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The Boddicker Letters
Titus Boddicker is in love. So in love, in fact, that he sends his beloved Luisa a letter nearly every day. Unfortunately for Titus, these letters paint a picture of a descent into the darkest regions of reality. Will he be saved? Can he? Can anyone?
- GenresHorror
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2023
3 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 27, 2023
I think epistolary novels tend to get overlooked but sometimes it’s the perfect way to tell a story. What better way to showcase a character spiralling out of reality than through his letters to a loved one?
Titus gets called to a small town on the Maine coast to look into a suspicious missing person case. Even before he gets there things start going wrong. It is portent or coincidence? Who knows.
The letters start out innocuous enough as Titus describes his adventure and discoveries to his beloved back home. Eventually he starts to describe .. well… once someone accidentally prays to Cthulhu, it’s assumed that things are going to go downhill pretty quickly. Before long he starts to write some pretty odd things.
I think Cross does a great job showing a man slowly spiralling away from reality. The tense atmosphere is perfect and sucks the reader right into Titus’ head as he is trapped at his desk. It was hard to stop reading as things got weirder and more dangerous. The length is perfect as it tells the story without dragging it out.
Definitely recommend this one for anyone who likes Lovecraftian myths, cosmic horror, and solidly good writing in general.
This review and so many more bookish things can be found at my blog, https://onereadingnurse.com/2023/12/2...
Titus gets called to a small town on the Maine coast to look into a suspicious missing person case. Even before he gets there things start going wrong. It is portent or coincidence? Who knows.
The letters start out innocuous enough as Titus describes his adventure and discoveries to his beloved back home. Eventually he starts to describe .. well… once someone accidentally prays to Cthulhu, it’s assumed that things are going to go downhill pretty quickly. Before long he starts to write some pretty odd things.
I think Cross does a great job showing a man slowly spiralling away from reality. The tense atmosphere is perfect and sucks the reader right into Titus’ head as he is trapped at his desk. It was hard to stop reading as things got weirder and more dangerous. The length is perfect as it tells the story without dragging it out.
Definitely recommend this one for anyone who likes Lovecraftian myths, cosmic horror, and solidly good writing in general.
This review and so many more bookish things can be found at my blog, https://onereadingnurse.com/2023/12/2...
December 15, 2023
Review originally on
JamReads
The Boddicker Letters is a standalone epistolary horror novel, inspired by Lovecraftian myths, written by A.C. Cross. With a particular narrative style that remembers in some sections to Dracula, we revive the travel of Titus Boddicker to investigating a mysterious vanishing in the city of Innsmouth through the letters he sent to his dear Luisa.
From the start, we can smell something wrong is happening in Innsmouth; Titus is just the spectator of things that are certainly strange, and the charming person that is trying to hire him to check some contracts is too much. Titus' mind is constantly moving between staying in Innsmouth and returning close to her dear, but Innsmouth has a magnetism you can't explain. Titus is slowly subsumed in that dark element that comes from a higher power, and through his letters, we will become spectators of his demise.
Cross skillfully weaves the immensity of Lovecraftian myths with the insignificance of the characters, a common trait shared across these stories; from the start, we can see small hints of what is planned for Titus, and how his mind has that kind of configuration that seems to be favoured by those creatures that plague this mythology. When the big revelations are done, we are not exactly surprised.
Despite being a relatively short novel, Cross' worldbuilding was quite extensive, developing over what became a classic setting in the literature; with a single POV, the image we get from Innsmouth is just pure decadence and terror. A place that is dying and that only a dark power can bring back.
The Boddicker Letters will fill that horror crave that you had; a perfect example of a modern epistolary novel. A.C. Cross has proven himself as a competent horror writer; and hopefully, we see him exploring more on this genre.
The Boddicker Letters is a standalone epistolary horror novel, inspired by Lovecraftian myths, written by A.C. Cross. With a particular narrative style that remembers in some sections to Dracula, we revive the travel of Titus Boddicker to investigating a mysterious vanishing in the city of Innsmouth through the letters he sent to his dear Luisa.
From the start, we can smell something wrong is happening in Innsmouth; Titus is just the spectator of things that are certainly strange, and the charming person that is trying to hire him to check some contracts is too much. Titus' mind is constantly moving between staying in Innsmouth and returning close to her dear, but Innsmouth has a magnetism you can't explain. Titus is slowly subsumed in that dark element that comes from a higher power, and through his letters, we will become spectators of his demise.
Cross skillfully weaves the immensity of Lovecraftian myths with the insignificance of the characters, a common trait shared across these stories; from the start, we can see small hints of what is planned for Titus, and how his mind has that kind of configuration that seems to be favoured by those creatures that plague this mythology. When the big revelations are done, we are not exactly surprised.
Despite being a relatively short novel, Cross' worldbuilding was quite extensive, developing over what became a classic setting in the literature; with a single POV, the image we get from Innsmouth is just pure decadence and terror. A place that is dying and that only a dark power can bring back.
The Boddicker Letters will fill that horror crave that you had; a perfect example of a modern epistolary novel. A.C. Cross has proven himself as a competent horror writer; and hopefully, we see him exploring more on this genre.
March 6, 2024
The Boddicker Letters reads like a loveletter to Lovecraft's Necronomicon. Cross has captured the insanity and cosmic terror that make Lovecraftian stories so chilling down to a tee. The Boddicker Letters' depiction of a man's spiral into madness is as captivating as it is deeply unpleasant. Fans of Lovecraftian literature really shouldn't miss this.
January 26, 2026
A stunning piece of fantasy horror.
I don't typically read horror novels, nor like them. This one took me by complete surprise. The epistolary style is rarely done and, I heard recently, vastly underrated. After reading The Boddicker Letters, I certainly agree.
Through Titus's letters to his fiancee, we watch him navigate the evil machinations of demonic forces and descend into madness. It was addictive. The man's language is intentionally made out to be sickly sweet and flowery to the point of endearing—I couldn't help but come to like him, though it took a couple chapters to succumb to the writing style intentionally pitched in verbiage common in the 1900s. I was enthralled by the third or fourth chapter.
By the end of the book, there are two additional letters we become privy to: one from his fiancee and one from the "editor" (who interjects small contributions here and there that are masterfully placed). From these, we discover the final state of affairs are even worse than suspected.
I don't read horror, and I thought this was excellent. Very cleverly done and brilliantly executed. The epistolary style was unique, refreshing, appropriate, and perfect for witnessing the daily change suffered by the man. Think of Piranesi with the magic house replaced by the evil cult of a demon god.
At 170 pages, it's a quick read. Don't skip the first chapter, like I did, which is a faux prologue in disguise—you'll probably end up regretting it (as I did) and going back to read it at the end anyway.
Very well executed. I can't think of a single improvement.
Five raving stars.
I don't typically read horror novels, nor like them. This one took me by complete surprise. The epistolary style is rarely done and, I heard recently, vastly underrated. After reading The Boddicker Letters, I certainly agree.
Through Titus's letters to his fiancee, we watch him navigate the evil machinations of demonic forces and descend into madness. It was addictive. The man's language is intentionally made out to be sickly sweet and flowery to the point of endearing—I couldn't help but come to like him, though it took a couple chapters to succumb to the writing style intentionally pitched in verbiage common in the 1900s. I was enthralled by the third or fourth chapter.
By the end of the book, there are two additional letters we become privy to: one from his fiancee and one from the "editor" (who interjects small contributions here and there that are masterfully placed). From these, we discover the final state of affairs are even worse than suspected.
I don't read horror, and I thought this was excellent. Very cleverly done and brilliantly executed. The epistolary style was unique, refreshing, appropriate, and perfect for witnessing the daily change suffered by the man. Think of Piranesi with the magic house replaced by the evil cult of a demon god.
At 170 pages, it's a quick read. Don't skip the first chapter, like I did, which is a faux prologue in disguise—you'll probably end up regretting it (as I did) and going back to read it at the end anyway.
Very well executed. I can't think of a single improvement.
Five raving stars.
February 12, 2024
Marries the very best of Lovecraft with a modern sensibility, capturing a period feel while elevating the body horror you'd expect from the genre.
The epistolary format really worked for me. Cross's style in this one perfectly situates you in the period, feeling textured and believable. The prose is smooth and the story somehow both ponderous (in the way Lovecraftian fiction/cosmic horror always is) and easy to follow. Fans of cosmic horror will appreciate the new additions and recombinations Cross makes to the Mythos, while for newcomers to the subgenre, Cross offers a peek at the weirdness and claustrophobia at the heart of this kind of story.
As with both many epistolaries and cosmic horror in general, The Boddicker Letters is a slow burn that rewards the readers patience with its sense of creeping dread and an explosive finale. Cross takes the aquatic horror of Lovecraft in some daring new directions, and there's one scene I can only describe as that's particularly effective.
Anyone looking for a short but richly-textured horror read should absolutely pick this one up!
The epistolary format really worked for me. Cross's style in this one perfectly situates you in the period, feeling textured and believable. The prose is smooth and the story somehow both ponderous (in the way Lovecraftian fiction/cosmic horror always is) and easy to follow. Fans of cosmic horror will appreciate the new additions and recombinations Cross makes to the Mythos, while for newcomers to the subgenre, Cross offers a peek at the weirdness and claustrophobia at the heart of this kind of story.
As with both many epistolaries and cosmic horror in general, The Boddicker Letters is a slow burn that rewards the readers patience with its sense of creeping dread and an explosive finale. Cross takes the aquatic horror of Lovecraft in some daring new directions, and there's one scene I can only describe as that's particularly effective.
Anyone looking for a short but richly-textured horror read should absolutely pick this one up!
March 3, 2026
I saw 'The Boddicker Letters' on the FB page for the Self-Published Fantasy Blogg Off run by Mark Lawrence.
I'm a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's works, and the Shadow Over Innsmouth is one of his better stories. And the review by The Fantasy Hive said it was a reimagining of TSOI. I was looking for a book, I like eldritch horror, so gave it a shot.
I'm glad I did.
It is indeed a reimagining of TSOI, and it's well done.
It's told exclusively through written letters which works well in the horror genre.
It's also short, well-written, moves along, hits a lot of Lovecraftian horror beats, and has some surprises along the way.
If you're a fan of Lovecraft's work, fish-men, madness, and dark tongue-in-cheek humor, give this one a shot.
I'm a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's works, and the Shadow Over Innsmouth is one of his better stories. And the review by The Fantasy Hive said it was a reimagining of TSOI. I was looking for a book, I like eldritch horror, so gave it a shot.
I'm glad I did.
It is indeed a reimagining of TSOI, and it's well done.
It's told exclusively through written letters which works well in the horror genre.
It's also short, well-written, moves along, hits a lot of Lovecraftian horror beats, and has some surprises along the way.
If you're a fan of Lovecraft's work, fish-men, madness, and dark tongue-in-cheek humor, give this one a shot.
May 16, 2025
I am so glad this book came in my Paper Quest this month! I was unsure as to whether or not I would enjoy the letter format, but I really did like how this was written. You can sense the growing desperation of Boddicker with each letter he pens to Luisa. I found Boddicker fairly unlikeable at first, but grew to care for his well-being by the end of the book. I also found the ending super satisfying, and to learn that A.C. Cross is also a scotch and beer aficionado? The icing on the cake.
May 14, 2025
Told through a series of letters from Titus Boddicker to his "true love", we follow a lovecraftian tale of cults and creatures. Set in the misty town of Innsmouth, this great setting provides the perfect backdrop to follow through the mind of Mr Boddicker and capture his unreliable narrative on the events which unfold.
February 23, 2026
An Lovecraftian epistolary that gives you a front row seat as you watch Titus Boddicker convey his love to his darling Luisa every single day. The descent into madness starts slow, but rest assured, there are plenty of twists to the tale that will keep you coming back for more!
May 29, 2024
3.75 rounded up
June 1, 2025
The story line wasn’t my taste. I gave this 4 stars to credit the excellent writing. The Ending was a twist I didn’t expect and I’m a difficult reader to surprise!
August 29, 2025
2 stars. I read it just couldn't get myself to like this. I understood what was happening i thought it was unique i just could get myself to like this.
March 31, 2026
A 3.5 starrer - Read for SPFBO XI - Full RTC
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews