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Schlachthaus
Todd Matthews ist Seine Verlobte Ashley hat sich erhängt!
Hat ihr Selbstmord etwas mit dem Resort-Massaker zu tun, das sich vor fünf Jahren ereignete? Damals erkundete Ashley zusammen mit Freunden ein verlassenes Hotel, bis der irre Wraith-Schlitzer über sie herfiel. Er ermordete alle … alle, bis auf Ashley …
Sie hinterließ einige Hinweise, was in dieser Nacht wirklich passiert ist. Deshalb kehrt Todd in das verfallene Hayden Resort zurück. Er will die Identität des Killers enthüllen – was er herausfindet ist jedoch nicht das, womit er gerechnet hat.
»Ein beängstigendes Spektakel.«
»Eine unterhaltsame Variante des Final-Girl-Mythos.«
»Wie eine Reminiszenz auf die Slasher-B-Movies der 80er-Jahre.«
Hat ihr Selbstmord etwas mit dem Resort-Massaker zu tun, das sich vor fünf Jahren ereignete? Damals erkundete Ashley zusammen mit Freunden ein verlassenes Hotel, bis der irre Wraith-Schlitzer über sie herfiel. Er ermordete alle … alle, bis auf Ashley …
Sie hinterließ einige Hinweise, was in dieser Nacht wirklich passiert ist. Deshalb kehrt Todd in das verfallene Hayden Resort zurück. Er will die Identität des Killers enthüllen – was er herausfindet ist jedoch nicht das, womit er gerechnet hat.
»Ein beängstigendes Spektakel.«
»Eine unterhaltsame Variante des Final-Girl-Mythos.«
»Wie eine Reminiszenz auf die Slasher-B-Movies der 80er-Jahre.«
455 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
37 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
About the author
Hunter Shea
66 books1,008 followersHunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
December 25, 2019
Incredibly Scary And Emotional Horror Story!
Ashley King and her four friends considered themselves urban explorers and loved to investigate old and abandoned buildings known for having troubled and tragic pasts. The Hayden Resort in the Catskill Mountains has a reputation for many unsolved violent deaths. Ashley will become the only survivor of this night of exploration and the details were so horrific that she cannot remember any of the events of that night, yet five years later she still suffers from survivor's guilt and has devastating nightmares and also extremely afraid of the dark. Ashley became known as The Final Girl and had a fan base following that her fiance Todd Matthews believed was irreverent and possibly dangerous. The killer was never caught and Ashley believes that he will someday come after her and Todd even though she doesn't remember the events of that fateful night and she knows there is information locked inside her subconscious that is very important in solving the mystery of the slaughter that took place within the Hayden Resort!I
This book is one of my horror favorites of 2018 - 2019. Hunter Shea's writing is a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre. I cannot believe how emotionally invested I was in the characters even the one or two that were not quite likable but so important to the storyline. I was truly captivated by this book and emotionally spent by the end. There is so much tension and and shocks abounding throughout the story up until the final page that it will be very hard starting a new book without the adrenalin rush that the "Slash" produced within myself!
Please, if you are a horror fan don't hesitate to read this extremely scary and graphic slasher book! I have given a rating of 5 Slashing 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the wonderful opportunity to read this fantastic horror story!
Ashley King and her four friends considered themselves urban explorers and loved to investigate old and abandoned buildings known for having troubled and tragic pasts. The Hayden Resort in the Catskill Mountains has a reputation for many unsolved violent deaths. Ashley will become the only survivor of this night of exploration and the details were so horrific that she cannot remember any of the events of that night, yet five years later she still suffers from survivor's guilt and has devastating nightmares and also extremely afraid of the dark. Ashley became known as The Final Girl and had a fan base following that her fiance Todd Matthews believed was irreverent and possibly dangerous. The killer was never caught and Ashley believes that he will someday come after her and Todd even though she doesn't remember the events of that fateful night and she knows there is information locked inside her subconscious that is very important in solving the mystery of the slaughter that took place within the Hayden Resort!I
This book is one of my horror favorites of 2018 - 2019. Hunter Shea's writing is a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre. I cannot believe how emotionally invested I was in the characters even the one or two that were not quite likable but so important to the storyline. I was truly captivated by this book and emotionally spent by the end. There is so much tension and and shocks abounding throughout the story up until the final page that it will be very hard starting a new book without the adrenalin rush that the "Slash" produced within myself!
Please, if you are a horror fan don't hesitate to read this extremely scary and graphic slasher book! I have given a rating of 5 Slashing 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the wonderful opportunity to read this fantastic horror story!
September 8, 2019
** Thank you to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for this digital ARC in return for an unbiased, honest review. **
Patience will be rewarded with this one. However, it was not what I expected, which left me with some mixed feelings about the story.
SLASH takes place in the abandoned, crumbling Hayden Resort. When ‘Final Girl’ Ashley King commits suicide, her fiancé Todd Matthews goes back to find clues as to what happened five years ago during the Resort Massacre.
But the killer, known as The Wraith, seems to be back as well…
While the build-up and background is important in horror stories, this one pushed it a bit farther than I like, with the first 40% of the book moving slowly. It made the story feel longer than it actually is and it could have been shorter, in my opinion.
The biggest mistake I made was to go into this thinking it will be a homage to 80’s slasher films. It is not, believe me, but this may be good or bad, depending on the reader.
Look, the scene is set – any abandoned camp, resort or desolate area may be the perfect setting. However, a ‘slasher horror’ this does not make. Remember, Alyson Hannigan admitted that, one time, at band-camp, she did something indecent with a flute and a cat – if memory serves – but that was not even a horror movie.
And, yes, there is a deranged killer offing people one-by-one, which means nothing at the end of the day. Pennywise will attest to that.
The point I am trying to make is that – no, the story wasn’t bad at all – but it is much too intelligent to be considered a slasher…
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
No, that is not the sound of Gordon Ramsay judging the scallops. That is the sound of every single slasher fan which felt offended by that statement. In fact, as I look out the window, I can already see lighted torches and pitchforks* waving in the air.
*All except for Al, who sits in front of his computer eighteen hours a day, stuffing his face and moving nothing but his fingers and eyes, who only lifted his normal fork in the air. That’s exactly why I left the statement in, so guys like Al can get their weekly cardio by lifting their forks.
Where was I? Right. You might be thinking an approaching mob right now, but, just for fun, Google “South Africa Load Shedding” – it will explain a lot.
So, fans of slasher horror, please relax – I’m a fan too. However, my personal opinion is that slashers are mostly there for entertainment purposes. Whenever you have characters who doesn’t blindly run around, doing all the most stupid things while still trying to get laid, but think about what they are doing and acting like sensible adults, it becomes something more.
If you want to know exactly what slasher is, check out the link below (it's worth it!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oliCV...
Hunter Shea is a great writer and this story is an intelligent one. The editing was great and the ending was exactly the kind I like.
So:
As a slasher horror (which was my feeling going in and lasted for most of the story, which is probably why I felt disappointed) I will give it two stars, but as balls-to-the-wall horror story (during the last third of the book), it deserves four.
My honest opinion is that I would have enjoyed this story more if I went into it blind. So I split the difference and gave it a three.
Patience will be rewarded with this one. However, it was not what I expected, which left me with some mixed feelings about the story.
SLASH takes place in the abandoned, crumbling Hayden Resort. When ‘Final Girl’ Ashley King commits suicide, her fiancé Todd Matthews goes back to find clues as to what happened five years ago during the Resort Massacre.
But the killer, known as The Wraith, seems to be back as well…
While the build-up and background is important in horror stories, this one pushed it a bit farther than I like, with the first 40% of the book moving slowly. It made the story feel longer than it actually is and it could have been shorter, in my opinion.
The biggest mistake I made was to go into this thinking it will be a homage to 80’s slasher films. It is not, believe me, but this may be good or bad, depending on the reader.
Look, the scene is set – any abandoned camp, resort or desolate area may be the perfect setting. However, a ‘slasher horror’ this does not make. Remember, Alyson Hannigan admitted that, one time, at band-camp, she did something indecent with a flute and a cat – if memory serves – but that was not even a horror movie.
And, yes, there is a deranged killer offing people one-by-one, which means nothing at the end of the day. Pennywise will attest to that.
The point I am trying to make is that – no, the story wasn’t bad at all – but it is much too intelligent to be considered a slasher…
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
No, that is not the sound of Gordon Ramsay judging the scallops. That is the sound of every single slasher fan which felt offended by that statement. In fact, as I look out the window, I can already see lighted torches and pitchforks* waving in the air.
*All except for Al, who sits in front of his computer eighteen hours a day, stuffing his face and moving nothing but his fingers and eyes, who only lifted his normal fork in the air. That’s exactly why I left the statement in, so guys like Al can get their weekly cardio by lifting their forks.
Where was I? Right. You might be thinking an approaching mob right now, but, just for fun, Google “South Africa Load Shedding” – it will explain a lot.
So, fans of slasher horror, please relax – I’m a fan too. However, my personal opinion is that slashers are mostly there for entertainment purposes. Whenever you have characters who doesn’t blindly run around, doing all the most stupid things while still trying to get laid, but think about what they are doing and acting like sensible adults, it becomes something more.
If you want to know exactly what slasher is, check out the link below (it's worth it!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oliCV...
Hunter Shea is a great writer and this story is an intelligent one. The editing was great and the ending was exactly the kind I like.
So:
As a slasher horror (which was my feeling going in and lasted for most of the story, which is probably why I felt disappointed) I will give it two stars, but as balls-to-the-wall horror story (during the last third of the book), it deserves four.
My honest opinion is that I would have enjoyed this story more if I went into it blind. So I split the difference and gave it a three.
October 24, 2019
4.5 stars!
SLASH, by Hunter Shea, is a novel that crosses into many sub-genres of horror. We have the "final girl" troupe, psychological and physical horror, thriller, paranormal, and most prominently, the "slasher" type of horror made popular in '80's movies.
Ashley King was the only one to escape the Wraith during the Hayden Resort Massacre five years ago. Yet she never completely survived, as part of her mind had chosen to break down in the aftermath.
". . . she would never, ever again be fine."
Even her fiancé, Todd, wasn't enough to keep her terror at bay, and it feels inevitable when he finds her hanging body in their basement.
". . . I'm broken . . . and there's only one way to fix me . . . "
The first part of this novel delves into the emotional turmoil and fury felt by Todd. Largely, he blames Ashley's suicide on the "Final Girl" fanatics that use wouldn't let her be, never allowing her to forget what she had been through.
". . . Terror of the man the world had dubbed the Wraith because he was a faceless, nameless killer . . . "
This section give us the most detailed and vivid understanding of how much Todd loved Ashley, and the lengths he would go to for her. The poignant emotions felt real, and made what was to come later all the more believable for them. Here was a man that would face anything to better understand what his girlfriend went through.
"Absolute terror makes your mind do funny things . . . I've lost myself to fear all these years . . . "
We are eventually introduced to Todd's closet friends, and from there on out, the novel changes in tone. Although the heartache and loss are still pertinent, we enter into a slasher-film style. The violent action, fast pacing, and incredible scenarios continue to build page after page.
Good luck finding a place to pause before the end of this one.
". . . He came out of the darkness and he returned to it . . ."
The derelict Hayden resort was a horror-enthusiast's dream come true. This once fine establishment catering to the well-to-do was now a broken, defaced sprawling estate littered with the remains of glass, furniture, and the very buildings, themselves. While reading, it brought to mind some of the abandoned asylums I've seen on "Ghost-hunter" type of television shows.
". . . maybe . . . the place was bad. It turned men into murderers. Maybe not good men, but anyone who had more darkness than light in their souls."
The atmosphere was a catalyst--it invited the most horrible and brutal images possible.
Then, it delivered them.
". . . Some mysteries aren't meant to be solved . . . "
The dynamics between these friends is shown quite powerfully in the lengths they each to to in order to support Todd's need to "see" and "feel" what Ashley may have gone through. What she had faced half a decade earlier had changed her so completely that the only way to escape her mental torment was by ending her physical existence.
Even though her mind had managed to block all of the main details, what could the remainder hold that was so lethal?
Once the action began heating up, Todd's own thoughts changed dramatically.
". . . Maybe he should have been more astounded that she'd lasted as long as she had . . ."
Overall, I really enjoyed how Shea took this novel of mystery, sorrow and loss, and turned it into a non-stop Slasher fest. This wasn't a mindless B-grade movie style, either. This was an intelligent, and completely unexpected, twisted tale that made me think about various legends, lores, and the very nature of evil.
". . . I don't think we can ever call ourselves normal people again."
The characters worked well with their distinctive personalities, and the threats that the ruined, former resort confronted them with. There was so much here that made this novel stand out among others of its kind. The implications alone make me wish there was even more to the book.
". . . the problem with loving someone. Sooner or later, you realize that no matter what you do, you can't protect hem . . . "
Highly recommended.
**AVAILABLE 10/24/19 **
https://amzn.to/2pSybQH
SLASH, by Hunter Shea, is a novel that crosses into many sub-genres of horror. We have the "final girl" troupe, psychological and physical horror, thriller, paranormal, and most prominently, the "slasher" type of horror made popular in '80's movies.
Ashley King was the only one to escape the Wraith during the Hayden Resort Massacre five years ago. Yet she never completely survived, as part of her mind had chosen to break down in the aftermath.
". . . she would never, ever again be fine."
Even her fiancé, Todd, wasn't enough to keep her terror at bay, and it feels inevitable when he finds her hanging body in their basement.
". . . I'm broken . . . and there's only one way to fix me . . . "
The first part of this novel delves into the emotional turmoil and fury felt by Todd. Largely, he blames Ashley's suicide on the "Final Girl" fanatics that use wouldn't let her be, never allowing her to forget what she had been through.
". . . Terror of the man the world had dubbed the Wraith because he was a faceless, nameless killer . . . "
This section give us the most detailed and vivid understanding of how much Todd loved Ashley, and the lengths he would go to for her. The poignant emotions felt real, and made what was to come later all the more believable for them. Here was a man that would face anything to better understand what his girlfriend went through.
"Absolute terror makes your mind do funny things . . . I've lost myself to fear all these years . . . "
We are eventually introduced to Todd's closet friends, and from there on out, the novel changes in tone. Although the heartache and loss are still pertinent, we enter into a slasher-film style. The violent action, fast pacing, and incredible scenarios continue to build page after page.
Good luck finding a place to pause before the end of this one.
". . . He came out of the darkness and he returned to it . . ."
The derelict Hayden resort was a horror-enthusiast's dream come true. This once fine establishment catering to the well-to-do was now a broken, defaced sprawling estate littered with the remains of glass, furniture, and the very buildings, themselves. While reading, it brought to mind some of the abandoned asylums I've seen on "Ghost-hunter" type of television shows.
". . . maybe . . . the place was bad. It turned men into murderers. Maybe not good men, but anyone who had more darkness than light in their souls."
The atmosphere was a catalyst--it invited the most horrible and brutal images possible.
Then, it delivered them.
". . . Some mysteries aren't meant to be solved . . . "
The dynamics between these friends is shown quite powerfully in the lengths they each to to in order to support Todd's need to "see" and "feel" what Ashley may have gone through. What she had faced half a decade earlier had changed her so completely that the only way to escape her mental torment was by ending her physical existence.
Even though her mind had managed to block all of the main details, what could the remainder hold that was so lethal?
Once the action began heating up, Todd's own thoughts changed dramatically.
". . . Maybe he should have been more astounded that she'd lasted as long as she had . . ."
Overall, I really enjoyed how Shea took this novel of mystery, sorrow and loss, and turned it into a non-stop Slasher fest. This wasn't a mindless B-grade movie style, either. This was an intelligent, and completely unexpected, twisted tale that made me think about various legends, lores, and the very nature of evil.
". . . I don't think we can ever call ourselves normal people again."
The characters worked well with their distinctive personalities, and the threats that the ruined, former resort confronted them with. There was so much here that made this novel stand out among others of its kind. The implications alone make me wish there was even more to the book.
". . . the problem with loving someone. Sooner or later, you realize that no matter what you do, you can't protect hem . . . "
Highly recommended.
**AVAILABLE 10/24/19 **
https://amzn.to/2pSybQH
October 18, 2019
4.5/5 stars!
SLASH is the literary equivalent of a B-movie, and I thought it was a blast!
5 years after being the sole survivor in a real life urban-exploration trip gone wrong, Ashley is still trying to get over the murders of her friends and her survivor's guilt. The murderer, tagged "The Wraith" by the press, was never caught. Being celebrated as a "final girl" by groups of twisted followers doesn't help her to forget about it. Hearing the news that the site of the murders, the abandoned Hayden Resort, is about to be torn down, brings things even closer to the brink. Her fiancee, Todd, does his best to make sure Ashley feels loved, but even he cannot help her live with what happened. After she hangs herself, Todd discovers clues she left behind, and he, with a few of their very best friends, return to the resort to try to solve the mystery of the massacre, before the Hayden is torn down for good. Will Todd and his friends solve the mystery? Will they survive their visit? You'll have to read this to find out!
I felt like SLASH was a lot shorter than it actually was, because it was very hard to put down. After a little time meeting the characters and getting to know them, the pace picks up and I actually felt breathless at a couple of points because everything was progressing so fast.
What better place than an abandoned resort to set a horror story? Imagine the Stanley Hotel from The Shining, 70 years after it was abandoned. How scary would that be? The isolation and the detritus built up over years of break-ins, kids partying, urban explorers, etc.. both contributed to how real the setting felt and also to an increasing sense of paranoia as our brave group searched for clues. What was that noise? Debris settling, or the Wraith?
I can't say anymore without spoiling anything, (the bit about Ash hanging herself is right there in the synopsis). Following along with the B movie spirit of SLASH was a big bunch of fun for me. It was exciting, fast paced, thrilling and, at times, heart breaking. If this sounds like your cuppa, pre-order your copy of SLASH here: https://amzn.to/2pys97E.
Highly recommended, especially to fans of B-movies!
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
SLASH is the literary equivalent of a B-movie, and I thought it was a blast!
5 years after being the sole survivor in a real life urban-exploration trip gone wrong, Ashley is still trying to get over the murders of her friends and her survivor's guilt. The murderer, tagged "The Wraith" by the press, was never caught. Being celebrated as a "final girl" by groups of twisted followers doesn't help her to forget about it. Hearing the news that the site of the murders, the abandoned Hayden Resort, is about to be torn down, brings things even closer to the brink. Her fiancee, Todd, does his best to make sure Ashley feels loved, but even he cannot help her live with what happened. After she hangs herself, Todd discovers clues she left behind, and he, with a few of their very best friends, return to the resort to try to solve the mystery of the massacre, before the Hayden is torn down for good. Will Todd and his friends solve the mystery? Will they survive their visit? You'll have to read this to find out!
I felt like SLASH was a lot shorter than it actually was, because it was very hard to put down. After a little time meeting the characters and getting to know them, the pace picks up and I actually felt breathless at a couple of points because everything was progressing so fast.
What better place than an abandoned resort to set a horror story? Imagine the Stanley Hotel from The Shining, 70 years after it was abandoned. How scary would that be? The isolation and the detritus built up over years of break-ins, kids partying, urban explorers, etc.. both contributed to how real the setting felt and also to an increasing sense of paranoia as our brave group searched for clues. What was that noise? Debris settling, or the Wraith?
I can't say anymore without spoiling anything, (the bit about Ash hanging herself is right there in the synopsis). Following along with the B movie spirit of SLASH was a big bunch of fun for me. It was exciting, fast paced, thrilling and, at times, heart breaking. If this sounds like your cuppa, pre-order your copy of SLASH here: https://amzn.to/2pys97E.
Highly recommended, especially to fans of B-movies!
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
October 24, 2019
2.5 stars
I hosted a Night Worms Book Party (our very first one!) with this book, SLASH by Hunter Shea. As it turned out, myself and several other horror-loving friends were all getting ARCS from Flame Tree Press so we decided it would be awesome to pool our efforts and do a massive social media tour of this book.
You can view the final result, here: https://nightworms.com/blogs/news/a-n...
This is not your typical "final girl"/80's Slasher story. You learn this straight away by reading the back cover. Ashley is experiencing some dark times battling survivor's guilt after being the only one to get out alive of the infamous, Hayden Resort Massacre. Ultimately, Ashley succumbs to the overwhelming feelings to end her life (not a spoiler) and her fiance finds her body in their basement. To add insult to injury, Ashley left behind a series of clues that might be able to expose the identity of the killer known ominously as, The Wraith.
In 2018 Hunter Shea released a book titled, CREATURE. I absolutely loved it. Shea took a classic Creature-Feature story and infused it with so much raw emotion, I was a total wreck during my time reading it, especially afterward. CREATURE minted Hunter Shea as a favorite author. I feel like Shea set out to do the same with SLASH, take a classic horror trope and infuse it with enough emotional energy to get readers invested in the characters and not just show up for the carnage.
There was the perfect set-up too, the Final Girl who took her own life and the finance left to pick up the pieces. But unfortunately, I did not make an emotional connection with Todd.
As soon as Todd finds out about Ashley's clues and is determined to solve the case, he employs some friends to run off to the scene of the crime, the abandoned Hayden Resort.
These friends of Todd's are...
...well, they're an unsavory bunch. I really feel like if Shea would have just stuck to Todd's lone plight to avenge his partner's death, things would have been different. It was the friends that buzzkilled this book for me. I'm sure in order to have a book in the slasher sub-genre there needs to be a body count, so I'm aware the friends were probably a necessary plot device--but I didn't care for any of them. No investment. No risk. No thrills or chills.
As I said in my one-line review for Night Worms,
"I can appreciate the ways Hunter Shea brought something new to the slasher sub-genre but plenty of the old tropes and stereotypes linger making SLASH an entertaining read but not meaty enough to satisfy my tastes."
Even though this particular offering wasn't a home run for me, I will show up to read anything Hunter Shea releases in the future. He's a great storyteller and I'm well aware of what he's capable of.
I hosted a Night Worms Book Party (our very first one!) with this book, SLASH by Hunter Shea. As it turned out, myself and several other horror-loving friends were all getting ARCS from Flame Tree Press so we decided it would be awesome to pool our efforts and do a massive social media tour of this book.
You can view the final result, here: https://nightworms.com/blogs/news/a-n...
This is not your typical "final girl"/80's Slasher story. You learn this straight away by reading the back cover. Ashley is experiencing some dark times battling survivor's guilt after being the only one to get out alive of the infamous, Hayden Resort Massacre. Ultimately, Ashley succumbs to the overwhelming feelings to end her life (not a spoiler) and her fiance finds her body in their basement. To add insult to injury, Ashley left behind a series of clues that might be able to expose the identity of the killer known ominously as, The Wraith.
In 2018 Hunter Shea released a book titled, CREATURE. I absolutely loved it. Shea took a classic Creature-Feature story and infused it with so much raw emotion, I was a total wreck during my time reading it, especially afterward. CREATURE minted Hunter Shea as a favorite author. I feel like Shea set out to do the same with SLASH, take a classic horror trope and infuse it with enough emotional energy to get readers invested in the characters and not just show up for the carnage.
There was the perfect set-up too, the Final Girl who took her own life and the finance left to pick up the pieces. But unfortunately, I did not make an emotional connection with Todd.
As soon as Todd finds out about Ashley's clues and is determined to solve the case, he employs some friends to run off to the scene of the crime, the abandoned Hayden Resort.
These friends of Todd's are...
...well, they're an unsavory bunch. I really feel like if Shea would have just stuck to Todd's lone plight to avenge his partner's death, things would have been different. It was the friends that buzzkilled this book for me. I'm sure in order to have a book in the slasher sub-genre there needs to be a body count, so I'm aware the friends were probably a necessary plot device--but I didn't care for any of them. No investment. No risk. No thrills or chills.
As I said in my one-line review for Night Worms,
"I can appreciate the ways Hunter Shea brought something new to the slasher sub-genre but plenty of the old tropes and stereotypes linger making SLASH an entertaining read but not meaty enough to satisfy my tastes."
Even though this particular offering wasn't a home run for me, I will show up to read anything Hunter Shea releases in the future. He's a great storyteller and I'm well aware of what he's capable of.
September 30, 2022
This one is a good horror story set at a resort where very evil things happened some years back. The place is due to be demolished soon, but a group of friends break in to explore and they find the horror is still very much alive there... (Or still undead, at least.) The story starts with the familiar tropes of the '80s slasher flicks and the Final Girl but moves into very different territory... it surprised me a time or two along the way. I had a little bit of a feeling that Shea wanted to stand the stereotype on its head a bit, but to do that he chose to take the story into an even more familiar and traditional direction. I can't decide if that was a great thing to do or not, but it was cool and unexpected and obviously made me think about it, so hats off. Fun read, spooky and chilling... and I resisted starting my comments by claiming that the book was a biographical study comparing and contrasting the lives and careers of Kordell Stewart and Saul Hudson, so that was good...
October 21, 2019
Five years ago Ashley King was the Final Girl. The one who survived. She went urban exploring at an abandoned resort with a group of fellow enthusiasts. Ashley was the only one who left alive. A killer, nicknamed The Wraith, killed them all in gruesome ways and was never caught. And five years later, Ashley hangs herself in the basement of the home she shares with her fiance, Todd Matthews. Todd wants to know why......and he wants to catch The Wraith. What is the truth about what happened that night at the Hayden Resort?
This book is a bloody, campy romp.It wouldn't be slasher horror if it wasn't. Expect lots of cheesy dialogue, grisly deaths, spurting blood and strange twists. The body count definitely clocks upwards quickly.....and the secret behind the entire event is twisted. Perfect! Hunter Shea never fails to deliver!
The front cover design is perfect!
This story grabbed my attention from the start and kept me going the entire time. I found myself talking to the characters "NO! Don't go in there!'' and "RUN!!!!'' But it didn't help. Mince meat.
Great October read! This book is not for the faint of heart -- it's a slasher story. If blood is a bit too red for your comfort.....then best read something a little less.....slashy.
**I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
This book is a bloody, campy romp.It wouldn't be slasher horror if it wasn't. Expect lots of cheesy dialogue, grisly deaths, spurting blood and strange twists. The body count definitely clocks upwards quickly.....and the secret behind the entire event is twisted. Perfect! Hunter Shea never fails to deliver!
The front cover design is perfect!
This story grabbed my attention from the start and kept me going the entire time. I found myself talking to the characters "NO! Don't go in there!'' and "RUN!!!!'' But it didn't help. Mince meat.
Great October read! This book is not for the faint of heart -- it's a slasher story. If blood is a bit too red for your comfort.....then best read something a little less.....slashy.
**I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
October 25, 2019
I read this book with the Night Worms blog review group as a part of a Night Worms Book Party. Flame Tree Press was kind enough to send all of the reviewers a copy of the book, and then we all read it and posted a one sentence review on the Night Worms blog. (Well, everyone else did. I'm sort of new to the group, and even though I participated in the party, I missed out on submitting my one word review. So now I will write a proper review, since Shea's book deserves a full review from all of us.)
SLASH starts off intense right from the start. An Urban explorer named Ashley is the sole-survivor of a group of explorers who entered the crumbling Hayden Resort and had the misfortune to encounter what the press started calling The Wraith. Unable to deal with the memories of her friends being brutally murdered in front of her, and the horrible nightmares that torment her every night, Ashley decides she is too afraid to live with the knowledge that The Wraith could come for her at any time and finish the massacre that started at the Hayden. After trying so hard to move on, Ashley takes her own life, and her fiancé Todd ends up finding her body. Now Todd needs to go back to the Hayden in order to move on from his life with Ashley.
I have to say that once Todd and his friends enter the Hayden, I was really intrigued as to what Ashley saw when she was there, and of course The Wraith's identity. You know with Shea that you can expect tons of gore, buckets of blood, and endless carnage, and SLASH definitely does not disappoint in those areas. Once the blood starts to flow, it doesn't stop until the very end. I also have to say that I was actually rather pleasantly surprised as to The Wraith's identity. You can almost always expect a creature feature from Shea, and SLASH provides a very interesting antagonist as The Wraith.
There are some nit picking things that I could mention about the story, but I feel as if books from writers like Shea should not be picked apart but rather just enjoyed for what they are. This isn't English Literature 101, and it never will be. So I just sit back and let the carnage happen and enjoy the story for what it is.
Some of my fellow Worm reviewers have made some valid points in their reviews, and they have every right to feel the way they do. That's what's so great about reading, especially reading a single book in a large group. Everyone has a different opinion, and I love that. That's what makes reading fun and special. We are all reading the same book, but our life experiences and the way we view the world makes the book different for all of us. I can't wait for this group of amazing people to read another book together again.
As for SLASH? If you are looking for a blood drenched gorefest, with a very unusual antagonist, look no further. SLASH is a fun romp that's absolutely full of carnage.
SLASH starts off intense right from the start. An Urban explorer named Ashley is the sole-survivor of a group of explorers who entered the crumbling Hayden Resort and had the misfortune to encounter what the press started calling The Wraith. Unable to deal with the memories of her friends being brutally murdered in front of her, and the horrible nightmares that torment her every night, Ashley decides she is too afraid to live with the knowledge that The Wraith could come for her at any time and finish the massacre that started at the Hayden. After trying so hard to move on, Ashley takes her own life, and her fiancé Todd ends up finding her body. Now Todd needs to go back to the Hayden in order to move on from his life with Ashley.
I have to say that once Todd and his friends enter the Hayden, I was really intrigued as to what Ashley saw when she was there, and of course The Wraith's identity. You know with Shea that you can expect tons of gore, buckets of blood, and endless carnage, and SLASH definitely does not disappoint in those areas. Once the blood starts to flow, it doesn't stop until the very end. I also have to say that I was actually rather pleasantly surprised as to The Wraith's identity. You can almost always expect a creature feature from Shea, and SLASH provides a very interesting antagonist as The Wraith.
There are some nit picking things that I could mention about the story, but I feel as if books from writers like Shea should not be picked apart but rather just enjoyed for what they are. This isn't English Literature 101, and it never will be. So I just sit back and let the carnage happen and enjoy the story for what it is.
Some of my fellow Worm reviewers have made some valid points in their reviews, and they have every right to feel the way they do. That's what's so great about reading, especially reading a single book in a large group. Everyone has a different opinion, and I love that. That's what makes reading fun and special. We are all reading the same book, but our life experiences and the way we view the world makes the book different for all of us. I can't wait for this group of amazing people to read another book together again.
As for SLASH? If you are looking for a blood drenched gorefest, with a very unusual antagonist, look no further. SLASH is a fun romp that's absolutely full of carnage.
August 1, 2021
In a non-stalker way I'm obsessed. I absolutely just love Hunter's writing style.
I love the fact that his characters are diverse and have so many different backgrounds. This book was a little sad because grief is just such a heavy topic. The really cool thing was how the characters found different ways to deal with grief and how not all the families affected managed to stay the same.
My favorite thing is how he managed to suprise me by what the monster actually was. I was shocked but it worked well and he managed to make it flow.
I love the fact that his characters are diverse and have so many different backgrounds. This book was a little sad because grief is just such a heavy topic. The really cool thing was how the characters found different ways to deal with grief and how not all the families affected managed to stay the same.
My favorite thing is how he managed to suprise me by what the monster actually was. I was shocked but it worked well and he managed to make it flow.
August 28, 2019
My review of SLASH can be found at High Fever Books.
Last year, Hunter Shea wowed me with the emotionally engaging Creature. Earlier this year, his novel Ghost Mine (formerly Hell Hole) was reissued, a fun Wild West-era romp chock full of action. And now, landing just in time for some Halloween reading this fall, he’s taken the two best aspects of his Flame Tree Press titles and married them in his slasher horror flick set to print, Slash.
At the end of every slasher flick is the lone woman survivor, the movie’s final girl. She’s been tortured psychologically and physically, watched her best friends brutally murdered at the hands of some unstoppable psycho killer, forced to go it alone as she struggles to live through the night and escape the madman stalking her. But what happens after she’s won? Ashley King, an urban explorer, survived the Hayden Resort massacre, but only barely. She suffers from severe post-traumatic stress, depression, and fear of the dark. She lived, but so much else about her died at the hands of a vicious killer dubbed the Wraith. In the wake of her suicide, her husband Todd seeks a way to reconnect with her. Distraught and grieving, he decides to head to the ruins of the Hayden Resort, but his friends won’t let him go alone. They want to be there for him to provide emotional support in his time of need, and this may be the last mistake any of them make. There’s something in the derelict hotel following them…stalking them…hunting them. The Wraith is back.
Right from the outset, Shea launches into Slash gunning for you, aiming straight for the heart. His exploration of grief and depression is painfully honest, and we immediately sympathize for Todd and all that he’s lost. Although we get echoes of Ashley throughout the story, it’s largely through Todd’s eyes that we come to know and admire her. She becomes an omnipresent force in the story, motivating Todd through his darkest hours and giving him hope. Although we only get to spend a significant amount of time with one of them, you can imagine the powerhouse couple they could have been in better days and how Ashley’s life influenced his and others around her. Todd’s not exactly a shrieking violet either, mind you, and once his present life begins to intersect with Ashley’s history at the Hayden Resort and the Wraith makes his presence known, we get to see what really fuels Todd and his companions.
Much of this book’s first half is spent building up the characters and introducing us to Todd’s friends, primarily Vince and Heather, but also Jerry, Bill, and, eventually, Sharon, the sister of one of Ashley’s friends who was murdered at the abandoned hotel. Jerry and Sharon don’t exactly hit it off — he’s a raging misogynistic cop and she’s a stripper, so there’s a lot of built-in tension between these two and they generate a lot of conflict within the group even as the Wraith tries to kill them all one by one.
Speaking of the Wraith…this bad boy is a slasher fan’s nightmare! If you’ve been following Shea for any length of time on social media, you know he’s a fan of slasher flicks. That love bleeds onto every single page here, and Slash is very much an ode to this style of horror. The Wraith is a remorseless hunter and killer, with a particular fondness for literally ripping his victims apart piece by piece. The Hayden Resort becomes absolutely littered with decapitated heads, severed limbs, snaking entrails, the works! And like your favorite cinema slasher, he’s nigh unstoppable — and for very good reason! I won’t go into it here, but damn if I didn’t love the backstory Shea conjured for the Wraith.
Slash is a slick and cool slasher movie in book form. It’s ridiculously compulsively readable, and the pages here damn near turn themselves while you wonder who the Wraith is and what makes him tick. Forget Jason. Say goodbye to Michael Myers. Give Ghostface a big ol’ middle finger. The Wraith is here!
Last year, Hunter Shea wowed me with the emotionally engaging Creature. Earlier this year, his novel Ghost Mine (formerly Hell Hole) was reissued, a fun Wild West-era romp chock full of action. And now, landing just in time for some Halloween reading this fall, he’s taken the two best aspects of his Flame Tree Press titles and married them in his slasher horror flick set to print, Slash.
At the end of every slasher flick is the lone woman survivor, the movie’s final girl. She’s been tortured psychologically and physically, watched her best friends brutally murdered at the hands of some unstoppable psycho killer, forced to go it alone as she struggles to live through the night and escape the madman stalking her. But what happens after she’s won? Ashley King, an urban explorer, survived the Hayden Resort massacre, but only barely. She suffers from severe post-traumatic stress, depression, and fear of the dark. She lived, but so much else about her died at the hands of a vicious killer dubbed the Wraith. In the wake of her suicide, her husband Todd seeks a way to reconnect with her. Distraught and grieving, he decides to head to the ruins of the Hayden Resort, but his friends won’t let him go alone. They want to be there for him to provide emotional support in his time of need, and this may be the last mistake any of them make. There’s something in the derelict hotel following them…stalking them…hunting them. The Wraith is back.
Right from the outset, Shea launches into Slash gunning for you, aiming straight for the heart. His exploration of grief and depression is painfully honest, and we immediately sympathize for Todd and all that he’s lost. Although we get echoes of Ashley throughout the story, it’s largely through Todd’s eyes that we come to know and admire her. She becomes an omnipresent force in the story, motivating Todd through his darkest hours and giving him hope. Although we only get to spend a significant amount of time with one of them, you can imagine the powerhouse couple they could have been in better days and how Ashley’s life influenced his and others around her. Todd’s not exactly a shrieking violet either, mind you, and once his present life begins to intersect with Ashley’s history at the Hayden Resort and the Wraith makes his presence known, we get to see what really fuels Todd and his companions.
Much of this book’s first half is spent building up the characters and introducing us to Todd’s friends, primarily Vince and Heather, but also Jerry, Bill, and, eventually, Sharon, the sister of one of Ashley’s friends who was murdered at the abandoned hotel. Jerry and Sharon don’t exactly hit it off — he’s a raging misogynistic cop and she’s a stripper, so there’s a lot of built-in tension between these two and they generate a lot of conflict within the group even as the Wraith tries to kill them all one by one.
Speaking of the Wraith…this bad boy is a slasher fan’s nightmare! If you’ve been following Shea for any length of time on social media, you know he’s a fan of slasher flicks. That love bleeds onto every single page here, and Slash is very much an ode to this style of horror. The Wraith is a remorseless hunter and killer, with a particular fondness for literally ripping his victims apart piece by piece. The Hayden Resort becomes absolutely littered with decapitated heads, severed limbs, snaking entrails, the works! And like your favorite cinema slasher, he’s nigh unstoppable — and for very good reason! I won’t go into it here, but damn if I didn’t love the backstory Shea conjured for the Wraith.
Slash is a slick and cool slasher movie in book form. It’s ridiculously compulsively readable, and the pages here damn near turn themselves while you wonder who the Wraith is and what makes him tick. Forget Jason. Say goodbye to Michael Myers. Give Ghostface a big ol’ middle finger. The Wraith is here!
November 2, 2019
It could have been so nice. I've loved almost every story this author has ever published (and which I've read, I'm still catching up). He's really good and monster b-movie-ish action in print form. Which is why I really don't know what the hell happened here.
Five years before this book starts, Ashley and her friends went exploring an abandoned resort in the Catskills mountains. What was meant as some slightly illegal fun turned into a massacre.
Now, Ash, the sole survivor of that night, has killed herself and her finacée is trying to come to terms not only with having had to find her body but also why she did it. So he does what all grieving people do: he publically challenges the killer that was never caught five years ago and goes back to where it all happened before the place gets demolished. *snorts*
His friends aren't going to let him face the music alone however ...
And if that little summary of the premise sounds familiar, it's because the concept isn't new. Some stupid teenagers going where they shouldn't, encountering a killer, dying horribly, one escaping, the carnage continuing.
I usually don't mind this sort of thing, even if the premise is generic. But it has to be done well. Like either making me root for the people or making me hate them so much I cackle in delight when they get killed (the latter is far more likely).
Here? Man, was I bored! The author wasted 50% of the book just showing us the people and the suicide and the impact on everybody's life. I mean, I get it: traumatic events, tragic repercussions, bla bla bla. This is a shalsher story though. We're meant to enjoy the thrill and creep-factor and, yes, also the bloodshed. But for 50% there was none.
Then he suddenly threw a revelation at us. And then, when I almost gave up, it finally started. But even while these nuisances were limping for their lives, I just couldn't bring myself to care or look forward to horrible deaths. The fact that their deaths weren't all that thrilling/horrible, was a further disappointment.
And then the last 10 or 15% got so silly that it wasn't even funny anymore. Right down to the totally predictable ending.
I'm really sad now. Sad because I don't know what happened. Has Shea lost his writing juju? Has somebody cursed him? I hope this is just a fluke and his next horror story will be horrible in the original sense of the word again.
Five years before this book starts, Ashley and her friends went exploring an abandoned resort in the Catskills mountains. What was meant as some slightly illegal fun turned into a massacre.
Now, Ash, the sole survivor of that night, has killed herself and her finacée is trying to come to terms not only with having had to find her body but also why she did it. So he does what all grieving people do: he publically challenges the killer that was never caught five years ago and goes back to where it all happened before the place gets demolished. *snorts*
His friends aren't going to let him face the music alone however ...
And if that little summary of the premise sounds familiar, it's because the concept isn't new. Some stupid teenagers going where they shouldn't, encountering a killer, dying horribly, one escaping, the carnage continuing.
I usually don't mind this sort of thing, even if the premise is generic. But it has to be done well. Like either making me root for the people or making me hate them so much I cackle in delight when they get killed (the latter is far more likely).
Here? Man, was I bored! The author wasted 50% of the book just showing us the people and the suicide and the impact on everybody's life. I mean, I get it: traumatic events, tragic repercussions, bla bla bla. This is a shalsher story though. We're meant to enjoy the thrill and creep-factor and, yes, also the bloodshed. But for 50% there was none.
Then he suddenly threw a revelation at us. And then, when I almost gave up, it finally started. But even while these nuisances were limping for their lives, I just couldn't bring myself to care or look forward to horrible deaths. The fact that their deaths weren't all that thrilling/horrible, was a further disappointment.
And then the last 10 or 15% got so silly that it wasn't even funny anymore. Right down to the totally predictable ending.
I'm really sad now. Sad because I don't know what happened. Has Shea lost his writing juju? Has somebody cursed him? I hope this is just a fluke and his next horror story will be horrible in the original sense of the word again.
October 25, 2019
Slash is a book that immediately called to me. As a lover of all things slasher-y it was evident this book was written for me! I fell in love with Shea's writing in Creature and he has risen an author who is high on my list of faves. With all of that said, I knew I was in for a treat with Slash.
We get death and mystery right from the start. An unusual twist of events for a surviving final girl leads us down a bloodsoaked path. Fans of gore will revel in Slash! We get it all with this one... and the deaths are so inventive and brutal. I could watch it all unfolding as if it were on a screen in front of me. Shea has a way with descriptions that does this for the reader.
A lot of times I can totally pinpoint the killer... but not with this one! This book is definitely recommended for fans of slashers and massacre horror! 4 stars!
We get death and mystery right from the start. An unusual twist of events for a surviving final girl leads us down a bloodsoaked path. Fans of gore will revel in Slash! We get it all with this one... and the deaths are so inventive and brutal. I could watch it all unfolding as if it were on a screen in front of me. Shea has a way with descriptions that does this for the reader.
A lot of times I can totally pinpoint the killer... but not with this one! This book is definitely recommended for fans of slashers and massacre horror! 4 stars!
July 15, 2021
On paper this one had so much potential and I was incredibly excited for it. Sadly it did not live up to the very high hopes I had for it. I’m probably the biggest slasher fan out there, slasher movies are what got me into the horror genre and this one just sounded so good. The idea practically had me salivating and when it first started to unroll I was pretty damn into it and sitting back to enjoy the ride. And then that’s where it started to get messy and a bunch of little things started to really bother me. I won’t nitpick and go into all of them but there’s 2 main things that really brought this from a yay to a nay. One, Todd’s friends were the biggest fucking assholes and while I realize they were needed for a body count, I just wish they hadn’t been so damn unlikeable. Two, the constant ripping on one of the characters because she’s a stripper and just all the awful sex worker jokes. At one point I also got pretty tired of there continuously being new elements thrown in, it felt like every possible trope that ever happened in a slasher movie had to be incorporated somehow and it just got old. The story had so much potential and I really wanted to love it but the execution just lacked for me. All that being said, I do still want to delve more into Shea’s work and see what else he has to offer.
November 1, 2019
I'm of two minds on this one. I love horror in general but there are a few kinds of plot devices that don't work too well for me. Of course, there are some major exceptions to the rule, but I'm gonna cite one movie franchise that never kept my interest no matter how many times I sat through them: Friday the 13th. Jason. Meh. He made me lose my love for hockey and all straight-up slasher types.
But what about Scream, you ask? Well, we all know that was a PARODY and a great SEND UP, far outclassing the original fright-snoozes.
So what in the blazes does this have to do with Hunter Shea's novel?
It's a somewhat generic slasher "film" in an old abandoned resort. The best part is the build-up, the impact and the insanity of the Final Girl who had survived one attempt, only to off-herself and leave her friends scratching their heads, preparing themselves for their own eventual slaughter.
I really wanted to get into this. I'm a fan of this author. He does creature features wonderfully, crazily, and induces many an evil chortle in his readers. This one is of the same quality. It's a great send-up for an oft-tread storyline.
But me? I was bored silly, not able to connect to anyone but the Final dead Girl. Maybe that's to be expected, but I have seen it done well elsewhere.
But what about Scream, you ask? Well, we all know that was a PARODY and a great SEND UP, far outclassing the original fright-snoozes.
So what in the blazes does this have to do with Hunter Shea's novel?
It's a somewhat generic slasher "film" in an old abandoned resort. The best part is the build-up, the impact and the insanity of the Final Girl who had survived one attempt, only to off-herself and leave her friends scratching their heads, preparing themselves for their own eventual slaughter.
I really wanted to get into this. I'm a fan of this author. He does creature features wonderfully, crazily, and induces many an evil chortle in his readers. This one is of the same quality. It's a great send-up for an oft-tread storyline.
But me? I was bored silly, not able to connect to anyone but the Final dead Girl. Maybe that's to be expected, but I have seen it done well elsewhere.
September 20, 2019
Where are my slasher fans at? I've been a fan of slasher films and horror books since I was a child. As part of the Night Worms review team, we had a #nightwormsbookparty and all read advanced copies of this beauty and what fun! It's so interesting to have discussions on a book and see the many different views on a book as they're being read.
What I loved about this book: The homage to the final girl trope, the classic feels of your typical slasher movie (because why change something that works, am I right?) and the brutal death scenes. We have your sexualized female, topic of racism, supernatural entity that's scaring the begeezuz out of everyone, poor decision making and campy at times dialogue. I read this as if I was watching a B horror film and for that I was entertained and curious as to what direction Shea was going to take his readers.
What I didn't like about this book: some editing issues as names were displaced in certain areas during dialogue - example: when Sharon was talking, Sheri's name was used instead of hers (her sister who is dead). It was minimal but I did notice this in a few spots. The overt vile spread to Sharon who is an exotic dancer/stripper. At first it didn't bother me but it got a bit redundant and unnecessary. Some of the descriptives didn't make much sense to me - blood that's as red as sunday gravy - I've never even seen red gravy y'all - and certainly not on a Sunday. I also wish the Wraith name has been different as I feel like I've seen it a lot in the horror genre.
This is the thing though - if we didn't have characters making bad decisions or things being a bit unrealistic, we wouldn't have these books and movies. What's fun about Slasher type reads are the characters' poor choices, the ridiculousness in death scenes, the sometimes tasteless dialogue. I did hanker for a more unique ending, but I also liked that the author kept true to this normal horror arc. Overall, I was in it to find out what would happen, but found my attention waning greatly during the last half of the book. While I appreciate the keeping true-ness, I think I wanted something more.
A campy horror read that stays true to the Slasher genre. Beware the Wraith - he's out to get you and there's virtually no escape.
Thanks so much to Flame Tree Press for this copy and to Night Worms for the fun group read.
What I loved about this book: The homage to the final girl trope, the classic feels of your typical slasher movie (because why change something that works, am I right?) and the brutal death scenes. We have your sexualized female, topic of racism, supernatural entity that's scaring the begeezuz out of everyone, poor decision making and campy at times dialogue. I read this as if I was watching a B horror film and for that I was entertained and curious as to what direction Shea was going to take his readers.
What I didn't like about this book: some editing issues as names were displaced in certain areas during dialogue - example: when Sharon was talking, Sheri's name was used instead of hers (her sister who is dead). It was minimal but I did notice this in a few spots. The overt vile spread to Sharon who is an exotic dancer/stripper. At first it didn't bother me but it got a bit redundant and unnecessary. Some of the descriptives didn't make much sense to me - blood that's as red as sunday gravy - I've never even seen red gravy y'all - and certainly not on a Sunday. I also wish the Wraith name has been different as I feel like I've seen it a lot in the horror genre.
This is the thing though - if we didn't have characters making bad decisions or things being a bit unrealistic, we wouldn't have these books and movies. What's fun about Slasher type reads are the characters' poor choices, the ridiculousness in death scenes, the sometimes tasteless dialogue. I did hanker for a more unique ending, but I also liked that the author kept true to this normal horror arc. Overall, I was in it to find out what would happen, but found my attention waning greatly during the last half of the book. While I appreciate the keeping true-ness, I think I wanted something more.
A campy horror read that stays true to the Slasher genre. Beware the Wraith - he's out to get you and there's virtually no escape.
Thanks so much to Flame Tree Press for this copy and to Night Worms for the fun group read.
December 1, 2020
Better than it had any right to be, and that's because of the writing and the characters Hunter created here. A slasher at heart (stupid decisions are made, ridiculous dialogue at inappropriate times), but this is smarter than just a bloody romp through the woods, and the killer is something to behold. Definitely recommended.
October 10, 2025
Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith. With the help of his friends, Todd goes backs. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected.
Meet Ashley King. Ashley is a mess. She jumps at most sounds...a car door shutting... door closing... and she depends on her sleeping pills and then there are her many scars. Suddenly, we find ourselves in Ashley’s nightmares.... not a good place to be.
When we first meet Todd Matthews, Ashley’s fiancé, he’s headed home from work. Upon his arrival he can’t find Ashley in one of the usual places in the house, but he sees that the basement door is cracked open, so he heads down there. He finds Ashley....hanging from the ceiling. He's far too late to help her.
Todd goes through the mourning process and tries to understand what had happened. He's angry and he focuses his anger on all the media that always seem to try to glorify these awful situations. While he processes, the readers are given more and more information about Ashley’s past and how she became "a final girl".
Later, Todd finds Ashley’s suicide note, and in it there is a clue. After searching, he finds a memory card. On this memory card is a video where Ashley explained things to him that he wasn’t ever aware of when she was alive. In the video, Ashley says that she will record herself on each of their explorations and leave the memory cards in a specific location. Todd is determined to gather anything and everything that he can that Ashley had left behind and learn more about what happened that night, Todd eventually has to return to a grisly scene that Ashley had barely managed to escape.
He believes that this trip will be fairly easy; all he has to do is take the memory cards and leave. What he doesn’t know is that there’s something yet out there, and it may cost him and ones that he loves, their lives. You'll have to find out for yourself all the craziness that happened next.
I was totally captivated by the idea of the story. In the front of the book, there is a small interview with the author Hunter Shea, that he says Slash is "a return to 80s slasher films". From the first book that I ever read by this author I've always thought that his books would make wonderfully, creepy movies.
Actual Overall Rating 4.5 stars
Meet Ashley King. Ashley is a mess. She jumps at most sounds...a car door shutting... door closing... and she depends on her sleeping pills and then there are her many scars. Suddenly, we find ourselves in Ashley’s nightmares.... not a good place to be.
When we first meet Todd Matthews, Ashley’s fiancé, he’s headed home from work. Upon his arrival he can’t find Ashley in one of the usual places in the house, but he sees that the basement door is cracked open, so he heads down there. He finds Ashley....hanging from the ceiling. He's far too late to help her.
Todd goes through the mourning process and tries to understand what had happened. He's angry and he focuses his anger on all the media that always seem to try to glorify these awful situations. While he processes, the readers are given more and more information about Ashley’s past and how she became "a final girl".
Later, Todd finds Ashley’s suicide note, and in it there is a clue. After searching, he finds a memory card. On this memory card is a video where Ashley explained things to him that he wasn’t ever aware of when she was alive. In the video, Ashley says that she will record herself on each of their explorations and leave the memory cards in a specific location. Todd is determined to gather anything and everything that he can that Ashley had left behind and learn more about what happened that night, Todd eventually has to return to a grisly scene that Ashley had barely managed to escape.
He believes that this trip will be fairly easy; all he has to do is take the memory cards and leave. What he doesn’t know is that there’s something yet out there, and it may cost him and ones that he loves, their lives. You'll have to find out for yourself all the craziness that happened next.
I was totally captivated by the idea of the story. In the front of the book, there is a small interview with the author Hunter Shea, that he says Slash is "a return to 80s slasher films". From the first book that I ever read by this author I've always thought that his books would make wonderfully, creepy movies.
Actual Overall Rating 4.5 stars
October 15, 2019
Thanks so much to Flametree Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It’s official. I’m a fan. I need to read all of Hunter Shea’s books. The man writes characters and suspense build up so. frickin. well! I recently read another book of his called Creature, and I could not stop gushing to everyone I knew about it. This book is no different. The wide range of emotions experienced while reading his stories is of several reasons that I find him to be a true talent. You feel the love or hate in all of the character relationships. You feel the good moments, the moments of despair and the moments of absolute terror. This book in particular brings some real terror filled moments. You’ll hold your breath and you won’t be able to put it down! I had such fun with Slash. If you haven’t read a book by Hunter Shea yet, pick one up. You won’t regret it.
October 25, 2019
This was bloody fun! So much blood! So much fun! Well, it was fun for me as a reader. I don’t think any of the characters were enjoying themselves as I cheered on from the sidelines during their bone crunching demise.
Ashley is a final girl, the lone survivor of the Hayden Resort massacre five years ago. Since that night she has lived with debilitating PTSD and the nightmare continues for her, inescapable whether she’s awake or sleeping.
Todd and some friends take it upon themselves to visit the “thousand acres of crumbling resort” to investigate further. I bet they wish they hadn’t.
This is my first Hunter Shea novel but it will definitely not be my last. I adore slasher movies so having those scenes in book form, where my imagination can take the descriptions of what the characters are experiencing and run with them, was something I’ve been looking forward to. I was not disappointed. I love visceral horror deaths and they were not in short supply here!
I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth conveyed alongside the gore. I had expected lots of running, frantic dialogue and some good ol’ slicing and dicing. That was all there but there was also an authentic representation of PTSD with Ashley’s character and gut wrenching grief from Todd’s.
Whenever I encounter any stories with the potential for a final girl/guy I play a game of Who Will Survive? Because this is my game and I’m weird, I have rules about how this is played. As quickly as possible after meeting each character I have to decide, based on the limited information I have at that time, whether I think they will still have a heartbeat at the end of the story or not. I’m not allowed to change my vote, regardless of how much information I come across that contradicts my initial assessment.
So, with that said, who are ourvictims contestants?
Todd - fiancé of the previous final girl and a man on a mission. Even though he wanders into horror no-no territory by saying, “I’ll be right back”, he’s the main character. Surely he lives to tell the tale, right?
Heather - Ashley’s best friend before she died. She’s caring and a good friend to both Ashley and Todd. I want her to survive so she and Todd can support one another after the blood dries.
Vince - Heather’s husband. I want him to survive because Heather is so lovely and I don’t want her to experience any more grief. However, I doubt both Heather and Vince will survive, so I’m expecting Vince to die at Hayden.
Jerry - Law enforcement don’t usually fare so well in horror stories. Jerry is a misogynist cop so he may die twice, if possible.
Bill - a gambler on a diet. Depending on how strict his diet is, he may not have sufficient energy to outrun a murderer. I think his odds are fairly slim.
Sharon - her older sister, Sheri, didn’t survive the previous massacre. She’s angry and impulsive, which could work for or against her. I’d hate for her parents to lose another child to this killer but I fear she’s going to leap before she looks at an inopportune time.
Elvira - the cat. The Wraith can kill all the humans they want, as long as they don’t hurt the cat. I want to believe Elvira is still purring at the end of this book.
Taylor - not part of the core group. He’s toast!
Kaitlin - also a stranger. Sorry, Kaitlin, but you don’t stand a chance.
Content warnings include death by suicide, PTSD and gory death scenes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book. Five blood soaked stars!
Ashley is a final girl, the lone survivor of the Hayden Resort massacre five years ago. Since that night she has lived with debilitating PTSD and the nightmare continues for her, inescapable whether she’s awake or sleeping.
Ashley preferred the silence, for within the soundless void, she would be able to hear … things, if they came near.Ashley’s story may have concluded with her death by suicide (this is not a spoiler - it’s in the blurb) if not for her fiancé, Todd. He only knows snippets of what Ashley and her friends endured at the hands of the Wraith but Todd is convinced Ashley has left clues that will enable him to figure out the Wraith’s identity.
Todd and some friends take it upon themselves to visit the “thousand acres of crumbling resort” to investigate further. I bet they wish they hadn’t.
This is my first Hunter Shea novel but it will definitely not be my last. I adore slasher movies so having those scenes in book form, where my imagination can take the descriptions of what the characters are experiencing and run with them, was something I’ve been looking forward to. I was not disappointed. I love visceral horror deaths and they were not in short supply here!
I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth conveyed alongside the gore. I had expected lots of running, frantic dialogue and some good ol’ slicing and dicing. That was all there but there was also an authentic representation of PTSD with Ashley’s character and gut wrenching grief from Todd’s.
Whenever I encounter any stories with the potential for a final girl/guy I play a game of Who Will Survive? Because this is my game and I’m weird, I have rules about how this is played. As quickly as possible after meeting each character I have to decide, based on the limited information I have at that time, whether I think they will still have a heartbeat at the end of the story or not. I’m not allowed to change my vote, regardless of how much information I come across that contradicts my initial assessment.
“Try not to get us killed. Okay?”Naturally I played Who Will Survive? while reading Slash. Even though I now know who bled out during this “night of horror and impossibilities” I haven’t edited my first impressions to match the outcomes, so you’ll have to read the book to find out who’s still breathing.
So, with that said, who are our
Todd - fiancé of the previous final girl and a man on a mission. Even though he wanders into horror no-no territory by saying, “I’ll be right back”, he’s the main character. Surely he lives to tell the tale, right?
Heather - Ashley’s best friend before she died. She’s caring and a good friend to both Ashley and Todd. I want her to survive so she and Todd can support one another after the blood dries.
Vince - Heather’s husband. I want him to survive because Heather is so lovely and I don’t want her to experience any more grief. However, I doubt both Heather and Vince will survive, so I’m expecting Vince to die at Hayden.
Jerry - Law enforcement don’t usually fare so well in horror stories. Jerry is a misogynist cop so he may die twice, if possible.
Bill - a gambler on a diet. Depending on how strict his diet is, he may not have sufficient energy to outrun a murderer. I think his odds are fairly slim.
Sharon - her older sister, Sheri, didn’t survive the previous massacre. She’s angry and impulsive, which could work for or against her. I’d hate for her parents to lose another child to this killer but I fear she’s going to leap before she looks at an inopportune time.
Elvira - the cat. The Wraith can kill all the humans they want, as long as they don’t hurt the cat. I want to believe Elvira is still purring at the end of this book.
Taylor - not part of the core group. He’s toast!
Kaitlin - also a stranger. Sorry, Kaitlin, but you don’t stand a chance.
“You think they’re all right?” Vince asked.If I wasn’t currently in danger of a TBR pile avalanche I would have already started rereading this book. I’m definitely going to be on the hunt for more Hunter Shea books.
“No one’s screaming. That seems to be the best way to assume things are okay in this place.”
Content warnings include death by suicide, PTSD and gory death scenes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book. Five blood soaked stars!
June 11, 2019
I finished reading this a couple of days ago and I’m still out of breath.
As the title alone will tell you, this is slasher fiction. Or slash and slice and dice and chop and oh my god why are there heads everywhere fiction! The body count is…immense.
It did take me a bit to like our characters. I found I liked our Final Girl most and wanted to have more of her in the story (the author does make that happen, but I wanted more, more, more).
However, once I got to know our characters, I was all in. I was also shouting at them not to go in the scary, scary place where people go to die, but, nope. They did it anyway.
Our baddie is…unexpected. I felt I wanted a little more about (how do to this without spoilers) the who and the why and the how – but I enjoyed the surprise.
And, as usual, Shea takes on an adrenaline-filled roller coaster ride of a horror story!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
As the title alone will tell you, this is slasher fiction. Or slash and slice and dice and chop and oh my god why are there heads everywhere fiction! The body count is…immense.
It did take me a bit to like our characters. I found I liked our Final Girl most and wanted to have more of her in the story (the author does make that happen, but I wanted more, more, more).
However, once I got to know our characters, I was all in. I was also shouting at them not to go in the scary, scary place where people go to die, but, nope. They did it anyway.
Our baddie is…unexpected. I felt I wanted a little more about (how do to this without spoilers) the who and the why and the how – but I enjoyed the surprise.
And, as usual, Shea takes on an adrenaline-filled roller coaster ride of a horror story!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
October 25, 2019
5 went in….1 came out.
Ashley King is afraid of the dark and from her past experiences, she has every reason to be. I feel so bad for her. Her fear of the dark and her only escape was pills to sleep and forget…for a while.
Todd gave her his parience and support, but he would not force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He could only hope it would be enough.
Hunter Shea did not take her to a place I thought he would, and I love that he can throw me for a loop right out of the gate. When she hangs herself, it caught me totally off guard. All I could think is WTF? Now what? I can only imagine the pain and horror she lived through as it wore her down, a little more each day, until she couldn’t take it any longer…being the ‘final girl.’
Todd could not let it go. He has to go back where it all began. He has to know. And he will.
Once they crossed the boundary between the real world and Hayden lands, they are on his turf, and the horror begins.
Much of Slash by Hunter Shea is predictable, but Hunter is good for a twist or two.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Slash by Hunter Shea.
See more at fundinmental
Ashley King is afraid of the dark and from her past experiences, she has every reason to be. I feel so bad for her. Her fear of the dark and her only escape was pills to sleep and forget…for a while.
Todd gave her his parience and support, but he would not force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He could only hope it would be enough.
Hunter Shea did not take her to a place I thought he would, and I love that he can throw me for a loop right out of the gate. When she hangs herself, it caught me totally off guard. All I could think is WTF? Now what? I can only imagine the pain and horror she lived through as it wore her down, a little more each day, until she couldn’t take it any longer…being the ‘final girl.’
Todd could not let it go. He has to go back where it all began. He has to know. And he will.
Once they crossed the boundary between the real world and Hayden lands, they are on his turf, and the horror begins.
Much of Slash by Hunter Shea is predictable, but Hunter is good for a twist or two.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Slash by Hunter Shea.
See more at fundinmental
September 1, 2019
I loved this book and the monster Hunter Shea created was unlike any I've seen him create before. This has all the feeling of a great 80's horror movie. Honestly, I can never get enough of Hunter's work in front of me. I really dug the mythology behind the creature, and the book ends in a fantastic way.
August 20, 2019
This is absolutely a one of a kind book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! You think you know just how this story ends then Hunter Shea throws a curve ball, and what you think you know is suddenly a thing of the past. I usually don't care for mysteries or horror stories but Mr. Shea does a beautiful job with Slash, a book Stephen King himself would be proud of! I can't begin to say what a wonderful job was done on this book. All I know is, by the end, I was ready to cry for the Hero and everything he went through. I sure as hell hope there is a sequel, because Mr. Shea can't end this book like this!!
August 6, 2019
Hunter Shea’s new novel Slay works on very many levels and it is a rewarding experience in mystery, thriller and horror that does not give easy answers to the situation at hand. Through the power of his characterisations, motivations and extraordinary plot, this gives the reader a thrilling ride.
Starting with Ashley, we learn that she is a final girl due to a murderous rampage in a depilated run down summer resort that has been closed 30 years prior. All her friends have been murdered in grotesque ways five years earlier, and she is paying the price of being the sole survivor. On the page, we think that the author is going to give us a final girl scenario to carry us through the plot but after some hard decision from Ashley, we take a hard right turn into new territory that steers us into a new direction.
Ashley’s husband and friends have a mystery to unravel which leads them down a dark path that becomes treacherous and life threatening. As the mystery becomes abundantly clear towards its climax, the reader finds themselves on a roller coaster ride with a lot of surprises ahead.
The characters are very well drawn and personally, I think Shea is a very comprehensive author who is able to draw out the slightest personality flaws and use these to his advantage. His characters have emotional strength and weakness and these are well balanced with the backgrounds involved. It is very impressive that he doesn’t have characters added to the mix who become fodder which is the norm for a novel of this ilk but Shea is smarter than that and works his talent into these characters and their reasoning of why they are on the page.
There is a very interesting sub plot of the final girl groupies which sets this novel apart from the rest and this is the beginning hooking point of the plot. This is explored and with the use of podcasts and media to show how these fans connect was an interesting way to bring this to light.
The plot is strong and the way the plot changes direction three times makes this novel above par. He handles these changes in a natural realistic manner and he keeps this very tight. The reasoning behind the killings is smartly handled and we are left with folklore mixed with the realism which I think works very well. The information given does fit in well and probably better handled than what we normally give for a monstrous killer. The killer is the stuff that nightmares are made of and this is excellent asset to the novel.
Overall, this is great thriller, mystery horror novel is an excellent novel that fires from all cylinders in a fantastical way. The strong characters, plots and revenge aspect keeps it moving at a brisk place and one of the few books that I found hard to put down. When I did put it down, it haunted me until I came to the conclusion. The novel also spiked my interest in Hunter Slea as a novelist and I am very keen to start diving into his other work. This is a must read for anyone who has a love of this genre and will be rewarded due to the in-depth storytelling that can be found within these pages.
Starting with Ashley, we learn that she is a final girl due to a murderous rampage in a depilated run down summer resort that has been closed 30 years prior. All her friends have been murdered in grotesque ways five years earlier, and she is paying the price of being the sole survivor. On the page, we think that the author is going to give us a final girl scenario to carry us through the plot but after some hard decision from Ashley, we take a hard right turn into new territory that steers us into a new direction.
Ashley’s husband and friends have a mystery to unravel which leads them down a dark path that becomes treacherous and life threatening. As the mystery becomes abundantly clear towards its climax, the reader finds themselves on a roller coaster ride with a lot of surprises ahead.
The characters are very well drawn and personally, I think Shea is a very comprehensive author who is able to draw out the slightest personality flaws and use these to his advantage. His characters have emotional strength and weakness and these are well balanced with the backgrounds involved. It is very impressive that he doesn’t have characters added to the mix who become fodder which is the norm for a novel of this ilk but Shea is smarter than that and works his talent into these characters and their reasoning of why they are on the page.
There is a very interesting sub plot of the final girl groupies which sets this novel apart from the rest and this is the beginning hooking point of the plot. This is explored and with the use of podcasts and media to show how these fans connect was an interesting way to bring this to light.
The plot is strong and the way the plot changes direction three times makes this novel above par. He handles these changes in a natural realistic manner and he keeps this very tight. The reasoning behind the killings is smartly handled and we are left with folklore mixed with the realism which I think works very well. The information given does fit in well and probably better handled than what we normally give for a monstrous killer. The killer is the stuff that nightmares are made of and this is excellent asset to the novel.
Overall, this is great thriller, mystery horror novel is an excellent novel that fires from all cylinders in a fantastical way. The strong characters, plots and revenge aspect keeps it moving at a brisk place and one of the few books that I found hard to put down. When I did put it down, it haunted me until I came to the conclusion. The novel also spiked my interest in Hunter Slea as a novelist and I am very keen to start diving into his other work. This is a must read for anyone who has a love of this genre and will be rewarded due to the in-depth storytelling that can be found within these pages.
November 5, 2019
My second novel by Hunter Shea and again it didnt disappoint.
Ashley king is the final girl in this novel. The sole survivor of a massacre that takes place five years previously in the abandoned Hayden Resort, where she and her friends were exploring the ruins, she hasnt talked about it since that day despite her infamy. She has blocked out the horror of that night.
Despite this she lives her life in fear. A near prisoner in her own home. Even with her boyfriends best efforts she cant shake off the devastating effects of that night.
When Todd, her boyfriend, finds her hanging in their basement, he is determined to try and unravel what did take place all those years ago in the Hayden resort and to try and find the killer labeled "The Wraith".
With no suicide note found Todd is sure that Ashley has left him a clue somewhere and when he does find it he sets off to the Hayden Resort with his friends in tow to unravel the mysteries of that horrific night and try to find out who The Wraith was and if he is still alive.
This one was a blast. A book of two halves, we have the first half as the set up. A well written, serious piece, with tension and desperation all around. Most of the character building is done in this portion of the book.
The second half is probably what most were expecting with the title and it doesnt disappoint. Its all about survival and horror and is more than a nod to 80s slashers like Friday 13th etc.
Despite a bit of a corny and predictable epilogue, this was hugely enjoyable. Sheas books tend to be a bit bonkers(in a good way)and this is no different.
Immensely readable and great fun, if you are fan in any way of tension/horror/slasher books or films Id highly recommend this read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Ashley king is the final girl in this novel. The sole survivor of a massacre that takes place five years previously in the abandoned Hayden Resort, where she and her friends were exploring the ruins, she hasnt talked about it since that day despite her infamy. She has blocked out the horror of that night.
Despite this she lives her life in fear. A near prisoner in her own home. Even with her boyfriends best efforts she cant shake off the devastating effects of that night.
When Todd, her boyfriend, finds her hanging in their basement, he is determined to try and unravel what did take place all those years ago in the Hayden resort and to try and find the killer labeled "The Wraith".
With no suicide note found Todd is sure that Ashley has left him a clue somewhere and when he does find it he sets off to the Hayden Resort with his friends in tow to unravel the mysteries of that horrific night and try to find out who The Wraith was and if he is still alive.
This one was a blast. A book of two halves, we have the first half as the set up. A well written, serious piece, with tension and desperation all around. Most of the character building is done in this portion of the book.
The second half is probably what most were expecting with the title and it doesnt disappoint. Its all about survival and horror and is more than a nod to 80s slashers like Friday 13th etc.
Despite a bit of a corny and predictable epilogue, this was hugely enjoyable. Sheas books tend to be a bit bonkers(in a good way)and this is no different.
Immensely readable and great fun, if you are fan in any way of tension/horror/slasher books or films Id highly recommend this read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Hunter Shea for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2019
So, Slash was my first Hunter Shea book. I’ve heard so many great things about his other works, especially Creature, and saw this on NetGalley and immediately knew I had to read it. I absolutely loved it!
Slash reads like a love letter to the slasher genre.
Hunter Shea takes the familiar tropes of the genre along with the threadbare slasher story and makes something wholly new and fresh. This novel was taut with suspense, never letting up. It was well-paced, and the atmosphere was on-point, letting you feel the bitter cold and darkness of the ruined Hayden Resort. By showing you what the aftermath of a massacre is like for the survivors, and the horror that never really stops for them, he’s able to give the story that much more gravity.
The character development was really great, especially for Todd. You could really feel his pain and grief and understand why he made the decisions that he made. And the Wraith! I loved what Hunter Shea did with him!
If you’re a fan of slasher flicks, like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, you really need this novel! Definitely going to recommend this for my library to purchase and add to our horror collection. It’s a perfect read for the upcoming horror season!
5/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for ARC
Slash reads like a love letter to the slasher genre.
Hunter Shea takes the familiar tropes of the genre along with the threadbare slasher story and makes something wholly new and fresh. This novel was taut with suspense, never letting up. It was well-paced, and the atmosphere was on-point, letting you feel the bitter cold and darkness of the ruined Hayden Resort. By showing you what the aftermath of a massacre is like for the survivors, and the horror that never really stops for them, he’s able to give the story that much more gravity.
The character development was really great, especially for Todd. You could really feel his pain and grief and understand why he made the decisions that he made. And the Wraith! I loved what Hunter Shea did with him!
If you’re a fan of slasher flicks, like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, you really need this novel! Definitely going to recommend this for my library to purchase and add to our horror collection. It’s a perfect read for the upcoming horror season!
5/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for ARC
August 23, 2019
Title: Slash
Genre: horror
October 10,2019
pages:256
Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith.
With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected
My thoughts
rating: 5
WOW, what a story, it had me setting on the edge of my bed, and give me goosebumps, its dark and twisted with non - stop action ,gore, and a touch of the supernatural to it that somehow makes it work, and once again it reminds me somewhat of the old black and white movies I love to watch mixed with the modern-day slasher movie,which makes it work on so many levels ,in fact I would say that the how to survive a slasher movie rules might not work in this situation, so be prepared to not survive the night . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review another win for this authour in exchange for my honest opinion.
Genre: horror
October 10,2019
pages:256
Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith.
With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected
My thoughts
rating: 5
WOW, what a story, it had me setting on the edge of my bed, and give me goosebumps, its dark and twisted with non - stop action ,gore, and a touch of the supernatural to it that somehow makes it work, and once again it reminds me somewhat of the old black and white movies I love to watch mixed with the modern-day slasher movie,which makes it work on so many levels ,in fact I would say that the how to survive a slasher movie rules might not work in this situation, so be prepared to not survive the night . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review another win for this authour in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 20, 2019
SLASH hearkens back, almost longingly, to the slasher B-movie horror films of the 1980's, with its "crazed maniac massacre" settings and especially its "Final Girl" emphasis. So be prepared to expect a plethora of gore, splatter, and violence--because that's what crazed maniacs do, right? However, that's not all. There's a lot of delving into psychology: survivor guilt; post-traumatic stress syndrome; fear, rational or irrational, that "it's not over"; the psychology of the loved ones--family and friends. Author Shea also gives a compelling riff on history plus a strongly supernatural element (which also has a historical basis).
November 7, 2019
I’ve read most of Hunter Shea’s books and the tile for his new book was a warning for me. Dark things were ahead. And boy, were they. Once I got past meeting the characters and learning why they had to visit the crumbling old resort, the running and screaming began.
Hunter is known to me for killing off his characters. Usually in horrific fashion. This happened again in Slash. But it felt different. Yes, he killed some off. And yes, they died horrifically. But there was a whole lot in between deaths. They struggled to survive against a being that was a huge mystery to them. They had to uncover the history behind it. One thing they knew, they had to stick together in order to get out alive.
This is the meat and bones of the story for me. Throw a bunch of friends together, add in a maniacal killer, and let’s see how strong those friendships are. In between the blood and body parts strewn throughout, you get to know these characters. Their strengths and weaknesses. You want them to live through this. But, remember what I said about Hunter killing off his characters. Ouch.
The story has a nice pace in the beginning. Every page has something important to reveal. Then the real horror begins. The Wraith is a mystery at first. Once I found out his history, which was crazy evil, I was fascinated to see how it would end. I really wish I could talk about that. All I can say is, if you enjoy horror stories that have the feel of those old slasher films, Hunter gives you his own unique spin, and I recommend you give this a go. Hang on to your hat. The train to nightmares has left the station.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
Hunter is known to me for killing off his characters. Usually in horrific fashion. This happened again in Slash. But it felt different. Yes, he killed some off. And yes, they died horrifically. But there was a whole lot in between deaths. They struggled to survive against a being that was a huge mystery to them. They had to uncover the history behind it. One thing they knew, they had to stick together in order to get out alive.
This is the meat and bones of the story for me. Throw a bunch of friends together, add in a maniacal killer, and let’s see how strong those friendships are. In between the blood and body parts strewn throughout, you get to know these characters. Their strengths and weaknesses. You want them to live through this. But, remember what I said about Hunter killing off his characters. Ouch.
The story has a nice pace in the beginning. Every page has something important to reveal. Then the real horror begins. The Wraith is a mystery at first. Once I found out his history, which was crazy evil, I was fascinated to see how it would end. I really wish I could talk about that. All I can say is, if you enjoy horror stories that have the feel of those old slasher films, Hunter gives you his own unique spin, and I recommend you give this a go. Hang on to your hat. The train to nightmares has left the station.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
October 30, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Big thanks to Netgalley, Flametree Press and Hunter for letting me check this one out. Big apologies to those three – as I mixed up a bunch of my release dates!
I’ve become a big fan of Shea’s writing over the last few years. Most people talk about how phenomenal ‘Creature’ was, and while I’m firmly in that camp as well, I’ve also loved his creature-feature releases. I recently read a stunning paranormal story by him in the anthology ‘Midnight in the Graveyard,’ and it’s great to see just how varied Shea can be.
This one comes off as a giant ode to the slasher film genre and for that, it was a lot of fun.
I really enjoyed the emotional opening, which gave Todd the kick in the pants to head back to Hayden Resort. Once there, Shea introduces us to The Wraith – a murderer who appears to have returned. A key figure in Todd’s deceased fiancé Ashley’s past.
The action comes fast and furious and at times it reminded me of ‘Kill Hill Carnage’ by Tim Meyers, which was also a ton of fun.
Shea worked hard to create a fluid back story that popped up time and time again, and filling in a lot of the answers to those lingering questions for the readers as well as for Todd was great.
Hunter created a really ideal setting for creepiness with Hayden Resort. The location helped to make the character of The Wraith that much more ‘other-worldly,’ if you will.
I think it was Char in her review who said something along the lines of; ‘what was that noise? Was it a leaf or is it The Wraith.’ I really can’t think of a better way to describe how putting this story in an urban-exploration type scenario could make it any better.
This was a really fun run through the trees, another great outing by Shea, and Flametree continues to deliver with their releases, time and time again.
Big thanks to Netgalley, Flametree Press and Hunter for letting me check this one out. Big apologies to those three – as I mixed up a bunch of my release dates!
I’ve become a big fan of Shea’s writing over the last few years. Most people talk about how phenomenal ‘Creature’ was, and while I’m firmly in that camp as well, I’ve also loved his creature-feature releases. I recently read a stunning paranormal story by him in the anthology ‘Midnight in the Graveyard,’ and it’s great to see just how varied Shea can be.
This one comes off as a giant ode to the slasher film genre and for that, it was a lot of fun.
I really enjoyed the emotional opening, which gave Todd the kick in the pants to head back to Hayden Resort. Once there, Shea introduces us to The Wraith – a murderer who appears to have returned. A key figure in Todd’s deceased fiancé Ashley’s past.
The action comes fast and furious and at times it reminded me of ‘Kill Hill Carnage’ by Tim Meyers, which was also a ton of fun.
Shea worked hard to create a fluid back story that popped up time and time again, and filling in a lot of the answers to those lingering questions for the readers as well as for Todd was great.
Hunter created a really ideal setting for creepiness with Hayden Resort. The location helped to make the character of The Wraith that much more ‘other-worldly,’ if you will.
I think it was Char in her review who said something along the lines of; ‘what was that noise? Was it a leaf or is it The Wraith.’ I really can’t think of a better way to describe how putting this story in an urban-exploration type scenario could make it any better.
This was a really fun run through the trees, another great outing by Shea, and Flametree continues to deliver with their releases, time and time again.
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