Panic

by T.P. Theyson

My family dying was looked at by others as just a spot of bad luck; an unavoidable, unfortunate series of events. Something that people could read about in their newspapers, safe at home with their kids and their mugs of coffee; shaking their heads with a frown and think, how unfortunate, expecting me to pull myself up by my bootstraps, conquering the next stage of my life to give the story a happy ending. To everyone else it was simply a case of wrong place, wrong time, but for me, it was not a moment in my life to rise from the ashes, a phoenix reborn. It was absolutely and utterly apocalyptic. It was the final bomb that sends chasms shooting through the ground, buildings falling, and people screaming out in pain and fear. It was the end of myself. It was not a trial to make me stand tall and profess that it had not killed me, only made me stronger. It was an all consuming darkness that ate my soul and drank my tears, never letting go. At my absolute rock bottom, soaked in booze and surrounded by sickness, i would find the end didn’t hold the light of hope, but a world full of ghosts, cults, cryptids, and stalkers. There’s only one absolute truth for us all; things can always get worse.

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has it all. It kept me engaged from beginning to end and I had a hard time putting it down. It was fun & creepy and had the perfect chilling vibe I love.

Melissa has been struggling the past year after the death of her family in a car crash that should have claimed her life as well. Realizing she can’t drown herself or her hallucinations in alcohol forever, she seeks the help of a therapist to help sort out her problems.
Taking the therapists suggestion, a little too literal, to “shock her system” she buys the cabin her family was on their way to visit during the tragic accident.

Hoping to find comfort in the cabin on the lake her family once enjoyed, Melissa discovers the town isn’t very welcoming, there’s an over attentive sheriff and someone is attempting to scare her out of town.

This books has everything I LOVE in a good book, plus some!
▪️ Cabin in the woods
▪️ Small town
▪️ Ghost stories and legends
▪️ Cults

🔸This definitely would have been a 5⭐️ read for me if it didn’t include current events, such as the beer brand controversy and a few other mentions. I’m not a fan of that kind of stuff mentioned in any book I read since I feel like it dates the book and puts a time stamp on it.🔸

Now I’ll be on my way to read Out of the Darkness 🖤 I can’t wait for more in the Panicverse!!

[Rachel Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Melissa loses her family, her life comes crashing down around her. She’s tried to drown her grief in alcohol, but now the nightmares in her mind are being met with the nightmares of the one place she hoped would bring her comfort.

Another 5 stars, are we surprised?? This book has it all and I was drawn in from the beginning! There was such vivid imagery it really was like a movie in my head- a couple of times I actually put it down for an anxiety break 😂 (but in the best way!). This gave me exactly what I want from the different spooky elements, they all worked together instead of clashing, making it so fever-dream like but still making sense all around. My oooonly complaint… Panic 2 isn’t ready yet 🤣

Read if you like:
-mythology
-cults
-stories about grief
-badass women
-spooky scary hauntings
-cabin in the woods vibes
-good books

[elli ⛧ yourspookymom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!!

[Elizabeth Hull-Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up! Full review to come!

[Maerwynn B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unsettling read perfect for fans of True Detective Season 1. The town exudes a constant atmosphere of dread, and the interconnected stories across books add to the depth and intrigue. The author skillfully blends hauntingly beautiful prose with chilling moments that keep you fully engaged.

It’s fun and spooky.
I really enjoyed it.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I've found in Aima Island is that things can always get worse." - Panic.
Melissa is dealing with the dark side of life. Struggling with addiction she is trying to navigate life after an accident takes her whole family from her. Leaving her the only survivor and now an orphan. An adult orphan. But that isn't the biggest of her worries. It's the hallucinations. It's the scaries that haunt her. Grasping at anything to help get her life back to a normal trajectory she makes the decision to buy the summer lake house her family spent many summers at. A way to finish the trip that ended things for her and bring some peace. But what Melissa doesn't know is that this change will bring more than she was prepared for. This one is such a great read. It is FULL of all the nostalgia with references of all of the wonderful things from the 80s and 90s. I love the suspense behind it and the suspicion from Melissa. Aima Island is definitely an odd place with interesting people. There is a deep deep rooted foundation on Greek mythology and folklore. Are Melissa's hallucinations real? Has she really been marked? Is she being recruited or targeted? Will she be the next one to go missing or will she solve what is actually happening out on Aima Island? I would absolutely recommend Panic! It is interesting and keeps you guessing what will happen next. There is a big creep factor to the whole story and if you love legends and folklore this is the one for you!

[Callie Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

PANIC gives the nostalgic feeling of being told a scary story around a campfire deep within the woods. It is the type of story that raises the hair on your neck and makes you question what you see between the trees surrounding you, which seem to grow more ominous with every panicked breath.

T.P. Theyson is a master of his craft, disguising horror and folklore beneath the many masks of grief in this deliciously dark and twisted tale: PANIC.

Melissa is no stranger to death and the darkness that follows in its wake, yet when she finds herself at the bottom of several bottles within her family’s lake house, she is forced to become reacquainted with pain and loss in the form of ghosts. The question is: Are these paranormal experiences real or imagined?

At no point did I foresee what was about to happen, and the more secrets I uncovered with Melissa, the more pleasantly surprised I was to find more than just a jump-scare-ghost-story. T.P. Theyson managed to weave in the old gods within this story, creating a wonderful blend of folklore and Greek mythology.

This story is sure to keep readers guessing about what is real and what is imagined, and more importantly, what the town believes in—or rather… who or WHAT they believe in.

[Miranda Clewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say this is more like 4.5 stars only due to how the beginning felt a little slow for me but started to pick up. The book took a turn which I wasn’t expecting with the entire cult aspect but I really enjoyed it.

Also— the darkroom death truly was great. As a photographer I appreciated a death that I have NEVER witnessed before in a book 😂

[Erin Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vibes of this one are immaculate! I felt like I was along for the ride through every moment. Panic was absolutely the right title because this will get your blood pumping.
I am so excited that this is just one of many to come in the future.

[Arielle Modry-Salsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY HELL WHAT A READ!! T.P Theyson does it again! The perfect amount of lore, horror, mystery, suspense, and creepiness. Can’t wait to read more from the PANIC series!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The constant metaphors and repeating certain scenes was a little much. But it only took about 30 pages until I had to know what was happening. Very good twists