Track 9

by Sue Rovens

After a catastrophic railway accident leaves a trail of carnage and devastation in its wake, the small train station in Rain, Germany is shuttered. Six months later, Gary and Grace Wolf, returning home after their belated honeymoon, find themselves trapped inside the now defunct terminal. What they discover within its walls leads them to make harrowing decisions. What they learn about each other pushes them to the brink of disaster. Back in Bloomington, Illinois, their best friends, Mike and Sarah Waverly, await their return. A few hours before the plane is scheduled to land, Mike becomes tormented by troubling premonitions concerning Gary and Grace. Driven to find out the truth, Mike finds himself battling mysterious and inexplicable obstacles that plunge him into his own personal hell. Everyone’s fate hangs in a precarious balance as the clock runs out.

220 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2017

About the author

Sue Rovens is an indie suspense/horror author who lives in Normal, Illinois. She has written five novels and two books of short horror stories.

Track 9, her second novel, received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly (May 2018), her short story, “Coming Over”, from her book, In a Corner, Darkly (Volume 1) was turned into a screenplay and short student indie film by the theater department of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and another short story, “When the Earth Bled”, won 2nd place in the Support Indie Authors short story contest. Her three most recent books (Buried, Rage, and Sanctum) are under Plump Toad Press.

Sue owns a blog (suerovens.com) which includes interviews with authors, musicians, podcasters, and artists. She is also a current member of both the Chicago Writers Association and the Alliance for Independent Authors (ALLi).

Reviews

[Ted Russo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read that was written by Sue Rovens and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a tightly wound composite of two merged storylines that moves quickly and with the right amount of suspense. I was drawn into the story and characters early and wanted to see what was coming at the end of each chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short novel that doesn't stop with filler or too much description.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't typically read thrillers, but I found Track 9 to be a gripping novel. The suspenseful story of Gary and Grace Wolf is a definite page turner and quick read. I found myself eager to find out what would happen next.

[Candace Nola · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Track 9” is a hauntingly good story that takes place in Rain, Germany. The aftermath of a tragic train accident causes nothing but problems for the small town of Rain. All efforts to repair, reopen or memorialize the small train station have failed and it sits abandoned and shut off while the town decides what to do.

Gary and Grace Wolf are on a belated honeymoon when they mistakenly find themselves at the closed down station housing Track 9. Not realizing the building is closed down, Gary forces his way inside believing they are late for their train. His wife follows close behind with a nagging feeling of dread in her stomach the whole time. They are supposed to be catching their flight home where Gary’s best friend, Mike and his Sarah, are to pick them up from the airport

Further investigation of the train station reveals no other way out and their original way in is now tightly shut. It is at this point that they realize the station is completely empty and covered in dirt and dust. No open shops, no tourists, no workers. Just them and the train. In a panic, they begin looking for alternative ways out while trying to maintain their tempers.

Meanwhile, Mike is becoming increasingly upset as he begins to experience disturbing visions and hallucinations. He begins to become more agitated and concerned for his friend Gary. As the next 24 hours unfold, both couples find their sanity and their lives unraveling.

This is a long, immersive read with a simplistic approach. I loved the haunting atmosphere and I found the setting of an abandoned train station greatly appealing. Four solid stars for Track 9.

[Dahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked a few titles up at a local steampunk event where the author was and found myself deeply invested quickly when I started this one! The characters were fun to read and there was a solid, believable, personal relationship storyline to follow us through the core spooky plot.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives between characters, and the author had a lot of solid atmosphere built around them to keep things from feeling confusing or slow paced.

SPOILER BELOW------


The ending was so good, but at the same time (subjectively speaking) I felt a little unsatisfied with the results - the characters were so well written I admit I got heavily invested and I definitely hated Gary, I felt for Grace so much and I wanted her to escape and live gloriously and ultimately I disliked mostly everyone except Grace. I felt for Sarah at the end, but throughout the story it felt like she was as toxic as everyone else. I felt like she was overly critical with Grace, especially, it's fine not to get along with someone but it felt so ugly for no reason. During the dinner with Mike especially it actually kept sounding to me like her coming off weirdly clingy and protective of Gary vs Grace too. It made it so, even though in the moment she was right about Mike prioritizing him, it still felt like an odd shift for her not to care too.

To have Sarah wind up the only one with a potential for a happy future felt a little unsatisfying, but I can't deny it made for a good ending. It's why I won't impact my rating with it, it's purely a subjective take.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tying inexplicable zombie terror, bad donuts, wholly unlikeable clueless tourists and even worse friends, an obnoxious prescient child, a train that is and isn’t there, and tying it between small town Illinois and very small town Germany, is no mean feat.

Readers of horror will be intrigued by Rovens’s story of a very, very bad train wreck and the aftermath of ghoulish behavior by the survivors…and the non-survivors. Meanwhile, devious and dull, faithless and obsessive business partners and friends air their grievances as their fates play out both in Illinois and Germany. Mike can’t seem to realize he lives in nasty Gary’s pocket, even when Mike’s wife points it out and he agrees. Grace can’t seem to find a personality until it’s too late, and her husband, Gary…well, let’s just say everyone gets what he or she deserves in this adventure of a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Told in migrating viewpoints, the reader is treated to a devolution of humanity as fears are aired and hung out to wave in the gory breeze. Lots of body parts, phantom invasions, premonitions, and bumps on the head, let alone in the night. A nice big bang finishes the job. I did have to put it down and finish it in the morning…

[Shaun Filion · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it weren't for having far too busy a schedule, I would have easily read this in a day! I like the fact that each character is basically an everyday kind of person. Not necessarily anything too remarkable about them. But it makes it all the more interesting to see how they endure the happenings around them. Overall, a very fun read. Not to mention half the book taking place in a very creepy setting. With the exception of a couple of small details, that I would have liked a bit of elaboration on, the whole book was extremely enjoyable from beginning to end.

[Beccanox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review TK ... I'm still pondering.

If you're looking for an atmospheric thriller that leaves you questioning, this will definitely scratch your itch, and Sue Rovens is an author worth supporting. Check back for more soon.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Track 9 features sharp edged prose punctuated with moments of macabre. A fun quick read that pits midwestern nice against morbid plot twists. The story evoked a subtle riot grrl sensibility for me, but no spoilers here.

[Truff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a literary gem. Awful story. Awful characters. Awful dialogue.

Quick read to keep your mind busy for a short amount of time.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story overall. Enough to continue reading more from the author.