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A Certain Evil
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 13, 2026
A Certain Evil is at its strongest when it works as neighborhood horror. The Brooklyn setting feels specific and lived-in: corner stores, pizzerias, bars, delis, family homes, and marshland paths all give the novella a real sense of place. This is not a vague small-town evil story. It feels rooted in a particular community, and that grounding gives the horror more weight than it would have had in a more generic setting.
The best part of the book is Billy “Turtle.” He gives the story its heart. His nervous habits, his attachment to his train set, his love for small vulnerable things, and his painful need to be seen by his father make him the most emotionally convincing character in the novella. His arc is simple, but it feels earned, and the ending works best when it belongs to him rather than to Ryan.
Viktor is another strong element. His presence gives the book a moral framework, and his understanding of evil carries weight because of what he has lived through. At times, the book states its themes a little too directly through him, but he still works as a witness to the kind of darkness the story is trying to examine.
My main issue is Ryan. As a source of horror, he is effective enough. As a character, he is much less interesting. He is cruel and dangerous from the beginning, and he remains mostly the same until the end. That can work in a more straightforward slasher or pulp horror story, but *A Certain Evil* reaches for more psychological weight than that. I wanted more interiority, more contradiction, or at least more uncertainty around him.
The book also becomes less convincing when it tries to explain what Ryan represents. On one hand, it frames him as a kind of born evil, something almost elemental. On the other, it introduces inherited trauma, abuse, and family damage as part of the same picture. Those ideas can absolutely exist together, but here they never fully reconcile. Some of the trauma backstory also felt more like plot machinery than something the novella had enough room to process with the weight it deserved.
By the end, the body count and moral corruption become a little too concentrated. There is an abuser, an addict, a deadbeat, a hypocrite, and several broken or compromised adults all orbiting the same small neighborhood. The final stretch has momentum, but the sheer concentration of damage makes the world feel less complex than the strong setting initially suggests.
Still, there is real craft here. The pacing is strong, the setting feels authentic, and Billy’s arc gives the novella an emotional center that stayed with me. A Certain Evil is a better-built book than many short horror thrillers, but its thematic reach is stronger than its grasp.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The best part of the book is Billy “Turtle.” He gives the story its heart. His nervous habits, his attachment to his train set, his love for small vulnerable things, and his painful need to be seen by his father make him the most emotionally convincing character in the novella. His arc is simple, but it feels earned, and the ending works best when it belongs to him rather than to Ryan.
Viktor is another strong element. His presence gives the book a moral framework, and his understanding of evil carries weight because of what he has lived through. At times, the book states its themes a little too directly through him, but he still works as a witness to the kind of darkness the story is trying to examine.
My main issue is Ryan. As a source of horror, he is effective enough. As a character, he is much less interesting. He is cruel and dangerous from the beginning, and he remains mostly the same until the end. That can work in a more straightforward slasher or pulp horror story, but *A Certain Evil* reaches for more psychological weight than that. I wanted more interiority, more contradiction, or at least more uncertainty around him.
The book also becomes less convincing when it tries to explain what Ryan represents. On one hand, it frames him as a kind of born evil, something almost elemental. On the other, it introduces inherited trauma, abuse, and family damage as part of the same picture. Those ideas can absolutely exist together, but here they never fully reconcile. Some of the trauma backstory also felt more like plot machinery than something the novella had enough room to process with the weight it deserved.
By the end, the body count and moral corruption become a little too concentrated. There is an abuser, an addict, a deadbeat, a hypocrite, and several broken or compromised adults all orbiting the same small neighborhood. The final stretch has momentum, but the sheer concentration of damage makes the world feel less complex than the strong setting initially suggests.
Still, there is real craft here. The pacing is strong, the setting feels authentic, and Billy’s arc gives the novella an emotional center that stayed with me. A Certain Evil is a better-built book than many short horror thrillers, but its thematic reach is stronger than its grasp.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 15, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ryan Parish was just born wrong. Even at the young age of seven, it was already well known that something is off about him.
I'm not going to go into too many details, because the less you know about this, the better. Honestly, I expected a horror that would make me terrified of our mmc Ryan, and yes, it does that. It really does.
But I didn't expect how spectacular this was written!
The constant tension from page 1, my gut was twisting in apprehension and concern. The chapters are quick, succinct and set the scene beautifully. The point gets across extremely well, and it doesn't linger too long. It knows when to move on to keep you hooked.
While you go into it knowing basically everything you need to (especially if you know anything about psychopaths), but we also are seeing this world through the eyes of those around him.
There are a plethora of themes woven throughout this so organically, and it truly made me experience the whole gamut of emotions as well as keeping my mind contemplating all the various issues of each character.
As I said, I don't want to give spoilers, but the characters are so well rounded, and I found myself caring about them.
Even thinking I knew everything, I was still pleasantly and sickeningly surprised when I got to the end. I'm still thinking about it a day after, and I think I will think about this from time to time. Definitely recommend this, but definitely check trigger warnings!!!! The horror is done tastefully and doesn't glorify anything, but there are still quite a few triggers there. (As there would be given who Ryan is.)
Hard 5 star.
Ryan Parish was just born wrong. Even at the young age of seven, it was already well known that something is off about him.
I'm not going to go into too many details, because the less you know about this, the better. Honestly, I expected a horror that would make me terrified of our mmc Ryan, and yes, it does that. It really does.
But I didn't expect how spectacular this was written!
The constant tension from page 1, my gut was twisting in apprehension and concern. The chapters are quick, succinct and set the scene beautifully. The point gets across extremely well, and it doesn't linger too long. It knows when to move on to keep you hooked.
While you go into it knowing basically everything you need to (especially if you know anything about psychopaths), but we also are seeing this world through the eyes of those around him.
There are a plethora of themes woven throughout this so organically, and it truly made me experience the whole gamut of emotions as well as keeping my mind contemplating all the various issues of each character.
As I said, I don't want to give spoilers, but the characters are so well rounded, and I found myself caring about them.
Even thinking I knew everything, I was still pleasantly and sickeningly surprised when I got to the end. I'm still thinking about it a day after, and I think I will think about this from time to time. Definitely recommend this, but definitely check trigger warnings!!!! The horror is done tastefully and doesn't glorify anything, but there are still quite a few triggers there. (As there would be given who Ryan is.)
Hard 5 star.
March 31, 2026
This was a quick and easy read which really pulls you in and keeps you interested. They are short chapters and the story moves quickly, taking you through the start of psychopathic Ryan’s life and into the carnage that he wants to cause. Dysfunctional family life and family secrets are at the heart of this book, and you cannot help feeling a little bit of sympathy for what they are all going through.
Make no mistake, there are a LOT of dark themes in this book, but they never feel overwhelming and it just gives you a little bit of insight into how monsters are made.
An enjoyable read from a new author! Be sure to check it out.
Make no mistake, there are a LOT of dark themes in this book, but they never feel overwhelming and it just gives you a little bit of insight into how monsters are made.
An enjoyable read from a new author! Be sure to check it out.
April 28, 2026
This was quick, brutal and unputdownable. Could it be someone born from a brutal act can be so evil or is it nature? In this case i go with both. I couldn’t put this down. Turtle and his snooping came good in the end.
This author packed this short book with so much punch it gave me goosebumps.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This author packed this short book with so much punch it gave me goosebumps.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 16, 2026
Overall I really enjoyed the book. The chapters were short and moved rather quickly. However with that said I do feel like there was some holes that could have been filled to make the book a bit more interesting. There were a lot of unanswered questions in the end.
April 22, 2026
I loved the writing style of this. Also this was a quick read, with a lot packed into this short story.
Character development was easy to follow. Cannot wait to see what other work this author does.
Character development was easy to follow. Cannot wait to see what other work this author does.
May 2, 2026
This was an addictive and fast paced thriller that reminded me of a movie I saw. Ryan was a distributed young man who made some unhinged decisions. I was hooked.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews