The Walking

by Bentley Little

It begins in a small Southwestern town. Then it spreads. Across the country a series of strange deaths have overtaken the living. And a stranger compulsion has overtaken the dead.

In a travesty of life they drift with bizarre purpose toward an unknown destination. The walkers have become an obsession for investigator Miles Huerdeen. His father is one of them.

Now, lured into the shadow of the restless dead, Miles is a step closer to a secret as old as time. . . to a reality as dark as hell. For Miles is following them into the deep end of an unfathomable nightmare.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Zombies, Fantasy, Paranormal, Audiobook, Horror Thriller

373 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Bentley Little is an American author of horror fiction. Publishing an average of a novel a year since 1990, Little avoids publicity and rarely does promotional work or interviews for his writing.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Walking (which is something of an awkward title, who'd ever buy into anything about dead people walking?) has a bit of most of Little's favorite themes and tropes; a small Southwestern town, mysterious supernatural activity, some awkward and graphic sex, a disappointing ending, and remember that you can't trust the authorities. Actually, it's more of a witch than zombie story, but no spoilers... Fun page-turner and an average Little novel.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the better Little's book. Possibly even the best. The writing here is the strongest, he really spent time developing a strong backstory and fleshing out realistic characters. The Walking does refer to the walking dead, but this isn't a zombie novel, it's a story about witches and a pretty good one at that. Koontz referred to it as unusually clever, which primarily should tell you the level of writing he is used to. It can certainly dance circles around the sort of crap Koontz puts out. So sure, it's unusually clever if Koontz is the measuring yardstick and regularly clever in general and thoroughly entertaining fun quick read. Recommended.

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended author. He says: "BEST OUTRIGHT HORROR NOVELIST. Bentley Little, in a walk. Don't know Bentley Little? You're not alone. He's probably the genre's best-kept secret, but at least 10 of his novels are available in paperback; you can pick up three for the price of that flashy new hardcover you've got your eye on. The best thing about Little is that he can go from zero to surreal in 6.0 seconds. My favorites are The Store (think Wal-Mart run by SAYYY-tan) and Dispatch, in which a young fellow discovers that his letters to the editor actually get things done. Bad things."

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never heard about Bentley Little before picking this up at my local second hand but after just a couple of chapters I knew this was going to be an author I'm gonna look for while shopping second hand. It has similar vibes of that of Stephen King and Dean Koontz but has its own clear path of story and structures. It does give me same cozy horror vibes as those giants and that's a rare but great feeling. I thought I knew how the story was going to go as it had Zombie like humans however Bentley Little had his on twist on it and it made very curious to flip every page and find out more.

[Alondra Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This was a great story. Nice pacing, crazy plot and decent characters. Not enough background on the characters to tell us how they got to this space and time.

Even though there is quite a bit of violence or scary situations for the characters; no chills or feelings of needing a light on, for me. I think that just shows how desensitized I am at this point. Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it; it just means I am pretty twisted.

Anywho; The Store was my first Bentley Little and I was hooked. He's so sadistic.

[Benjamin Ethridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn, I really liked this book up until the conclusion. Did I miss something? What was the point of the corpses walking in the first place? Even if it was quickly explained, the resolution of this book is wrapped up too fast, too neat, and it deserves so much more for the build up it was given.

I would rather give it a 3.75 because the writing is always great with Little behind the pen.

[Danger]

Another Bentley Little novel full of unsettling imagery and big government fuckups. This one didn't quite come together as tightly as some of his other books but it was still a wild and weird journey to get there. I enjoyed it.

[Waven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book three and a half stars if possible. It is a fairly fast-paced story of dark places, witches, monsters, and walking dead. (Not zombies, just dead people who walk.) Protagonist and private investigator Miles Huerdeen is rocked by the news of his father's sudden illness and soon discovers that much worse lies in wait. Investigating a possible stalker, he finds a list of men who are dying one by one in unspeakable ways and races to find a connection. A homeless woman gives him nonsensical clues, a safe deposit box raises eerie questions, and every step forward brings him one step closer to an abomination thirsty for blood and hungry for revenge. The characters are well-sketched but never fully developed, which seems almost true of the plot as well. There always seems to be something lacking, some spark of connection or authenticity that never found me. And the conflict resolution seems inappropriate for such a build-up. After the blood and gruesomeness, the dark implications and almost otherworldly goings-on, I expected some real fireworks ... but got snap-and-pops and ash snakes instead. It felt weak and, well, somewhat silly. Despite that, it's a pretty good read. An enjoyable night-time adventure, a good summer book to make those hours at the beach more interesting. But unfortunately not the "horror event of the year" as the cover blurb promises. This is my first Little, and perhaps not the best introduction, but I think there is a lot of potential in his writing. Whether or not he exercises that elsewhere, I have no idea, but parts of The Walking were downright chilling and I intend to keep an eye out for his other works.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wrong...this book is not about Zombies...though there are Zombies in it. It is a good tale, about revenge, and witches, and what happens when you don't trust your instincts. I was impressed enough that I might seek out some other Bentley Little tales.

And it is a bit creepy...the Zombie parts are...um, creepy. For reasons other than Zombie tales usually are. Intriguing!

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like zombies but not zombies! A century old curse by a witch has been placed on a town of her own kind. The curse is apparently to keep on walking even after death. One of the better Little books. I enjoyed this one.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book that tries to sneak onto lists of zombie novels. Don't be fooled by a mere technicality. Yes, there are a few walking corpses, but they are very incidental to the actual storyline.

[Mfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always on the look out for truly frightening horror outside of the wonder twins, King & Koontz, and heard good things about Little. Maybe I came too the book with too many expectations.

From reading the description, I was excited for a good zombie story but found myself reading what felt very much like the same old story about intolerance, revenge, and witchcraft. Set in the Old West, or the Middle Ages, witches who misuse magic because normal people hurt them for being different?? Been there. I felt like I had everything figured out the minute Isabella showed up on the page and while parts of the story were genuinely creepy and even thrilling, the inevitability of the grand showdown disappointed me.

[Teena Renken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This book involves so many twists. During the Wild West days, the government assigned a parcel of land to witches. Making it possible for them to have a safe place to exist. Little did they know that hundreds of years later, their decision would still effect the world. I loved the storyline, probably may favorite Bentley Little book so far!

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. Not my fave Little but overall intriguing. I should probably give it a 3 and 1/2 stars but I feel that the author exceded in creating a world worth investing, if that makes any sense at all.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miles Huerdeen is a private investigator. His elderly father suffers a stroke and dies a few months later. But his dad doesn't rest in peace. He walks. Around and around his room, eyes blank and staring at nothing, heart stopped, lungs still. He's dead, but up and moving.

Miles calls a buddy in the coroner's office and they come and take the boogying body away, after the proper drugs and restraints are applied. But the body disappears a few days later.

Now Miles is in a desperate search for his father. He discovers that others have died and walked. Some have died naturally, others hideously murdered. Will Miles find his dad? Will he discover the cause of the mysterious undead walking? Read for yourself.

Little also tells a parallel story, which impacts the main story, about Wolf Canyon, and the witch named William who establishes the town as a refuge for other witches harassed and persecuted by those close-minded, mean, nasty Christian folk. When are writers going to tire of this insulting stereotype?

Other than that, the book is quite good, suspenseful and at times scary.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this book and while it wasn't intentional to reread it, I came across the book on my shelf and it looked good and I was looking for something to read at the moment so I started in. I did remember some of it once I got further into the book but it was so good at that point I felt regardless if I'd read it before or not it was definitely worth reading again. A town of witches led by a centuries old witch who was killed by the towns people and comes back to seek her revenge on not only the townsfolk but the builders of a dam who allowed water from the dam t0 flood the whole town killing everyone in it.
Fast paced with jumps from the past to the present help put together a scary good story that ends with a showdown of a monster who is also a witch with a descendant of a man who was born in the desert community of witches.
Witches, zombies and an underwater town all add up to one of Bentley Little's best books!!

[Adam Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Walking is strange to say the ultimate least. It isn't like my favorite type of Little novels where a small event eventually snowballs into something unimaginabley horrible, but it is still a great book. Basically, The Walking is about an epidemic of the dead getting up and walking toward a specific destination and the characters trying to figure out the whats, hows, and whys. I thought that it was a unigue idea and very interesting and exciting read, but the memorable quality that I love in Little's novels wasn't quite as prominant in The Walking. It's a great horror novel and a great Bentley Little novel and definitely worth reading.

[Phillip Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, this book was a disappointment. I like Bentley Little's short stories, but maybe that's where he shines for me. What started as a very exciting premise suddenly became two back and forth storylines that just interrupted any tension I felt for the main characters. Things felt overexplained, often repeating information we just read, while also feeling half-baked by the end. Oh, and that ending... Just too easy. Too rushed. No real struggle involved. I was going to give it 3 stars but frankly, I'm too disappointed by the ending to justify three stars.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that got me hooked on Bentley Little. He's certainly not an author for everyone--his books are by no means deep or profound, and many of them can be very gory and violent. But what fun they are to read!

[Paul Flint · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Walking is a good novel from one of my favourite horror writers. Its premise is uncomplicated, it delves both in the past and present alternately dealing in witchcraft at its core. Personally i found it less intense than his other books, less shock em value. The only let down was the ending.

[Jake Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely think one of Bentley’s stronger books. This book had both mystery slight horror suspense, and everything one can ask for. I definitely enjoyed this one and for being over 20 years old. It is aged very very well.

[John Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little is a master when it comes to smooth, engaging prose. his characters are believable, and their arcs tend to keep me hooked from the first page. When he's at his best, he's among the best, and after five titles, I've enjoyed all of them.

[Wayne's · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and interesting story.

[Litio Broie · Rating 5 out of 5]

La historia es, simplemente, fascinante. Me ha gustado mucho que algunas cosas quedaran en el aire (sé que es una tendencia literaria más o menos reciente, jugar contra el "la diferencia entre la realidad y la ficción es que la ficción tiene que tener sentido" , pero por el momento me sigue resultando agradable), los personajes —en general— son creíbles e interesantes... Y el final, que deja mucho en el aire, se agradece: el lector puede continuar con la historia a partir de ahí.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a 4.5. I was going to give the book a four for being moderately enjoyable and certainly competent, but in the back end of the book the author cranked up his imagination and imagery hard and did a really good job of transporting the reader.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining. This didn't have zombies the way I was thinking but it was different.

[Joshua Dahlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Bentley Little books. They start with this large scope and just zone in slowly. This one was no different. It starts off with a guide named Garden. His grandfather's walking around the bottom of the lake apparently. And he's dead. It's just cool that his name is Garden. Then we switch to Miles, the private investigator who was hired for some job. That just happens to ty in what's happening with this personal life of course. Bob, his dad, has died. But guess what? He's walking! The story flip flops here. It goes back to olden times with a witch named William who started Wolf Canyon which is a refuge town for witches. But a witch named Isabella shows up and she and William fall in love. The problem is Isabella is beyond which and kills with sadistic Glee. She starts by killing humans but then starts killing witches as well. Well it's up to William to save the day so he cuts her head off. Him and the townspeople try to bury her and she puts a curse on the whole town.
So we're back to Miles at this point. He's investigating a case where all these people who built the dam were killed in some insane way. I got to say every Bentley Little book has people dying in an obscure fashion which I really like. Anyway, a lot of other people like Janet's Uncle die and just walk the Wolves Canyon. Hence the name of the book. Why are all these people walking around when they're dead. And why are they talking about seeing a woman before they die. Come to find out they're all witches and are being lured back to the place where the curse was put. Isabella is gaining massive power and apparently controlling the Dead. She's going to eradicate all the humans. It does get a little dicey here considering it's Miles oh, his ex-wife, and his best friend fighting a supreme powerful witch. Did I mention she also somehow controls the environment of Wolf Canyon. The book really had me until the end. Where they just cut off her head and buried it. Leaving me the question, didn't that happen the first time? If it didn't work the first time why would it work the second time? What other than that this story kept me all the way to the end. And that's what a book is supposed to do!

[Melissa Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading The Walking I didn't know anything about it- therefore, I had no expectations. I immediately loved the zombie aspect. Docile zombies with no clear motivator is a very cool concept.
As the story developed, I was very surprised to find a growing witchcraft element. I hadn't been anticipating this! I was very wrapped up in the story of the witches and their growing village.
As the two stories merged together I was surprised to find how well they fit. Zombies and witches are a combination I wouldn't have been particularly interested in before reading The Walking but this is done SO WELL.
By the final chapters I was anticipating the ending. No big surprise ending here but it is executed very well.
A truly enjoyable read from an author that I will be be reading again.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Little's best. The premise was great. The plotting, while slow, was good.

Of course, we got a mention of The Store. Yay for The Store! A Bentley Little book without a mention of The Store would be like a day without sunshine.

However. This is a good example of an author who wrote himself into a corner and just said, "Fuck it."

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not amazing. I enjoyed the 'Then' and 'Now' approach the author took and that 'Then' was mid 1800's. The history of Wolf Canyon is fascinating and the revenge against those who were responsible for the flood was excellent. Once the strange happenings began to be explained the element of surprise was weakened, and the conclusion was anti-climactic. I didn't want Miles to suddenly become a great sorcerer, but the last 30 pages trekking through the desert was tedious. To be fair though, I was trying to finish the book in the middle of the night and that could be what was tedious. I'll recommend this book.