A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry. Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all. There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry. “Henry’s storytelling is her own sort of witchcraft.”—Christopher Golden,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Ararat  and  Red Hands “Hair-raising, heart-stopping suspense from start to finish. A perfect nightmare of a novel."–Rachel Harrison, author of The Return “Henry has expertly walked the line between psychological suspense and horror to crowd-pleasing results for years, and this title is no exception. Hand out freely to fans of Sarah Pinborough, Jennifer McMahon, and Zoje Stage.”– Library Journal “Near the Bone features compelling and creative characters, descriptions of snow so realistic that they'll make you reach for a blanket and a monster so terrifying that it is sure to haunt the dreams of even the most stoic reader...Near the Bone is a terror-ridden yet poetic hike that will leave your nerves frazzled and heart.”-BookPage Praise for Christina Henry's novels "Satisfyingly upends the familiar tale of a clever girl, a dangerous wolf, and a brave savior, and folklore fans will enjoy this bloody near-future variation on a familiar theme."— Publishers Weekly "An engrossing page-turner that will delight anyone who loves running through thought experiments about the apocalypse.”—Paste  "A riveting rewrite of Peter Pan."-- The Wall Street Journal "Multiple twists keep the reader guessing, and the fluid writing is enthralling....This is a fine addition to the shelves of any fan of children's classics and their modern subversions."-- Publishers Weekly "This wild, unrelenting tale, full to the brim with the freedom and violence of young boys who never want to grow up, will appeal to fans of dark fantasy."-- Booklist "A horrifying fantasy that will have you reexamining your love for this childhood favorite. Smooth, velvety prose blends well with the deliciously complex characters and intricate story line."-- RT Book Reviews  (top pick) "It's full of magic and passion and courage, set against a convincing historical backdrop....Henry's spare, muscular prose is a delight. I loved this novel."--Louisa Morgan, author of  A Secret History of Witches Christina Henry  is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include  The Ghost Tree ,  Looking Glass ,  The Girl in Red ,  The Mermaid ,  Lost Boy ,  Alice ,  Red Queen , and the seven book urban fantasy Black Wings series.   She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son. CHAPTER ONE There was a dead fox in her path. At first Mattie only saw it as a streak of scarlet across the fresh snowfall. Her initial thought was that some predator had gotten a rabbit from the traps she'd come to check. Then she saw the orange fur matted with blood, and the place where something sharp had torn through the fox's middle. Viscera were strewn over the snow, the scent fresh and strong despite the cold air. There weren't many creatures that would eat a fox-a bear would, of course, a bear would eat anything. Maybe a mountain lion, sometimes an eagle, but almost no creature would take the trouble of killing an animal and then not bother to eat it at all. None, as a matter of fact, except people, but there were no people at the top of the mountain except for Mattie and William. Mattie crouched down to get a better look at the animal, but she didn't see any prints or claw marks that would give her a clue. She stood again, brushing the snow off her heavy wool skirt, and paused for a moment, irresolute. Perhaps she ought to go back and tell William about the fox straightaway. Then she decided she ought not to until she checked the traps. That was why he'd sent her down to the creek in the first place, and if she didn't do as she was told then she would pay for it. Mattie stepped around the fox and paused again. There was a strange track in the snow beside the fox's body. She couldn't quite make sense of it. The track seemed to be from a bear, but if it was a bear then the animal was much larger than any bear Mattie had ever seen-maybe twice as big as the biggest grizzly in the area. The print appeared to be a rear paw-she could make out the curve of the heel and the five toe pad