The Mark

by Lee Mountford

A Satanic cult. A woman's brutal assault. Can she face her darkest fear before a demon is unleashed from hell?

Kirsty Thompson is no stranger to trauma. But when a vicious attack leaves her drugged and disoriented, she never expected to wake up to a permanent scar. She starts having demonic visions, all linked to the ancient symbol carved deep into her back…

With the help of her best friend Amanda, Kirsty discovers that the mark originates from The Devil's Bible and forges a connection between her and a terrifying entity. As they track the man who assaulted her to a satanic cult, the presence hunts them from the shadows. Can Kirsty escape the devil worshippers and her bond with the heinous demon to save herself from eternal damnation?

The Mark is a terrifying standalone horror novel. If you like mysterious depraved forces, tales of the occult, and stories that will have you looking under the bed, then you’ll love Lee Mountford’s gripping tale!

Buy The Mark to confront your darkest fears today!

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Paranormal, Audiobook, Fantasy, Demons

290 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2018

About the author

I am an author with a huge love of horror.

Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.

My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.

You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r

- Lee

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author, Lee Mountford has done it again with writing a spine-chilling story that delves into your mind! A story that just goes beyond imagination and takes you on a ride into the horror of a satanic cult!

A little backstory for you readers:

Kirsty Thompson and some friends are out having a good time without a care in the world until she comes home and goes to bed. Noises in the night wake her up and she is not sure why she has alarm bells going off in her head, but she finds out quickly when an intruder attacks her rendering her unconscious with a needle in her neck.

When Kirsty finally wakes up in the morning with a terrible pain in her back she tries to remember what happened and why her back hurts. Kirsty calls the police. When the police arrive along with the paramedics, they examine her and find she has some kind of carving in her back. From this point on in the story is when everything goes to "hell in a handbasket"!

Did I say "hell"? Yes that is what I said as this book will take you into the "depths of hell" as you journey along with Kirsty on finding the answers she seeks of why the intruder attacked her and what was his purpose of carving something into her back.

Who was the intruder? What did the intruder carve into her back? What happens to Kirsty as she tries to find out why this has happened to her? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!

Nail biting suspense and tension just grabbed me right from the beginning of the book as it doesn't take long for something to happen. The author just slowly draws you into his world of terrified horror as you inch your way along in the story. Just when you think you might have it figured out, then he lowers the boom and throws you into the corner of your room with the covers over your head cowering in fear of what will be happening next!

The demonic theme of the book just radiates off the pages and you can feel every single emotion of the character Kirsty along with what she has to endure for the entire story. This book kept me up some nights almost to the point of thinking about leaving a light on, but I swallowed my fear and moved forward through the book with the lights off! Five "spooky" stars for keeping me creeped out!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE MARK: A Supernatural Horror Novel, by Lee Mountford, is a book that was absolutely overflowing with a tense, thick atmosphere of dread all throughout. We get a brief foreshadowing in the very beginning, and from that point on, the tension and fear just continue to escalate.

Kirsty is out with her friends one night--everything business as usual--but after she returns home, events are set into motion that will leave her changed from that moment on.

". . . After tonight, nothing would be normal for her again."

This story started out fast and increased in pace the entire time. What stood out the most, to me, wasn't so much the physical occurrences, as the mental and psychological terror that was present. If this had been a movie playing, I can honestly say there were moments when I would have been gasping in surprise, or holding my breath in suspense. The terror felt real to me, and that is a reaction that takes a lot of talent to evoke in a reader.

". . . it now felt different to her. A home that was no longer a home . . . "

Kirsty was run through the gauntlet of emotions in this story, and each felt like it was the natural response called for in each respective scene. There was some comic relief to put a dent in the tension occasionally, but never enough to dispel that sense of disquiet completely.

". . . I could create a username saying Queen of the World; it wouldn't make it so."

Overall, I fell that Mountford really nailed this book with his descriptions and the pace at which the story progressed. The trials that our main character faced, and her reactions to them seemed authentic. The atmosphere created was incredibly tense, and fear practically poured off the pages.

". . . Death was only a step . . . "

The only thing I would have liked added was some more "backstory" to certain aspects of the plot.

But then again, there's often more to fear in what you don't know . . .

Recommended.

*Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.*

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad one off horror story. I've enjoyed most of Lee's work so far.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The combination of old school and modern horror merge nicely in this demonic ghost story from Mountford. Imagine, if you will, you've had a rough week and you're still trying to get the remnants of an abusive relationship out of your system. So blowing off a little steam at the local pub with your friends seems like as good of a way to spend a Friday night as any. You take a taxi home, a little worse for wear, but nothing a good night's sleep and some Advil in the morning won't take care of. You pass out and in the middle of the night you're awakened to hear an intruder creeping up your stairs. You attempt to get away, but he gets the best of you. Thinking you're about to meet your end, he pulls out a syringe, jams it in your neck and depresses the plunger. Out go the proverbial lights. When you awaken, its morning, you're lying facedown on the kitchen floor, no one is in the house with you and you have these strange symbols carved on your back bleeding through your shirt.

What the hell, right? That's exactly what I was thinking while I was reading this. Mountford does a great job with character development in THE MARK. Not only do you feel for Kirsty, you're walking in her shoes every step of the way. You're trying to figure out just what in the hell is going on. All the while, Mountford keeps dropping these creepy, skincrawling scenes on you and he does it with such a nice touch. There's a slow build up of dread, as he builds the characters and atmosphere, and slowly unwinds the story. At times, he dangles you over the edge for a few moments before he plunges you over the edge. And this is where his story telling is a cut above many of his peers. He doesn't just beat you over the head repeatedly without giving you a chance to think or care. No, he dangles the danger just out of your reach and makes you crane your neck to try an peer around that corner and get just a glimpse of what lies ahead. He makes you want it and that's why I enjoyed this story so much. This is my first time reading Mountford and I'm impressed. I think you will be too.

4 1/2 Codex Gigas out of 5


You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

https://intothemacabre.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is very well written and thankfully there isn't a lot of time and details spent on the torture. It's fast paced and doesn't let up. The only issue i had with this book is the narrator. Hannibal Hills. He's done great work on some other books i've listened to but i didn't feel he was a good match for a book from a woman's pov. and there could've been a little more emotion there. However,I will still continue to read or listen to more from this author.

**i received this audio book in exchange for a honest review. This is it*

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely done work with solid narration and an entertaining storyline. I listened to this one while doing a bunch of honey-do’s around the house and dug it.

“I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this book with absolutely no expectations whatsoever and by the end I was pleasantly surprised and aware that I had found a new favorite horror writer in Lee Mountford.
A young woman is attacked one night in her home by an unknown assailant and drugged into unconsciousness. She wakes up to find a mysterious symbol carved into her back that, after investigating, she discovers is an occult symbol that marks her body and soul as the property of a dark, malevolent entity. In a race against Kirsty must track down the man who attacked her in the hopes of ending her ordeal once and for all. This book took me totally by surprise and I have to say that if you're a fan of occult horror then please allow me to highly recommend it. Not to sound like a tired cliche but I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Excellent.

[Bauschan Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grim! Dark atmospheres and a lot of suspense with historical reference to the Codex Gigas and the devil's prayer story

[Kevin Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here we have a reasonably engaging tale that is sadly quite on the nose.

Okay, to start with Hannibal Hills gives us his usual impeccable performance that is a joy to listen to. His voices are excellently crafted, and while his female voices do leave the tiniest bit to be desired, I have no complaints. As always, his vocal inflections and tempo changes were spot on.

My one narrator issue with this book is that it's a little off-putting to listen to a male voice narrating a female led book.

Now, I really appreciate that rather than the long-winded character introduction that is common in horror, we jumped right into the action of the story.

Unfortunately, there was very little characterization. Simon eventually gets a bit of Backstory (and is, frankly, the most interesting character in the book. I would have preferred a story competely from his perspective).

Kirsty, however, is unfortunately entirely defined by her trauma. Throughout the majority of the book, she is little more than a caricature of a rape victim (I don't mean to belittle the trauma of such an experience. I just believe there should have been more to her character than that). I found it difficult to connect with her as the trauma is literally the only thing we know about her.

Add to that the fact that all the "twists" in the story were obvious and predictable, and we're left with a horror story that frankly just doesn't have much tension and isn't horrifying in the least until the major confrontation at the very end.

Now, let's talk about the prose for a minute.
Apart from a few incorrectly used words (such as nauseous when the author clearly meant nauseated) and some rather on the nose dialogue, the book is fairly well written.

My biggest qualm about the writing comes down to personal taste, and it's about the point of view choice. Although it's not immediately clear, it seems the book is written from an omniscient point of view, so there's a lot of bouncing between the perspectives of numerous characters, many of which are not important to the story.

Probably my biggest praise for this book is its ending. Although I would have liked to see a more redemptive ending, the way things come together at the end was brilliantly executed. There is a big reveal that was a lot of fun to read and brought us to a very satisfying close.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of The Mark Audiobook. This is also the first of Lee Mountford’s work that I’ve ever read/listened to. It certainly won’t be the last!!
The Mark is a fast-paced, suspenseful horror story. L. Mountford has written The Mark in such a way that it gets you thinking as you read, it makes you pause and reflect from time to time, or at least pause and look over your shoulder. I did this more than once!!
The Mark is a creepy and unsettling read, one of the best I’ve encountered for a while. That said for me I think the book/eBook would have been better for me, why? Because I don’t feel that the narrator does the book the justice it deserves, more annoyingly I can’t quite put my finger on why I feel like this. To me, it just felt off.
But don’t let that put you off if you fancy the book. I intend to get myself a copy of the book; either in eBook or paperback; and read it myself, after I’ve read some of Lee Mountford’s other work.
The actual writing of The Mark is really good. It’s easy to see that Lee has put in effort, research, thought and emotion whilst writing this. His characters have a good level of depth and are realistic.
It’s easy to become totally immersed in the world that Lee Mountford has created, and his words grab your attention and hold you there in the thick of the plot until the very end.
Overall this is a great creepy, check over your shoulder horror book. I’m looking forward to discovering more of this author work!

[The Life of a Kindle Girlie. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Lee’s books but I found it a little hard to get into this one at first. This book series is advertised as like standalone’s and I guess it is but it’s also good to read The Nightmare Collection first and then The Demonic because it references characters from those books and places making me believe it’s part of the same universe. I did enjoy this book. It kept me hooked. But I think the ending was a little bit anti climatic but I think it’s meant to be like that, because like the main character Kirsty I was kind of like what just happened? Is it over? Either way I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read Forrest of the Damned !!

[§amantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

kirtsy seems to have a bad run at life. first an abusive relationship then an attack and getting marked by a stranger. for her to get answers she will need to find the person who carved the mark into her. Will she survive or is she doomed like the rest? this is part of a 3 book series and my least favorite of the 3.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

And they are all dead!!! Not a surprising ending but this book did have a few good twists and gradually got creepier. More of a gore fest than scary at the end, but still not a bad book.. I will definitely read more from this author!!!

[❤ArtfullySinful❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was no Heaven or Hell, only other planes of existence, where powerful, maddening entities dwelled. And some had found a way through here, lesser beings though they were… so far.

Still traumatized from the raped and attack from her ex boyfriend Dom, Kirsty Thompson is trying to place one foot back in front of the other to get back to a life of normalcy. A night drinking with her friends and she's intoxicated and ready to sleep away the hangover she knows is coming. Locking up her house and dumping her keys and phone in the kitchen, Kirsty climbs the steps and finds herself quickly sleeping. Hearing a freak on the stairs wakes her from a dead sleep hours later, and suddenly she's eye to eye with a home invader. Running and trying to reach the front door, it's locked and he holds the keys as he slowly makes his way back down the steps to where she hid. Injecting her in the neck with a sleeping drug, he sets to work carving the symbol on two circles and an inverted triangle on her lower back because making out with a clean getaway. Waking up disoriented and bloody, she's quick to phone police who are horrified upon seeing the crudely carved occult symbol on her lower back.

A female figure had been lying beneath the bed, wide- eyed, and staring back at her.

While spending the night at the hospital recovering, Kirsty would become plagued with horrible nightmares involving a hell scape and demonic figures. When she awoke from a cold sleep, she's terrified by the growling she hears and the shadow monsters that are growing increasingly closer to her bed. As a pale hand reached for her from beneath her bed, her screams for help would rush a nurse to her bedside who caught a glimpse of a woman hiding underneath the bed. Comforting the girl, she swallows back what she saw and instead helps to convince her none of it could possibly be real. The following morning and Amanda, Kirsty’s closest friend comes to pick her up with a promise to spend a few nights at her house. Shakirn up from the paranormal ordeal now taking over her life, Amanda brushes it off as she very firmly isn't a believer. But when something pulls the towels so tightly across her face she couldn't breathe, she's forced to accept something much more sinister could be at play. When the lights in the landing kept clicking on, Amanda would venture out to discover something of nightmares lurking In the downstairs. Terrified by the disfigured woman now crawling up the steps, they flee on foot back to Amanda's house where they would come to terms with what they could possibly do next.

A pale hand reached up and grabbed the metal frame of the bed. The fingernails were black and the skin white, with splotches of yellows and purples. The thing behind the curtain continued to simply watch on as the person beneath the bed began to pull themselves up. Kirsty saw the wet, stringy black hair first, as a head emerged from below the bed. Next, the top of a face pulled itself into view— milky eyes, wide and wild, with pupils that were dark, and red lines across the sclera in a distinct pattern… what was that? The shape of the lines was almost familiar, but Kirsty could focus on them no more as the full face then revealed itself to her, bearing a wide smile that showed blackened gums behind. Pronounced, dark veins crisscrossed the flesh of the strange woman, and an unnaturally long, black tongue snaked its way from a mouth that had curled into a snarl.

Snapping a picture of the wound car ed into her back, Kirsty posted it to Reddit and instantly was connected with a professor Beckett who claimed to of seen this symbol one before. Tying her into countless other victims, he wants her the next step is a death where her soul is offered up to the demon now tied to her. Discovering the name of the attacker, Simon Bridges, the two girls and Mike (Amanda's boyfriend) would settle into a trip to confront him for answers. Coming to his disheveled and rundown home, they finally have him cornered and all was going well until the Family appeared and brought death to them. Brutally beating Mike to death with a hammer the girls were drug away and moved to another location as they waited patiently for the demon they summoned to come. With her time running out, she's desperate to protect herself and Amanda from death but it'll prove an impossible feat. As the demon grew in strength, it came earlier this time to claim it's soul and began massacring everyone in sight. Watching her best friend be killed by the same woman who stalked her dreams, Kristy chased after Simon and it would be his death that could sever this connection to the other world. As he slowly died, the demon would wrap around him and claim his soul once and for all and bring it down to hell. Finally free from this nightmare, Kirsty still can't shake the feeling this whole thing is far from over. After seeing how many victims were killed as Simon traded their souls for his, she's disgusted that he chose her to be a victim as well.

The mark on her reddened skin was both crude yet intricate; the lines were not as straight and clean as they looked like they should have been, yet the symbol was clear and unmistakable. It was comprised of two concentric circles, one outside of the other and about an inch apart. The inner circle was about six inches in diameter, and between these two circles were odd markings, very basic in design— a short wavy line, an X, and two perpendicular lines, amongst others. Lastly, and perhaps most strikingly, was an inverted triangle that sat centrally within the inner ring, pointing down, each tip connecting with the inside of the circle. A line ran from the top to the bottom tip of the triangle, separating it into two equal sides.

[Escapereality4now · Rating 4 out of 5]

rounded from 3.5 stars
review to come

[Steve Kas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm still reading the book. It's fun, and reminds me (to some extent) of horror films I've enjoyed, like Suspiria, and others where a person (oftentimes a young, intelligent, rather innocent woman) gets involved in some supernatural mystery and, finds little to no help from inept and apathetic police, and eventually seeks help from a professor, who refers her to ancient texts describing ancient rites, then she decides she must get to the bottom of the mystery herself, for the police won't help and will just get in the way (though how they'd get in the way, isn't very clear in this story, imho)...

BUT most unfortunately, my enjoyment is periodically undermined by inconsistencies which are just downright sloppy (due to careless and hasty writing; and careless and hasty, perhaps even untrained and unprofessional, editing). For example, early in her talk with the professor, our protagonist asks if the professor would share his findings and files with the police, and he says he'd be more than happy to do so. But then toward the end of this same Skype conversation, our protagonist brings up the prospect of contacting the police as if the subject had never been broached, and the conversation ends in a way which makes it all too obvious that the author (and apparently the editor) totally forgot about the professor's prior commitment to sharing files and info with the police. (Perhaps the author pieced together the novel from relatively small snippets he wrote out of order, perhaps using Scrivener or something like it, and never took the time or care to ensure that all those snippets meshed in terms of story continuity. In any case, it's one of the sloppiest written & sloppiest edited novels I've ever encountered.

In addition, I must also say that sometimes the dialog is terribly klunky, with characters stating the obvious in ways that they would never do in real life.

Likewise, thoughts are attributed to characters which strike me as poorly conceived because they don't portray how people really think in such contexts. (Like when listening to a best friend tell of an experience she considers supernatural, the listener would not first ponder whether her friend is the type to lie or not. And the professor wouldn't think that either, I don't imagine, in this context. The question isn't whether someone is lying; it's whether someone is self-deluded. The question of lying is unlikely even enter into someone's head.)

I think Mountford could be better, if he spends more time, and exercises more care, and utilizes more proofreaders. (If a decent editor, or decent editing team, isn't available from the publisher, then consider hiring one, and definitely recruit smart friends to help out – assign each friend a proofreading task. For instance, two friends focus on continuity in their proofreading; two friends focus on realism of dialog, including internal dialog/thoughts of characters; and so on.)

I'm listening to this book in the form of an unabridged audiobook, typically late at night, as I clean up the kitchen, etc. I will continue to do this, probably until I finish it. I do enjoy it, just as I enjoy B horror movies, some of which can be a little klunky and formulaic. All that I can live with, and I even find it endearing at times. But really really klunky and/or unrealistic dialog isn't fun, nor are conversations with obvious inconsistencies because that totally takes me out of the story.

[Shawn Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the 1st book in this series better, this was still a very good book.

In it, we meet Kirsty (I called her Kristy because it was easier to pronounce😂), who has had past experiences with abuse & rape. We don’t read too long before she encounters another attack, but this time she is drugged, and “branded” with a cultic image on her back. Upon this mark being carved into her, she starts seeing “ghosts”, who not only try to attack her, but tries to attack her friend Amanda.
•
After getting no help from the cops, Kristy posts pictures of her mark on a cultic website, hoping to get some information. It doesn’t take long until she received a message from ProfLBeckett, who studies cults & seems interested in her scar, although he doesn’t necessarily believe in the supernatural element. After assisting Kristy, Kristy vaguely remembers a man who installed a security system a year earlier, and she’s convinced that he is her attacker. But before she pursued him, Prof. Beckett informs her that her mark comes from the Codex Gigas, aka the Satanic Bible.
•
Kristy, Amanda, & Amanda’s bf then finds out where her attacker (Simon) lives, goes to his house, and enters his home after a confrontation. After much arguing, Prof. Beckett steps out into the open, revealing his true identity, a cult member. He used Kristy to get to Simon, who had tried to sneak off. The Cult eventually kills both Amanda & her boyfriend. Simon kills himself, and Kristy goes to the cops to report what had just happened. In the last few pages, we see Simon waking up in a place very similar to Hell, where the entity will torment him forever.
•
Again, I enjoyed book 1 better, but this book was very captivating, and I was never bored!

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Neville may still be one of the U.K.’s new leading voices in the resurgence of decently written horror, but I’ll be damned if Lee Mountford isn’t nipping at his heals.

Like The Demonic, The Mark is one of those rare horror novels that actually manages to be both well written and actually a bit creepy. It’s not schlocky or cheap and it’s story, while not wholly 100% original, is good enough to be entertaining and hard to put down. Mountford’s ability to keep the reader enthralled till the very end also sets him apart from many other authors who try in vain to write in this genre.

The book isn’t exactly perfect. There’s a few moments of head scratching weirdness or parts that slip into the horror plot cliche, but in all honesty, what horror movies and novels don’t fall victim to those? And it’s pretty easy to see past those since The Mark is such a thrilling read.

Another reviewer said that The Mark would make for a great film and I couldn’t agree more. Helmed by one of the new kids on the block (I’m thinking Ari Aster), a screen adaptation could have the potential to be a movie that’s talked about for a long time.

Though The Mark isn’t Mountford’s newest novel or even his best, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the guy is insanely underrated and deserves far more praise than he’s currently getting. After only 4 years of writing feature length novels it’s pretty clear that the world of British horror is no longer reserved for the stuffy old ones.

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 2 out of 5]

all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu

About the Book: One night a stranger breaks into Kirsty’s home, drugs her, and brands her back with strange occult symbols. Ever since she had no peace. At first she thought of the visions of nightmarish creatures as delusions or PTSD symptoms. But when her friend is attacked by the same demons, she knows she only has one option now: find the man who did this, and make him take it away.

My Opinion: This is some poor writing. Weird, unnatural feeling dialogues. Very precise, predictable sequence of actions and events. Everyone around Kirsty seem to be delusional and incompetent by some degree. For instance, the detective on the case waves the main lead off as irrelevant. While Kirsty somehow finds the man by his eyes that she saw once, many years ago. Her moral compass was firm, but lacked any logic behind it. It was there to make you feel for this woman who otherwise was bland, and lacked personality. The best thing in this whole book was the demon, because it turned out to be something akin to djinn Bartimaeus: seemingly the big bad, but is it, really?

Pass, 2 out of 5 from me.

[Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*********** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ***********

Lee Mountford seems to love creating these creeptastic storylines that make you wonder about so many things. I love when an author stretches the realms of possibilities and really makes it work! I mean, The Mark, seems like a totally outlandish storyline but really had me questioning what if... I love stories that make you think... that make you wonder. I feel like this is somewhat an addition to Tormented. However, it isn’t necessary to read or listen to it before The Mark. I do think that some of the background would be helpful. But that’s IF they really are related and while the storyline is similar it has some important distinctions too.

The plot was incredibly fast-paced. I need that in horror or really any type of suspenseful story. Mr. Mountford is great at adding in extras to bump a calming heart rate! The narrator, Hannibal Hills is amazing!! His voice is perfect for horror and/or supernatural storylines. The voice itself seems to give me the chills. The only thing that I wish was different in the narration is I would have LOVED some added noises. The scratching or scuttling... the bumps of the night... I think a few of those added in noises would have accelerated my heart and upped the anti just a bit more!!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable for the most part.

This was the second book I read from Mountford. It kept my attention and always had me wanting to know more to keep me reading. The characters again were realistic. Their actions matched their personalities which was nice because that isn't always the case in some stories. The only thing I'm not really a fan of with Mouhtford's 2 books I've read was both had sexual assault scenarios. Even when he was cutting the mark into her it had him think about that (which later didn't make sense with his personality and why he was doing the mark). I understood the reasoning behind it in The Demonic as it was the demon forcing it. But I felt that it could have been done without in The Mark. Dom could have simply emotionally or physically abused her without the sexual assault. Especially since it was continuously brought up later with her nightmares. It didn't add anything necessary to the story other than me wondering if I want to read anymore of the author since both books I've read so far of his had sexual assault. Other than that the story, characters, and settings were all on point and enjoyable.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Book (Audible audio book option not available on goodreads at time of writing)

The concept of the story is good and suitably creepy, you'll find yourself turning pages quite quickly to get to the next part of the story. The swearing is a bit overused at times but otherwise it manages to set a very eerie atmosphere, the initial attack feels quite fraught and subsequent character reactions are generally realistic. The horror aspect of the story is well done and if you like a good supernatural read then this one may be for you.

The Production

Narration is clear and quality is good, the music at the beginning was suitably spooky and fitting to how i'd imagine the story should be and unlike some titles didn't continue over the start of the narration. He tries to do voices and puts a reasonable amount of emotion into the narration so it isn't completely flat, not all the voices are great but its a valiant effort.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This book had me on the edge of my seat. I thought the first book in this series was good but I think that this one may be even better. The characters were very well written and I could actually see and feel what they were seeing and feeling. Lee Mountford does a great job describing everything in such detail that it's easy to be right there with his characters. These books aren't as long as most but with the way he writes they don't need to be. They aren't long and drawn out and that is something I personally like. Most authors draw out everything for so long that I lose interest, get bored and stop reading. But not him and I love it. Can't wait to start the third book in this series.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say that this is not as bloody as Lee Mountford's other book, "Tormented". It is not tame though. I thought I had a handle on the direction the story was going and then it changed on me. I love how no character is sacred enough not to bludgeon to death. This is not a possession story in the classic sense which I really enjoyed. I felt bad for some of the antagonists, but I really liked the ending. Don't read this if you don't like horror. There is some horrific content enclosed in the pages of this book.

This story was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.

[Katrina Gradias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely Thrilling!!

This was a completely awesome horror book! Right from the first page it grabbed my attention and never let it go. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down so I read it all in one night. I'm a bit of a sissy so I will admit I was kinda scared when I was the only one up at 3am and I'm reading the parts about paranormal and occult. Was totally worth it though, a few nights with the lights on should fix my sissiness 😉. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes horrers, paranormal or stories about the occult you will not be let down.
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
🤓❤️📚❣️

[JoStef Joestar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It keeps you on your toes and eager to read more! I found Kirsty and Amanda to be instantly likable, and I really related to them and their dynamic. Good addition following Demonic.

I wish there was a bit more of a tie in to Demonic story since it’s being lumped in as a series outside of the one reference. Also, I felt certain parts of the ending massacre could have been a little less rushed and flushed out a bit more! I want to know more about the cult and the elders, especially with mention of the slowed aging. It felt like a forgotten detail that had no purpose.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because I will always show up for indie horror. There's nothing groundbreaking in this book, just some fun demon hijinks. Someone breaks into Kirsty's house at night, drugs her, and carves a satanic symbol into her back. Now she's linked to an otherworldly entity and haunted by some very scary ghosts. She has to figure out what the mark means and how to save herself.

I was reading this as my before-bed book, and having demonic creatures hiding under Kirsty's bed, like, multiple times threw me a little. Okay, the scuttling old woman just went under the bed, nighty-night!

[Lynn Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Nice

I have no particular type of fiction that I prefer. With the exception of romance novels (yuck), I like all genres. Mr. Mountford's brand of supernatural horror seems to be very much like Stephen King, only four steps darker. Not bloodier, just darker. The evil in these books is more tangible, more hell-based. I should mention that this is my second book by the author and I am referring to both.
I need to say that I like these books. They are well written, well plotted, with well-drawn characters. The stories are very, very dark.

[Johann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Mythos!!

Kirsty has had her share of pain and disappointment in her life but all of that pales in comparison to what Simon does to her. Simon seems to have his own demons...and he's compelled to share them. Since the insane symbol has been carved in Kirsty's back, her reality has just taken a plunge to a depth that seems to go beyond Hell. Will she figure out a way to be un-marked and thus get back to a normal life or will she end up like all the other victims that Simon has inflicted?
Definitely pick this up...in fact pick up anything by Lee...Horror at its best!!

[Claudia Loureiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Demonic I couldn't wait for something new from this author and he has definitely not disappointed. This book had me gripped from the first page to the very last. I could have easily read this in one sitting if not for annoying distractions like work and and general life.

If you enjoy books about the occult, satanic cults and the like you will definitely get your teeth into this one.

The only downside being that as this book is new and having read Lee's other books, I know I am going to have to wait a little while before there will be something new from him.