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Family Business

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Unable to convince her husband they are ready to become parents, Erika decides to buy a puppy. She heads into rural Missouri on a day trip, following up on a lead in the classifieds, and gets more than she bargained for.

After the death of her mother, Bobbie Jean finds herself living with her aunt and uncle in the backwoods of Missouri.
But her relatives have a dark secret.
The family business.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2009

5 people are currently reading
406 people want to read

About the author

Brett Williams

365 books61 followers
A writer of fast-paced, nail-biting suspense, Brett Williams pulls no punches. Read him if you dare!


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

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5 stars
48 (39%)
4 stars
39 (31%)
3 stars
22 (18%)
2 stars
8 (6%)
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5 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen.
1,692 reviews634 followers
January 3, 2015
4 Fucking, Fucked Up Stars

WTF did I just read?

This book is dark...very dark...so dark that there were parts I just had to skim over.

But as I finished this book...I had to ask myself a question....



"Self," I said. "Why is it that I get upset and cry when something terrible happens to a dog, but I get all interested when it's a person?"

Am I fucked up? Nah, I don't think so...dogs and babies are helpless, they rely on us to take care of them and are totally innocent in the grand scheme of things.



DO NOT READ THIS BOOK...if you can't stomach some of the gruesome and horrific things that can happen in our world today.

You will cringe, you will gasp, and you will hang your head low. This book touches on the cruelty to not only animals but people, women and the innocents.

Don't expect a fairy tale or a happily ever after - there are no bright eyed bushy tailed bunnies at this ending...



And it all stems back to a "Family Business" in the backwoods.



Read at your own risk!
Profile Image for MadameD.
585 reviews56 followers
August 28, 2021
Story 4/5
Narration 3/5

Wow!
This book was brutal and sick, very sick!
But, I liked it!
Profile Image for Laurie  (barksbooks).
1,952 reviews798 followers
Read
August 27, 2019
DNF at 20% and no rating because I do not rate DNF's.

I suppose I need to be better about researching books before I agree to review them. I prefer going in blind and reading reviews after I've read the book so as not to get my opinion tainted, or accidentally snatch a phrase and sometimes avoiding blurbs and reviews bites me in the butt. This is one of those times. I have to call this one quits. I can stomach almost anything but too much animal abuse is something that haunts me and this book is filled to the brim with it.

TW: Rape, Animal Cruelty & I don't know what else because I'm calling it quits at 20%.

The book moves and is decently written and it is expertly narrated by Joe Hempel but the content was simply too much for me. Call me a wuss, if you will, I can take it. I've read Ketchum's THE GIRL NEXT DOOR & Brite's EXQUISITE CORPSE & even J.F. Gonzalez's SURVIVOR (which I instantly regretted) but those books, as bleak and terrible as the acts were, weren't squishing the heads of puppies nor were they explicitly detailing a dog fighting ring. That is a level of bleak blackheartedness that I choose to avoid in my reading life at this point in time.

So what is it about? A young woman decides to purchase a yorkie so she can dress it up and stick it in her purse and love it to pieces. She doesn't want to wait months to get a pup from a legit breeder and instead heads out to a remote address to purchase a pup from a backyard breeder. Things do not go well and the family of backwoods weirdos throw her in a cage. Horrible things begin to happen and I will let you use your imagination here because I made it to about 20% before I had to shut it off.

Your mileage may vary. As I said, I can't abide dog abuse and death very well having lived with so many sweet innocent souls in my lifetime and it's something I choose to avoid in my reading time.
Profile Image for Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader.
2,135 reviews55 followers
January 11, 2016
STORY: 5 stars
PERFORMANCE: 5 stars
OVERALL: 5 deviant stars!

STORY:
**** WOW!!! **** WOW!!! ****
When I saw that the narrator of FAMILY BUSINESS (Joe Hempel) was offering free Audible codes in exchange for honest reviews I jumped on the offer. Why? Because the second I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read FAMILY BUSINESS! This book contains ALL of the depraved, disturbing, twisted characteristics I look for in dark books plus more! The story starts off very sweet and serene yet soon after takes a quick turn towards hell! And let me tell you, hell isn't located beneath the surface of the Earth. Hell is a dirty, smelly, overcrowded barn somewhere in the middle of nowhere Missouri!

Though it's truly not a fair statement, in it's simplest form FAMILY BUSINESS is a story about breeding bitches. I can't say much more without spoiling the story but basically, there are bitches who are female dogs and there are other bitches... What's the most entertaining about this book are the breeders. I won't bother trying to describe them but will say that they are and not bunch, most of them being extremely dark yet fascinating characters!

I prefer dark erotica so I am always on the search for the next true sociopath. I've read and enjoyed some extremely dark, depraved, stomach twisting stories. HOWEVER I do have my limits; I do not like reading about helpless, innocent animals, children or disabled people being hurt! I'm mentioning this because there was one aspect to the story that I feel should have mentioned in the synopsis: dogfighting. However, if I'd known that this story included the graphic details of dogfighting, I might have chosen to skip it you would have been a great loss. The dogfighting is very intense though – during one brutal dogfight, I literally had to remove my earbuds, skipping over several sentences because I simply could not stomach what I was hearing. Although I was repulsed by what I heard, the fact that Williams' words evoked such a strong reaction in me illustrates how powerful his writing is. Unfortunately, this subject may be an issue for readers, possibly having a negative impact on the way they rate this book. I recommend that a detailed warning be posted in this book's synopsis.

I was not just emotionally provoked by the dogfighting but by many other events as well as the characters and their behaviors or discussions. I was extremely impressed by the fact that this book evoked so much emotion and thought from me. Even today, weeks after finishing the book, I'm still wondering about certain events and characters! We never find out exactly what happens to a few of the characters but that's alright because Williams has provided us with more in a book titled, "Lucifers Children"! I can't wait to read this continuation or conclusion!

Even if FAMILY BUSINESS isn't your style, I can't imagine anyone disputing how imaginative and talented Williams is! This book is soooooo different from anything else out there. If you have an open mind and a strong stomach, I highly recommend this book!

PERFORMANCE
I've decided that narrator Joe Hempel is my new favorite male narrator! Hempel is absolutely amazing! Hempel was equipped to portray a wide variety of characters, creating a unique voice for each of them. I was especially impressed by his ability to speak for the female characters which is not something I often say about male narrators. While narrating without dialogue, Hempel spoke in an even, smooth voice yet just seconds later he spoke with a convincing Missouri accent! Mr. Hempel was even able to speak for a few disabled characters (one character is mentally disabled/slow and one is in a sense physically disabled (having no teeth). Throughout his entire performance, Mr. Hempel was consistently able to create realistic, convincing voices. By creating such believable voices, periodically I felt like I was watching a movie play out in my head! Hempel doesn't just read a script – he is an actor. Joe Hempel is excellent at what he does and a narrator I will hopefully hear much of in the future!
Profile Image for Michael Hicks.
Author 38 books506 followers
March 28, 2016
My original Family Business audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Family Business by Brett Williams may be one of the meanest, most joyless horror novels I’ve ever happened upon. This sucker is pitch-black bleak, filled with a cast of abusers and the abused, and rife with hopelessness. The few times we get meager glimpses of light, Williams revels in prolonging our agony and draws the shutters back down into place to blot out the light. This is a cruel and savage work, one that left me feeling dirty and in desperate need of a shower at the end of its ordeal.

Erika is hoping to surprise her husband with a puppy and ventures off to visit a backwoods puppy mill. Obviously this is the best idea in the world, and after cluelessly ignoring all the warning signs horror-hounds will be well versed in, she finds herself abducted and locked in a cage. Following her abduction, Williams presents a number of despairing sequences of brutal and graphically written rape scenarios, hardcore animal cruelty, vivid abuse, shallow adultery as we get to know Erika’s shady husband, and Erika’s own attempt at transformation from rape victim to manipulative seductress. And just when you think things cannot become more depraved, Williams somehow still manages to up the ante in an on-going pursuit of nihilistic redneck horror.

OK, so this is a story that did not appeal to me. While I enjoy dark, broody horror, this book was just too unrelentingly grim for me. The narrative is violent and savage, and completely stripped of any sort of enjoyment, or even empathy for the character’s plights. If Williams wanted to strip his readers bare emotionally and, like one certain poor puppy early on, viciously crush them beneath his boot heel, he is certainly successful in that regard.

As narrator, Joe Hempel handles the material well, and his reading possesses the necessary gravitas. His accents and character voices fit in nicely with the rural Missouri setting, and the production is smooth. I’ve listened to a few titles with Hempel as narrator, and this is easily his strongest performance. Occasionally in audiobooks, you can notice a narrator’s voice change as he warms up during the reading, but Hempel keeps things consistent for the nearly nine-hour run-time.

With its focus on sheer unrelenting misery for both the book’s characters and its listeners, Family Business could easily take home the Feel Bad Listen of the Year Award if there were such a thing. Potential listeners may want to get an iron gut before braving the dark depths of this particular title.

Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
Profile Image for Bill.
1,883 reviews131 followers
January 9, 2016
Yep. From the cover you pretty much get the gist of this one and it was exactly what I thought it was going to be – Nasty, bloody, pornie, and then nasty some more.

BJ’s at the bait shop, Puffy Corn delights, the Freak & Tweak sisters, Satan’s Little Helper and Erica the Viking bitch. With all that, how can you go wrong? A fast moving, surprisingly well written and brutal backwoods tale that's just plain ole fun for the whole family.

My only gripe was the abrupt ending. Could have used a bit more…well, just a bit more. 3+ Stars.
Profile Image for Mindy (Book Snitch).
746 reviews228 followers
March 18, 2017
Heat Level: No rating. This is not a romance
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Naughty Book Snitch: Mindy
See Mindy’s Blog Review Here

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description

Right off the bat I would like to give a warning to readers. If you're looking for something safe, familiar or a happy ending, then this book probably isn't for you. If you have triggers with extreme violence, torture, rape, animal neglect, dog fighting and one , then you should approach with caution. You have been warned. On the flip side, if you have an open mind, a strong stomach and love a twisted tale that will immediately pull you in, give you hope and then crush your dreams, you should totally give this book a try. You will not regret it.

This is the first time I've read Bret Williams and most definitely not the last. When I found out he was a local author, I had to stalk him and his books to see what they were all about. I really enjoy reading books that are set in or around my area. Family Business didn't specifically say where this was located, just in the "backwoods of Missouri" and that sounds like it could be the deepest and darkest part of the Ozark area, or at least that is what I imagined.

The story starts innocently enough, with Erika planning on surprising her husband, Stephen, with a new puppy. While driving to a breeder in the rural backwoods Missouri, Erika has some internal warning alarms going off but ignores them because she really wants a puppy. While trying to decide on just the right pup to bring home, Erika is met with a surprise herself and things take a very dark and disturbing turn.

description

Meet the hillbillies who are running the family business. We have Levi, business owner and father of Jake and Bub. Bobbie Jean, Levi's niece, has lived with them since her mother passed away. Have you seen Deliverance? Or The Hills Have Eyes? Well, here you go.

Levi
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Jake
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Bub
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Bobbie Jean
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The only part that kind of got on my nerves was an early section with a ton of rape. Yes, it's necessary for the story progression but let's move on, I get it. For a minute, it really felt like the story wasn't progressing but it eventually did. Another thing that shocked me (actually there was a ton of things that shocked me) was the ending and how abruptly it ended. It feels like a cliffhanger, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like it's not really a cliffhanger. Are there questions I need answered, yes and hopefully I'll get those answered in the other books.

description

Since I bought the audio version of this book, I need to comment on Joe Hempel's performance. Wow! He has a smooth and hypnotizing voice. He does character voices effortlessly and I could easily distinguish who was talking by the accent he used. He seemed to really enjoy what he was reading.

Overall, this book is dark, twisted, brutal, uncompromising and disturbing. Family Business made me cringe, laugh and cry. Fantastic writing, world building and character development. I would recommend this book to horror fans, but please do read the warning and read at your own risk. I gave this 5 stars because the overall story and the audio narrator were so amazing. Bravo!

OH! P.s... Stephen... you are a motherfucker! I hope karma catches up to your ass. Bitch!

P.S.S. If you want to know what happens to the baby, you can click here. This is a true spoiler alert. Do not click this if you don't want to know what happens.

BUY THE BOOK

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Profile Image for Cheryl Anne Gardner.
Author 10 books40 followers
October 5, 2009
Erika’s husband doesn’t want to have kids -- yet. He is in the prime of his life, and he wants to enjoy himself, and I do mean ENJOY himself. But Erika, prima Donna trophy wife that she is, wants what she wants, and if she can’t have it, well, then she wants a puppy. Steven, the husband, doesn’t want a puppy either, but Erika manipulates men, not the other way around, so going behind his back doesn’t seem like a big deal. Subsequent to their argument, she does the obligatory pet store romp, then she calls the shelters, but none of them have exactly what she wants: a Yorkie female, a puppy that she can dress up in ribbons, pamper, and paint its toenails. One she can treat like her little girl, her baby. After having crossed a picket line at the pet store only to find no Yorkies and after having to listen to some preachy shelter worker, Erika, frustrated that she can’t get the designer accessory she wants, starts checking the classified ads. She finds an ad that looks promising and then decides to go off to buy a puppy at some shanty shack puppy mill off a dirt road in Missouri, despite her friend’s warnings. Like most people in this world, Erika has no clue when it comes to the unspoken grotesqueries of the Pet Trade. Anyway, she winds up at a shitty ole deliverance type back-wooded farmhouse where she finds more than a cute little puppy. She finds Levi, his son Jake, and the retard Bubba with no one around to hear her scream. Yes, of course there is a “Bubba.” How could there not be?

At this point of the story, we leave Erika in a cage for the moment and move on to her husband Steven, who at the start of chapter four is giving the high hard one to one of the many babes he has collected over the years to satisfy his need for enjoyment. He is your typical: I am too young and wanna have fun while I can misogynistic asshole. So far by this point, we have the making of a pretty standard mainstream psychological crime thriller. A little Kiss the Girls, with a dash of Deliverance, a touch of The Hills Have Eyes, and a little bit of the scary backwoods family a la Texas Chainsaw Massacre or House of a 1000 Corpses. “A good breeder is worth a lot.”

Mr. Williams likes to address the dark side of humanity and has a penchant for taking on some very serious and disturbing social and moral issues in his fiction, as all good horror writers do. In Back in Black, which I reviewed here several months ago, the story dealt with racism in the south and reparation in the form of revenge. There was a slight supernatural bent to that story, but the message was clear, as it is in Family Business. However, in this story, the hardcore horror is all human and all too close to the truth. This story doesn’t lightly touch on anything, and it doesn’t just slap you in the face, either: It rams the truth down your throat until you gag. The author’s approach is blunt, maybe too blunt for some readers, but when dealing with subject matter like this, blunt and horrific is the only approach one can take, and even though the “How would you like it?” allusion lies at the heart of the story, it manages to drive home its point without becoming intrusive or preachy. I haven’t been this moved since reading American Psycho. The stylistic approach is very similar: Unrelenting and Unabashed.

On a technical note, which reduced the review rating: The narrative POV needs quite a bit of work. Now, there is nothing wrong with shifting POVs -- at least that's what all my college textbooks say -- providing the transitions are smooth and the demarcation lines well defined. In this story, however, the shifting from various close third person narratives to an omniscient narrative and back again is so erratic at times that it can be a little jarring, and the inappropriate use of Italics only complicates this issue further. Italics used for internal monologue is a tricky business, and if not handled skillfully, the reader can get rattled and even downright confused. I often recommend a very spare use of italics, and if the author finds it necessary to use them, they should make sure to use a close third person narrative during the scene, and the narrative should be restricted to one character’s POV for the entire scene. There was a bit of head hopping in this story that made it difficult to discern at times which character was thinking and speaking. Italics stand alone: They should not be in quotes, and they should not be followed by thought tags. Often novice writers struggle with the use if italics -- I did myself for a time -- but with practice and attention to POV, we find that italicized thoughts are rarely necessary. Other issues include: a few misused words, some typos, some funky dialog tags, and some awkward sentence structure issues, but nothing that was so serious that if affected my enjoyment of the story. This story just sucks you in from chapter one and holds you in a death grip for the remainder. I found only one “yea right!” moment: Where did a wretch like Levi get clomid???? Sure, he could have taken his wife’s, but after 20 years, she wouldn’t have a supply left and no doctor would be refilling a twenty year old prescription for fertility drugs to a lady in her fifties, unless, the doc was in on it as well, but that was never addressed. Aside from those minor issues, Mr. Williams has really improved his technique since my reading of Back in Black. Instead of the backstory info-dump all in the middle of the book as it was in that piece, Mr. Williams very adeptly integrated it throughout the story this time, and the over the top hick diction was reduced greatly. We get just enough for it to feel authentic, not irritating.

Some readers might take issue with the stereotyping and clichés. I didn’t find the crazed southern hillbilly puppy mill scenario, or the hillbilly hooker at the bait shop, or the hillbilly meth lab, or even the Of Mice and Men mentally challenged brother who tends to squeeze things to death clichés bothersome at all, and Steven, Erika’s husband, is a typical asshole. Precedent has been set, what can you do? That’s what stereotypes and a clichés are after all. But, the “animals as a commodity” mentality doesn’t discriminate. Why not visit the Amish Country up here in Pennsylvania. Animal cruelty happens all over the country, all over the world, in the most unexpected places by the most unexpected people sometimes: Michael Vick comes to mind. Clichés noted, this lack of concern for life is not restricted to the low income undereducated lifestyle, but for this story, it worked. Life at Levi’s Missouri farm, all life for that matter, is pretty much meaningless, a commodity, nothing more, and that is what we experience in this book. True human horror. This story is not for the squeamish. We have graphic dog fighting scenes, graphic animal abuse scenes, murder, rape, and torture, but while horror like this is very disturbing to read, the point of it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. Mr. Williams stays on point throughout the entire story. This is humanity at its darkest. This is truth as much as we would prefer to ignore it. Mr. Williams seems to like to take on the darker issues in his fiction, and he does it with ferocity. Mr. Williams does not restrain the rage. It hits the page full force, so this book would be for mature readers, and even then, discretion is advised.

But what I really liked was the subversive irony. The entire plotline for Family Business arose from the desperate desire to have a child, both Erika’s and Martha’s, the hillbilly mom. Desperation can and does make people do things no sane person would consider. We also have the Madonna/Whore juxtaposition playing out with Erika and Bobby Jean, the seventeen year old bait shop hooker and niece to the hillbilly family. A reader might also feel slightly conflicted about Erika. We, at one turn, are horrified by what is happening to her, and at another turn we might feel a bit of just deserts: Here we have the beautiful blond who knows she is beautiful, who admittedly manipulated many a man in her day, now has to do it to save her own life. The blond bombshell master manipulator with the perfect body, who can’t even control her philandering husband, who is utterly unaware that her marriage is a farce. The beautiful blond who wanted nothing more than a baby, whose husband rebuked the idea, will now end up with a litter of her own. Then there is Bobby Jean, upon discovering the Family Business, she feels no sense of remorse watching others like herself be exploited. Her justification is deep-seated: “Her uncle was pretty smart: It made a lot of sense to use someone else’s body to make money.”

All I can say is that this book is a page turner with enough twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end. The intensity level is consistent throughout, and the plotting is flawless, down to the last word. Each character is well actualized on the page, and while we may not agree with the motivations or the decisions made, and we might be equally repulsed by the justifications and the lack of morality, we can understand them on some base level, enough to find sympathy in the oddest moments. No one in this book is a saint, that’s for sure, and in the end, I got exactly what I was wanted. I feared from the start that Mr. Williams would go for the fluffy happy ending in order to justify the gore, but he didn’t, and this reader was thankful for that. The story needed to end exactly as it did: bittersweet with a side of biting irony. In one scene towards the end, I actually fell to tears. Erika’s character arc was so well done that this reader was torn in so many different directions. One moment I was shocked and appalled by her arrogance and narcissism, and the next, I was horrified and repulsed as I watched her move from defiance to acquiescence, watched her teeter on the brink of sanity. Eventually, I found myself sobbing with pity for her soul as her selfishness came full circle with a grand epiphany. Yup, this book has got it all. If you like hardcore, and I mean Hardcore with a capital “H” horror with purpose, and are able to find the value in movies like Hostel and can appreciate the tenor of stories like American Psycho, then you will absolutely love this book.
Profile Image for Merle.
38 reviews
April 1, 2024
Nicht so extrem wie andere aus der Reihe dafür aber mit mehr Tiefe, was auch mal schön abwechslungsreich war. Gegen Ende hat es sich nochmal ein wenig gedreht.
Profile Image for Nathan Robinson.
Author 54 books71 followers
November 14, 2016
Family Business by Brett Williams (narrated by Joe Hempel)
Unable to convince her husband that they are ready to become parents, Erika decides to buy a dog. Her search for the perfect little Yorky takes her to the backwoods of Missouri and the secluded farm of Levi and his twisted kin. While touring the filthy backwoods puppy mill, Erika soon discovers more than animals in the cramped cages. Now Erika is trapped, and her captors are not interested in her money...
Backwoods farm- Check
Buck toothed Hill Billy’s- Check
Damsels in distress- Check
I’ll begin…
On the hunt for a puppy to fill the childless void in her life, young beauty Erika finds herself the prisoner of a truly fucked up family. The story unfolds as she finds herself captive in a small cage, in a barn with two other females and about two hundred mistreated dogs. From here it gets steadily worse as her predicament dawns on her in horrifying chapters, each worse than the last, as the abuse gets further harrowing as Erika and her cell mates are repeatedly raped and abused. And then it gets worse. Now would be enough to put me off, but Williams writes so damned well, he makes you care about the characters and hooks you in so you need to know what happens next.
We gradually meet the members of the family that have lured her to her new found hell, each more messed up than the next. Levi; the father of the clan, and the evil mastermind behind the sick scheme, the pretty boy Jake, who is anything but pretty on the inside. Bub; the thick headed brother and a warped product of both nature and his environment, despite his wayward innocence. And finally we have Bobbi-Jean, a jail-baiting, teenage temptress with a head for business and a body for sin.
To say Family Values is an intense novel would be an understatement. Dealing with some very dark themes on one page, then being laugh out funny in the next, makes for a bizarre experience. I found myself cringing at the scenes of abuse, but the slapstick and bickering that takes place, provide much needed comic relief; as otherwise this would be a very depressing story indeed. But it evolves, as does Erika. She soon realises she isn’t completely useless, but is much stronger than she realises as she can utilise sex as a weapon against her captors.
The characters, wonderfully brought to life by Joe Hempel, are as individual and real as you or I, despite fulfilling stereotypes. His performance is flawless and utterly convincing at creating pathos in a scene. He’s got a real knack for getting the anguish and desperation out of the characters.
Fans of Richard Laymon when he’s at his smuttiest, or Ray Garton’s Trailer Park Noir will lap up this southern slice of down-right dirty psycho sex horror. With genuine, gut-wrenching horror and laugh out loud moments (meth enema anyone?), Family Business is a must for any fans of hardcore horror.


Profile Image for Sea Caummisar.
Author 82 books1,361 followers
January 2, 2021
5 glorious stars for this one. Even the narrator was great. There were a couple scenes of such brutality that I was physically sweating while reading. As a whole, this story is awesome. It's pretty much a tale of kidnapped women being forced to live in cages and endure some torture. I don't want to say too much more without giving anything away, but this is a great book to start the year with.
Now when I look back, a few parts were a bit wordy. Also, I felt like some of the character's stories didn't belong and were dragged out. With that being said, its still a 5 star book
Profile Image for Todd Oliver.
697 reviews10 followers
March 22, 2017
These people are absolutely nuts! Brett Williams, excellent job! The details in this book are very descriptive and I can envision it all in my mind as it's happening which was very creepy lol. As always, Joe Hempel does an excellent job with the narration and all the different voices and characters.
Profile Image for Ella P.
92 reviews12 followers
January 29, 2016
Synopsis:
Erica is beautiful with super model good looks (the perfect trophy wife.) Although she wanted a baby, her husband refuses. She gets the idea that she would get a Yorkshire puppy instead, a puppy that she could dress up and spoil. She goes to retrieve the puppy in the backwoods of Missouri and her world is turned upside down when she encounters the 'family business.'

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Judging by the reviews, I knew what I was getting into before reading this book...but just because I was prepared did not mean anything cause the book shocked me like no other book in the past few years (the last book was "The Girl Next Door.") I've read gritty books, but this book is HARDCORE HORROR! Some of the scenes gave me pause and I had to take long, deep breaths before continuing. It's scary and frightening and disturbing and sad and depressing and terrifying and....and all the bat-shit craziness of the WORLD rolled into a novel with an underlying message of love/life for those who dig deeper...(Think of "Saw") like watching a train wreck and yet you cannot look away. My hands were shaking while reading and yet I couldn't help but to read more. What is wrong with me? Call me crazy, but I just had to know how much worse can it get and how the story will end.

I ugly cried a few times. Some scenes made my heart pitter patter with the tenderness and bitter irony of it all. Other scenes made my stomach churn. The book overall made me feel...that life is fragile. I had to text my bf that I loved him afterwards because you never know how one wrong decision can alter the course of your life forever. One moment, all the stars are aligning and the next second it could all just be a dream. Your worst nightmares coming true and you only wished that you hadn't taken that choice or made that decision. That ending was twisted and just WOW. Is there a followup? Please do not click if you do not want MAJOR spoilers.
Profile Image for Judi Williams.
2 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2010
This book ranks #1 on my list of Brett's writings. Fast pace, nail biting suspense and certainly not for the faint of heart. I believe Brett captured the fear that lurks within of losing control of one's destiny. Mental anguish and shock keeps one turning the pages not wanting to put this book down.
Profile Image for Jodi Colpitts.
34 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2015
Wicked!

Wasn't sure if I wanted to read this, passed on it a few times, because I knew there would be animals being hurt, and I am an animal lover. But I figured, if it was too much I'd just skip over those parts. Only briefly was there animal abuse, the story was so good, creepy! I think I have a new author to add to my lists of favorites!
Profile Image for Heather Wildman.
Author 4 books4 followers
February 24, 2010
Family Business offers a different look than your average story in the world of fiction. Full of unethical craziness, this book paints a picture that leaves a reader wanting to escape but unable to resist its pull.

Vivid characters. Unique story line. Definite must read!
Profile Image for Frank Tesch.
272 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2016
Good until the end

The story sucked me in but the ending was a let down a huge let down. If is not like hostel at all. The other story line was not needed. It was average but a huge let down at the end.
Profile Image for Rhonda.
111 reviews111 followers
couldn-t-finish
November 21, 2017
Read about 70 pages but had to give up. Couldn't handle reading the bad stuff happening to the dogs in the book as I'm too much of a dog lover. I know it wasn't the focus of the book but was still too much for me.
508 reviews13 followers
December 8, 2019
If you like dark extreme horror make this a priority
Excellent narration from joe hempel as usual

Hhighly recommended if you know what your in for
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
141 reviews4 followers
December 8, 2021
Disturbing

I did not see the ending going the way it did differently And it left it open for a sequel What a ride
40 reviews
February 8, 2023
One of the best books I’ve read in a while. Highly recommended if you like more extreme writing.
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46 reviews
April 24, 2018
Gruesome

Well what can I say this book has got all and it's not for the faint hearted or was disturbing.
I was a bit gutted with how the book ended so I hope there is a another family business to be released in the future after all there are 4 girls still left.
Brilliant author and can't wait to read more of you work.
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