The Envelope

by John Durgin

Welcome to Pembroke—a quaint New Hampshire town where nothing ever changes, and no one questions anything...not even the annual tradition known as Mail Day.

Every year, a mysterious red envelope arrives.

Every year, someone dies.

It’s tradition. And In Pembroke, tradition doesn’t die… it kills.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Adult, Fantasy, Splatterpunk, Suspense

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2025

About the author

John Durgin is an award-nominated indie horror author from New Hampshire. Growing up in the Granite State, he discovered Stephen King much younger than most probably should have — reading IT before he reached high school — and knew from that moment on he wanted to write horror.

His debut novel, The Cursed Among Us, released June 3, 2022, and went on to become an Amazon bestseller. The book launched the Newport Curse series, a small-town supernatural horror trilogy rooted in the dark corners of New England.

Since then, John has published steadily and prolifically: his sophomore novel Inside The Devil's Nest followed in January 2023, with his debut collection Sleeping In The Fire arriving in June of the same year. In 2024 he released two more novels — Kosa, which earned stellar reviews, and Consumed by Evil through Crystal Lake Publishing. His most recent novels are The Devil's In The Next Room and The Envelope.

His latest book, I Woke Up a Final Girl (Wicked House Publishing), is his most successful launch to date — debuting at #1 in American Horror paperback new releases, hitting the top 5 overall in the category, and accumulating nearly 100 Goodreads reviews in its first week alone.

John writes supernatural and demonic horror, small-town dread, and dark fiction influenced by Stephen King, with recurring themes of curses, demons, and the terror lurking in quiet New England towns. When he isn't writing, he creates visual art — including pencil drawings — and continues building one of independent horror fiction's most dedicated reader communities.

Twitter- @jdurgin1084
Website- www.johndurginauthor.com
Instagram- @durginpencildrawings
TikTok- @johndurgin_author

Reviews

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

​“The Envelope” by John Durgin is a horror novel I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and I regret not reading it sooner. It’s a solid balance of small-town horror with some killer twists along the way, brutal kills, and a fantastic story between two best friends.

Before I dive into my horror book review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading:

- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Cancer

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, the Prologue to this story was crazy, intense, and wild. It starts things up with a bang and sets the tone for the rest of the story. There’s something special about small-town horror when done right, especially when it involves a curse that turns into a great horror mystery, and takes you along for the ride to figure out what exactly is transpiring every year.

Don’t worry, no spoilers here, but this felt like a mix of The Hunger Games meets The Purge with a sick, horrible twist, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Also, Durgin threw a few little Easter eggs in here featuring two of my favorite horror authors, which, if you read as much horror as I do, should make you smile once you realize the last names of a few important characters. You’ll see what I mean once it's revealed.

The suspense and tension of the envelope itself and the story behind it were fascinating to me. As always with Durgin, his writing style is excellent, and he did a great job at building this all up through immersive storytelling. Especially with the alternating timelines between the past and present, which can be confusing, ​Durgin executed this perfectly.

I wouldn’t say this book is terrifying, but there were several wonderful horror moments featuring pure brutality and violence, especially when a certain turning point happens, as things start to unravel behind the mystery of the envelope and the town of Pembroke.

For the most part, I couldn’t put this book down. However, for a chunk of the book, from the 20% to around ​50% mark, the story drags a bit. The pacing felt a bit off, and at times it was pretty slow, since it was mostly dialogue and the story didn't progress as well as it did at the start of the book.

Things finally picked up from the 50% mark through the end, especially regarding the friendship between Jared and Shawn. It felt very authentic and relatable, which is why this book was so memorable. It’s an interesting story, but things slowed down and at times needed a stronger injection of horror. Too many pages were spent on dialogue and running around, and don’t get me wrong, I get the running around part, but several points while reading, I was waiting and hoping for something creepy to happen, as it did earlier on in the book.

Once the horror finally arrived in several situations and events while reading, it was fantastic. Durgin continues to have that knack for writing remarkable horror. In “The Envelope,” it needed a lot more to truly shine from start to finish. Speaking of the finish, my goodness, that ending was incredible.

​That ending was flat-out awesome, and my only complaint is that I would have loved to know more about what was going on with the envelope, the town, and its deep, dark secrets. However, I believe Durgin purposely did that after an excellent build-up to the finale, where you’re left with questions. I was still satisfied with the ending, ​but I truly wanted to know and explore much more than I got.

​I was left with several unanswered questions, which worked to a degree, since it leaves it up to your imagination, speculation, and some great future bookish discussions about everything that transpired. Either way, this was a unique way to end it, and you’re left wanting more as you keep on thinking about it.

I give “The Envelope” by John Durgin a 4-Star rating out of 5. It was a terrific story with notable characters, some great plot twists, solid horror, and a climactic ending. If there was a bigger dose of horror here, and a bit less dialogue and slow pacing during a portion of the book, this would have easily been a 5-Star read for me. Regardless, if you love small-town horror with some crazy twists along the way, give this one a shot, as you won’t regret it.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a horror highlight. Jared, a youth, receives the red letter. It is this year's Mail Day in Pembroke, a small city anywhere USA. From then on he has 1 hour to prepare. Then the whole town will try to hunt him down. So do his parents. Why is this a tradition in this town for nearly a century? What force or evil entity is behind? Why does no one stand up against this inhuman hunt? The author comes up with a brilliant horror tale here. The twist at the end is as superb as the whole page turning story before. One of the rare novels you can't put down. You're on the run with Jared. You're by the side of the main character. Sinister elements, nail biting moments and an intriguing setting up to the last page. How does the story end? I won't tell you - find it out for yourself. Don't get stuck in the tunnels, try to reach the light and be aware of any bullets that might hit you. One of the best novels I read for quite a while. Absolutely outstanding. Highly recommended!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Happens in Pembroke Stays in Pembroke!

Small backstory:

The town of Pembroke goes through stress and agony every year on Mail Day as every year someone from the town will receive a "red envelope" in their mailbox which signifies that someone has been chosen to be sacrificed for the good of the town. This year a young man, Jared has been chosen but Jared along with his best friend Shawn have other plans as they figure there has to be a loophole on how to beat Mail Day and they are going to do whatever is necessary to save the town!

That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This story was one twisted wild ride into insanity as I just could not put this book down! I literally read this book in 24 hours as there was so much happening that I just could not break away from the story - not even to eat and sleep - I just wanted to keep reading it!

My insomnia was fueled throughout this book as there is tons of action, fear, emotional upheaval, psychological terror, twists and turns throughout the story that just kept me glued to my kindle!

Another great book by this author and looking forward to reading whatever else he has coming down the pike in the future! Giving this book five "Wild Twisted Terror" stars!

[Matty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never a dull moment in this one, highly recommend. Premise is similar to books like The Hunger Games, The Purge, or The Lottery but with a gnarly supernatural twist and gruesome parts.

This was my first book by Durgin and will be reading his previous novels for sure! I already started Kosa and it’s off to a great start.

[Alan · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

In a small secluded town there's a yearly tradition where someone receives a red envelope on mail day. And then for 24 hours the hunt is on, for the benefit of the community.
The premise has similarities to stories like "The Lottery," The Purge and The Hunger Games, but that's where the similarities end. The hunt and the reasons behind it have their own unique story that goes off in strange and different directions. The one real weakness in the book is towards the end things go a bit too far off the rails. But the story is the right length and entertaining. - 3.5/5*

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, here's another book showing John Durgin can do no wrong! I went in this mostly blind, having only a vague impression the story would be similar to The Purge. Forget it! This is far better, the suspense sky-high, the banter and the overall dialogue terrific, the action scenes simply amazing, and the pacing - wow, so fast, never a moment of peace in this novel! From the shocking opening scene of a small town's entire population hunting a teenage girl (and its heart-breaking conclusion!) to the solid, invaluable friendship between the two boys who take it upon themselevs to rid their town from the cursed tradition, every little detail clicks perfectly, guaranteeing a special reading experience for anyone who enjoys dark, tension-high, bloody adventure!

The premise sounds quite straightfroward: once a year, the recipient of a red envelope has to fight for their life - that's it. Strong Hunger Games and "The Lottery" vibes, sure, but the twists are all Durgin (with a touch of Bentley Little's characteristic emphasis on how the ordinary can be turned into the bizarre and the extraordinary in the blink of an eye!). The book stands somewhere between dystopian teenage drama and supernatural cult thriller, with many tropes of survival horror appearing as well. It never loses sight of what's important: friendship, love, family. And that ending: finally you can draw breath!

I recommend "The Envelope" to all kinds of horror readers, even upper young adults. an adrenaline rush of the best kind!

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a letter just like this from the IRS.

[Ben J · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt rushed and way too…..anticlimactic. Also, the dialogue was so weird. Like they were at near deaths situations and were like, “Dude, that was scary!” And they laughed. Like wtf…

[Gatorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty mid effort from Durgin about an annual hunt for the person in the town that gets a red envelope in the mailbox on "Mail Day". Kill the person, you get forever immunity and the town goes on. The story suffers from cliched writing and dialogue as well as an odd shift in focus from the actual hunt to a supernatural basis for the goings on that takes up most of the story. In the end, it's all rather silly stuff, despite moments here and there. At least it was short.

[Keri Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read!
This is a chilling small town horror story but with a sci-fi twist!
A red envelope, a required hunt to the death, a yearly tradition in Pembroke…but why? Why does someone have to die every year for the town to prosper?
When Jared receives the dreaded red envelope on Mail Day he is determined to uncover the truth and put a stop to all the death in the town. What starts as a deadly tradition unravels into something far more sinister - and otherworldly….
If you love small town horror,sci-fi body horror or traditions with a side of murder then you must read this book!

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up

[Alenna Burleson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story we follow Jared, every single year someone get a letter in the mail, and that person who gets the red envelope gets hunted down and killed by the entire town. It’s Jared’s first year being able to participate in Mail day. With the whole town hunting him all he can count on is start things that were said to him by the oldest living survivor of mail day.

This was such a phenomenal read. The story telling was absolutely brilliant, There were certain scenes in this book that i was genuinely so scared. The characters were done beautifully. I absolutely loved this story and had the best time with it.

[Creeping Beauty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dreaded day is coming, and everyone is on edge. Will this be the year that the red envelope will be in their mailbox, will it have their name on it? If it does, what are the chances of their survival? For they will be hunted by members of the town and put to death, unless they can make it through the night.

Jared and his best friend have been preparing for this day just in case they are chosen. They have been questioning the reasons behind this yearly occurrence, and they are determined to not only find out but possibly put a stop to it ever happening again.

I read The Lottery many years ago and found it utterly disturbing, it still sticks in my mind. Well, The Envelope is equally as disturbing if not even more. It's tense, edgy, and filled with moments that are anxiety inducing. Running through the woods with Jared, going deep underground into the darkness and finding out there are things that are unsightly and frightening. Where there are many hidden secrets to be unveiled. Durgin has left no stone unturned and provides a dark, horrifying adventure.

5 Stars

[Kaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mail Day in Pembroke is the one day each year that everyone dreads. The day when one unlucky person is chosen. The day when all the rules must be followed. Jared has been preparing for this day for years. He's going to do whatever it takes to survive and, if he's lucky, end Mail Day once and for all.

This was a great small-town, coming-of-age horror/mystery. From the first page to the last, it's full of nonstop action and terror. I loved the mystery behind Mail Day and learning more about it in real time with our main character. Things moved along at a great speed and ended up not being what I expected going into the book. Definitely check it out!

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's 3.5 , I was entertained with this book, altough I would have loved some more solid answers to the ending.

[Naz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Envelope was definitely an easy read; unravelling as a survival horror centred around the yearly tradition of Mail Day. The premise and mystery surrounding the small town of Pembroke was interesting and Durgin successfully amped-up the tension, sense of danger and urgency within the story, that the pages kept turning. The main characters were teenagers and both narration and dialogue were convincing in this portrayal. Jared and Shawn had fun, silly banter that felt realistic and was a nice offset to the dire hopelessness of the situation they find themselves in.

However, when concerning plot, I felt alot of the progression was propelled by deus ex machina or conveniently good luck. This isn’t entirely surprising since the main characters were young, but it could be very obvious and contrived. Adult antagonists suddenly revealed important plot relevant information for no apparent reason, in ways that seemed solely, and quite obviously an attempt to drive plot forward.

Ultimately, I felt that the most integral mystery and direct catalyst for everything that happened was never explained or resolved in a satisfactory manner. Throughout the novel there are ever-increasing questions and the teasing of potential answers, but this doesn’t reach fruition. Eventual explanations were vague, missing entirely, or just speculation. I was thus left disappointed. I expected all the threads to finally come together, but the theories and speculations made by the main characters didn’t quite make sense and left plot-holes and loose ends that were far too frustrating.

So, if you, like me go into a mystery expecting the end will offer some meaningful payoff, you may also be dissatisfied by the conclusion, despite what was overall a solid concept, good buildup and a fun set of characters. For me, there were simply too many why’s left unchecked by the end.

[Ninnisha|Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

It started really really strong, the prologue was absolutely good. After that, it kept revealing a plot twist after the other, which kept me on the edge. But after the biggest reveal happened, for me it all kinda came falling down. A bit of "oh, that's it? that's all?" and most questions never actually get answered.

I also wish there was more of the hunt itself, because that is something that really drew me in, though I was happy with it taking a mystery way, of course until that mystery way didn't fit my taste. The ending itself was also...underwhelming?

Is there a follow up book coming? Because to me it seems the story was cut halfway or something like that. But seen how everything ended, I also can't imagine a second book, it's kinda just all been dropped.

Great build-up, not so great wrap-up.

as for the creatures themselves, which we have absolutely no clue who they actually are, what they want, where they come from, what they eat, and everything else (and whom I don't really find scary) I think they remind me of Skinwalkers. My first thought was The Unknown from Dead by Daylight, although unlike it they seem to be able to blend perfectly among humans while wearing the skin. Which is weird, because when the Reginald-wearer is described, he's described as uncanny and too long and a series of things that make him look clearly anon-human trying to be human. But somehow Ms Hendrix-wearer passed perfectly for her??? Maxine-wearer too is described as extremely uncanny, so I don't get it.
Anyway it seems all they wanted were skins to wear? Possibly young? but if so why can't they go live under a big town where people die all the time? Why stage all this incredibly complicated thing in a small village?
I really was hoping for it to be so much more.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 100% sure I knew what this book was about and could see the obvious plot lines from a mile away. I was, pleasantly, surprised to find myself wrong. I did not expect the twists and turns this story took. It was very fun to read and I think the length was an excellent choice. It really helped keep the suspense alive without meandering into dead horse territory. The characters were simple but believable for a bunch of teenagers and I like the authors take on Purge media. This was a solid little slice among my bigger commitment books and I am interested enough to come back to read more of his work.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the purge with a twist! I was hooked by the end of the prologue. Hooked and shocked.
The small town of Pembroke is under a terrible curse that requires a sacrifice yearly. When two teenagers attempt what no one else has done yet, and end the curse, it’s not going to be easy. Will they survive the night and help the town they love? The envelope has just the right amount of suspense, gore, and a beautiful friendship that had me in tears by the end. Thank you John Durgin for always writing great novels! I couldn’t put it down!

[Krystina (books_beans_and_bubs) Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ rounded up. I'm very picky about my 5s but this wasn't a 4.

A small town horror with a little sci-fi sprinkled in. Pembroke, NH is a quaint little town with something big to hide. After being chosen for mail day, Jared needs to run for his life and in doing so unlocks a secret that should have stayed hidden.

I went in to this without knowing what to expect and it blew me away. The prologue comes in HOT which immediately drew me down the rabbit hole of madness.

John Durgin is a new to me author and is quickly a favorite. He painted a vivid picture of what was unfolding allowine to feel like I was in the story.

Thank you to John Durgin for an ARC! I can't wait to read more of your work!

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red

The small town of Pembroke has an event that occurs every year. The event has rules that must be followed. One resident receives a red envelope in the mail, and then everything changes. That resident must survive. What is the reason behind the envelope? What if the rules are broken? Full of lovable characters and despicable ones. Full of fear filled moments.

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC review*
Once a year, the people of Pembroke come together for Mail Day. On this day, one unlucky person aged 15 or above, will find a red envelope with their name in the mail. They are now the hunted. Their goal is to survive the entire day and night, until dawn. But it isn't easy when every single person in town is out to kill you. Only two people have ever survived. Will this year be any different?

I loved the premise of this one. It was like a cross between Hunger Games and The Purge. It was fast-paced, filled with tension and excellently written. Everything about it was amazing. However, what took this from a 5* to 4* was *Them*. The beings that step in if anyone doesn't follow the rules. The beings that are the reason Mail Day ever started. Don't get me wrong, they sounded creepy as hell. But it took the story from being kinda realistic, to completely absurd. Despite that though, I loved it. And this would make an excellent movie.

[Mike Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW—what a ride! I tore through this book in just two sittings. Another sci-fi/horror blend for me this year, and it absolutely delivered. It gave me Hunger Games vibes with its premise—someone chosen at random who must survive one horrific day to earn immunity. Durgin keeps the tension high from start to finish, with nonstop anticipation and angst. The whole thing reads like a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat movie, and I loved every minute of it.

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Envelope by John Durgin
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a fantastic and very entertaining horror story.
A small town in New Hampshire has an annual hunt that the town partakes in. The problem is that this is no ordinary animal hunt, but instead it’s hunting for a person. Whoever finds a mysterious envelope in their mailbox on “Mail Day” is basically sentenced to death. This has been a tradition for a very long time and no one wants to break this tradition as they fear what will happen to them.
Will anyone survive being picked on Mail Day? Will the mystery evil forces behind this ritual be discovered?

This story is very intense, suspenseful and it’s one I didn’t want to put down! There were also some big shockers and twists that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to John Durgin for an arc of this amazing read!
This story comes out August 15th and is a must read!!
✉️📬🩸✉️📬🩸

[Jill Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of an entire town turning into a hunting ground the moment a red envelope shows up in your mailbox is pure adrenaline from the start. The story hits the ground running and never lets up, perfectly capturing the paranoia of a community bound by a brutal, mandatory tradition. What I liked was how the narrative kept me guessing; just when I thought I knew how the hunt would play out, the story took turns I didn't see coming. The ending however could have played out a bit better as it felt rushed and not well thought out. My only minor gripe was wanting a bit more depth in certain areas, but as a fast-paced survival horror, it was solid. A strong 4 stars for fans of high-tension storytelling!

[Nicole Miletta Schilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I expected! I devoured it in a couple couple hours. It is fast paced, full of action, adventure, gore, fear, and craziness. I definitely recommend reading The Envelope!

[Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story telling..the shit hits the fan fast and doesn't stop. The 2 main characters are my absolute favorite, they're so well written!...I laughed, I cried, I got scared shitless...This isn't just a horror book, it's a beautiful story about 2 best friends...how far would you go to save the ones you love? How many rules would you break, how close are you willing to cozy up to death in the name of doing the right thing? Definitely recommend reading this book! 5 stars all the way. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Alison (theemptybookshelves) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg... I devoured this!

People who have loved the movie 'Ready or not' movie where A bride is being hunted because she picked the hide & seek card, should run and read this!!

Every year one person gets the red envelope, one hour to hide before being hunted down by the whole town. But this gets crazier ones you get to know what or who is behind this crazy tradition.

[Maggie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release date 8/15

Do you get excited when you get mail? Well, you wouldn't in this town! Each year, one resident receives a red envelope in their mailbox. The unlucky recipient is then hunted down by the entire town. Chaos ensues!

This book doesn't waste any time getting good. It takes off right away and never lets up. I was hooked from the first page. The chase scenes were great. The mystery was intriguing. The ending was a total surprise to me. I loved it. This is the type of book that you pick up and it makes you want to ignore life's responsibilities until you get to the end.

Recommended for fans of Dark Harvest and The Purge movies.

Get your pre-order in, mark your calendar, set a reminder... Do whatever you need to do to make sure that you don't miss this one!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

John Durgin takes the idea behind Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery “ and spins it into a thoroughly entertaining supernatural horror adventure. I hope there will be a sequel.