The Uninvited #1

The Uninvited #1

by Mike Evans

The best part about a book, is that moment you can put it down, and say at least that can’t happen in real life…..until now. The Uninvited will leave you checking your doors, locking your windows and skipping the weekend camping trip. Meet the stranger, a killer who is unbiased about who it chooses to be the victim, and never tires of the killing. If Dexter and Leather face had a baby The Uninvited would be their offspring. Smart, dark, twisted and disturbing is The Uninvited

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Fiction, Thriller

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2016

About the author

Mike Evans lives in Iowa with his wife, children, and two adopted dogs Rusty and Harley Quinn. He writes with a passion to bring his characters to life, to make you fall in love with them, and then make you flip pages to find out if they’ll survive or perish. He keeps his characters realistic, there are no superheroes. There are no perfect characters in his books, everyone has their flaws much like that of life. Mike loves to write in different genres and is unafraid to try something new.

Reviews

[Mort]

DNF - 21 pages.

It is not often that I will write anything about a book I did not finish. Since I wasted my money on this one, I feel that I am entitled to warn my fellow readers about this one.

This has got to be the worst writing I've come across on my Kindle.
The sentences are too long and they are structured in the least reader friendly way possible. The punctuation is laughable and the lack of commas in appropriate places made me reread some sentences three times or more before I could make sense of them. It is almost laughably juvenile. Almost.

Look, Mr. Evans, I very rarely give an author such a hard time, choosing to withhold comment rather than hurting their business, but I have some free advice for you:
If you had an editor/proofreader/friend who "helped" you with this story before it was published, they should be fired for ripping you off. To allow you to put your name on something so poorly written should be a crime - I will certainly not invest any more money in the future.
It might not be a bad idea to edit this story and re-release it as a free download to those who lost faith in your franchise.

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

Free for the Kindle today @ Amazon US

[Soo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read like a slasher flick made to go straight to DVD. There's not enough details given to truly get a sense of anyone or place. It's generic from start to finish. I had fun putting targets on the various characters and trying to figure out when they were going to be killed.

I read the book because it was recommended to me by a friend. It's not a hard book to read and I wanted to see how it would wrap up.

I guessed who the killer was before it ended and I only guessed the kill procession correctly a few times.

The time switchery doesn't do much to make the story more 'mysterious' and I think the story would have been better if it was all done from the killer's POV. The dialogue put me off half the time and there were several instances where I thought, "Why are they talking? Morons."

There are a lot of characters in the story. It doesn't help that each of them are known in a vague manner with a label like wife, daughter, friend, sheriff, etc. Too many of the names are similar, half of the numerous characters talk the same way like they're the same person and none of them stood out as interesting. That includes the killer.

I didn't feel like this was a psychological horror story. It definitely came off like a campy slasher flick with some blood. It would have been more entertaining as a movie.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet again a reminder of changing tastes and waning tolerance for slashers. Ok, actually, I enjoy an occasional slasher in movie form, but to actually spend the time to read one…it has to be of a considerably higher quality than this one. Uninvited is right there near the bottom of the barrel and the author seems to be pumping out serials (this one no exception is book 1) with too much speed to care about quality anyway. It actually isn’t terrible written per se, it’s fast paced and a sort of easy entertainment despite the subject matter, it’s just that the actual contents leave a lot to be desired. In a traditional slasher by numbers style there is a terrifying serial killer in a mask and a cast of victims he machetes through. And here’s the thing…this book has possibly the most idiotic unlikeable cast of characters to ever be found in one place. You don’t just end up not caring if they get killed, you might end up wanting them to get killed. The young men are horny idiots, the older ones are tough as leather truck driving vegetable (and liberal) hating good ole’ boys, the young women are b*tchy clichés, the older ones are spritely folksy and kitchen(food) based. Dumb, dumb and dumber. The action takes place in Missouri, but this cast most certainly pronounces it Mi ZUrr uh, putting it officially into a tie with Arkansas for the stupidest state name pronunciation. So can the xenophobic verbally abusive police chief get to the masked serial killer in time? Or will more obnoxious idiots have to die? And the book doesn’t even have the decency to wrap up nicely as a standalone. It’s definitely the sort of thing where the author expects you to get the next one in the series, although I can’t imagine why someone would. Why did I even read this one? Well, it was free and 90some degree weather melted my brain into thinking a serial killer thriller might be fun, but this was nothing by the very cheap, cheapest of thrills, with loathsome repugnant characters and a strikingly creative (which is to say dramatically incorrect) usage of commas. It passed the afternoon and reminded me to pay more attention to freebie selections and that’s about it. Unless you’re positively craving some gore and guts and very graphic violence, this one isn’t worth the time.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Uninvited was great fun to read. This book feels like a throwback to the classic horror films of the 1970s and 1980s. If you are a fan of gore then you will enjoy this book. There is plenty of gore and violence that never feels unnecessary. None of the characters really came across as like able but I still enjoyed seeing what would happen to them. The book had a fast pace that never lets up until the end. Unfortunately we were not given a chance to get into the killers head. I am hopeful that we will in future books. Overall this was a fun horror novel that I read very quickly.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb was correct. This is the kind of story that can happen anywhere . Who knows why people kill? Are they just sick? Are they born that way? This was pretty much classic slasher when it came to the group of campers and a madman on the loose. A couple of times, I wanted to scream at the characters, not sure why they reacted how they did. I felt like I was in the scene, but me acting differently to perhaps try to survive. The twiist at the end was pretty kewl. I'm glad to see that this story continues

[Nick Iuppa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bloodbath! Relentless! Hardcore gore! A slasher film of a novel! In spite of its twisted ending, and some unique turns along the way, you gotta like wild bloody rides to love this book. But since I'm working on a novel that tries to portray limitless evil, I felt I had to read it. Guess I'd better crank up the gore in my book. At least now I know how to do it.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would make for one hell of a horror movie!
And I'm not talking about some glamorized Hollywood PG13 butched production, something more from the likes of Lucky McKee, Rob Zombie or even Eli Roth. Someone who excels at that raw and dark vibe. Because this hard and visceral tale would deserve nothing less.

It starts out in the year 1970 with a brief glimpse at the child that would grow up to be The Stranger, killing yet another animal...
We all know that the most prolific serial killers honed their skills and thrills this way..

Then we jump to the year 2000 at a residence next to a state park out in the middle of nowhere, and this is where the meat of our story takes place.
Traci and Isaac are in love, newly engaged, and off for a day trip picnic to the above mentioned park on a fine Saturday morning
Before they can take off all stealthy like, a few friends get wind of the news and invite themselves along for the lovebirds' celebration.
'Oh well' they think, might as well make a weekend outta it and pack up some tents and lots of extra booze.

3 guys, 3 gals, camping trip.
THIS is what the slasher genre is made of however this book is also so SO much more than that basic premise.
At around the 30% mark, it switches pov and timelines to the parents of Traci, the police, and their search for victims/survivors....answers..
On Sunday, Traci's dad having a hunch about his only child and being old Vietnam vets with the police Chief, talks him into "looking into it".
They uncover a possible connection to brutal killings in the area lately.
The story bounces back and forth from Saturday with our friends, to Sunday when the search starts.
There is a large cast of characters in this story and they are all well written and interesting.
They all have names as well but I didn't wanna bog down my little review with them. They are in the book though. :-)

Absolutely riveting, these jumps back and forth, really created an abundance of tension and just when your heart starts pounding and you think someone is creeping up your stairs, it switches.
It was torturous in the most gratifying way!!!

Bravo to Mike Evans for creating such an "uninviting" atmosphere! I felt like I had also set up camp there, only at some far off state park, with binoculars and a beer, watching it all unfold.
I'm a voyeur that way, I guess... :D

The EPIC ending is one that will linger with you long after you've tried to put it all behind with another book.
There was no predictability factor anywhere in here, everything came as a surprise and no one was safe.
A truly menacing bad guy, The Stranger seems cut from the same cloth as a Myers or a Voorhees, for sheer brutality and relentlessness, yet unique and comfortable enough in his own masked material.

I might still be suffering whiplash from all the twists and turns this tale took. I like it, I LOVE IT, and the vertigo is quite pleasant.

[Christina McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything a thriller and horror should be!
Evans starts this tale with just enough foreshadowing to hook our horror loving brains. We are introduced to Steven the unfortunate Good Samaritan, and his wife Christy, where the horror and suspense are kicked into overdrive and does not let up. Next, enter a young couple (Traci and Isaac) about to start their lives together, happy, in love and carefree, planning a day trip to celebrate their futures. Uninvited friends change their plans quickly, but that’s something they can handle. Once this group of six reach their destination however, they are met with tragedies of inexplicable nature all brought upon them by The Stranger. The Stranger is one creepy, crazy psycho who has an agenda of his own, and nothing seems to get in his way. The Stranger has burned an image into my brain that may change Halloween for me for the next couple of years.
To avoid spoilers, I will just continue by saying this story gets into your head long after you finish reading. I haven’t read such an edge of your seat thriller in quite a while and am pleasantly surprised by how jumpy I still am. These characters were great; Evans shows us their relationships with humor and makes them interesting, while most likely breaking your heart later. Moreover, I haven’t even mentioned the absolutely depraved scenes with the police, or the pivotal unsettling ending…
Twist after wicked twist, The Uninvited will make you slither with apprehension in all the best ways. I most highly recommend this tale to all fans of modern horror!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK going to warn you all right off the bat , don't read this book at night and don't read this book when you are alone . There was such a great creep factor to this book that I haven't found in other books . The insanity starts on the very first page and it just keeps getting more insane as you read . This is a dark, twisted tale of a serial killer and the bloody mess he leaves behind and the dedicated police officers that are out to take him down . Will they actually take the masked man down and survive . You just never know.

The characters in this book are so complex. We have the man in the mask , the serial killer and destroyer or all . He really freaked me out from the very beginning . Seriously thinking that he is the son of Jason and some unsuspecting victim. He was vicious and methodical the way he took down his victims . All the victims from Steven and Christy to Traci , Isaac and the rest of the entourage . Are all feisty characters that fight valiantly to escape this maniac . They use everything they have to try and fight this monster. You want to scream at them to watch your back and get the hell out of there .

These characters will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat . You want them to survive and get home . Even the men on the police force hunting down this maniac will keep you on the edge of your seat . You will want to cheer them on as they hunt down the man . Even to the point of to the death.

I couldn't believe the twists and turns in this book . I got sucked into the story from the very beginning . I actually read this book under a blanket all curled up , it actually had me sleeping with the lights on and a baseball bat beside the bed . I should know don't start a book that starts out in an old farm yard at night . When you live in an old farm yard described on the first pages of the book . Every creak and moan had me up and checking locks and windows that night . Yes I admit I was freaked out . The story is so good and reminds me of a good ole slasher book and movie that will take you to the edge of your seat and not let you off the hook for a moment . The twist at the end of the book through me for a loop and hand me rethinking who I thought it was. So if you want a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not let you sleep for a couple of nights . Check out the UNINVITED you will not be disappointed .

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading The Uninvited it felt like a story I'd read a dozen times already. Don't get me wrong - it's a great story, and it has originality. BUT - it's a backwoods, banjo playing, squeal like a piggy story.
Then I got about 75% in, and holy shit - that fifth star came flying out so fast it left singe marks on my Kindle!
I can't wait to start the sequel!!

♥ Peace, Love, and Necrophilia ♥
~sg



* read with my KU subscription, and added the narration for $1.99.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. I have just completed this insane trip of a story. Full review coming soon. Fantastic book!

[Lissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ultimate Scary Bloody Serial Killer Story!

WOW and HOLY COW! Let me start by saying I’m a huge Stephen King fan especially of his earlier work. I mention this because the only other time it took me a while to read a book before The Uninvited was IT and The Stand by Stephen King! What they have in common you ask? I could only read them during the day to avoid nightmares! They completely creeped me out and scared me to death! They had me jumping at every noise, looking over my shoulder and under my bed and making sure all my windows and doors were locked!

The Uninvited is a very twisted, sinister and terrifying horror story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails! The story contains many plot twists and turns! Just when you think you have figured something out wham a plot twist that has your head spinning!
The story follows 6 couples who are being tormented and pursued by an unconscionable relentless psychotic masked Serial Killer called The Stranger! We follow their valiant courageous plight to avoid a horrific violet end at the hands of The Stranger and the dedicated cops who are trying to catch him to end his rampage of bloody carnage that he leaves in his wake!

Do the couples survive their nightmare? Do the cops catch or kill The Stranger? Or does The Stranger kill everyone? You will have to read the book to find out!!!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good eerily scary horror story with lots of blood and gore! The ultimate slasher story! I want to Thank Mike Evans for all my sleepless nights and nightmares I will experience for the foreseeable future!!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for making me question every sound I heard while reading this book Mike Evans. Prepare to have the pants scared off of you and having your sleep disturbed. The brutality starts right at the beginning of this book and escalates from there. This is a dark, twisted tale of a sadistic serial killer who really enjoys toying with his victims before slaughtering them. The characters are well developed making you feel the range of emotions that they go through during their fight for survival. Even the police hunting him are no match for this manic. You keep rooting for the good guys even as they fall one by one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a scary, gore filled horror story with twists and turns throughout.

[Uptown Horror Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generic ass, by-the-numbers slasher novel with a bunch of obnoxious, unlikable characters. I've never understood why people say that they were "rooting for the killer" in a slasher film until I read this book.

I dont know what else to say to be honest, but this is why I dont fuck with slashers. It's always the same shit, different toilet.

[Chris Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually giving this one 3.5-stars.

I'm a fan of horror. When I consider what my idea of a great horror story is, I think of books like The Shining and IT by Stephen King, Darkfall by Dean Koontz, The Troup by Nick Cutter, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, etc. These all have great stories with real purpose, a point, terrific characters, all distinct and with their own realistic personalities, and are technically speaking of the highest quality. I am ALSO a fan of cheesy, campy slasher flicks from the late 70s and 80s, and enjoy them for what they are.

The Uninvited would certainly go into the second category. There really isn't much story going on here, other than the fact there is a psycho who really enjoys killing, and is particular about using sharp objects rather than bullets. The characters aren't totally devoid of depth, but they aren't terribly deep or interesting just the same. Yet, to the author's credit, they have just enough real-life personality to them to get you to care about them a little bit. I will say, speaking of the characters, they all seem to share slight variations of the same personality, to the point that, save a couple of the characters, it would be very difficult to differentiate them without being told who was speaking/acting at the moment. They all seem to share the same snarkiness and sarcasm.

Basically, a group of six twenty-somethings go to a closed state park for a camping trip to get drunk and have sex and hike. Just so happens, there's been a series of slayings going on in the area, and the state park happens to be where the killer's current stomping grounds are. And then a slasher story ensues, ala Jason Voorhees/Michael Myers.

So far here, I'm pretty much talking about what I didn't like, as though I really didn't care for this book. That's not true. While there was nothing I would call original about this story, and on a technical level and development level (characters & story), I still enjoyed this read. It's fast-paced, plenty of violence and gratuitous gore (something I appreciate from my love of old slasher flicks), and enough of a twist at the end--albeit predictable--to make me want to keep going and finish the book. Even perhaps check out the next book in this series. It's hard to pin down, but despite its limitations, I liked it. It was very campy, VERY gory, and it was pretty relentless. I also enjoyed it jumping back and forth between Saturday when the young adults are under attack, and Sunday when the police are on scene piecing things together and tracking the killer. I wouldn't say it necessarily heightened the suspense, but it did serve to leave you hanging from one timeline to the other every time it switched. I also enjoyed the ending and fallout with the families involved. It was an unexpected sliver of humanity on an otherwise depraved landscape.

So, do I recommend this book? Sure, to anyone who enjoys extreme horror or campy slasher flicks of old. The nostalgia of those old films alone will resonate with readers and put a grin on their face as they read things unfold. I would suggest the author perhaps utilize a professional editor, though I'm aware of the costs involved there, or maybe take more time to watch for grammatical errors and typos. Also, trim out as many uses of the word "that" as possible.

But again, I actually really did enjoy this book in spite of its flaws.

[Negan88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was really a great gut punch of a quick read! It was definitely not what I expected, and for being an extreme horror novel it was fairly tame. I even would say take enough that if you love slasher films, especially ‘80s slasher films in my opinion, you will love The Uninvited!

I felt as though I was reading a pretty great film script to be quite honest. The story takes off right away with an intense and disturbing sequence. As I read on I thought that the story would revolve around the initial couple considering there are four titles in the series. However, I was in for a big surprise, and a better ride!

Without divulging too much information following the introduction, as I would put the first couple chapters, the story takes off on another path with a different group of characters. Isaac and Traci are deeply in love, and Traci wants to spend a weekend away together. Away from work, friends, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She convinces Isaac to drop his work obligations for the weekend in order to have a romantic camping getaway. However, it will soon turn out to not be so beautiful, and their plans of being alone are soon crashed.

Isaac’s best friend Jack invites himself and Traci’s bestie (Jack’s wife) along. When they show up Traci’s coworker Brandi shows up with her friend with benefits, invites themselves along as well, and then off to camping they go.

Now, I am not going to fool you. The writing is subpar. It isn’t the best descriptively, and at times falls flat. However, I felt it read like a screenplay. I am a huge fan of underrated B horror flicks, and I could completely see an adaption of this book to film. In fact I feel it would play out better on film.

Some of the killing sequences would be amazing using practical effects! With this in mind when I was reading the book I was picturing it unfolding on a television. This made the book much more entertaining. The gore did not seem to be too over-the-top, and really would not bother many who are appalled by Splatterpunk novels.

All in all, if you would like a fast paced, easy to read, and fun slasher book (without being to critical of the writing) you should check out The Uninvited! I cannot wait to read the following three novels! I felt it was unique, interesting, and fun!

Overall, I give The Uninvited 3 1/2 🌟’s out of 5 🌟’s. Although entertaining, fun, and reminiscent of B ‘80s horror films. The writing was distracting at times. Especially if you did not read it as if you were reading a script. The dialogue is decent, and would be perfect for film. The imagery would be executed much better in film format. Nonetheless, it was a fun ride, and I didn’t figure out what was going on so that is a plus.

[Mylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm.... hard one to rate

Okay... so story wise, this is more of a 4/5. However, the editing and grammatical/spelling mistakes were so noticeable that it kinda weakened my overview of the entire story.
The way I see it... this author has potential. The book is a quick read because it is filled with action. There are some great characters but sometimes it felt like the author gave up on them too quickly which made the reader be less empathetic toward their plight. I really liked the twist the author threw in. However, I saw it coming a mile away and knew who the killer was.
Ultimately, I find that this was a fun, brutal adventure. I also think that the author may be able to submit a really terrific sequel if he takes the time to review his work and do some hardcore editing.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suspenseful bloodbath of horror!

There's a killer in Missouri....a quiet, hulking man who wears a mask and carries a machete. He has begun his killing spree and is looking for fresh meat. Traci & Issac are newly engaged and looking forward to a romantic camp out before announcing their engagement to the world. When two more couples show up on their doorstep, the camp out grows larger. Sure, the couples were uninvited, but who can really say 'no' to lifelong friends?

Matt Hardin has been following the killings for too long and is trying his best to track down this elusive killer. When news brings him to the campsite, the bodies begin to increase and the nightmare begins. Will he be able to save any of the young people? Will he have to look into the eyes of more parents and share a horrifying truth?

This book was full of suspense, intrigue and downright gruesome details. It was a very interesting read, and I completed it in a single evening. The only reason that this received four stars instead of five was the shortcomings in the editing of grammar and quite a few misspellings. The story was beautifully creepy, though. A great read for a dark, rainy night.....for a true horror fan!

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy is Dexter squared. it is a great book if you really like the slasher, blood and guts, very detailed gory, extreme horror type books. If you don't, don't bother, you won't like it and will just complain, if you do like that kind of thing, well than what are you waiting for, check the locks turn up the lights and let s go.

This serial killer gets away with it and no one knows how, but he goes on terrorizing until the day the police finally blow him up or have they?

I had the audio in which narrator S.W. Salzman brings this story to life in my imagination more than I could have ever done it myself. His use of different voices and the way he made the story his own just made the whole experience so much more wonderful for me.

[Krisaundra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Is As it Seems

This is a well written story with some great twists thrown in that in my case I can honestly admit to not seeing them coming. The blend of a police drama, horror., and edge of your seat suspense was pulled off quite well. I only wish it had lived up to all the hype I kept reading I'm reviews or hearing from fellow readers about how scary and horrific it was or that this is a book best read during the day. It had its moments but that lack of horror that never hit home with me is the reason for four stars instead of five. Good book but for me it just didn't hit the mark.

[Laurie Mault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't turn off your lights

This book had the most sadistic killer that I have read about in a long time. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. It was full of suspense, blood, and gore. All the things necessary for a terrific horrific story. I am looking forward to the next book but I think I need to get my heartbeat back to normal first.

[Pauline MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't too many books that scare me but this one did. I could only read it during the daytime and once I started reading it, I found it hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone, I loved it. Am looking forward to reading more of Mike Evans books, he's one hell of a writer!

[PJ Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary, very scary.

I have to admit that I couldn't read this book in the dark. It is graphic, intensely violent and made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I may never feel safe again, so thank you Mr Evans for a wonderfully horrifying book!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tension

A hard to put down book with a twist ending. I felt freaked out scared and wow I hope I don't dream about this. Mike Evans keep up the Good work! I highly recommend to all fans of modern horror

[Chrystal Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

This is one of the scariest books I've ever read. A serial killer is on the loose and he's a smart one. Don't look for happy endings in this one.

[Pyropatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Could not put down. Great story with exciting characters. Fast read and lots of blood and guts. Nice change from the smut I normally read.

[Just Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.

I did not see the end coming and was pleasantly surprised. This was a goof read now to start part 2

[Brad Biggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not get how this can have a 4 star rating. This is one of the most poorly written books I have read in a long time. 1 star is generous.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crow! What a ride!