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Stickman
"Psychological thriller? For sure. This stickman and his muse just about scared the cr*p out of me!"
While waiting for his girlfriend in a mall parking lot, Doug witnesses a suspicious individual scoping out cars. The prowler breaks into a van, and instead of stealing items left behind he waits for the family to return and carjacks them.
With no time to call for help, Doug decides that he must stop the carjacker from harming the family. He's also horrified by the possibility that the carjacker could be the notorious serial killer dubbed "Stickman."
Hot on the trail of a killer headed for privacy, Doug must decide quickly how far he is willing to go.
Stickman is the length of a novelette (approximately 13,500 words).
While waiting for his girlfriend in a mall parking lot, Doug witnesses a suspicious individual scoping out cars. The prowler breaks into a van, and instead of stealing items left behind he waits for the family to return and carjacks them.
With no time to call for help, Doug decides that he must stop the carjacker from harming the family. He's also horrified by the possibility that the carjacker could be the notorious serial killer dubbed "Stickman."
Hot on the trail of a killer headed for privacy, Doug must decide quickly how far he is willing to go.
Stickman is the length of a novelette (approximately 13,500 words).
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Yates
36 books18 followersDennis Yates is an American writer of novels and short stories. He is a native of Portland, Oregon and enjoys
thrillers, horror and suspense.
Dennis can be reached at yates.author@gmail.com.
thrillers, horror and suspense.
Dennis can be reached at yates.author@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 2, 2020
Okay, this was a better first installment than I expected about a normal guy chasing a serial killer who has abducted a family in a van.
When he described the stick figures on the window, the first thing I thought about was the joke about the part of the Rosetta Stone which gave them a lot of trouble - it had a woman, a donkey and a spade - until somebody told them it simply said: "Dig the ass on that babe!"
Then I thought about the fad which passed me by - why did people put these stick figures on their windows? To give away even more information about their families which potential criminals need to know about? So, if you have a woman, a dog, a man and a cut, does that mean she's a bitch and the man's a...pushing on from those thoughts, ahem.
Then I started thinking about all those other fads I don't understand:
Women shaving their heads on one side - I mentioned once that back in the day, when I was young, and we saw a woman with one side of her head shaved, we pitied her because she must have had brain surgery. That observation didn't go down very well.
And what the fuck is it with duck lips? Really, ladies - botoxing the shit out of your lips until you resemble a duck is attractive?? The only reason I would have wanted to pick up a girl like that is to take her to the bathroom and tell her a joke - you know, to see if her laughter echoed.
Never in my life have I been attracted to a woman because she has painted her toenails - any color whatsoever. And fake tits? What can be more attractive than a woman with natural breasts who are comfortable with them? I tell you, if that is the deal breaker for the guy, he is either shallow or can't swim.
So, after reading that story - the first part of three - which was fairly good, I'm depressed because I feel like I'm too old to understand the world I live in...
Thanks a lot, man!
Guess I'll have to read the rest to kill the funk...
When he described the stick figures on the window, the first thing I thought about was the joke about the part of the Rosetta Stone which gave them a lot of trouble - it had a woman, a donkey and a spade - until somebody told them it simply said: "Dig the ass on that babe!"
Then I thought about the fad which passed me by - why did people put these stick figures on their windows? To give away even more information about their families which potential criminals need to know about? So, if you have a woman, a dog, a man and a cut, does that mean she's a bitch and the man's a...pushing on from those thoughts, ahem.
Then I started thinking about all those other fads I don't understand:
Women shaving their heads on one side - I mentioned once that back in the day, when I was young, and we saw a woman with one side of her head shaved, we pitied her because she must have had brain surgery. That observation didn't go down very well.
And what the fuck is it with duck lips? Really, ladies - botoxing the shit out of your lips until you resemble a duck is attractive?? The only reason I would have wanted to pick up a girl like that is to take her to the bathroom and tell her a joke - you know, to see if her laughter echoed.
Never in my life have I been attracted to a woman because she has painted her toenails - any color whatsoever. And fake tits? What can be more attractive than a woman with natural breasts who are comfortable with them? I tell you, if that is the deal breaker for the guy, he is either shallow or can't swim.
So, after reading that story - the first part of three - which was fairly good, I'm depressed because I feel like I'm too old to understand the world I live in...
Thanks a lot, man!
Guess I'll have to read the rest to kill the funk...
June 3, 2020
Quick read. It was good and creepy. I'm now looking at stick figure decals on the back of car windows in a whole new light.
December 29, 2013
Stickman was a fun little book. I've always been a fan of serial killer stories but this one had a nice little twist to it. Rather than focus on the killer, Stickman follows the story of one regular guy trying to stop him.
For a book that only takes about a hour to read, quite a bit is fit in. The main character gets a bit of a back story, there is a bit of suspense, and the action sequences are pretty entertaining.
My only complaint is that there are a few portions of the ending that weren't fleshed out all that well. It's a short story so not everything can be fully explained. But two or three times what happens lacks a bit of clarity.
At the end, there is the possibility for a sequel. I actually think that would be pretty interesting. There is enough there to even make a full length story.
For a book that only takes about a hour to read, quite a bit is fit in. The main character gets a bit of a back story, there is a bit of suspense, and the action sequences are pretty entertaining.
My only complaint is that there are a few portions of the ending that weren't fleshed out all that well. It's a short story so not everything can be fully explained. But two or three times what happens lacks a bit of clarity.
At the end, there is the possibility for a sequel. I actually think that would be pretty interesting. There is enough there to even make a full length story.
August 11, 2018
Great story!
Great story! I'm glad it was a short one. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was hooked from the very beginning and was wondering how it was going to end. Can't wait to read another book from this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a scary story.
Great story! I'm glad it was a short one. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was hooked from the very beginning and was wondering how it was going to end. Can't wait to read another book from this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a scary story.
June 15, 2017
this was a good short story about a serial killer named stickman. I would recommend this book for a very quick read.
December 18, 2013
Doug witnesses something suspicious in a parking lot while waiting for his girlfriend Jane. A man breaks into the vehicle in the parking space in front of his and when the family of that vehicle gets in, the man takes off with them. Doug knowing he can't live with the thought of not doing anything about it takes off behind them as Jane gets into the truck with him. Jane doesn't know what to believe because she didn't see a thing.
This was somewhat creepy (the carjacker, the glass eye) but a bit far-fetched regarding the cop angle. Most of that could happen but where he was first seen stretches the believability factor.
I'm thinking between a 2 and a 3-star rating but really, most of it was rather good. I sort of liked it.
This was somewhat creepy (the carjacker, the glass eye) but a bit far-fetched regarding the cop angle. Most of that could happen but where he was first seen stretches the believability factor.
I'm thinking between a 2 and a 3-star rating but really, most of it was rather good. I sort of liked it.
March 22, 2015
I received a free kindle copy of Stickman (A psychological serial killer thriller) by Dennis Yates from Amazon for fair review. I gave it five stars.
This wasn't just a fast read, this was a page BURNER. I flew through the pages to find out what happened next. It was brutal, frightening & intense. It definitely is a thrill killing book.
For a sleepless night, choose this for a late night read.
Doug isn't sure whether he is willing to risk his safety & sanity to try to stop this serial killer. How far will he go to try to stop him?
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A...
This wasn't just a fast read, this was a page BURNER. I flew through the pages to find out what happened next. It was brutal, frightening & intense. It definitely is a thrill killing book.
For a sleepless night, choose this for a late night read.
Doug isn't sure whether he is willing to risk his safety & sanity to try to stop this serial killer. How far will he go to try to stop him?
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A...
January 25, 2017
I really enjoy reading murder mysteries, and I especially enjoy short serial killer novels. I've never read a Dennis Yates short story before, so when BookGorilla.com offered this one for free, I snatched it up. This is a bit different, in that the protagonist is not the serial killer, instead he is just an average Joe taking a mini-vacation with he new girlfriend when he is setting in his truck in a parking lot at the mall, and notices a guy (Stickman) lurking in the parking lot acting suspicious. He decided to follow this guy when is suspects a family in a blue van is being kidnapped. A quick and enjoyable read.
May 26, 2013
This is an excellent short story, a perfect read for this Memorial Day holiday weekend!
There is a serial killer on the prowl, and a timid, non-confrontational guy witnessing what he thinks could be the same killer searching for his next victims. He has to make a quick decision, does he turn a blind eye, (you'll see what I did there after reading the story), or risk everything to save a family he doesn't know?
My full review/discussion is up on BBB -
http://beckisbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
There is a serial killer on the prowl, and a timid, non-confrontational guy witnessing what he thinks could be the same killer searching for his next victims. He has to make a quick decision, does he turn a blind eye, (you'll see what I did there after reading the story), or risk everything to save a family he doesn't know?
My full review/discussion is up on BBB -
http://beckisbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
January 30, 2013
Doug sees a man acting suspiciously around a van in a parking lot. After ssing him break into the van and a family get in the van and be attacked, he realizes it may be the serial killer called Stickman. When his girlfriend gets back to the car about the same time, he charges off with her to trail the escaping van.
Fast paced story and intersting seeing Doug's decision making and his girlfriend's reactions. A Quick read
Fast paced story and intersting seeing Doug's decision making and his girlfriend's reactions. A Quick read
January 29, 2013
What if you are watching a crime being committed, and nobody is there to help you? What if everything goes wrong? The author has captured an incredible level of suspense. I had to drop everything until I finished this story. I will definitely be checking out other work by Dennis E. Yates.
March 17, 2013
This was an interesting short story about a man who believes he is witnessing a possible kidnapping of an entire family in a store parking lot. He decided to follow the van in hopes of saving them. I found this to be an enjoyable read.
December 15, 2013
The story starts out well and does become predictable after the initial suspense. The climax leaves room for sequel and this can potentially become a series. Depending on how the Author makes it 'different' in each episode, this could become a very interesting one.
January 16, 2013
This novella has an interesting premise, and started out really well, fast paced and intriguing, however it lost it's way halfway through and at the end I just felt dissatisfied and underwhelmed.
May 29, 2013
A pretty good story of a Good Samaritan chasing down a serial killer. A few good plot twists and interesting characters.
June 1, 2013
I think this will be the only book I will read in the Stickman series.
June 3, 2013
Great, quick little read! Looking forward to a possible sequel, perhaps? Lovely little horror novella, highly recommended.
September 3, 2013
Far more people involved that I would have guessed. I read this aloud on a trip this weekend. It was a fun read while on the road.
June 11, 2014
Not to bad but really short
July 27, 2014
An interesting tale. I wish this was longer as I could of had more story to read. I look forward to a sequel.
June 15, 2015
Short story, good ideas
This was just the right size story to read before bedtime. Enjoyed it beginning to end. Not the expected ending.
This was just the right size story to read before bedtime. Enjoyed it beginning to end. Not the expected ending.
July 30, 2015
What a great fast read. I hate stupid stick people on cars and I love how well written the story was. Great characters.
March 11, 2013
interesting. ill have to read the next one.. too bad it was soo short tho
September 5, 2013
A pretty quick, nasty little book. Excellent read!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews