral, unflinching horror for which he has become a modern master. Cutter first burst onto the horror scene with his terrifying breakout novel, The Troop , which Stephen King raved "scared the hell out of me and I couldn't put it down". He followed that success with The Deep , establishing himself as a powerhouse in the genre. With Little Heaven , he expands his canvas, creating his most ambitious and arguably his best work to date.