Worst Nightmares

Worst Nightmares #1

by Shane Briant

Literary darling Dermot Nolan is out of ideas and has reached crisis point. Then an unsigned manuscript falls into his hands, titled 'My Worst Nightmares - My Delicious Memoirs.' It tells of a homicidal twisted 'Dreamhealer' who snares his victims via a website called worstnightmares.net. He then seduces them into revealing their innermost fears and kills them by revisiting their very own nightmares upon them, magnified a hundred fold. Sweeping aside the dangers of plagiarism, Nolan reworks the manuscript, at the same time researching the 'fictional' killings. But are they 'fictional'? And could Nolan be writing his own ticket to death?

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense

330 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2009

About the author

Law graduate Trinity College Dublin. Turned pro actor in 1971 playing Hamlet in Dublin. Nominated for Best Newcomer by London Theatre Critics for his performance in 'Children of the Wolf.' Starred in four Hammer films, played Dorian Gray in Hollywood. Veteran now of 36 international feature films and countless TV around the world. Six books published - five in Australia, latest in America and Germany.

Reviews

[Trudi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting. Disappointing overall. Too many plot holes big enough to fly a 747 through. I'm very good at suspending disbelief; in fact, I will go along with just about anything for as long as I can if I'm having a good time. But Briant's debut effort simply asked too much of me. My incredulity persisted, if anything becoming stronger as the novel neared its climax. I giggled towards the end because the "twist" shrieked "daytime soap opera". It was just too much. More in the SPOILER section.

Another thing that peeved me about this book is that the main protagonist is a “literary” author and the recipient of a Booker prize. Dermot Nolan has some serious misgivings about taking "horror schlock" seriously. He thinks it’s beneath him. Stephen King is mentioned numerous times, so is the reader supposed to draw the conclusion that King sacrificed writing "literature" to publish things that would sell? Take this quote on page 27:

"You sold three million copies and won a Booker. But Stephen King has sold a hundred times that number because he knows his market. If you want the respect and approbation of the literary community, go ahead and wait another ten years for suitable inspiration. In the meantime why not take a year off and write something less cerebral?"

Less cerebral?! I wonder how much Stephen King Briant has actually read himself? For King he is not. Not even close. Is this Briant’s own insecurity showing through about the genre he has chosen to write in? Deep down, does he resent that HE won’t ever receive a Booker? Well guess what Briant. I hate to break it to you man, but it’s not your choice of genre that’s the problem, rather your inadequate storytelling skills.

The premise for this book shows huge potential -- all the nuts and bolts are there for nail-biting suspense, and Briant achieves it in a few places, just not in enough places. The villain "Dream Healer" reminded me of John Doe (Kevin Spacey) from the David Fincher film Se7en and Jigsaw from the SAW franchise. I was also reminded of the Diane Lane film Untraceable. The problem is, this book isn’t nearly as strong as any of those movies.



*************************SPOILER ALERT****************************




Killing people as per their "worst nightmare" is clever, but Briant flubs the execution. The big reveal that Nick Hoyle is the Dream Healer was the biggest let-down. I was "underwhelmed" to say the least. Taking the perfect, supportive "best friend" and unmasking him as the mastermind behind all this horror is just weak. The only thing that would have made it worse is if Dermot’s wife had been in on it too. And Nick’s motivation to suddenly become a sadistic, torturing psychopath? The death of his wife and twin babies due to "negligence" on behalf of a cast of characters? And the discovery that Dermot had slept with Nick’s wife and was indeed the father of those twins? How’s this for melodramatic prose:

"My wife lay dead. My children had been burned to death, and now I was informed that my oldest and dearest friend…had fucked my wife when he’d felt horny one day. You’d actually chosen not to give your own wife children, and then had been so careless, you gave my wife twins."

Cue ominous music. Oy vey ... Oh yeah, and the ultimate revenge comes when Nick buries Dermot alive in the wife's backyard and keeps him alive by feeding him fetid compost???? No way! Can you spell soap opera?

I can let some things go, but not that. I try not to nitpick books; after all, some readers are going to love this novel and have a helluva good time reading it. Our reading responses are so subjective. But horror matters to me, in all of its manifestations. And in my opinion, Briant cheated the genre. Maybe he doesn't know it all that well and only thinks he does ... maybe he underestimated the readers thinking they'll swallow any pill if it's violent and sensationalist enough. Who knows? This is his first try, and it shows potential. My advice to Briant - learn more about your chosen genre and its readers - or try something else next time ... maybe something more "literary".

[Linda Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! 'Worst Nightmares'... WOW. Let me just say ~ I'm counting the days til I hear about the movie deal as this will surely end up on the big screen. Think 'Misery'... 'Silence of the Lambs'... 'Saw'... all nicely blended, shaken and stirred and served in celebrated fashion.
I was snared at first by the IDEA of the story (and of the story within the story). Then the horrific details in this story kept me up well into the night. But what totally captivated me was the true mystery woven into what turned out to be one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. Suspenseful? Extremely. Terrifying? That too. But the clincher? Oh now .... I wouldn't spoil that for a ton of money. :)
Fascinating read, Mr. Briant, WELL DONE!

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like the main character, Dermot Nolan. I didn't even feel sorry for him. My total lack of sympathy for this character actually surprised me. When I read I get lost in the story. These characters kept me firmly grounded in my world because I don't think I could bear to spend a minute in their company. Also, I do not like being able to figure out who the proverbial "bad guy" is before I reach page 50.

I only finished reading this book because once I start a book, I have to finish it (those of you who are obsessive-compulsive will understand). But I was actually angry that I had to finish it!

Don't waste your time or money.

[Giovanni Gelati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads for me has been a fun and exciting place. Shane Briant was nice enough to friend me there, and because of that I learned of his novel. I have to admit right from the get go I was a bit taken aback by the whole thing. It is an unusual novel filled with so many different elements; it is difficult for me to tell you it fits this genre or that. That I think is the beauty of the novel.
Worst Nightmares is a major roller coaster of a ride. I think it would have been fun to have been a fly on the wall as Shane Briant possibly sat down and laid this all out before he started to write it. He has created a very eerie and emotionally charged microcosm for his core group of characters. Each has their own issues and none of them seems to be equipped to help the other out. They are jaded, condescending and totally wrapped up into themselves. Amazingly, by the same token, Shane Briant brings his writing skills to bear and helps us to become emotionally invested in these same characters so we have a sense of caring in what happens to them at novel’s end. The tension builds the entire novel to an ending that I don’t think most readers would expect, right up to the last line.
Shane Briant is working on the sequel to this and he has told me when he started the project he had always envisioned a trilogy; I am in on that. I want more; the story and the plotline are that good. Is this a: Horror novel? Action/Thriller? Mystery? Tale of legal suspense? Western (just checking to see if you were paying attention)? I am going to go with all of the above. Opening the pages of this novel is going to give you a ride, a unique departure from the norm that is going to leave you thinking and shaking your head. I was glad to have been able to have this novel brought to my attention; for me that is the fun of the Goodreads website. Make sure that at the minimum you put this in your –to read- list there and have some fun with it; I know I did.
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[Dave-Brendon Burgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worst Nightmares follows Dermot Nolan, a Booker-prize winning author and darling of the literary scene, who needs to come up with another wonderful novel before, his agent drops him, his publisher demands the advance that they paid him back, and he loses all credibility in literary circles. Throw into the mix a wife (and editor) who is ready to have kids and a best friend who is doing better, financially and in almost every other aspect, than his best-selling friend, and you’ve already got a brew of plotlines that would suit any novel. But when a crazy homeless guy shoves an envelope into Dermot’s mailbox and he discovers a macabre diary in it, that’s when things start getting really interesting – because Dermot takes the diary, detailing horrific murders by someone called the Dream Healer, and begins thinking that he could just adapt the diary and publish it as his own book… (Check out the rest of my review at this link: http://davebrendon.wordpress.com/2009... )

[amyextradot · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this was interesting; a writer, currently suffering writer's block, receives a strange manuscript/memoir on his front door. He ends up "borrowing" the ideas for his own book, while researching the events depicted in the memoir. Turns out, the book may be completely true and if so, there's some crazy guy killing people by taking advantage of their nightmares.

About 80 pages in, I figured out who was killing people and I had a pretty good idea why. I skipped ahead, confirmed my suspicions, and put the book down. Avoid. It's not scary. It's not suspenseful. It's not even "horrifying".

[Diane Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shane Briant is an actor turned horror novelist which is interesting because his debut novel reads like a slick knuckle-biting Hollywood thriller. It sorted reminded me of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown in that as I was reading it felt like I was watching a movie.

The plot follows a best-selling and Booker prize winner author Dermot Nolan. Think of him as a John Grisham or a Dan Brown in popularity but with more of a literary sense. But Dermot has a really big problem that could cost him everything. He was paid a really big advance for his new novel but he has a severe case of writer’s block. Unfortunately, he is about to run out of time and money. Desperate situations force people to desperate things and Dermot Nolan’s back is against the wall.

The other character is only known as the Dream Healer. He runs a website that advertises “Are your dreams a source of pain and anxiety? Let the Dream Healer bring you peace.” People will visit the website and describe in vivid detail their debilitating nightmare. The Dream Healer then acts as a sort Dr. Phil to help them sort through their problems. Of course this is all a rouse as the Dream Healer is just a collector of information. The one thing you do not want is a house call from the Dream Healer as the chances are very low you live through the encounter and he will make you relive your worst nightmare.

The Dream Healer has written down all of his exploits in his manifesto and passes it along to Dermot Nolan. At first, Dermot thinks of it as just sensualist fictional trash but is intrigued by the brutal nature of it. Through a series of events Dermot witnesses the Dream Healer commit suicide. Now he is faced with a quandary, since he cannot write his own novel, does he publish the Dream Healer’s diary as his own?

From this point forward in the novel the story takes off at a furious pace. Dermot and his wife, Neela, begin to look into the murders described in the Dream Healer’s book to determine if there is any validity to them. As Dermot begins to discover the truth he will be forced to cross morale lines that he once strongly adhered to and start down a very dangerous rabbit hole.

The ending is very surprising. There are several twists, some I saw coming and others a complete shock as Mr. Briant pushed his story into some very shocking areas.

What I liked: The last half of the book is just pure fun but will also make you squirm. Dermot Nolan makes some very bad choices that the reader will constantly be questioning him, “what are you doing?” Mr. Briant does a fine job of detailing the desperate situation that Dermot finds himself in and the reasons behind his horrible choices.

I also really enjoyed the ending of the story. Without giving away too much, I really liked the place that Dermot ended up as I did not see it coming and it will give you the hebee jebees for weeks.

What I didn’t like: For me, the beginning of the novel was a little rough and hard to get into the flow. For about the first 50 pages the chapters alternate between Dermot Nolan and the Dream Healer’s exploits. I was concerned that the entire novel would continue in this manner and become tiresome. Luckily, after the Dream Healer is gone and once the story completely centers on Dermot Nolan, it really begins to shine and move at a furious pace.

Last word: One more thing I will never do. After watching Jaws I will never go into the ocean and now I will never, ever tell someone my nightmares on the internet because you don’t know who is on the other end. Mr. Briant has written a novel that will appeal to fans of horror and thriller novels and will keep them entertained and horrified until the very bitter end.

[Michelle Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane Briant, Author
Worst Nightmares
Vanguard Press, ISBN 978-1-59315-514-8
Fiction-horror, suspense, thriller
344 pages
October 2009 Review for Bookpleasures
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Shane Briant was referred to me from one of the other authors that I read and reviewed. Thank you Davis Aujourdhui for making that connection!

Mr. Briant, author of Worst Nightmares, has a very storied past. He attended Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland where he studied law. (back jacket cover, 2009) He has been an actor before writing, starring in televisions shows and films opposite many famous actors; Paul Newman, Rosemary Harris, Jeremy Irons, John Hurt, Olivia DeHavilland, and more. Mr. Briant has won awards for short films he has written and even had one in contention for an Academy Award. (A Message From Fallujah) Currently he resides in Sydney, Australia. For more information about Shane Briant and this work please log on to his web site www.worstnightmares.com.

This novel is brilliantly conceived and eloquently written. The storyline is one of the most clever I’ve ever had the privilege to read. I believe it would translate perfectly into a movie. Thank you Shane for an amazing read!

The main character of this novel is an acclaimed writer (fictional of course) residing in California, Dermot Nolan. At the moment this story takes place he is experiencing a bit of writers block. His wife, Neela, and childhood best friend, Nick Hoyle, have been trying everything they can to stimulate his writing, but have been largely unsuccessful until a strange man resembling a homeless person drops a guttural manuscript/diary into his mailbox. This manuscript describes a series of heinous murders.

Dermot is not considering reading this manuscript in the beginning. His wife feels differently and she manages to get him to take a look at it. The manuscript is pathetically written, but so compelling that they cannot put it down.

Eventually, the man who they believe has written this manuscript calls them and asks Dermot to get it published for him. Dermot is uncertain if this manuscript is worthy of publication and wonders why him, but after speaking at length with his wife and best friend he decides to give it a whirl.

As a good citizen and serious writer Dermot is curious if this manuscript is fact or fiction so he embarks on a series of investigative journeys to places that have been described in this manuscript. He finds some very interesting things, some he shares and others he keeps to himself.

Dermot is under the gun. He has taken a million dollar advance and has promised his editor that he will have a manuscript to her within a short time frame. He ends up rewriting this heinous manuscript to suit his voice, but when his wife proofreads it she disagrees and tells him to write it verbatim. He does as she said and the novel is a huge success, but there is a dark secret that remains to be reconciled.

This story takes many twists and turns before it ends up leaving you, the reader, wondering if there will closure or if there will be a sequel. (By the way, Shane Briant tells me he is working on the sequel as I write.) I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery with a very new age and technologically timely twist. I enjoyed every page and could hardly put it down!

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read much horror-thriller, but I did enjoy WORST NIGHTMARES—if “enjoy” is the word to describe a novel that’s so vivid, so gruesome, and so well thought-out that I found myself shuddering while reading. The chapters often alternate between Dermot’s third-person point of view and the point of view of the Dream Healer, so that you’re never settled: you’re either in the mind of a merciless, albeit creative, serial killer, or else you’re witness to Dermot’s mental breakdown and self-doubts.

There are not that many characters in WORST NIGHTMARES, but those who are present are quite well-drawn for a thriller novel. Of course, its genre practically demands that more attention be paid to the plot than to the characters, but even so, Dermot and his wife Neela’s reactions to an unusual and volatile situation believable and justified. All of the decisions they make—both bad and good—are the result of a very real, very human thought process.

The one major thing I found lacking in this novel was its predictability. Maybe it was just me, but I had my hunch as to who the mastermind behind the killings was about a third of the way through, and, in some of the slower moments, the desire to verify the accuracy of my hunch (I was right) was what kept me going. I’m not a fan of predictability, but if that doesn’t bother you much, and if you allow your mind to shut off just enough to overlook a few other minor flaws—questionable relationship dynamics, occasionally slow pacing, and loose ends—then the issues I had with this book won’t bother you all that much.

All in all, WORST NIGHTMARES is a good read in a genre that’s become increasingly tough to stand out in. It’s not a book I’d have picked up on my own, but fans of horror and thriller novels need to read this Shane Briant standout in order to truly understand it.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, this was a $1.00 book at a more or less cheap supermarket. I was immediately interested in the cover and the information given on the back. When I began reading it though, I was impressed, interested, ready to read more. That is until I got deeper.... and deeper.... and deeper.... into the book. Around page 285 I made a "startling" discovery.

It

Was

BORING

No, the nightmares listed in the first 100 pages were interesting, that's what made me read more. The discoveries of these murder sites were exciting... I continued. It wasn't until it went into an extra long, extra drawn out length to explain why this guy was screwed. No, I already got that. He plagiarized work (the character, NOT Shane Briant!!!!) Anyway, the guy took this dead man's manuscript, wrote it in his own words and took all the glory for himself. Maybe that was sort of why I resented the book. Not only did it bore me to stopping mid-way through, but the thought of that he took someone else's work and wrote it as his sort of irritated me. I do understand that this was all necessary for the plot, if it wasn't for this well it might have been better. I think Shane Briant could have written his story with something extra. I don't know, the thought of plagiarism in the story and the fact that it no longer mentioned the Dream Healer after a certain point (I was interested in his chapters, they were actually interesting)it became incredibly hard for me to continue.

If I had the chance to change this book, I would:

Add chapters that involved more deaths along the story of plagiarism and gave the main character, Dermot Nolan a total makeover. He was so upset, grumpy, mean in the story due to stress that sort of killed everyone's mood. Didn't like that..

In the end I will be moving on to something else, I do not think I will continue this one.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dermot Nolan is an internationally bestselling author. His recent book even won the coveted British Booker prize. However, Dermot just cannot seem to get his thoughts together for his next novel, and the clock is ticking. He has already spent his half a million dollar advance, he's selling his artwork to pay the bills, and his agent won't stop calling.

When an elderly homeless man stuffs a manuscript into Dermot's mailbox, he jumps at it for ideas. But the story is a crudely handwritten diary about nightmares, which isn't something Dermot would normally write about. So he tosses it into the trash in frustration.

However, his wife and editor Neela, sees potential in the manuscript and urges Dermot to have another look. If Stephen King could do it, why couldn't Dermot? So Dermot takes a deeper look at the manuscript, and before long he realizes that the crimes are real.

The diarist of the manuscript is the Dream Healer. He lures his prey to his website by random flyers. He urges them to share their nightmares so that he can help heal them. But in retrospect, what really happens is that he stalks them until he brings their nightmares into reality.

Dermot, predictably, rewrites the manuscript and has it published as his own. It is a nationwide sensation. But someone else digs into Dermot's new novel, crime journalist Jeff Schipp. He receives tips that are too similar to Dermot's book to be coincidence. Dermot Nolan is soon living his own nightmare as the police get involved.

WORST NIGHTMARES is a superb debut. An addictive, terrifying and heart-stopping ride that will keep you up at night. If you love thrillers, you won't want to miss this one!

[jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booker Award-winning author Dermot Nolan has a bad case of writer's block and he's also spent his large advance for a book he hasn't even started. Then a homeless man gives Nolan his manuscript, a work about a man with a therapy website where strangers tell him their biggest fear, or worst nightmare, hoping to be cured of their phobia. Instead, the therapist uses the information to deliver horrifying deaths.
Reading the manuscript, Nolan becomes more confused over whether it's fiction or the diary of an actual serial killer. Either way, he decides to have it published as his own work, and of course, that links him even tighter to its true author.

I believe this is Briant's first book and it has some very interesting parts. I found the passages about how the victims had developed their phobias to be the best parts of the book. I grew tired of Nolan reaching for a drink and screaming at his wife.
Also, I knew what the outcome of it all would be 100 pages in, so there's that.
I'm afraid that I couldn't really enjoy this book because I dislike books or movies that are about torture. Murder, fine. I like a good murder mystery, but I don't like torture. But I've been a fan of Briant's acting for so many years that I will try his other book if it comes my way. He really made a niche for himself in the 70's playing characters with angelic faces who turned out to be monsters. He was superb as a beautiful serial killer in "Straight On Til Morning" with Rita Tushingham. I know that has nothing to do with his writing, but that's my reasoning. : )

[Jo Anne B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worst Nightmares is about a Booker Prize winning author Dermot Nolan that has been unable to come up with any original ideas for a new book in over a year.

He has already spent the money he was given in advance for his next book so he is pretty strapped financially. That leaves him desperate and vulnerable to making decisions for money while forsaking his morals. So when a manuscript is dropped off in his mailbox that has the makings of an original bestseller, he eventually clears his conscience enough to pass it off as his own. The manuscript is about killing people according to their worst nightmares. Creepy but even more so when the author of the manuscript, Arnold, contacts Dermot telling him it is all true. Events pursue and you can tell that Arnold has something personal against Dermot as he strings him along on a wild goose chase to determine if the murders really happened. This is when Worst Nightmares tries to be suspenseful and scary but accomplishes neither since it has succumbed to the most fatal flaw of predictability.

You never feel sympathy for or like any of the characters so you don’t really care what happens to them causing you lose interest and hurry up to finish it to prove you were right all along.

[Deborah Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worst Nightmares is certainly a nightmare for author Dermot Nolan who is given this manuscript from a mysterious street person who seemingly jumps to his death. After struggling to find inspiration to write his next big seller and a publishing company on his back to produce Dermot decides to publish Worst Nightmares as his own work. But the killing portrayed in Worst Nightmares continues and Dermot Nolan finds himself the prime suspect with the police and afraid the killer may be after his wife next.

I truly enjoyed reading Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant mainly because I love a good thriller, and this one will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout most of your reading. I will say that I wasn't surprised to find out who the real killer was at the end; I seemly already had figured this out early on. But that just may be me. The interesting aspect was his use of the internet to draw out his victims nightmares. Though I doubt this could happen in real life just this way, especially since he already knew who his victims were going to be. If you like reading a good thriller you will enjoy reading Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant. It's a good read for Halloween Season.

[Avital · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. The villain is revealed in the first 80 pages, but you have to sit through another 340 pages until the end. I actually didn't finish it - it was getting tedious so I skipped to the last couple chapters (which I have never done before in my life.)

This book is an odd combination of boring (since you know what is going to happen) and can't-look-away bad. None of the characters are sympathetic or likeable. Also, it's not really scary or suspenseful. I would say that it is more sensationalist and grotesque than anything else (other than lame, that is.) Scenes of brutal violence plus an overly contrived plot does not equal a brilliant suspense novel.

Also, there are numerous editing and fact-checking errors; at least one of the methods of murder is physically impossible. Anyway, I read most of it because it came highly recommended, but I personally would not recommend it. The premise has potential, but it was ridiculously drawn out and the writing was labored. I won't be reading his future novels.

[Barry who enjoys well-written thrillers, mysteries , & espionage & loathes romance, horror & supernat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This brief review does not contain a synopsis of the story or any spoilers.

Worst Nightmares may deserve better than a two star rating but it was so contrived in places that I couldn't, in good conscience, give it three stars. The plot was very clever and completely original and, as such, it maintained my interest to the extent that it was frequently difficult to put it down. The problem was that there were places in which it was so unrealistic that it turned me off completely. In fact, perhaps the most important plot twist was treated so briefly and without regard for reality that I almost stopped the reading the book at that point.

On the other hand, the unique plot and the well developed main characters maintained my interest most of the time.

Other soft spots included the uneven pacing and the paper thin subsidiary characters but, in the final analysis, the weaknesses mentioned earlier badly hurt the book and have left me disinclined to read any more of this first time author's work.

[Karen Medrano-rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! It was my first psychological thriller- type book and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It was one of those rare books I couldn't put down....yea, it had its flaws....the way some of the murders were carried out were really unrealistic and *****SPOILER ALERT**** there is NOOOOO WAY on earth that Dermot Nolan could've survived as long as he did underground and still made it out a live. I'm a nurse. I know what I'm talking about. This bugged the crap out of me.

Other than that, I loved this book! That and the fact that this book really hit close to home. ******ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT********** Being wide-awake while your body is completely paralysed and covered with angry, exotic tarantulas...oh yes, book. You hit a nerve.....I, too, was a brand-new naive nurse when I read this book and those ARE my biggest nightmares.....so congrats! Ya got to me! (Where's my night-light???)

[MB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time figuring out what to rate this book.

One, it was riveting and hard to put down.

Two, it scared the crap right out of me. Seriously. Terrifying.

Three, I couldn't finish it. Well, I could have. I had my suspicions, though, so after reading about 100 pages, I skipped ahead and read the ending. And while the ending is imminently and perfectly satisfying, I wasn't willing to risk the nightmares I thought taking that journey would give me.

The author had a brilliant idea with this book, but the bad guy was too twisted for my personal tastes. I still think it was clever as hell, in an I-wish-I'd-thought-of-that way.

Haven't reacted this way to a book since I read Red Dragon by Thomas Harris in college. Had to put that book down periodically and seek out the company of others to relieve the pictures in my head. brrrrr.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After accepting a big cash advance, award-winning novelist Dermont Nolan has hit a dry spell. Desperate for an idea, he passes off a homeless man's bizarre manuscript called My Worst Nightmare--My Delicious Memoirs as his own work of fiction.

Now Dermont may be facing his own worst nightmare as the killings in his book turn out to be real, with him as the prime suspect.

A very creepy, psychological blend of thriller and horror that will keep you turning the pages. Even when you think that you know who is behind Dermont's problems, there are several more twists and turns.

[Addison Public Library]

Dermot is a severly blocked writer when an unsolicited manuscript is left for him by a mysterious stranger. The novel recounts stories of the horrible deaths of people using their worst fear as the weapon. He hates the horror genre but tries to refine the manuscript.

Only for hard core serial killer fans. JL


Check out this book today!

[Mick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was very good. The beginning of the book is choppy, repetitive and boring. The middle is a little better as the story starts to move along. There are a few neat plots twists, but I figured out the main mystery early in the story. It seemed a bit amateur in spots and the plot had several holes. The characters often didn't make sense and they weren't very likable. The ending was disappointing. Even the editing could have been a little better.

[Flow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't start the best for me & the story line kind of seemed a like a reused idea from some other books, but I got into it more as I read on. I figured out the "bad guy" before the book revealed this person, but that didn't necessarily ruin the book for me. Not bad for Shane Briant's frist novel.

[Cydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a good book but there were some point in the book where you can get lost if you don't read carefully. You have to read the names also carefully, so you can catch up on what's going on.
I love the way that I feel like i'm inside the psychos mind. Like I was there or doing the crime.

[Jake Maschino · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller, this is the book for you. The end seems rushed, as though the author was on a strict word count and was running out of room, but not disappointing.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was far too predictable..I can't say I didn't hang on every chapter, because I did, but I was wishing for a more erm--less conspicous antagonist. I loved the details--every page had me cringing and unsettled, but I see this more as a future Lifetime movie than a bestseller.

[Julee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der "Traummörder" kennt deinen schlimmsten Albtraum. Niemals, sollten wir unsere schlimmsten ängste jemanden anvertrauen, denn dann hat man uns in der Hand. Ein wiederliches, fantastisches Buch das man trotz Angst nicht aus der Hand legen will. Meine größte Angst ist...

[Nanci L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a 'horror' book if that's what you think. It is mostly a really good suspense thriller which I found to be very, very good. Quite a different type of plot too which draws you in from the start.

[Keisha Frantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very creepy. A suspensful page turner, I could have read it quicker but I would have to stop reading before bedtime so I didn't scare myself too much!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense is not usually my favorite genre. However, I could not put this book down. Even at the ending chapters, there were still twist and turns that kept me riveted.