TRAPPED!: A Historical Horror Spy Thriller: Unlikely Allies Against an Army of Werevolks!

by Richard D. Bailey

Chaos erupts at Howling Manor as rival spies clash, werevolks prowl, and twisted experiments come to lethal life. Survival means unraveling the truth. Fast!

In the ominous shadows of 1930s pre-World War II espionage, the brilliant yet deranged Dr. Volkov has unleashed a terrifying unstoppable army of genetically enhanced werewolf supersoldiers. He seeks to overthrow governments around the world and establish his twisted New World Order. But an unlikely group of heroes must put aside their countries' differences and work together to confront this monstrous threat.
Trapped within the confines of Volkov's menacing Howling Manor, this motley crew of a vengeful Soviet spy huntress, a clueless FBI agent, a glamorous Australian bounty hunter, an ambitious Nazi officer, and a klutzy Japanese detective must navigate a web of secrets, traps, and gruesome experiments. As they race to uncover Volkov's plans and stop his army of werevolks, they face an impossible Destroy the serum and its knowledge to stop the madman from destroying the world or risk giving it to their governments who could use its power to dominate the world.

Bailey delights with his plot twists, fanciful descriptions, and colorfully woven images of a world under siege by alien critters and their handlers. Will the heroes survive? I'm not telling, so get this cliffhanger to find out the ending -- Hawaii Ellen (Customer Review)

Will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. This book has it all! And yes, there are vampires too, for you Dracula fans!

Perfect for fans of dark, high-stakes thrillers, " Trapped! " blends gothic horror, espionage, and heart-pounding action, delivering an unputdownable page-turner.

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Richard D. Bailey is a mango-fueled word alchemist whose teen sci-fi obsession warped his brain into a personal gravity well. He now crafts high-octane adventures from Hawaii, where he hikes, snorkels, battles rising rent with word counts, and "studies" the confluence of Mai Tai recipes and UFOs.

Reviews

[Natalie Blank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trapped is a fast paced historical horror that revolves around several remarkable people as they try to stop Dr. Volkov from taking over the world. He has created a serum that turns people into “werevolks.” I was lured into the story immediately and enjoyed the humor, pacing, and transitions. I enjoyed how we got to see certain situations from different characters points of view. However, at times I had to re read the dialogue because of the multiple dialectics. It was a bit distracting but I appreciated the diverse cast and all the interesting skills and twists each character brought. I also liked how real life events from the 1930s were incorporated into the storyline. I also felt terrible for the children being experimented on - so even though there’s a lot of action and humor, there is still emotion to be felt. If you’re looking for a fun read you can devour in a few days, check out Trapped!

[RK Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the MAGA-Germany joke for me!

It was really difficult for me NOT to see this story as an allegory for the nuclear age with the werevolk being the weapons themselves and the children that Silverman, Russakova, Diane, Norobu and Kleiss were trying to save being representatives of us all. I was on the edge of my seat when Silverman met Kleiss! and Dr. V was like a Bond villain with almost Boris/Natasha-caliber comic touches “I’m a man of my word, but which word?” Fun AND scary at the same time!

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, thrilling blend of action and comedy

Set in the 1930s, full of interesting period details as well as speculative horror, Trapped! is a fun and fast-paced read that balances both the light and dark side of genetic mutation. “Werevolks” as they’re called here are part of an experiment to evoke global domination, at the helm of the notorious Dr. V, who as my favorite character throughout the book, as a calm, menacing presence. His dialogue really stood out. I also personally thought that the dialects in the story were done well—not overdone, but added enough flavor to the story to give it that Transylvania feel.

Counterbalancing Dr. V. are the aggressive Agore and the straight-shooting Agent Silverman and feisty Diane Dare. Each new chapter in the early portions of the book present us with a new character into whose hands the serum for creating the superarmy might land, and each are over-the-top characters you wouldn’t want ruling the world. Overall the book presents larger-than-life characters who stand out even after finishing the book.

The book gives nods to other paranormal myths as well, mainly as a vehicle for humor. The audience for this book might range somewhere between pre-teen and new adult. A lot of the humor comes from the narrator, and is geared toward that age range.

As a quick read, one where the action starts from the first pages, this is one to consider on a dreary October night.

[M.J. Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trapped! is a fast paced historical horror story that is actually filled with a lot of humor. Set in the pre-world war two years of the 1930's, the author has brought together an interesting collection of heros all trying to stop the evil villian, Dr. Volkov. Some actually want to abscond with his magic serum that turns humans into "werevolk." Others want to rescue the kidnapped orphans the mad scientist is using in his experiments. But, whatever the various motivations might be, they find they must work together to escape with their lives.
The story is action packed and moves quickly. There is a lot of tongue in cheek humor throughout. My only criticisms would be that the multiple dialects being used, and splashes of foreign words, tended to interrupt the flow, and there were several times where the reader had to suspend all notions of reality.
Recommended for young teens as the horror isn't too horrific.

[Sally A · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRAPPED!: A Historical Horror Spy Thriller: Unlikely Allies Against an Army of Werevolks! By Richard D Bailey is a clever, funny, fast-paced action thriller almost entirely set in Howling Manor, home to the evil Dr. Volkov and his goons, Agore and Mansur, who have been kidnapping orphaned children off the streets of Boston to use in experiments with the doctor’s highly sought after wolfbane serum. The story is set in the 1930s a few years before the outbreak of World War II and the story follows various would-be rescuers or investigators – an FBI agent, Australian bounty hunter, Japanese detective, Nazi soldier and Russian female assassin – all entering Howling Manor and fighting the horrors and evils inside! It’s a fun thriller, not too gory so perfect for middle schoolers and up. The individual chapter titles are fun, and there is lots of humour throughout. It’s a zany read, well worth trying.

[Matt Mememaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trapped! is a fast-paced historical horror story with a little bit of humor thrown in for good measure. It is set in the 1930s before World War Two, the author has brought together a diverse group of heroes all attempting to thwart the evil villain, Dr. Volkov. Some are after his magic serum that turns people into the terrifying "werevolk," while others are trying to save the kidnapped orphans used in his experiments. Let’s see how that plays out, shall we? Despite their different motivations, they must be able to band together in order to survive. Their differing motivations can also lead to a little bit of tension amongst the group which makes for a good story. There is plenty of action in Trapped and the story moves along at a good pace. There is also plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout. Recommended for young teens as the horror elements are not too intense or distasteful.

[H.D. Logic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author Richard D. Bailey's "Trapped! A Historical Horror Spy Thriller: Unlikely Allies Against an Army of Werevolks!" is a book as fun as its title. For truth in advertising, I'd still retitle it a bit: "Trapped! A Historical Horror COMEDY Spy Thriller: Unlikely Allies Against an Army of Werevolks!" but that is just me.

It's the 1930s and the Soviets, Germans, Americans, and Werevolks can't seem to get along. "Hitler has made Germany great again!" Everyone wants their piece of Earth. Intrigue ensues. Magic serum is involved.

In this fantasy recount, a few oddities have occurred to Folks and Werevolks alike: their "Pale colorless eyes glittered" and their "white skin glowed dully." There's lots of exclamation points, and that's just in the title!

The result is a mostly fun lark through about 8 different genres. The parts that are your preferred genre are likely to click.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was interested from the cover and so glad I was able to read this, it was able to blend the horror and historical elements in a way that worked. I enjoyed the way Richard D Bailey wrote this and was hooked from the first page, it didn't let go until the end. The characters had that supernatural feel that I wanted and was glad I read this with them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Myra McCulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A free book from Voracious Readers thank you

A spy thriller with a different style. I found the characters amusing with their idiosyncrasies almost like a plot from a super hero comic.

Our characters are superheros and survivors of Howling Manor and the horrors within.

[Eric]

Werevolks and Count Catcula

Review at MonsterBookClub