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Slaughterhouse
Three women turn one man’s life into a deadly game.
Easy-going Kris Kartofski just wants to be a good father to his little boy, Jake. His marriage to Caitlin broke down last year and he lost some of his trust in women, but he’s prepared to give love another chance. He decides to take a risk on a new girl he met online by the name of Janis. She seems sweet enough and he’s eager to hook up. So one afternoon he drives out to her family’s isolated ranch and Janis’ brawny aunt, Dawn, greets him at the porch. Wide-eyed Dawn is bright and bubbly and quick to show off her late grandfather’s prized collection of firearms. Kris receives a warm welcome and plenty to eat, but he soon gets a gut feeling he hadn’t bargained for – a quiet voice inside his head is telling him to get out.
Kris quickly convinces himself he’s got Janis’ family wrong and that he should try harder to get along. He redoubles his efforts, but as time edges on, he accepts that the dynamic between these three women is deeply flawed. Janis is acting like a child in their presence and chatty Dawn appears to have complete control over the silent member of the household, Janis’ morose stepmother, Reina. When Kris can’t find the keys to his truck and Janis goes missing, he’s forced to confront his worst fears: he’s alone in the middle of the Texan wilderness and someone has played the first move in a very dark game.
Warning. Contains violence. Do not approach this story if you are of a weak disposition.
Easy-going Kris Kartofski just wants to be a good father to his little boy, Jake. His marriage to Caitlin broke down last year and he lost some of his trust in women, but he’s prepared to give love another chance. He decides to take a risk on a new girl he met online by the name of Janis. She seems sweet enough and he’s eager to hook up. So one afternoon he drives out to her family’s isolated ranch and Janis’ brawny aunt, Dawn, greets him at the porch. Wide-eyed Dawn is bright and bubbly and quick to show off her late grandfather’s prized collection of firearms. Kris receives a warm welcome and plenty to eat, but he soon gets a gut feeling he hadn’t bargained for – a quiet voice inside his head is telling him to get out.
Kris quickly convinces himself he’s got Janis’ family wrong and that he should try harder to get along. He redoubles his efforts, but as time edges on, he accepts that the dynamic between these three women is deeply flawed. Janis is acting like a child in their presence and chatty Dawn appears to have complete control over the silent member of the household, Janis’ morose stepmother, Reina. When Kris can’t find the keys to his truck and Janis goes missing, he’s forced to confront his worst fears: he’s alone in the middle of the Texan wilderness and someone has played the first move in a very dark game.
Warning. Contains violence. Do not approach this story if you are of a weak disposition.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
175 people want to read
About the author
Carla H. Krueger
8 books103 followersDear readers,
I’m Carla and I write short and long fiction, depending how much ink is in the pen. I grew up in an unconventional family in an unconventional community surrounded by wild, wonderful and sometimes pretty weird people and, yes you’re right, a lot of that stuff does end up in my fiction. When it comes to stories – those I read and write – I love seeing ordinary people flirt with unexpected danger. I get excited about outrageous books and hilarious books. I like darker fiction, the kind that occasionally shocks. I also enjoy meeting unlikely heroes and discovering people’s secrets. My work has already appeared in Crime Fiction Lover’s “New Talent” section and on a handful of small press shortlists. I’ve written six short novels, two full novels and a legion of short stories – with plenty new stuff on the way. When I’m not writing, I’m usually tripping over the billion secondhand books I shouldn’t have bought and stuffed into my tiny house. But I love books, so it’s ok.
I’m Carla and I write short and long fiction, depending how much ink is in the pen. I grew up in an unconventional family in an unconventional community surrounded by wild, wonderful and sometimes pretty weird people and, yes you’re right, a lot of that stuff does end up in my fiction. When it comes to stories – those I read and write – I love seeing ordinary people flirt with unexpected danger. I get excited about outrageous books and hilarious books. I like darker fiction, the kind that occasionally shocks. I also enjoy meeting unlikely heroes and discovering people’s secrets. My work has already appeared in Crime Fiction Lover’s “New Talent” section and on a handful of small press shortlists. I’ve written six short novels, two full novels and a legion of short stories – with plenty new stuff on the way. When I’m not writing, I’m usually tripping over the billion secondhand books I shouldn’t have bought and stuffed into my tiny house. But I love books, so it’s ok.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 9, 2014
A dark, menacing short book full of tension. It's got a real undercurrent. If you're looking for a detective thriller with a huge plot, lots of characters and a mystery to solve, this is not for you. If you want a psychological mind-ride with a tense, unforgiving atmosphere, you cannot go wrong – and the ending is seriously nail-biting.
For a 90 page book, the characters are well-defined and the pace is excellent. I enjoyed the way I started to really feel for the protagonist and that feeling developed as the story unfolded. Also liked the descriptions a lot.
All in all, a disturbing, addictive read.
For a 90 page book, the characters are well-defined and the pace is excellent. I enjoyed the way I started to really feel for the protagonist and that feeling developed as the story unfolded. Also liked the descriptions a lot.
All in all, a disturbing, addictive read.
May 14, 2017
This book represents a couple of "firsts" for me. It is the first book I've read by author Amaya Ellman, it's also the first book that I bought from Amazon and read on the kindle that I got for my birthday yesterday and what a way to start my kindle/ebook adventure.
To be honest I knew nothing of the book or the author until I got a message from her inviting me to check out her work and I'm glad that I did.
I started reading this around 4am when my usual insomnia had kicked in and I pretty much read the whole thing in one go, even when I got tired I found I wanted to press on and read some more just to find out what happened next to the protagonist Kris.
I won't give away any of the details, as I hate spoilers, but I will say that this is a fun if slightly twisted read and at just over 70 pages long it is nicely paced and keeps you wanting to read it, unlike some books, by more established authors, where I just want a chapter to be over as it drags on and on.
I've seen a few reviews make a comparison of this book to "Misery" by Stephen King but personally I felt it owed more to the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movie as I drew a few similarities between the two.
All in all an enjoyable read, with a few moments of psychological as well as traditional horror thrown in to the mix and I look forward to reading more of Amaya's work.
To be honest I knew nothing of the book or the author until I got a message from her inviting me to check out her work and I'm glad that I did.
I started reading this around 4am when my usual insomnia had kicked in and I pretty much read the whole thing in one go, even when I got tired I found I wanted to press on and read some more just to find out what happened next to the protagonist Kris.
I won't give away any of the details, as I hate spoilers, but I will say that this is a fun if slightly twisted read and at just over 70 pages long it is nicely paced and keeps you wanting to read it, unlike some books, by more established authors, where I just want a chapter to be over as it drags on and on.
I've seen a few reviews make a comparison of this book to "Misery" by Stephen King but personally I felt it owed more to the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movie as I drew a few similarities between the two.
All in all an enjoyable read, with a few moments of psychological as well as traditional horror thrown in to the mix and I look forward to reading more of Amaya's work.
January 8, 2014
A friend suggested this to me and I'm pleased they did. I enjoyed the book a lot. It's dark, well-paced and psychologically harrowing. Set in Fort Worth, Texas, it's about a young man called Kris Kartofski who goes on a date with a woman he doesn't know too well with, shall we say, alarming consequences . . .
It's quick to read – took about two hours – and it is engrossing to say the least. I was screwed right up until the end with tension. The author is British, but she writes like a true Texan.
Highly recommend.
It's quick to read – took about two hours – and it is engrossing to say the least. I was screwed right up until the end with tension. The author is British, but she writes like a true Texan.
Highly recommend.
January 20, 2015
Really enjoyed this book. I was told about it by a friend who noticed it on a US thriller award list. It's a short psychological thriller/horror novel set in Fort Worth, TX and it really was very mysterious and gripping. One of the best endings I've read, especially when you realise it's from a relatively unknown author – although she has fans in the UK. Just goes to show, the big names don't always deliver the goods! Well worth it.
April 18, 2013
As someone who has read this type of genre for 20 years or so, I think I'm fairly confident in saying I know what I like! This was a good little number (70 pages approx I think!). It starts well and draws you in fairly early on, ratcheting up the tension quite nicely and culminating to a satisfying end. If you have an hour or so to spare you could do a lot worse. Would recommend!
January 11, 2014
Another book that's got far too few reviews for its quality. My wife let me try this as an e-book guessing I would enjoy it. She hates anything with even a small amount of blood, so this was a little too much for her, although it is NOT a gory book at all. Basically, if you're delicate like that, you may struggle with a few parts of the story. However, it's well constructed, intense and has a gripping ending.
I'm not mad into CID stuff, so I was glad it didn't have the usual inspector popping up solving anything. I like the gritty pace and simple style.
I'm not mad into CID stuff, so I was glad it didn't have the usual inspector popping up solving anything. I like the gritty pace and simple style.
April 2, 2013
I loved this book. It sucks you in and you just have to find out hats going to happen next!
February 4, 2019
If Goodreads did half stars, this would be a 3.5 but since they don't, this is worthy of rounding up.
Kris Kartovski is a single dad ready to get back into the dating game. He meets a woman named Janis online through SingleHearts and on the third (or fourth date), decides to go head to her family ranch for the weekend.
Right away things get weird. Janis begins acting strangely and her aunt, Dawn and step-mother, Reina are a couple of odd balls making dinner and conversation super awkward. As the night goes on and Kris struggles to keep interest in Janis, he begins to feel ill. Food poisoning or perhaps the flu? As he gets sicker, things become stranger and he suddenly as a strong urgency to get the hell out of dodge.
This short tale is dark, unnerving and full of tension. It started off a bit slowly fo rme, unsure really of where things were going, but once the pace picked up and pressure started mounting it really packed a mighty punch! WOOOO-WEE!
Kris Kartovski is a single dad ready to get back into the dating game. He meets a woman named Janis online through SingleHearts and on the third (or fourth date), decides to go head to her family ranch for the weekend.
Right away things get weird. Janis begins acting strangely and her aunt, Dawn and step-mother, Reina are a couple of odd balls making dinner and conversation super awkward. As the night goes on and Kris struggles to keep interest in Janis, he begins to feel ill. Food poisoning or perhaps the flu? As he gets sicker, things become stranger and he suddenly as a strong urgency to get the hell out of dodge.
This short tale is dark, unnerving and full of tension. It started off a bit slowly fo rme, unsure really of where things were going, but once the pace picked up and pressure started mounting it really packed a mighty punch! WOOOO-WEE!
October 2, 2015
I decided to read this book because it is a different genre than I tend to gravitate toward and I was interested to see that it is set in my hometown, Fort Worth. I was expecting to be a little uncomfortable with a book entitled “Slaughterhouse,” but I wasn’t expecting to be irritated and disappointed like I was. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not into violent/gruesome literature, and I had to put the book down several times when I could feel myself becoming sick, but I wanted to branch out, so I kept reading...
I felt that the characters were really underdeveloped and the writing lacked a lot of foreshadowing and follow-up details that would have tied up many loose ends throughout the story. I had a hard time understanding who was who and how they were related to each other during the first half of the story and I never fully settled on how the three women were related, why they were living together, and how they really felt about each other. I found it difficult to believe that Kris, the main character, would visit Janis’ family home for an overnight visit given the details that unfold about their relationship throughout the story. They don’t seem to know much about each other. They don’t seem to be interested in each other’s lives. They don’t even seem attracted to each other. Before the story, it appears they have hardly been alone with each other, so to drive several hours for an overnight stay with strangers felt like a stretch to me.
The story was really disgusting (and it was supposed to be), but I think a story like this should have revealed a purpose behind the gore (however twisted it might be) and I don’t really feel like a satisfactory explanation was given for the crazy women, the state of the farm, or what they were doing with the slaughterhouse. If Reina wasn’t really crazy, what was going on with her and how were the other two keeping her locked up and quiet? Why was Dawn seemingly in charge at one point and then behaving like a little child behind closed doors? Why was Janis following her lead when she seemed to be taking care of her? And one last thing… Was the whole book supposed to be a police statement? Because the way it ended didn’t seem like the way a statement would end to me. If you want a gory thriller, this was definitely a gross and horrible story. However, I felt like that was about all the book had going for it. Anyways, I’d recommend passing on this book.
I felt that the characters were really underdeveloped and the writing lacked a lot of foreshadowing and follow-up details that would have tied up many loose ends throughout the story. I had a hard time understanding who was who and how they were related to each other during the first half of the story and I never fully settled on how the three women were related, why they were living together, and how they really felt about each other. I found it difficult to believe that Kris, the main character, would visit Janis’ family home for an overnight visit given the details that unfold about their relationship throughout the story. They don’t seem to know much about each other. They don’t seem to be interested in each other’s lives. They don’t even seem attracted to each other. Before the story, it appears they have hardly been alone with each other, so to drive several hours for an overnight stay with strangers felt like a stretch to me.
The story was really disgusting (and it was supposed to be), but I think a story like this should have revealed a purpose behind the gore (however twisted it might be) and I don’t really feel like a satisfactory explanation was given for the crazy women, the state of the farm, or what they were doing with the slaughterhouse. If Reina wasn’t really crazy, what was going on with her and how were the other two keeping her locked up and quiet? Why was Dawn seemingly in charge at one point and then behaving like a little child behind closed doors? Why was Janis following her lead when she seemed to be taking care of her? And one last thing… Was the whole book supposed to be a police statement? Because the way it ended didn’t seem like the way a statement would end to me. If you want a gory thriller, this was definitely a gross and horrible story. However, I felt like that was about all the book had going for it. Anyways, I’d recommend passing on this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2015
Slaughterhouse was my Halloween read last year. It's a short novel (or novella as some people call them, although apparently that word is outdated now!), so be prepared to want this to last a little longer than it actually does, but also remember, if it did carry on, it might not be as good! It is fiery and fast-paced and original with an exciting, suspenseful element that drew me in right from the start. The characters are amazingly creepy and pseudo-nice, which is a complete bonus in a story you think won't have room for much depth. This writer gets that detail in and I liked that.
I also enjoyed the fact that nothing about the story was cliched, and it SO easily could have been. How many psychological thrillers have I read where I know, less than halfway through, exactly what's planned for me? BORING! I love fiction that offers (and delivers!!) that tension. It's almost like a ghost train style of writing. This benefits hugely from having a plot that doesn't try too hard. Overall, worked well for me on many levels.
I also enjoyed the fact that nothing about the story was cliched, and it SO easily could have been. How many psychological thrillers have I read where I know, less than halfway through, exactly what's planned for me? BORING! I love fiction that offers (and delivers!!) that tension. It's almost like a ghost train style of writing. This benefits hugely from having a plot that doesn't try too hard. Overall, worked well for me on many levels.
August 8, 2014
A short book, but it had me hooked from page one. Atmospheric, modern style, lots of detail which surprised me because I'd expected it to be far less engrossing in that sense. I almost felt I'd rushed through it and wanted to retread it, but that was my fault not the author's. Actually, the pace this is written is ideal. Punchy. An author I'd read again. She's hard hitting. No fuss. No unnecessary emotional crap. Straight talkin' Texan characters with a deep, croaky sense of humor, a damn good storyline and one tense, nail biting ending. What more can you ask for? Well, a full book I guess, but I'm sure that's coming .....
Recommend.
Recommend.
February 10, 2015
Well-crafted short book. Packs a real punch. Hooked from the first chapter and just kept going right to the end. The descriptions are fantastic. The characters are intriguing. They're not as deeply developed as some people might like, but then it's not a detective mystery plotted out over 900 pages. It's sharp, intense, suspenseful and irresistibly creepy. Right up my bookshelf, if that's not a bizarre thing to say....
May 31, 2014
A thrilling short novel, creepy in all the right ways. It left me with that feeling you get after watching a horror movie late at night and find yourself afraid to walk around the house without every light in the place being on. The pacing works well, leaving the suspense level at a solid 10 the whole way through the book. An excellent mix of horror and mystery!
June 28, 2013
Full of twists and turns. A psychological thriller of unusual events and disturbing circumstances taken to chilling extremes. A great read.
January 6, 2014
Predictable. Too much atmosphere and not enough story.
August 13, 2016
Good writing style with a lot of potential. Just too many ideas for such a short story that didn't pull together.
August 27, 2016
This is a very good example of a short story with a well established character establishment, high tension chase, pinch of acceptable grossness.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews