Husks

by R. Thomas Riley

Tony Smith is a successful horror writer, and his fans love his work, but beneath the facade of success, his personal life is in shambles.

Reeling from a recent divorce and haunted by the mistakes of his past, Tony attempts to start over in a new city, but things are not as they seem. His new residence, which had seemed perfect, is hiding a secret. Something wants Tony to suffer for his misdeeds. Something has been waiting for a man as broken as Tony Smith. Something wants his pain and suffering...something with an unending hunger.

There is no such thing as a clean break.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2012

About the author

R. Thomas Riley is the author of the short story collection THE MONSTER WITHIN IDEA (2009-2011) published by Hugo Nominated Apex Publications and garnered a Best Horror of the Year Honorable Mention, for his story TOO LITTLE. The collection was re-released as a Kindle exclusive in 2011 and on January 14, 2013; the collection reached the Top 100 Paid Bestseller list in the Horror category. To date, the collection has been downloaded nearly 50,000 times on Kindle and is also available as in Paperback and Audiobook.


Independent publisher, specializing in apocalyptic fiction, Permuted Press and Audible.com published IF GOD DOESN'T SHOW - A Gibson Blount Novel (co-written with John Grover) in August 2012. THE FLESH OF FALLEN ANGELS - A Gibson Blount Novella (co-written with Roy C. Booth) was published by Grand Mal Press in February 2012. DIAPHANOUS (co-written with Roy C. Booth) is available now on Kindle, Paperback, and Audiobook.

OF FLESH AND SKIN: A DARKER EROTIC COLLECTION (co-written with Lisa McCarthy) was released March 2013. Frosty Moon Omnimedia adapted THE DAY LUFBERRY WON IT ALL (screenplay by Roy C. Booth and John F. Mollard) to short film in 2010.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And you fall ... with the other husks of summer." I was drawn to the book because of its title and cover. I had never read anything by the author before. The first pages did not disappoint. A divorced horror author leaves the home he has shared with his wife. He is also leaving behind his young son. We feel for him. He has been looking for the perfect loft on the internet. We follow the author's story as he buys the loft at a discount and we soon learn strange things happen there.

I would gladly give the book a five-star rating because the prose flows beautifully, like a sweet river, if it were not for the author's somewhat selfish obsession with his women, Kathy, the wife, Anne, the love of a lifetime, and Melinda, a convenient affair. The end is surprising and unusual. I enjoyed the book and would like to read more ... "ceaseless movement, unending hunger, grappling love."

[CINDI DONOHO · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW......keeps you turning the pages!

Scary and sick. Never realized someone could be so diabolical! A quick look into a scary mind. Don't read before going to sleep.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is centered around a Narcissistic character I had severe difficulty connecting with on any level. His sexual escapades reads like a boy's wet dream, which would be okay if it had been remotely believable. He (convienently) has an "open" marriage with his wife, one co-worker that is just dying to sleep with him, and another co-worker that wants to have sex with him the moment she sees him. The affair with co-worker number 2 ends badly, as does his marriage, so we follow the main character as he moves out of state to 'heal' and 'start-over'. Within minutes of relocating, a female realtor that he knows for all of 5 minutes, comes onto him and they end up having sex in his new loft. By this point my eyes were rolling so much they were spinning around in my head.

I kept thinking that the 'horror' aspect would happen soon, and while there are a few paranormal occurrences, the bulk of the novel is about the main character's feelings regarding his affairs and failed marriage. I felt like I was stuck in a very long therapy session with a man I couldn't stand. Yet I stuck with it...waiting for the horror to reach some kind of climax...and then the book just ends!

The ending is incredibly vague and leaves many unanswered questions. Additionally, there is very little build-up in the plot for anything terrifying. At the end, the plot is left with gaping holes big enough to drive a truck through as so much remains unexplained.

The only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 is because the author does have the ability to write, and write well. Sentences flow smoothly, descriptions are rich and vivid, and there are only a few editing errors. Because of this, I am completely open to reading the author's other works. This particular story could have been great...but isn't.

If you are looking for a good, chilling horror story, I do NOT recommend this book. However, if you feel like taking a journey with a Narcissist and reading all about his self - absorbed feelings, then this is the novel you're looking for.

*Edited from the original Amazon Review to add that I had a very pleasant dialogue with the author in which he responded well to my criticisms (quite admirably so), took the time to discuss my review with me, and even recommended other novels he has written that he felt I might enjoy better, which I did. Due to the author's pleasant and receptive nature towards his readers, I have read another novel by this author and am very impressed (review forthcoming). The author can write very well; however, this particular novel I do not care for as detailed in my review, despite his talent as a writer.*

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this book while it was free. It has since gone back to it's normal price and I am disgusted that the writer would feel that this book is worth that amount. I would have asked for a refund if I had paid almost £4 for this. The only reason I have given it two stars is because it didn't cost me anything except my time.

I kept hoping that this story would eventually go somewhere. Unfortunately, my two evenings spent on this book were a complete waste of time. The whole book centres around Tony, who spends a large proportion of this book feeling sorry for himself, even though all his problems have been a direct consequence of his own deceitfulness. I felt nothing but contempt for this character through the whole book, not a great start.

Due to the fact that the book was concentrated more on the ramblings of a lovesick man-child, the writer seemed to forget that the genre was supposed to be horror. The paranormal events that occurred were brushed over with Tony going back to his lost loves and feeling pathetically sorry for himself.

The whole book was littered with errors. I noticed words missing, the names of Tony's ex-wife and son changed at one point in the book. Several characters were added that added nothing to the story except to make the reader think that they would play a part in the outcome.

I felt that the story might actually end with some massive revelation which would make the journey worthwhile but I finished the book feeling very cheated.