Glen R Krisch's Where Darkness Dwells

Where Darkness Dwells weaves together the folks of Coal Hollow, an old and almost destitute mining town. The story begins when two boys disappear after going on "one last adventure." One of the boys, George, is brutally murdered and the the other boy, Jimmy, can't be found.

The town offers the explanation that an animal mangled George's body, but it doesn't sit well with Ellie (George's little sister) and Jacob (Jimmy's little brother). Meanwhile, a transient with a history is drawn to an abandoned house that once belonged to the Blankenships. Cooper can't explain why he's drawn to the house, and he isn't convinced that George was killed by an animal.
 
Krisch weaves the characters' truths with historical fiction and myth in his thriller. There are some parts of the story that I am hazy on, and that could just be that I just missed it. These are the questions that I have:
1. How is it that the entire Harris family could be killed by The Collectors, and it seems that the town didn't take notice?
2. What is the force that fuels The Underground? Is it demonic? Or perhaps just the evil and pure hatred that Cartwright, Scully, and the triplets possess?

I was sucked in after the first 20 pages or so, and I thought the novel is a good read.  I also downloaded his first novel, The Nightmare Within, and I seem to be abandoning my "hit 'em and quit 'em" philosophy toward books that aren't in a series.