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Biff Stone Monster Hunter for Hire #1
The Eldritch Arms
Would you trust one evil to save you from another?
Legendary monster hunter Biff Stone vanished without a trace at the height of the disco era, leaving behind no clue as to his fate. Almost fifty years later, but somehow not a day older, he just as mysteriously returns to right an old wrong.
Every Friday the 13th in a haunted hotel a thirteenth floor — a floor that doesn’t exist on any other day — appears, opening a portal to a hellscape teeming with lovecraftian nightmares. Into this hotel steps Biff Stone and there he must confront his past, accept his future, and meet his fate.
Two-fisted action-adventure collides with otherworldly horror in a story of redemption and second chances. Biff Stone fights to put right what went wrong decades ago, while confronting a monstrous enemy from another realm.
The Eldritch Arms is a riveting tale of otherworldly horror, heroism, and the lengths one man will go to make things right.
Magnum P.I. meets The Dresden Files in a tale of cosmic horror!
Legendary monster hunter Biff Stone vanished without a trace at the height of the disco era, leaving behind no clue as to his fate. Almost fifty years later, but somehow not a day older, he just as mysteriously returns to right an old wrong.
Every Friday the 13th in a haunted hotel a thirteenth floor — a floor that doesn’t exist on any other day — appears, opening a portal to a hellscape teeming with lovecraftian nightmares. Into this hotel steps Biff Stone and there he must confront his past, accept his future, and meet his fate.
Two-fisted action-adventure collides with otherworldly horror in a story of redemption and second chances. Biff Stone fights to put right what went wrong decades ago, while confronting a monstrous enemy from another realm.
The Eldritch Arms is a riveting tale of otherworldly horror, heroism, and the lengths one man will go to make things right.
Magnum P.I. meets The Dresden Files in a tale of cosmic horror!
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2023
65 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 20, 2025
Entertaining fantasy listening 🌃😯
This kindle ebook novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account
He is on an adventure to save his family and friends from the demons. He meets the monsters and is successful in preventing them from reaching their goal. 🙃
I would recommend this novel and author to readers of fantasy world 🌐 adventure thriller novels 😎🙄 2025 😘😮
This kindle ebook novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account
He is on an adventure to save his family and friends from the demons. He meets the monsters and is successful in preventing them from reaching their goal. 🙃
I would recommend this novel and author to readers of fantasy world 🌐 adventure thriller novels 😎🙄 2025 😘😮
February 13, 2025
What a waste of time my friends...my precious life was consumed by a mediocre story about a strange creature and how to stop it from damaging a boy...a complete disaster.
November 2, 2023
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
A while back, I backed a Kickstarter for the Biff Stone: Monster Hunter for Hire comic book. I read those three issues and absolutely loved the premise: a hard drinking, cigar smoking tough guy that looks a lot like Lee Horsely or Tom Selleck is displaced through time, winding up in the modern day to ply his trade as a monster hunter and occult investigator.
I was concerned at the time that this would be all the world got to see of Bifford Stone, but thank sweet Nyarlathotep, I was wrong!
Barry Gregory brought Biff Stone back in The Eldritch Arms, and managed to weave together a fast paced plot that spanned time, dimensions, and included some great action and interesting monsters, creatures, and enigmatic entities invoked by the likes of Lovecraft and Howard.
The book reads more like Howard that Lovecraft, with well-paced prose that moves the plot along with the effectiveness of a well-loved B-movie script.
Biff Stone is a likable protagonist, the kind of action hero that would be played straight by a young, cocksure Charlton Heston or voiced in other media by Phil Hartman. He's the quintessential 70s-era Hollywood tough guy, one of those characters that's brazen, funny, unapologetic in embracing his vices, brave, and tender hearted under the rough exterior.
Gregory does a great job of writing Stone as a near caricature of that era of Hollywood heroes while also carefully sidestepping the misogyny that makes some of those characters feel dated. Here, we have a man-out-of-time story that nails the essence of hyper-masculine tough guys without feeling out of synch with today's readers. It's a true achievement and one that should satisfy modern audiences.
Surrounding Stone is a cast of likable characters that are, for the most part, fleshed out just enough to keep them interesting. There's room for development, and I look forward to seeing how each of these players grows over subsequent books. The plot and action largely center on Stone in this outing, as they should, but I feel like the supporting cast has the potential to push Biff Stone in a way that really brings out the nuance of his personality. We get hints of this near the end of the book when a somewhat cliché story beat involving the side characters manages to pack a good emotional punch, despite much of the supporting cast being "off screen" at the time.
I loved this book, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Biff Stone in the future! Highly recommended!
A while back, I backed a Kickstarter for the Biff Stone: Monster Hunter for Hire comic book. I read those three issues and absolutely loved the premise: a hard drinking, cigar smoking tough guy that looks a lot like Lee Horsely or Tom Selleck is displaced through time, winding up in the modern day to ply his trade as a monster hunter and occult investigator.
I was concerned at the time that this would be all the world got to see of Bifford Stone, but thank sweet Nyarlathotep, I was wrong!
Barry Gregory brought Biff Stone back in The Eldritch Arms, and managed to weave together a fast paced plot that spanned time, dimensions, and included some great action and interesting monsters, creatures, and enigmatic entities invoked by the likes of Lovecraft and Howard.
The book reads more like Howard that Lovecraft, with well-paced prose that moves the plot along with the effectiveness of a well-loved B-movie script.
Biff Stone is a likable protagonist, the kind of action hero that would be played straight by a young, cocksure Charlton Heston or voiced in other media by Phil Hartman. He's the quintessential 70s-era Hollywood tough guy, one of those characters that's brazen, funny, unapologetic in embracing his vices, brave, and tender hearted under the rough exterior.
Gregory does a great job of writing Stone as a near caricature of that era of Hollywood heroes while also carefully sidestepping the misogyny that makes some of those characters feel dated. Here, we have a man-out-of-time story that nails the essence of hyper-masculine tough guys without feeling out of synch with today's readers. It's a true achievement and one that should satisfy modern audiences.
Surrounding Stone is a cast of likable characters that are, for the most part, fleshed out just enough to keep them interesting. There's room for development, and I look forward to seeing how each of these players grows over subsequent books. The plot and action largely center on Stone in this outing, as they should, but I feel like the supporting cast has the potential to push Biff Stone in a way that really brings out the nuance of his personality. We get hints of this near the end of the book when a somewhat cliché story beat involving the side characters manages to pack a good emotional punch, despite much of the supporting cast being "off screen" at the time.
I loved this book, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Biff Stone in the future! Highly recommended!
October 25, 2023
The Eldritch Arms, I was able to get an ARC thanks to Book Sirins and Barry K Gregory. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Biff Stone investigates a hotel where every Friday the 13th the hotel opens a portal and once there is no 13th floor there becomes a 13th floor that opens up to a different dimension. Stone then goes on to fight other monsters in order to right a wrong from his past. This book is full of action-packed scenes with a little bit of comedy. I really enjoyed this book and I would like to read more hopefully and see what happens to Biff. If you like time travel and different dimension travel then this book is for you. It's like Austin power meets Van Helsing meets Sherlock Holmes kind of vibes. I would highly recommend it to anybody that likes that kind of stuff.
January 13, 2026
Before we begin... Don't books come with "sexual violence" content warnings these days? If not, they should.
Okay, the book: Biff Stone is a manly macho man, which is the nice way of saying he's stupid, racist, sexist, violent and a general asshole. As an example, at least once a chapter he gets someone's name wrong, they say please don't call me that and he replies, tough shit, I do what I want. He breaks rules, lies about whether he's going to follow rules and generally doesn't like rules. He is very proud of himself. But you're supposed to like him because he still risks his life to save people. While telling them that they've got great tits that make his "dick as hard as calculus".
So the book sounds awful. And it's short (~200 pages) and has a few typos and it's not about a Cthulhu hotel no matter what the title and cover art says (there's a hotel but it's gone after two chapters).
I gave it 4 stars and am leaning towards 4.5, although I hate the ending (it's a cliff hanger that feels like a middle-of-the-novel cliffhanger in something half the length of a novel and the second book says it's a prequel so what the hell?). The awful, rude, Duke Nukem character is still likeable in a "he's awful to everyone except a single character so we'll focus on that" kind of way. I normally don't like stranger-in-a-strange-land humor but his struggles with his cell phone are amusing. I like the giant floating statue even though it can't talk. Just like the orb can't talk. And the gargoyle can't talk. And the Mexican wrestler can't talk. I'm just now realizing that most of the characters can't talk. Just asshole guy.
Anyway, the plot is that a guy in a leisure suit with a giant mustache got trapped in Cthulhu land, is rescued 50 years later and joins a detective agency. The ancient pervert then runs off to spend 24 hours investigating a haunted house. The end. It's not a large or complex book. There aren't a lot of side stories. It's to the point. It's well written. And as of the time I'm writing this, it's only a dollar. Totally worth it.
Okay, the book: Biff Stone is a manly macho man, which is the nice way of saying he's stupid, racist, sexist, violent and a general asshole. As an example, at least once a chapter he gets someone's name wrong, they say please don't call me that and he replies, tough shit, I do what I want. He breaks rules, lies about whether he's going to follow rules and generally doesn't like rules. He is very proud of himself. But you're supposed to like him because he still risks his life to save people. While telling them that they've got great tits that make his "dick as hard as calculus".
So the book sounds awful. And it's short (~200 pages) and has a few typos and it's not about a Cthulhu hotel no matter what the title and cover art says (there's a hotel but it's gone after two chapters).
I gave it 4 stars and am leaning towards 4.5, although I hate the ending (it's a cliff hanger that feels like a middle-of-the-novel cliffhanger in something half the length of a novel and the second book says it's a prequel so what the hell?). The awful, rude, Duke Nukem character is still likeable in a "he's awful to everyone except a single character so we'll focus on that" kind of way. I normally don't like stranger-in-a-strange-land humor but his struggles with his cell phone are amusing. I like the giant floating statue even though it can't talk. Just like the orb can't talk. And the gargoyle can't talk. And the Mexican wrestler can't talk. I'm just now realizing that most of the characters can't talk. Just asshole guy.
Anyway, the plot is that a guy in a leisure suit with a giant mustache got trapped in Cthulhu land, is rescued 50 years later and joins a detective agency. The ancient pervert then runs off to spend 24 hours investigating a haunted house. The end. It's not a large or complex book. There aren't a lot of side stories. It's to the point. It's well written. And as of the time I'm writing this, it's only a dollar. Totally worth it.
October 15, 2023
The Eldritch Arms is not what I expected. I figured that a book about a character named "Biff Stone" would be silly, tongue-in-cheek, and maybe good for a laugh or two. Yet, this book was beyond great.
The character of Bifford Stone is somewhat comical, sure. He's a man out of time, a relic of the 1970s stuck in modern times, like if Austin Powers battled inter-dimensional monsters, but there's so much more going on here than just the simplicity of that simile.
This book is right in my wheelhouse and has so many elements of stories that I love:
Funny yet complex lead character with a rich backstory? Check.
Time travel? Check.
Portals to other dimensions? Check.
Legendary monsters and strange beings? Check.
A motley team of monster hunters? Check.
Lots of fun action? Check!
Things start out pretty simple: Biff investigates a hotel with a 13th floor that only appears on Friday the 13th, and the floor is actually in another dimension full of ghouls. The story starts off with action and holds the reader's attention all the way through as the plot becomes more layered.
The book ends in such a way as to demand a sequel that I hope comes soon, because I would love to read more of Biff's adventures. The author Barry K. Gregory writes so well and with such an easy-to-read style that you can tell he's having so much fun doing it.
Thanks to the author for an advance reader's copy of the book. I am happy to provide this honest review with my highest recommendation. The Eldritch Arms is a blast.
The character of Bifford Stone is somewhat comical, sure. He's a man out of time, a relic of the 1970s stuck in modern times, like if Austin Powers battled inter-dimensional monsters, but there's so much more going on here than just the simplicity of that simile.
This book is right in my wheelhouse and has so many elements of stories that I love:
Funny yet complex lead character with a rich backstory? Check.
Time travel? Check.
Portals to other dimensions? Check.
Legendary monsters and strange beings? Check.
A motley team of monster hunters? Check.
Lots of fun action? Check!
Things start out pretty simple: Biff investigates a hotel with a 13th floor that only appears on Friday the 13th, and the floor is actually in another dimension full of ghouls. The story starts off with action and holds the reader's attention all the way through as the plot becomes more layered.
The book ends in such a way as to demand a sequel that I hope comes soon, because I would love to read more of Biff's adventures. The author Barry K. Gregory writes so well and with such an easy-to-read style that you can tell he's having so much fun doing it.
Thanks to the author for an advance reader's copy of the book. I am happy to provide this honest review with my highest recommendation. The Eldritch Arms is a blast.
November 22, 2023
So, I had a lot of fun reading this book - if you enjoy a healthy combination of eldritch horror, noir detective, and John Constantine-esque quips, you will enjoy this book. Barry K. Gregory is a beautiful descriptive writer, the action scenes are captivating, and the eldritch creatures had my skin crawling. There are so many layers to this story, and I really enjoyed putting together all the different pieces of this narrative puzzle as I read.
I will say you are really thrown right into this eerie fantasy world. The timeline and perspective jumps in the prelude and starting chapters feels a little bumby, I felt disconnected from the concepts a bit (perhaps the interlude would have made a stronger prelude for context). But it all comes together nicely and, I can't emphasis enough, the action will have you on the edge!
Personally, I could have done with a couple less, "that's not my name" jokes. It felt a little grating and repetative. I would have loved to read more cheeky dialogue about backstory deep dives or sharing a little more exposition on the world. But I was definitely hooked on the small fry details that were shared, so this minor critique is really based on me just wanting to know more about all these characters and creatures.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will say you are really thrown right into this eerie fantasy world. The timeline and perspective jumps in the prelude and starting chapters feels a little bumby, I felt disconnected from the concepts a bit (perhaps the interlude would have made a stronger prelude for context). But it all comes together nicely and, I can't emphasis enough, the action will have you on the edge!
Personally, I could have done with a couple less, "that's not my name" jokes. It felt a little grating and repetative. I would have loved to read more cheeky dialogue about backstory deep dives or sharing a little more exposition on the world. But I was definitely hooked on the small fry details that were shared, so this minor critique is really based on me just wanting to know more about all these characters and creatures.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 4, 2024
Any book that starts out with a quote from H. P. Lovecraft most likely will always have me. And of course, I was hooked immediately. (I mean with cover art this amazing, I knew I’d love it) The writing is phenomenal and original with this being such a short book. I appreciated the research that was done on certain subjects along with the mix of horror and comedy. Normally short books leave out a bunch of needed details. This definitely left me with the feeling of “I need more and I need it now!” type of way. Needless to say this is the type of horror I wish was sold in my small middle of nowhere town and I’m thankful I got a chance to discover this amazing book. (But please, please make the books longer, I was sad I read it so fast and it was over 😭😭)
The characters: Bro, if I had a book boyfriend, Biff Stone is that guy 🤣 the characters though, I loved all of them and the descriptions of them. I could go on and on about this book and I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. So what are you waiting for? Just get this book already and then after you devour it and love it, message me so we can chat about it and fangirl together about it!
Oh yeah, and this NEEDS to be a movie or a tv series or something. I don’t really watch tv because I’m always reading, but I’d watch this!
✨I received this book for my honest review
The characters: Bro, if I had a book boyfriend, Biff Stone is that guy 🤣 the characters though, I loved all of them and the descriptions of them. I could go on and on about this book and I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. So what are you waiting for? Just get this book already and then after you devour it and love it, message me so we can chat about it and fangirl together about it!
Oh yeah, and this NEEDS to be a movie or a tv series or something. I don’t really watch tv because I’m always reading, but I’d watch this!
✨I received this book for my honest review
December 8, 2025
Good writing and an interesting story.
I read this book all the way through, and will read the next one. The writer tells a good yarn, writes very well, and the story is sure full of new and interesting things. The one and only thing I did not like is that the characters are all BIG. I see that Mr. Gregory writes horror comics (this is my first experience with his writing in any form), and knowing that brought my thoughts into focus. The characters are all BIG, like comic book characters or heroes or villains. Larger than life, always the same. And lots of duex ex machina escapes. I honestly prefer more realistic writing, about real people doing amazing things, but this was definitely a good story and like I said, on to the next one.
I read this book all the way through, and will read the next one. The writer tells a good yarn, writes very well, and the story is sure full of new and interesting things. The one and only thing I did not like is that the characters are all BIG. I see that Mr. Gregory writes horror comics (this is my first experience with his writing in any form), and knowing that brought my thoughts into focus. The characters are all BIG, like comic book characters or heroes or villains. Larger than life, always the same. And lots of duex ex machina escapes. I honestly prefer more realistic writing, about real people doing amazing things, but this was definitely a good story and like I said, on to the next one.
January 30, 2026
I will come clean and say that the cover drew me to this one. The beginning of this was pretty good, the 13th floor superstition comes into play in this one. A haunted hotel has a secret 13th floor that opens a portal to a nightmarish world. This book has more of a cosmic horror feel with a slice of fantasy.
Overall it was pretty good with plenty of description with vivid details for a horror fantasy read. There's even some humor thrown into the mix for good measure. It's the story of a monster hunter with attitude and I thought it was ok. However, I have to say there was nothing here that was too memorable, which is the only disappointing thing about it.
That's not to say you won't have fun with it because you will. I give this a solid 3.75/5 stars.
Overall it was pretty good with plenty of description with vivid details for a horror fantasy read. There's even some humor thrown into the mix for good measure. It's the story of a monster hunter with attitude and I thought it was ok. However, I have to say there was nothing here that was too memorable, which is the only disappointing thing about it.
That's not to say you won't have fun with it because you will. I give this a solid 3.75/5 stars.
November 3, 2023
An edge of your seat, supernatural horror mystery with the main character of Biff Stone ( a modern day Harry Dresden who is an interdimensional portal traveller) is hired to defeat a boggart and a slew of other various entities on different planes.
This was an enjoyable, immersive read vividly drawing on the superstition behind the number 13 and the battle between good (humans) and evil (demonic entities from other realms).
However, Biff gets trapped interdimensionally and Fiona, Charles and the others are hell bent on bringing him back again for good or die trying....
This was an enjoyable, immersive read vividly drawing on the superstition behind the number 13 and the battle between good (humans) and evil (demonic entities from other realms).
However, Biff gets trapped interdimensionally and Fiona, Charles and the others are hell bent on bringing him back again for good or die trying....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
A Captivating Read
You can read the blurb for the story description so I won’t waste your time with more of that. I DO want you, as a potential reader, to know that this is the second book I’ve read by Barry Gregory and I would recommend him, as a writer, to anyone who enjoys a well told tale. His stories of other-worldliness, gods, and parallel dimensions, are page turning delights.
You can read the blurb for the story description so I won’t waste your time with more of that. I DO want you, as a potential reader, to know that this is the second book I’ve read by Barry Gregory and I would recommend him, as a writer, to anyone who enjoys a well told tale. His stories of other-worldliness, gods, and parallel dimensions, are page turning delights.
February 19, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! It was exciting and held my attention, and I truly can't wait to read book two. It was a fun mix of action, adventure, thrill, suspense, and dark fantasy. I wouldn't classify it as a horror, as I could read it at night while alone, but it had intense moments. I highly recommend it!
May 14, 2025
I would give this a 4.5.
I enjoyed reading this book. The character Biff Stone is a monster hunter but with snarky atitude that carried throughout the book that I found quite entertaining. It had gore but nothing over the top for me. If you like horror and humor I would definitely recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading this book. The character Biff Stone is a monster hunter but with snarky atitude that carried throughout the book that I found quite entertaining. It had gore but nothing over the top for me. If you like horror and humor I would definitely recommend this book.
June 3, 2025
This was a fun supernatural, horror mystery. Biff Stone is a monster hunter that can travel through dimensions. He is hilarious at times and scary tough at times. Great set of characters. Our main monster the boggart is what true nightmares are made of.
It has no lips, Eyes of pure blackness, and a mouth full of teeth.
It has no lips, Eyes of pure blackness, and a mouth full of teeth.
November 22, 2023
This was fun. If Austin Powers came back and was mixed with Sandman Slim (and a touch of Duke Nukem!).
An easy and entertaining read.
An easy and entertaining read.
December 24, 2023
Stone is a great monster hunter! I loved the world building and magical logic in this series. I hope to see a second book with good old Biff.
November 9, 2023
I enjoyed reading this humour filled horror fantasy book. It maybe has a little of the style of Magnum PI and the Dresden files, but is really worth a read on its own merits. The characters are fun to spend time with, and I’m looking forward to finding out more about all of them in future books. Thank you to Barry K. Gregory for
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews