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The Summoning
The Summoning . . . a supernatural mystery.Edrington, Oregon - a town with a dark past, a town hiding secrets, a town where a woman has summoned something terrifying from hell.Three hundred and fifty miles south, Ryan wakes up in a motel room with a bag of stolen money, bullet hole scars on his chest, and no memory of his past. His only clue is a scrap of paper in his wallet with an Edrington address scrawled on it.Plagued by nightmares of a tortured man who seems to be forcing his way from the dream world into Ryan's world, Ryan journeys north to the small Oregon town where the horrifying answers are waiting for him.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
71 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 6, 2025
Oh that Carol. Just like…phew. This was a really well crafted tale of the macabre. Lukens took a fairly wide array of characters and brought them all together in this suspenseful ride. The first portion of the story was a little hard to hang with due to all the jumping around. But stay with it, and once the halfway mark comes, it all starts taking shape. I wish it was a little more simple, but that would have taken some of the allure out of the plot. That’s just my personal preference. The characters are handled well and Ryan and Carol were the standouts to me. Carol’s special moments come later into the book, but Ryan is surrounded by a ton of mystery throughout, and it was fun to watch his story unfold. This wasn’t my favorite Mark Luken’s book, but I had a good time here. Fans of the paranormal and supernatural elements of horror will have an equally satisfying experience.
June 4, 2015
I had nightmares after this book ...
It's between 3 and 4 stars.
I think the other books are better.
It's between 3 and 4 stars.
I think the other books are better.
February 11, 2014
Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite.
“The Summoning” by Mark Lukens one of those stories it’s easy to lose yourself in. Ryan Freeman awoke in a strange motel room, with absolutely no memory of anything that had happened in his life up until the point at which he awoke. His sole clue was a wallet holding only his drivers’ license, and a name and address scrawled on a slip of paper. Oh, yes… he also had a duffel bag filled with many plastic-wrapped bundles of $100 bills.
Peeking through the curtains to the parking lot below, he saw an older pickup truck and a silver Impala. Somehow he knew the Impala was what he was driving, but he also knew it was not his car. Something about the slip of paper in his wallet compelled him to drive to the address, 320 miles north. He also knew - somehow - he would be followed, and killed, if possible. When he arrived at his destination, life for Ryan got a whole lot more complicated.
“The Summoning” is 200 pages of pure suspense. Lukens’ characters are easy to accept, even the ones you won’t like. He has done an admirable job of developing their personas. Lukens also inserted quite a few dream sequences, terrifying to both the protagonist and the reader. His descriptions of events, past and present, are painfully realistic. Working away unbeknownst in the background, paranormal circumstances further add to the frenetic intensity of the story.
Mark Lukens has written a very good tale of horror, suspense, and the paranormal/supernatural. I recommend “The Summoning” for all fans of those genres, as well as anybody who would like to sample those genres in a good story.
“The Summoning” by Mark Lukens one of those stories it’s easy to lose yourself in. Ryan Freeman awoke in a strange motel room, with absolutely no memory of anything that had happened in his life up until the point at which he awoke. His sole clue was a wallet holding only his drivers’ license, and a name and address scrawled on a slip of paper. Oh, yes… he also had a duffel bag filled with many plastic-wrapped bundles of $100 bills.
Peeking through the curtains to the parking lot below, he saw an older pickup truck and a silver Impala. Somehow he knew the Impala was what he was driving, but he also knew it was not his car. Something about the slip of paper in his wallet compelled him to drive to the address, 320 miles north. He also knew - somehow - he would be followed, and killed, if possible. When he arrived at his destination, life for Ryan got a whole lot more complicated.
“The Summoning” is 200 pages of pure suspense. Lukens’ characters are easy to accept, even the ones you won’t like. He has done an admirable job of developing their personas. Lukens also inserted quite a few dream sequences, terrifying to both the protagonist and the reader. His descriptions of events, past and present, are painfully realistic. Working away unbeknownst in the background, paranormal circumstances further add to the frenetic intensity of the story.
Mark Lukens has written a very good tale of horror, suspense, and the paranormal/supernatural. I recommend “The Summoning” for all fans of those genres, as well as anybody who would like to sample those genres in a good story.
January 20, 2015
The Summoning has a highly original concept, a rare gem in a field with beloved but tired cliches. Mark Lukens has again created deep and interesting characters and then put them through the horror ringer. A great thriller, you'll race to the end--which you won't see coming!
October 11, 2017
Does evil ever die?
This book is filled with mystery and evil from start to finish. The characters are captivating and the concept is scary. I could not put it down.
This book is filled with mystery and evil from start to finish. The characters are captivating and the concept is scary. I could not put it down.
November 22, 2017
Not the best.
Love Mark's work, but this book didn't take hold of me like the ancient enemy books did. Still a decent read though. Thanks Mark.
Love Mark's work, but this book didn't take hold of me like the ancient enemy books did. Still a decent read though. Thanks Mark.
July 19, 2018
A page turner
“The Summoning” is a mixture of psychological thriller and supernatural horror story. I read it from beginning to end without putting it down. I highly recommend it.
“The Summoning” is a mixture of psychological thriller and supernatural horror story. I read it from beginning to end without putting it down. I highly recommend it.
October 24, 2025
Pretty good read.
May 8, 2014
After reading Ancient Enemy I was stoked to have another offering by the author. The Summoning seems more thriller than horror for most of the book and is plotted as such. Ryan wakes up in a motel unsure of his identity, the origin of the wounds on his back, and why he has a duffel bag full of money. His wallet contains a drivers license and an address. With these things he heads off to discover just what is going on. He gets more than he bargained for.
With a hit team hot on his trail and strange looks from the townsfolk, Ryan has a hard go at it until we are slowly shown the truth about what has happened in the past including the possible reappearance of a serial killer known as the Cutter thought dead.
The supernatural element is a background element that is brought to the forefront only in the last third of the book. While I think Ancient Enemy was a better horror novel, this is by no means a sophomore slump. The Summoning is a good follow-up.
With a hit team hot on his trail and strange looks from the townsfolk, Ryan has a hard go at it until we are slowly shown the truth about what has happened in the past including the possible reappearance of a serial killer known as the Cutter thought dead.
The supernatural element is a background element that is brought to the forefront only in the last third of the book. While I think Ancient Enemy was a better horror novel, this is by no means a sophomore slump. The Summoning is a good follow-up.
July 9, 2020
Excellent story THIIS is the second time Ihave read it! I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.So far I have read several of his books and enjoyed them all!Good read
Good read. Loved not knowing how it was going to end. Reminds me of the early Stephen King books.
Intend to read more of his books.
Good read. Loved not knowing how it was going to end. Reminds me of the early Stephen King books.
Intend to read more of his books.
September 9, 2014
Fun supernatural thriller to begin the early spirit of Halloween! Had a lot of fun reading as the main character discovered his identity and link together the strange things that begin to happen around him.
June 2, 2015
My new favorite author
This book kept me reading to the end. Very interesting characters with great detail throughout the book. I've read a few books by this author and can't wait for more!
This book kept me reading to the end. Very interesting characters with great detail throughout the book. I've read a few books by this author and can't wait for more!
September 26, 2015
Fantastic
This is a real page turner. If was great trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Enjoyed every minute. Great how everything fell into place at the end.
This is a real page turner. If was great trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Enjoyed every minute. Great how everything fell into place at the end.
September 14, 2015
Had to force myself through this one
Read
November 1, 2015absolutely loved it!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews