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Beyond the Creek by Nico Bell
When Alex Foster accepted the caregiver position with the eccentric Nox family, she was issued a single rule. Don’t wander past the creek. Alex isn’t interested in exploring the Nox’s vast wooded property. After escaping an abusive past, her sole focus is building a safe future for herself and her unborn baby. Except, a series of chilling events threatens her happily-ever-after. Now, she must fight to survive an ancient evil before all hope is lost.
There’s something beyond the creek, and it’s hungry.
BEYOND THE CREEK is a southern creature horror.
ASIN : B09S8H27NS
Publisher : D&T Publishing LLC (February 9, 2022)
Publication date : February 9, 2022
Language : English
Print length : 127 pages
The Haunted Forest Tour #bookreview
Summary
Bram Stoker Award nominees James A. Moore (BLOOD RED) and Jeff Strand (PRESSURE) join forces for this 87,000-word action-packed, gore-drenched monster extravaganza.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Haunted Forest Tour!
Sit back and enjoy a smooth ride in air-conditioned comfort as your heavily armored tram takes you through nature’s most astonishing creation. The forest is packed to capacity with dangerous and terrifying creatures of all shapes, sizes, and hunger levels, and you’ll get to observe these wonders in complete safety.
Howl with a werewolf! Gaze into the glowing eyes of a giant spider! Look right through a spooky ghost! See horrific monsters you couldn’t even imagine, only inches away from you! Things with fangs, things with claws, things with dripping red jaws—you’ll see them all!
Not thrilling enough? Well, it’s Halloween, and so we’re offering a very special tour through the Haunted Forest. The new route goes deeper into the woods than any civilians have ventured before, and you’re guaranteed to get a good scare! Rest assured that every possible security precaution has been taken. The Haunted Forest Tour has a 100% safety record, and technical difficulties are unheard of. You will be in no danger whatsoever.
We promise.
Review
Wow. Get ready for an insane adventure through the scariest forest on Earth. With an incredible story world and intense plot, The Haunted Forest Tour digs it’s claws into you from the first page until the last.
I had no idea what direction the story would take and the suspense never let up. A forest magically appears in the middle of New Mexico but why and how? It seems the characters care less about these reasons and more about what lurks within the darkness. Monsters. And lots of them. Every monster you can possibly imagine, and many you’ve never considered imagining, dwell within the thick trees and if you’re one of the lucky few, you can take a tram ride through the madness.
And it’s perfectly safe. No deaths, no injuries, no worries.
Until Halloween.
Hell, literally, breaks loose. The monsters attack and slaughter, claw and dismember. This novel isn’t for the weak stomach as blood, guts and gore line the pages. Many people die, including two incidents of child death, so keep that in mind before embarking on this haunted adventure.
The pace doesn’t stop. At one point, I had to set the book down just to catch my breath. Each character is thrown into the worst case scenario only to find out that things can, and do, get worse. Christopher is the lead protagonist, and I admired his evolution from a disgruntled employee to monster killer. Many other characters had equally satisfying and well developed arcs that made me cheer them on as they battled snakes, dragons, aliens and demons. Even grumpy and self-centered tram driver Eddie, who is arguably the least likeable character, managed to win me over as the story progressed.
I only had one main concern. I didn’t love how the majority of females were portrayed in this novel. They are constantly being objectified by the men in their lives. Even when the shit hits the fan, a male character finds a moment of peace by checking out a woman’s chest. Also, when the haunted tour tram gets stuck on the track, in the middle of the forest, and it’s clear that they are in trouble, the female tour guide hands out weapons to men. Only men. She’s told to scout the tram and look for people who can help defend the passengers, who can use a gun, who are able to step up. And she scouts males. In my opinion, only one female had grit. Tina, who was a passenger on the haunted tour, proved to hold her own. Otherwise, I grew tired of men starting at women’s chests, or thinking about how they’d be in bed.
But this book holds nothing back in terms of action, imagination and horror. You’ll be chewing down your nails and holding your breath as you devour this manuscript in one sitting. The twists keep you guessing and the end will turn your stomach in the best way. I hope this gets made into a movie one day. It’d be a terrifying good time.
This book is available at: Amazon I Kobo (Audio version)