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The Black Monkey
The children of Bakersfield, Illinois have buried a stuffed monkey in a cornfield every Halloween for decades. The same night that ten-year-old Jess first witnesses the mysterious ritual, his older sister Paula is brutally murdered. Paula is only the first victim of the “Snowman,” a serial killer stalking the children of Bakersfield. Jess believes the monkey ritual is the key to stopping the murders and uncovers the secrets of the century-old tradition. But the black magic of the monkey might be more evil than the killer he has called it up to stop.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2015
About the author
Christian H. Smith
5 books63 followersChristian H. Smith is a novelist and screenwriter living in the dark, corn-fed heart of the Midwest. Book One in the "Bloody Bakersfield" series, "The Black Monkey" is his first novel. Book Two, "Bloody Bloody Bakersfield" is coming soon from Permuted Press. Christian is also co-writer of the upcoming feature-length horror film, "Witch Child." http://witchchildmovie.com/
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 14, 2015
4.5 stars, rounding up.
THE BLACK MONKEY, by Christian Smith is the first book in the “Bloody Bakersfield” series. Normally first person point of view is a hard sell for me. When utilizing this approach where you get narration based on a sole character’s perspective, the author HAS to make the reader become emotionally invested in this person. I am very pleased to say that Christian Smith pulled this off flawlessly, in my own opinion.
Our main character, who is the voice of the entire story, is ten-year-old Mark. We begin when Mark’s best friend, the charismatic Jess, extends his older brother’s invitation that he and Mark may observe the traditional “burying of the gray monkey” ritual on Halloween. Although none of the participants are quite sure of the origin of this rite, it has been done for as long as anyone can remember.
After this year’s observation, however; things immediately begin to go horribly wrong for the residents of Bakersfield.
We learn through Mark, that his best friend Jess is certain that the tragedies befalling the town have to do with the buried monkey somehow.
The pacing of this novel is simply perfect–the fear and action never seem to let up. In between, the characterization is impressively set. Viewed through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, we get to know many of the people, their families, and their own individual problems. I cared for each of these people, and could see them vividly in my mind as I read along.
A horrific tale, involving elements of supernatural horror, mystery, and intrigue, this book will keep your mind racing through each and every part. I particularly enjoyed the author’s conclusion to this novel, and couldn’t envision anything else in its place.
A strong, solid read that will take you away to Bakersfield–whether you want to go or not…
Highly recommended!
THE BLACK MONKEY, by Christian Smith is the first book in the “Bloody Bakersfield” series. Normally first person point of view is a hard sell for me. When utilizing this approach where you get narration based on a sole character’s perspective, the author HAS to make the reader become emotionally invested in this person. I am very pleased to say that Christian Smith pulled this off flawlessly, in my own opinion.
Our main character, who is the voice of the entire story, is ten-year-old Mark. We begin when Mark’s best friend, the charismatic Jess, extends his older brother’s invitation that he and Mark may observe the traditional “burying of the gray monkey” ritual on Halloween. Although none of the participants are quite sure of the origin of this rite, it has been done for as long as anyone can remember.
After this year’s observation, however; things immediately begin to go horribly wrong for the residents of Bakersfield.
We learn through Mark, that his best friend Jess is certain that the tragedies befalling the town have to do with the buried monkey somehow.
The pacing of this novel is simply perfect–the fear and action never seem to let up. In between, the characterization is impressively set. Viewed through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, we get to know many of the people, their families, and their own individual problems. I cared for each of these people, and could see them vividly in my mind as I read along.
A horrific tale, involving elements of supernatural horror, mystery, and intrigue, this book will keep your mind racing through each and every part. I particularly enjoyed the author’s conclusion to this novel, and couldn’t envision anything else in its place.
A strong, solid read that will take you away to Bakersfield–whether you want to go or not…
Highly recommended!
June 30, 2015
When you read a book that is well written you escape into the world the author created. This book does that, you are taken into a small town in Illinois where a young teen named Mark is the narrator. A series of murders occur by a serial killer and Mark and his friend Jess try to stop it. The author pulls you in and because of this it is a can't put down kind of book. I look forward to read the other books in the series.
June 20, 2015
'The Black Monkey' is a tale of small town murders and voodoo spells, told through the first person narrative of a ten-year-old boy.
I picked this up because it looked and sounded really cool and different. I expected it to be entertaining, but it was so much more than that. I'm so glad I started reading when I didn't have anything else to do as I got pulled straight into the story and tore through the book within a quick couple of hours, not putting it down until it was finished. I will definitely be reading the next book this author writes, as quickly as I can get my greedy hands on it. I was captivated by the ideas in the story and I felt everything the characters went through as if I was going through it with them. The ending was satisfying and I was left uplifted in spite of the emotional wringer the book put me through.
In short, this was an amazing read I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an excellent, unusual story with a dark subject matter. I was blown away by how good this was. Can't wait for book two!
I picked this up because it looked and sounded really cool and different. I expected it to be entertaining, but it was so much more than that. I'm so glad I started reading when I didn't have anything else to do as I got pulled straight into the story and tore through the book within a quick couple of hours, not putting it down until it was finished. I will definitely be reading the next book this author writes, as quickly as I can get my greedy hands on it. I was captivated by the ideas in the story and I felt everything the characters went through as if I was going through it with them. The ending was satisfying and I was left uplifted in spite of the emotional wringer the book put me through.
In short, this was an amazing read I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an excellent, unusual story with a dark subject matter. I was blown away by how good this was. Can't wait for book two!
July 22, 2015
The tale begins with a long tradition of burying a stuffed monkey on Halloween to ward off evil. It’s a tradition that’s gone on for a hundred years, but it has become just an excuse for the younger folks in the town of Bakersfield to let off steam and drink. Only, on this Halloween night, evil has returned and a serial killer is prowling the streets.
As each holiday rolls around in Bakersfield a new murder takes place and the police are powerless to stop it. The only thing linking the murders is that they are all killed on holidays, so the killer is dubbed the Holiday Killer, while others call him the Snowman.
Our two protagonists are Mark and Jess. The story is presented from the perspective of ten-year-old boys, which is an interesting and unusual method of delivery. It immediately puts you in their corner. They are young and don’t understand a lot about the world. They also have the same issues to deal with that most kids do – parents not listening or being overly controlling, and issues with their peers as they enter the uncertainty of puberty. Of course the norm is that children are safe in horror for the most part. Not in this case though, as children do fall at the hands of the killer. Jess and Mark’s lives are very much in danger.
There is a common theme of families in crisis. There is the community-wide crisis of the deaths and the fear and curfews are really effectively portrayed. The community’s reactions to the murders are varied and realistic, with some turning to fundamentalist religion, while others look for scapegoats through racism. The tension is palpable due to the time in between killings. The events of the book take place over a year, so there is an axe hanging over the town permanently during a year of constant anxiety. The fears often lead to accusations and violence based on little evidence. Our heroes’ families are also in crisis. Jess’ family is dealing with his sister’s death, while Mark’s dad has an affair and causes the breakdown of his parent’s marriage. As the murders continue, the adults fall apart and the kids get smarter. This tension and pace creates a claustrophobic atmosphere and the small town crafted by the author is a great setting.
We find out that the ritual of the black monkey was started to put a stop to a murderer named Scarecrow around a hundred years ago. A hoodoo priestess taught the children of the time how to stop the killer, and stop him they did. Jess and Mark have to recreate a black monkey in order to defeat the Snowman.
It all builds to a rewarding and exciting conclusion. This was a really enjoyable book and is the first in a series of novels set in the town of Bakersfield. As I’ve mentioned, the town is a great setting and so I’m excited to see how the horror is expanded. This is going to wreak havoc with the property prices…
As each holiday rolls around in Bakersfield a new murder takes place and the police are powerless to stop it. The only thing linking the murders is that they are all killed on holidays, so the killer is dubbed the Holiday Killer, while others call him the Snowman.
Our two protagonists are Mark and Jess. The story is presented from the perspective of ten-year-old boys, which is an interesting and unusual method of delivery. It immediately puts you in their corner. They are young and don’t understand a lot about the world. They also have the same issues to deal with that most kids do – parents not listening or being overly controlling, and issues with their peers as they enter the uncertainty of puberty. Of course the norm is that children are safe in horror for the most part. Not in this case though, as children do fall at the hands of the killer. Jess and Mark’s lives are very much in danger.
There is a common theme of families in crisis. There is the community-wide crisis of the deaths and the fear and curfews are really effectively portrayed. The community’s reactions to the murders are varied and realistic, with some turning to fundamentalist religion, while others look for scapegoats through racism. The tension is palpable due to the time in between killings. The events of the book take place over a year, so there is an axe hanging over the town permanently during a year of constant anxiety. The fears often lead to accusations and violence based on little evidence. Our heroes’ families are also in crisis. Jess’ family is dealing with his sister’s death, while Mark’s dad has an affair and causes the breakdown of his parent’s marriage. As the murders continue, the adults fall apart and the kids get smarter. This tension and pace creates a claustrophobic atmosphere and the small town crafted by the author is a great setting.
We find out that the ritual of the black monkey was started to put a stop to a murderer named Scarecrow around a hundred years ago. A hoodoo priestess taught the children of the time how to stop the killer, and stop him they did. Jess and Mark have to recreate a black monkey in order to defeat the Snowman.
It all builds to a rewarding and exciting conclusion. This was a really enjoyable book and is the first in a series of novels set in the town of Bakersfield. As I’ve mentioned, the town is a great setting and so I’m excited to see how the horror is expanded. This is going to wreak havoc with the property prices…
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews