Playing Hooky

by Jessica Gleason

Fear can spring forth from the most unlikely of places.
Professors Micah and Ryan ditch out on another boring faculty in-service and head to a local bar for a little day drinking. When bodies start dropping and an oppressive wind storm sweeps into town, they find themselves trapped in the bar for the long haul with a small group of terrified patrons and an attractive headstrong bartender.
As time runs out, and hope is wearing thin, the group needs to decide whether to wait for rescue or face the malevolent hungry winds.

Genres: Novella, Horror

158 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2025

About the author

Jessica Gleason finds writing horror therapeutic. So, she puts her nightmares to paper for your enjoyment. As a Hawaiian-Italian, she often draws from her cultural background and lived experience to bring occult-flavored and slasheriffic horror to life. If you look hard enough, you can catch her singing hair metal karaoke somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee. Her daytime persona is a college professor in the American Midwest. Jessica's recent releases include “Playing Hooky” (Unnerving Books), and “The Dangerous Miss Ventriloquist” (Evil Cookie Publishing). Follow her on Instagram or Threads (@j.g.writes), where she hosts the #WeWriteHorror challenge.

https://jgwrites.carrd.co

Reviews

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrible wind has blown into town, and the bodies start to pile up.

I really liked the idea of this story, but struggled a bit with some of the dialogue, plot points, transitions, etc.

Jessica has created a story that does have some interesting characters along with some very wild and splattery scenes.

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I read this book? Yes, several times now. Do I think you should read it? Also, yes. 😂

[Ian Gielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a unique story and lots of gore, this story packs a punch.

Professors Micah and Ryan are in a bar, skipping a faculty meeting when a malevolent force arrives in the form of a chaotic storm of wind. The book diverges from the main characters to explore others who are trapped in the storm at different points during it and I found it refreshing that there are a mix of likeable and unlikeable characters involved.
The death's are satisfyingly gruesome and the story ends in an unexpected way.

Definitely worth checking out!.

[Jay Warrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy and gross. Another fun read from this author.

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite parts about going into books blind is “guessing” what I’m getting myself into based on the title, cover, author, etc… and then being totally wrong and still blown away by what I just read. And this was one of those times.

Weather Horror (is that a term?) usually isn’t my go to, but damn… this was a REALLY good story! Gleason pulled through every element to make a damn good read. The characters, their development, their dialogue, the back and forth chapters, the tone, the vibe, the overall story. I mean really, everything.

So hear me out, lol. If any of you watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and remember the episode where the gang gets quarantined… this is what the story reminds me of. But add supernatural weather events, a lot of death, blood and gore. A tiny bit of romance and a plot twist at the end that’ll leave your jaw dropped.

Once again, I found another five star read from Godless. And this is definitely one I recommend to all horror readers who are looking for a fast paced really good story that’s unhinged without being over the top.

[Jeff Folschinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this story comes out of the gate, hauling butt and doesn’t slow down. Be warned, once you start reading it’s going to be hard to stop as there is no logical place to do so. The story just goes on until you get to the tragic end. And I was strangely relieved that the ending didn’t have a happy resolution. As strange as it sounds, I think I would have felt robbed if it did. I like the fact that certain things just are. They are a force of nature, and it doesn’t care about your feelings, your station in life, or what rights you feel it’s impeding. Unfortunately, if you are in the middle of it, it’s just bad news for you. This is very well-written and nicely paced. I will say if intense horror stories with a tragic ending isn’t your cup of tea, you might want to pass this one up, but that being said, if you think you can take it I would highly recommend reading this book.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great book by Jessica Gleason!

The strongest wind storm blows its way into a small town, and people are dying everywhere. What is causing all of these deaths and can they be stopped?

I absolutely loved this story! It's a depressing tale where you just want anyone to survive and needing an explanation of what is going on, which definitely makes it a page turner!

The book is written very well, from the characters, to the dialogue, to the descriptions of the body gore, and I loved how it changes POVs from our main characters safe in a bar, to random individuals who are outside when the storm hits, and all the characters link to each other is some way or another.

I can't recommend this story enough! It's entertaining, gruesome, bleak, mysterious, and will definitely keep you hooked!

4/5

[Mark Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you fight the wind?

This question, from one of two teachers who skip a work convention to get drunk in a bar, sums up the dilemma in this short, sharp novella.

Jessica Gleason has a real gift in introducing characters, then killing them off in a bath of gore and dark humour. Whilst the main story revolves around a bunch of bar flies holed up trying to survive a supernatural / inter-dimensional entity, we also get to (briefly) meet a ramshackle group of locals caught up in the carnage.

If Workaholics did a Halloween episode this is what you’d get. Warped people getting their just deserts and maybe some munchee cheese!

Highly recommended.

[Norman Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book read in several months and this was a fun one - tons of graphic violence, quick read and well-written!

[J.M. Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The deaths are gruesome and you are never sure who is safe.

The story has an interesting premise with a wide range of characters.

There were some minor issues with the plot, dialogue, etc but there was enough there to keep me reading.

If you like stories filled with gore and an unexpected threat, this one's for you.

[MollyK · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 29% No. Just No.