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You're Always Welcome... At the Bloodridge Motel

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Midnight check-ins. Disturbing blood stains. A family with a standing reservation for over a century. These are a few things you may deal with when burdened with inheriting a motel.



Every two years, a family of seven check-in to the remote Bloodridge Motel. Situated along a highway known for its haunting history of disappearances and murder, the mountain-top lodging borders a national park dedicated to a labyrinth of mysterious caverns. Regularly hosting road-weary travelers and tourists, the Bloodridge rarely receives repeat business, except for The Family.



When the motel is left to the founder's last living descendant, the truth behind The Family and their unnatural origin is uncovered, one body at a time. The reluctant owner's decision to sell the motel sets in motion the unraveling of a decades-old mystery that begs the question, who are The Family and why don’t they seem to age?



A horrifying story about loss, isolation, and immortality.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2023

44 people are currently reading
968 people want to read

About the author

J. Hunter Richardson

3 books22 followers

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5 stars
111 (23%)
4 stars
191 (40%)
3 stars
135 (28%)
2 stars
29 (6%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
Profile Image for Scott Lyons.
226 reviews1,039 followers
August 19, 2023
I really really really liked this book. I didn’t really know what to expect going in but as I was reading it I could totally see an episode of the twilight zone playing in my head! Or an old time monster movie! It has a feeling of thriller and just enough twists to keep you guessing but also an element or horror and supernatural creepiness, a touch of gore but not over the top and a lot of heart! it really has something for every one.

This book tells the story of a family who in a very isolated location runs a motel. Business comes and goes but one group is a constant. Every two years a family of 7 checks in, keeps to themselves and checks out… like clockwork. The most mysterious part of the family is they never seem to age… even after all these years!!

This book was so much fun! And I really enjoyed the ending! Looking forward to reading more from J. Hunter Richardson in the future!
146 reviews
October 23, 2023
Finding out that the author started this book as a short story and then continued writing it as readers asked for the next part , made me change my rating from a 3 to a 4 .
Profile Image for E.P. Lane.
Author 7 books7 followers
January 10, 2024
When I first started reading, I thought the book had a nice, welcoming tone. But before the first chapter was even finished, I was hit by sadness followed by mystery and I was hooked by the end of chapter two. This is a tense, scary book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Richardson’s style is reminiscent of the feeling of someone telling you a scary story around a campfire, demanding your full engagement. More intrigue is added with each chapter, and I found myself just as invested in the mystery as the narrator. A plus is that the chapters are fairly short, so it’s easy to pick up and read a little to find out more. The narrator himself, however, is just a little *too* passive, so around chapter 7 or 8 I would gloss over a sentence or two.

The other characters in the story are far more interesting, with a favorite of mine being G. Edward Ballard. Even the mysterious Family somehow manages to capture my attention, even though they don’t say much. I personally couldn’t predict where the story was going, so when the mystery finally unfolded I was shocked in the best way. This book could really work as a 90ish minute horror film.

The description of the book claims the story deals with loss, isolation, and immortality. The theme of isolation is present in every chapter in some shape or form, excluding the fact that the motel is in the mountains basically in the middle of nowhere. As mentioned earlier, I was hit by sadness immediately, and as the story goes on that sadness creeps up on you. By the end of the book, I felt that I went on a journey. This book made me *feel* and kept me engrossed the entire time. Truly a great first work.

9/10
Profile Image for Dustan Leyba.
10 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2023
Thriller worth reading.

I happened upon the author on TikTok. I used to only read thrillers, horror and true crime. I stopped for a long time since I needed a break. I started again with Bloodridge. I am so glad I did. I devoured it in a day. It is a story of family devotion and requirements, we all have felt at some point. It reads as a true story that a friend might be sharing. Then comes in the supernatural, thriller tale woven in perfectly. Definitely give it a chance. You will be seriously intrigued.
Profile Image for Caroline Lafrance.
314 reviews4 followers
November 10, 2024
Not bad at all! Suspenseful and a bit spooky. It dragged a tiny bit but I would still recommend.
Profile Image for Candace.
1,541 reviews
October 30, 2023
Spooky October Read #15.

Lingering spoiler questions:

Why did the grandfather enter the agreement in the first place?
What was the origin of the cave creature?
Why do they need the crystals...but also can be killed by them?
Profile Image for Ali G.
688 reviews20 followers
October 17, 2023
I’m not the target audience for this book, I expected something kinda twilight zone esque. However, the intended audience would love this book but it’s hard to get it into their hands without spoiling the reveal.
Also, if I compare it to the movie it reminds me of, that will also spoil the plot. So there’s a bit of a pickle here.
Profile Image for beth.
151 reviews123 followers
April 23, 2023
What a bloody wild ride. Im someone that loves a good spooky motel movie/book I will take that setting in any format I can get it!

That being said, this was brilliant. It was a story that unraveled it’s pieces as the story went on. The main character was super likeable and definitely had their floors but made for a good story. It felt personal and I enjoyed that. Im a supernatural girly always so I loved that element to it. Scary motels and supernatural? Chefs kiss.

Overall I loved the book, it was something I sunk my teeth write into and had a fun time with. Excellent writing and creativity in this one.

Ps, that cover? Stunning!!!
Profile Image for Bookishme_lisamarie.
414 reviews12 followers
June 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this one. I do think it went on longer than it needed to, but I still liked it.

There is a part where a twist is identified, and it felt to me like it was the end of the story, and it would've been great to end it there. I read in the author's notes that the original story ended there, funny enough, and due to fans wanting to know more, he continued writing and adding onto the story. But, to me, it felt like a definite ending, and I was almost surprised to see it continue.

This was creepy, had mild gore, and a couple great twists (one I figured out early on). I enjoyed this author's writing style, and I will definitely read more of his work in the future.

4⭐️
Profile Image for Angie Reiber.
135 reviews2 followers
May 2, 2023
This story is a kitschy, moody, off-kilter delight. At turns suspenseful, thrilling, and downright scary, this book is great for anyone who wonders if anyone actually still stays at those quaint, forgotten roadside motels.
Profile Image for Maria.
5 reviews1 follower
June 26, 2023
What a fun ride of a book. Twist I never saw coming and an ending that came much sooner than my liking.
Profile Image for PlansWithTea Mikayla & Oliver the cat.
41 reviews2 followers
October 16, 2025
This book is so freaking good that when I finished it I was angry it was over. I need an HBO series of this stat! Or a movie! Or a 12 sequels! It’s INCREDIBLE! I don’t want to spoil the plot but if you like spooky horror and lines that when you read them a chill goes up your spine - you will love this. I sent one quote from this to my cousin just to be like “this is what I’m reading, isn’t this crazy?” and she immediately got chills and goosebumps. IT’S. THAT. SPOOKY. AND. EERIE. AND FANTASTIC.
Profile Image for Olivia Mol.
163 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2024
A fascinating and well thought out [redacted] story. I loved the twists and the body horror horror was written wonderfully.

Great read, I am hoping that we get more from this author in the future :)
Profile Image for Amber.
196 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2024
A great indie horror/thriller read. It reminded me of an episode of the twilight zone. It's about our main character who inherits their parents motel where ever since he was a child the same 7 member family visits(every 2 years). They never age and always leave a huge mess when they leave. I'm really surprised this book hasn't got more reads its on kindle unlimited.
Profile Image for Terry.
1,058 reviews34 followers
March 3, 2024
Excellent book. So different to other horror based books.
The family who keeps returning & their connection to the motel owners is just wild!
The story just goes off and in so many ways. Loved it.
Profile Image for Karolina Kat.
426 reviews54 followers
May 18, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.

A wild and atmospheric ride.
Profile Image for luckykarmatx.
286 reviews5 followers
January 9, 2024
This is a fantastic read that will have Twilight Zone fans raving. The pace of the story and the utter creepiness is top notch, and I would recommend it highly to fans of that show.
Profile Image for Terry Pack.
80 reviews4 followers
October 2, 2023
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I saw it reviewed on TikTok and thought hmm, seems interesting. It had me hooked from the first chapter. It is a remarkably fast read that keeps you guessing till the very end and just when I thought, oh I know where this is going BAM, it twisted. So happy to have found this book.
Profile Image for Cristy Pina.
108 reviews1 follower
September 29, 2023
This book was a bloody fun ride. An isolated creepy hotel with strange guests makes for the perfect spooky read. If you love horror thrillers, give this one a go.
Profile Image for Taylor Seiverd.
170 reviews2 followers
September 17, 2025
3⭐️

I listened to this through CreepCast with Papa Meat & Wendigoon.

the fact this started out as a reddit post is insane. although i will say, it went a tad bit overboard at the end. which is why i went with 3 instead of 4⭐️

SPOILER:
also, did she not get bit at the end???
Profile Image for Amy Ballad.
18 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2023

I loved the way this story was told, the writing felt very much like I was listening to a ghost story told over a campfire. The overwhelming feeling of sadness, loneliness and isolation were ever-present themes as the story unfolded.
Very creepy....sufficiently gory but somehow the ending didn't satisfy.
I think that's just me though....As I was reading this I felt like the protagonist was going to end up getting "turned" by the end of the book himself, and was kind of anticipating this (don't know why, just felt like it would be a natural way for this to end, given the familial link that he had with these creatures).
It was a happy ending....or as happy as it could be for the incidents he endured.
Definitely looking forward to more stories from this author.
Profile Image for Ninon Bozon.
67 reviews
September 19, 2023
It's a really nic thriller with a bit of paranormal. I really really enjoyed the built up of the mystery. It was super nice and intriguing. I just feel the ending with a lot of the dead in front of the mc eyes and he would not act or tell anyone causing more death. That is the thing keeping pe from putting 5⭐
Profile Image for Valerie Mason.
88 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2023
3.75
A good Horror book and a read that grabbed me right away. I do think it lingered on some parts of the story too much and didn't linger enough on other parts that I wanted to know more about. It is a entertaining story though
59 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2023
A very good read. Every time I pass a tourist cavern exhibit I think of this book.
42 reviews
September 17, 2023
I’m not sure what I was expecting from the description and it’s not something I would typically choose but I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews

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