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A Monstrous Dread #1
Demon Chase
Haunted by a gift that's more of a curse.
Jillian and her brother see what others can' monsters lurking in plain sight. Their life? A high-stakes game of cat and mouse, with evil itself breathing down their neck, relentless in its chase.
But the darkness doesn't end there. An array of grotesque creatures, having breached our world ages ago, join the hunt, each one eager to extinguish the light of those who see them. Facing insurmountable odds, they must forsake the life they once knew, venturing into the unknown in search of strength and sanctuary—a place to shield them from the malevolent eyes of the pursuers and grow into warriors.
Their extraordinary curse reveals more than monsters among us. It pulls back the veil to a darker world where a sinister hierarchy reigns, led by the most dangerous of Demons.
Demon Chase isn’t just a survival story. It is about reclaiming life from the clutches of darkness.
Jillian and her brother see what others can' monsters lurking in plain sight. Their life? A high-stakes game of cat and mouse, with evil itself breathing down their neck, relentless in its chase.
But the darkness doesn't end there. An array of grotesque creatures, having breached our world ages ago, join the hunt, each one eager to extinguish the light of those who see them. Facing insurmountable odds, they must forsake the life they once knew, venturing into the unknown in search of strength and sanctuary—a place to shield them from the malevolent eyes of the pursuers and grow into warriors.
Their extraordinary curse reveals more than monsters among us. It pulls back the veil to a darker world where a sinister hierarchy reigns, led by the most dangerous of Demons.
Demon Chase isn’t just a survival story. It is about reclaiming life from the clutches of darkness.
- GenresHorror
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2023
140 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Nicki Huntsman Smith
30 books77 followersI love books.
Everything I've learned about writing has grown from my love of reading. I began my writing career at the tender age of seven, when I wrote a play for my third-grade class. It was not an assignment; I did it because I discovered I loved creative writing as much as I loved reading. I received a children's typewriter the next year, and countless short stories followed.
I wrote some awful poetry during my teen years, then some not-so-awful short stories over the next two decades. I became serious about writing books ten years ago. The timing felt right, and I created the world-altering habit of writing every day.
My first published novel, Secrets Under the Mesa, began as a short story. I decided it had some legs and went with it. The inspiration for The Troop of Shadows Chronicles emerged from two directions: my love of post-apocalyptic fiction and a recent interest in disaster preparedness.
Stephen King says, "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."
The hard work is worth it. I hope you enjoy my novels. I wrote them for fellow book lovers just like you.
I live in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, with my husband and three spoiled rotten rescue dogs.
Everything I've learned about writing has grown from my love of reading. I began my writing career at the tender age of seven, when I wrote a play for my third-grade class. It was not an assignment; I did it because I discovered I loved creative writing as much as I loved reading. I received a children's typewriter the next year, and countless short stories followed.
I wrote some awful poetry during my teen years, then some not-so-awful short stories over the next two decades. I became serious about writing books ten years ago. The timing felt right, and I created the world-altering habit of writing every day.
My first published novel, Secrets Under the Mesa, began as a short story. I decided it had some legs and went with it. The inspiration for The Troop of Shadows Chronicles emerged from two directions: my love of post-apocalyptic fiction and a recent interest in disaster preparedness.
Stephen King says, "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."
The hard work is worth it. I hope you enjoy my novels. I wrote them for fellow book lovers just like you.
I live in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, with my husband and three spoiled rotten rescue dogs.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 25, 2024
Knock, knock. Tupperware lady calling. Since when does the Tupperware lady have horns and red skin?
Even though I’m not a fan of witches, warlocks, demons, and sh*t (I’m more of a werewolf, megalodon, drop bears and T-Rex man, myself), I still found this story compelling, with the tension slowly building to the literal peak of the storm. My only criticism was, I thought Bazgolith died a bit too easily. Usually it takes a couple of goes for the bad guy to be totally eliminated.
The author kept the action up nicely, and the plot was pretty easy to follow. I never once found my eyes doing the reading, but my brain thinking, “Gee, I wonder if they’ll ever do a re-run of Bay Watch? You know…the one with Pammy Anderson and The Hoff.” Do you find typos and grammos distracting? (That’s not a typo; it’s my newly invented word.) I done good in English at skool and I notice mistakes. Ms Huntsman Smith has done a sterling job of editing and as hard as I looked, I didn’t notice a single error. Bonza effort Nicki.
I was very appreciative of the mention of my favourite American beer (Sam Adams) and my favourite American car (Candy-Apple Red Mustang - a '66 no doubt). Another great effort by this rising author.
Even though I’m not a fan of witches, warlocks, demons, and sh*t (I’m more of a werewolf, megalodon, drop bears and T-Rex man, myself), I still found this story compelling, with the tension slowly building to the literal peak of the storm. My only criticism was, I thought Bazgolith died a bit too easily. Usually it takes a couple of goes for the bad guy to be totally eliminated.
The author kept the action up nicely, and the plot was pretty easy to follow. I never once found my eyes doing the reading, but my brain thinking, “Gee, I wonder if they’ll ever do a re-run of Bay Watch? You know…the one with Pammy Anderson and The Hoff.” Do you find typos and grammos distracting? (That’s not a typo; it’s my newly invented word.) I done good in English at skool and I notice mistakes. Ms Huntsman Smith has done a sterling job of editing and as hard as I looked, I didn’t notice a single error. Bonza effort Nicki.
I was very appreciative of the mention of my favourite American beer (Sam Adams) and my favourite American car (Candy-Apple Red Mustang - a '66 no doubt). Another great effort by this rising author.
August 25, 2023
Highly entertaining supernatural horror thriller!
Have you ever been happy you were wrong? My first introduction to Nikki Huntsman Smith’s writing was through a Cozy Mystery that I enjoyed so when I was offered a review copy of the audiobook for Demon Chase, I figured I would be listening to a cozy mystery of some sort. Well, once I began listening to Demon Chase, I quickly realized it wasn’t anything like what I had expected, I was thrust into a paranormal horror story. To be honest being wrong in this case was excellent. This book is a highly entertaining mystery built around a brother and sister – Jillian and Jackson - who have paranormal gifts that are as different as each of them and their circumstances. Along with well-developed characters, there is plenty of action and intrigue not to mention misdirection to keep the reader guessing how this story will resolve itself. In my case listening to the audiobook, I was not only entertained by the story, but Larissa Schmitz’s excellent narration, her character voices and delivery tempo made it a pleasure to listen to the story. Hopefully, when the audiobook for Troubled Spirits comes out Larissa will be narrating it as well.
Have you ever been happy you were wrong? My first introduction to Nikki Huntsman Smith’s writing was through a Cozy Mystery that I enjoyed so when I was offered a review copy of the audiobook for Demon Chase, I figured I would be listening to a cozy mystery of some sort. Well, once I began listening to Demon Chase, I quickly realized it wasn’t anything like what I had expected, I was thrust into a paranormal horror story. To be honest being wrong in this case was excellent. This book is a highly entertaining mystery built around a brother and sister – Jillian and Jackson - who have paranormal gifts that are as different as each of them and their circumstances. Along with well-developed characters, there is plenty of action and intrigue not to mention misdirection to keep the reader guessing how this story will resolve itself. In my case listening to the audiobook, I was not only entertained by the story, but Larissa Schmitz’s excellent narration, her character voices and delivery tempo made it a pleasure to listen to the story. Hopefully, when the audiobook for Troubled Spirits comes out Larissa will be narrating it as well.
June 6, 2023
From the first page of the book, I was hooked. The fast-paced plot kept me reading long after my eyes wanted to object. The premise is unique and believable, as are the supernatural (and human) villains. But the star of the show is definitely the protagonist, Jillian, who has a skill set (and physical prowess) that I envy. She is the most believable monster fighter I could imagine. I love her multi-layered, three-dimensional presentation. Her wit and cynicism really resonated with me. In fact, the entire book weaves cleverness, emotion, and longing into the frightful scenarios. This keeps the book grounded and human.
I can’t wait for the second installment of this wonderful Monstrous Dread series! Keep ‘em coming!
I can’t wait for the second installment of this wonderful Monstrous Dread series! Keep ‘em coming!
June 16, 2023
Starts fast and the action doesn't slow down...
This story is a departure from Ms Smith's post-apocalyptic novels and, again, the story moves at fast pace from the first page. That's not a bad thing. The action is hard-edged and often creepy which happens when you are running from or fighting demons and all kinds of deadly, evil, other worldly creatures as well as a coven of witches. The story is well-written with extraordinary characters -- sister and brother Jillian and Jackson and a great cast of supporting characters. I believe there will be additional volumes in the series.
It is an exceptional read and well worth your time.
Respectfully,
This story is a departure from Ms Smith's post-apocalyptic novels and, again, the story moves at fast pace from the first page. That's not a bad thing. The action is hard-edged and often creepy which happens when you are running from or fighting demons and all kinds of deadly, evil, other worldly creatures as well as a coven of witches. The story is well-written with extraordinary characters -- sister and brother Jillian and Jackson and a great cast of supporting characters. I believe there will be additional volumes in the series.
It is an exceptional read and well worth your time.
Respectfully,
March 18, 2024
Total Departure from the apocalypse series
Demons, witches, shapeshifters, and a dose of FBI and NSA agents.... A psychic brother and sister team are raised by government agents and doctors and one becomes FBI while the other is in a government lockdown for observation and study... Then all he'll breaks loose as both head out to do battle but not as a united team though their goals do coincide. Should be a really good and never boring series... Setting the stage takes most of this first book, but I still rate it a 4.25 stars and expect it to trend up from there....
Demons, witches, shapeshifters, and a dose of FBI and NSA agents.... A psychic brother and sister team are raised by government agents and doctors and one becomes FBI while the other is in a government lockdown for observation and study... Then all he'll breaks loose as both head out to do battle but not as a united team though their goals do coincide. Should be a really good and never boring series... Setting the stage takes most of this first book, but I still rate it a 4.25 stars and expect it to trend up from there....
June 5, 2023
Fans of Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher will enjoy this novel. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will love it. It’s NOT a vampire book. But the monsters are terrifyingly real and the main character Jillian has to find the strength to fight them before they destroy the world.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
July 27, 2023
AMAZING
This was such a thrill ride!!! Stayed up all night reading this!!! Jackson and Jillian are great and I love how they have their own issues going on in addition collaborating and helping Jillian. She’s like a magnet for the evil and crazy but she’s totally my Shero. Can’t wait for the next book! Definitely a must read!!!
This was such a thrill ride!!! Stayed up all night reading this!!! Jackson and Jillian are great and I love how they have their own issues going on in addition collaborating and helping Jillian. She’s like a magnet for the evil and crazy but she’s totally my Shero. Can’t wait for the next book! Definitely a must read!!!
August 30, 2023
I must have been craving a supernatural thriller about witches and demons, and this book hit the spot. I liked the demon-slaying twin duo Jillian and Jackson. I love that while Jackson is fighting evil from behind protected walls, Jillian is kicking demon ass from the front lines. I enjoyed every minute of this book and am glad that there’s a sequel to this story. RIP Max 😔
September 3, 2023
Who Doesn't Love Demons?
I knew I was going to love this book! Twins with a certain talent of recognizing the supernatural . Truly could see this set of books expanding beyond two. Characters are well developed and the fact they have that connection only twins share? Perfect ! Fun read with just enough demon interaction to keep one immersed. Now off to the second book😁
I knew I was going to love this book! Twins with a certain talent of recognizing the supernatural . Truly could see this set of books expanding beyond two. Characters are well developed and the fact they have that connection only twins share? Perfect ! Fun read with just enough demon interaction to keep one immersed. Now off to the second book😁
June 18, 2023
I was a little leery about starting this book having finished all Troop Of Shadows books but I got hooked very quickly. Great story and exciting characters, human or not. Have already started the second book.😊
September 21, 2025
DNF at 65%.
I read one other book by this author and I really enjoyed it. This one was…flat. I found myself bored and not wanting to pick it up for days at a time. Not good signs.
I would t say it’s a terrible book. I just couldn’t get into it.
I read one other book by this author and I really enjoyed it. This one was…flat. I found myself bored and not wanting to pick it up for days at a time. Not good signs.
I would t say it’s a terrible book. I just couldn’t get into it.
June 11, 2023
it’s about time!
I have been waiting for a book to take me away from my stressful life. Jillian is amazing I can cheer for this heroine any day.
I have been waiting for a book to take me away from my stressful life. Jillian is amazing I can cheer for this heroine any day.
December 9, 2023
Great story. Good action and some great monsters throughout the story. No fluff and a good read with good characters.
December 18, 2023
Good read. Author missed a few places to really add some detail or action but overall it was worth reading.
February 2, 2024
Funny or Horrible?
It's definitely different from my usual reading but fun in a crazy way. I can't wait to see what she comes up next.
It's definitely different from my usual reading but fun in a crazy way. I can't wait to see what she comes up next.
September 1, 2025
Author is great with character development. However I didn't like this one as much as the troop of shadows series and might not read anymore of this one... but then again, maybe I will? 🤷🏻♀️
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews