Blood Mall

by Craig Wesley Wall

When gunmen storm the Applewhite Mall and seize hostages, security guards Phil Connolly and Jefe Diaz are trapped inside along with two more of their crew, unarmed and helpless.

But little do the guards realize, the crazed marauders are the least of their worries.

Evil has come to Applewhite, Washington. A town famous for one thing—a deranged religious cult that murdered homeless women in the 1970’s. And someone is hell-bent on fulfilling the sect’s diabolical prophecy, the hijacked mall the venue for the sacrificial ceremony.

Now, four mall security guards and a motley group of allies may be the world’s only hope of thwarting the demonic ritual …

And preventing Hell on Earth.

Genres: Horror

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2023

About the author

Craig Wesley Wall is the author of short stories, novellas, and novels, primarily in the horror and thriller genres.

A lifelong horror enthusiast, Craig’s work is the culmination of too many hours spent watching scary movies and reading books by such authors as Stephen King, Robert R. McCammon, Brian Keene, and many others.

Craig resides in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and a bevy of dogs and cats. He’s constantly in search of the elusive Bigfoot, all the while convincing his neighbors that he’s not one.

The best way to keep up with his new releases is to subscribe to his newsletter, or follow him on social media.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I want to compliment Craig Wesley Wall for his hilarious picture at the end of the story. I was laughing for a solid five minutes. And this was a really fun, action-packed, bloody, demon-infused thrill ride. It brought me right back to the original Dawn of the Dead, which was a huge plus. Wall took notes from several horror concepts and meshed them together in a really unique way. Solid lore created and the author clearly had an absolute blast writing this, which shone through. Just a very enjoyable horror experience. My only critiques here, while minor, focus around the amount of characters, which got lost amongst all the action and were a little tough to keep a handle on. But, for the most part, everything had its place and found a decent balance. And I also really liked the simplicity of the cover, too. Another win for Craig Wesley Wall.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was wild and fun but I would have liked more from it, more character building, more detailed descriptions, more use of the setting... As it is it felt a little rushed but still well worth the read if you're looking for a quick no punches pulled blood fueled read.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Your child belongs to the sect now, my dear. And when the five planets align, our leader will be reborn. He’ll usher the demon lords onto this world, bringing forth their armies, and the prophecy shall be fulfilled.”

Well things go from worse to terrible for the security guards at the local mall. Not only is the mall under siege by armed gunmen, but now some elderly mall walkers are being transformed into Demon Lords. Between the 4 guards, they only have 1 stun gun and their wits to take on the bad guys. Will the prophecy be fulfilled and Hell unleashed on Earth?

This fast paced thriller has a lot going for it: a cult, a hostage situation, and tons of blood! I enjoyed the characters of the guards, their banter and reactions. The goths and elderly characters were interesting, but fell a little flat for me; more background or scenes with them could’ve developed them further.

I loved the concept and story line, it was quite the mashup that worked really well!

[Kate Lantry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action-packed bloodbath!

A small group of underdogs challenge a Satanic cult determined to bring Hell to Earth. Who will win? Find out in this action-packed bloodbath guaranteed to make you think twice before taking that next trip to the mall!

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always know when I love a book, I end up staying up way to late reading and I finish quickly. This book was so much fun! Right from the beginning it’s a page turner! Action packed, you connected with the characters right away. I was also a mall rat in the 80’s, the mall is a perfect place for demonic carnage.

[Jeff Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, fun trip to the mall, with demons

I went into this thinking it was a humor novella. Nope, it is a fast paced, full on horror story complete with Demons, a cult backstory, goths, meth heads and stereotypical white supremacists. The good characters are worth rooting for, the bad worth cheering against and the ending is a blast.

[S.W. Salzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Applewhite, Washington. A mall built on the site of a sacrificial ritual in the 1970s by a deranged religious cult.

This is the anniversary to remember.

When four security guards get trapped in a mall with a group of skinheads, a bunch of mall walkers and a group of kids celebrating the annual ritual, the shit hits the fan when Corson, the deliverer of evil, creates a group of demon conduits in attempt to summon the armies of Hell.

Craig Wesley Wall crafts a delicious occult thriller with unforgettable characters, namely the two guards - Jefe and Phil - who I felt had such an incredible dynamic between each other. His writing is very tight and fast paced. Each sentence gets to the point woth little fluff amd moves the story forward. The chapters are short (which I really enjoy) and his world building is incredible.

If you like dark thrillers with strong horror elements and a good dose of action thrown in, you're gonna love this book.

[Angel Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good old-fashioned retail horror book that I enjoyed. It's a classic tale of a cult taking over a mall to summon the portal to hell. I enjoyed the fact that most of the mall was used in the book and the characters each had their own personality. It was easy rooting for the good guys and the baddies were easy to hate.

The only thing was that the ending felt a bit rushed. I would've liked more at the end and I felt there was more that could have been added, but that might just be me.

Other than that, I can recommend this one if you're into the retail horror sub-genre.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was gifted this book by one of my best friends and i absolutely loved it! even though this is fiction, i appreciated the characters feeling very real and flawed. it made it easy to put myself in that setting with them.

it may be short but it was packed with terrifying moments, gore, and also friendship.

[Gilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read, and the writing style is easy to follow and fast-paced. I thought this book was a good balance of action, comedy, and gore. Enough blood to suit the title.