The Rascal

by Eric Arvin

Lana is a faded movie star who lives alone in a big house on a hill that overlooks the sea. She has lived this way since the death of her daughter and the disappearance of her husband. Jeff and Chloe are a couple who live in a cottage below the big house. It was Chloe's idea to strengthen their marriage, but she sees now that it isn't working. Jeff has become obsessed with the cabin and the old water well. Chloe only sees strangeness around her. One night while talking on the computer with Chloe, Ethan, Jeff's brother, has a feeling of dread come to the fore. When Ethan sees a figure behind Chloe, he leaves his boyfriend and baby and sets out to save Jeff. Chloe, Ethan, and Lana come together to fight an evil that would destroy Jeff. Will they succeed or will all of them fall to the taste of a young cannibalistic ghost?

Genres: Horror, M M Romance

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2015

About the author

Eric Arvin resided in the same sleepy Indiana river town where he grew up. He graduated from Hanover College with a Bachelors in History. He has lived, for brief periods, in Italy and Australia. He has survived brain surgery and his own loud-mouthed personal demons. Eric is the author of WOKE UP IN A STRANGE PLACE, THE MINGLED DESTINIES OF CROCODILES & MEN, SUBSURDITY, SIMPLE MEN, and various other sundry and not-so-sundry writings.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I can’t resist when I know I should. I’ve got a weak spot for a handful of things in my life and Eric Arvin’s words are one of them.
This book was absolutely terrifying and I had a serious love/hate whiplash relationship with it. I loved the voice but hated the words.
I shoulda known better…I simply can’t handle horror. It was sweet pain and if you are a fan of the creepy, freaky monsters in the night, this is the book for you.

Before I get any further I should mention that this is not a m/m story. There happens to be a gay secondary character but his partner is merely a blip on the horizon. What it IS is a scary ghost story. A haunting to be exact and it is brilliantly horrific.

Jeff and Chloe are on the brink of destruction. Correction- they are attempting to recover from a devastating blow but they both know the attempts are futile. Jeff has mentally and emotionally checked out of their marriage. When you discover the reason behind his impotent give-a-shit-button, you will empathize and understand his cold heart. Chloe is grasping at sand in the wind but refusing to give up.
They both fake one final attempt with a move to a quiet cabin in the woods. Their new home requires more attention than their broken relationship and Jeff relishes in the distractions. He is instantly captivated by a mysterious well outside their cabin. Before long it becomes an obsession and it threatens to destroy the frail pieces of their life.

Sadly there’s not a lot I can share without breaking the mysterious shroud covering this dreadful tale.
The decrepit actress has her secrets.
Chloe has her secrets.
The HOUSE has it’s own petrifying secrets.

The answers are revealed and I detested all of them. I struggled to finish. It took me weeks to complete and I glared at my kindle the whole time….while truthfully, I was just afraid. I didn’t want to know anymore. I should have given up, thrown the white dnf towel….but I couldn’t. I wish I would have.
The ending made me shiver, weep, scream NOOOOO and put out an extra nightlight.

I love ya Eric but I can’t handle the nightmares that tagged along with this spooky story.
Read at your own risk…seriously scary shit right here.

[T.J.]

Read this after it was finished a couple of years ago. Vintage Arvin, with some wonderfully dark undercurrents. Great read.

[John Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ghost story. Touching and beautifully written. Eric Arvin is a master at creating images and bringing characters to life. Love the cover too. It's appropriately spooky.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like being scared silly then this is the book for you! A warning though, it really isn't a romance, so if you're looking for some romance in your reading you aren't going to find it here. What you will find is a beautifully crafted, scary as fuck, story.

I love Eric Arvin's writing - it speaks to my soul. He is a writer who doesn't waste words, but instead uses them to sculpt the perfect story. This one is the perfect example of that. Ghost stories often veer to the side of melancholy, at least the kind I read seem to, this a one though filled me with good old fashioned fear.

I have no idea how it was going to turn out. I had no idea how I wanted it to turn out - I was just swept along in the words and took each twist and turn with gritted teeth and half shut eyes. You know when you watch a horror film and that creepy music starts playing - you know you're about to be scared witless but you still jump when it happens. somehow Eric Arvin manages to write the screenplay (the story) while also writing the fright into the undertones (the music score). It's a talent I envy.

One of the ways he does this is writing amazing characters. I never knew who I liked. Who I didn't like. Who I felt sorry for or whose side I was on. Not one of our characters was written as a clean cut goodie or baddie.

Chloe and Jeff, the main couple - well it would seem that they would be the ones to love. But they have their secrets, their own pasts. The marriage they - or at least Chloe - is trying to desperately save should be the focus, should have me rooting for them but...

Gah.

No spoilers. No spoilers. Just - if horror does it for you, then this is a must read. It is everything I've come to expect from this author and more.

Five creeped the fuuuuuck out stars.

Review previously at bmbr.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

* 5+ STARS*

I don't even know what to write, Eric always captures the essence of his topic so succinctly that need I say more. This was based around broken family dynamics and it's no easy read. The things some people do when it comes down to self preservation is just nasty but this is an incredible book

[Rhys Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love Eric's work. So looking forward to this book!

[Pavellit]

I've very recently discovered this magical world that Eric Arvin created for us. A beautiful place to get lost. A place to call home. The way he phrases things makes a desire to memorize every word on every page. It's always a delight to pick up some Eric Arvin story.
And the destiny knows its work.
In connection with 4th anniversary celebration of On Top Down Under Book Reviews, I've been honored to win the contest. These 6 of Eric Arvin's e-books are a gift of love.
Thank you very much to the donors who made the prizes possible- Wilde City Press, and of course Mr. Arvin. And Cindi love you so much!

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was terrifyingly scary!
Okay this book was mainly M/F even though the two MC's did not like each other in fact I believe they hated each other so in no way shape or form would I call this anything other than a very good horror book. Yes you do see little parts of Ethan from his POV who is Jeff's brother and also in a relationship with a man named Keaton, they also have a baby.
Everything that happened in this book to Jeff's inner dialogue which was really dark and crazy even before he started getting visits from the Rascal to the Rascal which that dark ghost was terrifying.
So in this book Jeff and Chloe buy a cottage trying to reconnect after what Chloe had done to Jeff. Well Jeff pretty much hates her now and vice versa. Then all these bad things happen and the things that go bump in the night. Let me tell you do not read this book in the dark like I did I am sitting here still freaked out by what happened in this book. Then there was the ending where I am sitting there wanting to yell through the book Keaton take bug and run right now!
The ending in this book was so messed up I was just sitting there stunned for the longest time. I have to say this was one of the darkest books I have read in a long time and I loved it! Because you are sitting there thinking everything will be all right things are looking okay Chloe and Ethan have figured out what to do then Mind Blown!!! What just happened, that was not supposed to happen...Then you are sad because why did that have to happen! So if you are in the mood for a very good horror book were you are sitting there wondering who is more scarier one of the MC's or the thing that goes bump in the night I can not recommend this book enough! I really loved this book because there is nothing better then reading a book were the author has pulled you in the story so much that you feel like jumping when something happens to one of the characters.

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Classic Eric Arvin.





Full review can be found at -

[Patt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this book for awhile but was reluctant to read it, knowing the author has passed. I should have read it well before now. It is a well written horror story with the perfect amount of tension. I plan to read what I can find of this author.

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

4.5 stars

Chloe Singh-Cane has always had feelings about things, things not quite of this world. She did her best to ignore them, to not see what was hidden to most people.

In a last ditch effort to save their failing marriage, Chloe buys a cottage just outside of the small town of Wicker – a way for her and Jeff to get away from their current life and maybe re-connect. A year of regret and recriminations, the consequence of Chloe’s choices. But, really, buying a cottage on a place called Bad Luck Hill by the locals should have been a heads up that things were not going to go according to plan! Their neighbour, and previous owner of the cottage, is faded movie star Lana Pruitt. Lana has her fair share of secrets. Years ago she lost her only child, a daughter Rebecca, and not long after, her husband Michael disappeared. Her days are spent at the big house up the hill from the cottage, avoiding everything and everyone.

Despite Chloe’s efforts, Jeff has not been able to forgive or forget and it becomes increasingly obvious he has no wish to try anymore. Maybe he never really tried. Past events showed Jeff had a darkness in him, a shade of selfishness. A way in, perhaps, for something with ill intentions. As the couple settle into their new home, Chloe’s unease builds, her feelings becoming more and more impossible to ignore. There’s something else besides them in the cottage, and it does not mean them any good. Meanwhile, Jeff’s efforts to fix the cottage and the nearby barn slip further and further into obsession. The old well demands his attention and it increasingly becomes Jeff’s sole focus.

Jeff’s younger brother, Ethan, finds himself thinking of his estranged brother. Jeff was always the Golden Boy in their family. Although they’ve barely talked for a couple of years, he feels compelled to reach out to Jeff, half-convinced that something is wrong. Ethan has built a good life with his husband Kenton and their young child, but resentment of the older brother who abandoned him still remains. Despite that, when Chloe calls obviously fearful of the strange illness that has taken over Jeff, Ethan goes to them to offer what help he can. What he finds there is more than can be explained away by logic.

Wow, this story was deliciously creepy from beginning to end. I felt off balance in the best possible sense, never quite knowing what was around the corner.

The Rascal isn’t a romance. There is no sex. This is a horror story through and through. It is atmospheric and menacing and keeps you off balance. Just like a good horror story should. The opening prologue reaches out and grabs you, like it’s saying “you better hang on tight, because this story is going to take you on one hell of a ride”. And it did. The malevolence of the rascal is incredibly disturbing with how it seeps into the thoughts of everyone. I literally had no idea how this was all going to end up. They all had bitterness that the rascal could feed off to find a way in. They all had genuine love that could give them the strength to keep him out. There were twists that blindsided me and kept me on my toes.

The imagery is wonderfully emotive. Creepy and melancholic, the author’s deft touch presents a great sense of unease, building the tension as this couple’s broken relationship feeds and strengthens whatever spirit resides within the cottage and its surrounds. The Rascal kept me captivated as the events played out to an uncompromising end. This is horror at its best.

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews with a copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review) 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.

I’ll start by saying I really, really liked this book. It is a classic horror, ghost, possession story, complete with the scary mansion on the hill, but with the added mystery of a small cabin with a well.

Honestly, this book doesn’t really fit our Love Bytes requirements for reviewing, since it has almost no m/m content. A gay brother, with a husband and a kid, but there isn’t anything relevant to the story related to their relationship.

I read it anyway! I love scary stories. I really enjoyed the world building in the book, although I would have liked to know where it was actually supposed to be set. We had a town name, and I’m assuming it was set in the US based on the car models, and the faded movie star, but it could have been anywhere north of the snow-belt.

Jeff and Chloe have purchased the small cottage they found on line, without ever visiting the property. Why would someone do that??? Seriously, with the shadows, creepy noises and other things in this cottage, one visit would have been enough to convince most of us to run the other way!

As soon as they move in, scary things start happening, and a lot of them center around the old stone well on the property. As readers, we already know something is up with the well, just from reading the prologue. I was hooked by the way, as soon as I read that prologue.

What will happen to Jeff and Chloe? How will they get along with the faded star on the hill? And what the heck is up with the strange noises and the bug-eyed ghost they start seeing?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story with a little bit of suspense. It isn’t the scariest ghost story I’ve ever read, but I’ll be honest…I put it down last night and turned out the lights so I wouldn’t be dreaming about it all night! LOL

Give it a shot, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian I Dig Good Books, I was gifted my copy of this book for review.

Chloe and Jeff buy a little cottage away from everything and everyone, in an effort to save their marriage. Lana is a faded movie star who lives in the big house up the hill, Bad Luck Hill, its called. But its not as such an idyllic as Chloe first thought, she sees things, hears things, has her feelings. And whatever is there, its out for Jeff.

It takes a while to warm up, does this book. For a time I couldn't see what was happening, with each of the characters, real ones or not. The rascal is quite a nasty character once, you get his true colours, and his full history.

Chloe was never gonna be able to save their marriage, especially after you hear what she did. Jeff doesn't want to, hates her, but will try, and he does try, a little. But the voices are not helping, not at all.

Ethan is Jeff's estranged brother who comes to help, when things get really bad. Ethan leaves his husband and son to help Jeff. I think this is why is filed as gay on Amazon. I'm not filing it on my M/M shelf, though. You get so little of Ethan and Kel.

It doesn't play out how I thought it would, so big surprises there! Not saying how, but totally did not see that one coming at me, not at all.

Different, interesting, with a twist.

4 stars

**same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com**

[Cerulean · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars