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Demon Within
Samantha Croft moves from her small hometown to New York in order to forget the past, but the old apartment building she selects harbors a vicious, psychopathic killer
- GenresHorror
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Dana Reed
72 books20 followersDana Reed, author of eleven published novels—eight horror, two romantic thrillers, and a mystery-suspense—worked as a reporter for several years, and taught Creative Writing and Journalism in Adult Ed classes. Born in Peekskill, New York, she now resides in Vermont with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2023
Not quite as monumentally ludicrous and adorably idiotic as The Gatekeeper, but pretty goddamn close. See, the thing about Dana Reed is, she’s this fascinating exception to Bullet Tooth Tony’s maxim that one should “never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.” Because I get the distinct impression that, were she to take—and inevitably fail—even the most basic course in logic, she’d fail it in a way that the world has never seen before. Truly an awe-inspiringly innovative brand of stupid on display here. Can’t wait to read more of her hilariously screwy shit.
April 12, 2020
I found this book in the bargain 99 cent bin. I liked the synopsis on the back. The cover drew me in as well. Later on I read the negative, one star reviews online and thought, "Oh well, it was only a buck." So I sat down and started reading. I'm sure the author thought that they where writing a horror story to scare the reader. But I just found it a laugh a minute. Sure it was a tad gruesome. There was murder involved and dismemberment. I'm no ghoul, but damn, this was funny in a not supposed to be funny way.
The story revolves around an apartment in New York. It seems that a number of horrid murders and mutilations of young, attractive women have taken place there. The main character fits that description. She is torn between the affections of two men. A rich successful business man she is trying to sell insurance to. And a detective that is trying to solve the murders. It just so happens that these two know each other. In fact, they go way back. Samantha, our lead, tries to pick one and stay alive while doing it. By doing it, I mean choosing one of the men, because I failed to mention that she is also a virgin.
With all that said, on to the fun parts. Most of what happens here is absurd. Like there has been almost a dozen murders in the same building. In the same corridor. About at the same time of night. So what do the police do? The send in an undercover lady officer, once. Only once. Then had to come up with a plan B. Which was just show up when someone called to report another slaying. Then there was the ridiculous neighbor. She was some kind of witch or something. She brought back her dead 20 year old nephew that took the shape of a cloud of smoke with his face in the middle, with some household seasonings like basil and such??!!!. She could not touch him, or kiss him, her hand would go right through. But he could amuse himself by watching TV and pick up the remote to turn the channels. There is also a deaf mute caretaker in the building that grunts a lot. A professor of economics that is also a demonologist. And oh yeah, did I mention the main characters roommate that is around the same age, that her mother died while giving birth to her, so her father took it upon himself to groom her to be his new wife when she comes of age!!!!
Last but not least, the funny dialog. All books have it. This was filled with some side splitters. Like a character invokes the Devil. THE DEVIL.Makes a pentagram with a ballpoint pin. With borrowed incense from a hippie down the hall. Old, used boxes to make an alter. No sooner does he speak the words, here comes old Lucifer himself. The first thing out of his mouth was, "You called." Like he doesn't have untold millions to damn and torture. Then, our professor / economist has a tussle with the demon. He is beat up pretty bad. He starts to turn into a demon himself, but he tries to fight it. In a ride to New York, "He has to fight an urge to rip off his clothes and jiggle his dohickey out the window, in the faces of the old bitches next to him." There is also a part where a lady is getting stabbed by the demon. He then starts to rape her. The lady seems to be getting into it at this point, until the demon brings the knife down in the killing blow. What a turn off. It goes on and on like this through 368 pages. Do yourself a favor and track this one down.
The story revolves around an apartment in New York. It seems that a number of horrid murders and mutilations of young, attractive women have taken place there. The main character fits that description. She is torn between the affections of two men. A rich successful business man she is trying to sell insurance to. And a detective that is trying to solve the murders. It just so happens that these two know each other. In fact, they go way back. Samantha, our lead, tries to pick one and stay alive while doing it. By doing it, I mean choosing one of the men, because I failed to mention that she is also a virgin.
With all that said, on to the fun parts. Most of what happens here is absurd. Like there has been almost a dozen murders in the same building. In the same corridor. About at the same time of night. So what do the police do? The send in an undercover lady officer, once. Only once. Then had to come up with a plan B. Which was just show up when someone called to report another slaying. Then there was the ridiculous neighbor. She was some kind of witch or something. She brought back her dead 20 year old nephew that took the shape of a cloud of smoke with his face in the middle, with some household seasonings like basil and such??!!!. She could not touch him, or kiss him, her hand would go right through. But he could amuse himself by watching TV and pick up the remote to turn the channels. There is also a deaf mute caretaker in the building that grunts a lot. A professor of economics that is also a demonologist. And oh yeah, did I mention the main characters roommate that is around the same age, that her mother died while giving birth to her, so her father took it upon himself to groom her to be his new wife when she comes of age!!!!
Last but not least, the funny dialog. All books have it. This was filled with some side splitters. Like a character invokes the Devil. THE DEVIL.Makes a pentagram with a ballpoint pin. With borrowed incense from a hippie down the hall. Old, used boxes to make an alter. No sooner does he speak the words, here comes old Lucifer himself. The first thing out of his mouth was, "You called." Like he doesn't have untold millions to damn and torture. Then, our professor / economist has a tussle with the demon. He is beat up pretty bad. He starts to turn into a demon himself, but he tries to fight it. In a ride to New York, "He has to fight an urge to rip off his clothes and jiggle his dohickey out the window, in the faces of the old bitches next to him." There is also a part where a lady is getting stabbed by the demon. He then starts to rape her. The lady seems to be getting into it at this point, until the demon brings the knife down in the killing blow. What a turn off. It goes on and on like this through 368 pages. Do yourself a favor and track this one down.
November 30, 2011
Young women are dying in very gruesome deaths in an apartment complex, and one of the tenants feels that she is somehow involved that because of her past she has made this monster come to hurt the women of her building. I really can't say too much more about this book without giving away too much of the plot.
This book was horrible. It was so bad that I had to find out what happened to the characters. The heroine annoyed me to no end, but I had to find out what was going to happen to her. It didn't help that 100 pages into the book I already knew who the killer was and why it was happening.
I had to read it for myself just to see if I was right. I will give Ms. Reed points for trying to make something new and interesting, but she failed to get me to care about the characters, and despite having a plot that could have been superb, it was weakly executed. She could have really had a winner with this one.
This book was horrible. It was so bad that I had to find out what happened to the characters. The heroine annoyed me to no end, but I had to find out what was going to happen to her. It didn't help that 100 pages into the book I already knew who the killer was and why it was happening.
I had to read it for myself just to see if I was right. I will give Ms. Reed points for trying to make something new and interesting, but she failed to get me to care about the characters, and despite having a plot that could have been superb, it was weakly executed. She could have really had a winner with this one.
May 7, 2016
I hate Samantha and her stupid dreams about some millionaire or some shit. I hate how the author pushes the fact that she's hot and everybody wants her. I hate the plot twist. This is not even a review but whatever.
February 22, 2019
One of the goofiest books I’ve ever read. I know that the horror genre often calls for characters that act in ways real people wouldn’t, but this book has to have set some kind of record. Logic isn’t just flawed, it’s outright disfigured. I honestly can’t explain why I stuck with it. Maybe the nonsense is contagious?
June 21, 2020
3.6 stars
March 4, 2025
Goofy horror trash
Satan, sex, dumb decisions
protagonist sucks
Satan, sex, dumb decisions
protagonist sucks
September 20, 2013
Book was good, up until the ending where it just felt rushed :(
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews