If you're out late at night and you see her face, it's already too late.
Lost on a rural English road, Penny and her husband are involved in a sudden, violent car crash. Waking up tied to a metal table in a remote farmhouse, Penny quickly discovers that she's the latest victim of a strange, deadly family. But Penny is different to all the family's other victims, because she just happens to be eight-and-a-half months pregnant...
Fighting not only for her own life, but also for the life of her unborn child, Penny desperately tries to escape. When she comes face to face with the mysterious Enda, however, she quickly learns that getting away from the farmhouse might not be enough. Soon, Penny finds herself locked in a desperate struggle to keep her baby from becoming not just a victim of the farm, but one of its new occupants.
Last Wrong Turn is the story of a woman who desperately tries to save her child from a horrific fate. Contains adult language and scenes of violence.
Amy Cross writes novels and short stories in a number of genres, mainly horror, paranormal and fantasy. Books include The Farm, Annie's Room, The Island, Eli's Town and Asylum.
Penny and her husband, Pete have a bad accident, but then Penny wakes up in a barn strapped to a table and she doesn't know how she ended up there. Penny's husband Pete ends up being killed, but it is unknown to her what happened to him and all that occupies her mind at the moment is her unborn child.
When Penny finally sees that her captor is a young teenager by the name of Edna she tries everything she can on how to escape the cluthes of Edna without hurting her baby, but things do not always go as planned as what Edna wants, Edna gets one way or another and Edna wants the baby with or without Penny!
Thoughts:
This was a very brutal and violent story of what the character Penny has to go through to not only get free of the character Edna, but how far she is willing to go to fight for the survival of herself and her baby. The book is fast paced and it was not only a bloody/gory romp it was also steeped in psychological horror as well.
It has been awhile since I went on a quick reading romp of a Amy Cross book, but I found myself into almost 40% of the book within just a couple of hours as I could not put it down! I will have to say though that there were some unanswered questions that had me wondering what the answers were, but as with some books by Amy Cross there seems to be lots of questions with no answers.
The only other problem I had with the story is that it sort of turned twilight zone weird in the last half of the book which really notched up some more questions, but since nothing was explained I was just left wondering. Sometimes loose ends need to be tied up but I just put it down to sometimes with horror books things are usually left hanging with no explanation. Other than all my "moans and grumbles" the story was really good and gory, so giving this one four "Bloody Brutal" stars.
I did love the determination of the main character and how she fought for her child. She didn’t give up and she wasn’t discouraged, even after all that she’s been through. But, story wise—it wasn’t really appealing to me. I have seen and read the same story over and over again and I felt a bit fed up as the plot progressed.
Penny and her husband had an accident while on their way to visit Penny’s in-laws. A disfigured woman abducted the injured couple to an isolated farmhouse and Penny must find a way to survive in order to save herself and her unborn baby.
The scenes with the baby were totally disturbing, I thought that this would be another torture fest but it wasn’t entirely like that which is something I appreciate. But there were too many pieces of a puzzle scattered all around that the story didn’t have time to piece itself together. Meh.
3.5 stars. This was a very nasty and violent story. Enda and Penny were interesting lead characters, and there was a lot of great plot points between the two of them. However, this was an extremely short book and left out a good amount of necessary details on everything. The farm, the Clare family, Penny’s search and strife over the six year gap, Peter, Hugh’s recovery, etc. The author kept everything so focused on moving the core plot along, that she didn’t take the time to develop anything else properly. Which is a shame because I would have loved to dive deeper into the background of everything here. So the end result felt a bit like a sped up and abbreviated version of what could have been. Most notably the ending, which I really did not like. A little disappointing, but sometimes this is how Amy Cross stories play out. Again, I liked it all, but nothing felt complete enough to warrant a better rating.
3.5 rounded up to 4. Let me explain. The first part of this book had the makings to make the list of one of my favorite books read this year. We get a taste of a family abducting people in the country, Pa feeds them to pigs. Ma kidnaps a baby. Then it forwards to modern day. A car crash, pregnant woman and husband abducted. Wow. This part of the book was incredible. Onto the second part of the story. It changed. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't go into detail, but this story left me with so many unanswered questions. The stars are mostly for part one of the book
Sixteen years ago there was a car crash in the countryside near Kent, close to Wexham village, England. Three people were rescued by John, the patriarch of a reclusive family that tolerated no interaction with its neighbors. They did not live to wish they hadn’t been rescued. The husband and wife were fed to pigs. The badly damaged child, still an infant, had her head sewn back together by John with whatever home-made implements were at hand. She got a new name, Enda Clare. She became part of the family, a necessary part. The family needed girls. Last Wrong Turn by Amy Cross begins.
It is the present day. Two people on a journey, a married couple maybe on a vacation, the wife is pregnant, are going by car through a heavily forested area in the middle of the night on an unimproved road. There is a crash. The man and woman are knocked unconscious but are rescued. Not by John, he is now aged and a bit infirm. Enda rescues Pete and pregnant wife Penny. She takes them to her home, the farm, where John and Enda live. Enda has never seen a pregnant woman before. She doesn’t know why Penny’s stomach is so big. Pa (John) won’t tell her what is going on. She will just have to wait and see. She will take care of Penny as if she were a sister.
But what happened to husband Pete? Remember the pigs? Pete meets his fate early in the novel but Penny doesn’t know that. She only knows that Pete is missing. And she has other things to worry about, like giving birth. In this graphic depiction of the birthing progress, Enda becomes aware of where babies come from. She is still not quite sure of how they got in there, but she sees the final creative result. So now Enda might have a sister as well as a brother, although she will have to wait a while for the fully realized brother.
Penny is not on board with this plan. She wants to find Pete, clean up and take care of the baby, and get back to civilization. Enda intends to defeat this plan. In several pages of graphically described fight scenes, the reader has to admire Penny. She has almost no skin left on one hand. She is stabbed repeatedly, bludgeoned in the head multiple times but never stops resisting and attacking the stronger Enda until she is finally unconscious. Enda then surprises the reader by carrying Enda to an abandoned diner where she leaves Penny to be found and either treated or buried. But she keeps the baby.
Penny is saved, spends a lot of time in the hospital, tells her story to the police, and is not believed. Except for the one cop who remembers a time when another very similar situation occurred. That victim, Lindsay, spends a lot of time in a mental health facility. But Lindsay’s description of Enda and Penny’s description of Enda are too similar to be a coincidence. The search is on for the farmhouse, Enda, Pete, and Penny’s son, Hugh or Alistaire, the name dependent on which “mother” has the naming rights.
But no one can find the farmhouse. The search goes on for years. For most of the years, Penny is the only one searching but she will later be joined by Lindsay. The police have long given up allocating resources to the search. Will Lindsay and Penny together find the farmhouse?
Of course, they will. But what finally happens is the somewhat surprising ending and would be a spoiler if I revealed it here. So I won’t. But just a warning for the sensitive. The graphic violence found at the beginning of the novel goes on unabated at the end. This novel is not everyone’s cup of tea. Just look at the cover, the discerning reader should be able to figure that out.
This is a very gruesome horror story and I was unable to put down. As a mother myself I found it quite an exceptional horror as a women finds herself losing her child before she has a chance to be a mother which I think made it more horrifying for me. A great read again by Amy Cross.
I loved this book even more because I just recently finished Perfect Little Monsters which is a short story about Enda. So great, this whole idea of this messed up girl on a farm with pigs. This is so thrilling and gruesome.
What if Texas chainsaw had a girl protagonist? No explanation why the father changes his ways. No explanation where the brothers went. No explanation how a young girl takes care of a farm by herself. Where does the gas come from? Where does the feed for cows and pigs come from? Why does a farm girl not understand that someone is pregnant when she sees pregnant animals? Just weak lazy writing.
I say mini horror bc it's a little suspenseful and terrifying if it were happening to you. Second book by this author and have found several typos but story was good. Split between two main characters but well thought out
Penny and her husband are involved in a violent car crash along a deserted country road. When she wakes up after the crash, Penny discovers she’s been tied to a metal table in a farmhouse — the latest victim of a deranged family. Penny has to fight to stay alive, not just for herself but also for her unborn child.
This story is brutal. That’s really the best way I can describe it. Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes. Penny is a strong woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her child, and I greatly admired her for that. As far as the story itself goes, well… It’s fast-paced, relentless, but it’s also familiar. It’s a plot we’ve seen before in countless of slasher movies. There are some small differences, but the jest of it is the same: unsuspecting couple gets a car crash and ends up at the mercy of depraved killers at an abandoned farmhouse. There are probably twenty, if not more, horror movies out there with the exact same story, so if you want to stand out, you need to add a surprising twist to it.
Here, unfortunately, I didn’t really find the twist I was looking for. Still, it was an entertaining story and I enjoyed reading it, but it lacks originality.
The Second Amy Cross Book I've Read - It Won't Be The Last
I was hooked from the beginning. Yes, we've all seen films about isolated families with inadequate social skills that only have themselves for company but this story is intriguing. And graphic. There is one chapter that I will never forget. And I mean never. As the story entered part three things did become slightly predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. I was also worried that a certain aspect was going to be explained away with what I would have considered an unsatisfactory resolution. But that's just me. Without giving anything away, in the end I found the answer satisfactory. If I have one criticism it is the seemingly sudden use of Amercanisms, I don't recall seeing any earlier in the book. The story is set in darkest Kent and told through the words of English characters who suddenly begin to talk about elevators, cell phones and assholes. I could easily see this as a film. I now want to read the short set before this full length story. All in all a generally satisfying read.
This author has been recommended to me, so I figured I would give it a shot. Overall I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of creep factor and follows an interesting plot. The pace is actually pretty good. The one part I was not a huge fan of was when it was written from young Enda's perspective. It sounded a bit too much like a little kid. I know based on her growing up and all, that should be expected but it was a bit difficult to read.
Enda was quite the character that makes your skin crawl. She had quite the life. Penny is not your typical heroine, but was thrown into these horrible circumstances just trying to reunite her family. No spoilers but this was definitely interesting.
This had the feel of a great, gritty horror film. The mystery of the story as it unfolds with occasional hints at paranormal and moments of extreme horror are well done. Structurally, we get to see things from a few different perspectives which I think heightens the story. The story is brutal at times and yet I still found myself feeling sympathetic for the antagonist. I would have liked to have seen more to this story, definitely a good sign.
Very thrilling and quite gripping story. I love the way Amy Cross paint the creepy atmosphere which totally absorbs the reader. The characters were strong.. Enda, Penny and her son. It would have been better if more details be added to the novel such as the purpose and background of the Clair family, where they came from, why were they cursed, how they kept the farm hidden.... these questions were vaguely answered. Overall I enjoyed reading this novel.
I want to love this book and all in all it was a decent story. It needs work and elaboration on key facts. Enda grew up on a mysterious farm. When the story opens there is a mother, father and 3 brothers. Years later there is Enda and her father...what happened to everyone else. Passing mention of mother dying and one brother being dead. That is all.
In a place surrounded by death there needs to be more detail for this to be a great read.
Enjoyed this book. A car crash and the passengers taken to an old farm where they are tortured. Penny has her baby taken away her husband fed to pigs. She fights for her son and gets him back but he's not the same. EDNA is deformed and loses her pa. The farm is dilapidated and hard to find. There is horror in this book but suspense too. I could read it again. There is torture in the cellar.
As a fan of this author, I'm not surprised by how enjoyable this book was. This author writes good, fast books that are worth whatever time it takes to finish. The only objectionable parts of her books are the endings. Sometimes they seem unfinished. Leaves a few questions unanswered.
I really enjoyed this book by Amy Cross, it's very deep and a strong story, what a mother wouldn't do . The strength that goes through them is incredible.... The way Amy cross writes is incredible and get books keep you gripped, and the detail and you and picture in hormones your are reading, incredible book
Amy Cross is a brilliant writer of horror genre. This exciting story demands the reader to feel the terror of each character and is thrilling right to the end. What a great imagination Ms. Cross possesses!
Odd book. Good concept. Bad execution. (Let me expain: Amy knows how to create characters and moments of sheer horror but so many thing are left unexplained. Way too many. And it just seems... rushed.) Also, enough with these endings already.
I loved this book from start to finish. So demented. And yes it does remind you of the wrong turn movie series but better. Love the mystery surrounding the gore. Fantastic story.
Read all in one sitting. No spoilers here. So worth reading yourself. Nothing is stronger than a mother's love. Completely believable characters. A lot of action. Will definitely recommend to family friends and fellow readers.
The whole book is great, don't get me wrong, but there is one section in which Penny can't get anyone to believe her, that will just break your heart! Very well written, Ms Cross!
I seriously don't no how Amy Cross sleeps at night!. This book is awesome, really creepy, pretty sick, but I just had to no how it's ends. It grabs you from the very beginning & scares the hell of you until the end. Love Amy's books. Even though they terrify me.
Fantastic story, taken a bit from the "Wrong Turn" movie, but with the Amy Cross writing style. A couple of typos, but not enough to be a hindrance to the flow of reading the book. Loved it!