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Maniac in the Shadows
“Hudgins is a Horror-Meister to reckon with!”
—Victor Miller, Writer of Friday the 13th
BARRICADE EVERY WINDOW. BOLT EVERY DOOR. A MANIAC LURKS IN THE SHADOWS.
John Bromley, a cunning killer whose madness fuels his every move, has escaped the walls of a sinister insane asylum, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Driven by a twisted mind that blends chilling intellect with unhinged brutality, he kills without pattern—only when it serves his dark purpose.
Dr. Franklin Grimm, the asylum’s ruthless director, will stop at nothing to keep the breakout a secret, desperate to protect his career at any cost. He unleashes his merciless head of security, known only as Ski Mask, to hunt Bromley down before the truth spills out. But Ski Mask’s silence grows ominous, and Grimm’s frantic calls go unanswered. Meanwhile, Alex and Melissa, an unsuspecting couple in a quiet house, become the maniac’s next targets, trapped in a nightmare of torture and terror.
As radio reports of the escape leak to the public—exposing cracks in Grimm’s cover-up—a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds.
Who betrayed the secret? Where is Ski Mask? And can anyone stop Bromley’s relentless bloodshed?
Heart-pounding and packed with shocking twists, Maniac in the Shadows delivers a chilling horror thriller that will haunt you long after the final page.
—Victor Miller, Writer of Friday the 13th
BARRICADE EVERY WINDOW. BOLT EVERY DOOR. A MANIAC LURKS IN THE SHADOWS.
John Bromley, a cunning killer whose madness fuels his every move, has escaped the walls of a sinister insane asylum, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Driven by a twisted mind that blends chilling intellect with unhinged brutality, he kills without pattern—only when it serves his dark purpose.
Dr. Franklin Grimm, the asylum’s ruthless director, will stop at nothing to keep the breakout a secret, desperate to protect his career at any cost. He unleashes his merciless head of security, known only as Ski Mask, to hunt Bromley down before the truth spills out. But Ski Mask’s silence grows ominous, and Grimm’s frantic calls go unanswered. Meanwhile, Alex and Melissa, an unsuspecting couple in a quiet house, become the maniac’s next targets, trapped in a nightmare of torture and terror.
As radio reports of the escape leak to the public—exposing cracks in Grimm’s cover-up—a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds.
Who betrayed the secret? Where is Ski Mask? And can anyone stop Bromley’s relentless bloodshed?
Heart-pounding and packed with shocking twists, Maniac in the Shadows delivers a chilling horror thriller that will haunt you long after the final page.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2025
About the author
Steve Hudgins
169 books121 followers"Steve Hudgins is a Horror-Meister to reckon with!"
VICTOR MILLER - Writer of Friday the 13th
---
Keep up on all the latest crazy things Steve has in the works and get some FREE stuff by signing up for his Newsletter at:
www.maniacontheloose.com
Steve is a best-selling and award-winning writer who specializes in horror, thrillers, suspense, serial killers, escaped mental patients, things that go bump in the night, ghosts, spirits, zombies, vampires, blood, guts, maniacs, monsters, murder and mayhem!
Steve is considered one of the most prolific writers in the world, with a wide range of works, including multiple interconnected series and his short horror story anthologies.
He's also one of the few authors who narrates all of his audiobooks himself.
Additionally, Steve founded the Maniac on the Loose Scary Stories Podcast, delivering a weekly dose of terrifying tales he writes and narrates.
He also founded Big Biting Pig Productions, a movie production company known for unpredictable storytelling and for producing multiple award-winning, feature-length horror films with virtually no budget.
www.maniacontheloose.com
VICTOR MILLER - Writer of Friday the 13th
---
Keep up on all the latest crazy things Steve has in the works and get some FREE stuff by signing up for his Newsletter at:
www.maniacontheloose.com
Steve is a best-selling and award-winning writer who specializes in horror, thrillers, suspense, serial killers, escaped mental patients, things that go bump in the night, ghosts, spirits, zombies, vampires, blood, guts, maniacs, monsters, murder and mayhem!
Steve is considered one of the most prolific writers in the world, with a wide range of works, including multiple interconnected series and his short horror story anthologies.
He's also one of the few authors who narrates all of his audiobooks himself.
Additionally, Steve founded the Maniac on the Loose Scary Stories Podcast, delivering a weekly dose of terrifying tales he writes and narrates.
He also founded Big Biting Pig Productions, a movie production company known for unpredictable storytelling and for producing multiple award-winning, feature-length horror films with virtually no budget.
www.maniacontheloose.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 16, 2025
I don’t think I have ever been more confused in my life. 🥴🫣
September 4, 2025
Entertaining fantasy horror listening 😀
This is a two novella both interesting story 🌐
The two stories are different with lots of action 😎
I would recommend this two novel to readers of horror stories adventure 😊🙃 2025 😉😮
This is a two novella both interesting story 🌐
The two stories are different with lots of action 😎
I would recommend this two novel to readers of horror stories adventure 😊🙃 2025 😉😮
September 14, 2025
Weird story with quite some twist and turns leaving me confused by the end. Definitely need to continue to get the hopefully a bit of clarity. Liking the psychopaths though .. not sure what this says about me :D
November 22, 2025
This was relatively fun fare for the price of Free-on-Audible, I raced through it pretty quickly.
August 16, 2025
I read the original book Maniac on the loose a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. I also loved the script way that Steve writes his books. But this time he has re-released the book in more of the standard format of reading to appease those who weren't too fond of the original writing style.
Anyway... Onto my review: John Bromley is a murderer and he has escaped from an insane asylum called Madisonville Psychiatric Hospital where he was held for multiple vicious murders.
Dr Franklin Grimm the head of the Madisonville Psychiatric Hospital, recruits their head of security "Ski Mask" to bring back the killer and help him with his own mishaps.
What could go wrong?
We also get to take a look at Ski Mask, who he is, how he met Dr Grimm and what his role really is.
The story is great and it's fast paced too, I absolutely loved it. It felt good to refresh my mind with the story. It had me hooked, the characters were great, the story was fantastic, and I love his storytelling.
I can't wait to dive into the second book in the series which is "The 9 Lives of Ski Mask" and then the final installment which is "Return of the Maniac".
Anyway... Onto my review: John Bromley is a murderer and he has escaped from an insane asylum called Madisonville Psychiatric Hospital where he was held for multiple vicious murders.
Dr Franklin Grimm the head of the Madisonville Psychiatric Hospital, recruits their head of security "Ski Mask" to bring back the killer and help him with his own mishaps.
What could go wrong?
We also get to take a look at Ski Mask, who he is, how he met Dr Grimm and what his role really is.
The story is great and it's fast paced too, I absolutely loved it. It felt good to refresh my mind with the story. It had me hooked, the characters were great, the story was fantastic, and I love his storytelling.
I can't wait to dive into the second book in the series which is "The 9 Lives of Ski Mask" and then the final installment which is "Return of the Maniac".
July 15, 2025
This was so much scary, campy fun. After an insane serial killer escapes from a mental institution, the director sends his head of security to find him before alerting the authorities. This is where the real insanity starts. Nothing is as it appears. Hudgins weaves the tale, back and forth, gradually giving the reader more background into each character. The story revolves around Ski Mask, the head of security. He’s a ruthless monster who enjoys torturing and killing his victims, but as the story unfolds, we see a much more compassionate side. He doesn’t kill indiscriminately. He has a strong moral compass and only kills those he’s deemed fatally flawed. I weirdly found myself rooting for him and his safety. I couldn’t put this book down, and the ending left my heart pounding. I can’t wait for book 2 in the series.
January 11, 2026
Not sure what I listen too but I'm weirdly invested in it 😂
I'm on book 2 already and honestly had my brain thinking while working a night shift
I'm on book 2 already and honestly had my brain thinking while working a night shift
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews