Please be aware of trigger warnings for this book.
Themes of Domestic Violence.
When Maria, a domestic abuse victim, finally lays her abusive husband to rest, she believes her life of torture will be over. Jack, however, would not make things that easy for her. He sets out to remind her that he will always be in control, even in death.
Jessie, a bonafide witch, steps in to help Maria and her family be rid of his evil presence once and for all, but not all goes to plan.
Will they finally get rid of Jack, so Maria can let go of all of her trauma, and live a happy life? Or will Jack prove he will never leave them?
Oof, this one packed a punch. Coming from a very abusive upbringing, this brought up a lot for me. Even when the abuser is gone, you still feel their presence, hear their harmful words, fear their terrible actions, etc. It ingrains into your mind, body, and soul forever. And reading our lead, Maria, and her plight from Jack, all while trying to protect her son and his budding family, just left me rattled. ER Vickers did a wonderful job characterizing the trauma here. All the feelings, thoughts, and experiences were on point and woven into the plot seamlessly. And, despite a bit of a controversial ending, it was not a bad direction to take. Sometimes peace and tranquility aren't exactly what you'd assume they'd be, but you end up in a better spot than ever assumed. Just a lot to enjoy here and I am eager to see what else the author has available.
What can I say about this book other than I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself. I’m a victim of abuse and I guess for me it’s healing to read stories about abuse. For being the first book of E.R. Vickers I wanna say this was a strong and very well written story. After reading this I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store.
I actually loved this. It was a ARC for me so thank you E.R.
Now onto the good stuff.
I love to read, but I don't always feel much, but this had me feeling Alot.
I felt for Maria, mf dies and she still can't catch a break?? Not to that extreme but I know I've felt like that, you think, finally it's over, and as usual, evil never seems to die.
Loved Jessie, what can I say, kick ass bad witch? Yup.
This was something I really hadn't thought about, ive been in a abusive relationship, and I cannot imagine thinking I've finally escaped only to be hunted and haunted by this supernatural being, hell it's hard enough when they are alive to get away.
This was very well written and I highly suggest this one to others. Horror isn't always just the sinister unknown, sometimes is the monster you do know and that's what makes is scarier..
While reading this book I realized many things. First off, I cannot imagine the true terror and horror a person feels at the hands of such a monster. Many themes of horror novels are about monsters and can be quite frightening but when it is a human monster; I think the fear would be much worse. Such a person has complete control over their victim’s life. Complete control over every aspect. Second, how terribly guilt one must feel when their abuser dies, because you feel sad they died but also glad that you are free of the tyranny. Lastly, I imagine the shock when Maria realized Jack was still around, now a spirit, able to attack without forewarning. The continued terror was very well described by this author. I felt my own nerves shot as I read each page. I can only imagine the worst thing would be if no one believed you. Most people do not believe in spirits, so what would a person do then? That would be even more traumatic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
A paranormal horror that threatens to live with you forever!
After the death of her husband, Maria is finally free of his toxic ways and domestic violence, but Jack proves her wrong. He goes out of his way to torment her in spirit and even threatens her families lives. But then she meets Jessie, a wonderful witch who knows a thing or two about ghosts and evil spirits.
This story is creppy and heart breaking all in one. The character development really gets you forming emotions for the characters, and a special hatred for Jack.
Be warned, there are trigger warnings in place for domestic violence.
A fantastic debut by E. R. Vickers, and I can't wait for more of her stories.
Torment After Death follows Maria, a woman recently widowed from her abusive husband. But he isn’t willing to let her go…
This novella is a really strong debut from E. R. Vickers, with elements of psychological, occult and supernatural horror. Ghosts, witches, and domestic violence all combine to make a really engaging story that will have you gripped. To a certain extent I wish that the climactic scene had been longer so we could get a better sense of the terror the abusive husband invoked, but there are no loose ends or plot inconsistencies, and the characters are all really well developed. I really felt for Maria, her relief, grief and drive to be free really leapt off of the page. My own experiences were not to the same level as Maria, but I found her so relatable. As a debut, this novella is really strong and I’m looking forward to seeing more from E. R. Vickers!
This was a quick and catchy read! It hooks you right away and you don’t want to stop reading! This is a short book but was very well written with enough information about all characters! This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last!
Jack was always an abuser. Physically and coercively controlling his wife, Maria. His death allows her estranged son Henry to once again visit the family home. But home is as violent and disturbing as it has always been. Jack isn’t ready to let go.
A dynamic story packed with psychological torment. Maria evokes regret and the ultimate strength borne by love.
Maria thinks her life will get better after her abusive husband dies. Maria is so very wrong she feels him in the house. Will she ever be free. Emotional story of having strength and courage to stand up for yourself to face what you think is unbeatable.
This was a very emotional story. I really connected with the main character and wanted her to get away from her abusive husband. She couldn’t even get away from him in death. This is a great mix of a ghost story and an emotional drama.
This debut novel maybe small (86 pages), but it packs a punch!
It follows Maria, who has recently become a widow from her abusive husband Jack after he is killed in a car accident. She starts to get used to her newfound freedom when things start happening & it doesn't look like he is willing to let her go!
The tension & terror Jack evokes in the reader from the is second to none, counterbalance that with the love & protectiveness between mother & son & it will hit you in the feels - it made me shed a tear or two!
This novella has elements of psychological trauma, paranormal/supernatural, domestic abuse, witches, the occult & horror threads throughout resulting in a really engaging read - I devoured this within a couple hours.
Obviously with the main subject matter of abuse please be aware of your triggers before reading this book, however I feel that it is approached in a very real yet compassionate way.
Maria thinks she’s free from her abusive husband after he passes away. Relief and comfort seem to pacify her as she struggled to tell their son. Neither one of them are too bent out of shape about his passing, and it’s clear why.
Strange and dangerous things begin happening around her. Knives flying, bookcases toppling. Maria soon realizes that even in death she is not free from Jack’s abuse. So this is where I am thinking “okay I know what’s going to happen.” I did not know what was going to happen, at all!
Jesse and Maria meet by chance and Maria just feels compelled to unfurl her suspicions that her deceased husband is somehow tormenting her from death. I’m glad she did because the introduction of Jesse, a witch, was brilliant.
I loved this novella, it’s on KU and it’s under 100 pages. It’s Women In Horror month too. So you’ve got no reason not to read it!
I will go over yr shadow by witch by faith by ditramin i will chang turma of yr abuse past my gardin will be new have new seed i will over yr killing my flower i will hunt any thow about y and wash it never be y again my soul dream nt for coven yr abuse was tomp closed i will be ther for it i will nt shed any tears enugh i will bath freely by sunshine clear y nt in my pic wall i will paint my wall whit closed tomp
Dark and disturbing. Wow talk about a survivor's worst nightmare. It isn't bad enough that he tortured her in life he had to do so in death too. Tears were flowing from my eyes at the ending, so heartbreaking. At least Jess can still talk to her friend. Read your triggers for this one.
A debut novel, albeit a short novella, centred around the horror of domestic violence is a brave move. E.R.Vickers tackles this subject very well and it's a great example of how horrors aren't always about beasts, and fictional monsters. Sometimes they are sharing our beds.
The protagonist Maria finally thinks she's escaped the evil clutches of her abusive husband when she buries him. For anyone else that would be correct. Except he has other ideas and even from beyond the grave is able to continue to torment her.
I flew this novella and my only real critique was the book was far too short. I really can't wait to see what the author writes next!