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The Dover Demon
The Dover Demon is real…and it has returned.
In 1977, Sam Brogna and his friends came upon a terrifying, alien creature on a deserted country road. What they witnessed was so bizarre, so chilling, they swore their silence. But their lives were changed forever.
Decades later, the town of Dover has been hit by a massive blizzard. Sam’s son, Nicky, is drawn to search for the infamous cryptid, only to disappear into the bowels of a secret underground lair. The Dover Demon is far deadlier than anyone could have believed. And there are many of them. Can Sam and his reunited friends rescue Nicky and battle a race of creatures so powerful, so sinister, that history itself has been shaped by their secretive presence?
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
110 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
About the author
Hunter Shea
66 books1,007 followersHunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
June 2, 2020
Read with my girls (Marie & Latasha) over at "Creatures, Creatures Everywhere"
This book was full on creepy and took me by surprise. I loved everyone in the book, which was my first mistake 😫
This book was full on creepy and took me by surprise. I loved everyone in the book, which was my first mistake 😫
On the nights of April 21st and 22nd, 1977, the town of Dover, Massachusetts played host to an unexplained creature that skulked along its darkened roads and piney woods. Several known eyewitnesses reported seeing something so strange, so unearthly, they knew right away their lives would never be the same again
What they saw was described as a small, thin, hairless figure, no more than four feet tall, with a large, oval head and eyes that appeared to give off a disturbingly orange glow. It’s flesh was almost peach-colored, with a texture as if pebbled. It had long fingers and toes that it used to steady itself on rocks and downed tree limbs
To Kelly’s horror, each print left the distinct impression of several long toes. Who the hell would be walking in a blizzard in sub-freezing weather without their shoes?
Recommend to horror fans.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 21, 2016
Thirty years ago, four teenagers saw a creature the newspapers named The Dover Demon. Now, people are seeing the creature again and the four people's lives are going to converge. Will any of them survive?
I think Hunter Shea and I would have a lot to talk about. There was a five year period where I was into UFOs and an even longer time when I was fascinated by cryptids. How could I not give this a shot?
The Dover Demon uses the Dover Demon sighting in 1977 as a jumping on point and runs with it. The four people who saw the creature are leading very different lives when their shared past surfaces again. Kelly is an alcoholic. Sam runs a comic book shop and has a son, Nicky. Tank and Stephanie are happily married. When Nicky and his friends go looking for the Dover Demon after reading a blog post, the apple cart gets upset in dramatic fashion.
I love what Hunter Shea has done with the Dover Demon here, tying it with lots of staples of UFO lore and linking lots of different aspects of UFO mythology. Not only that, this is one balls-squeezing read. I wolfed it down in one long sitting, occasionally making noises of surprise and/or disgust.
Shea's writing reminds me of Richard Matheson's, not overly flowery but really punchy and evocative. There's some Kingliness in it as well, although it's from the early days of Stephen King. Some of his descriptions were nauseating and the mind-bending effects of the Dover Demon(s) was pretty disorienting. Also, he has a gift for suspense. I never once felt like the characters were working with a safety net. Unless they make safety nets out of razor wire these days...
Either Hunter Shea is one of my new favorite horror writers or he had me abducted and brainwashed by aliens. Either way, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I think Hunter Shea and I would have a lot to talk about. There was a five year period where I was into UFOs and an even longer time when I was fascinated by cryptids. How could I not give this a shot?
The Dover Demon uses the Dover Demon sighting in 1977 as a jumping on point and runs with it. The four people who saw the creature are leading very different lives when their shared past surfaces again. Kelly is an alcoholic. Sam runs a comic book shop and has a son, Nicky. Tank and Stephanie are happily married. When Nicky and his friends go looking for the Dover Demon after reading a blog post, the apple cart gets upset in dramatic fashion.
I love what Hunter Shea has done with the Dover Demon here, tying it with lots of staples of UFO lore and linking lots of different aspects of UFO mythology. Not only that, this is one balls-squeezing read. I wolfed it down in one long sitting, occasionally making noises of surprise and/or disgust.
Shea's writing reminds me of Richard Matheson's, not overly flowery but really punchy and evocative. There's some Kingliness in it as well, although it's from the early days of Stephen King. Some of his descriptions were nauseating and the mind-bending effects of the Dover Demon(s) was pretty disorienting. Also, he has a gift for suspense. I never once felt like the characters were working with a safety net. Unless they make safety nets out of razor wire these days...
Either Hunter Shea is one of my new favorite horror writers or he had me abducted and brainwashed by aliens. Either way, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
February 10, 2018
THE DOVER DEMON, by Hunter Shea, is one of his fast-action cryptic--or "creature-feature" novels. What sets this one apart from some others, in my humble opinion, is that it incorporates many unexplained sightings and conjecture from all over the world, merging it flawlessly into its own fictional universe. This gives the story a sense of reality, in that many of the topics are actually in debate in our world now. The Dover Demon is an alien, of a sort--only with Shea's imagination it becomes something much more "fleshed out" and unique than you'll find in an average alien novel.
". . . Without mystery, there is no faith, no yearning for greater truths . . . A world without mystery is a mundane existence . . . "
The real beginning to this tale would be an evening in Dover, Massachusetts, in 1977, when several teens--including Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie--saw an unnatural, alien-like creature. Despite most of them pushing the memory of that night into a locked recess of their subconscious, it had irrevocably changed the course of their lives. Decades later, Sam Brogna's son, Nicky--spurred on by recent tales of a "Dover Demon" sighting nearby--decides to go "hunting" with a couple of his friends . . .
"Resistance is futile."
The first part of this book is set up to give us some great insight into each and every one of the main characters. I've always felt this to be one of the strengths in Shea's writing, and he doesn't disappoint here. We get to bear witness to scenes in the individual characters' current lives, and in doing so, we see exactly what motivates them, their fears, strengths, beliefs, family and friends. In Sam's case, his love for his son is pivotal, as he exchanges an impressive business career to open a comic book store, in order to stay closer to Nicky.
". . . There was always time for books. Reading was knowledge, it was pleasure, it was joy, it was life . . . "
By only a quarter of the novel, I felt as if I actually knew these people, their lives were so complete in my mind that they could've walked off of the pages and into the house down the street. When you find yourself genuinely caring about an author's creations, you know you've found something great.
Aside from the emotional attachment, I found the area in Massachusetts--in the middle of a snowstorm--so easy to envision through Shea's narrative. The bitter cold, biting wind, forms half glimpsed from the corner of your eyes . . . all these become not only possible, but plausible. Once the action starts steadily ramping up, disbelief is impossible. You are under the spell of a spectacular tale.
The action and carnage keeps everything moving along rapidly, and you may find yourself wishing the novel didn't have to end.
"There is nothing like freedom lost, is there? . . . "
Overall, THE DOVER DEMON is already one of my favorite reads of the year, combining realistic characters, environment, action, and just enough "folklore" to keep you thinking . . . What if?". This is a book to keep on the shelves, and re-read for certain.
Highly recommended!
". . . Without mystery, there is no faith, no yearning for greater truths . . . A world without mystery is a mundane existence . . . "
The real beginning to this tale would be an evening in Dover, Massachusetts, in 1977, when several teens--including Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie--saw an unnatural, alien-like creature. Despite most of them pushing the memory of that night into a locked recess of their subconscious, it had irrevocably changed the course of their lives. Decades later, Sam Brogna's son, Nicky--spurred on by recent tales of a "Dover Demon" sighting nearby--decides to go "hunting" with a couple of his friends . . .
"Resistance is futile."
The first part of this book is set up to give us some great insight into each and every one of the main characters. I've always felt this to be one of the strengths in Shea's writing, and he doesn't disappoint here. We get to bear witness to scenes in the individual characters' current lives, and in doing so, we see exactly what motivates them, their fears, strengths, beliefs, family and friends. In Sam's case, his love for his son is pivotal, as he exchanges an impressive business career to open a comic book store, in order to stay closer to Nicky.
". . . There was always time for books. Reading was knowledge, it was pleasure, it was joy, it was life . . . "
By only a quarter of the novel, I felt as if I actually knew these people, their lives were so complete in my mind that they could've walked off of the pages and into the house down the street. When you find yourself genuinely caring about an author's creations, you know you've found something great.
Aside from the emotional attachment, I found the area in Massachusetts--in the middle of a snowstorm--so easy to envision through Shea's narrative. The bitter cold, biting wind, forms half glimpsed from the corner of your eyes . . . all these become not only possible, but plausible. Once the action starts steadily ramping up, disbelief is impossible. You are under the spell of a spectacular tale.
The action and carnage keeps everything moving along rapidly, and you may find yourself wishing the novel didn't have to end.
"There is nothing like freedom lost, is there? . . . "
Overall, THE DOVER DEMON is already one of my favorite reads of the year, combining realistic characters, environment, action, and just enough "folklore" to keep you thinking . . . What if?". This is a book to keep on the shelves, and re-read for certain.
Highly recommended!
September 23, 2021
Fun read by Shea, who is known for his 'creature features'. Set in Dover, MA, the Dover Demon 'legend' arose in 1977, when strange creatures were spotted by several teenagers one evening. One of the sightings that went unreported involved four teens, who are now in their 50s. Sam, our main protagonist, now runs a comic book store in Dover and also sells Dover Demon swag, including a book about the event. One day, a strange man and a beautiful woman come into the store and the guy says he saw a Demon by a nearby lake. Despite a wicked blizzard, Sam's son Nicky and his wanna be girlfriend head out to where the guy says he spotted the demon...
This was fun, but marred by some publishing errors that I hope are only present in my Severed Press paperback. Shea switches POVs repeatedly but in my edition the shift is not even marked by a space between paragraphs. You are following the trials and tribulations of one character and suddenly the narration shifts to another. Several times I had to stop to figure out the POV switch. Annoying!
Regarding the story itself, this starts off slow, as Shea builds up the main characters, but I was not really interested in their family dramas. Once it gets going, however, it continues with a frenetic pacing until the end. Not very deep, but engaging once we start encountering the demons. If you have an interest in UFOs or conspiracy theories, you might enjoy this more than I did. 3 alien stars.
This was fun, but marred by some publishing errors that I hope are only present in my Severed Press paperback. Shea switches POVs repeatedly but in my edition the shift is not even marked by a space between paragraphs. You are following the trials and tribulations of one character and suddenly the narration shifts to another. Several times I had to stop to figure out the POV switch. Annoying!
Regarding the story itself, this starts off slow, as Shea builds up the main characters, but I was not really interested in their family dramas. Once it gets going, however, it continues with a frenetic pacing until the end. Not very deep, but engaging once we start encountering the demons. If you have an interest in UFOs or conspiracy theories, you might enjoy this more than I did. 3 alien stars.
May 30, 2020
"7-year-old William "Bill" Bartlett claimed that while driving on April 21, 1977, he saw a large-eyed creature "with tendril-like fingers" and glowing eyes on top of a broken stone wall on Farm Street in Dover, Massachusetts. 15-year-old John Baxter reported seeing a similar creature on Miller Hill Road the same evening. Another 15-year-old, Abby Brabham, claimed to have seen the creature the following night on Springdale Avenue."
Being the nerd I am, I knew of the Dover Demon before beginning this book. There's a brief recap of the sighting at the start. Yes, this supposedly really happened. Hunter Sea takes that sighting and runs with it. He did such a great job. There is so many cryptid, conspiracies and sightings woven into this tale. I noticed most of them and loved it so much. Oh, this is my first Hunter Shea cryptid book.
Our players are- Sam and his son Nicky, Tank and his wife Steph, and Kelly. Back in 1977, Sam, Kelly, Tank and Steph see the Dover Demon.
They keep quiet about it. Fast forward and the are all adults now. Sam now runs a comic book store and is close with his son Nicky. The whole town knows about the 1977 sightings. Some have embraced it and others deny it. There is a resurgence of interest in the Demon. A blogger claims to have spotted it near a pond. One snowy day, Nicky and some friends decide to go hunting for it. What they discover and the consequences are so much more than you could ever imagine. Thanks to my friends Marie and Melissa for reading this with me. We all enjoyed it!
links-
Dover Demon wiki- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dover_D...
Melissa's review- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Being the nerd I am, I knew of the Dover Demon before beginning this book. There's a brief recap of the sighting at the start. Yes, this supposedly really happened. Hunter Sea takes that sighting and runs with it. He did such a great job. There is so many cryptid, conspiracies and sightings woven into this tale. I noticed most of them and loved it so much. Oh, this is my first Hunter Shea cryptid book.
Our players are- Sam and his son Nicky, Tank and his wife Steph, and Kelly. Back in 1977, Sam, Kelly, Tank and Steph see the Dover Demon.
They keep quiet about it. Fast forward and the are all adults now. Sam now runs a comic book store and is close with his son Nicky. The whole town knows about the 1977 sightings. Some have embraced it and others deny it. There is a resurgence of interest in the Demon. A blogger claims to have spotted it near a pond. One snowy day, Nicky and some friends decide to go hunting for it. What they discover and the consequences are so much more than you could ever imagine. Thanks to my friends Marie and Melissa for reading this with me. We all enjoyed it!
links-
Dover Demon wiki- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dover_D...
Melissa's review- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 2, 2020
Author, Hunter Shea has done it again! Creepy creature feature book and this time he wrote about the Dover Demon!
A little backstory for you readers and I am not going into too much detail as I do not want to give away any of the story.
Picture it - 1977. Some friends are on their way home from a movie when out of nowhere they see some kind of creature in the road with "freaky" eyes glowing in their direction. They were so freaked out by the episode that they decided not to ever talk about it.
Now shoot forward into the future by decades when one of the friends sons decided he wants to explore the theory of the a "Dover Demon" sighting around the area of the town and wants to find out if there is such a thing. What starts out as questions and rumors turns into more than the son bargained for when a camping trip with friends turns into a nightmare!
As with any Hunter Shea book there is always a buildup of fear and of the unknown as he takes the reader into the creative horror of his mind! The more I became involved in the story the more creeped out I became as that "buildup of fear" was like a wave of trepidation the more I read the book which made me turn the pages quickly to see what was going to happen next!
Wow! This book eventually became a freaking bloodfest and there was one part in the book that made me think of the horror movie Jeepers Creepers. I cannot tell you more on that because it would be a spoiler so you will just have to wonder I suppose and go grab the book to find out for yourself!
Giving this book four "creepy" stars!
Read this book with my friends, Latasha and Melissa for a buddy read over on the group "Creatures, Creatures Everywhere"!
A little backstory for you readers and I am not going into too much detail as I do not want to give away any of the story.
Picture it - 1977. Some friends are on their way home from a movie when out of nowhere they see some kind of creature in the road with "freaky" eyes glowing in their direction. They were so freaked out by the episode that they decided not to ever talk about it.
Now shoot forward into the future by decades when one of the friends sons decided he wants to explore the theory of the a "Dover Demon" sighting around the area of the town and wants to find out if there is such a thing. What starts out as questions and rumors turns into more than the son bargained for when a camping trip with friends turns into a nightmare!
As with any Hunter Shea book there is always a buildup of fear and of the unknown as he takes the reader into the creative horror of his mind! The more I became involved in the story the more creeped out I became as that "buildup of fear" was like a wave of trepidation the more I read the book which made me turn the pages quickly to see what was going to happen next!
Wow! This book eventually became a freaking bloodfest and there was one part in the book that made me think of the horror movie Jeepers Creepers. I cannot tell you more on that because it would be a spoiler so you will just have to wonder I suppose and go grab the book to find out for yourself!
Giving this book four "creepy" stars!
Read this book with my friends, Latasha and Melissa for a buddy read over on the group "Creatures, Creatures Everywhere"!
April 14, 2025
At parts this was absolutely outstanding alien horror. A group of former students, now all adults, face the same terror as in 1977 where they met up with the Dover Demon for the first time. Who is this kind of demon? When Sam's son Nicky is missing with his girlfriend Christine a spectacular hide and seek with worm holes and underground maze starts to evolve. Can this kind of demon be stopped? What about human followers? Will Sam, Tank, Nicky, Stephanie and Kelly survive? Intriguing at part very eerie alien horror with some good twists and an open ending. Those scenes with the eggs involved will long remain in your mind after reading. The cover is incredible. Really recommended!
October 19, 2015
Over the handful of titles I’ve read from Hunter Shea, the man has proved to be an adept storyteller and is capable putting some clever twists in his ideas. He crafts fun little page turners, and over the last year several more of his titles have wound up on my electronic TBR list, with The Montauk Monster and his Jessica Backman books waiting on my Kindle.
When I saw The Dover Demon pop up on NetGalley, it shot up to the top of my reading queue. I knew nothing of the mythology surrounding the Dover demon, but when I saw the cover I was already sold. Here was Hunter Shea writing an alien book!
Thankfully, Shea delivers, as expected. There’s a nice bit of extraterrestrial mythology woven into the plot that takes alien conspiracy theories to the next level, and plenty of history on the allegedly real-life 1977 sighting of the titular creature. Even if, like me, you’d not heard of the Dover demon before, Shea brings the reader up to speed and turns this local legend into a strange and terrific pulpy adventure.
Here, Sam Brogna, his friend Tank, and their girlfriends, Kelly and Stephanie, were smoking dope and traveling down the Dover back-roads in 1977 when their car nearly hit a strange creature standing in the middle of the road.
Almost 40 years later, Brogna is now a comic book shop owner and most of his income is derived from selling Dover Demon paraphernalia. Kelly is a drunk and lives in a home outfitted with security cameras, her office study wallpapered in accounts of alien abductions, cryptid lore, and tales of missing people. Tank and Stephanie have married, with the former now an archeologist. During a massive winter snowstorm, each find mysterious tracks surrounding their homes but with no clear trail. They’ve simply appeared, as if out of nowhere.
The four are forced to reunite under the threat of the demon’s return, but their mission is given further urgency when Sam’s son, Nicky, goes missing.
I really liked the relationship between Sam and his son, and enjoyed the brief call-outs to current comic book pop culture. Their characterizations really helped solidify the human element, and I felt invested with the group as a whole and sympathetic with Kelly and the fashion in which her life has unraveled since their initial sighting of the cryptid.
I was also frequently surprised at the depth and sense of scope that Shea brought to the Dover demon mythology, and the way he connected it with ancient history using Tank’s archeologist viewpoint to great effect. There were a few times that I thought I’d figured out what was really happening here, only to hit another twist.
Fans of alien lore and The X-Files should find quite a lot to enjoy here, and I’d like to take a minute to implore Jonathan Maberry to include Mr. Shea in a future X-Files short story anthology, because the dude would fit right in.
[This review is based on an advanced copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.]
When I saw The Dover Demon pop up on NetGalley, it shot up to the top of my reading queue. I knew nothing of the mythology surrounding the Dover demon, but when I saw the cover I was already sold. Here was Hunter Shea writing an alien book!
Thankfully, Shea delivers, as expected. There’s a nice bit of extraterrestrial mythology woven into the plot that takes alien conspiracy theories to the next level, and plenty of history on the allegedly real-life 1977 sighting of the titular creature. Even if, like me, you’d not heard of the Dover demon before, Shea brings the reader up to speed and turns this local legend into a strange and terrific pulpy adventure.
Here, Sam Brogna, his friend Tank, and their girlfriends, Kelly and Stephanie, were smoking dope and traveling down the Dover back-roads in 1977 when their car nearly hit a strange creature standing in the middle of the road.
Almost 40 years later, Brogna is now a comic book shop owner and most of his income is derived from selling Dover Demon paraphernalia. Kelly is a drunk and lives in a home outfitted with security cameras, her office study wallpapered in accounts of alien abductions, cryptid lore, and tales of missing people. Tank and Stephanie have married, with the former now an archeologist. During a massive winter snowstorm, each find mysterious tracks surrounding their homes but with no clear trail. They’ve simply appeared, as if out of nowhere.
The four are forced to reunite under the threat of the demon’s return, but their mission is given further urgency when Sam’s son, Nicky, goes missing.
I really liked the relationship between Sam and his son, and enjoyed the brief call-outs to current comic book pop culture. Their characterizations really helped solidify the human element, and I felt invested with the group as a whole and sympathetic with Kelly and the fashion in which her life has unraveled since their initial sighting of the cryptid.
I was also frequently surprised at the depth and sense of scope that Shea brought to the Dover demon mythology, and the way he connected it with ancient history using Tank’s archeologist viewpoint to great effect. There were a few times that I thought I’d figured out what was really happening here, only to hit another twist.
Fans of alien lore and The X-Files should find quite a lot to enjoy here, and I’d like to take a minute to implore Jonathan Maberry to include Mr. Shea in a future X-Files short story anthology, because the dude would fit right in.
[This review is based on an advanced copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.]
November 7, 2015
In 1977, a group of friends come face-to-face with the unbelievable.
Determined to put the past behind them, the four friends go on with life as if their encounter was nothing more than a hallucination.
But for the beings they came across, that night was just the beginning. A connection was made, a bond that time could not break. And as the years pass, one friend of the past comes across clues that reveal much more that happened on that night. A night that may once again draw them all back together. A night that is unavoidable and inevitable.
~~~~~
The characters are realistic to a certain extent, other than Tank, who more than lived up to his name. Definitely a person you'd want having your back. Sam, his best friend, who got most of the screen ...er... page time left me feeling a little miffed with how he handled a tough situation and continued to do so for quite some time leaving his son, Nicky, to fend for himself. Kelly, Sam's ex-girlfriend, elicited the most reaction from me. I don't want to spoil her role in it all, but it seemed as if she got cheated a little bit. Okay, a lot. The poor thing. Other cast members rounded out this read giving the readers someone to root for, or against.
The pacing was unhurried. I, however, found the second half of the book more to my liking. The pace didn't seem to change, but the urgency and mood of the story did, taking me from being just aware of what I was reading to being attentive and tense.
Overall I enjoyed the story of The Dover Demon and I hope you will too.
Hunter Shea has written a slow-burn, old-school supernatural story with horror elements sure to entertain readers that like the unknown and the other-worldly.
Read it for curiosities sake. You have been marked.
Determined to put the past behind them, the four friends go on with life as if their encounter was nothing more than a hallucination.
But for the beings they came across, that night was just the beginning. A connection was made, a bond that time could not break. And as the years pass, one friend of the past comes across clues that reveal much more that happened on that night. A night that may once again draw them all back together. A night that is unavoidable and inevitable.
~~~~~
The characters are realistic to a certain extent, other than Tank, who more than lived up to his name. Definitely a person you'd want having your back. Sam, his best friend, who got most of the screen ...er... page time left me feeling a little miffed with how he handled a tough situation and continued to do so for quite some time leaving his son, Nicky, to fend for himself. Kelly, Sam's ex-girlfriend, elicited the most reaction from me. I don't want to spoil her role in it all, but it seemed as if she got cheated a little bit. Okay, a lot. The poor thing. Other cast members rounded out this read giving the readers someone to root for, or against.
The pacing was unhurried. I, however, found the second half of the book more to my liking. The pace didn't seem to change, but the urgency and mood of the story did, taking me from being just aware of what I was reading to being attentive and tense.
Overall I enjoyed the story of The Dover Demon and I hope you will too.
Hunter Shea has written a slow-burn, old-school supernatural story with horror elements sure to entertain readers that like the unknown and the other-worldly.
Read it for curiosities sake. You have been marked.
September 6, 2015
The Dover Demon is a fantastic monster story. The citizens of the sleepy town of Dover, Massachusetts have had these monsters living right under their noses for years. These monsters were first spotted in 1977, and now they’re back for what they have claimed as their own.
I love what Hunter Shea has done with this story. What does a horror author do when he or she wants a monster? They can create a completely new monster and try to scare their readers with that. While this can work, the monster lacks the fear inspiring history that is built into our human consciousness. The author can also use one of the standby, or stock monsters, but let’s be honest, vampires and zombies have been done to death. Hunter Shea has gone above and beyond following in the footsteps of Bram Stoker, he has taken an urban myth and built an intricate story out of a chance sighting from nearly forty years ago. This monster is real, tangible and frightening. There are still people around today who saw it…or are they?
Hunter Shea has created a great cast of characters for his story. Each one has his or her own personal demon that they must overcome. They are all intricately developed and I was able to relate to them. This always helps in pulling a reader into a story. Just like with a good horror film, I found myself saying, “Don’t go there!” or “Run!”
Hunter Shea gets horror, and knows how to make it work. The Dover Demon makes me want to read more by this author.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
I love what Hunter Shea has done with this story. What does a horror author do when he or she wants a monster? They can create a completely new monster and try to scare their readers with that. While this can work, the monster lacks the fear inspiring history that is built into our human consciousness. The author can also use one of the standby, or stock monsters, but let’s be honest, vampires and zombies have been done to death. Hunter Shea has gone above and beyond following in the footsteps of Bram Stoker, he has taken an urban myth and built an intricate story out of a chance sighting from nearly forty years ago. This monster is real, tangible and frightening. There are still people around today who saw it…or are they?
Hunter Shea has created a great cast of characters for his story. Each one has his or her own personal demon that they must overcome. They are all intricately developed and I was able to relate to them. This always helps in pulling a reader into a story. Just like with a good horror film, I found myself saying, “Don’t go there!” or “Run!”
Hunter Shea gets horror, and knows how to make it work. The Dover Demon makes me want to read more by this author.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
October 28, 2015
I've been a huge fan of monsters since before I can remember. Over the course of my life I've read literally hundreds of fiction and nonfiction novels and stories about various types of monsters and probably devoured every single issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine ever produced. Another person who loves monsters is Hunter Shea. Since I discovered Hunter, not so very long ago, I try to consume every monster novel he writes. The first one I read was the tremendous work, THE MONTAUK MONSTER. Upon reading that book, I became an instant fan of Hunter Shea and his awesome monsters. In THE DOVER DEMON, Shea takes an urban legend and makes it his own.
THE DOVER DEMON follows Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie in their quest to save Sam’s son Nick from the strange creatures the four of them witnessed in 1977. In typical Shea fashion, the story opens with just enough action to reel you in and then slows into a steady lull just long enough for you to get to know his hopelessly flawed but likeable characters. Then he grabs you by the tonsils and yanks you through the story at such a frenetic pace you have to remind yourself to breathe. From the first scare to the last word, Hunter moves the story along with fast paced action scenes and timely scares, all the while building tension and a heavy sense of despair that stays with you all the way through the story. And you’ll think you know where the book is headed, but you’ll be wrong. The story takes a jaw-dropping and completely unexpected turn that makes for a shocking, immensely satisfying finale.
THE DOVER DEMON is the third Hunter Shea monster story that I’ve read to date, and the stories get exponentially better with every new novel. His monsters are always convincing and always scary as hell. I’ve read every one with a sense of roller-coaster glee, and I can’t wait for the next one. Hunter knows monsters and THE DOVER DEMON is his most delightful and insidiously terrifying monster yet. If you love horror and you love a good monster scare, you want this book.
THE DOVER DEMON follows Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie in their quest to save Sam’s son Nick from the strange creatures the four of them witnessed in 1977. In typical Shea fashion, the story opens with just enough action to reel you in and then slows into a steady lull just long enough for you to get to know his hopelessly flawed but likeable characters. Then he grabs you by the tonsils and yanks you through the story at such a frenetic pace you have to remind yourself to breathe. From the first scare to the last word, Hunter moves the story along with fast paced action scenes and timely scares, all the while building tension and a heavy sense of despair that stays with you all the way through the story. And you’ll think you know where the book is headed, but you’ll be wrong. The story takes a jaw-dropping and completely unexpected turn that makes for a shocking, immensely satisfying finale.
THE DOVER DEMON is the third Hunter Shea monster story that I’ve read to date, and the stories get exponentially better with every new novel. His monsters are always convincing and always scary as hell. I’ve read every one with a sense of roller-coaster glee, and I can’t wait for the next one. Hunter knows monsters and THE DOVER DEMON is his most delightful and insidiously terrifying monster yet. If you love horror and you love a good monster scare, you want this book.
August 2, 2015
Hunter Shea's "The Dover Demon" is a great read! Shea does a great job starting with an actual extraterrestrial event (a documented sighting of a strange alien-looking being by a group of teenagers outside of Dover, MA, in 1977) and making a story out of it.
These teenagers, now in their 40's, continue to be vexed by what they saw years ago (think Stephen King's "It") and struggle to keep the event from affecting their lives. One member of the group, Kelly, continues to have experiences with the "demons" that the rest of the town refuses to believe. Another of the group, Sam Brogna, even goes so far as to write a story about the Dover Demon (under a pseudonym) to try and clear his mind to no avail. Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie (the two other 1977 witnesses of the event) soon find themselves back in the middle of a mystery involving the creatures when Sam's son Nicky and his female friend, Christine, go missing while on a "demon hunt".
Shea does a wonderful job ratcheting up the creepiness factor as the "Dover 4" attempt to track down Nicky and Christine, while hoping to exorcist their own demons. There are some underground scenes depicted during the search that are some of the most claustrophobic that I've read in years.
This reader really appreciated a well-crafted ending that left me wanting more. Those interested in hard-to-put-down horror or who are familiar with the Dover Demon story will certainly enjoy this book.
These teenagers, now in their 40's, continue to be vexed by what they saw years ago (think Stephen King's "It") and struggle to keep the event from affecting their lives. One member of the group, Kelly, continues to have experiences with the "demons" that the rest of the town refuses to believe. Another of the group, Sam Brogna, even goes so far as to write a story about the Dover Demon (under a pseudonym) to try and clear his mind to no avail. Sam, Kelly, Tank, and Stephanie (the two other 1977 witnesses of the event) soon find themselves back in the middle of a mystery involving the creatures when Sam's son Nicky and his female friend, Christine, go missing while on a "demon hunt".
Shea does a wonderful job ratcheting up the creepiness factor as the "Dover 4" attempt to track down Nicky and Christine, while hoping to exorcist their own demons. There are some underground scenes depicted during the search that are some of the most claustrophobic that I've read in years.
This reader really appreciated a well-crafted ending that left me wanting more. Those interested in hard-to-put-down horror or who are familiar with the Dover Demon story will certainly enjoy this book.
August 14, 2019
A fun cryptid themed horror novel.
Back in the 1970's there was a flap of sightings of an unusual creature in the small town of Dover, Massachusetts. It was named The Dover Demon. The thing disappeared after a few weeks, and was never seen again.
Hunter Shea takes this factoid, and creates a story around it.
It seems four high school friends saw the demon back in the day. They've tried, and some have succeeded, in forgetting the incident, but the demon hasn't forgotten them...
Pretty decent, with some pretty scary parts, and classic horror motifs. I think Shea relied a little much on the twisting, turning, corridors in the latter part of the novel. These simply become repetitive.
Pretty good stuff. Looking to pick up Montauk Monster and The Jersey Devil, because this book was that good.
Back in the 1970's there was a flap of sightings of an unusual creature in the small town of Dover, Massachusetts. It was named The Dover Demon. The thing disappeared after a few weeks, and was never seen again.
Hunter Shea takes this factoid, and creates a story around it.
It seems four high school friends saw the demon back in the day. They've tried, and some have succeeded, in forgetting the incident, but the demon hasn't forgotten them...
Pretty decent, with some pretty scary parts, and classic horror motifs. I think Shea relied a little much on the twisting, turning, corridors in the latter part of the novel. These simply become repetitive.
Pretty good stuff. Looking to pick up Montauk Monster and The Jersey Devil, because this book was that good.
July 12, 2015
The Dover Demon, the latest by Hunter Shea, follows the story of Sam Brogna and his son Nicky. It begins by exploring the characters' interactions and interest in an elusive cryptid then quickly evolves into an exciting and much broader horror reading experience.
Like many other Shea fans, I particularly enjoyed his easy going writing style and sense of humor, an element not always present or well executed in a story of this type. As the story progressed, I became more and more impressed with the way Shea not only develops his characters but also expertly provides one unexpected shock after another.
By the end, when the final secrets are revealed, I left wanting more and look forward to Shea's next work. I highly recommend the Dover Demon to fans of Horror and Science Fiction.
Like many other Shea fans, I particularly enjoyed his easy going writing style and sense of humor, an element not always present or well executed in a story of this type. As the story progressed, I became more and more impressed with the way Shea not only develops his characters but also expertly provides one unexpected shock after another.
By the end, when the final secrets are revealed, I left wanting more and look forward to Shea's next work. I highly recommend the Dover Demon to fans of Horror and Science Fiction.
September 3, 2015
Another fun read about another cryptid monster, the Dover Demon. It starts off with an actual documented event that happened in 1977 to some teenagers and makes a story out of it. Forty years later, these 4 teenagers have tried to move on from their experience, but are about to find out that they have not been forgotten.
A wicked, horrifying read into an extraterrestrial encounter.
A wicked, horrifying read into an extraterrestrial encounter.
September 2, 2021
So the first book I picked out of my TBR Jar was a Hunter Shea book and I was very excited but this one just wasn’t as fun as I was hoping.
Since the sigting of what everyone calls the Dover Demon, in Dover, Massachusetts in 1977 there hasn’t been any other sittings, but now it’s been fourty years and those who had seen the creature are doing their best to pretend it didn’t happen, well all but one.
Kelly’s life was changed forever that day and she has never forgotten what happened and drinks herself into oblivion trying to cope with life. She has always known what the others didn’t that the creatures are still around but there is something more to them.
Sam has moved on and was a corporate man for a while till he decided to retire early and open a comic shop, where he sell’s not only comics but Dover Demon memorbilia and a book that is written about it. His teen son Nicky helps him with the store. Nicky and his friend Roy along with his sister Christine have been planing an outing to go check out the place where this guy has been reporting sightings, even if nobody really believes him.
Tank and Stephanie, where college sweethearts who have now been married for about fourty years and have managed to put that night behind them and never think anything about it. That is until something bad happens one night.
It comes a huge snow and Nicky, Roy and Christine decide this is the perfect time to go Dover Demon hunting and take snowmobiles out. Sam had slept in and didn’t realize his son had gone anywhere and then figured he was with Roy. It wasn’t until Roy who came home early thinking Nicky and Christine would be home soon after told Sam they were not here. Because of something Kelly told him about and then he seen for himself along with Tank, they are very worried about the two teens and they go searching for them, Stephanie comes along too after Tank tells her about things.
And that is when some very strange things happen that involve these creatures and this book really wasn’t the creature feature fun I wanted but it was very strange. I think I thought it was going to be sort of a romp and chomp like a lot of his other creature feature and while bad things do happen, it wasn’t anything like I had in my mind. Hunter Shea took the Dover Demon and went in a direction I just didn’t think about.
I am still not sure if I like the ending but at the same time it sort of fits. Though not a huge fan of it though I did think it was okay I am going to leave this one up to you and say if it sounds cool try it.
Since the sigting of what everyone calls the Dover Demon, in Dover, Massachusetts in 1977 there hasn’t been any other sittings, but now it’s been fourty years and those who had seen the creature are doing their best to pretend it didn’t happen, well all but one.
Kelly’s life was changed forever that day and she has never forgotten what happened and drinks herself into oblivion trying to cope with life. She has always known what the others didn’t that the creatures are still around but there is something more to them.
Sam has moved on and was a corporate man for a while till he decided to retire early and open a comic shop, where he sell’s not only comics but Dover Demon memorbilia and a book that is written about it. His teen son Nicky helps him with the store. Nicky and his friend Roy along with his sister Christine have been planing an outing to go check out the place where this guy has been reporting sightings, even if nobody really believes him.
Tank and Stephanie, where college sweethearts who have now been married for about fourty years and have managed to put that night behind them and never think anything about it. That is until something bad happens one night.
It comes a huge snow and Nicky, Roy and Christine decide this is the perfect time to go Dover Demon hunting and take snowmobiles out. Sam had slept in and didn’t realize his son had gone anywhere and then figured he was with Roy. It wasn’t until Roy who came home early thinking Nicky and Christine would be home soon after told Sam they were not here. Because of something Kelly told him about and then he seen for himself along with Tank, they are very worried about the two teens and they go searching for them, Stephanie comes along too after Tank tells her about things.
And that is when some very strange things happen that involve these creatures and this book really wasn’t the creature feature fun I wanted but it was very strange. I think I thought it was going to be sort of a romp and chomp like a lot of his other creature feature and while bad things do happen, it wasn’t anything like I had in my mind. Hunter Shea took the Dover Demon and went in a direction I just didn’t think about.
I am still not sure if I like the ending but at the same time it sort of fits. Though not a huge fan of it though I did think it was okay I am going to leave this one up to you and say if it sounds cool try it.
November 17, 2020
Starts off great and then stalls. Long boring chapters of stumbling around tunnels by the characters of the book.
Only a couple of characters were developed enough that you would care and then one if them turns into s drunk that you could not care less about.
And the other, well. Who cares.
Also crappy, crappy, crappy ending.
Only a couple of characters were developed enough that you would care and then one if them turns into s drunk that you could not care less about.
And the other, well. Who cares.
Also crappy, crappy, crappy ending.
August 15, 2015
Review from Horrorunderground.org
In 1977, the town of Dover was hit with an incident of horror and speculation. Sam and several of hhis friends came across a creature that brought in cryptozoologists and ufologists to study and investigate the incident. Fast forward several decades and the quiet town of Dover is about to experience something much worse than the incident of their past.
The character development of the “Dover 4” hits all of the right beats in order to make one compelling narrative. Each character felt unique and had their own struggles to deal with on top of the cryptid. I was engrossed in the safety and survival of every character in this story.
On top of well-done character development, The Dover Demon is filled to the brim with chills that get under your skin. There is an underground sequence in this story that hasn’t scared me this much or made me feel so claustrophobic since The Descent. The creatures are unnerving and blend well with an original idea set in a well thought out background.
In 1977, the town of Dover was hit with an incident of horror and speculation. Sam and several of hhis friends came across a creature that brought in cryptozoologists and ufologists to study and investigate the incident. Fast forward several decades and the quiet town of Dover is about to experience something much worse than the incident of their past.
The character development of the “Dover 4” hits all of the right beats in order to make one compelling narrative. Each character felt unique and had their own struggles to deal with on top of the cryptid. I was engrossed in the safety and survival of every character in this story.
On top of well-done character development, The Dover Demon is filled to the brim with chills that get under your skin. There is an underground sequence in this story that hasn’t scared me this much or made me feel so claustrophobic since The Descent. The creatures are unnerving and blend well with an original idea set in a well thought out background.
February 18, 2018
great reading. Hunter Shea has done it again. Love this author. on my keeper shelf. Keep them coming
September 28, 2015
Leading up to the release of The Dover Demon I was pretty hyped, borderline over excited for it. With the name Hunter Shea stamped on the cover, a name that lends a particular credence, couple that with a tale steeped in history and fantastic cover art, how could one not be? I was psyched to the point of being concerned about putting it on a pedestal. Once something is on a pedestal there usually can be only two outcomes: being graced by the pristine glow of greatness or crumble under the pressure, taking a harsh tumble off of the edge. Does The Dover Demon survive the unfair pressure I placed upon it?
Yes, it does, mostly.
Based on an actual event (a true event, depending on your level of belief), one that I was not all too familiar with, adds a satisfying depth to the piece. It's interesting getting a glimpse of the life of a town that is the home, for better of for worse, of an urban legend, how the town feels about outsiders infringing for a hoot.
This novel is populated with a cast of interesting, believable characters tapping mainly into the lives of Sam Brogna (one of the eyewitnesses in 1977) and his teenage son Nikki. The dissolution of Sam's marriage and his relationship with Nikki felt true and honest. As the story develops Sam's loss, his urgency feel like tangible emotions. They were characters I enjoyed spending time with.
But overall my favorite character is that of Kelly Weathers, Sam's girlfriend in 1977 and now just somebody he used to know. She has taken the Demon encounter the hardest. Not merely jumping, but tightening the noose and plunging down the rabbit hole, double fisting bottle of hard liquor. The Dover Demon has consumed her spirit and her soul, becoming the focus of her life. With the best scene being the moment Sam wakes up on Kelly's couch from a night of heavy drinking and stumbles into Kelly's base of operations, a tangled nest of evidence, newspaper reports, photos and connecting of dots.
Tank and Stephanie round out the group of friends, the other two eyewitnesses now married. They're here to lend support to our the more upfront characters and they do fine in the role.
There is a great deal of tension and and anxiety threading this read, with a thread of mystery, thickening as you make your way through. Quite a few unsettling scenes, gross and icky things looking to do gross and icky things, are present to embed nightmares into your subconscious. And they are very effective. I was expecting a more fantastical ending, but what you get is a somewhat grounded in reality finale. It works, and adds a nice little punch, and if I may admit, a little fist pump for the character getting his retribution.
My only misgiving with this read, is in a section toward the end. Dealing with a bit of repetitive action, it was a bit distracting and kind of took me out of the book for a moment.
How much did this really get in the way of my full enjoyment of the book. That's hard to say. Probably not as much as it could bother other readers. I'm pretty easy to please and there is a lot of interesting things going on in the meantime.
Hunter Shea is a great writer, highly entertaining, and definitely in the upper echelon in the current horror scene. Many other writers mention either loving his work and/or having the man influence their own, and for just cause. His writing suits anyone with a taste for the dark and terrifying.
**Note: I sought out and received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These are my unbiased feelings.
Yes, it does, mostly.
Based on an actual event (a true event, depending on your level of belief), one that I was not all too familiar with, adds a satisfying depth to the piece. It's interesting getting a glimpse of the life of a town that is the home, for better of for worse, of an urban legend, how the town feels about outsiders infringing for a hoot.
This novel is populated with a cast of interesting, believable characters tapping mainly into the lives of Sam Brogna (one of the eyewitnesses in 1977) and his teenage son Nikki. The dissolution of Sam's marriage and his relationship with Nikki felt true and honest. As the story develops Sam's loss, his urgency feel like tangible emotions. They were characters I enjoyed spending time with.
But overall my favorite character is that of Kelly Weathers, Sam's girlfriend in 1977 and now just somebody he used to know. She has taken the Demon encounter the hardest. Not merely jumping, but tightening the noose and plunging down the rabbit hole, double fisting bottle of hard liquor. The Dover Demon has consumed her spirit and her soul, becoming the focus of her life. With the best scene being the moment Sam wakes up on Kelly's couch from a night of heavy drinking and stumbles into Kelly's base of operations, a tangled nest of evidence, newspaper reports, photos and connecting of dots.
Tank and Stephanie round out the group of friends, the other two eyewitnesses now married. They're here to lend support to our the more upfront characters and they do fine in the role.
There is a great deal of tension and and anxiety threading this read, with a thread of mystery, thickening as you make your way through. Quite a few unsettling scenes, gross and icky things looking to do gross and icky things, are present to embed nightmares into your subconscious. And they are very effective. I was expecting a more fantastical ending, but what you get is a somewhat grounded in reality finale. It works, and adds a nice little punch, and if I may admit, a little fist pump for the character getting his retribution.
My only misgiving with this read, is in a section toward the end. Dealing with a bit of repetitive action, it was a bit distracting and kind of took me out of the book for a moment.
How much did this really get in the way of my full enjoyment of the book. That's hard to say. Probably not as much as it could bother other readers. I'm pretty easy to please and there is a lot of interesting things going on in the meantime.
Hunter Shea is a great writer, highly entertaining, and definitely in the upper echelon in the current horror scene. Many other writers mention either loving his work and/or having the man influence their own, and for just cause. His writing suits anyone with a taste for the dark and terrifying.
**Note: I sought out and received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These are my unbiased feelings.
October 5, 2015
This book will scare the pants off you as well as entertain you! I have watched shows about the Dover Demon, what it is and the fact that no one really knows where they came from or what they are here for. Several people have actually encountered this bizarre being. Seriously. This book however is a work of fiction, but knowing the background source, made this read even better!!
In 1977, Sam Brogna and a few of this friends stumbled upon on one of these creatures on a desolate road one night. There weren’t as scared as I would have been! What the seen, shook them to their cores and swore themselves to silence. Little did they know, this encounter would change their lives forever.
Several years later, their hometown of Dover has been hit by a blizzard. Sam’s son and his friends are bored and decide to go and search for the demon they have read about in books. Sam has never told his son about his actual encounter with one of these cryptids. Soon, his son and friends disappear into the secret underground lair of the Dover Demon. What they find out though, is there isn’t just one…….
Sam and his friends, who were there the night of the sighting, come back together to help find Sam’s son and the others. What they find is far worse then they had ever imagined, the Dover Demon is deadly. As the story takes hold of you, you cheer on the characters in hopes they will all make it out alive!
With the secrecy of the Dover Demon is wove into the story, you wonder if something like this could actually happen, or if this really is the true story of the demon. On that note, you come to realize how this author has tricked you with his amazing writing! I look forward to reading more of this author and his grand trickery of stories!
In 1977, Sam Brogna and a few of this friends stumbled upon on one of these creatures on a desolate road one night. There weren’t as scared as I would have been! What the seen, shook them to their cores and swore themselves to silence. Little did they know, this encounter would change their lives forever.
Several years later, their hometown of Dover has been hit by a blizzard. Sam’s son and his friends are bored and decide to go and search for the demon they have read about in books. Sam has never told his son about his actual encounter with one of these cryptids. Soon, his son and friends disappear into the secret underground lair of the Dover Demon. What they find out though, is there isn’t just one…….
Sam and his friends, who were there the night of the sighting, come back together to help find Sam’s son and the others. What they find is far worse then they had ever imagined, the Dover Demon is deadly. As the story takes hold of you, you cheer on the characters in hopes they will all make it out alive!
With the secrecy of the Dover Demon is wove into the story, you wonder if something like this could actually happen, or if this really is the true story of the demon. On that note, you come to realize how this author has tricked you with his amazing writing! I look forward to reading more of this author and his grand trickery of stories!
September 23, 2015
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review from Erin Al-Mehairi at Oh, for the Hook of a Book as part of The Dover Demon blog tour. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this book.
This novel takes on the myth of The Dover Demon and makes it terrifying! The story is fast paced and full of tension. All of the characters are believable but Sam, Tank and Nicky are my favorites. Sam's reaction when he finds out that his son, Nicky is missing was so visceral and heart wrenching that I felt it in my gut. The descriptions of the abductions are filled with terror and rival anything I've seen in other stories like this. As an avid Cryptid fan I've read a lot of stories about them but Hunter Shea takes these legends to a petrifying new place and drags you along for the ride. He is quickly becoming of the authors I can count on for a great read. This book is a 4.5 star treat for both horror lovers and cryptid fans everywhere.
This novel takes on the myth of The Dover Demon and makes it terrifying! The story is fast paced and full of tension. All of the characters are believable but Sam, Tank and Nicky are my favorites. Sam's reaction when he finds out that his son, Nicky is missing was so visceral and heart wrenching that I felt it in my gut. The descriptions of the abductions are filled with terror and rival anything I've seen in other stories like this. As an avid Cryptid fan I've read a lot of stories about them but Hunter Shea takes these legends to a petrifying new place and drags you along for the ride. He is quickly becoming of the authors I can count on for a great read. This book is a 4.5 star treat for both horror lovers and cryptid fans everywhere.
September 4, 2015
Hunter Shea, the master of all things monster, delivers another terrifying thrill ride with The Dover Demon. In 1977, five friends encounter a strange creature on some Massachusetts back roads. The incident affects all of them, some far worse than others.
Years later, the demon is back and it has a horrific plan for each of them, and the next generations of Dover victims.
This is no slasher flick, filled with cardboard characters. The two main characters affected by their demonic encounter are exceptionally well developed, and you can really feel for them as they struggle through their personal flaws to cope with their experiences.
Hunter spins a story that touches on sci-fi, dabbles in conspiracy theories, but remains all out horror from the first chapter to the last. Another winner!
Years later, the demon is back and it has a horrific plan for each of them, and the next generations of Dover victims.
This is no slasher flick, filled with cardboard characters. The two main characters affected by their demonic encounter are exceptionally well developed, and you can really feel for them as they struggle through their personal flaws to cope with their experiences.
Hunter spins a story that touches on sci-fi, dabbles in conspiracy theories, but remains all out horror from the first chapter to the last. Another winner!
March 4, 2017
What a fun book!! It's told in the current day as well as flashbacks to the late 70's.
And it really is a blend of everything that was cool about the 70's. You can tell Hunter Shea knows his stuff when he sets up various scenes that take place in 1977.
The story itself is something out of In Search of...or the more modern, Destination Truth.
I love cryptozoology and I find it fascinating that people see things like the Dover Demon or Mothman, but nothing ever really comes of it. This could explain why they are so adept at not being seen when they want to stay hidden.
Of course, it's just a story....
And it really is a blend of everything that was cool about the 70's. You can tell Hunter Shea knows his stuff when he sets up various scenes that take place in 1977.
The story itself is something out of In Search of...or the more modern, Destination Truth.
I love cryptozoology and I find it fascinating that people see things like the Dover Demon or Mothman, but nothing ever really comes of it. This could explain why they are so adept at not being seen when they want to stay hidden.
Of course, it's just a story....
March 9, 2016
The story follows a couple of families from the nineteen seventies into the present: back when Sam and Kelly and Tank and Stephanie were teenagers and they saw the creature for the first time on a drive to their favourite make out spot, or home from the movies, or wherever they were going — doesn’t matter. It was night time and they were in a car.
It shrieked a bit, dropped a few stinky eggs into the road, and they ran off as a host of masked men carried off the cargo while this thing watched them flee.
Little did they know they were secretly marked by the creature, and thirty years later when Sam’s kid is grown and Kelly is a gun-toting raging alcoholic with a hot body, the alien-things are coming back to collect. Collect what? We don’t exactly know, and the characters never exactly find out just what happened to them out on the road that night, and neither does the reader.
Insert a few underground tunnels and a couple of kids going missing, a few implanted eggs, and one sole survivor who’s doomed anyway, and that’s your story. Everyone dies anyway.
Sic transit Gloria Mundi.
Just because the bad guys win doesn’t make it a compelling horror read.
That’s often the problem: if you feel no sympathy for the cast, it’s all too easy to sit back and hope for a slaughter.
The idea is original enough: at its core it’s a monster story that might be a story about aliens that carries a bit of folklore hacking. There’s definitely an overarching sense of Ridley Scott’s alien in the imagery, and I can say that’s where the novel succeeded: it’s gross, an easy read that won’t make you think too much, and easily translated to the imagination. You don’t have to squint too hard to see the bone crunching, smell the creatures, or get a sense of pain.
It’s just not enough to make the stomach flip. (Granted, I may be made of stauncher stuff than some people, but who’s to say what makes you squick.)
The problem is, the characters just aren’t thoroughly developed enough to make them more than two dimensional stick figures. You just don’t care. So kill ’em all.
Not my cup of tea, I suppose.
Here’s hoping that the next book I dig into is enough to cleanse my palette of A Head Full of Ghosts. I think the book’s ruined me for everything else that’s to come for a little while.
(I vaguely recall this happened after reading the entirety of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman some years ago. I couldn’t read anything for a month in the aftermath. It was too good; too perfect. I’m looking for a follow-up read now that won’t necessarily cleanse the palette, but at least reset a few switches so I can feel engrossed again.)
It shrieked a bit, dropped a few stinky eggs into the road, and they ran off as a host of masked men carried off the cargo while this thing watched them flee.
Little did they know they were secretly marked by the creature, and thirty years later when Sam’s kid is grown and Kelly is a gun-toting raging alcoholic with a hot body, the alien-things are coming back to collect. Collect what? We don’t exactly know, and the characters never exactly find out just what happened to them out on the road that night, and neither does the reader.
Insert a few underground tunnels and a couple of kids going missing, a few implanted eggs, and one sole survivor who’s doomed anyway, and that’s your story. Everyone dies anyway.
Sic transit Gloria Mundi.
Just because the bad guys win doesn’t make it a compelling horror read.
That’s often the problem: if you feel no sympathy for the cast, it’s all too easy to sit back and hope for a slaughter.
The idea is original enough: at its core it’s a monster story that might be a story about aliens that carries a bit of folklore hacking. There’s definitely an overarching sense of Ridley Scott’s alien in the imagery, and I can say that’s where the novel succeeded: it’s gross, an easy read that won’t make you think too much, and easily translated to the imagination. You don’t have to squint too hard to see the bone crunching, smell the creatures, or get a sense of pain.
It’s just not enough to make the stomach flip. (Granted, I may be made of stauncher stuff than some people, but who’s to say what makes you squick.)
The problem is, the characters just aren’t thoroughly developed enough to make them more than two dimensional stick figures. You just don’t care. So kill ’em all.
Not my cup of tea, I suppose.
Here’s hoping that the next book I dig into is enough to cleanse my palette of A Head Full of Ghosts. I think the book’s ruined me for everything else that’s to come for a little while.
(I vaguely recall this happened after reading the entirety of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman some years ago. I couldn’t read anything for a month in the aftermath. It was too good; too perfect. I’m looking for a follow-up read now that won’t necessarily cleanse the palette, but at least reset a few switches so I can feel engrossed again.)
July 25, 2015
Hunter Shea is one of the most consistent and versatile writers of horror fiction working today. His latest release from Samhain Horror, The Dover Demon, does nothing but prove how good he can be. It is horror from cover to cover with themes of paranoia, conspiracy, creatures, science fiction and mythology that spans from ancient archaeological sites to the vastness of space. With great characters and a great take on UFOlogy and cryptids, this novel is sure to please.
The characters in The Dover Demon are what drives the story. The plot is sharp and entertaining, but it’s the investment in the characters and their fates that really keep things moving. Kelly Weathers is introduced first and comes across as a single 50-something woman struggling, and generally failing, with a serious alcohol problem. She morphs through the story from a paranoid, pitiful drunk to someone with a real past and future potential if she can defeat her demons.
Sam Brogna is the character through which the novel introduces the mythology of the Dover Demon. His comic book shop sells Demon-related merchandise to the tourist and cryptid hunter crown and is the one place where the definitive book on the Demon, Dover Demon: Nights of Terror, can be purchased. Along with his best friend since high school Tank, and Tank’s wife Steph, Sam turns out to know much more about the events of 1977 when the Dover Demon was seen than anyone realized.
When the characters are forced to come to terms with their pasts and the realities of those 1977 events it’s to save Sam’s son Nicky and his friend, and unrequited crush, Christine. Nicky is a great character, a 17 year old dealing with his parents’ separation, falling for his best friend’s younger sister and a blossoming interest in the Demon. He and Christine fall into the realm of the Dover Demon and it’s through their captivity and attempted rescue that the reader learns the truth about what the Dover Demon really was. And is.
The book’s only real problem comes into play during the final confrontation between the Demon and the heroes. The explanation of the history and plans of the Dover Demon is quite long-winded and far more detailed that the story calls for. Leaving some questions unanswered would have served the conclusion better. That said, Shea follows the climax with an epilogue that is both unexpected and satisfying. A few slow pages are not enough to keep this from being an excellent horror novel and a strong standout in the UFO and cryptid subgenres.
The characters in The Dover Demon are what drives the story. The plot is sharp and entertaining, but it’s the investment in the characters and their fates that really keep things moving. Kelly Weathers is introduced first and comes across as a single 50-something woman struggling, and generally failing, with a serious alcohol problem. She morphs through the story from a paranoid, pitiful drunk to someone with a real past and future potential if she can defeat her demons.
Sam Brogna is the character through which the novel introduces the mythology of the Dover Demon. His comic book shop sells Demon-related merchandise to the tourist and cryptid hunter crown and is the one place where the definitive book on the Demon, Dover Demon: Nights of Terror, can be purchased. Along with his best friend since high school Tank, and Tank’s wife Steph, Sam turns out to know much more about the events of 1977 when the Dover Demon was seen than anyone realized.
When the characters are forced to come to terms with their pasts and the realities of those 1977 events it’s to save Sam’s son Nicky and his friend, and unrequited crush, Christine. Nicky is a great character, a 17 year old dealing with his parents’ separation, falling for his best friend’s younger sister and a blossoming interest in the Demon. He and Christine fall into the realm of the Dover Demon and it’s through their captivity and attempted rescue that the reader learns the truth about what the Dover Demon really was. And is.
The book’s only real problem comes into play during the final confrontation between the Demon and the heroes. The explanation of the history and plans of the Dover Demon is quite long-winded and far more detailed that the story calls for. Leaving some questions unanswered would have served the conclusion better. That said, Shea follows the climax with an epilogue that is both unexpected and satisfying. A few slow pages are not enough to keep this from being an excellent horror novel and a strong standout in the UFO and cryptid subgenres.
September 1, 2015
Read this book!
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-do... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-do... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
June 25, 2016
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
Over a two night period in 1977, eyewitnesses in the rural town of Dover, Massachusetts reported seeing a mysterious and terrifying creature that defied any earthly explanation. The stories of a mysterious creature referred to as the Dover Demon filled cryptid hunters and tourists with wonder and they arrived in the town of Dover in droves, seeking to catch a glimpse of the legendary creature with their own eyes. But for Sam, his best friend Tank and their girlfriends Kelly and Stephanie, that two night period was more terrifying than exciting. On their way home from a double date at the movies on one of those fateful nights in 1977, they had their own encounter with the creature known as the Dover Demon. What they saw shattered their perception of reality and they vowed to never speak of it again and despite their best efforts to leave that experience in their past, that night changed their lives forever.
Sam Brogna, now in his fifties, owns a comic store and is married to Lacy, a businesswoman who is constantly trying to get him to go back to the corporate world he left behind to spend more time with his son, Nicky. Their marriage seems average, but tensions simmer below the surface as she judges her success on his and is embarrassed of his new career. However, the store helped Sam forge a strong bond with his son based on their mutual love of comic books and by working together daily in the store. Sam is still best friend with Tank Clay, who ended up marrying his high school sweetheart Stephanie. Tank and Sam used to get into trouble together as teenagers, but now the extent of their troublemaking involves them sneaking biscuits and gravy at the comic store and fearing the tongue lashing they may get from their wives. Tank followed in Sam's footsteps by leaving his job as a high-powered CEO to chase his dream of being an archaeologist.
Despite Sam's desire to move past his encounter with the Dover Demon, he sells copies of a book about the creature in his shop. Most of the townspeople hate the fact that outsiders flock to their town searching for the Dover Demon, but Sam almost seems proud that his comic book store is the one place in town that promotes the legend and harbors an interest in cryptids. His life seems to be perfect until a betrayal sends his life into a tailspin that causes him to run into his high school girlfriend Kelly Weathers.
Kelly has tried to forget that fateful night back in the '70s, but the experience has rattled her so badly she has started drinking heavily and developed a bit of an obsession with Dover Demon sightings. She is afraid of the creature and despite living in a constant state of paranoia, she is determined to uncover the truth about what her and her friends saw all those years ago.
Sam's son Nicky develops an interest in the Dover Demon and sets up a Google alert about the mysterious creature that lurks in the woods of Dover and that is when he stumbles across a new sighting, the first one in over 40 years. They were a series of blog posts from a man known only as Lando Solo, who Nicky recognizes as the man from his father's comic shop that was asking questions about the Dover Demon a few days ago. The posts detail his trip to Dover and a sighting of the creature during a massive snowstorm a little after Thanksgiving. No one in town believes his story, so he turned to his blog in attempt to get the word out. The posts fascinate Nicky and inspire him, his best friend Roy and his sister Christine to go to the place of the sighting in an attempt to spot the Dover Demon for themselves.
Kelly also stumbles upon Lando's blog posts and it startles her. She has been investigating any story that seems like it could be connected to the thing her and her friends saw years ago and she begins to think there is a pattern, that the creature her and her friends encountered has been appearing more frequently. These are all just suspicions she has until she reviews her security cameras footage from the previous night. It is then she discovers someone or something has left footprints in a perfect circle around her home. It was as if something was dropped from the sky, walked around her home and then vanished into thin air. She is unable to determine what left the tracks, but when she watches the footage from inside her home, she makes a shocking discovery that will change the lives of her and her friends. I don't want to diminish the thrill that comes with reading this scene for readers, but I will say that while I was writing my notes for this review, I tagged this page with the words "nightmare fuel". It was a truly terrifying scene that stuck with me even after I finished The Dover Demon and will probably pop up in my nightmares for the next several months.
Kelly shares her research with Sam, Tank and Stephanie in an attempt to warn them that the creature they saw back in 1977 may be coming back for them. They refuse to believe in Kelly's theories until Nicky and Christine go missing after searching for the creature themselves. Fearing the worst, the four old friends set out to rescue Nicky and Christine and are plunged into a reality bending fight for survival.
What initially scared me the most about reading this book was the Dover Demon's resemblance to an alien. As a horror fan, I pride myself on not being scared of much, but the stories surrounding aliens and particularly this type, scares me more than just about anything. I grew up reading about cryptids of all forms and the story surrounding the Dover Demon stuck with me through the years based on the unusual facts that make it stand out from other sightings.
The setting and atmosphere that Hunter creates in The Dover Demon is perfect and adds a creepy factor to the story. The small town setting and relative seclusion really helps lend itself to this story. I live in a small town and I couldn't help but imagine this story taking place right in my back yard, which made it even more frightening.
I really loved Hunter's take on the Dover Demon as well. I picked up this novel expecting a straightforward alien novel, which would have been fine by me, but ended up being treated to something different and original. Hunter does make some allusions to the Dover Demon being an alien of some sort in the early chapters of the book, but as the story goes on, the truth behind what the Dover Demon is becomes a little bit murkier. I personally liked the ambiguity that surrounds the creature and thought Hunter did an excellent job of staying true to the events that inspired the novel while putting his own terrifying spin on it.
Also as a fan of creepy, unexplained mysteries and stories, I loved the approach Hunter took with his characters. Often times with cryptid sightings or other unexplained phenomena, we hear the stories about the sighting and once the creature is gone or the phenomena is over, that is the last you hear about these people and the situations they have gone through. Hunter sets his story in the aftermath of the Dover Demon sightings which is an interesting style choice. We learn about the groups interactions with the Dover Demon through brief flashbacks interspersed throughout the story. I thought it was awesome that Hunter decided to dig explore the "what happens after" aspect of paranormal sightings. We learn about the characters immediate reactions to seeing the creature, but the most interesting parts of the story is seeing how that fleeting moment changed them forever. Each character handles the aftermath differently - Kelly spirals into paranoia and alcohol dependence, Tank pushes it from his memory but subtly searches for answers by becoming an archaeologist, Stephanie blocks it out completely and Sam handles it in a unique way that I don't want to spoil for readers. Even when the Dover Demon returns after a nearly 40 year absence, the characters are still undergoing a process of moving on and understanding. They take their experiences from years ago and approach the situation from a different perspective. They are older and have seen this creature before, so they use what little knowledge they have from their personal experience to deal with the creatures.
It is no secret that I love Hunter's work and The Dover Demon is another excellent entry to his impressive collection of releases. The thing that I love most about Hunter's books is his obvious love and passion for the subjects he writes about. If you read any of his interviews or watch his great podcast Monster Men with Jack Campisi, you will learn that Hunter is a huge fan of all things horror and the unexplained. As someone who shares similar interests, it is pretty cool to read a book that seems tailor-made for those who are fascinated with the unexplained. There were a few instances where I was confused after the group encounters the Dover Demon the second time around, but it didn't significantly impact my enjoyment of the story. If you are a fan of cryptids, aliens or just enjoy a good story that will scare the hell out of you, be sure to squeeze The Dover Demon into your reading list!
Over a two night period in 1977, eyewitnesses in the rural town of Dover, Massachusetts reported seeing a mysterious and terrifying creature that defied any earthly explanation. The stories of a mysterious creature referred to as the Dover Demon filled cryptid hunters and tourists with wonder and they arrived in the town of Dover in droves, seeking to catch a glimpse of the legendary creature with their own eyes. But for Sam, his best friend Tank and their girlfriends Kelly and Stephanie, that two night period was more terrifying than exciting. On their way home from a double date at the movies on one of those fateful nights in 1977, they had their own encounter with the creature known as the Dover Demon. What they saw shattered their perception of reality and they vowed to never speak of it again and despite their best efforts to leave that experience in their past, that night changed their lives forever.
Sam Brogna, now in his fifties, owns a comic store and is married to Lacy, a businesswoman who is constantly trying to get him to go back to the corporate world he left behind to spend more time with his son, Nicky. Their marriage seems average, but tensions simmer below the surface as she judges her success on his and is embarrassed of his new career. However, the store helped Sam forge a strong bond with his son based on their mutual love of comic books and by working together daily in the store. Sam is still best friend with Tank Clay, who ended up marrying his high school sweetheart Stephanie. Tank and Sam used to get into trouble together as teenagers, but now the extent of their troublemaking involves them sneaking biscuits and gravy at the comic store and fearing the tongue lashing they may get from their wives. Tank followed in Sam's footsteps by leaving his job as a high-powered CEO to chase his dream of being an archaeologist.
Despite Sam's desire to move past his encounter with the Dover Demon, he sells copies of a book about the creature in his shop. Most of the townspeople hate the fact that outsiders flock to their town searching for the Dover Demon, but Sam almost seems proud that his comic book store is the one place in town that promotes the legend and harbors an interest in cryptids. His life seems to be perfect until a betrayal sends his life into a tailspin that causes him to run into his high school girlfriend Kelly Weathers.
Kelly has tried to forget that fateful night back in the '70s, but the experience has rattled her so badly she has started drinking heavily and developed a bit of an obsession with Dover Demon sightings. She is afraid of the creature and despite living in a constant state of paranoia, she is determined to uncover the truth about what her and her friends saw all those years ago.
Sam's son Nicky develops an interest in the Dover Demon and sets up a Google alert about the mysterious creature that lurks in the woods of Dover and that is when he stumbles across a new sighting, the first one in over 40 years. They were a series of blog posts from a man known only as Lando Solo, who Nicky recognizes as the man from his father's comic shop that was asking questions about the Dover Demon a few days ago. The posts detail his trip to Dover and a sighting of the creature during a massive snowstorm a little after Thanksgiving. No one in town believes his story, so he turned to his blog in attempt to get the word out. The posts fascinate Nicky and inspire him, his best friend Roy and his sister Christine to go to the place of the sighting in an attempt to spot the Dover Demon for themselves.
Kelly also stumbles upon Lando's blog posts and it startles her. She has been investigating any story that seems like it could be connected to the thing her and her friends saw years ago and she begins to think there is a pattern, that the creature her and her friends encountered has been appearing more frequently. These are all just suspicions she has until she reviews her security cameras footage from the previous night. It is then she discovers someone or something has left footprints in a perfect circle around her home. It was as if something was dropped from the sky, walked around her home and then vanished into thin air. She is unable to determine what left the tracks, but when she watches the footage from inside her home, she makes a shocking discovery that will change the lives of her and her friends. I don't want to diminish the thrill that comes with reading this scene for readers, but I will say that while I was writing my notes for this review, I tagged this page with the words "nightmare fuel". It was a truly terrifying scene that stuck with me even after I finished The Dover Demon and will probably pop up in my nightmares for the next several months.
Kelly shares her research with Sam, Tank and Stephanie in an attempt to warn them that the creature they saw back in 1977 may be coming back for them. They refuse to believe in Kelly's theories until Nicky and Christine go missing after searching for the creature themselves. Fearing the worst, the four old friends set out to rescue Nicky and Christine and are plunged into a reality bending fight for survival.
What initially scared me the most about reading this book was the Dover Demon's resemblance to an alien. As a horror fan, I pride myself on not being scared of much, but the stories surrounding aliens and particularly this type, scares me more than just about anything. I grew up reading about cryptids of all forms and the story surrounding the Dover Demon stuck with me through the years based on the unusual facts that make it stand out from other sightings.
The setting and atmosphere that Hunter creates in The Dover Demon is perfect and adds a creepy factor to the story. The small town setting and relative seclusion really helps lend itself to this story. I live in a small town and I couldn't help but imagine this story taking place right in my back yard, which made it even more frightening.
I really loved Hunter's take on the Dover Demon as well. I picked up this novel expecting a straightforward alien novel, which would have been fine by me, but ended up being treated to something different and original. Hunter does make some allusions to the Dover Demon being an alien of some sort in the early chapters of the book, but as the story goes on, the truth behind what the Dover Demon is becomes a little bit murkier. I personally liked the ambiguity that surrounds the creature and thought Hunter did an excellent job of staying true to the events that inspired the novel while putting his own terrifying spin on it.
Also as a fan of creepy, unexplained mysteries and stories, I loved the approach Hunter took with his characters. Often times with cryptid sightings or other unexplained phenomena, we hear the stories about the sighting and once the creature is gone or the phenomena is over, that is the last you hear about these people and the situations they have gone through. Hunter sets his story in the aftermath of the Dover Demon sightings which is an interesting style choice. We learn about the groups interactions with the Dover Demon through brief flashbacks interspersed throughout the story. I thought it was awesome that Hunter decided to dig explore the "what happens after" aspect of paranormal sightings. We learn about the characters immediate reactions to seeing the creature, but the most interesting parts of the story is seeing how that fleeting moment changed them forever. Each character handles the aftermath differently - Kelly spirals into paranoia and alcohol dependence, Tank pushes it from his memory but subtly searches for answers by becoming an archaeologist, Stephanie blocks it out completely and Sam handles it in a unique way that I don't want to spoil for readers. Even when the Dover Demon returns after a nearly 40 year absence, the characters are still undergoing a process of moving on and understanding. They take their experiences from years ago and approach the situation from a different perspective. They are older and have seen this creature before, so they use what little knowledge they have from their personal experience to deal with the creatures.
It is no secret that I love Hunter's work and The Dover Demon is another excellent entry to his impressive collection of releases. The thing that I love most about Hunter's books is his obvious love and passion for the subjects he writes about. If you read any of his interviews or watch his great podcast Monster Men with Jack Campisi, you will learn that Hunter is a huge fan of all things horror and the unexplained. As someone who shares similar interests, it is pretty cool to read a book that seems tailor-made for those who are fascinated with the unexplained. There were a few instances where I was confused after the group encounters the Dover Demon the second time around, but it didn't significantly impact my enjoyment of the story. If you are a fan of cryptids, aliens or just enjoy a good story that will scare the hell out of you, be sure to squeeze The Dover Demon into your reading list!
August 4, 2024
Monsters exist only when you believe in them.
"The Dover Demon" is another highly entertaining, totally "I did not see that coming!" thrill-ride from author Hunter Shea. I picked up this book because (a) I've been a fan of Shea's for years now and (b) the Dover Demon certainly fit the bill of my "Cryptids and Creatures Read-A-Thon" I started a few weeks back. But leave it to this author to smack his readers around with an absolutely bonkers take on what I'd always just shrugged off as a relatively tame part of the Cryptid Lore of North America! It will certainly leave you with more to think about than just the Wikipedia blurb, namely: "The Dover Demon is a creature reportedly sighted on April 21–22, 1977, in Dover, Massachusetts, a town about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston!"
That one night had changed him, changed all of them.
The story is truly a cannily constructed and twisting, well, fake out about what most readers will be looking for, either based on Shea's previous offers of this ilk or even the cover which shows one of said Demons in all its creepy and slimey goodness. It's similar in many ways - at least in my eyes - to Stephen King's immortal "It" only this time with (no spoilers!) instead of Tim Curry haunting us for years to come (with apologies to Bill Skarsgard, as I've not seen his version)! Only it seems that the known kids that were interviewed and provided what would become the basis of this entire legend weren't the stars of this book, rather those that were involved on those faithful nights but kept their secrets just that ("there are more people who saw that thing than will ever admit to it publicly")! Again, the sheer cleverness involved in constructing this story will stick with me for a long while!
This was every child’s nightmare, the boogeyman living just beneath your feet.
If you're wondering where this book might fall compared to other tales from HS's library - admitting that I have so many more books left to read in same - it was scary, yes, but not quite as truly terrifying as either "Slash" or my own favorite "The Jersey Devil". In many ways, it reminded me slightly of my previous dive into his work, namely, "Combustible". Both that book and "DD" are definitely well-formed character-driven tales with each having a rather uncomfortable end to a marriage at the root of the overall story development ("He let her lover go. By throwing him in the fireplace."). I did, however, appreciate that this book managed to cover a range of various characters' lives over nearly 40 years and even hint at what was left to come for at least one of the main players during roughly that same time period.
They feed man with mystery! Without mystery, there is no faith, no yearning for greater truths!
Unfortunately, as with "Combustible", the editing was noticeably shakier than I expected, especially in that one case of "the Dover Deon mystery", which we all have to admit was a big 'un to miss. I'm not sure if that's just happenstance as these books have been published almost 10 years apart from one another or I've just been sensitized over the past couple of years with my own beta-checker gigs. It's not anything that I think will or should keep readers away, but it still should be cleaned up a tad. Nevertheless - which I realize some purists don't even think is a real word - this is a fantastic book and it was precisely what I was looking for! Now of my recent 3 downloads of Hunter's books, I'm down to only one left in the queueueueue (I never know how to stop spelling that word). So see you fine lads and lassies a little bit down the road when I'm back at Castle Urquhart with my binoculars trying to catch a glimpse of Nessie! Stay creepy!
"The Dover Demon" is another highly entertaining, totally "I did not see that coming!" thrill-ride from author Hunter Shea. I picked up this book because (a) I've been a fan of Shea's for years now and (b) the Dover Demon certainly fit the bill of my "Cryptids and Creatures Read-A-Thon" I started a few weeks back. But leave it to this author to smack his readers around with an absolutely bonkers take on what I'd always just shrugged off as a relatively tame part of the Cryptid Lore of North America! It will certainly leave you with more to think about than just the Wikipedia blurb, namely: "The Dover Demon is a creature reportedly sighted on April 21–22, 1977, in Dover, Massachusetts, a town about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston!"
That one night had changed him, changed all of them.
The story is truly a cannily constructed and twisting, well, fake out about what most readers will be looking for, either based on Shea's previous offers of this ilk or even the cover which shows one of said Demons in all its creepy and slimey goodness. It's similar in many ways - at least in my eyes - to Stephen King's immortal "It" only this time with (no spoilers!) instead of Tim Curry haunting us for years to come (with apologies to Bill Skarsgard, as I've not seen his version)! Only it seems that the known kids that were interviewed and provided what would become the basis of this entire legend weren't the stars of this book, rather those that were involved on those faithful nights but kept their secrets just that ("there are more people who saw that thing than will ever admit to it publicly")! Again, the sheer cleverness involved in constructing this story will stick with me for a long while!
This was every child’s nightmare, the boogeyman living just beneath your feet.
If you're wondering where this book might fall compared to other tales from HS's library - admitting that I have so many more books left to read in same - it was scary, yes, but not quite as truly terrifying as either "Slash" or my own favorite "The Jersey Devil". In many ways, it reminded me slightly of my previous dive into his work, namely, "Combustible". Both that book and "DD" are definitely well-formed character-driven tales with each having a rather uncomfortable end to a marriage at the root of the overall story development ("He let her lover go. By throwing him in the fireplace."). I did, however, appreciate that this book managed to cover a range of various characters' lives over nearly 40 years and even hint at what was left to come for at least one of the main players during roughly that same time period.
They feed man with mystery! Without mystery, there is no faith, no yearning for greater truths!
Unfortunately, as with "Combustible", the editing was noticeably shakier than I expected, especially in that one case of "the Dover Deon mystery", which we all have to admit was a big 'un to miss. I'm not sure if that's just happenstance as these books have been published almost 10 years apart from one another or I've just been sensitized over the past couple of years with my own beta-checker gigs. It's not anything that I think will or should keep readers away, but it still should be cleaned up a tad. Nevertheless - which I realize some purists don't even think is a real word - this is a fantastic book and it was precisely what I was looking for! Now of my recent 3 downloads of Hunter's books, I'm down to only one left in the queueueueue (I never know how to stop spelling that word). So see you fine lads and lassies a little bit down the road when I'm back at Castle Urquhart with my binoculars trying to catch a glimpse of Nessie! Stay creepy!
July 18, 2023
Entertaining but has some issues.
An interesting read about an obscure subject and one that I'm fascinated with: cryptids. Particularly, the Dover Demon cryptid, which has been associated more with UFOs encounters than with demons, so I get why the novel story develops the way it does, but yet, I find it to be too tacky. It tries to add a deep twist to the story, but feels rather inflated and surface-level with some unnecessary exposition and just weird scenes.
I was expecting something more "traditional" in a way. I simple cryptid-hunt plot would have sufficed, and most likely would have develop a more ominous, mysterious feel than the actual plot that the novel tries to do, which is just a weird mixture of all kinds of conspiracies you can think, mixed together with a weird pacing.
I like the way Hunter Shea writes; I like his characters and the development they take, but I didn't like the scenes. I wasn't that fond of the way the encounters were made, and how the novel pacing seems to be one big slug, and the one huge slide.
It did entertain me, but just up to a point.
An interesting read about an obscure subject and one that I'm fascinated with: cryptids. Particularly, the Dover Demon cryptid, which has been associated more with UFOs encounters than with demons, so I get why the novel story develops the way it does, but yet, I find it to be too tacky. It tries to add a deep twist to the story, but feels rather inflated and surface-level with some unnecessary exposition and just weird scenes.
I was expecting something more "traditional" in a way. I simple cryptid-hunt plot would have sufficed, and most likely would have develop a more ominous, mysterious feel than the actual plot that the novel tries to do, which is just a weird mixture of all kinds of conspiracies you can think, mixed together with a weird pacing.
I like the way Hunter Shea writes; I like his characters and the development they take, but I didn't like the scenes. I wasn't that fond of the way the encounters were made, and how the novel pacing seems to be one big slug, and the one huge slide.
It did entertain me, but just up to a point.
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