Go It Alone

by Monster Smith

From Monster Smith comes a new novella – Go It Alone.
The mean streets are awash with violence, with robberies and murders taking place in every dark corner of Dodge City. While the police know who is to blame, they find themselves up against something they've never encountered before and catching the madman will be no easy task. Go It Alone is an explosive tale of revenge and bloodshed unlike anything else.

A terrific first novella, Smith knows the suspense/horror territory and gamely takes it on with the aplomb of a seasoned storyteller. - Rollin Jewett

119 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

About the author

This author also used the name Donovan Smith (3 spaces)

Reviews

[Nat Whiston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is something incredibly detailed, we hit a fast paced scene of violence immediately on going in. The woman and her daughter are hiding from the madman who has just broken in and it sets the tone almost instantly. As we follow this intense dive into the pursuit for Sutter Krypton, I thought we would be getting a serial killer on the loose story. But this is so much more, as we engage with some well crafted characters such as Agent Cross a strong willed FBI agent and Captain Callow a man obsessed with ending this horrifying spree. Thrown between events of here and now, with backstory into the mind of Sutter we start to realise this story is far more than it lets on. A brilliant and intelligent man, with a dark and tainted past, Sutter's character development is both terrifying and mysterious. Monster keeps the air of mystery throughout, only giving away snippets of information, while still keeping the reader guessing. He showcases a clear understanding of storytelling whilst bringing an air of originality to this piece. Each character is both complex and broken by the events taking place as Sutter's rampage ravages the Dodge City. Monster doesn't skimp on the details of gore and violence as his description has a very sin city gritty-ness to them. Although he did name one of the cops Peter Weller, so a part of me thinks that was intentional if he's a rob cop fan. But I love the intricate details, the level of research into tactics and the science of creating cells. Monster did his homework big time, I don't even want to imagine the sleepless nights of researching each subject for the book. It's a combination of the story of Sutter's past and the present of what became. As we look into the psychology of how one event can change everything. Turning this story into a mix of crime story meets horror sci-fi. It also makes you consider what scientific research and advances can lead to in the wrong hands. Which gives it almost an 80s action film feel as the pace quickens then slows down enough for the reader to catch their breath. Giving you enough time to understand Sutter's pain and anguish, while also following Agent Cross and the team as they pursue him in order to stop the chaos. Lots of twists and turns with vivid scenes of violence, that drag you into a nightmare reality. Where the ending leaves you with so many questions, but also an uneasy feeling that this is far from over.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 13 short stories are:
- A Night in Hell's Cabin
- Bed Bugs
- Charlie Baxter
- The Garbage Man
- Autumn Leaves
- Hydronic
- Pike Street
- Fresh Dirt
- The Dream Machine
- Paradigm 13
- Ctrl / Alt / Del
- Picky Peter's Playhouse
- Terror Heist

Action starts immediately in each short story. Some are dark, like A Night in Hell's Cabin, and some are gory, like Fresh Dirt.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.