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Keith: A Story of Friendship and Violence

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Sick and tired of day to day life. John turns to his thoughts and imagination for a means of escape. One day he meets Keith. He is taught that life doesn't have to be boring. It can be fun. You can go places, do things, meet people. For the first time in his life, John begins to enjoy himself. However, he soon learns that Keith is not as he appears. He has a dark side. He is out of control and he is taking John down with him.

88 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2015

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467 people want to read

About the author

Andrew Lennon

81 books278 followers
Andrew Lennon is the bestselling author of Every Twisted Thought and several other horror/thriller books. He has featured in various bestselling anthologies, and is successfully becoming a recognised name in horror and thriller writing.

His work has appeared alongside horror royalty such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Richard Chizmar, Clive Barker, and many more.

Andrew is a happily married man living in the North West of England with his wife Hazel & their children.

For more information please go to www.andrewlennon.co.uk

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5 stars
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28 (34%)
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15 (18%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Farrah.
221 reviews802 followers
September 23, 2020
A decent psychological horror.
At only 100 pages, the story moved quickly and the writing was solid!

Although the twist was predictable, it was scary, gruesome fun watching it play out ☠️

Thanks for recommending it Ian! 💕
Profile Image for Peter Topside.
Author 6 books1,453 followers
June 10, 2025
This was an incredibly short, yet very satisfying read. Keith and John, John and Keith. Go together like Bonnie and Clyde. We follow a very sick, violent person, in Keith, as he takes a very lonely and depressed man, John, and forces him to drink until he's unconscious, hurt and kill innocent people, and live a life of debauchery. But it's all meant to force this person out of his funk and have some fun. I guess we can refer to it as fun, if you're a complete psychopath. But as we continue along the journey with these two hooligans, the story introduces a swerve, which was fairly obvious, but that didn't take away from its impact. This was my first book by Andrew Lennon, independent of any other author, and I really had a good experience here. Anyone with a small desire for some violence and psychological warfare should give this a look.
Profile Image for Char.
1,951 reviews1,877 followers
September 18, 2015
John is a data entry clerk and hates his job. So begins this short novella, (or long short story?) from Andrew Lennon.

I can't say too much without spoilers, but I can say that I guessed the outcome of this story pretty much right from the get-go. (I HATE when that happens.) I consider myself a seasoned horror fan, so perhaps that's why I so easily saw where the story was going. Someone new to horror would probably have been much more surprised.

There were a few instances where I felt that the story went beyond the realm of believability, but they were passed over quickly due to the fast pacing.

Overall, I feel that this is a good first effort. The writing isn't polished, but it's decent and the imagination is there. I feel that Andrew Lennon could be an author to watch in the future.

*Andrew Lennon provided a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*

Profile Image for Ian.
557 reviews83 followers
September 12, 2020
Brilliant!

This proved to be a great little hard-hitting story for anyone interested in experiencing the twisted, disturbed and bitter world of your average...psychopath!

John makes a new friend, Keith, and the two buddies together decide to go ahead and have some fun together. Gulp!

Excellent! - a very enjoyable story, without being too extreme - just wished it was a little longer. Rating: 4.8 stars.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
488 reviews31 followers
October 12, 2020
What a lovely little psychopath story. It gets off to a very evil start which is quite a hook, and had me expecting great things.

This is the story of a disappointed and angry young man (John) whose life did not turn out as he thought it would. It is a sad but relatable tale in some ways. John is lonely, a bit of an outcast, however things seem to take a turn for the better when he makes a new friend - but his new best buddy might not be the answer he is looking for.

This was a pretty decent short story (about 100 pages) and definitely worth a read. There were a couple of bits that seem unlikely or odd but overall a good plot with a decent pace.

If you like a good psychopath story then this is the book for you. I really liked the characters here; the good and the bad, with one being dragged into a living nightmare. Unfortunately I did guess the ending before it arrived but nonetheless I still enjoyed the story. Good work Mr Lennon.

A decent 4*/5
Profile Image for Nev Murray.
448 reviews33 followers
August 14, 2015
A copy of Keith was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Andrew Lennon in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Createspace.

This is the first book I have read of Andrew Lennon. This is a short story. I generally find them a good way of introducing yourself to someone new. It gives you an idea of the writing style without having to spend too much time on first time reading.

John is like any normal guy. He works, he lives a normal life by himself in his flat and he generally just tries to get by without any drama in his life. He hates his job. More to the point he hates his boss. Sometimes he fantasises about causing him pain.

One night a pizza delivery man arrives at his door with a pizza he didn’t order. As if this wasn’t mysterious enough, the same guy literally bumps into John a few days later. He introduces himself as Keith.

Keith and John strike up an unlikely friendship. It’s the only friend John has in the world.

When demands from Keith start to get more bizarre and deadly. John has to ask himself what he is doing associating with Keith and more importantly how in the hell he is going to end that association.

I’m a bit stuck with this story. I have left it a bit to write the review to think on it. I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I know Andrew Lennon is starting out on his journey as a writer and for that I must applaud him. He is doing what a lot of us wish we had both the talent and the balls to do. Some of us are writers. Some of us are reviewers. That should tell you where I’m at.

I had a few problems with this story. I don’t want sound totally negative about it but they did affect the enjoyment I got out of it. Andrew mentions at the start of the book about the help he got in editing the book and I know from reading reviews of some of his other work that there were some issues with mistakes in another book. There were still some issues with this one as well. I found quite a few spelling and punctuation errors and a couple of instances where the words were completely wrong in a sentence and one part where a character is called by the completely wrong name. Now maybe I’m just a bit anal about this sort of thing, but, as a reader I think I need to highlight it if it does affect my reading experience.

Characters wise, this story centres on John and Keith. Neither of them were particularly endearing to be honest. John came across as a bit of a wimp but then I would count that as a success in the story because I’m pretty sure that is how he is supposed to be. He was soft and gullible and you really just wanted to give him a slap and shout “waken up!” Keith was nasty. Again a success that you feel this way about him because that is what he is supposed to be. I just didn’t find him very believable. He didn’t convince me that he was as evil or capable of being as evil as he was supposed to be. The scenes that have them together were a bit of a miss match. The dialogue was constrained at times and to be honest not the sort of conversations I could see two people who have recently met having.

Plot wise, it was a familiar story. I can’t really tell you too much about it because I don’t want to give it away. I would say though it was pretty easy to see where it was going. One book I read a few years ago now kept springing to mind when I was reading.

To be perfectly honest? I didn’t enjoy this. It all just felt a bit flat to me. If it had been a full length novel I doubt I would I have finished it.

I know this review comes across as very negative. As a reviewer I have to be honest with what I think about stories. I always try not to be rude or offensive to the author. That is not my style. At the end of the day we are talking about someone’s living and life ambition here. All I can say to Andrew Lennon is keep on plugging away at it. Continue to learn and it could all come together for you.

It just didn’t do it for me on this occasion.

To summarise: a short story about a loner getting a friend who twists and turns his life completely upside down to the point of disaster. Didn’t do it for me due to the points I have highlighted but that doesn’t mean it won’t do it for you.


General rating:

★★ Not for me I'm afraid.

Horror rating:

★★ Not very scary either.
Profile Image for Christina McDonald .
227 reviews11 followers
June 23, 2015
Shocking

This was complete awesomesauce psychological horror at its best! I debated with myself throughout the entire story about the plot but then I was busy getting blown away by the ending! Way to go Andrew! Keith was well worth the wait & great reference to A Life to Waste too ;)
Profile Image for Lisa Lee.
572 reviews37 followers
June 2, 2018
KEITH is the story of the friendship between John, who is not just bored with his life but also heartily frustrated, and Keith, a guy John meets by odd chance who is basically his polar opposite.

In this clever psychological horror, Andrew Lennon presents us with the annoyingly relatable weak-wimpy-loner guy you just wan to slap as the actual main character of John. We all know this person in one form or another, at least superficially. We also know the obnoxious, inconsistent, bully-type who befriends the wimps that we see embodied in Keith. Both of these characters are careful representations of the stereotypes that generally get on our last nerves.

But, what are these people really like outside our notice? What moves such men and ultimately breaks them? In KEITH, Lennon shows us the dark things in the hearts of such men, shows us that things and people are often not what they seem. You won’t look at people you may know as stereotypes the same way ever again.

In spite of its steady pace, this is not light reading. It is psychological horror meant to stimulate the mind, full of foreshadowing and subtleties and well as tension and terror. The subject matter is disturbing and the climactic ending is powerful and very telling. I feel like some hard-core readers might prefer to label this more of a thriller than horror, so keep in mind that your perspective indicates how intense you find this one. Either way, I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Matt Hickman.
Author 24 books36 followers
May 23, 2015
John was a normal guy, working nine till five as a data entry clerk. Harassed by his boss, Oliver. John is a man like most people, with an inner dialogue. Thoughts of ripping his bosses head from his shoulders often leak into his thoughts, but these thoughts always remain silent.

He didn't have a social life, no friends, he spends most nights sat at his computer either checking through everyone else's fantastic lives on Facebook, or watching online porn. One night he gets an unexpected knock at the door. A delivery of a pizza, strange as he had not ordered it. The delivery guys explains that there must have been a mix up with the address and he should take it anyway, a free pizza. He takes it and thinks nothing more of it.

John goes to his local supermarket, again, his inner dialogue goes beserk, the mild annoyances of trolley's blocking aisles, and over friendly cashier's making a seemingly simple shopping trip, the experience from hell.

On the walk home from this shopping trip, John has another run in with the pizza guy, literally, as he runs him over on his bike. The pizza guy apologises and introduces himself as Keith. Insistent that he makes it up to john for running him over by buying him a beer. Not being one for drinking in pubs, John declines, but Keith the Pizza guy insists, and promises that he will come round to his flat once he finishes work and bring some beer. Hesitantly, John agrees. "Have I just agreed to a boys night in with someone I don't even know?"

As planned, Keith arrives later that evening, with more than enough beer to sink a battleship. After a few drinking games, and more cans than John usually drinks, and the pair of unlikely lads start to relax and get on. The climax of the evening sees them arm in arm singing Bon Jovi songs. Keith passes out on the sofa, John dragged himself to bed, fully dressed.

The next morning, john has the hangover from hell, Keith is gone and he has to drag himself to work. Despite his banging head, he enjoyed the parts of the previous evening that he could remember and wondered if he had actually found a friend. John arrives at work, to face the wrath of Oliver for being fifteen minutes late. He sits at his desk when he receives a phonecall from Keith telling him to bunk off work and meet him at home, something he does with a nice humorous twist.

Before long, the pair become close friends, up until a planned trip to a fishing lake where they have a run in with a cyclist in their car. Keith attempts to make John run him off the road for a laugh, and it results in an argument between them.

Unsure of Keith's motives, and unsure that he has shown this dark side to his nature, John decides to avoid Keith for a while. The only thing is, Keith isn't happy with this arrangement. I can't, and won't give any more away about the remaining part of the story. All i will say is that It gets very dark, and builds up to quite an explosive ending with a superb twist.

This has been my favourite book by Lennon so far, he sent it me to read prior to release. It is effortless, dark, and funny, All in the right balance. The way that the John character is written is superb, Andy really pulls you into his daily ordeals and struggles throughout the book. You find yourself in places feeling sorry for the fact that he is a bit of a loser, but then laughing along at his demented internal outbursts.

Getting better and better with each book, i wish Andy further success.



Profile Image for Mandy.
90 reviews18 followers
February 18, 2016
I've read a few things by newcomer Andrew Lennon and I must say that I admire his writing style. It's clear, precise, and without unneeded fillers. He doesn't bog down his flow with paragraphs long descriptions on leaves turning or strip us of our imaginations by describing every detail in a busy room.
Basically, I love this guys style! I've never had any trouble getting into one of his books or had my mind wander over to my neglected laundry baskets, wondering whether I have enough fabric softener or not.
His characters aren't always well liked but they are well rounded and well written.
Well....that brings us to Keith.
The main character in this story is John, he is kind of an unpleasant guy.
He's around 30 and has a menial desk job that he hates.
No friends or close family, really no one cares to be around the guy and his quiet negativity.
He smiles and tries to act pleasant enough but his inner monologues play out in his facial expressions...near constant ranting in his head about his loser jerk of a boss, his lazy incompetent co-workers, or these insufferable old hens at the grocery store that block the aisles and hold up the lines with their pointless chatter.
John is not really a people person.
But then enters Keith, wild and fun Keith who really wants to be Johns friend.
He's reluctant at first because of his whole 'aversion to people' thing and is worried that a friendship might inconvenience him...but then he gives in.
They become great friends and do everything together. Keith helps John break out of his shell a little bit and release some pent up inhibitions.
John is so happy to finally have a friend, he's got a pep to his step now, enjoys his work more, less negativity altogether.
Then things start to get a little twisted and John wonders if this Keith is who he says he is.

This was a fun and thrilling read, I did it in a single afternoon and just when you think you've figured it out, it takes a hard left and gives you whiplash.

This, Hexad, Twisted Shorts, and A Life to Waste are the Lennon's I have read so far and I highly recommend them all!!

Interesting little side note : While reading his Twisted Shorts, I did 34 straight minutes on the mini stepper! That has never happened to me before, usually no matter how good a show or book is my eyes wander to the timer hoping I can be done already but with his awesome collection of shorts I was so engrossed that I completely lost track of time!

READ LENNON HE'S GOOD FOR THE GLUTES!!
Profile Image for Shadow Girl.
708 reviews98 followers
June 11, 2016
I am Jack’s prefrontal cortex.
I am Jack’s psychosis.

We all have ‘those‘ days.
You know what I mean… those terrible days when you’ve fallen into a vortex of suck, and every. single. person. you encounter makes you want to stab them in the neck with a fork.
Daydreams of murder & mayhem consume us; we mentally debate various body disposal methods, and map out dump sites with a smile on our face while being talked down to by various people with superiority complexes.
Wait, what? You don’t?
Oh, well… me either.
I was talking about someone else.
I was referring to my buddy ‘SWIM’, not me.

John is having these days more often than not, and they’re not just at work anymore. He is starting to become a very dark, and angry person.
He gets lost in his thoughts as a means of escape, and his imagination is growing darker, and more dangerous each day – until he meets Keith.
His unexpected new friend shows him that his life doesn’t have to be boring, or degrading. Life can actually be fun! He can go to new places, do exciting things, meet interesting people…
For the first time in his life, John begins to enjoy himself, and he is finally actually happy.
However, he soon realizes that Keith is not as he appears. John jumped into this bromance with both feet, and he might have jumped in way too fast.
Keith has a [Tyler] ‘Durden-esque’ dark side; he is dangerous. He is rapidly getting out of control, and he is taking John along for the ride – whether he wants to go or not.

*Bonus points for the Throw a Punch Easter Egg on p25!

The Bloody Book Blogger gives KEITH a glowing 5/5 rating ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
“I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.”
~ Peace, Love & Necrophilia Shadow Girl

See the full review, and join the discussion HERE.


Profile Image for Cathy.
260 reviews1 follower
May 28, 2015
KEITH is the latest offering from Andrew Lennon and is a real treat for his readers. Like many of his stories, we start off with an average individual in a seemingly normal situation who we can mostly identify with. Our protagonist in KEITH, John, is no different and I found myself relating to his struggles until his life takes a spin in the form of his new best friend.

While this was a short read, I think the premise would work really well as a full length novel as (without giving anything of the plot away) the novella wasn't really long enough to give Keith much depth and this is a character I was especially intrigued with.

This is a fast paced, fun read. Lennon's writing has matured considerably since his early work and he has obviously relaxed into his own style of writing. I look forward to seeing much more from this writer but this is definitely my favourite Lennon book so far.
Profile Image for Linda Ste.
18 reviews
September 17, 2015
I received this book as a Goodreads first read prize and was thrilled to have had the opportunity to be one of the first to read this truly horrifying (in a good way) book. It filled my heart with terror but was absolutely an amazingly read. I'm a little scared to go to sleep tonight in case I have nightmares, and definitely don't want to dwell on it but am glad I've read this unique novel. Congratulations Andrew Lennon on a fantastic story.
Profile Image for Sparta.
51 reviews
August 9, 2015
Enjoyed this short story another good read with a very sinister theme.
Only reason for the four stars is that I knew early on where it may be going so lost the thrill a little.
I loved the references to a previous short story and as ever I was hooked enough to want a longer story. Looking forward the next Lennon journey!
Profile Image for Tamara.
569 reviews54 followers
May 23, 2016
The story's jarring beginning is, indeed, just the beginning. I enjoyed this psychological thriller and am a fan of Lennon's writing style (It makes me smile - deep inside.). KEITH had my mind racing the entire read.
Profile Image for Leigh Thomas.
Author 15 books5 followers
June 21, 2015
Another great read from Andrew Lennon.

I can't wait for his next release!
Profile Image for Mark Alexander.
400 reviews8 followers
May 15, 2021
After reading a few of his stories in horror anthologies, this was my first novella by the author. I enjoyed it enough and would have given it 4 stars had I not guessed the twist ending extremely early on.
Profile Image for Melissa Potter.
36 reviews10 followers
April 5, 2019
Great psychological mind warp. We've all had those thoughts in our head. Especially on those days when people are generally being so damn annoying. This story had me going though. I didn't fully see twist coming throughout the story, but it didn't surprise me when we got there. It all made total sense. The ending was killer.
Profile Image for Kayla Krantz.
Author 45 books742 followers
December 22, 2020
John has been living paycheck to paycheck for a while and is tired of the struggle. When he meets Keith, he starts to think that maybe his days will be filled with some excitement. For a while they are, but Keith has a dark side. And John’s about to learn some hard truths about himself.

This was short but packed with so many emotions, not to mention twists and turns. The characters were fleshed out well. I really felt for John in the beginning. The author really captured what it’s like to slowly your mind.

Dark and short, but this is a must read for fans of psychological fiction.
Profile Image for Kirsty Mills.
547 reviews6 followers
September 17, 2023
All I'll say about this story is that it's short, packs a punch and displays some top notch writing. A great little whirlwind of a tale.
Profile Image for Lisa Sandberg.
298 reviews16 followers
June 20, 2015
I thought this was a pretty good short story. I'll give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

John hates his life, work, his boss, people. Then he meets Keith and finally has a friend and starts having fun. Little does he know that Keith has a dark side and starts making him do things, things that only John would think of but not actually do or would he?

Enjoyed reading this, as I have with most of Andrew's work. He has some talent. Keep writing and enjoying your dream, Andrew, you will go far.

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Profile Image for Matthew.
Author 118 books84 followers
June 8, 2015
Even though my suspicions before even starting this were confirmed this was an enjoyable read. it has the potential to be bulked out into a novel if the author so wished,like a demented horror version of The Cable Guy.
Profile Image for Keith.
24 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2015
Very good story.

Enjoyed it immensely, good flow and subject matter regarding the main character and their "friend".
7 reviews
June 8, 2018
Loved this book from start to finish, quite dark but fast paced I only wish it was longer!
Profile Image for Sea Caummisar.
Author 82 books1,371 followers
May 9, 2019
I usually don't read shorts, but this was free when I signed up for a newsletter. Anyways, nice quick read, with a bit of twist. It entertained me
Profile Image for Keith Chawgo.
484 reviews18 followers
November 15, 2015
Good read

Lennon's writing style is a unique voice in horror where the common man often ends up in a nightmare stemmed from self pity and lack of judgement easing the reader through the course of the protagonist journey.

It is a very quick read and as you finally get into the story, it unfortunately ends. It's very well constructed but you can't help that a further hundred pages could have given you a sated read. Saying this, it is a very good tale and do highly recommend. If it wasn't enjoyable, I probably would not want more
The characters are well drawn with realistic cares and woes and the tedious day to day of work is captured wonderfully.

Lennon is a new voice rising in the pinnacles of dark fiction and as he develops his talent, he is headed for bigger and better things. An interesting and joyful read.
Profile Image for Debbie Lyon.
6 reviews4 followers
December 26, 2015
John is a solitary man who is thrilled to finally make a friend in Keith. Andrew weaves a macabre tale about the friendship that ensues. The writing flows easily, the characters are believable and the ending is one you can't guess. Was a fast, easy read. Good way to pass some time.

Just wish it had been longer.
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