Fright Night: Hellbound

by Michael Harbron, Tom holand

Before Rancho Corvallis, before Charley Brewster, there was New York City—filthy, violent, and vibrating with occult energy.

Set in the lawless underworld of 1970s Manhattan, Fright Hellbound blends vampire horror, pop culture and demonic possession into a blood-soaked tale of survival and damnation.

Having fled Europe, Jerry Dandrige arrives in New York with his familiar Billy Cole, hoping to vanish in the chaos of disco, social decline and anonymity. But when ritualistic murders begin to sweep the city, and whispers of a “vampire killer” rise through alleyways and newsrooms, Jerry realizes something older and far more dangerous is hunting beneath the surface.

At the center is Lucia Moreno, a grieving bar owner with a haunted past, now entangled in something far older and far more dangerous than the monsters she hosts in her establishment.

As the city spirals into terror, Jerry is forced to confront his thirst, his past, and his fate. Can he stop Hell from being unleashed—or is he merely one of the monsters who brought it here?

Genres: Horror

366 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2025

About the author

Michael Harbron is an American fiction writer who brings a unique, yet traditional approach to the horror and supernatural genres. From a young age, Harbron was captivated by the eerie and unexplained, a fascination that has deeply influenced his writing. His works aim to unsettle readers through suspense and psychological depth, revisiting the shadowy corners of childhood fears. His debut novel, "Interview with the Devil," exemplifies the blurred lines between reality and the unimaginable. Harbron’s storytelling resurrects dormant fears, proving that true horror lies not in what is seen, but in what is felt.

Reviews

[Stephen Taylor]

I wasn't sure a Fright Night prequel would work, but this one was quite entertaining.

[Lee T.]

Sucked.

Sucked. And not in a fun, vampiric play on words way.

Had such potential but the writing was sophomoric and trite, the similes painful and cliched, and there were 3ish “stories” that didn’t hang together. Add in a few glaring, irksome mistakes that an editor should have caught (there is no such NYC address as “Eighth & Madison”) and it annoyed more than entertained.

I only finished out of duty to my love for the 80s film but wish I had the time back. And am upgrading to 2 Stars out of same duty. I finished it so I guess I can’t leave it 1 star, but I thought about it.

[Daniel Penrod]

This was an exceptionally fun read, but it's not necessarily a "vampire novel". It's very much an extention of the Interview With the Devil universe, which is what I loved most about it. But might not be as enjoyable if you're unfamiliar with the author's previous works.

[Sabrina Frang]

I feel like the description of this novel is a bait and switch. What I wanted is a story where Billy and Jerry are operating as serial killers in New York City in the 70's. Maybe someone, a cop, a reporter, a plucky teen, etc., begins to suspect them of the murders, and a fun romp ensues. We do get some backstory on Jerry. There is a scene with Billy that gives some insight into his character, and we do get some New York in the 70's history and atmosphere. That said, we also have to suffer through a 1/3 of the book in Amsterdam with some boring monster hunters,, who don't play a role at all in the rest of the novel. We get some development involving a witch whose powers run through her mother's bloodlines. It looks like she is going to be the new main character for the rest of the book, then she goes away. Then the last third is spent with Jerry, Billy, and another witch. The story was well-written and fast-paced, but it did not come together for me. We do get chapters with Billy and Jerry, but not enough. Then, on the other hand, we spend way too much time with characters who don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. The first third of the book could have just been a prologue. That said, I still had a good time with this book, so I would be willing to read something else by this author.

[Jesse Linkes]

As a Christian, who's also a fan of Fright Night. I don't understand the need to put woke, things in these books.
If you're not a Christian okay, but I really wish people would stop forcing, there beliefs, on other people. Now with that, out of the way. This book is very inconsistent
It frist says, that "Jerry Dandridge" became a vampire during the time, of "Vlad Dracula". And then letter on in the book for whatever reason, it's changed to the 10th century. And we don't get to "Jerry" coming to New York, until like 200 page's into the book, it's slow. Even giving this book two star's, is being Generous. If Michael, plan's on writing more, "Fright night" books, hopefully the woke stuff is left out. And hopefully it's more consistent, on the time line, of "Jerry Dandridge" becoming a vampire.

[Philip O’Dowd 🇮🇪]

5 star read from a 5 star author. A dark origin story minus the levity of the 1985 classic. From the opening chapter, the atmosphere is thick with dread and suspense, and it never lets up. Mr Harbron has an incredible talent for weaving terrifying imagery with compelling storytelling, pulling you deep into a world where every shadow seems alive. Michael Harbron could write the instruction manual for a plunger and I’d be fully invested.

[Bill Boswell]

An odd read as prequel to the film Fright Night, which follows Jerry and Billy Cole in the 70s

It is odd as you eventually find yourself routing for Jerry as he fights a bigger demon

It has some nice nods to the book, such as why Jerry eats apples, it was nice to enter that world again but I missed the comedy aspect the films have

[Caitlyn Winn]

I love the original film so I was interested in this book. I had no idea what this book would be about and the more I read it, the more it captivated me. I love how Michael Harbron took this story and explored more of the supernatural world and the back stories for Jerry and Billy.

[Justin Gerber]

Oddly structured and poorly paced. We as a society need to stop softening our best villains.

[AMANDA LILES]

Good read.

This was a great read and a fantastic companion piece to the original story. Hope to see more from the Fright Night Universe in the future.

[Blayne]

As a certified Fright Night head, there was some pulpy fun in here but the pacing was bonkers.

[colleen weger]

Awesome

This was a great book. Getting ready to read the next one. Great story line. Awesome plot. Hope the next one is as good.

[Steve Boltz]

This isn't a story, just a bunch of stuff that happens. It reads like fan-fiction.