The Red Tags

by Vince Darcangelo

Amy Hutchens may be vulnerable, but she refuses to be a victim. Not after all she's survived.

For years she's hidden the scars—both mental and physical—beneath a steel façade. But her sister's disappearance nine months ago—on a mountain climbing expedition—has reopened the wounds of their abusive childhood.

Amy has reverted to the self-mutilation of her teens, when she would carve wounds into her flesh to soothe the scars beneath. Though she clings to the hope that her sister is still alive, her best friend and college roommate, Mindy, convinces Amy to join her on a backcountry ski trip.

But in these mountains, Amy has more to fear than past trauma and her sister's ghost.

A pair of drifters—known as Red Tags in the psych ward—has taken up residence in the sleepy town of White Peaks, haunted by their own inner demons.

When one of the men abducts Mindy, it is up to Amy to rescue her. She tracks them to an abandoned cabin, where Amy encounters madness even darker than the horrors of her childhood.

She will learn that it's the suffering of the past that steels us for the nightmares that await.

Genres: Mystery, Horror

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2015

About the author

Vince Darcangelo is the author of The Red Tags (Comet Press) and dozens of short stories.

Recent publications include Dark Yonder Issue 6, the NoSleep Podcast, and the anthology, This is Not a Horror Story.

Enjoy his fiction and artwork at his website, Gathering Flies (www.gatheringflies.com).

He occasionally posts book reviews and articles on Ensuing Chapters literary blog (www.ensuingchapters.com).

Reviews

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Tags is vivid, engrossing, you're deep in the Colorado woods. If you’ve been to the Colorado mountains, all the better. This book is frightening (in the best sense of the concept), and the intensity escalates with each chapter as you follow the movements of Brett and his buddy Slim, Amy and her buddy Mindy, and Dennis, culminating in a little mountain cabin in the Colorado backcountry. From the start, the discharge from a psychiatric hospital (due to budget cuts) of a couple of “red tags,” i.e., patients that shouldn’t be leaving the facility, sucks the reader in. You immediately know it’s trouble, but the sense that you can predict what will happen is a mistake. There’s a surprise at every turn in The Red Tags, but it’s not straightforward as it’s well woven together with Amy’s rich backstory. An excellent read indeed.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Red Tags' initially grabbed my attention by the cover and synopsis. So pleased when I found I had won a free electronic copy on Librarything. Talk about a page turner! So much was packed into this book and I never knew what was going to happen next. I very rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do recommend this book. I shall be looking out for more books by this author.

[Grace Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, what a wild ride. This book is a total page turner. I was really impressed with the writing quality in this book, which fits into the thriller/horror genre. Some GREAT twists and turns. Really liked the main character, Amy. Without giving away too much I'll say that some of the visual images in this book are extremely distinct and memorable (I think differently about ski poles and their utility now). I will be looking for more books from this author in the future.

[Denielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought this was a great read. Page turner for sure!