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Grave Regrets
THE PAST HITS HARD IN DAVID MASSENGILL’S LATEST NOVEL
A murdered woman’s body is found sprawled across a car seat in Seattle, a tree branch resting on top of her corpse. She clutches a cell phone displaying a website featuring horror fiction stories posted by the public. The story of the day is about Spindly Arms, a killer with a face in the shape of a crescent moon and tree branches for arms.
Forty-four-year-old John Larsen is aghast after hearing about the murder. “Spindly Arms” was a story he wrote over a quarter of a century ago, when he was a high school senior. The tale first appeared in a literary magazine published by the girl—no, the woman—who just met her bloody end.
Back in 1992, John was the boyfriend of Vivian Chiang and best pal of Brandon Laurent until a major betrayal among the friends forced them to stagger off in their separate ways. This was also the year the three classmates had disturbing encounters with the person they called “the armless man,” a bald, stocky fifty-something with bulging eyes and prosthetic arms. The man lived in a ramshackle house on John’s paper route, and he was the inspiration for Spindly Arms.
Now all three classmates painfully regret past actions as some sinister stranger who remembers 1992 stalks them. Spindly Arms is reaching across the years, and he won’t let go of John, Vivian, or Brandon until they’ve paid for past sins, or they’re dead. Praise for Grave Regrets “Massengill’s mixture of relatable, contemporary characters, urban legend, creeping horror, and multiple perspectives is a deft and winning one. Told with crisp prose that carries both the onion-peeling plot and a vivid personality, Grave Regrets is a mystery-horror that confronts, among other things, just how much our past can haunt us. It deserves a place on the nightstand of any Bentley Little or Richard Matheson fan, or anyone addicted to the CreepyPasta corner of the Internet.”
—Mike Robinson, award-winning author of The Prince of Earth and the Enigma of Twilight Falls trilogy
“ Grave Regrets is yet another first-rate thriller from David Massengill, who has been making a habit of creating skillfully written stories that keep you hooked from the first word right up to the last. With his latest, Massengill has crafted a pulse-pounding tale set in and around Seattle. The novel offers varying perspectives about the horrors of a past left unresolved, and how those horrors can manifest in the present day. Grave Regrets is a true page-turner with a conclusion that will leave you both satisfied and haunted.”
—Jonathan R. Rose, author of Carrion, The Spirit of Laughter, Gato Y Lobo , and Wedlock
Praise for David Massengill’s novel The Skin That Fits
“...a great read, richly humid with atmosphere, tense, packed with paranoia. The characters are interesting and well-rounded, tackling some difficult social constructs. Subtle but distinct Lovecraftian undertones weave throughout.”
—The Horror Fiction Review
“Cults, Cajun gators, and roly-poly fish heads as rendered by Jack Ketchum will be the least of your worries as author David Massengill evokes the kinographic horror to be found in Marisha Pessl’s Night Film or even David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive . Massengill builds on his previous work ( Red Swarm ) and is better than ever as our tour guide through this sickly-sweet southern Gothic.”
—Mike Sauve, author of How to Market Your Grief Blog
A murdered woman’s body is found sprawled across a car seat in Seattle, a tree branch resting on top of her corpse. She clutches a cell phone displaying a website featuring horror fiction stories posted by the public. The story of the day is about Spindly Arms, a killer with a face in the shape of a crescent moon and tree branches for arms.
Forty-four-year-old John Larsen is aghast after hearing about the murder. “Spindly Arms” was a story he wrote over a quarter of a century ago, when he was a high school senior. The tale first appeared in a literary magazine published by the girl—no, the woman—who just met her bloody end.
Back in 1992, John was the boyfriend of Vivian Chiang and best pal of Brandon Laurent until a major betrayal among the friends forced them to stagger off in their separate ways. This was also the year the three classmates had disturbing encounters with the person they called “the armless man,” a bald, stocky fifty-something with bulging eyes and prosthetic arms. The man lived in a ramshackle house on John’s paper route, and he was the inspiration for Spindly Arms.
Now all three classmates painfully regret past actions as some sinister stranger who remembers 1992 stalks them. Spindly Arms is reaching across the years, and he won’t let go of John, Vivian, or Brandon until they’ve paid for past sins, or they’re dead. Praise for Grave Regrets “Massengill’s mixture of relatable, contemporary characters, urban legend, creeping horror, and multiple perspectives is a deft and winning one. Told with crisp prose that carries both the onion-peeling plot and a vivid personality, Grave Regrets is a mystery-horror that confronts, among other things, just how much our past can haunt us. It deserves a place on the nightstand of any Bentley Little or Richard Matheson fan, or anyone addicted to the CreepyPasta corner of the Internet.”
—Mike Robinson, award-winning author of The Prince of Earth and the Enigma of Twilight Falls trilogy
“ Grave Regrets is yet another first-rate thriller from David Massengill, who has been making a habit of creating skillfully written stories that keep you hooked from the first word right up to the last. With his latest, Massengill has crafted a pulse-pounding tale set in and around Seattle. The novel offers varying perspectives about the horrors of a past left unresolved, and how those horrors can manifest in the present day. Grave Regrets is a true page-turner with a conclusion that will leave you both satisfied and haunted.”
—Jonathan R. Rose, author of Carrion, The Spirit of Laughter, Gato Y Lobo , and Wedlock
Praise for David Massengill’s novel The Skin That Fits
“...a great read, richly humid with atmosphere, tense, packed with paranoia. The characters are interesting and well-rounded, tackling some difficult social constructs. Subtle but distinct Lovecraftian undertones weave throughout.”
—The Horror Fiction Review
“Cults, Cajun gators, and roly-poly fish heads as rendered by Jack Ketchum will be the least of your worries as author David Massengill evokes the kinographic horror to be found in Marisha Pessl’s Night Film or even David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive . Massengill builds on his previous work ( Red Swarm ) and is better than ever as our tour guide through this sickly-sweet southern Gothic.”
—Mike Sauve, author of How to Market Your Grief Blog
282 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2022
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
David Massengill
17 books26 followersDavid Massengill's latest work of fiction is the horror novella Virulent (Demain Publishing). He is the author of three novels—Grave Regrets, The Skin That Fits, and Red Swarm—all of which are available from Montag Press. He has also written the short story collections Extermination Days (Demain Publishing) and Fragments of a Journal Salvaged from a Charred House in Germany, 1816 (Hammer and Anvil Books). His short works of literary and horror fiction have appeared in numerous literary journals, including Eclectica Magazine, Pulp Metal Magazine, Word Riot, The Literary Hatchet, and The Raven Chronicles, among others. He lives in the Seattle area. Visit his website at www.davidmassengillfiction.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 21, 2023
My friend David’s strongest novel to date shows how past trauma comes back to haunt. More mystery/thriller than true horror, the novel rotates among the viewpoints of several characters, showing events unfolding through different perspectives and layers, breathlessly moving the reader through about a week of time but with numerous important flashbacks. It’s a page-turner you won’t want to put down as you uncover each unexpected twist.
March 13, 2023
Wow. This book grabs you. A creepy thriller, that takes this...other direction. The key characters find their past coming back to haunt them in a completely unexpected, crazy scary, violent way. Like the best books of its kind, the reader is led along, gets caught up in the narrative, and starts trying to predict what's going to happen next, desperate to be one step ahead. But author Massengill is a master at stringing you along, so that just when you think you have it all figured out, he rips the rug out. Grave Regrets will take you exactly where you don't want to go. Which is exactly what you want most. Massengill goes the extra mile by creating tragically real characters, genuine people you actually care about, a lot, just as their lives are suddenly, crescent-moon-mask-crazily, completely upturned. Lots of easter eggs scattered throughout for denizens of the Pacific NW. Get this book and you'll be too scared to put it down. Seriously. Enjoy, fearfully.
December 1, 2022
David Massengill’s third – and most ambitious to date – is a thrilling ride through 90s Pacific Northwest Nostalgia and a metaverse of horror. It follows a string of attacks linked to a mysterious “Spindly Arms” character, who was created by one of its central characters back in high school. Only now someone is reprising the character and is hell bent on revenge. For what remains a critical mystery for the characters (and police) to figure out. Grave Regrets is a very cinematic read; you can see the suspense playing out in each scene as characters try to escape a deadly grip or listen an impending intruder with a mysterious weapon. Some of the plot points recalled Wes Craven’s Scream as the plot-within-the-plot began to thicken and comment inward on itself. While towing the line between horror and thriller, Grave Regrets also is a comment on more than just decaying bodies. You see the decay of character, decay of a city, decaying qualities of life. As the characters confront their pasts, the present becomes murky and confused. Told through multiple perspectives, the author pulls the reader into this tapestry of confusion and vengeance with ease and skill.
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March 8, 2023I don't do stars but highly recommend for horror fans or anyone that loves a tense, character driven thriller. A real page turner.
December 31, 2023
GRAVE REGRETS is a skillfully constructed thriller offering plenty of suspense and a multitude of characters. The fast pace and fascinating mystery at the core of the novel kept me turning pages. This is an atmospheric read that will capture your attention—and creep you out— I really enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews