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The Eaton
The Eaton is the award-winning debut novel of John K. Addis. Spanning over 100 years of mid-Michigan history, but written in the gruesome style of ‘80s horror classics, The Eaton tells the story of Sam Spicer, who purchases the dilapidated Michigan Central Railroad Depot in Eaton Rapids with the dream of opening a hot new martini bar. But when he and his friends unearth an abandoned underground hotel directly beneath the property, they must discover what happened to the original guests—before their own time runs out.n Amazon and Audible Best-Seller Over 1,000 Four-Star and Five-Star Reviews"The Eaton is the best kind of horror." - Midwest Book Review"The Eaton is an astonishing debut. A tense and suspenseful thriller set in Mid-Michigan, filled with historical information, I could not put this down! Fresh, original, and truly terrifying." - Kirk Montgomery, WILX-TV"It's not often I find myself so absorbed in a book that grabs my attention from the onset up until the last page. It's fast-paced, macabre and full of gritty atmospheric settings, along with a relentlessly chilling plot from an author who's mastered the genre!" - Catherine Rose Putsche, Author of The Surgeon's Son"This book is so well-plotted, and the characters feel so real, that you will be as terrorized as they are. Some of the images are so vivid that I had to put The Eaton down for a few minutes, let myself relax, take a few breaths, then I could continue. You have to keep reading to see what happens next, even if you are afraid to find out." - Bill Mackela, Bill's Book ReviewsReminiscent of an old-school Stephen King novel, The Eaton will hold you captive from its first paragraph to its shocking conclusion. This spell-binding thriller kept me guessing all the way through, and left me anxiously hoping for a sequel." - Jenn Carpenter, Violent Ends Podcast, Author of Haunted Lansing"Amazing debut by a really talented author. This is one of those books that will stick with you after you read it—Addis does a great job of putting you in the action." - Alec Drachman, Goodreads "What Addis does best is convey to the reader the slow rising terror as the characters realize their situation. I don't want to give anything thing away because finding out what is in the hotel, where it came from and how it works is part of the creepy fun. It is hard to creep me out and this one did it." - Sharon Stogner, I Smell Sheep Reviews "The Eaton is a great book. I would recommend The Eaton to anyone who loves a good horror story with rich, well-developed characters who all have their secrets they would like to keep hidden, but are faced with a horror they've never met." - Melanie Marsh, FangFreakinTasticReviews.com"Addis pens plenty of suspense, gore, disturbing imagery, and edge-of-your-seat tension throughout the entire text. The book, as a whole, is inviting, intriguing, and worth investing in. Plus, Addis manages to create independent, smart female characters, not something you see every day in a horror novel." - Julia Gaskill, Portland Book Review"Out-and-out thrilling horror and an absolute page-turner— it had me wanting 'just another chapter.' But it is, I think, also a little more than that. Addis explores a number of very contemporary and relatable concerns here regarding the relationship between the characters and their pasts.
421 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
29 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
John K. Addis
8 books40 followersJohn K. Addis is a writer and marketing professional from Lansing, Michigan. When not advertising the products and causes of his clients, Addis enjoys crafting suspenseful tales set in Michigan locations. His award-winning first novel, The Eaton, was an Amazon and Audible bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 30, 2016
A little too Scooby Doo near the beginning and too Solaris near the end but still a good read overall. Solid narration on the audio.
August 25, 2015
“Reading John K. Addis was like reading an eighties horror movie. It’s fast paced, macabre and full of gritty atmospheric settings, along with a relentlessly chilling plot from an author who’s mastered the genre!”
The story begins when Sam Spicer, the main protagonist, becomes the legal owner of the long-abandoned Michigan Central Railway Station in Eaton Rapids, with big dreams of turning it into a hot new martini bar. However, Sam’s plans come to a sudden halt when he and his friends discover a secret twelve-floor Victorian hotel that’s situated directly underneath the station. In their curious attempts to explore the hotel, they soon discover that it is free from dust and that the old Victorian elevator is fully functional. Upon further inspection, they soon realise that there were once guests over a century ago that showed signs of leaving in frenzied panic. After further unusual, mysterious and gruesome discoveries they decide to go in search for answers to find out what happened to the original guests and why the hotel became abandoned, only to discover that they are all being pursued by a creäture with incredible powers, who could trick them, make them see things from their deepest memories to try and prevent them from escaping his abandoned underground world.
The story does shift back in time to Jonathon Wesley, an Archaeologist who gets an exclusive invite to the grand opening of The Eaton, in exchange for his examination and opinion of the owner’s underground discovery. Jonathon in turn goes on to study and document the petroglyphs with caution as some unforeseen and incredible events soon unfold, that he is convinced are connected to the petroglyphs that he feels depict a tangible threat. Jonathon’s unique back story alone equips the reader with most of the knowledge and clues that Sam and his friends need to escape the relentless beast of another world that has clearly massacred dozens of people before them. The biggest question is will Sam and his friends be able to find the answers from the past before it’s too late, and if so will it help them in conquering the beast? Or will their attempts fail and lead to their own demise?
What a fantastic book. It’s not often I find myself so absorbed in a book that grabs my attention from the onset up until the last page. I literally couldn’t put it down in fear I would miss something about these wonderfully, yet flawed characters’ that may help them in their impossible mission to discover the truth. Congratulations’ Mr John K. Addis you have just gained a life-long fan. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon.com/UK
The story begins when Sam Spicer, the main protagonist, becomes the legal owner of the long-abandoned Michigan Central Railway Station in Eaton Rapids, with big dreams of turning it into a hot new martini bar. However, Sam’s plans come to a sudden halt when he and his friends discover a secret twelve-floor Victorian hotel that’s situated directly underneath the station. In their curious attempts to explore the hotel, they soon discover that it is free from dust and that the old Victorian elevator is fully functional. Upon further inspection, they soon realise that there were once guests over a century ago that showed signs of leaving in frenzied panic. After further unusual, mysterious and gruesome discoveries they decide to go in search for answers to find out what happened to the original guests and why the hotel became abandoned, only to discover that they are all being pursued by a creäture with incredible powers, who could trick them, make them see things from their deepest memories to try and prevent them from escaping his abandoned underground world.
The story does shift back in time to Jonathon Wesley, an Archaeologist who gets an exclusive invite to the grand opening of The Eaton, in exchange for his examination and opinion of the owner’s underground discovery. Jonathon in turn goes on to study and document the petroglyphs with caution as some unforeseen and incredible events soon unfold, that he is convinced are connected to the petroglyphs that he feels depict a tangible threat. Jonathon’s unique back story alone equips the reader with most of the knowledge and clues that Sam and his friends need to escape the relentless beast of another world that has clearly massacred dozens of people before them. The biggest question is will Sam and his friends be able to find the answers from the past before it’s too late, and if so will it help them in conquering the beast? Or will their attempts fail and lead to their own demise?
What a fantastic book. It’s not often I find myself so absorbed in a book that grabs my attention from the onset up until the last page. I literally couldn’t put it down in fear I would miss something about these wonderfully, yet flawed characters’ that may help them in their impossible mission to discover the truth. Congratulations’ Mr John K. Addis you have just gained a life-long fan. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon.com/UK
November 8, 2017
This started out as a good, spooky story. A group of people follow their friend into the bacement of an old building he has just recently procured. He secretly has discovered floors of a whole other underground hotel that was built many years ago. The deeper they go the more beautiful and interesting the hotel gets. The owner sees dollar signs and how this attraction would draw many eclectic, deep pocketed adventures. It is when they are on their way back up when the spookfest begins. Strange creatures that can shapeshift and delve into each persons psyche keep them second guessing themselves and causing each other injuries. It was really pretty good until it lost me completely. Maybe not for those that have a problem with animal torture. I did finish it but only to find out who, if any, make it out alive.
May 25, 2016
rating: 3.5 rounded down ☆
Throughout reading this, I couldn't get this out of my mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEbw...
This was a good first book. The biggest issue I had with it was, well, two things. The lesser of the two was the location. I thought it was all very convenient for the story while also being something that would never happen IRL. It didn't even have a brush of what could possibly happen. From the creation to the secret nature of it all, even after 100 years, I just call BS on that. It seemed built to make the plot more convenient.
It really made it hard for me to get into this simply because it was so simple to see where it was going. It, you know, in the Shinning, they get snowed in, but the location of the hotel isn't convenient. It helps but the story doesn't revolve around that location, per say. This hotel was just stupidly convenient from the one elevator to everything else. It was just stupid. Who'd build a 20 floor hotel with one elevator, then make the guests travel all the way up to the top in that one elevator before they could check in and get their key? No one would.
The other was the NON-STOP FLASHBACKS. It was ridiculous. Someone, dear god, give this author a red pen and just start X-ing through them. It got so frustrating. The monster in the novel can apparently read minds and so it would take the shape of people from the past. This would then lead to having a long ass, drawn out flash back to tell the reader why this was, indeed, a scary thing. This happened with nearly every single contact. There felt like there was 50 flashbacks just with the present day cast, and these flashbacks were nearly chapter/half-chapter in length a piece. We'd get to something somewhat scary and then we'd be hit with a flashback.
This was done incredibly bad and this alone will ensure I never reread this book again. Once was way too much.
Throughout reading this, I couldn't get this out of my mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEbw...
This was a good first book. The biggest issue I had with it was, well, two things. The lesser of the two was the location. I thought it was all very convenient for the story while also being something that would never happen IRL. It didn't even have a brush of what could possibly happen. From the creation to the secret nature of it all, even after 100 years, I just call BS on that. It seemed built to make the plot more convenient.
It really made it hard for me to get into this simply because it was so simple to see where it was going. It, you know, in the Shinning, they get snowed in, but the location of the hotel isn't convenient. It helps but the story doesn't revolve around that location, per say. This hotel was just stupidly convenient from the one elevator to everything else. It was just stupid. Who'd build a 20 floor hotel with one elevator, then make the guests travel all the way up to the top in that one elevator before they could check in and get their key? No one would.
The other was the NON-STOP FLASHBACKS. It was ridiculous. Someone, dear god, give this author a red pen and just start X-ing through them. It got so frustrating. The monster in the novel can apparently read minds and so it would take the shape of people from the past. This would then lead to having a long ass, drawn out flash back to tell the reader why this was, indeed, a scary thing. This happened with nearly every single contact. There felt like there was 50 flashbacks just with the present day cast, and these flashbacks were nearly chapter/half-chapter in length a piece. We'd get to something somewhat scary and then we'd be hit with a flashback.
This was done incredibly bad and this alone will ensure I never reread this book again. Once was way too much.
August 25, 2016
Debut that hints this author has chops. If I was this budding author's editor, I'd encourage him to keep writing; not only because of the possibilities that seem to shimmer beneath this first effort, but also because of his obvious enthusiasm and creativity. The *method* he uses here reminded me of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," but don't take that as a spoiler! I bring up that exact point because as I read, I began to feel a little like the emphasis of the book switched from the premise introduced to the belabored reduction of characters.
5 little stars if a story can stay strong,
One taken off for too many death scenes (and too long)
4 little stars still left for me to ponder,
one had to go when the plot began to wander
3 stars left that I could still offer,
I think I'll give these remaining to encourage this young author.
5 little stars if a story can stay strong,
One taken off for too many death scenes (and too long)
4 little stars still left for me to ponder,
one had to go when the plot began to wander
3 stars left that I could still offer,
I think I'll give these remaining to encourage this young author.
September 6, 2015
The Eaton is a super creepy book. It reminded me a lot of The Shining by Stephen King, but not immensely. It has that same creepy hotel feel where you don’t know what’s real and what’s not. I actually think The Eaton would make a pretty cool movie if it were done right.
I like how the author has the past and present stories alternating to some degree. It’s not as confusing as it probably sounds, but it really does help the reader get a better understanding of what’s going on. The hotel seems like a super cool place, but that feeling quickly wears off once the action starts.
I would like to have had more details of what happened with the original set of guests, but that is just my usual curiosity wanting to know every tiny bit of the story and each character’s experiences.
The Eaton is a great book that will keep you engrossed until you finish reading, simply because you want to know what will happen next and why everything is happening how it is. The Author strings us along, giving us little juicy tidbits of the history along the way. He draws us down the creepy old hallway of The Eaton and shoves us into the Victorian (I think?) era elevator, hoping against hope that the elevator will take us to the surface and freedom instead of plunging us further into the depths of horror.
I would recommend The Eaton to anyone who loves a good horror story with rich, well-developed characters who all have their secrets they would like to keep hidden, but are faced with a horror they’ve never met. If you ever hoped to find secret tunnels under the floorboards of an old house or imagined you were on some sort of expedition to discover secrets that have been buried for years, you might want to try The Eaton.
I like how the author has the past and present stories alternating to some degree. It’s not as confusing as it probably sounds, but it really does help the reader get a better understanding of what’s going on. The hotel seems like a super cool place, but that feeling quickly wears off once the action starts.
I would like to have had more details of what happened with the original set of guests, but that is just my usual curiosity wanting to know every tiny bit of the story and each character’s experiences.
The Eaton is a great book that will keep you engrossed until you finish reading, simply because you want to know what will happen next and why everything is happening how it is. The Author strings us along, giving us little juicy tidbits of the history along the way. He draws us down the creepy old hallway of The Eaton and shoves us into the Victorian (I think?) era elevator, hoping against hope that the elevator will take us to the surface and freedom instead of plunging us further into the depths of horror.
I would recommend The Eaton to anyone who loves a good horror story with rich, well-developed characters who all have their secrets they would like to keep hidden, but are faced with a horror they’ve never met. If you ever hoped to find secret tunnels under the floorboards of an old house or imagined you were on some sort of expedition to discover secrets that have been buried for years, you might want to try The Eaton.
November 28, 2016
What fun! I read The Eaton, and was reminded of the pure exhilaration I felt as a kid when I discovered Stephen King. Don't get me wrong with the obvious comparison -- The Eaton was unique and wholly entertaining, and incomparable to anything I've read in a long time. But when you think back to the delight of discovering those classic and exquisitely creepy novels like Pet Sematary and 'Salem's Lot, you've got what I felt about The Eaton.
The Eaton was gory and scary and had some sweet twists. It combined great horror themes and a Scooby Doo-worthy cast of characters into one cool story. I plan to read every single novel, short, whatever that John K. Addis produces.
The Eaton was gory and scary and had some sweet twists. It combined great horror themes and a Scooby Doo-worthy cast of characters into one cool story. I plan to read every single novel, short, whatever that John K. Addis produces.
August 28, 2017
This story was a major thrill ride. And the added bonus, it is set in a town near my home. I have been inside many 19th Century train stations and hotels so I had a visual picture playing in my head while reading this story.
I throughly enjoyed Addis's fast paced and in depth writing style. I hope to see and read more published works by him in the future.
I throughly enjoyed Addis's fast paced and in depth writing style. I hope to see and read more published works by him in the future.
September 18, 2015
Mr. Addis has gotten it right. He shows what self-publishing can be. He has written an exciting first novel, edited it well, designed the cover and done the leg-work to get it published. It will be available for purchase soon.
The Eaton is the best kind of horror. Chapter One starts off feeling like a normal, contemporary novel. Sam and Sarah and a few friends are getting together to see Sam's new purchase. He bought an old train depot in Eaton Rapids and plans on turning it into a new hot spot. They discover a trap door, and decide to explore. They find an underground hotel that nobody had ever heard about.
From this point on, Mr. Addis weaves the threads of the present with the past. He changes the point of view to the weekend of the top secret, preview, opening of The Eaton, the fancy hotel built under the train depot in the early 1900s. The past and present twist together as Sam, Sarah and the rest of their crew discover what has been hidden underground, as well as what they have hidden inside of their own minds. The secrets that they have buried deep, that they never want to have to face, become real, and they have to deal with them, or die.
Some of the images from their pasts are so vivid that I had to put The Eaton down for a few minutes, and let myself relax, take a few breaths, and then I could continue. This book is so well plotted, and the characters feel so real, that you will be as terrorized as they are. You will have to keep reading to see what happens next, even if you are afraid to find out.
I give The Eaton 5 Stars out of 5, and Two Big Thumbs Up! If you like to read Scott Sigler, early Stephen King, or Peter Clines, then this will be perfect. I hope that you can order it soon.
I received a Digital Review Copy from the author.
The Eaton is the best kind of horror. Chapter One starts off feeling like a normal, contemporary novel. Sam and Sarah and a few friends are getting together to see Sam's new purchase. He bought an old train depot in Eaton Rapids and plans on turning it into a new hot spot. They discover a trap door, and decide to explore. They find an underground hotel that nobody had ever heard about.
From this point on, Mr. Addis weaves the threads of the present with the past. He changes the point of view to the weekend of the top secret, preview, opening of The Eaton, the fancy hotel built under the train depot in the early 1900s. The past and present twist together as Sam, Sarah and the rest of their crew discover what has been hidden underground, as well as what they have hidden inside of their own minds. The secrets that they have buried deep, that they never want to have to face, become real, and they have to deal with them, or die.
Some of the images from their pasts are so vivid that I had to put The Eaton down for a few minutes, and let myself relax, take a few breaths, and then I could continue. This book is so well plotted, and the characters feel so real, that you will be as terrorized as they are. You will have to keep reading to see what happens next, even if you are afraid to find out.
I give The Eaton 5 Stars out of 5, and Two Big Thumbs Up! If you like to read Scott Sigler, early Stephen King, or Peter Clines, then this will be perfect. I hope that you can order it soon.
I received a Digital Review Copy from the author.
August 26, 2015
Amazing debut by a really talented author. As the action unfolds, and we start jumping back and forth in time, the narrative becomes irresistible. I couldn't put it down. There are some very unique horror elements and a few grizzly scenes unlike any I've ever encountered. Without giving too much away, let's just say that cutting edge electric technology of a hundred years ago might not be well suited to people in the present day. This is one of those books that will stick with you after you read it - Addis does a great job of putting you in the action. Bravo, John Addis. I look forward to your next novel.
October 22, 2015
"The Eaton" is an astonishing debut by John K. Addis. A tense and suspenseful thriller set in Mid Michigan, filled with historical information. I could not put this down! The characters, the setting, the story is nerve racking, spine tingling and ultimately horrifying! Self published, this novel needs to be picked up by a major publisher ASAP with a forward written by Stephen King and immediately optioned for a Major Motion Picture. Fresh, original, and truly terrifying.
Kirk Montgomery
WILX-TV
Kirk Montgomery
WILX-TV
November 2, 2016
I don't know if i can continue on with this one...just listened to a pretty gruesome minute,and by the sound of some reviews,there's more in store.
Warning: disturbing animal cruelty.
I should've stop listening a long time ago.
Warning: disturbing animal cruelty.
I should've stop listening a long time ago.
November 8, 2016
(Mild spoilers below, though nothing that will surprise anyone who is even a little bit familiar with the genre.)
The Eaton is basically a classic monster tale, written for a generation that didn't grow up with classic monster tales like those that dominated the horror genre in the 80s. A young guy named Sam buys an old abandoned railroad depot in Michigan with plans to turn it into a trendy hipster bar, but as he and his friends check the place out, they find an ancient elevator going down. It turns out that there is an entire underground hotel, apparently built at the turn of the previous century, beneath the depot. Naturally, Sam and his friends have to go exploring, and naturally they discover something Very Bad.
So what you have is a gang of Millennial hipsters with all the piercings and relation drama one would expect descending into a death trap, from which only the Final Girl makes it back out. This really is a classic monster tale (the author cites horror novels of the 80s as his inspiration, but I'd go further back and suggest it is reminiscent of John Campbell's Who Goes There?), and if you like those, you will find The Eaton to be very satisfying in the manner of all popcorn entertainment. There is of course sex and violence, but the monster was my favorite part, as the author goes to more effort than usual to flesh it out and give it a personality even as it's racking up a body count. There is also some history as the story skips back and forth between the present day and the first discovery of the creature, back when the hotel was built.
Of course, the premise itself requires some major suspensions of disbelief even aside from the monster. A wealthy entrepreneur built a thirteen story hotel in the early 1900s, entirely underground, in secret? And this is all set up in such a way as to conveniently allow the monster to slaughter everyone who knew about it the first time around, so this giant secret underground hotel then remains undiscovered for another century. I'll give the story a plausibility pass, but it is not tightly constructed in its believability.
The writing is a step above schlocky — John Addis is no Stephen King, but I've read worse from more veteran authors.
One of the comments the author made in his afterword struck me — that many of his initial readers were surprised to discover that the monster was genuinely, unambiguously evil. His mostly 20-something audience is used to good and evil all being relative, and they expected the monster to be some sort of "response" to human evil. In fact, the monster does have its own rationale for doing things — it's not just a mindless bloodthirsty killer — but it's clearly evil.
A very entertaining debut novel that does not elevate the genre, but is certainly a worthy entry.
The Eaton is basically a classic monster tale, written for a generation that didn't grow up with classic monster tales like those that dominated the horror genre in the 80s. A young guy named Sam buys an old abandoned railroad depot in Michigan with plans to turn it into a trendy hipster bar, but as he and his friends check the place out, they find an ancient elevator going down. It turns out that there is an entire underground hotel, apparently built at the turn of the previous century, beneath the depot. Naturally, Sam and his friends have to go exploring, and naturally they discover something Very Bad.
So what you have is a gang of Millennial hipsters with all the piercings and relation drama one would expect descending into a death trap, from which only the Final Girl makes it back out. This really is a classic monster tale (the author cites horror novels of the 80s as his inspiration, but I'd go further back and suggest it is reminiscent of John Campbell's Who Goes There?), and if you like those, you will find The Eaton to be very satisfying in the manner of all popcorn entertainment. There is of course sex and violence, but the monster was my favorite part, as the author goes to more effort than usual to flesh it out and give it a personality even as it's racking up a body count. There is also some history as the story skips back and forth between the present day and the first discovery of the creature, back when the hotel was built.
Of course, the premise itself requires some major suspensions of disbelief even aside from the monster. A wealthy entrepreneur built a thirteen story hotel in the early 1900s, entirely underground, in secret? And this is all set up in such a way as to conveniently allow the monster to slaughter everyone who knew about it the first time around, so this giant secret underground hotel then remains undiscovered for another century. I'll give the story a plausibility pass, but it is not tightly constructed in its believability.
The writing is a step above schlocky — John Addis is no Stephen King, but I've read worse from more veteran authors.
One of the comments the author made in his afterword struck me — that many of his initial readers were surprised to discover that the monster was genuinely, unambiguously evil. His mostly 20-something audience is used to good and evil all being relative, and they expected the monster to be some sort of "response" to human evil. In fact, the monster does have its own rationale for doing things — it's not just a mindless bloodthirsty killer — but it's clearly evil.
A very entertaining debut novel that does not elevate the genre, but is certainly a worthy entry.
February 25, 2016
Being a big fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz & Michael Patterson, I completely enjoyed this book.
I both could not put it down once picked up & avoided picking it up because I wanted to savor it & didn't want it to end.
There is always an air of mystery around old abandoned buildings...John has taken that sense of the ethereal, embraced the macabre & delivered an amazingly mature first novel.
Given the ending (nope-no spoilers here)-I'm wondering what the sequel will bring...
I look forward with glee to John's subsequent novels.
I both could not put it down once picked up & avoided picking it up because I wanted to savor it & didn't want it to end.
There is always an air of mystery around old abandoned buildings...John has taken that sense of the ethereal, embraced the macabre & delivered an amazingly mature first novel.
Given the ending (nope-no spoilers here)-I'm wondering what the sequel will bring...
I look forward with glee to John's subsequent novels.
July 25, 2025
Original concept! Fast, exciting read. Loved the alternating “past and present” chapters. I always love that. The characters were really well developed. Loved that this book is set in a real town with a real setting (minus the monsters and hotel….maybe!) Definitely some *Trigger Warnings* for graphic depictions of gore throughout, mentions of sexual assault, suicide, infant loss, bullying and a graphic depiction of animal abuse that wrecked me. The story has the feel of a monster/horror movie to it and I could totally see this translating even better to film. Kinda gives a “Stranger Things” vibe even though the story is nothing like that. Some parts got a bit tedious, but I liked the ending, which really did feel like a movie ending.
March 23, 2017
It started pretty good but went down quickly. The whole concept of the creature was way tooooooo far fetched and lacking for me to suspend my disbelief enough to buy it or care about it. Also, I scare easily but couldn't be afraid all through the book which for a horror novel is a bad sign.
September 21, 2024
I loved it! Very scary and spooky!
October 13, 2016
Beautiful throwback to 80's horror
October 15, 2015
If you enjoy old school horror along the lines of early Stephen King, then you might want to check this one out. This is a debut, self-published work that from a technical standpoint is as good as any traditionally published.
What Addis does best is convey to the reader the slow rising terror as the characters realize their situation. Sam just bought an early 1900s train depot. He is celebrating along with a diverse group of people that helped make it happen. And then they find a hidden trap door...and the elevator. At this point I'm already getting goose bumps for the unknown waiting below. The group finds a below ground, 12-story Victorian resort hotel. As they explore they realize the previous guests never left. Addis expertly draws out the mystery of why.
Once the new group of people are trapped, Addis weaves in the story from the past. Alternating between the people's POV in the present and the past, we watch history repeat itself. Will Sam and his group be able to learn from the other's mistakes before it is too late? You will be surprised at which characters break and which can rise to the occasion.
I don't want to give anything thing away because finding out what is in the hotel, where it came from and how it works is part of the creepy fun. With so many characters, present and past, there are a lot of backstories that, while part of the character development and motivation, added extra information I found myself wanting to skim so I could get back to the action in the hotel, but I tend to get impatient .
This is definitely a book horror fans will enjoy.
4 "Going down?" Sheep
http://goo.gl/kr94NT
What Addis does best is convey to the reader the slow rising terror as the characters realize their situation. Sam just bought an early 1900s train depot. He is celebrating along with a diverse group of people that helped make it happen. And then they find a hidden trap door...and the elevator. At this point I'm already getting goose bumps for the unknown waiting below. The group finds a below ground, 12-story Victorian resort hotel. As they explore they realize the previous guests never left. Addis expertly draws out the mystery of why.
Once the new group of people are trapped, Addis weaves in the story from the past. Alternating between the people's POV in the present and the past, we watch history repeat itself. Will Sam and his group be able to learn from the other's mistakes before it is too late? You will be surprised at which characters break and which can rise to the occasion.
I don't want to give anything thing away because finding out what is in the hotel, where it came from and how it works is part of the creepy fun. With so many characters, present and past, there are a lot of backstories that, while part of the character development and motivation, added extra information I found myself wanting to skim so I could get back to the action in the hotel, but I tend to get impatient .
This is definitely a book horror fans will enjoy.
4 "Going down?" Sheep
http://goo.gl/kr94NT
July 16, 2016
I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. It was a very interesting read and the flip flop between the past and present was very well done, creating enough suspense to keep you interested and revealing the story in tantalizing layers.
A few reasons I didn't give it 5 stars:
- the ending (don't want to give it away but it just fell flat for me)
- a few too many flashbacks caused by the creature/human interactions.
- there is a supposedly powerful creature that can break an elevator from its cabling and break through doors except one - it has to wait for someone to unlock that door.
- Although I knew a lot about the characters I didn't really connect or sympathize with any of them. The only one I kind of rooted for was Sarah.
Some of the many reasons I loved the book:
- the story does have a kind of "Shining" feel to it in the creepy old hotel that is in a remote location, which is exactly what I liked about it but in no way did it copy that book.
- the transitions to the past to reveal what happened to the original people (you know it didn't end well but HOW it didn't end well was still worth knowing).
- great description and creepy ambiance
- there was a very interesting surprise I didn't see coming concerning one of the original people.
- it was very well written and kept me wanting to know the story of the hotel, the creature and what was going to happen next.
I would highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.
A few reasons I didn't give it 5 stars:
- the ending (don't want to give it away but it just fell flat for me)
- a few too many flashbacks caused by the creature/human interactions.
- there is a supposedly powerful creature that can break an elevator from its cabling and break through doors except one - it has to wait for someone to unlock that door.
- Although I knew a lot about the characters I didn't really connect or sympathize with any of them. The only one I kind of rooted for was Sarah.
Some of the many reasons I loved the book:
- the story does have a kind of "Shining" feel to it in the creepy old hotel that is in a remote location, which is exactly what I liked about it but in no way did it copy that book.
- the transitions to the past to reveal what happened to the original people (you know it didn't end well but HOW it didn't end well was still worth knowing).
- great description and creepy ambiance
- there was a very interesting surprise I didn't see coming concerning one of the original people.
- it was very well written and kept me wanting to know the story of the hotel, the creature and what was going to happen next.
I would highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.
February 4, 2017
Wow, what could be better than an old-fashioned Monster-in-the-House story? I bought this when it was a daily deal on Audible and once I started listening, I couldn’t stop.
Sam Spicer, his soon-to-be fiancee and a group of interesting friends are partying in his newly purchased railroad depot. He wants to make it into a bar. Anyway, they find a secret staircase that leads to an elevator that leads to an amazing underground hotel. Once they take the elevator down, they’re trapped, and, of course, they aren’t alone. The former guests’ corpses and whatever killed them is there, too.
I loved the all research into the turn-of-the-century technology as well as the reason for all the death--the thing stalking Sam and company. It was unique. I don’t want to give details because that might spoil future readers’ fun.
Also, another high point for me was the narrator. He made all the characters come to life.
I’m going to look for other stories by John K. Addis.
Sam Spicer, his soon-to-be fiancee and a group of interesting friends are partying in his newly purchased railroad depot. He wants to make it into a bar. Anyway, they find a secret staircase that leads to an elevator that leads to an amazing underground hotel. Once they take the elevator down, they’re trapped, and, of course, they aren’t alone. The former guests’ corpses and whatever killed them is there, too.
I loved the all research into the turn-of-the-century technology as well as the reason for all the death--the thing stalking Sam and company. It was unique. I don’t want to give details because that might spoil future readers’ fun.
Also, another high point for me was the narrator. He made all the characters come to life.
I’m going to look for other stories by John K. Addis.
October 14, 2016
This book was super cool. I really fell in love with the hotel as we were exploring it. The flashbacks were effective and most of the time I understood where we were in the overall timeline. The characters were almost all well rounded people with serious flaws. The villain is understandable to the point where I kind of got why he needed to do what he was doing. The thing I really disliked was how the point of view jumped around. Any character's thoughts could come through at any time. But the story still works even with the weird omniscient POV. It's fast paced and really gripping. I stayed up to read it because I had to know what happened next. TRIGGER WARNING: there's a scene near the end that could be upsetting for animal lovers. The scene is extremely poignant and I think it does bring a new dimension to what's happening to the humans in the story, but if you are upset by needless torture of an animal then when the monster says, "Here, kitty kitty!" you'll want to skip some pages.
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December 13, 2015I haven't read this book yet but I grew up and do work in Eaton Rapids MI. at a retirement home. My clients say they see and hear black child running around playing all the time. We are build over part of the Underground Railroad. I've also seen and experience a lot paranormal activity upon my first six months of working there. Not so much anymore I'll see an occasional black shadow of a human figure here and there.
January 6, 2019
I loved this premise, and hidden underground hotel with a mysterious past. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It was well-written as well. What absolutely ruined this for me was what is supposed to be our main character, Sam. He was weak, cowardly, inept, passive, and annoying. My favorite character was the older construction guy. He seemed to have real motives and passions, and almost an arc. The villain was also pretty brilliant and unique. I wouldn't mind a sequel.
August 25, 2016
Full review to come
December 27, 2016
this was an enjoyable eighties style horror fiction. I had a lot of fun with it.
August 14, 2016
Perfectly creepy! Loved the author's afterword.
March 19, 2017
( Format : Audiobook )
""I am all of me that is left.""
Sam has a dream: to open a chic cocktail bar in the old station building in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, and with fiancé Sarah, and four other friends goes to celebrate his taking possession of the building and to explore. To their joint amazement, they discover a hidden underground hotel, named The Eaton, twelve stories deep and accessed by a still operational elevator. All is magnificent Victorian splendour. But something feels strange and when he elevator stops working, they realise that the alternative stairs don't go all the way to the top.
This cleverly written book takes the reader from the excited normalcy of a happy, jubilant group into a slow journey of mounting terror and darkness in this beautiful hotel under the ground. How did it come to be there? No one had known of it's existence when Sam made his purchase of the building above. And what had happened to the guests that had previously been there? And who, or what, was still resident? When the lights go off and the 'accidents' start to happen, the friends have just one question left - how to get out alive.
Amazingly, this is the first book of author, John Addis, who writes with the expertise of many with much longer experience. From the earliest stages, the creepiness of the situation underlies the discoveries but is not overplayed, allowing for the following events to shock more forcibly. Background memories of the trapped group intersperse their current situation, illuminating their reactions and adding to the already well developed characterisations. The narration by Jeff Hays is, as always, superb. The tale is recounted with just the right edge of suspence, emotionally mirroring the writing. Plus, I couldn't express it better than does the author himself in a brief afterward chapter in which he says of Mr.Hays' performance, "his ability to make different characters, particularly female characters, sound like legitimate people," makes the experience of listening to this book even more powerful than that of reading it in print. There is also just the lightest touch of background echoing at one point, reinforcing the action, and the book is introduced and finalised by very simple musical chords, all expertly done.
A good, heart pounding horror recommended to all who enjoy this genre
""I am all of me that is left.""
Sam has a dream: to open a chic cocktail bar in the old station building in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, and with fiancé Sarah, and four other friends goes to celebrate his taking possession of the building and to explore. To their joint amazement, they discover a hidden underground hotel, named The Eaton, twelve stories deep and accessed by a still operational elevator. All is magnificent Victorian splendour. But something feels strange and when he elevator stops working, they realise that the alternative stairs don't go all the way to the top.
This cleverly written book takes the reader from the excited normalcy of a happy, jubilant group into a slow journey of mounting terror and darkness in this beautiful hotel under the ground. How did it come to be there? No one had known of it's existence when Sam made his purchase of the building above. And what had happened to the guests that had previously been there? And who, or what, was still resident? When the lights go off and the 'accidents' start to happen, the friends have just one question left - how to get out alive.
Amazingly, this is the first book of author, John Addis, who writes with the expertise of many with much longer experience. From the earliest stages, the creepiness of the situation underlies the discoveries but is not overplayed, allowing for the following events to shock more forcibly. Background memories of the trapped group intersperse their current situation, illuminating their reactions and adding to the already well developed characterisations. The narration by Jeff Hays is, as always, superb. The tale is recounted with just the right edge of suspence, emotionally mirroring the writing. Plus, I couldn't express it better than does the author himself in a brief afterward chapter in which he says of Mr.Hays' performance, "his ability to make different characters, particularly female characters, sound like legitimate people," makes the experience of listening to this book even more powerful than that of reading it in print. There is also just the lightest touch of background echoing at one point, reinforcing the action, and the book is introduced and finalised by very simple musical chords, all expertly done.
A good, heart pounding horror recommended to all who enjoy this genre
November 5, 2016
This book has a good premise and is generally well-written, but there were a few things that bothered me about it and ultimately led me to put it down about 3/4 of the way through.
There are a lot of instances where the characters do things that seem unrealistic, and when character reactions don't ring true.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to the turn of the century period when the underground hotel was originally built and found those characters more interesting than the contemporary, main characters, but the flashbacks don't dominate the book. And the cover-up explanation for how none of the modern-day characters, all supposedly born and raised local to the hotel's location, one a realtor and another a historical preservation expert as well, had never heard of the underground hotel seemed pretty thin.
When the big bad was finally revealed, it didn't make sense to me as either a monster or a character. So that was the end of it for me.
-----POTENTIAL SPOILER---------
The creature, though highly intelligent, supposedly grounded in ancient, eldritch magic and on a high enough horse to judge humans as morally inferior to itself, is totally lacking in any kind of meaningful backstory or motivation. All this supposedly philosophical and wizened creature wants is to be left alone. Underground. In total darkness. With no one and nothing to occupy itself. Huh?!
There are a lot of instances where the characters do things that seem unrealistic, and when character reactions don't ring true.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to the turn of the century period when the underground hotel was originally built and found those characters more interesting than the contemporary, main characters, but the flashbacks don't dominate the book. And the cover-up explanation for how none of the modern-day characters, all supposedly born and raised local to the hotel's location, one a realtor and another a historical preservation expert as well, had never heard of the underground hotel seemed pretty thin.
When the big bad was finally revealed, it didn't make sense to me as either a monster or a character. So that was the end of it for me.
-----POTENTIAL SPOILER---------
The creature, though highly intelligent, supposedly grounded in ancient, eldritch magic and on a high enough horse to judge humans as morally inferior to itself, is totally lacking in any kind of meaningful backstory or motivation. All this supposedly philosophical and wizened creature wants is to be left alone. Underground. In total darkness. With no one and nothing to occupy itself. Huh?!
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