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World's Scariest Places #3
Helltown
NO ONE LEAVES ALIVE
Since the 1980s there have been numerous reports of occult activity and other possibly supernatural phenomenon within certain villages and townships of Summit County, Ohio - an area collectively known as Helltown.
When a group of out-out-town friends investigating the legends are driven off the road by a mysterious hearse, their night of cheap thrills turns to chills as they begin to die one by one.
Since the 1980s there have been numerous reports of occult activity and other possibly supernatural phenomenon within certain villages and townships of Summit County, Ohio - an area collectively known as Helltown.
When a group of out-out-town friends investigating the legends are driven off the road by a mysterious hearse, their night of cheap thrills turns to chills as they begin to die one by one.
350 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
1054 people are currently reading
2834 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Bates
46 books1,838 followersUSA TODAY and #1 Amazon bestselling author Jeremy Bates has written over twenty novels and novellas, selling more than one million copies worldwide. His work has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film and television by major studios. Midwest Book Review has likened his storytelling to that of Stephen King and Joe Lansdale, calling him a "master of the art." Bates is a KDP Select All-Star and the recipient of the Australian Shadows Award and the Canadian Arthur Ellis Award. He was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book honors chosen by readers.
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
His latest novel, *The No-End House*, is a standalone horror story set in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, where a pair of volunteers must navigate nine mysterious rooms in a sinister house. Scheduled for release by Kensington Publishing in July 2025, it’s a chilling tale of survival and escape.
Visit Amazon to get DENISOVANS for a special release-date price now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F...
Also, MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD is currently only $0.99 in a limited-time deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KW3N72
Finally, visit Jeremy’s website to receive a free copy of *Black Canyon*, winner of the Lou Allin Memorial Award.
https://www.jeremybatesbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
February 22, 2020
This was a freaky and creepy book! Fast paced with tension and nail biting suspense kept me awake to the early morning hours reading it! I literally could not put this book down!
Back story for you readers.
Welcome to Helltown! Once you visit, you will be lucky to make it out alive as the place is run by some Satanists that like to capture visitors to their town. That is what happens when a group of friends make their way to Helltown as they want to check out a local haunting that occurs there. When a black hearse almost runs them off the road, their vehicle spins out of control crashing into the tree line. Things go from bad to worse from that point on as some crazy hillbillies make an appearance and try to capture the friends.
Are the friends captured? Who are the hillbillies? Do any of the friends make it out alive? How are the hillbillies tied to the Satanists? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
There are quite a few freaky things that happen within the story along with a couple of anaconda snakes that had me cringing as there are graphic descriptions of what they eat as the story goes along. The author, Jeremy Bates knows how to capture the essence of the story and I was frantically making my way through the book as I was wanting to see what would happen next!
The more I became involved in the story the more I could not put this book down as I would be reading chapters and the next thing I know it was two in the morning! I was so engrossed in the story that time had no meaning as the hours flew by the more I read the book! Giving this book five stars!
Back story for you readers.
Welcome to Helltown! Once you visit, you will be lucky to make it out alive as the place is run by some Satanists that like to capture visitors to their town. That is what happens when a group of friends make their way to Helltown as they want to check out a local haunting that occurs there. When a black hearse almost runs them off the road, their vehicle spins out of control crashing into the tree line. Things go from bad to worse from that point on as some crazy hillbillies make an appearance and try to capture the friends.
Are the friends captured? Who are the hillbillies? Do any of the friends make it out alive? How are the hillbillies tied to the Satanists? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
There are quite a few freaky things that happen within the story along with a couple of anaconda snakes that had me cringing as there are graphic descriptions of what they eat as the story goes along. The author, Jeremy Bates knows how to capture the essence of the story and I was frantically making my way through the book as I was wanting to see what would happen next!
The more I became involved in the story the more I could not put this book down as I would be reading chapters and the next thing I know it was two in the morning! I was so engrossed in the story that time had no meaning as the hours flew by the more I read the book! Giving this book five stars!
February 20, 2024
*Rewritten 2024*
Dang. This book *WAS* a 4 star rating for me, until the last 10% of the book just...missed the mark, leading to me having to change 4 stars down to 3...well, OK= 3.5 stars. ;0)
Bates' novel, based on a REAL town in Ohio, was a solid, scary, suspenseful read that I was really enjoying; but then the final section left too many open ended, unsolved questions and loose ends. Even more disappointing, the story-line for one of the main characters 'wrapped up' 'OFFSCREEN', if you will- a section of story NOT being SHOWN/TOLD! Why??? This whole last third of the book really (as I said above) missed the mark, but it makes me wonder why this section differs so muich. Did Bates suffer burnout before the end? Was there an editor with different ideas? And-OFFSCREEN!?! (still upset about that one). All in all, these poor developments very late into the book came as giant (as we'd say in the 80's) 'bummer' that was 'totally not rad' and led to my lowered score in the end.
HOWEVER, if you too are a fan of 1980's culture, then you still *MUST* check this book out, all the same. It actually felt like a real 80's slasher flick put to paper. I loved that each chapter began with a quote from a classic horror film-nice touch. The nostalgia factor was huge, and Bates' writing made the setting and characters easy to visualize.
Helltown is an actual town in America, and for this reason I was glad that the novel sticks to a more realistic form of horror. The violence that our characters endure comes from guns, knives and fists as opposed to sorcery, spells or superpowers. This legitimizes *both* Helltown, the novel, and the IRL village of Helltown, USA.
Although this 'felt like' an 80's slasher flick, it (thankfully) did NOT merely follow the simple 'gang of teenagers die one by one until only the most virginal girl remains alive at the end to star in the sequel' formula. Plus, Bates' characters were not the flat, 1 dimensional, stereotypical idiots usually found in such films/stories, either! These protagonists actually fought back, showed some sense, made a few logical choices, and-be damned if some of them even lived! :0) I would like to call this "An 80's Slasher Homage with MEAT."
'Helltown' is a fast paced, fun read with real scares. A solid 4 (No-I mean- 3.5 stars!) --Jen from Quebec :0)
Dang. This book *WAS* a 4 star rating for me, until the last 10% of the book just...missed the mark, leading to me having to change 4 stars down to 3...well, OK= 3.5 stars. ;0)
Bates' novel, based on a REAL town in Ohio, was a solid, scary, suspenseful read that I was really enjoying; but then the final section left too many open ended, unsolved questions and loose ends. Even more disappointing, the story-line for one of the main characters 'wrapped up' 'OFFSCREEN', if you will- a section of story NOT being SHOWN/TOLD! Why??? This whole last third of the book really (as I said above) missed the mark, but it makes me wonder why this section differs so muich. Did Bates suffer burnout before the end? Was there an editor with different ideas? And-OFFSCREEN!?! (still upset about that one). All in all, these poor developments very late into the book came as giant (as we'd say in the 80's) 'bummer' that was 'totally not rad' and led to my lowered score in the end.
HOWEVER, if you too are a fan of 1980's culture, then you still *MUST* check this book out, all the same. It actually felt like a real 80's slasher flick put to paper. I loved that each chapter began with a quote from a classic horror film-nice touch. The nostalgia factor was huge, and Bates' writing made the setting and characters easy to visualize.
Helltown is an actual town in America, and for this reason I was glad that the novel sticks to a more realistic form of horror. The violence that our characters endure comes from guns, knives and fists as opposed to sorcery, spells or superpowers. This legitimizes *both* Helltown, the novel, and the IRL village of Helltown, USA.
Although this 'felt like' an 80's slasher flick, it (thankfully) did NOT merely follow the simple 'gang of teenagers die one by one until only the most virginal girl remains alive at the end to star in the sequel' formula. Plus, Bates' characters were not the flat, 1 dimensional, stereotypical idiots usually found in such films/stories, either! These protagonists actually fought back, showed some sense, made a few logical choices, and-be damned if some of them even lived! :0) I would like to call this "An 80's Slasher Homage with MEAT."
'Helltown' is a fast paced, fun read with real scares. A solid 4 (No-I mean- 3.5 stars!) --Jen from Quebec :0)
June 24, 2024
Jeremy Bates is quickly becoming one of my go-tos for fast-paced, mindless, scary fun. I’ve never heard of Helltown, but you best believe I’m googling it after I write this review! Seven friends drive into Helltown on Halloween, intent on finding out if the ghost stories are true. Things immediately take a turn for the worst when they’re forced off the road and into an accident that injuries two of them. As they split up in search of help, they encounter three men. And let’s just say these men walk to the beat of their own theme music…queue demonic banjo playing.
For years, these brothers have been capturing out-of-towners for their twisted sacrifices to the devil, but they have bitten off more than they can chew with this group. People immediately start dying, others run for their lives, but all will meet some sort of grim fate. So yes, good fun, it kept me interested and engaged, and I always really enjoy all of the characters different points of view and backstories. Can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
For years, these brothers have been capturing out-of-towners for their twisted sacrifices to the devil, but they have bitten off more than they can chew with this group. People immediately start dying, others run for their lives, but all will meet some sort of grim fate. So yes, good fun, it kept me interested and engaged, and I always really enjoy all of the characters different points of view and backstories. Can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
September 13, 2016
This was just... no.
I was on the fence about this series, and this book has started to push me downhill. I won't put it on my "terrible" shelf, but I did not like it.
I was on the fence about this series, and this book has started to push me downhill. I won't put it on my "terrible" shelf, but I did not like it.
October 24, 2015
I know I said he had a formula for a successful story... and he did and does. This however didn't follow the same pattern as the first two books. I can only really describe this as 'hillbilly horror'. It was creepy and repulsive and just ... awful. AND I read every last page of it. I'll read the next book in the series no doubt about it.
But I would never ever consider reading this a second time.
But I would never ever consider reading this a second time.
August 29, 2015
As another reviewer has mentioned, Jeremy Bates does not shy away from anything in his writing. This book was horrifying and chilled me to the bone. The villains were bad...so very evil. The pace was fast and once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I liked being able to see from the perspective of the bad guys as well as the victims and the others. Beetle was a good character, and I really felt him and I was happy with what happened to him. I didn't like it as much as the first two in this series (see trigger warning below), but the writing and the story were realistic. Bad things happen to good people, and Bates does not shy away from that fact. This book certainly fit the bill for me as far as scariness. I haven't been scared while reading a book since I read "The Omen" a few years ago. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Bates' work.
I want to include a Trigger Warning: rape.
I want to include a Trigger Warning: rape.
November 29, 2015
The first two books in this series were formulaic, though enjoyable. This one revels in its own nastiness too much, almost taking pleasure with the rapes inflicted upon some of the female characters, and the threat of rape with the rest.
August 21, 2021
Didn't like this story, it was very slow and not much happened during the amount of the story which I read which was 26 chapters.
July 10, 2016
Scary enough, but ..
The author needs a good proofreader. As an example, on page 142, I think he meant babies weren't supposed to be EMACIATED (malnourished) not EMANCIPATED (legally being made an adult.). I agree both statements are true,but the former makes more sense. Little/ big errors like that can ruin a book for me, but I am admittedly uptight.
The author needs a good proofreader. As an example, on page 142, I think he meant babies weren't supposed to be EMACIATED (malnourished) not EMANCIPATED (legally being made an adult.). I agree both statements are true,but the former makes more sense. Little/ big errors like that can ruin a book for me, but I am admittedly uptight.
January 31, 2019
I have now read all of the World's Scariest Places books in the series, but this was my least favorite. I just found it formulaic and boring. Perhaps it was the location. This one was just okay though.
May 23, 2019
Waiting to rate until after book club next week. Disturbing book - definitely has plenty of authentic horror moments. The writing style did not jive with me, too amateurish and play by numbers. FRTC
June 15, 2025
“Because life was never easy, not for anybody. It threw you curveballs much more devious than Bernie's had ever been. Models were disfigured in freak accidents, millionaires lost their millions in bad investments, celebrities had their deepest secrets exposed in the tabloids. People like Jeff, who'd won the genetic lottery, lost the ability of their legs and were fed to grotesque-sized snakes,” (p. 183).
Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Cult
Holy crappers that prologue pulled me right in. Take a decent right into your worst nightmares because this book is terrific and panic inducing.
It starts by getting run off the road - next you know you’re in the grasp of a family of hillbilly hermits - and it’s the last place you want to find yourself.
Stanford Road is infamously dubbed The End of the World - because people just disappear and weird things happen here. When Jeff, Steve, Mandy, Noah, Jenny, Austin, and Cherry decide to check out a hunted bridge they’re met by true horrors.
I freaking loved this book - while I found the hick families story kind of boring - when it was the kids parts I was all in. Some of the best horror I’ve ever read. But I do wish the story had focused on the victims 100% of the time but still recommend.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Cult
Holy crappers that prologue pulled me right in. Take a decent right into your worst nightmares because this book is terrific and panic inducing.
It starts by getting run off the road - next you know you’re in the grasp of a family of hillbilly hermits - and it’s the last place you want to find yourself.
Stanford Road is infamously dubbed The End of the World - because people just disappear and weird things happen here. When Jeff, Steve, Mandy, Noah, Jenny, Austin, and Cherry decide to check out a hunted bridge they’re met by true horrors.
I freaking loved this book - while I found the hick families story kind of boring - when it was the kids parts I was all in. Some of the best horror I’ve ever read. But I do wish the story had focused on the victims 100% of the time but still recommend.
August 30, 2024
Der Anfang zog sich etwas und ich hatte erst die Befürchtung, dass sich die Geschichte in so eine typische "Hinterwäldler jagen Teenager und fressen sie auf" Richtung gehen könnte. Was irgendwie auch stimmt, jedoch geht es hier um eine Gruppe Satanisten, die in Helltown Ohio ihr Unwesen treiben. Wie immer ist die Geschichte einer Begebenheit nachempfunden, die so (oder so ähnlich) stattgefunden haben soll. Denn die Ortschaft gibt es wirklich und auch eine Kirche mit umgekehrtem Kreuz. Dazu noch einige andere gruselige Dinge, die in dieser Geschichte die sechs jungen Leute in die Ortschaft locken. Dieses Buch ist blutig, teilweise sehr eklig (Spoiler für Leute die Schlangen nicht abhaben können) und spannend. Mich hat es sehr gut unterhalten.
November 16, 2024
This was a pretty ridiculous read from the start and unfortunately I did not like it. If I'm being honest cults are not my thing and while this may loosely deal with cult issues it was a very dry and hopeless read. The book opens with a bang as a newly pregnant woman walks in on her husband cheating and after she leaves home she's driven off the road and taken by satanists. To make matters worse she's then assaulted and killed in a ritual. The rest of the book is just as bleak and while you may think there is some hope, not to burst your bubble, but there is none to be had. Almost everyone dies and the randomness of it all just makes matters worse. Then we have a gang rape, human eating snakes and it was just not for me. Sometimes I think male horror writers take it so far for the shock value but all it really does is take away from the story and all the other possibilities.
July 11, 2019
I used to download a lot of free e-books, but now do so only rarely because I have learned that while there are some real gems out there for free, the adage that “you get what you pay for” is true most of the time. Helltown: An Occult Horror Mystery, which I got as a freebie e-book download, isn’t one of the gems. In fact, I found reading it distasteful. If I hadn’t had it loaded onto the Kindle app on my phone and read it in bits pieces when I’d be waiting in line somewhere or at other odd moments, I don’t think I would have ever finished reading it otherwise. And I very seldom don’t finish books I start—for one thing, I don’t feel right judging a book I haven’t read all the way through.
The problem with Helltown is that it reads like a sketched-out outline for a book. It’s disjointed, I felt like I didn’t really know much about the characters, and what I did know, I didn’t like. The protagonists—rather, the victims, and there are a lot of them—are for the most part not very likable, and the antagonists are, frankly, disgusting. I’ve read a lot of Rex Miller books (the “Chainsaw” series) and Michael Slade books (the “Special X” series), and quite a bit of splatterpunk fiction, so I think I have a fairly strong stomach, but not only did I find the bad guys in Helltown unsavory, I simply didn’t care about them. The book reads like a beginning writer’s early effort to write a psychological horror novel. It certainly isn’t a “mystery.” I seldom give a book a one-star rating—mainly because I try to be a bit more selective in what I read, so I mostly stay away from junk in the first place—but I cannot find anything in Helltown to merit a higher rating.
Postscript: I actually acquired Helltown: An Occult Mystery as the first half of a two-book bundle, World's Scariest Places: Volume Two: Helltown & Island of the Dolls. I didn’t learn until after I finished reading it that not only is Helltown an actual place in Ohio, but all the occult and weird goings-on in the book are based on real local legends. According to Atlas Obscura, “The abandoned village now colorfully known as ‘Helltown’ is purportedly teeming with crybaby bridges, spooked school buses, mass human sacrifice scenes, and a mutant python for good measure,” and author Jeremy Bates manages to cram every single bit of scary local lore into the book, which I admit, is something of an accomplishment. I just wish he could have done a more literary—a more entertaining—job of doing so. (I have, against my better judgement, started the second volume in the omnibus, Island of the Dolls, and it has, thankfully, so far proved to be a much, much better-written tale.)
The problem with Helltown is that it reads like a sketched-out outline for a book. It’s disjointed, I felt like I didn’t really know much about the characters, and what I did know, I didn’t like. The protagonists—rather, the victims, and there are a lot of them—are for the most part not very likable, and the antagonists are, frankly, disgusting. I’ve read a lot of Rex Miller books (the “Chainsaw” series) and Michael Slade books (the “Special X” series), and quite a bit of splatterpunk fiction, so I think I have a fairly strong stomach, but not only did I find the bad guys in Helltown unsavory, I simply didn’t care about them. The book reads like a beginning writer’s early effort to write a psychological horror novel. It certainly isn’t a “mystery.” I seldom give a book a one-star rating—mainly because I try to be a bit more selective in what I read, so I mostly stay away from junk in the first place—but I cannot find anything in Helltown to merit a higher rating.
Postscript: I actually acquired Helltown: An Occult Mystery as the first half of a two-book bundle, World's Scariest Places: Volume Two: Helltown & Island of the Dolls. I didn’t learn until after I finished reading it that not only is Helltown an actual place in Ohio, but all the occult and weird goings-on in the book are based on real local legends. According to Atlas Obscura, “The abandoned village now colorfully known as ‘Helltown’ is purportedly teeming with crybaby bridges, spooked school buses, mass human sacrifice scenes, and a mutant python for good measure,” and author Jeremy Bates manages to cram every single bit of scary local lore into the book, which I admit, is something of an accomplishment. I just wish he could have done a more literary—a more entertaining—job of doing so. (I have, against my better judgement, started the second volume in the omnibus, Island of the Dolls, and it has, thankfully, so far proved to be a much, much better-written tale.)
August 4, 2018
Just wasn't for me
I began with Suicide Forest which I loved, then The Catacombs, which wasn't as good, then this one, Helltown. Really? A lot of stupid people, doing stupid things. Take the seven people going to the covered bridge in Halloween, even though they're grown adults going in to the woods on an Autumn evening, the West costumes and the women wear heels??? What about the red necks, hanging out with a doctor, really? They practice black masses together, raping and killing and worshiping satan. Ok. The doctor and his red neck brothers all went to a private school, growing into Satanists and one is a fully educated doctor while the others are retarded rednecks. BTW, the authors words, not mine. It was a silly book, not much made sense, and it was a disappointment.
I began with Suicide Forest which I loved, then The Catacombs, which wasn't as good, then this one, Helltown. Really? A lot of stupid people, doing stupid things. Take the seven people going to the covered bridge in Halloween, even though they're grown adults going in to the woods on an Autumn evening, the West costumes and the women wear heels??? What about the red necks, hanging out with a doctor, really? They practice black masses together, raping and killing and worshiping satan. Ok. The doctor and his red neck brothers all went to a private school, growing into Satanists and one is a fully educated doctor while the others are retarded rednecks. BTW, the authors words, not mine. It was a silly book, not much made sense, and it was a disappointment.
September 24, 2017
I continue to love Jeremy Bates's World's Scariest Places series! I just finished reading this one yesterday, and once again, he doesn't disappoint! This book is actually set in my neck of the woods! It takes place in an area of Summit County, OH that the locals call Helltown. There's always been stories here of the supernatural and devil worship.
If I had any complaint about his books, it would be that you get sucked in and don't want to put them down until you're done. Which makes them feel like very fast reads.
If I had any complaint about his books, it would be that you get sucked in and don't want to put them down until you're done. Which makes them feel like very fast reads.
March 29, 2022
„Yes, well, now you know. Your older brother is a serial killer. And so are you. Now, I have a long drive ahead of me…“ Best line of the whole book.
I mean... It's third book coming from this series, so I knew what I am getting myself into. I was well prepaded, but damn. There's just so many things that make no sense. And all the characters were just so unlikeable and stupid, I just waited for them to get into trouble, since they literally asked for it. It's entertaining, but in a silly kind of way...
I mean... It's third book coming from this series, so I knew what I am getting myself into. I was well prepaded, but damn. There's just so many things that make no sense. And all the characters were just so unlikeable and stupid, I just waited for them to get into trouble, since they literally asked for it. It's entertaining, but in a silly kind of way...
February 3, 2017
I really love this series. Yes, the characters are so dumb you want to slap them, but that is the point. There are Satanists, humongous snakes, ghosts and pretty much everything that makes cheesy 80s movies fun. Set in 1987 and with callbacks to pretty much every horror movie I've ever seen, I had a very entertaining journey.
September 12, 2020
Awful stupid book. These adults go off to see a covered bridge in Halloween dressed in costumes that don't make it easy to run and hide. The women were high heels in a rural area walking through mud, grass and on dirt roads. Uh ok? Then a bunch of red neck hillbillies hunt them down. It was bizarre and not very fun.
November 22, 2025
This was a surprise.
In this book we follow several different plotlines or stories that in some way are connected and there isn't a main protagonist. In the beginning the writer introduces us to several different characters that are travelling and after a maniac suffered an accident. At the same time we have the perspective of the people who made the accident and the several chases, kills and ensue afterwards. We then start following Beettle ( a war veteran from Vietnam - this story is set in early 80's) and Spencer a psychiatrist.
So basically this author give some story to this initial characters so you feel some connection and then they are brutally or not killed. From the middle to the end we follow a bunch of rednecks (Which cause the accident) and the reasons behind. Enter Spencer and Beetle for the last battle. It's quite weird how this story progress but I did enjoy the jumping around and no-one is face approach.
If I had a complain, first is Beetle. We never really understand what he is doing there. The German girl by the end and the conclusion of the tale. The killer, who had killed around 40 people before, was using rednecks and the "Satanist" masses to kill. In the 80's there was a really epidemic against Satanists. Everything non-Christian was Satanists. Even D&D was labelled as such. This after what? The orgies of the 60's. It's a bit like today no? After the blue-haired LGBT, activists and now conservatism is rising. Maybe it's trend? (Shock)
I don't have much to complain but I also know that this book will leave my memory in a couple of years. In two or three years I will remember nothing.
About the trigger warnings I've seen here - yes there are rapes but they are not explicit. The author just says and this happen or something like that. It's nothing in your face. Your Romanasy probably has more trigger warnings than this book.
I enjoyed. I will probably buy another of his books and maybe he can be one of those authors to be pallet cleansers. 80/100
In this book we follow several different plotlines or stories that in some way are connected and there isn't a main protagonist. In the beginning the writer introduces us to several different characters that are travelling and after a maniac suffered an accident. At the same time we have the perspective of the people who made the accident and the several chases, kills and ensue afterwards. We then start following Beettle ( a war veteran from Vietnam - this story is set in early 80's) and Spencer a psychiatrist.
So basically this author give some story to this initial characters so you feel some connection and then they are brutally or not killed. From the middle to the end we follow a bunch of rednecks (Which cause the accident) and the reasons behind. Enter Spencer and Beetle for the last battle. It's quite weird how this story progress but I did enjoy the jumping around and no-one is face approach.
If I had a complain, first is Beetle. We never really understand what he is doing there. The German girl by the end and the conclusion of the tale. The killer, who had killed around 40 people before, was using rednecks and the "Satanist" masses to kill. In the 80's there was a really epidemic against Satanists. Everything non-Christian was Satanists. Even D&D was labelled as such. This after what? The orgies of the 60's. It's a bit like today no? After the blue-haired LGBT, activists and now conservatism is rising. Maybe it's trend? (Shock)
I don't have much to complain but I also know that this book will leave my memory in a couple of years. In two or three years I will remember nothing.
About the trigger warnings I've seen here - yes there are rapes but they are not explicit. The author just says and this happen or something like that. It's nothing in your face. Your Romanasy probably has more trigger warnings than this book.
I enjoyed. I will probably buy another of his books and maybe he can be one of those authors to be pallet cleansers. 80/100
April 23, 2019
This is the third book in the World's Scariest Places series, which is a series of stand alone books all set in real places that have some sort of creepy folklore about them. I've read two others and they were really good, so I had high hopes for this one.
Helltown is about a place in Ohio that has effectively disappeared now, but had a reputation for meetings of Satanic groups, ghostly sightings and strange occurrences. It seemed like a great set-up for me as I love a good occult story, but unfortunately it let me down. This was mainly a problem with the characters. There wasn't anyone I could feel sympathetic for and the Satanists just weren't believable. It was like someone tried to do Dennis Wheatley and failed.
I can't fault the writing, except for a few passages that make me wonder if Bates might have written this one when he was less experienced. A run-on sentence that gave an info dump on a new character to open chapter 16 made me actually check to see it was the same author!
It's otherwise error-free and very effective writing. Admittedly using the most unlikely group of people possible for the Satanists put me off and effectively made the story lose all credibility, but I might have overlooked that if I could have cared about even one character and whether they would live through the experience.
There is some pretty nasty violence and a shocker at the end, so as a Horror book it ticks all the boxes, except for the occult aspect that might have made me enjoy it more. Slasher readers might love it.
Helltown is about a place in Ohio that has effectively disappeared now, but had a reputation for meetings of Satanic groups, ghostly sightings and strange occurrences. It seemed like a great set-up for me as I love a good occult story, but unfortunately it let me down. This was mainly a problem with the characters. There wasn't anyone I could feel sympathetic for and the Satanists just weren't believable. It was like someone tried to do Dennis Wheatley and failed.
I can't fault the writing, except for a few passages that make me wonder if Bates might have written this one when he was less experienced. A run-on sentence that gave an info dump on a new character to open chapter 16 made me actually check to see it was the same author!
It's otherwise error-free and very effective writing. Admittedly using the most unlikely group of people possible for the Satanists put me off and effectively made the story lose all credibility, but I might have overlooked that if I could have cared about even one character and whether they would live through the experience.
There is some pretty nasty violence and a shocker at the end, so as a Horror book it ticks all the boxes, except for the occult aspect that might have made me enjoy it more. Slasher readers might love it.
August 22, 2017
This one was definitely better than the suicide forest one. I may read more in this series.
January 18, 2018
Wont go out in the dark ever again!
May 8, 2021
Wow that was one “hell” of a book! I loved every minute of it and that may be disturbing 😂 this was definitely more of a horror story than a thriller which is what I usually read but this book was so incredible! Well thought out, intriguing, and downright scary! Super huge trigger warning for anyone with a fear of snakes!! You definitely shouldn’t read this book because you will have some major nightmares.
February 27, 2024
I’m so disappointed. I have enjoyed several of the other books in this collection. I DNF this one.
June 20, 2016
First of all I must say that I'm a huge fan of Jemery Bates' writing, tho this book was quite disappointing to me. I still gave it 5 stars but it won't end in my 'favorites' and 'good horror' shelves.
Helltown is the third book of Bates' "World's scariest places" series and I have to say that this one is pretty much the same as the first two books. Why? We have practically same plot line - some twisted crazies, sometimes mentally challenged sometimes insane because of others, go against "normal" people who have enough bad luck to stumble upon the 'bad guys'. Some horror happens, some deaths, some attempted (and some open) rape and at least two people survive.
When I first picked up "Suicide Forest" I was expecting supernatural, paranormal forces being the culprit and when it wasn't I was like "Well, yeah, okay, that's a new approach about this place". But when same happened in the second book I started having my doubts. I must admit that I try to get my hands on anything Jemery Bates publishes, because I simply love his style but Helltown, despite being so raw and good disappointed me.
The problem I had was because I read first few chapters with hopes "that's it, this time he has to write something paranormal because he just has to" and that's why when I stumbled upon hillbillies I dropped this book for a month. It was a first for me when it comes to Jeremy Bates' writing and I was shocked. "Do I really like his writing so much?" "Maybe I'm expecting something from him that he never intended to deliver?" These questions made me try once more and I read the rest of the book in a day. But that's not important. What's important that I'm pretty much am sure that the fourth book (and by the time I'm writing this fourth book is already out) will have the exact same plotline like the first three.
I don't expect anything paranormal anymore from this author and maybe that will make my next Jeremy Bates reading experience better, but my hype about this book series sure have dropped. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Stephen King who has no genre boundaries? Could be. All his stories are so diverse that I expect every author to be diverse even if they write for one genre.
Anyway, this book is a good read, like I said I gave it 5 stars and I'm happy about my rating. I will definitely read the rest of author's books if I can get them, but my expectations are lowered. Is it good or bad? I don't know, but I will find out.
Helltown is the third book of Bates' "World's scariest places" series and I have to say that this one is pretty much the same as the first two books. Why? We have practically same plot line - some twisted crazies, sometimes mentally challenged sometimes insane because of others, go against "normal" people who have enough bad luck to stumble upon the 'bad guys'. Some horror happens, some deaths, some attempted (and some open) rape and at least two people survive.
When I first picked up "Suicide Forest" I was expecting supernatural, paranormal forces being the culprit and when it wasn't I was like "Well, yeah, okay, that's a new approach about this place". But when same happened in the second book I started having my doubts. I must admit that I try to get my hands on anything Jemery Bates publishes, because I simply love his style but Helltown, despite being so raw and good disappointed me.
The problem I had was because I read first few chapters with hopes "that's it, this time he has to write something paranormal because he just has to" and that's why when I stumbled upon hillbillies I dropped this book for a month. It was a first for me when it comes to Jeremy Bates' writing and I was shocked. "Do I really like his writing so much?" "Maybe I'm expecting something from him that he never intended to deliver?" These questions made me try once more and I read the rest of the book in a day. But that's not important. What's important that I'm pretty much am sure that the fourth book (and by the time I'm writing this fourth book is already out) will have the exact same plotline like the first three.
I don't expect anything paranormal anymore from this author and maybe that will make my next Jeremy Bates reading experience better, but my hype about this book series sure have dropped. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Stephen King who has no genre boundaries? Could be. All his stories are so diverse that I expect every author to be diverse even if they write for one genre.
Anyway, this book is a good read, like I said I gave it 5 stars and I'm happy about my rating. I will definitely read the rest of author's books if I can get them, but my expectations are lowered. Is it good or bad? I don't know, but I will find out.
June 3, 2017
I was introduced to Bates when I read The Catacombs, and I thought it was pretty well done. This next installment in the "series" (loosely used, as none of the characters or locals repeat, it's about scary real-life places) was not as well done, I thought. First, I wish his characters were more sympathetic. If I don't really like most of the main characters (I'm not going to call them protagonists), then for the most part I don't really care when or how they die.
I also don't think the place itself was that scary. What made it scary was what the people were doing, rather than where they were doing it. In The Catacombs, the location was so integral that it was almost another character. Here, the people supplied the majority of the evil, and the location provided some atmosphere, but it wasn't that important.
That is not to say that the book wasn't scary, or at the very least extremely f-ed up. Much of what was going on was pretty horrifying, and more focused on rape than I would normally prefer to read. There are some very extreme death sequences () that were nauseating, to say the least.
I did think that the ending was pretty interesting, and had some very obvious moments and some very unexpected ones. I felt like it could have been done better, but I did stay up two hours past my bedtime to finish it, so that tells you something.
I also don't think the place itself was that scary. What made it scary was what the people were doing, rather than where they were doing it. In The Catacombs, the location was so integral that it was almost another character. Here, the people supplied the majority of the evil, and the location provided some atmosphere, but it wasn't that important.
That is not to say that the book wasn't scary, or at the very least extremely f-ed up. Much of what was going on was pretty horrifying, and more focused on rape than I would normally prefer to read. There are some very extreme death sequences () that were nauseating, to say the least.
I did think that the ending was pretty interesting, and had some very obvious moments and some very unexpected ones. I felt like it could have been done better, but I did stay up two hours past my bedtime to finish it, so that tells you something.
December 2, 2017
Eh . ..
I really liked The Catacombs, so when this showed up on Bookbub, I figured, heck yeah. And it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't as good.
I have no problem with main characters having to go through hell, and even losing some of them, as they make their way toward the climax, but in this book it's hard to point out who the main characters are. The only character who is actually present in the story from beginning to end really doesn't affect the plot at all. In fact, her part of the story is more like window dressing than anything else. There's a lot of loose ends that don't really get tied up, that annoyed me. It felt like there was almost no denouement at all.
Part of it might just be me, I sort of thought the author would play up the whole 'haunted this, and satanic that' before surprising us all with the truth, but there was none of that at all, or very little, and what was there was not substantial.
I'm not a huge fan of Rob Zombie's movies, and this book was just like them. A bunch of nut-jobs grabs a bunch of other people and makes them suffer for a while before killing them, and at the end the nut-jobs get their dues, but not in any kind of satisfying way.
I like Bates's writing, and he has great authorial voice, but after this I'll probably pause before I get the next one of his books.
I really liked The Catacombs, so when this showed up on Bookbub, I figured, heck yeah. And it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't as good.
I have no problem with main characters having to go through hell, and even losing some of them, as they make their way toward the climax, but in this book it's hard to point out who the main characters are. The only character who is actually present in the story from beginning to end really doesn't affect the plot at all. In fact, her part of the story is more like window dressing than anything else. There's a lot of loose ends that don't really get tied up, that annoyed me. It felt like there was almost no denouement at all.
Part of it might just be me, I sort of thought the author would play up the whole 'haunted this, and satanic that' before surprising us all with the truth, but there was none of that at all, or very little, and what was there was not substantial.
I'm not a huge fan of Rob Zombie's movies, and this book was just like them. A bunch of nut-jobs grabs a bunch of other people and makes them suffer for a while before killing them, and at the end the nut-jobs get their dues, but not in any kind of satisfying way.
I like Bates's writing, and he has great authorial voice, but after this I'll probably pause before I get the next one of his books.
February 2, 2017
The other 3 books in this series = spooky, suspenseful, and awesome.
This book was just... ugh.
Group of young adults with varying incomes + assorted personal flaws? Check.
Supposedly haunted place? Check.
The happening of icky things? Check.
But those icky things are overly gratuitous. There's horror and then there are horrible things. (And for horrible things, you might as well just read world news.) This story didn't have the buildup that the others did.
If you're trying to decide which of the World's Scariest Places to read, choose another book from the series.
This book was just... ugh.
Group of young adults with varying incomes + assorted personal flaws? Check.
Supposedly haunted place? Check.
The happening of icky things? Check.
But those icky things are overly gratuitous. There's horror and then there are horrible things. (And for horrible things, you might as well just read world news.) This story didn't have the buildup that the others did.
If you're trying to decide which of the World's Scariest Places to read, choose another book from the series.
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