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Nick Jacksons family is teetering on the edge of emotional and financial ruin. With the threat of uprooting his entire family for greener pastures Nick needs a win, but he’ll settle for a vacation. Even if it means driving through a horrific blizzard to an all expenses paid cabin in the Colorado mountains. Out of cell phone range and out of options, Nick and his family creep along through the storm until one wrong turn sends their ancient Dodge Caravan off the edge of the road and down a mountain slope better suited for skiing. Battered and bruised, but still alive, Nick leads his family to shelter in an abandoned cabin only to find a pregnant woman being held prisoner in a nearby outbuilding. Soon after he releases the woman he realizes his mistake and that no good deed goes unpunished… A Dark Breed is the terrifying first book in the Monsters & Mayhem Collection . If you like reading about families, friends and lovers forced to survive supernaturally horrific events then you’ll love Patrick McNulty’s frightening tales.

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2023

523 people are currently reading
940 people want to read

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Patrick McNulty

16 books45 followers

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5 stars
313 (39%)
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248 (31%)
3 stars
144 (18%)
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59 (7%)
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25 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,890 reviews111 followers
April 12, 2023
This book is pretty awesome! It’s such an intense start and I was getting so much anxiety!!!

We have an old alcoholic researcher, Harry, who makes some mistakes with his decisions leading to a bloody mess.
The fear and scares don’t let up as a family travels through the mountains and the falling snow and night cover the land. An accident leads them to Harry’s cabin and an ancient evil that hides in the nearby mountain.

I really enjoyed this book, but found the characters of Nick and Harry insufferable. They continued to delay getting help and put themselves (and in Nick’s case his family’s lives too) in danger. My annoyance with them did take away from my reading experience.

The ending I really didn’t see coming and boy was it brutal! Thank you so much to the author for a copy to read & review!
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,890 reviews111 followers
July 10, 2023
This book is pretty awesome! It’s such an intense start and I was getting so much anxiety!!!

We have an old alcoholic researcher, Harry, who makes some mistakes with his decisions leading to a bloody mess.
The fear and scares don’t let up as a family travels through the mountains and the falling snow and night cover the land. An accident leads them to Harry’s cabin and an ancient evil that hides in the nearby mountain.

I really enjoyed this book, but found the characters of Nick and Harry insufferable. They continued to delay getting help and put themselves (and in Nick’s case his family’s lives too) in danger. My annoyance with them did take away from my reading experience.

The ending I really didn’t see coming and boy was it brutal! Thank you so much to the author for a copy to read & review!
Profile Image for Terry and dog.
1,009 reviews36 followers
May 18, 2023
Now this is a creature feature. A good one. After a quick peek into prior events, the author took time in the beginning to get us invested in the Jackson family. I was rooting for them. Once you are there, you feel involved and feel what they are going through and mistakes they make, and silently encourage them to be tough and kick ass. The setting can't be beat and snowstorms are one of the very best plot devices. So creepy and vile are the monsters that you can almost smell them. I can't think of anything I would change, the story was exactly as it should be. Loved it.
Profile Image for John Watson.
Author 16 books120 followers
May 1, 2023
A Dark Breed is labeled as Book 1 in the Monsters & Mayhem collection, and it seems to be well named, as there is plenty of both.

The book opens with a aging professor overseeing some unexplained experiment in a tunnel under attack by monster assailants. It's a tense opening that sets up well for what is to come.

When the Jacksons stumble upon the secluded cabin by the tunnel after a horrific car crash, they believe themselves to be safe, but that turns out be a pretty poor assumption.

The final third of A Dark Breed is a full-on assault of horror that comes to a stunning conclusion.

This book would have been a 5-star, but there were some issues with switching between tenses that were, at times, jarring and took me out of the story. That aside, this is still a book that I would definitely recommend.
Profile Image for L.M. Kaplin.
Author 11 books174 followers
September 19, 2023
When a family crashes into a snowbank in the middle of the woods, freezing to death is the least of their concerns.

A Dark Breed by Patrick McNulty is one of the creepiest books I’ve read in a while. Patrick did a great job of setting the atmosphere and making you feel every moment of the ordeal this family is going through and that’s before you even get to the monsters.

This is the first in his Monsters & Mayhem series but I’ve heard they are unrelated and can be read in any order. His newest book God of the Dead just came out a few days ago and I’m looking forward to checking it out.
Profile Image for Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books.
999 reviews50 followers
December 4, 2023
What a fast paced, well written horror novel. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, except for when I had to set it down for a minute to breathe. This is a whole heck of a rollercoaster ride, and as the first in the Monsters and Mayhem collection, I can’t wait to read the next one! Monsters ✔️ Mayhem ✔️ horror ✔️ gore ✔️ if you are a horror lover, you need to check this out!

The Jackson family is on their way to vacation with extended family, in a blizzard, in their old, barely functioning van. When disaster strikes, they come across an abandoned house with some weird items. A baby monitor (the old inhabitant was a single old white dude), UV lights, a ton of guns. And a bunker that has a cage in it. And the cage isn’t empty.
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,814 reviews151 followers
April 17, 2023
This is the kind of book that makes a reviewer’s life pure heaven! McNulty has crafted a superb horror novel, full of atmosphere and dread, with characters to root for, and an ending that really, really hurts. Even with that devastating ending, however, I wouldn't change a thing: I was enraptured with the setting, the characters, the plot, and although there are very few answers given, I couldn’t help myself getting more and more invested in everything happening to them. The descriptions were so vivid, the interactions between parents and children so realistic and down-to-earth! Such an exciting read throughout. Plotwise, the book is a straightforward creature feature: the premise has a family lost in a snowstorm up on the mountains, finding a cabin to shelter in, not realizing that it’s the place used by a cryptozoologist to study some totally unknown but very nasty (and hungry) creatures. They free a woman imprisoned in a cage, thinking they are doing good; all hell breaks loose right after. Monsters and mayhem, indeed!; I wonder what’s next for this series! Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Leigh Kenny.
Author 22 books222 followers
April 8, 2023
The Jackson family have a car accident high in the snowy mountains. Desperate for shelter, they find a cabin to hunker down in. Dad finds a woman locked in a mysterious outbuilding and the Jackson's soon realise their night is about to get a whole lot worse!


THIS WAS AWESOME!! If you have nails, you're gonna bite them! If you have a seat, you're gonna be on the edge of it! If you have a cabin in the mountains, may as well sell up now because you're never going back there! Patrick Mcnulty has delivered a fast, brutal story of one family's fight for survival in A Dark Breed. It's dark, it's gory and it's bleak but oh boy is it good! 😁 Huge potential for an action packed series. Huge thanks to Patrick for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of A Dark Breed.
180 reviews
July 25, 2023
A good fast paced crazy read. It got a little weird and gruesome at the end which left you hanging which is why I gave it a 4* rating.
Profile Image for Calvin.
253 reviews6 followers
May 24, 2023
No Hollywood Ending Here

This was a really good, but terrible book. Really good for the horror, mystery, suspense, and terror. Terrible for hoping anyone survives. But I mean this in a good way. It really was a great read. There were some editing errors, an over use of the word toque instead of hat, and the author doesn't know the difference between a clip and a magazine for a weapon. Yeah it seems minor, but to me it's like written nails on a chalkboard. I was surprised when the author started killing family members off, but then it turned into an absolute bloodbath. Everyone dies. Like actually everyone. It's depressing but dang it's good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sharron Joy Reads.
745 reviews36 followers
May 4, 2023
The Jackson’s, Nick, Julie and their kids Tara and Ozzy are on their way to a holiday high in the Colorado mountains. Life recently has been tough but maybe a holiday will help but the road is treacherous and the storm howls. After an accident forces them to take shelter in an abandoned cabin they find a pregnant woman locked up in a nearby bunker. Maybe releasing her was not the best idea.

This is a family’s fight to survive a nightmare night, it is fast paced, gruesome, savage and action packed. The instinct to protect our children, regardless of our origins, is the strongest compulsion. Here it is played out at full speed brutality. I could not put this down I had to know what happened. Loved it especially the ending!
Profile Image for Erika Poynter.
19 reviews3 followers
April 11, 2023
This book was such an insane and incredible ride! Read as an ARC and finished in one sitting, I could not put it down.

It plays out like the best horror/thriller movie. The descriptions were perfection and you felt like you were in the thick of it with the characters.

My heart was pounding from start to finish and it never let up.

And that ending!!!!

This book has made me an instant super fan and I can’t wait for more! Top book of 2023 and top 5 ever. A book I cannot stop raving about.
1,226 reviews60 followers
June 12, 2025
Monster

Nick takes his family on vacation trying to make things better. After a crash they stumble on a cabin where they hope they are safe. They are in danger especially after helping a trapped woman.
Profile Image for Steve Rufle.
196 reviews8 followers
October 12, 2023
Just unbelievable. Has to be one of the best horror books I have read. Very difficult to put down.

A family lost in the woods in a snow storm will never turn out right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bellerophon.
53 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2023
Took too long

Decent idea. Not what I was hoping for. Lots of family drama, little action until the end. The ending was decent but took way too long to get there. Should have broken the storyline to reveal more of the creatures, possibly hunting. Anything to break away from the family soap opera. Not enough creature feature for me. Good writing though. Will give the author that credit. Again, simply not what I was looking for. Sorry.
Profile Image for Eddie Morales.
Author 5 books19 followers
July 24, 2023
An excellent monster story that will leave you roaring for more.
A Dark Breed is a horror monster book full of suspense and pandemonium. The story is about a family stranded in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm after their vehicle crashes down a mountain. They seek a warm shelter and end up in a cabin, which eventually turns out to be a less safe place. The author does a terrific job of slowly building up the tension leading to the family fighting for survival as they battle the gruesome monsters. The last few chapters will get your adrenaline rushing until the climactic ending. I was left speechless.
Profile Image for Madison.
366 reviews4 followers
October 11, 2023
I hated how this started where you're dropped in another POV in the middle of the action. None of the first three chapters were ever explained. The book continues on, and is alright, not great writing. HOWEVER, the ENDING had my eyes all the way open. I loved it, and the ending makes up for all the flaws.
Profile Image for Leon Scheppink.
105 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2024
I'm going to keep this short: this book was brutal. The author takes his time for the reader to get to know the Jackson family and we feel for them, with all their struggles. The book is filled with tension and dread, working up to a wonderfully written intense climax. Wonderful read.
Profile Image for Warrior Princess.
40 reviews
July 15, 2023
Fantastic

I have never given a horror book 5 stars. This had my attention from the first page to the last. There was no fluff or filler words and it was actually scary, with a great story line. Do not expect a happy, we did it ending. You have no idea the ending and I won’t spoil it. I will say I wish more had been explained, (where did they come from? What are they?) But even so I give it 5 stars. Ive never read this author before, but I will be downloading his next book after I finish my review. I highly recommend this book to fellow horror lovers.
Profile Image for Bri Bri.
56 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2023
This book was absolutely amazing. What a Rollercoaster of fun. I did enjoy the background of the family a bit as well. It was homey, yet chilling. Like a warm fire while sitting outside in an ice storm. Super good. Read this book! Can't wait to dive into the others.
181 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2023
Great read

IF SOMETHING IN A CAGE HUMAN OR NOT LEAVE IT ALONE. I LIKED THIS FAMILY. I ADVISE YOU NOT TOO. THE! ENDING WILL SHATTER YOU MORE. PRETTY FAST PACED . I HATED THE LONG TRIP TO THE CABIN. ITS NOT EXTREME HORROR.THERES NOT MUCH GLORE THANK GOD I SAY. THESTORY DID CREEP ME OUT. SO SAD..READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Profile Image for Holly Horror.
154 reviews41 followers
July 23, 2024
A family vacation gone wrong

Nick, along with his wife, Julie, and kids Ozzy and Tara are on their way to spend Christmas with Julie's family. Traveling during a winter storm, the family gets into a wreck. Injured and cold, they search for shelter, a place to get out of the elements, and call for help. What they find is the opposite of a safe haven. Instead, they let loose something you could only imagine in your nightmares.
A Dark Breed was a terrifying, action-packed, spine-tingling, edge of your seat, nonstop horror. Patricks detailed story of mimic monstrosities creates a detailed, cinematic story in your mind that you can easily visualize playing out like a movie. Although in the end, I was left quite a few unanswered questions, it was a great start in the Monsters & Mayhem Collection.
Profile Image for G.
101 reviews
July 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely one of the scariest books I've read in a while. The ending was totally not what I thought it would be. The detail in the story is so amazing, you will be right there experiencing it and that is why it is so terrifying. Loved it.
Profile Image for Shelby Conner.
26 reviews3 followers
July 12, 2023
Fast paced, kept you on the edge of your seat. Perfectly written and the ending left me speechless!
Profile Image for Z. Martin.
Author 19 books59 followers
July 4, 2023
wow!

What more can you say about this amazing book than just WOW! Everything about this book was amazing can’t wait to read more from this author.
Profile Image for maureen.
615 reviews5 followers
July 2, 2023
fun ride

This book was great. The writing, the characters all are woven together so perfectly. Read in one sitting loving every minute.
Profile Image for Christie Loving.
19 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2023
wow crazy book, fast read

I really enjoyed this book. I was getting a little tired of the driving scene, but I should have been patient because the rest of the book was fast paced, well written no errors that I saw and last but not least really scary. Sad and scary.
Profile Image for Jordan.
Author 2 books33 followers
April 26, 2023
A Dark Breed follows the Jacksons, a family on the brink of splitting on their way to visit extended family. Their lives are falling apart, but this trip is the last ditch effort to make things right. Unfortunately, they make a wrong turn and things quickly go awry. In order to get out of the freezing storm, they hole up in a cabin they found, but all is not as it seems. Something is lurking, waiting to be released.....and it's hungry.

This story is really sad. I was really pulling for all four of them to make it, but they never really had a chance. From the moment Nick found the woman, their fate was sealed. I am extremely curious about what she, and the others, are. It's not really mentioned and I'm not familiar enough with my cryptids to know offhand. I'd guess some type of wendigo maybe?

McNulty really knows how to introduce some atmosphere. I didn't even notice the anxiety I was getting from this until I was being hit between the eyes with it. I started subconsciously reading quicker as I got more and more tense from what was happening. For a story that takes place in only a few major scenes, nothing felt underutilized. However, this was an extremely slow build. It took ages for the plot to actually advance, but once it happened, events seemed to move at light speed.

Now, one last thing to mention, these characters were incredibly stupid. They very easily could have saved themselves if they would've made better choices and didn't throw every bit of common sense that they had out the window. If there was a bad decision that could be made, by God they were going to make them.

All in all, A Dark Breed is a very atmospheric, tense book. It just took a little too long to get there for me, and the characters were just so frustrating to read.
Profile Image for Evelyn Arfeuille.
33 reviews
April 11, 2023
❤️❤️❤️ This book... OMG... What a book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If I could give this book a million stars, I would.
I was given a beta-version of this book. So I got to read it before it came out.
Not only did I finish this at a record speed, but this book has been on my mind every day since finishing it. I loved this book so much, that I also purchased the digital version that came out. (I want to just read it again and again and see if I can spot any differences)
If you like horror, you will love it.
If you want to try horror for the first time, this is the perfect start!
If you hate horror, try it anyway, because if this book can't change your mind, no book will!

It's about Nick and Julie, a couple with 2 children. Like all couples, they have their problems but they are trying to make it work. They get into a really bad car accident in the middle of the snowy woods. Not only will they have to survive the bitter cold, but other things are lurking in those woods as well.

This book managed to surprise me several times! The characters are not complete idiots (like in many horror movies). They make the same decisions I would.
The setting was awesome. Creepy woods, snow, a cabin. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The tempo of the story, the writing, the twists, the ending, ...
I can only speak for myself, but this was the best book I have read in a very, very long time!

Let's please all buy this book, so this author can write many more. 😊
And maybe Netflix can make a movie about this one? That would actually be an excellent horror movie!
Profile Image for Horror Reads.
912 reviews323 followers
June 13, 2025
A banger of a novel that explores family, trust, and the hopelessness of financial hardships. And it does all of this while dropping us dead center into an abandoned cabin in the woods during a snowstorm while terrifying creatures are on the hunt for human flesh. Yeah, it's that kinda book!

And it works wonderfully. The family in question are slowly falling apart due to financial struggles. Taking an opportunity to spend the holidays in a chalet, they hope this can be the start of something better and new.

Until things go horribly awry. And then things are going to get blood curdling terrifying. There's no doubt about the intentions of these creatures they encounter. They're here to kill, feast, and destroy. And this family must make some bad, but necessary, decisions if they want to survive.

I truly enjoyed this book. It's engaging, creepy, and builds the dread as it goes. You'll be screaming at the characters "Don't go in there" even though they do. I highly recommend this novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews

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