Something Here is Very Wrong: A supernatural extreme horror novel

by J. Boote

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2026

About the author

J. Boote is the alter-ego of Justin Boote, author of horror and dark fiction. J. Boote writes primarily extreme horror, not for the faint-hearted or easily offended.

Reviews

[Madame Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Something Here Is Very Wrong” - A lot here is very very wrong!

★★★★☆ (4,5)

Brutal, Vile and Evil! Justin knows how to write characters and stories that make you feel uncomfortable and deliver a sense of darkness and depravity that make his novels unputdownable. Even if you wanted to, there is no looking away!
The fact that this was inspired by a true story and given it’s own unique twist makes it all the more disturbing.

Thanks again Justin for the ARC, getting to read your novels in advance is always a thrill!

[K D Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hammer to the head will do it. That was Joe’s first k*ll. The family makes a move to pastures new and Joe thinks he’s got it all figured out as to how to get away with his horrific crimes. But Joe begins to unravel. His mind plays tricks on him and he can’t work out his own reality.
My heart truly broke for Sarah in this story. I felt her pain, so raw, so visceral. Edna is a bad ass bish! She had hints of Muriel from The Haar! I want to grow old and be a bad ass bish too! Boote’s brutal stylings litter pages and I was very much compelled to read on.

[Jenny McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thilled to be able to get a ARC 😃

‘Everything was going to work out just fine’ I like your confidence Joe 😂 ‘thwapp’

What I enjoy most about Justin Bootes’ stories are the writing styles- I can see it playing out in my mind as I read along. I really get into the story! As well as the deep, dark, insane stories, of course AND the fact that true crimes are incorporated! Icing on the cake for a horror fan like myself! 🧁
Twisted, delusional and sick? Absolutely! Bloody brilliant? YES! Do I expect anything less from J.Boote? Nope! Another great read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ . Well played 👍🏻 Thwapp!

**FYI** check trigger warnings before diving into this one***

[Julie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

​Justin Boote has carved out a niche for himself by exploring the fragile boundary between reality and psychological collapse. In Something Is Very Wrong Here, he delivers a narrative that functions less like a traditional story and more like a slow burning fever dream, designed to keep you in a state of perpetual disorientation.

​The story centers on a protagonist who begins to notice small, inexplicable fractures in his daily life. What starts as a series of "glitches": misplaced items, slight alterations in familiar surroundings, and uncanny interactions rapidly escalates into a full scale assault on his perception of the world. The horror isn't found in a monster under the bed, but in the terrifying realization that the "here" you inhabit might not be what it seems.

Highly recommend this one!

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a suspenseful tale of extreme torture horror with strong thriller vibes, and a dash of the supernatural on top! The thriller and torture part draws on a true story, though the reality is even more absurd and much harder to grasp fully than the fictional version. I much prefer the supernatural elements to the downright inexplicable evil of the real case - they do make for a better story. Even so, Boote manages to bring out faithfully all the insanity, the perversion and the darkness of the main character: a family man who enjoys torturing young women and plans to keep a sex slave of his own in the basement.

Every one of the torturing scenes are described in graphic detail: there's indeed a lot of gore, several instances of marital abuse, many awful sexual attacks, psychological violence as well, and plenty of brutality. The role of the wife is approached with some empathy, but psychological exploration of her enabling her husband's perversions doesn't go very deep. In fact, this is a plot driven book, so characterization is not the first thing one might praise the novel for: its strength lies elsewhere; namely, in the terrific pacing, the nail-biting suspense, and the satisfying resolution.

That said, it's an extreme horror book through and through, so readers expecting just another domestic thriller or a true crime story (with elements of the paranormal) will be unpleasantly surprised. Boote takes for granted psychopathy and perversion (misogynism and an incel type of ideology included), and builds a riveting tale without sugar-coating anything! Highly recommend.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Here Is Very Wrong, written by J. Boote, is a dark and depraved look into the life of Joe, a serial unaliver and his mancave. J. Boote has done it again with his horrific depiction of what is in the mind of someone like Joe. Bravo, Justin! This one was fantastic!

Joe seems like your typical family guy. He has a wife, Hannah, and a daughter, Joanne. Under the illusion of a great father and husband lies the abusive man who has an insatiable hunger for doling out pain. When his wife no longer satisfies his cravings, he strikes a deal for a sex slave to be kept in his mancave. Oh, did I forget to mention he is the “Belton Ripper” who savagely violates and sadistically murders young women and uses his restaurant business as a cover to dispose of his victims’ remains? Oh, my bad!

In true Boote fashion, the story was influenced by real-life people. How scary is that?! He has a knack for delving into the darkest recesses of human behavior. The villains in his stories are your next-door neighbors or even family members. I love it!

Thanks to J. Boote for gifting me an eARC of Something Here Is Very Wrong. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[VibekeN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe, Hannah and their ten-year-old daughter Joanne move into their new home. Joe has plans for the basement. For his side hustle, when he’s not running a restaurant. That’s when things start to escalate, in true J. Boote fashion. And if you’ve read Boote before, you already know this is bad for everyone involved.

This book is not just horror. It’s grooming, abuse, torture, and the darkest parts of the human mind. But it’s also about survival, and endurance. And it’s loosely based on a true story, which somehow makes it worse.

In Norway we call it Easter Crime–reading scary books, watching crime shows, and eating too many snacks. This would be the perfect Easter read.
If you can handle it.

If you like extreme horror, and I do mean extreme, you should read this book. It’s fast, brutal, shocking, and laced with the supernatural–something Boote does disturbingly well.

Books like this is why I read horror. And why I sleep with the lights on.

-Vibeke 🖤

Thank you, Justin, for trusting me with your work. It’s an honor to beta read for you.

[GJO AND PUPS · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grateful to the Author for this Arc!

This was a wild ride! From the first page , the audacity and misogyny of the main character inspires hate and also page turning.

Joe is a husband and father who has a dark side... he hates women and likes to take his aggression out on them. Eventually Joe grows tired of mutilating his wife and they agree he can have a sex slave in their basement.

However this decision is not all that haunts this basement.

If you are a woman, prepare to cringe. A lot. This author knows how to creature a picture , I could see the basement, I could smell it. Unfortunately I could also imagine the excruciating pain this guy inflicted.

With elements of true crime, this book really is dark and twisted. A lot like the world we live in, and thats the true horror.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vicious killer stalks the streets of Belton, targeting young women. It could be anyone and the police have no clues, no witnesses. As though a ghost. Worried himself, but for different reasons, Joe Olsen moves his wife and daughter to nearby Bradwell. He hopes he will be safe here, not from the killer, but from the hordes of plainclothed detectives, journalists, paranoid residents making his job even harder. Because Joe is the Belton Ripper and unless he makes a drastic change, he risks capture.

He also has another reason; the new house has a basement and he dreams of having his very own sex slave; this way his long-suffering wife won’t have to put up with the whippings and beatings. Soon, his dream comes true but something is very wrong. The basement door is often open despite ensuring it’s always locked. Things are moved around. He starts having terrifying nightmares that seem too real to be dismissed. And then there’s his neighbour, Edna, an elderly lady living alone. How does she always seem to interrupt him in the worst moment? Yes, something here is very wrong and Joe needs to fix it. And quick.

Another great read from Justin "J" Boote, who sets the bar high when it comes to violent stories. This one feels like a mix of his regular books mixed in with the Monsters series, something which is a good thing. The characters are great as always and the supernatural element doesn't take away from the raw depraved actions within. If you're a fan of Boote, give it a go.

[Thebatandthebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me saying WTF JOE on numerous occasion that even my partner was like I need to know more about Joe!!

Well ladies and gentlemen Joe will take you on a vile and brutal journey. Joe is rotten from inside out, all aspects of Joe's life are overcome with fear, control and sickening desires. There is very little Joe gives a damn about, well apart from anyone trying to stand in the way of his wants and needs.

Justin did so well writing this that he tricked me into thinking i may not like this book in the first two pages, then dropped me into the pits of hell that consumed me until i finished the book.

Well played Justin, well played.

[Lesley Camphouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin never disappoints with his extreme work, and "Something Here is Very Wrong" is no different.

The main character, Joe, is definitely rotten within. His marriage to Hannah is one based on submission, fear, and his urges to whip Hannah into oblivion.

But even that, at some point, gets boring, and Joe's urges grow. Realizing he can no longer take them out with his daughter's mother, he decides to take matters into his own hands...

This one will linger, vile and disgusting, just the way we like it.

[Alexandra Nisneru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if this is not officially of the author's Monsters series, it is still fitting to be a part of that, as the level of gruesomeness contained by this book is beyond any level of comprehension or ability of holding your food in when reading it, same as most of the Monsters books.

Grim details of torture methods (I honestly can't figure out the over the edge imagination of the author), and the heartbreaking effects of those on the victim (physically and mentally), mixed with a bit of supernatural, just enough to spice the story a bit more, makes the perfect way of spending your weekend.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most unhinged and incredible extreme horror books I've read in ages. At times, I truly felt guilty for enjoying the story and was looking over my shoulder embarrassed to be caught reading such filth. The ending was so damn satisfying. Justin Boote has done it AGAIN! Nasty as sin, brutal as hell, and extremely entertaining. Many thanks for the ARC!

10/10 ☠️ bloody stars for this gem of a book!!!

[LeighAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this one and wow—what a ride. It was amazing from start to finish, with a story that’s both deeply unsettling and genuinely scary in the best way. The atmosphere really sticks with you. And that twist? Such a fun, clever touch that made the whole experience even better.
At this point, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by this author, and this book is no exception. Already looking forward to the next one!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe will always treat women the way his father treated his mother. His concepts warped, his wife is his instrument. But familiarity breeds contempt: he needs more, he will take more.

In a similar vein to the Monsters series, Boote takes a true crime story and presents it in bloody, gory detail.
No holds barred.

[Rachal Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book, It is phenomenal and I honestly feel that Joe is one of the scariest main characters yet due to his sadistic perversions. The concept of mixing sub genres was a thrill and kept my interest, another win for fat cat.

[Risshan Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun to read. Exactly like watching a vile true crime doc but more through the killers perspective. We get a super close and personal look into Joe and his family’s life. This was hard to put down!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow this story enthralled me. this has to be my favorite so far. with Edna being an actual ghost and saving Sarah. what an ending. I knew she was a ghost because of when he went to find her she was never home. always popping up unexpected lol

[Rainbeaux Harvest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Here is Very Wrong, ya think? I enjoy the author's work, especially because of the twist on true crime stories. This was a brutal story. If you have lady bits, you better believe you'll be clenching your tooter and your shooter. Even with the Boote twist, it still read like a true crime story.

Joel is a husband and father. But he has a dark side. The freaks come out at night, is how I describe Joel. His wife made an agreement with him. Now that things are getting closer to home, she feels she might have made a horrible decision.