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The Rise: Tales From The Gulp 3
Not yet published
Expected 13 Feb 26The Rise (Tales From The Gulp #3)Strange things happen in The Gulp. The residents have grown used to it.
The isolated Australian harbour town of Gulpepper is not like other places. Some maps don’t even show it. And only outsiders use the full name. Everyone who lives there calls it The Gulp. The place has a habit of swallowing people.
A couple of weed dealers give themselves a real headache.
A young man finds joy in a secret place with the new love of his life.
The children of violent, bigoted parents fight for survival.
One of the world’s biggest stars takes time out in Gulpepper’s newest Institution.
The return of an old foe threatens the existence of Gulpepper itself.
Five more novellas. Five more descents into darkness.
Welcome to The Gulp, where nothing is as it seems.
The isolated Australian harbour town of Gulpepper is not like other places. Some maps don’t even show it. And only outsiders use the full name. Everyone who lives there calls it The Gulp. The place has a habit of swallowing people.
A couple of weed dealers give themselves a real headache.
A young man finds joy in a secret place with the new love of his life.
The children of violent, bigoted parents fight for survival.
One of the world’s biggest stars takes time out in Gulpepper’s newest Institution.
The return of an old foe threatens the existence of Gulpepper itself.
Five more novellas. Five more descents into darkness.
Welcome to The Gulp, where nothing is as it seems.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 13, 2026
34 people want to read
About the author
Alan Baxter
135 books526 followersMy book rating system:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist
Three Words That Describe This Book: Strong Sense of Place, lingering terror, novellas
Okay first things first-- if Baxter lived in America he would be more popular here. And specifically these Tales from the Gulp-- 3 books of novellas now-- create a connected mythos for fanes of King's Castle Rock.
I hope this review in Booklist will encourage libraries to add all three volumes of Tales from the Gulp.
The set up is easy and one you have heard before-- an extremely haunted and sinister town. Here it is Gulpepper, a small harbor town in Australia. One that locals are used to but that holds forces that will literally eat you alive. Nothing good will happen to you here. And The Gulp is never satisfied.
However, in Baxter's hands, the trope is never stale. We know bad things are going to happen and yet, we keep reading. He makes the reader care about the characters and even hope things will turn out okay this time. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THEY WILL NOT. That is some good storytelling. Great sense of places, just the right amount of connected mythos, and excellently drawn characters we care about.
In terms of the specific stories here. The second and fourth are my favorites. The second follows a kid who is new to town and meets the girl of his dreams (but it is The Gulp so...) and the fourth-- when a movie star goes to a retreat to detox and relax but it is in The Gulp.
Both are a perfect example of what I say in the paragraph above.
Anything by Owl Goingback– his FL books are a perfect match. It by King, We Are Always Tender with our Dead by LaRocca, Any of the Wayward Pines books by Blake Crouch, Hex by Olde Heuvelt, The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste, Jackal by Erin Adams. This is all just a start. There are so many options.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Strong Sense of Place, lingering terror, novellas
Okay first things first-- if Baxter lived in America he would be more popular here. And specifically these Tales from the Gulp-- 3 books of novellas now-- create a connected mythos for fanes of King's Castle Rock.
I hope this review in Booklist will encourage libraries to add all three volumes of Tales from the Gulp.
The set up is easy and one you have heard before-- an extremely haunted and sinister town. Here it is Gulpepper, a small harbor town in Australia. One that locals are used to but that holds forces that will literally eat you alive. Nothing good will happen to you here. And The Gulp is never satisfied.
However, in Baxter's hands, the trope is never stale. We know bad things are going to happen and yet, we keep reading. He makes the reader care about the characters and even hope things will turn out okay this time. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THEY WILL NOT. That is some good storytelling. Great sense of places, just the right amount of connected mythos, and excellently drawn characters we care about.
In terms of the specific stories here. The second and fourth are my favorites. The second follows a kid who is new to town and meets the girl of his dreams (but it is The Gulp so...) and the fourth-- when a movie star goes to a retreat to detox and relax but it is in The Gulp.
Both are a perfect example of what I say in the paragraph above.
Anything by Owl Goingback– his FL books are a perfect match. It by King, We Are Always Tender with our Dead by LaRocca, Any of the Wayward Pines books by Blake Crouch, Hex by Olde Heuvelt, The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste, Jackal by Erin Adams. This is all just a start. There are so many options.
December 15, 2025
I’ve loved the Gulp since the first volume, something about it really got under my skin and bloomed there; and it might be the best series out there for small town horror!
Having written about my own small town ‘Juniper’ and writing three books in that space, I know the trepidation Baxter talks about in his afterword, leave them wanting more, don’t return, what if you mess it up - well, if anything Baxter put the bloody exclamation mark on this series of Gulps (pun intended) because he went out with a bang, and that’s the best way to go.
Also, this was some of the craziest, bloodiest, darkest stuff I’ve read from Baxter and I for one, bloody loved it. There’s a story in here that comes with a content warning before you read, right there on the page, not at the start of the book, slap bang as the story opens…and it’s there for a reason. This story was epic, dark, unsettling, gritty and painful to read, however that endeared that story to me all the more as someone who pushes those boundaries often myself.
The whole collection is too drawer, and although Baxter says this is the end, I, along with many of you, hope it isn’t - the Gulp is a part of us, that dark unsettling blemish beneath the skin, we want it to surface again so we can dive back in, explore its mottled edges, press a finger to it and peer at it under the microscope…
Unsettling, uncanny and all kinds of unbelievable…Baxter delivers a horror masterclass, deftly and expertly hammering the last nail in the Gulp’s coffin!
Having written about my own small town ‘Juniper’ and writing three books in that space, I know the trepidation Baxter talks about in his afterword, leave them wanting more, don’t return, what if you mess it up - well, if anything Baxter put the bloody exclamation mark on this series of Gulps (pun intended) because he went out with a bang, and that’s the best way to go.
Also, this was some of the craziest, bloodiest, darkest stuff I’ve read from Baxter and I for one, bloody loved it. There’s a story in here that comes with a content warning before you read, right there on the page, not at the start of the book, slap bang as the story opens…and it’s there for a reason. This story was epic, dark, unsettling, gritty and painful to read, however that endeared that story to me all the more as someone who pushes those boundaries often myself.
The whole collection is too drawer, and although Baxter says this is the end, I, along with many of you, hope it isn’t - the Gulp is a part of us, that dark unsettling blemish beneath the skin, we want it to surface again so we can dive back in, explore its mottled edges, press a finger to it and peer at it under the microscope…
Unsettling, uncanny and all kinds of unbelievable…Baxter delivers a horror masterclass, deftly and expertly hammering the last nail in the Gulp’s coffin!
December 10, 2025
As a huge fan of this series it should come as no surprise that I loved this third installment. Gulpepper Australia is a bizarre little coastal town with dark secrets lurking around every corner. It's a place you don't want to visit because if you do, you might not ever leave again.
These five tales from the Gulp feature interconnected narratives which makes it feel more like a novel than a collection. But it also has recurring characters and events from past books. If this is your first foray into this universe it's okay. You don't NEED to read the previous books to keep up. But you'll certainly get a lot more from some of the situations if you do. So, you know, go ahead and do that!
The novella length tales in here are super creepy, extremely tense, and terrifying. Together, they tell a story about just how messed up this town is. From the dreams people have of fantastical monstrosities falling from the sky to an old old woman who stands looking at the waters and saying cryptic things to a nasty presence people feel but have learned to ignore, these stories thrill and get your heart beating faster.
In this town, no one is safe and your first trip could be your last. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
These five tales from the Gulp feature interconnected narratives which makes it feel more like a novel than a collection. But it also has recurring characters and events from past books. If this is your first foray into this universe it's okay. You don't NEED to read the previous books to keep up. But you'll certainly get a lot more from some of the situations if you do. So, you know, go ahead and do that!
The novella length tales in here are super creepy, extremely tense, and terrifying. Together, they tell a story about just how messed up this town is. From the dreams people have of fantastical monstrosities falling from the sky to an old old woman who stands looking at the waters and saying cryptic things to a nasty presence people feel but have learned to ignore, these stories thrill and get your heart beating faster.
In this town, no one is safe and your first trip could be your last. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews