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The Playroom: A Horror Novel
John Carpenter's
The Thing
meets
Se7en
or
House of 1000 Corpses
.
What lurks in the cabin in these dark, South Georgia woods? More importantly, what lurks beneath the cabin? Two cops go in alive. One - or none - will come back out.
On a backwoods road in Middle Georgia, two small-town cops sneak out for a midnight drink. Bill is the LJPD's grizzled vet, Jason his rookie counterpart. The plan is to relax and shoot the bull until their shift is over.
However, their plans get derailed when a young woman, naked and bloodied, runs screaming into the glow of their cruiser's headlights. She's wild-eyed and frantic, and she's got a horrifying story to tell. It's not that they don't believe her. It's just that it's...unbelievable.
She leads them to a spot in the nearby woods they've never visited before. No one has, really. And what they find out there will defy all understanding.
Survival becomes the operative word as they discover the secret to what lurks beyond the trees, behind the county line and inside the playroom.
What lurks in the cabin in these dark, South Georgia woods? More importantly, what lurks beneath the cabin? Two cops go in alive. One - or none - will come back out.
On a backwoods road in Middle Georgia, two small-town cops sneak out for a midnight drink. Bill is the LJPD's grizzled vet, Jason his rookie counterpart. The plan is to relax and shoot the bull until their shift is over.
However, their plans get derailed when a young woman, naked and bloodied, runs screaming into the glow of their cruiser's headlights. She's wild-eyed and frantic, and she's got a horrifying story to tell. It's not that they don't believe her. It's just that it's...unbelievable.
She leads them to a spot in the nearby woods they've never visited before. No one has, really. And what they find out there will defy all understanding.
Survival becomes the operative word as they discover the secret to what lurks beyond the trees, behind the county line and inside the playroom.
Audible Audio
Published September 9, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 20, 2023
2.5 rounded up to 3.
Hmmmm… the blurb is NOT what this book is about. I was expecting a sinister crime novel about a serial killer/kidnapper abducting poor women and taking them to his playroom… nowhere from the blurb did I expect to end up reading a book about an alien centipede and hive mind body invasions and a mothership below the town that is threatening to take over the world… wtf! Characterisation was great but what a genre bend about a 3rd of the way into the novel… complete false advertising!
Hmmmm… the blurb is NOT what this book is about. I was expecting a sinister crime novel about a serial killer/kidnapper abducting poor women and taking them to his playroom… nowhere from the blurb did I expect to end up reading a book about an alien centipede and hive mind body invasions and a mothership below the town that is threatening to take over the world… wtf! Characterisation was great but what a genre bend about a 3rd of the way into the novel… complete false advertising!
November 12, 2022
There were parts of this book that really resonated with me, but there is a " torture porn" aspect ( think Saw and Hostel movies) that while achieving their goal of disturbing the reader, were just not my thing.
October 26, 2022
This book contained multiple spelling and grammar errors. Normally I can overlook them but there were just too many here. The story was just too slow and unbelievable for me. One of the few books ever that I dnf. Stopped at 19%.
April 11, 2022
Wildly imaginative! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very unique and twisted plot. Vivid descriptions. This was a fast-paced, interesting read, that I found I did not want to put down! Kept me glued to the pages from the first page to the last.
April 16, 2022
Painful
I struggled to read this book. I read as far as page,24 and had to pack it in.I felt it was written by an 8 year old except for the atrocious bad, fowl language used in it. The story was very drawn out and written in childlike words. It is a load of rubbish and not worth the effort of opening. I'm only sorry I had to give the book one star in order to leave a review. So not worth one star
I struggled to read this book. I read as far as page,24 and had to pack it in.I felt it was written by an 8 year old except for the atrocious bad, fowl language used in it. The story was very drawn out and written in childlike words. It is a load of rubbish and not worth the effort of opening. I'm only sorry I had to give the book one star in order to leave a review. So not worth one star
July 24, 2023
I read this as part of a book club and honestly wanted to DNF the whole time. Aliens, mutant spiders, rape, time travel, body travel - there was around 20 stories all at the same time and they didn’t link together at all. The book had so many typos and sentences that didn’t make sense. Also the writing style felt very juvenile - not for me I’m afraid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2022
wasted my time
This book started out good and then went in 109 directions- mostly downhill.
Absolutely ridiculous!
Nothing made sense and it was almost hastily written. Lots of typos.
This book started out good and then went in 109 directions- mostly downhill.
Absolutely ridiculous!
Nothing made sense and it was almost hastily written. Lots of typos.
November 8, 2022
Awful
This was a total waste of time, jumps around constantly and it never comes to a conclusion . I did not like any of it. And it was distu. rbing to the point you wonder about the author.
This was a total waste of time, jumps around constantly and it never comes to a conclusion . I did not like any of it. And it was distu. rbing to the point you wonder about the author.
July 6, 2023
Book started off ok, proceeded to get worse, and then ended up being downright terrible.
Full of "twists" that didn't make any sense in the scope of things.
So many typing and grammatical errors that it was genuinely painful at times.
Full of "twists" that didn't make any sense in the scope of things.
So many typing and grammatical errors that it was genuinely painful at times.
October 23, 2019
Total page-turner with twists you won't see coming. If you like Stephen King, then you will love The Playroom!
October 12, 2022
Garbage
November 4, 2023
Misspellings and miss use of words. Thin story with completely unbelievable choices and characters. Gave up at 20% and looked up reviews with spoilers. So so glad I quit.
January 31, 2025
I don’t know how I really feel about this book because although I found the plot somewhat interesting, I was left with several questions unanswered. In addition, I found it a bit slow, with all the stream-of-consciousness a bit tiring at times.
The story is very gripping at first, but the change of genres along the way failed to deliver completely for me. The book starts as a horror (serial killer subgenre), then it becomes a sci-fi/horror (creature feature) veering into the paranormal as well, and maybe bizarro too? I did feel lost at times to be fair.
The narrator of the audiobook Tom Sleeker did a good job with both the story and the characters and, although the novel didn’t fully hit the spot for me, I believe others would enjoy it.
Thanks to the author for the audiobook and this is my honest opinion.
The story is very gripping at first, but the change of genres along the way failed to deliver completely for me. The book starts as a horror (serial killer subgenre), then it becomes a sci-fi/horror (creature feature) veering into the paranormal as well, and maybe bizarro too? I did feel lost at times to be fair.
The narrator of the audiobook Tom Sleeker did a good job with both the story and the characters and, although the novel didn’t fully hit the spot for me, I believe others would enjoy it.
Thanks to the author for the audiobook and this is my honest opinion.
July 9, 2023
It was almost too dark to read for me. There was an interesting plot for a while, but soon I found myself a bit confused and really disturbed. This is a new author for me, so now that I know the writing style I will probably avoid his books in the future. It's just not for me. And the spelling and grammatical errors did start to annoy me after a while.
June 27, 2024
Different kind of story
It took me while to finish. I would say the book is creepy and terror story I just read. I didn't expect some extreme scenes in book pretty good book
It took me while to finish. I would say the book is creepy and terror story I just read. I didn't expect some extreme scenes in book pretty good book
May 20, 2025
Wtf did I just read? If they had just stuck to crime and not changed it to some evil alien centipede thing it would have been a much better book. There were also way too many grammar and spelling errors for my personal liking. I don’t leave alot of reviews but this was bad enough I felt like I needed to.
August 22, 2023
This book.
I want to just say before we go any further, I'm a horror girlie-- I've worked in the haunt community for years, when I say it's my livelihood I'm serious-- so this has nothing to do me being too “sensitive” for horror and everything to do with this book just not knowing what it wants to be.
It starts out as seemingly a slasher/splatterpunk/horror. Okay, I'm with you. It took a dragging long time to get moving and I nearly stopped. Then it was dropping hints with the subtlety of a sledgehammer-- so it takes you out of the story and you're like “okay so don't trust the victim.” Cool.
Then it turns into a sci-fi novel? Horror sci-fi to be more specific. Which isn't a problem, some of my fav movies are horror sci fi. But it just didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.
The whole violence against women in the novel also seemed like a novelty-- once you brought in the sci fi/alien element it then became totally unnecessary and contributed nothing to the plot. You could've taken out the whole “serial killer” element and had the same outcome.
For me it was poorly paced, jarring, and didn't know what kinda book it really wanted to be.
I want to just say before we go any further, I'm a horror girlie-- I've worked in the haunt community for years, when I say it's my livelihood I'm serious-- so this has nothing to do me being too “sensitive” for horror and everything to do with this book just not knowing what it wants to be.
It starts out as seemingly a slasher/splatterpunk/horror. Okay, I'm with you. It took a dragging long time to get moving and I nearly stopped. Then it was dropping hints with the subtlety of a sledgehammer-- so it takes you out of the story and you're like “okay so don't trust the victim.” Cool.
Then it turns into a sci-fi novel? Horror sci-fi to be more specific. Which isn't a problem, some of my fav movies are horror sci fi. But it just didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.
The whole violence against women in the novel also seemed like a novelty-- once you brought in the sci fi/alien element it then became totally unnecessary and contributed nothing to the plot. You could've taken out the whole “serial killer” element and had the same outcome.
For me it was poorly paced, jarring, and didn't know what kinda book it really wanted to be.
November 26, 2022
Ok, there were some grammatical errors in a few places, but overall, I thought the story was fun! When we got to the alien bugs, I rolled my eyes and felt a bit disappointed. However, Wallace Henry kept the story interesting. The writing style is easy to read and the fast pace had the story moving right along. I read this book within two days and enjoyed the storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2023
Have you ever met someone who Looks SUPER cool and then you find out they have the ick? The skeleton of this plot had potential. The bone structure was good. However, Wallace gave us too much from the start. There were so many opportunities that he could have used to build suspense but he just gave us everything.
October 22, 2019
Mediocre
All I kept thinking through out the first 3 chapters was "get to the point already!". Then I gave up.
All I kept thinking through out the first 3 chapters was "get to the point already!". Then I gave up.
October 23, 2019
Sleeping with the lights on tonight! Fabulous!!
May 12, 2023
“He said he didn’t want to play anymore. He said I had to go in the hole. He said they were waiting for me.”
Rookie police officer Jason Willard and his older, more aggressive partner Bill Jenson are about to turn an ordinary patrol into a nightmare set on blood. Traveling through the backwoods of rural Georgia, Bills determined to reach the Lake to enjoy a few shots of whiskey to call hiz anger and aching hearts over the loss of his wife Eunice after she found a new lover and left him in the dirt. Jason, just along for the ride doesn't agree with his partners downward spiral into alcoholism, yet the matter is entirely from his control. As a nude and injured woman runs into the direct path of the patrol vehicle, both men are horrified by her leering smile and the blood that coated every inch of her body. As they load her into the back of the car, the scent of putird flesh and gasoline infects the car, as she tells the tale of the madman who kidnapped her and sis unspeakable physical and sexual horrors onto her. Telling them of the countless photos of previous woman who laid victim to "The Trucker" and his ruthless female assistant, they dins it hard to believe she escaped and survived at all. Making the foolish decision to split up; Bill entering the shack alone while Jason brings her back to the police station, will leave the cops isolated and falling directly into a demonic plan. Feeling her nails.peibe the back of his head, Jason is plagued with headaches while he brings her to the station. Upon arrival, everyone seems a little bit off, with the sadistic grins spread on their faces. When nobody could prove the woman was in custody any longer, the nightmare begins unfolding with the officers who's body's were snatched and filled with an alien matter that controlled them. Meanwhile, Bill encounters a horribly mangled woman, the assistant of The Trucker, complete with the claw hammer used on her. Shockingly she's still alive and manages to swing on his once before escaping into the neighboring woods. Missing her jaw and half her face, she's mangled beyond recognition, but was leading him directly into a trap. As the Trucker gets a hold of Bill and begins the sexual torment of him, he can only pray backup and Jason will soon arrive.
We all must go below. We all must go below.
After Jason begins backtracking through his life, he realizes he's seen these eyes and smile before in the old man from his childhood. The man with the black and lifeless pools for eyes who kidnapped and murdered Mary Anne, a young girl at the time. Unable to help her and so nothing but run, he charges from those memories the ability to fight the body snatchers. With Bill being drug underground to meet the Monster Queen, a spider.likw entity that's the size of a dinosaur, Jason nust come back to the shack that started it all for a chance of willing the scales. As he uses his powers to harm and incapacitate rje monster, he knows in his heart the world above has xhanhed into another version of itself. An alternate reality of sorts, Bill remains dead and Jason begins to accept his new reality. One where everyone he knows and loves is a body snatchers host, and he's still him but keeping that a secret.
She giggled. “I bet he’d feed y’all to the darkness, too.” Jason glanced back at her, and he could swear she was smiling. But she wasn’t grinning, not like he believed she was. No, she was bleeding. A thin red liquid was dribbling freely from her parted lips, staining the front of the blanket they’d wrapped around her. She didn’t even seem to notice. She just sat there, eyes twinkling, mouth open, as the darkening pool spread all around her.
Rookie police officer Jason Willard and his older, more aggressive partner Bill Jenson are about to turn an ordinary patrol into a nightmare set on blood. Traveling through the backwoods of rural Georgia, Bills determined to reach the Lake to enjoy a few shots of whiskey to call hiz anger and aching hearts over the loss of his wife Eunice after she found a new lover and left him in the dirt. Jason, just along for the ride doesn't agree with his partners downward spiral into alcoholism, yet the matter is entirely from his control. As a nude and injured woman runs into the direct path of the patrol vehicle, both men are horrified by her leering smile and the blood that coated every inch of her body. As they load her into the back of the car, the scent of putird flesh and gasoline infects the car, as she tells the tale of the madman who kidnapped her and sis unspeakable physical and sexual horrors onto her. Telling them of the countless photos of previous woman who laid victim to "The Trucker" and his ruthless female assistant, they dins it hard to believe she escaped and survived at all. Making the foolish decision to split up; Bill entering the shack alone while Jason brings her back to the police station, will leave the cops isolated and falling directly into a demonic plan. Feeling her nails.peibe the back of his head, Jason is plagued with headaches while he brings her to the station. Upon arrival, everyone seems a little bit off, with the sadistic grins spread on their faces. When nobody could prove the woman was in custody any longer, the nightmare begins unfolding with the officers who's body's were snatched and filled with an alien matter that controlled them. Meanwhile, Bill encounters a horribly mangled woman, the assistant of The Trucker, complete with the claw hammer used on her. Shockingly she's still alive and manages to swing on his once before escaping into the neighboring woods. Missing her jaw and half her face, she's mangled beyond recognition, but was leading him directly into a trap. As the Trucker gets a hold of Bill and begins the sexual torment of him, he can only pray backup and Jason will soon arrive.
We all must go below. We all must go below.
After Jason begins backtracking through his life, he realizes he's seen these eyes and smile before in the old man from his childhood. The man with the black and lifeless pools for eyes who kidnapped and murdered Mary Anne, a young girl at the time. Unable to help her and so nothing but run, he charges from those memories the ability to fight the body snatchers. With Bill being drug underground to meet the Monster Queen, a spider.likw entity that's the size of a dinosaur, Jason nust come back to the shack that started it all for a chance of willing the scales. As he uses his powers to harm and incapacitate rje monster, he knows in his heart the world above has xhanhed into another version of itself. An alternate reality of sorts, Bill remains dead and Jason begins to accept his new reality. One where everyone he knows and loves is a body snatchers host, and he's still him but keeping that a secret.
She giggled. “I bet he’d feed y’all to the darkness, too.” Jason glanced back at her, and he could swear she was smiling. But she wasn’t grinning, not like he believed she was. No, she was bleeding. A thin red liquid was dribbling freely from her parted lips, staining the front of the blanket they’d wrapped around her. She didn’t even seem to notice. She just sat there, eyes twinkling, mouth open, as the darkening pool spread all around her.
November 11, 2022
It's Jack Ketchum meets Peter Clines. The author said and I quote "serial killer victims impregnated by alien parasites" and that pretty much sums up the whole book so far.
It started out as straight horror. Girl in the road. Creepy cabin in the woods, Two cops cruising the backroads. Jason, a young rookie still learning the ropes and his older, wiser, veteran partner Bill. Bill is having an existential crisis relating to his failing marriage and his burgeoning alcoholism. And then it got weird, like really weird.
I listened to this on audio so I wasn't distracted by the same errors that print readers noticed. I did notice that much of the language used is fairly simplistic and some of the phrasing is awkward but every now and then the author tosses in an homage to Tom Wolfe or has a character say something utterly profound so I suspect it's on purpose.
This is one that I requested for review from FreeAudiobooks.com so it's my own fault. To be fair I missed the part of the description where it mentioned Hannibal Lechter meeting Cthulhu so I wasn't entirely prepared when the story evolved away from crazy dude with playroom full of sex toys and power tools. The narrator does a great job. He captured the small town cop vibe pretty well.
If I had the option of half stars I would give this an overall 3.5 but I rounded up to 4.
It started out as straight horror. Girl in the road. Creepy cabin in the woods, Two cops cruising the backroads. Jason, a young rookie still learning the ropes and his older, wiser, veteran partner Bill. Bill is having an existential crisis relating to his failing marriage and his burgeoning alcoholism. And then it got weird, like really weird.
I listened to this on audio so I wasn't distracted by the same errors that print readers noticed. I did notice that much of the language used is fairly simplistic and some of the phrasing is awkward but every now and then the author tosses in an homage to Tom Wolfe or has a character say something utterly profound so I suspect it's on purpose.
This is one that I requested for review from FreeAudiobooks.com so it's my own fault. To be fair I missed the part of the description where it mentioned Hannibal Lechter meeting Cthulhu so I wasn't entirely prepared when the story evolved away from crazy dude with playroom full of sex toys and power tools. The narrator does a great job. He captured the small town cop vibe pretty well.
If I had the option of half stars I would give this an overall 3.5 but I rounded up to 4.
November 15, 2022
Thought provoking and scary good!
By: Wallace Henry
Narrated by: Tom Sleeker
Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 11-15-22
How would I best describe The Playroom? If Stranger Things started dating The Night of the Living Dead, and out of ideas for what to do for laughs on a Saturday night, the two decide to start the zombie apocalypse in a shack on a backwoods road in Middle Georgia, that would be close, but in actuality, The Playroom is really so much more! For starters, it is extremely well written and beautifully narrated, It is also violent, graphic, definitely for adults only and not for the squeamish! But beyond all that, I found it to be extremely thought provoking. Each of the two main characters are dealing with personal “baggage” for lack of a better word, and without engaging in spoilers, I found it fascinating how that came into play in the story! I can honestly say that I was completely engaged in the story and I have to admit to a definite feeling of satisfaction with how everything worked out in the end. I will definitely be looking for more from this author, Five stars! I could not stop listening!
By: Wallace Henry
Narrated by: Tom Sleeker
Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 11-15-22
How would I best describe The Playroom? If Stranger Things started dating The Night of the Living Dead, and out of ideas for what to do for laughs on a Saturday night, the two decide to start the zombie apocalypse in a shack on a backwoods road in Middle Georgia, that would be close, but in actuality, The Playroom is really so much more! For starters, it is extremely well written and beautifully narrated, It is also violent, graphic, definitely for adults only and not for the squeamish! But beyond all that, I found it to be extremely thought provoking. Each of the two main characters are dealing with personal “baggage” for lack of a better word, and without engaging in spoilers, I found it fascinating how that came into play in the story! I can honestly say that I was completely engaged in the story and I have to admit to a definite feeling of satisfaction with how everything worked out in the end. I will definitely be looking for more from this author, Five stars! I could not stop listening!
November 16, 2022
audible:I liked this book! There were parts I could have skipped.I'm not a torture fan. The main story was a very goo old school horror novel, with a twist. Two cops, heading out to ones cabin for a drink on the sly ,encounter a naked woman. They think she is a victim, but soon find out they have been had. Humanity is the victim and time could be on our hero side. Narration by Tom Sleeker was well done. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
April 14, 2022
This was the April pick for the up a night book club on bookstagram.
This book just left me feeling like wtf did I just read? It was one of the most bizarre, creepiest and disturbing books I've ever read.
This authors imagination is wild and slightly concerning. It was fast paced and although it was crazy I couldn't put it down.
I had to give it 3 stars though just for the amount of grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes which I found so frustrating.
This book just left me feeling like wtf did I just read? It was one of the most bizarre, creepiest and disturbing books I've ever read.
This authors imagination is wild and slightly concerning. It was fast paced and although it was crazy I couldn't put it down.
I had to give it 3 stars though just for the amount of grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes which I found so frustrating.
January 3, 2023
If you had asked me after reading 20% of this book, how I reckon it might end, I would not have even been close to the right answer.
I don’t even know how to explain this, this was so beyond anything I thought it would be.
It was graphic, it made me cringe, it kept me on my toes.
Definitely reminded me of “The Thing” and “Saw” - and it also had hints of Stephen King.
Unfortunately, it had multiple spelling and grammar errors which irked me.
I don’t even know how to explain this, this was so beyond anything I thought it would be.
It was graphic, it made me cringe, it kept me on my toes.
Definitely reminded me of “The Thing” and “Saw” - and it also had hints of Stephen King.
Unfortunately, it had multiple spelling and grammar errors which irked me.
January 10, 2023
mmmm not sure what I think
Not sure what I think of this book if I'm honest!
There were several points during the story I nearly gave up reading it but something made me continue each time.
The story started off well and was your typical horror story but then it got very weird very fast and took on a sci fi aspect!
Like I say I really don't know how to feel and I'm on the fence with this book, it wasn't bad, it wasn't good but it was very very different
Not sure what I think of this book if I'm honest!
There were several points during the story I nearly gave up reading it but something made me continue each time.
The story started off well and was your typical horror story but then it got very weird very fast and took on a sci fi aspect!
Like I say I really don't know how to feel and I'm on the fence with this book, it wasn't bad, it wasn't good but it was very very different
July 22, 2023
This book surprised me a bit. For a while, I wasn’t sure where it was going exactly. I liked two narrators/characters very much. They were both tortured souls in a different way I felt sorry for. The way the story turned out in the end was not what I totally expected so this one gets up there because most horror is very predictable. Also, it unnerved me a bit. So it did it’s job.
September 21, 2023
Not great
Mediocre at best. Incoherent and disjointed. Whoever compared this to Mr. King was terribly wrong. Kept thinking it had to get better, but no.
Mediocre at best. Incoherent and disjointed. Whoever compared this to Mr. King was terribly wrong. Kept thinking it had to get better, but no.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews