The Serpent's Call

by Mason Marks

Dalton Asher is an isolated, underachieving psychopath. For years, he’s moved across the country, killing for ritual in the name of his dark lord. But unbeknownst to him, two Atlanta detectives have been hunting him for some time. They finally catch a break in their case and set up a sting operation with Detective Amara Cruz posing as prey. Dalton is imprisoned as a result, but before his execution, he makes an unholy pact for his resurrection.

Upon his return, Dalton is empowered with supernatural abilities and begins seeking revenge for his death. However, things become more complicated once he becomes drawn to Amara as they continue hunting each other.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2024

About the author

Mason Marks lives in South Carolina. He is an attorney, combat veteran, horror fanatic, and metal enthusiast. If you enjoyed his work, please rate/review on Amazon and Goodreads. You can also follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Reviews

[Tabitha - · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun ride! Well.... not fun. Disturbing? Lol. I love a book from the serial killer's POV! and this guy really was a terrible human.

I was nervous about there being a "magical" element, but ultimately was super fine with what it was!

[Mique Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just wanna thank my friend (and crush lol) Mason Marks for the arc of his recent release. And I’m glad to report that this book is great! If you’re a fan of the book Assassin by Shaun Hutson, you’re gonna LOVE this one. This is a gritty revenge story—with paranormal turns—complete with glimpses into the legal system and detective sting operations. It’s also got a sense of humor to its nihilism that reminded me of Friday the 13th part 6... but make it hella satanic and blasphemous. 😂 I don’t know how to explain it, but reading this book gave me the feeling of listening to a black metal song! It takes place in a short amount of time, and it’s got one hella GNARLY opening scene. Definitely check this one out!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Serpent’s Call follows Dalton who is a psychopath. For years he has moved across the country killing for ritual in the name of the dark lord. What Dalton doesn’t know is that two detectives have been hunting him for a whole. They finally catch Dalton and imprison him. He is sentenced to death. However, before his execution he makes a pact for his resurrection. When Dalton returns he has supernatural abilities and begins to seek revenge for his death.

I was in the mood for a wild horror book ( I need to balance out all of the romance books I read) and holy cow this was just what I needed. This book was WILD but in the best way. Right from the very start of the book I was hooked. This book had non stop action. Many times ( and I mean this in the best way) I was like what the hell?!? This is now my favorite horror book I have ever read. I can’t wait to read more Mason Marks books!

[Lit.for.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part thriller, part occult this was a great read leading in to the Halloween season! This was not your basic good versus evil battle. It takes you through the inner workings of a killer whose bloodlust is dedicated to his master. Just when you think it’s all over, you are hit with more evil!

I recommend this read if you are looking for a quick read and enjoyed the Devil’s Advocate, Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh, or the show Devil in Ohio!

Thanks to the amazing @twinsandtalent for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review!

[River 🔪🩸 (horror.books.and.chill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed books about serial k!llers, but more-so when it’s from the serial killers POV. This is by far one of my favorites.

It isn’t your typical serial k!ller story or book. It starts out that way, but has a supernatural twist to it and I think that’s gives it its own unique feel and one reason why I love it so much.

I loved reading this book and watching how absolutely unhinged our MC Dalton becomes the further into the book we get. Sure, he’s a serial k!ller but… his psychopathic tendencies and personality come out stronger the more you progress.

The depiction and descriptions of gore were top tier and something I loved throughout this entire book. It was described in a way that I could easily picture it happening inside my head like I was watching it on a tv screen. Mason Marks did a phenomenal job 👌🏻

I have to say this is absolutely one of my top favorite reads this year, and makes me want to read his other books that I already have but haven’t read yet 🤣🤣🤣

[x.finalgirl_readsbooks.x · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

Dalton Asher is a psychopath who has been killing for years under the name of his dark lord. He tries to be careful, but one night changes things for him. He has been being tracked and watched, and Dalton is imprisoned and eventually executed for his crimes. However, a supernatural entity has been watching Dalton, and is intrigued by his killings. Being resurrected by this entity, Dalton starts his revenge journey and the slaughter begins.

This was a pretty nice book to get me into the spooky season spirit for sure! The carnage begins pretty much right away so there’s no room for cozy in this book, it begins and doesn’t stop. The POV does change from time to time, but it is majority written in the pov of Dalton, our serial killer, so you’re inside his twisted mind. I enjoyed the supernatural add in this story I think it added to the story. I also enjoyed the revenge tale aspect. Revenge fueled Dalton definitely added to the gruesome kills.

Give this one a read to get yourself into the spooky season!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serial Killer - ✔️
Supernatural & Occult Elements - ✔️
Brutal, Creative Kills - ✔️
Told from the Killer’s POV - ✔️

The categories above immediately drew me in, but the excitement didn’t stop there! The main character & serial killer in this story is seriously a force to be reckoned with.

Dalton’s story starts out with a grand slam of a kill (pun intended), and gets wilder from there. I know you’re not technically supposed to root for the bad guy, but here I am!

I love how the author was very descriptive with all the characters, locations, and kills. I found myself audibly squealing at times and thoroughly intrigued by the occult elements.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I loved the budding and clever game of cat & mouse in this book. I do hope there’s more to come. If you’re looking for a unique serial killer story, you better “ℜ𝔲𝔫, 𝔯𝔲𝔫, 𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔪𝔟” & add this to your TBR list.

Thank you so much for the ARC, Mason!

[A.D. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dalton Asher is a terrible human. A completely remorseless vessel of evil, with nothing more on his mind than finding his next victim….. this might sound like i’m dropping big reveal points, but this is actually the body of the story.
Told primarily from the perspective of Dalton, this is a story about a serial killer, who will stop at nothing to continue his murderous spree. Not even his own death.

The book does move to other viewpoints at times, but its main focus is from Dalton himself, and Amara Cruz, the Detective trying to stop him. The plot itself is really easy to follow and, it reads very smoothly, the scenes of violence are also descriptive, but not too gratuitous(in a way that feels forced).
Overall I really enjoyed it, but did feel it suffered a little from that “mid book” dip…. But that just means you’ve got a strong opening and finish.

[Annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

What a BRUTAL ride this book was. This is part thriller, part slasher, mixed with some occult and supernatural elements. The story is told through the POV of a serial killer, Dalton, who is incredibly depraved, and keeps slipping into darker and deeper depravity, even when you think he can't get any worse. The kills are creative (and disgusting). I was on the edge of my seat for nearly the entirety of the story. I loved how it ended, and how Marks put Chapter titles with dates, times, and locations.

This almost gave me vibes similar to the movie Malignant that came out in 2021 which I really enjoyed!
Thank you to Mason Marks and Twins & Talent for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

[Nelli Lakatos · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝒾𝓈 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝒷𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝑒; 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓁𝓎 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂𝓈𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒.”

I absolutely loved how the book was told from the serial killer’s perspective, it was so captivating! I just couldn’t resist loving Dalton Asher, his thoughts and actions.

To every horror lover out there, don’t hesitate to pick up this phenomenal book right now! It will blow your mind! I couldn’t put the book down but in the same time I didn’t want it to end. It was so incredibly well written and brilliant. I really loved the ending as well, I just found a new favorite read in “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥“.

[V's Rockin' Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome read! It was gory, graphic, suspenseful, and addictive. I loved the supernatural elements and the creative ways Dalton stalks and captures his victims.

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

The detailed storytelling made it easy to imagine the events unfolding and connect with the characters. Detective Amara Cruz is pretty badass 🤘🏻 The chapters are short and note the location, date, and time (I love it when authors do this) 🖤 It was a wild game of cat and mouse. I’m so glad I picked this book up - highly recommend!

[Dylann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me surprised but in the best way!

First, I really loved the writing style and attention to detail. I never once was confused or couldn’t imagine what I was reading because the details and descriptions were absolutely perfect!

Second, I loved this book!! It was the perfect read to get me out of a little slump. The book really gets my attention from page 1, so do yourself a favor and go read it before I spoil it! lol

[Jennifer Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise and has helped me kick my reading slump! Nice gory story with an ending I thought I saw coming but it ended up surprising me.

Dalton is a deranged psychopath with a taste for revenge on those who he deemed wronged him, and boy is the reader in for quite the ride.

4.5 ★

Thank you for the opportunity to read your ARC, Mason!!

[Christy Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It starts off with a bang and doesn't slow down until the end. It's told from the serial killer's POV, and he's the absolute worst of humanity. You definitely need to read this!

[Axl Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Ramirez: “I am beyond your experience. I am beyond good and evil. I will be avenged.”

I really enjoyed this character-driven novel, The Serpent’s Call, especially since it explores the same territory -- supernatural horror where the protagonist is in league with Satan -- as my work in progress, Brass Knuckles Black Magick. Marks and I have a penchant for fanatical, elitist, anti-heroes, proud bearers of the black flame of chaos. Dalton Asher, the main character in The Serpent’s Call, reminded me, among others, of Richard Ramirez and Charles Manson. As a Satanic serial killer, Asher is connected to the nefarious force that feeds on people’s deepest fears, and this force gives him power and control over his victims, revealing their weak, hypocritical, pathetic natures. Predators sense the fear and trembling of the prey, an anxiety that makes their attacks precise, fast, and lethal. Prolific serial killers exist on another plane, a dimension that transcends the tiny world of the sheep, a realm fraught with danger as well as the promise of immortality.

As in his earlier two novels, The Militant and The Malcontents, Marks’ action scenes are graphic and immersive, a result, no doubt, of his experience in military combat. Like any real Satanist, Dalton Asher is a complete misanthrope, and the writing is steeped in disgust for average, normal humans. Loneliness and isolation are the other sides of misanthropy, and Dalton has no choice but to take the solitary left-hand path of the Adversary. The novel's pace is exquisite, and the character of Detective Amara Cruz is well-used to balance out Dalton’s bleak nihilism and create suspense.

A few things have kept me from giving this novel a full five stars. At times, the author switches from first-person to third-person narrative and these changes are a bit confusing. There are a lot of twists and turns at the end of the novel that seem a bit rushed and could have used more stage-setting. The author could have explored more the relationship between Dalton and Satan, as well as the one between Dalton and Amanda Cruz to give his protagonist more depth and create more inner conflict. That being said, this is a great, thought-provoking, supernatural thriller I highly recommend and I look forward to Mason Marks’ future releases!

[Jojobean_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been a 4/4.5 for me had we stopped before the epilogue.
I really enjoyed this story. The psychopath, satanic serial killer and his need to revenge. The detective trying to find ways to stop him.
The gore, the death all of it was really good and then the epilogue just ... It just didn't fit with the rest of the story.