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Hello Darkness
After the death of his wife, Ben Howard returns to his childhood home in the small town of Falling Rock, Colorado. Along with his four-year-old daughter, he hopes to make a new life for his family, free from the painful memories that still haunt them both.
But old memories die hard, as Ben soon discovers. Visions of his deceased wife follow him to Falling Rock—and that's just the beginning. Something strange is happening to the town. The temperature climbs even though winter is fast approaching. A stream of black smoke rises from the woods next to the old church—smoke, but no fire.
The good people of Falling Rock disappear one by one. Something is hunting Ben's daughter; tormenting her from the shadows. An ancient evil lurks in the valley below the town—an evil that preys not just on the bodies of its victims, but on their sanity as well.
As his world collapses around him, Ben must join with the few who remain to destroy a malevolent force that will not stop until it consumes every last human soul.
*** This book contains some disturbing scenes.
But old memories die hard, as Ben soon discovers. Visions of his deceased wife follow him to Falling Rock—and that's just the beginning. Something strange is happening to the town. The temperature climbs even though winter is fast approaching. A stream of black smoke rises from the woods next to the old church—smoke, but no fire.
The good people of Falling Rock disappear one by one. Something is hunting Ben's daughter; tormenting her from the shadows. An ancient evil lurks in the valley below the town—an evil that preys not just on the bodies of its victims, but on their sanity as well.
As his world collapses around him, Ben must join with the few who remain to destroy a malevolent force that will not stop until it consumes every last human soul.
*** This book contains some disturbing scenes.
- GenresHorror
ebook
First published October 14, 2012
86 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Sam Best
23 books53 followersSamuel's horror novels usually focus on the epic theme of good versus evil but on a human scale. He likes stories that show ordinary people facing extraordinary odds, with enough heart-pumping action to keep the pages turning.
Many of his books will be or have been revised, enhanced, and re-released under the name Samuel Best.
https://sam-best.com
Many of his books will be or have been revised, enhanced, and re-released under the name Samuel Best.
https://sam-best.com
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 4, 2014
Well executed take on a not particularly original premise. When father and his young daughter move to a small town (which for some reason everyone refers to as a city), they discover an ancient evil that awaits them there. I mean seriously, are there any books when moving to a small town worked out well? Yet no one learns. Best is a pretty good writer and smart enough to spend time (a lot of time, nearly half the book) developing the characters before dedicating the rest of the book to ripping them to shreds in a variety of creatively visceral ways. I do with he'd spent some time actually developing the backstory for the evil, it would have added an extra dimension to the narrative, but he chose to go the creature feature way. Had this been a movie, it would be B with special effects aplenty. This is my first book by the author, so I can't judge if this is Best's best, but it's a solid, thoroughly entertaining, fairly quick read that most horror fans would probably enjoy.
December 29, 2019
Disappointing. I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately it was a let down. The first quarter of the book had overuse of the word "misogyny" which immediately grated on my nerves. Then you have the cliche "independent, tough and not looking for a relationship" female cop which made me roll my eyes. The deputies apparently do nothing by proper procedures and the little girl Annabelle is not believable as a four year old. There were just so many "really? Are you kidding me?" moments I was ready for the story to be over. If you like those cheesy syfy movies this might be right up your alley but for me it was a bust.
August 9, 2020
This book has a good writing style. Easy to be read, followed, and imagined, that's the first reason I've picked this one up. Well, the story turns unexpected with good premise then falls short towards the end. Many aspects aren't explained enough which becoming ridiculous. Let me give you a good example: the creature can outrun the shotgun blast, but later anyone can hit it using any weapons in combat without much explanation. Something like that. But overall, this is a good book regardless of its flaw.
December 31, 2019
Mixed feelings about this book - could have been three stars but lost one due to terrible editing and misuse of vocabulary. I thought it started well with some promising characters but they could have been developed more thoroughly and the pacing was uneven. I was drawn in enough to keep going, definitely wanted to know how it turned out but could have been more satisfying start to finish.
September 7, 2018
Interesting
This book is well written and interesting, if not a depiction of reality. I'm not a fan of monster books so it's difficult for me to give a fair rating. I do think there was too much info in describing things. I feel sure others might enjoy this book.
This book is well written and interesting, if not a depiction of reality. I'm not a fan of monster books so it's difficult for me to give a fair rating. I do think there was too much info in describing things. I feel sure others might enjoy this book.
July 13, 2019
This was a really good read.
It's too bad Hank Foster was such a one dimensional character, and that we didn't learn more about Karen Raines, but overall the story was well paced and highly entertaining.
It's too bad Hank Foster was such a one dimensional character, and that we didn't learn more about Karen Raines, but overall the story was well paced and highly entertaining.
April 2, 2020
Great good vs evil story
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The description of the monsters was terrific. The evil in the good people was realistic and sad. Loved the ending.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The description of the monsters was terrific. The evil in the good people was realistic and sad. Loved the ending.
September 2, 2017
I liked this book, lots of paranormal going on. Also, shows the love between a widowed father and his daughter. This book moves fast.
November 22, 2019
One of the very best monster stories I have ever read
If you are a fan of a good creature feature this one is for you. I loved it and would recommend it to any horror fan.
If you are a fan of a good creature feature this one is for you. I loved it and would recommend it to any horror fan.
November 23, 2019
A solid King-style setup but became muddled and oddly tensionless once the evil revealed itself.
February 26, 2020
Page turner
Very enjoyable and fast paced read. I read it in a day. It was just the type of story I was looking for.
Very enjoyable and fast paced read. I read it in a day. It was just the type of story I was looking for.
April 15, 2020
What happened?
I reread the ending and never could figure out the conclusion, how the enemy was defeated. One minute a huge battle, then ..end. Grammatical and word usage errors.
I reread the ending and never could figure out the conclusion, how the enemy was defeated. One minute a huge battle, then ..end. Grammatical and word usage errors.
October 2, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In the horror genre, many authors try for something new and different, something with a twist to surprise their readers. But when it comes right down to it, tales of good vs. evil have scared us for hundreds of years. Why mess with a good thing? Sam Best offers up a tale of ancient evil that delivers a reminder of why we should fear the monsters under the bed.
The setting is the idyllic Colorado town of Falling Rock. The tourists are leaving and the locals are getting ready for the long. cold winter. Ben Howard returns to his family home with his daughter, Annabelle to start a new life after his wife’s death. We meet the rest of the town’s residents and see that not everything is as it seems. The foundations are laid for the escalating horrors that await us. The characters are engaging and well-rounded, with plenty of back story to gain insight into their motivations.
Tommy Bridges knows there’s a monster under his bed. Four-year-old Annabelle Howard is making friends with wolves in the back yard. There’s a fire burning in a black pit near The Last Valley Church and it’s growing every day. The police are ignoring warnings from the church’s pastor, who urges them to evacuate the town. The population is thinning and it’s not because the tourists are heading home for the season. Something’s in the woods, and only one man is truly prepared for what is coming.
When a school girl is abducted from the woods outside the playground, be prepared for evil unleashed. Ben, his family, and the local police chase false leads, dead ends, and creatures that evoke images straight out of a Hieronymus Bosch nightmare. The action is tense and well-paced, with scenes that play out almost cinematically. The author gives you just enough time to catch your breath and let it all soak in before diving into the next blood-soaked tableau.
I recommend this book for readers who like classic supernatural horror stories, complete with unlikely heroes, self-serving villains, blood, gore, and depraved hellspawn. My complaints are few. Some of the character backgrounds are a bit too wordy, and I found myself skipping some paragraphs that didn't seem relevant. Without giving spoilers, there’s a character who is repeatedly taken in by the same trick, despite knowing full well it’s a ploy. I found that implausible. I also felt the epilogue was weak. However, none of these things kept me from enjoying the novel. It’s a solid page-turner that will keep you guessing at who--or what--will survive until the end.
bookie-monster.com
In the horror genre, many authors try for something new and different, something with a twist to surprise their readers. But when it comes right down to it, tales of good vs. evil have scared us for hundreds of years. Why mess with a good thing? Sam Best offers up a tale of ancient evil that delivers a reminder of why we should fear the monsters under the bed.
The setting is the idyllic Colorado town of Falling Rock. The tourists are leaving and the locals are getting ready for the long. cold winter. Ben Howard returns to his family home with his daughter, Annabelle to start a new life after his wife’s death. We meet the rest of the town’s residents and see that not everything is as it seems. The foundations are laid for the escalating horrors that await us. The characters are engaging and well-rounded, with plenty of back story to gain insight into their motivations.
Tommy Bridges knows there’s a monster under his bed. Four-year-old Annabelle Howard is making friends with wolves in the back yard. There’s a fire burning in a black pit near The Last Valley Church and it’s growing every day. The police are ignoring warnings from the church’s pastor, who urges them to evacuate the town. The population is thinning and it’s not because the tourists are heading home for the season. Something’s in the woods, and only one man is truly prepared for what is coming.
When a school girl is abducted from the woods outside the playground, be prepared for evil unleashed. Ben, his family, and the local police chase false leads, dead ends, and creatures that evoke images straight out of a Hieronymus Bosch nightmare. The action is tense and well-paced, with scenes that play out almost cinematically. The author gives you just enough time to catch your breath and let it all soak in before diving into the next blood-soaked tableau.
I recommend this book for readers who like classic supernatural horror stories, complete with unlikely heroes, self-serving villains, blood, gore, and depraved hellspawn. My complaints are few. Some of the character backgrounds are a bit too wordy, and I found myself skipping some paragraphs that didn't seem relevant. Without giving spoilers, there’s a character who is repeatedly taken in by the same trick, despite knowing full well it’s a ploy. I found that implausible. I also felt the epilogue was weak. However, none of these things kept me from enjoying the novel. It’s a solid page-turner that will keep you guessing at who--or what--will survive until the end.
bookie-monster.com
March 28, 2013
"The Woods Have Eyes"
This story by Author Sam Best starts slowly introducing characters and their backgrounds. It then rapidly turns into a dark suspense that keeps you riveted. Falling Creek, Colorado, a small town, is barely hanging on. Most of the residents are born and raised in this quiet town, which hardly needs a police force. Ben Howard and his four-year old daughter, Annabelle, are moving back to this town where he was raised after his wife was tragically killed in an automobile accident. He's always wanted to return to this town of peacefulness and restore his parents home. Karen Rainer is a deputy sheriff only out of the academy for ten months. It was two months before she got to make her first arrest. Moses St. Croix is pastor of The Last Valley Church whom many of the townspeople believe to be eccentric. For example, he walks into town, stops at the one and only tavern and approaches Karen and her fellow law enforcers sitting at a table. He issues them a warning that the town needs to be evacuated. They just smile and are further convinced of the pastor's insanity. Not so! This is an apocalyptic story of evil. It is well written, has compelling characters who are well defined, and the story is well written. It is very haunting and very scary. But...I will continue reading his stories which are cleverly honed. I highly recommend this story for horror loving fans.
This story by Author Sam Best starts slowly introducing characters and their backgrounds. It then rapidly turns into a dark suspense that keeps you riveted. Falling Creek, Colorado, a small town, is barely hanging on. Most of the residents are born and raised in this quiet town, which hardly needs a police force. Ben Howard and his four-year old daughter, Annabelle, are moving back to this town where he was raised after his wife was tragically killed in an automobile accident. He's always wanted to return to this town of peacefulness and restore his parents home. Karen Rainer is a deputy sheriff only out of the academy for ten months. It was two months before she got to make her first arrest. Moses St. Croix is pastor of The Last Valley Church whom many of the townspeople believe to be eccentric. For example, he walks into town, stops at the one and only tavern and approaches Karen and her fellow law enforcers sitting at a table. He issues them a warning that the town needs to be evacuated. They just smile and are further convinced of the pastor's insanity. Not so! This is an apocalyptic story of evil. It is well written, has compelling characters who are well defined, and the story is well written. It is very haunting and very scary. But...I will continue reading his stories which are cleverly honed. I highly recommend this story for horror loving fans.
October 22, 2012
Review of Hello Darkness by Sam Best
Horror as it should be: implacable, juggernaut, inescapable. Horror that is and was and will be, world without end-or rather world-ending-is the category in this engrossing novel.
Who wouldn’t want to live in Falling Rock, Colorado: one hundred population year-round, a number which swells greatly during the annual festival-quiet, friendly, surrounded by nature-hike in the woods, climb Mt. Hodge, attend church in the valley. Or come face to face with an unstoppable, shape-changing horror never before seen or imagined?
Ben Howard lost his wife Marissa a year ago to an unavoidable vehicular accident. His grief at her death is entwined with his guilt as the driver, and at not being able to rescue her in time from the icy lake. But Ben has a daughter, Annabelle, who’s only four, so he must get a grip on life and raise her the very best he can. He and the precocious child return to his home town of Falling Rock, to the home his father built in the forest. Little could Ben realize that remaining in Baltimore and wallowing in grief would have been preferable to what waits for him in Falling Rock.
I read this very smoothly written and fascinating novel in one setting, and am eager to read more by author Sam Best. Excellent!
The author provided me with an e-book version in return for my provision of a fair and impartial review.
Horror as it should be: implacable, juggernaut, inescapable. Horror that is and was and will be, world without end-or rather world-ending-is the category in this engrossing novel.
Who wouldn’t want to live in Falling Rock, Colorado: one hundred population year-round, a number which swells greatly during the annual festival-quiet, friendly, surrounded by nature-hike in the woods, climb Mt. Hodge, attend church in the valley. Or come face to face with an unstoppable, shape-changing horror never before seen or imagined?
Ben Howard lost his wife Marissa a year ago to an unavoidable vehicular accident. His grief at her death is entwined with his guilt as the driver, and at not being able to rescue her in time from the icy lake. But Ben has a daughter, Annabelle, who’s only four, so he must get a grip on life and raise her the very best he can. He and the precocious child return to his home town of Falling Rock, to the home his father built in the forest. Little could Ben realize that remaining in Baltimore and wallowing in grief would have been preferable to what waits for him in Falling Rock.
I read this very smoothly written and fascinating novel in one setting, and am eager to read more by author Sam Best. Excellent!
The author provided me with an e-book version in return for my provision of a fair and impartial review.
February 25, 2014
About once a year, I find myself in the mood for a scary book, although I find that I'm usually disappointed with such books. Not wanting to waste my money, I decided to read this free Kindle download over the weekend. This one, I found, is pretty well written. It sucked me in right away, and the characters are well rounded (not completely clueless or flat as they often are in books of this genre). Even the preacher was portrayed in a believable, balanced way, which is also rare in many books and movies. If you like horror stories, Sam Best spins a good yarn about an "apocalyptic demon" who descends upon a small Colorado town. Not life-changing, but certainly an entertaining read requiring very little thought, which is just what I needed.
November 10, 2012
I got this book as a free download and I loved it. Horror as it should be. This is a well written book with characters you care about in a struggle over Good versus Evil. Its definitely not a place I want to move too. It had me scared in all the right places and I was unable to put it down. A must read for anybody who loves a good scary book. I can't wait to see what Sam Best will come up with next.
November 19, 2012
When Ben returns to his childhood home of Falling Rocks, he was looking forward to settling into small town living with his young daughter. But Hell has other plans. If you like Stephen King or Dean Koontz, you’ll love Sam Best’s Hello Darkness. Tensely written, this story kept me breathless in some scenes. I WAS on the edge pretty much throughout and had to stop reading it close to bed time, or else… Highly recommended.
November 3, 2016
Good read but the ending is weird
This novel of evil consuming a town in Colorado has a pretty good plot and believable characters-both living and dead. The glimpses of the evil in demon form is scary and because of all that, I recommend the book.
The ending seems so rushed and unsatisfying. It doesn't even attempt any explanation to wrap the book up. A different , more detailed ending would have made this so much better.
This novel of evil consuming a town in Colorado has a pretty good plot and believable characters-both living and dead. The glimpses of the evil in demon form is scary and because of all that, I recommend the book.
The ending seems so rushed and unsatisfying. It doesn't even attempt any explanation to wrap the book up. A different , more detailed ending would have made this so much better.
October 23, 2016
Lacks depth, characterization, suspense. Reads like a made-for-TV monster movie. Characters are introduced and then never seen again. Obvious bad guy is obvious. All sensible police procedure is trampled upon. Maybe with a rewrite and judicious editing, it could be halfway decent.
November 19, 2016
Great read!!
Pages-turner... couldn't put it down. I liked all the characters. The story was well-paced, and developed with care. The ending was appropriate and logical. I hope to read more from this author.
Pages-turner... couldn't put it down. I liked all the characters. The story was well-paced, and developed with care. The ending was appropriate and logical. I hope to read more from this author.
January 8, 2017
Totally decent. Earlier in the book there seemed to be some awkward or clichéd phrasing, but as it went along it seemed to acquire its own voice, and with that, some confident writing.
An interesting take on the ol' demon stories...
An interesting take on the ol' demon stories...
July 9, 2017
“Two wide windows, one on each side of the front door, gave the appearance of open eyes staring back at them.”
August 15, 2015
Very good
Good story definitely thought it was a scary story. Was interesting all the way through. Keep up the good work.
Good story definitely thought it was a scary story. Was interesting all the way through. Keep up the good work.
October 22, 2016
Very enjoyable read
Pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth the read. A few questions were left unanswered, but it didn't detract from the story. Recommended.
Pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth the read. A few questions were left unanswered, but it didn't detract from the story. Recommended.
December 1, 2016
This was pretty freaky, but it left me with unanswered questions.
April 29, 2017
Hello Darkness was a very pleasant surprise, I didn't know what the expect from this random grab but I am happy that I gave this a shot.
I am a simple man, a monster in the woods terrorizing a small town, I'm in. The story was fast paced and well written, based in the small town of Falling Rock, Colorado. Starting with a trickle of strange events and people disappearing, eventually leading to a deluge of monster fighting and monster chasing. The story was set up in a great way, little events happening here and there to get you really interested to find out was exactly is causing them.
Talking about what is causing them, the monster itself is creative and imaginative. The description that Sam Best uses for the monster is as disturbing as it is detailed. What I really loved was the powers it had and how it was using them to get people to fall into its trap. Nothing worse than a monster that lowers your guard with a vision of a dead loved one only to smile in your face before chomping your face off. The only disappointing thing about it was its origins, I do think that where the monster came from was plain, I was hoping for something more intricate especially after how much thought went into the monster's design.
Due to the fast pace of the story, there wasn't much in the way of character development. I understand why, this is a horror novel so that would naturally have less. The story jumps from a few different characters throughout the book, we get to know them very little, but to be honest it didn't really bother me because the way the story was written it wasn't the most important thing. I mention it only because I am a fan of some good old character development and if a book can make me not care about it as much, it has to be good.
I definitely recommend this book, it is creative and very well written. After reading this I think I'm going to look more into this Sam Best guy, see what else he's been up to.
I am a simple man, a monster in the woods terrorizing a small town, I'm in. The story was fast paced and well written, based in the small town of Falling Rock, Colorado. Starting with a trickle of strange events and people disappearing, eventually leading to a deluge of monster fighting and monster chasing. The story was set up in a great way, little events happening here and there to get you really interested to find out was exactly is causing them.
Talking about what is causing them, the monster itself is creative and imaginative. The description that Sam Best uses for the monster is as disturbing as it is detailed. What I really loved was the powers it had and how it was using them to get people to fall into its trap. Nothing worse than a monster that lowers your guard with a vision of a dead loved one only to smile in your face before chomping your face off. The only disappointing thing about it was its origins, I do think that where the monster came from was plain, I was hoping for something more intricate especially after how much thought went into the monster's design.
Due to the fast pace of the story, there wasn't much in the way of character development. I understand why, this is a horror novel so that would naturally have less. The story jumps from a few different characters throughout the book, we get to know them very little, but to be honest it didn't really bother me because the way the story was written it wasn't the most important thing. I mention it only because I am a fan of some good old character development and if a book can make me not care about it as much, it has to be good.
I definitely recommend this book, it is creative and very well written. After reading this I think I'm going to look more into this Sam Best guy, see what else he's been up to.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews