This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B0145J1FLY
Lee Schofield is about to be taught a valuable lesson.
He is about to learn that sometimes, the things that look like the answers only pose more questions, and that things which seem to have been presented by fate as a means to help, bring their own deadly problems.
When those around you want what you have, some men will go to any lengths to stop them.
A dark, psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Whisper, The island, and Funhouse, Shoebox is a story which follows Schofield on a spiralling journey into paranoia, madness, and insanity.
Nobody can be trusted, nobody is safe.
The shoebox belongs to Schofield, and he will do whatever it takes to protect it.
Michael Bray is a bestselling author/screenwriter of more than twelve novels and numerous short stories. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Shaun Hutson, James Herbert & Brian Lumley, along with TV shows like Tales from the Crypt & The Twilight Zone, his work touches on the psychological side of horror, teasing the reader’s nerves and willing them to keep turning the pages. Several of his titles have been translated into multiple languages including a major bookstore distribution deal in Japan and his biggest selling title, Whisper, has, on numerous occasions topped the overall horror charts for Amazon titles in both the UK and US with thousands of copies sold.
His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.
A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.
Some people are just not meant for crime, you know?
Me, when asked what keeps me on the straight and narrow, it's usually two things: I'm about 98% sure I will become paranoid as well. And, of course, I actually like the size of my anus as it is, thank you very much!
Shoebox is a horror short by Michael Bray, Lee Schofield discovers a shoebox in his back garden containing £180,000. Enough cash to rebuild his life and get his girl back, first job, get it hidden and then count it, after losing a litre of drool.
This treasure-trove manifests as paranoia that creeps through his mind like the most unwanted of visitors (looking at you mother-in-law). First problem, his lodger, does he know? He knows alright and he wants it, he wants it bad and he's going to take it. Lee's got to stop him and keep hold of his cash.
He joins Paranoids Anonymous. Who never meet in case anybody finds out.
He can't sleep, he's desperate to ensure no-one takes his money and the only way, Billy Blade with a pat on the back. There's a bit of a twist toward the end but it wasn't a massive surprise, Shoebox is a well written short story, just under an hour on audio. I'm always in two minds about Chris Barnes as a narrator, he's ok in short doses but I don't think I could listen to him for a full length novel. And he didn't join Paranoids Anonymous, he fell into a pit of spikes while searching for the members.
The smell of opportunity. The smell of second chances. Fate. Karma. Luck.
Yeah...right. Whatever you say, you cray-cray mofo. I am one who believes that the only things that belong in shoeboxes are shoes, dude. This was a good, batshit read. And I love the cover. 3.5 stars.
The Shoebox is a very short, quick listen, dark psychological thriller. With a small character count of three. But really the only one that matters is Lee Schofield the protagonist.
One day Lee is out in his garden when he discovers a shoebox that doesn’t belong out in his garden. A quick peek inside he discovers the box contains £180,000. With this amount of money Lee believes that he will be able to start his life over and fix all of his problems.
Almost immediately Lee is over come with paranoia. Thinking that whoever lost this much money would be looking for it and would probably hurt him if they found he had it. Afraid that his lodger (roommate) could also take the money and ruin Lee’s life. Lee began to think of ways to secure the cash in his room with locks and such. The only problem is that Lee is also sort of lazy and puts it off for a day while his paranoia grows.
What something to screw with your dreams? Give this a listen before bed. You and your dreams will not be disappointed. I really enjoyed the darkness and the surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming. I will be looking for more from Bray.
The lesson to be learned from this story is that no one can be trusted, especially yourself.
Have yet to come across a performance by Chris Barnes where he stumbles. He is a narrator that you can count on time after time for a solid breath of life to the authors words.
Whoa! Even reading the book description I was blown away! Constantly entertained, and a bit confused but in a good way! There was definitely no guessing any of what happened here, which is always good! Love, madness, greediness and violence! Highly recommending to all fans of modern horror!
This book just goes to show what can happen to a person when they are so down on their luck they can't dig themselves out. Fantastic story , kept my attention all the way till the end.
This book was a wild ride, all the way to the end!! Lee is a man, desperate to get his wife, Jenny back. He finds a box of money in his back yard. He now thinks, he can pay off his debts and get Jenny to return to him. Multiple calls to her, she won't answer. This is a kinda strange tortured tale, with an EPIC ending!!
This story had me going right from the start and the ending was not what I was expecting and I loved that. What a great story of paranoia and the unfortunate results of what tricks your mind can play on you.
Lee Schofield feels like his life is falling apart. He can't hold down a steady job, his bills are mounting up and his wife left him. When he finds a shoebox in the garden full of money he can't help but feel his life is going to get better from here on in...
This is a dark, psychological thriller. A quick read and well worth picking up.
Michael Bray again shows he is a master at spinning dark tales. This is sinister tale of mental illness and paranoia, and as always is so well written, its almost impossible to put down. The author really knows how to captivate his readers.
its really hard to review this without giving spoilers, but its a brilliant short read, cant recommend it enough. Definately going to be on a Micheal Bray binge for a bit I think :)