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The Clear Lake Killer 1974
For fans of Seven, LongLegs, and True Detective.
It's 1974, and women are being murdered in San Francisco. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea need to crack the case before more people end up dead. All the while a cult called The Church of the Dark Light looms in the background. But even they are not as terrifying as the nameless stranger in the jean jacket that is stalking the night.
“Sean Malia Thompson has delivered a tightly coiled crime horror narrative in the form of The Clear Lake Killer 1974. Occult vibes, gritty cops, hair-raising tension, sharp dialogue, and plenty of bite.”
—Grant Wamack, author of Bullet Tooth
"Grit, grime, and gruesome discoveries abound in this haunting foray into the howling darkness of 1970s San Francisco. Sean Malia Thompson offers a thrilling new crime horror novella that compels as it terrifies."
—Tiffany Morris, author of Green Fuse Burning
“The Clear Lake Killer is a taut psychological thriller that grabs you from the start and never lets go. Diving into San Francisco’s seedy 70s underbelly, this story follows killers and cults as murder grips the city, while a pair of sleuths race against time to bring the carnage to an end.”
—Pedro Iniguez, author of Synthetic Dawns & Crimson Dusks
"Thompson gives us a sex-fueled 70s flashback the color of blood and shadows. We get a slasher, cultists, fucked-up cops, and just enough dark humor to keep us from pulling that old hunting knife out of the closet."
—Patrick Shawn Bagley, author of Bitter Water Blues
It's 1974, and women are being murdered in San Francisco. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea need to crack the case before more people end up dead. All the while a cult called The Church of the Dark Light looms in the background. But even they are not as terrifying as the nameless stranger in the jean jacket that is stalking the night.
“Sean Malia Thompson has delivered a tightly coiled crime horror narrative in the form of The Clear Lake Killer 1974. Occult vibes, gritty cops, hair-raising tension, sharp dialogue, and plenty of bite.”
—Grant Wamack, author of Bullet Tooth
"Grit, grime, and gruesome discoveries abound in this haunting foray into the howling darkness of 1970s San Francisco. Sean Malia Thompson offers a thrilling new crime horror novella that compels as it terrifies."
—Tiffany Morris, author of Green Fuse Burning
“The Clear Lake Killer is a taut psychological thriller that grabs you from the start and never lets go. Diving into San Francisco’s seedy 70s underbelly, this story follows killers and cults as murder grips the city, while a pair of sleuths race against time to bring the carnage to an end.”
—Pedro Iniguez, author of Synthetic Dawns & Crimson Dusks
"Thompson gives us a sex-fueled 70s flashback the color of blood and shadows. We get a slasher, cultists, fucked-up cops, and just enough dark humor to keep us from pulling that old hunting knife out of the closet."
—Patrick Shawn Bagley, author of Bitter Water Blues
103 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2024
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 20, 2024
I honestly don't know what to say about this one. It was a short read about a guy murdering prostitutes and being groomed to join a creepy cult.
I found the writing style really choppy, with short sharp sentences throughout, giving it a stop/start feeling rather than a nice flow. There were no chapters, just two halves of the book; the part that takes place in San Francisco and the part that takes place in Clear Lake. Each paragraph seemed to jump from one part of the story to the next and from the POV of one character to another.
I really wish I enjoyed this one, but unfortunately the writing style really made it difficult. The story itself, though, seemed great. I just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little.
I found the writing style really choppy, with short sharp sentences throughout, giving it a stop/start feeling rather than a nice flow. There were no chapters, just two halves of the book; the part that takes place in San Francisco and the part that takes place in Clear Lake. Each paragraph seemed to jump from one part of the story to the next and from the POV of one character to another.
I really wish I enjoyed this one, but unfortunately the writing style really made it difficult. The story itself, though, seemed great. I just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little.
December 18, 2024
The Clear Lake Killer 1974 – by Sean Malia Thompson
A very gritty and visceral read. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea are on the hunt for a killer targeting prostitutes in 1970’s San Francisco. Woven into all of this is the cult called The Church of the Dark Light. The killers anger is palpable as he dismembers his victims…and spreads their rib cages open with his bare hands to steal their hearts for his “ritual”. Can the detectives stop him before any more lives are lost?
I also appreciated the detectives banter back and forth, their backstories, and especially Cassano’s wardrobe choices!
My thanks to the author for the digital copy. Definitely a killer book!
A very gritty and visceral read. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea are on the hunt for a killer targeting prostitutes in 1970’s San Francisco. Woven into all of this is the cult called The Church of the Dark Light. The killers anger is palpable as he dismembers his victims…and spreads their rib cages open with his bare hands to steal their hearts for his “ritual”. Can the detectives stop him before any more lives are lost?
I also appreciated the detectives banter back and forth, their backstories, and especially Cassano’s wardrobe choices!
My thanks to the author for the digital copy. Definitely a killer book!
July 6, 2024
Book review of The Clear Lake Killer 1974 by Sean Malia Thompson
3⭐️
The cover really drew me in; reminiscent of a 70s slasher film. The premise: a murderer of prostitutes, a cult and detectives trying to solve the crimes. I enjoyed the story but did feel like parts could have been a little more flushed out. I would have loved more information on the cult specifically and more character building. I did struggle a bit with the writing style and the quick POV switches that left me lost at times perhaps due to the book only being broken down into two parts; no chapters. Overall, interesting, quick read that left me desiring more to the story.
3⭐️
The cover really drew me in; reminiscent of a 70s slasher film. The premise: a murderer of prostitutes, a cult and detectives trying to solve the crimes. I enjoyed the story but did feel like parts could have been a little more flushed out. I would have loved more information on the cult specifically and more character building. I did struggle a bit with the writing style and the quick POV switches that left me lost at times perhaps due to the book only being broken down into two parts; no chapters. Overall, interesting, quick read that left me desiring more to the story.
June 25, 2024
This is an entertaining short story. I enjoyed the premise of the story, but I feel like it was rushed. If it was longer, several parts of the story could possibly be explained better and dig deeper into each person and the crazy situations going on. (Such as the Cult.) There also weren’t defined separate chapters, so sometimes I was a bit confused with who was talking and what was going on. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the intense thrills! It’s a fast and fun read!
July 3, 2024
I was given a copy of this story for an honest review. I went into this story completely blind, not knowing what it was about. It was a pretty decent read, and it felt like what watching a 1970 law and order would feel like. I do wish there was more to the story to me it left a lot to question. Overall, it's not a bad read.
July 2, 2024
I enjoyed this quick read. I found it unsettling from start to end with some really eerie moments. Well worth the read.
July 25, 2025
Noir nihilism and existential exhaustion make this a gloomy, fascinating, and dread-soaked read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews