Bad Games Series Box Set:

Bad Games #1-3

by Jeff Menapace, Gary Tiedmann (Narrator)

The bestselling Bad Games trilogy is now in one complete box set at a discounted price.

Bad Games, Vengeful Games, and Bad Games: Hellbent have received a combined 680 FIVE-STAR reviews from readers. In March of 2014, Bad Games was the #1 Kindle bestseller in "Psychological Thrillers" and "Suspense Horror." All three full-length novels, plus never-before-published bonus content, for over 1,000 pages of entertainment.
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The Bad Games Box Set includes:

BAD GAMES - The terrifying bestseller that started it all. The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake, a rural cabin community in western Pennsylvania, for an idyllic weekend getaway. Some fishing, some barbecue, some games...

The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games...though not necessarily the type of games the Lamberts had in mind. But it doesn't matter. The Lamberts are going to play whether they like it or not.

VENGEFUL GAMES - The Lambert family played the Fannelli brothers' twisted game and survived. Showed the brothers they'd messed with the wrong family.

However, the game is far from over. There are some new players in town. Players who have close ties to the Fannelli brothers. Players who are taking things very personally...and promising results that are very deadly.

BAD GAMES: HELLBENT - A year has passed. Marine and security specialist Domino Taylor shadows the Lambert family, the guilt he feels for the tragic events that unfolded in western Pennsylvania haunting him without mercy.

When someone from Domino's past contacts him, begging for his help, Domino reluctantly agrees, not knowing the sinister truth lying in wait...there is one final game yet to play.

~~EXCLUSIVE CONTENT~~

Never-before-published Bad Games prequel short stories...

"Get Off My Ass" - Arty and Jim teach an obnoxious couple the pitfalls of tailgating.

"Job Interview" - A young Monica Kemp must prove she is worthy of an elite position.

Plus an in-depth Q & A with author Jeff Menapace about all three Bad Games books and beyond.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Fiction

Audible Audio

First published May 9, 2014

About the author

A native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff has published multiple works in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.

In March of 2014, his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller and is now being optioned as a feature film.

Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This omnibus was a fast paced psycho twist for me as I had not read this author before, so I when I started to read the story, it just grabbed me right away!

A little backstory for you readers.

Bad Games:

The Lambert family (Patrick (father), Amy (mother), Caleb (young son), and Carrie (young daughter) set out to their favorite vacation spot which is Crescent Lake. When they stop for gas they do not realize that they are being watched and when a strange man comes up to Patrick starting a conversation, Patrick thinks it is strange, but he doesn't really pay much attention, and converses back with the stranger. But when the stranger pays for his gas is when a niggling feeling plays around in the back of his mind. Later on when the family makes another stop - they have another strange encounter with a different stranger as this one trades a lollipop for Carrie's doll.

The Lambert family are befuddled by these two strange events, but things are far from over as when they arrive at Crescent Lake is when everything goes to hell in a handbasket as both "strangers" make their presence known in more ways than one and as the Lambert family tries to enjoy their peaceful vacation it becomes all to clear that they are in a vacation from hell.

These two strangers are wanting to play "games" with the family and the kind of games they are wanting to play are not the good kind as in fact the games turn into terror for the family as they try to go up against the strangers. The strangers end up being more than just unknowns as they are really brothers.

This book took off like lightning as by the time I read the first chapter I had to keep going so I read another chapter which after a couple of hours I had read about six chapters and it was early hours of the morning. The author just has a way of pulling you into the storyline and with each thing happening with the brothers I could feel the trepidation and worry that the characters were enduring.

Vengeance:

The second book picks up with an interesting twist as the "brothers" from book one have a family member that arrives in book two and now the Lambert family have to endure another type of onslaught with this new person that makes an appearance.

When things start to go awry for the Lambert family again they end up reaching out to their friend Domino Taylor as they could use any help they can get when dealing with a family of psychos.

Book 2 moved along at a good fast pace and kept the tension high with everything that played out within the story.

Hellbent:

The third book is set about a year later and the Lambert family along with Domino are still trying to get over their dealings with the psycho family. But things become more twisted for Domino as now he has to deal with something from his past and with any good game it is not over till it is over.

This book moved quick in the beginning of the story and up to about the middle, but then somewhere in between the story started dragging for me as I just read it to get through it as I wanted to see what happened.

There are two more books in the series, but I do not know if I will pursue them right now. All three books were good and for all three books I am giving a rating of four stars for the omnibus.

[Amber Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love!

Love!

I love this author. If you're looking for a dark, twisted horror/suspense novel, I highly recommend the Bad Games series!

[BookLoversLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Bad Games, book 1, the Lambert Family are heading for a nice, quiet, relaxing weekend in a cabin at Crescent Lake. Unbeknownst to them, along the way, they have attracted the attention of the Fannelli brothers. The brothers have included the family in one of their sick and twisted games. The family are being harassed and terrorized until the brothers decide the game has run it's course. The outcome of the games is usually death!

In Vengeful Games, book 2, the Lambert family barely survived, but they showed the brothers that they messed with the wrong family. But family sticks together, and when strange and deadly things start happening to the Lamberts again they ask their close friend Domino Taylor for help and they quickly realise that the Fannelli brothers had a family, and that family are bent on revenge.

In Bad Games: Hellbent, book 3, it's been a year and Domino is still protecting the Lamberts. Racked with guilt over a certain death, he is intent on keeping the family safe, but when someone from Dominos past asks for his help, he knows he has to say goodbye to the family. But someone else from his past is there to play one last game.

This series was amazing. This was pretty much a non stop psychological thrill the whole way through. What the family went through was horrible but I loved how the couple came together and did whatever they needed to do to help each other. Book 1 and 2 centers on the family and it was heartbreaking seeing what they went through, in both of the books. I was on the edge of my seat throughout!!

The brothers were absolute psychos! They think they are special because experts say that it's genetics that play a big role in how someone turns out, but the brothers were raised in a loving home. They think they are the exception to the rule and will be famous and studied when they are eventually caught. Not that they want to be caught, they enjoy the torture too much and love what they do! But from an early age, the brothers loved inflicting harm on others and notched their first kill at an early age. They were the worst of the worst. But in book 2 we are introduced to two more of the family and they were even worse!! It is definitely a family affair.

In all, a terrifying and thrilling read. Al three books kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. What both the family and Domino went through was terrifying and disturbing, but seeing their strength was amazing. The author has created some sick and twisted characters, but ones that will stay with me. I highly recommend this series!!

This isn't the first book narrated by Gary Tiedemann that I've listened to and it won't be my last. He really brought the story to life in this one!! His inflections and tones were perfect for the book and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to acquire the Box Set which contained all three Bad Games novels; Bad Games, Vengeful Games and Bad Games: Hellbent. It also contained a couple previously unpublished short stories and an interview with Jeff Menapace. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of writing and intensity of the character Arty. The basis or foundation of Arty’s psychotic behavior i.e. the comparison of nature and nurture was not only quite interesting, but provided authenticity and believability. There were a few moments of downright shock and horror at the actions one or both of the brothers accomplished. It sounds strange to say I enjoyed these books, but you do enjoy the experience of reading a well-written story. And that’s certainly what this was. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 is good, 2 is silly, 3 is absurd

I got this as a three book set and book number one is terrifying.5 Stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book number 2 is senseless, and stupid. Sure, a long lost psychopathic sister to the 2 men from book one just happens to KNOW those men are her brothers even though she had no clue they were eve born or existed. ⭐️⭐️

Book 3, was worse and I didn’t finish it. ⭐️

[Anita Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had Games? Should be Bad Read.

I chose one star for a few reasons. First of all, I found the writing to be terrible. Sentence structure or rather lack of, made it difficult to figure out what was being said. Things happened in the story without them being written into the story. Repetitive descriptions, if I never read the word smirked in a story again, I will be very happy. All the bad guys do is smirk. I didn't find them scary at all. When the scene was dark and scary, there was no build up, Jeff could have built a whole chapter about what was happening, instead it was over in a few paragraphs. The only likeable character in the book was the dog. Last but not least, it simply felt like a poorly written version of Funny Games.

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Games: Box Set (Bad Games #1-3) was a great read by Jeff Menapace. This box set includes; Bad Games, Vengeful Games, and Bad Games: Hellbent. Bad Games (Bad Games #1) was a good read by Jeff Menapace. The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake for a weekend getaway. They are going to a rural cabin community in western Pennsylvania. The Fannelli brothers are heading to the lake too. But they are looking to stalk, kidnap, murder and play games. Unfortunately for the Lambert's, they have no choice but to participate. This book has dark twist and turns. Vengeful Games (Bad Games #2) was a good read by Jeff Menapace. That fateful trip to western Pennsylvania in 2008, turned into a visit to hell. The Fannelli brothers were two psychopaths who enjoyed tormenting people for their own amusement. They enjoyed making people play their twisted games. The Lambert's wound up managing the impossible and survived the twisted games. But the game is far from over and it seems as though their are new players in town. These new players seem to have close ties to the brothers. Hellbent (Bad Games #3) was a good read by Jeff Menapace. It has been a year since Marine and security specialist, Domino Taylor helped the Lambert family. He doesn't work anymore and he spends all his time shadowing the family. He feels extreme guilt for what happened to them. Someone from his past contacts him and asks him to take one last job. He must find and return her kidnapped son. There's one last game to play and someone has been planning a masterpiece.

[Ashley Thorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!!

I am going to start by explaining that I chose to listen to the entire Box collection on Audible. The narrator was great at keeping me engaged.

As for the actual story? The first chapter had me shocked to my core. I personally love gory, gruesome books and this was a great beginning! The story line throughout the series takes place over a decade in which you see growth, and loss. You gain a relistic sense of how they deal with the issues they are faced with.
I myself laughed/cried/yelled/screamed outloud during these books!

This was an amazing journey that I highly reccomend!!
... Now off to read the spinoff!!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on for a wild ride!

This series is not for the faint of heart. First tho, the writing is solid and it reads effortlessly. Mistakes are rare (I can recall two.) The characters stay true but are far from predictable. The story line flows so perfectly that I sometimes needed to step away for no other reason than to re-enter the world of normal, sans Monica and her crazy family. Expect to cringe and cry and cheer. Then shake your head in disbelief as you realize it isn't over yet. Simply superb.

[Greg Strom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to give up on this as it was almost glorifying and excusing sick minded twisted violent behavior with its pseudo intellectual debate about nature nurture and what is to blame for sickos who torture animals and grow up to do the same to humans. No time for any of this nonsense considering we have an administration who seems to get off on the same inhumane treatment of others not like them so will move on to something more pleasant or at least less deranged.

[Julie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a must read series ! Thrilling reading

This series scared me senseless, but I couldn't put it down. Vivid characters wild characters some you love and some that are the stuff of nightmares. Extremely well written, great plot twists fast paced and the kind of book you can't put down. I'll never go to a cabin in the middle of nowhere ever again.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOT A GAME I WANT TO PLAY !

A friend gifted me this book, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. If you are into seriel killer's that are some backwoods, wrong turn, texas chainsaw massacre type of nuts. Than this book would be right up your alley. Oh yeah I would recommend this book, because it would make an awesome movie. Yelp another 5 🌟 read.

[Margot Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too predictable. Few surprises. Liked the characters.

I found myself flying by pages because they were filler. Not holding my interest because the author told you too much of what was coming next. I am not into tortures, so I don't have to read the detail to get the idea of the suffering.

[Bill Labarge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted

I had been looking for these books since I first saw them advertised on FaceBook. Was a bonus to find them available on my Amazon account.

Not as “terrifying” as the add suggested but definitely entertaining and twisted.

I would have liked more descriptive and gruesome climax’s on these books. Otherwise I enjoyed them.

[Amy Webster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. To get through the series, you’ve got to buy into characters that are mortally wounded and come back to life. The bad guys seem to only make mistakes at the end of the books, but the good characters make them constantly. And, if the “good” characters had a lick of sense, there would be no stories at all.

[Yvonne Persa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series!

Sick and twisted and just plan scary! I don't scare easily but the first one had me. The second and third were good but not as good as the first one. I'm sure the author can go on and on with this series and I'm hoping he does! Great read!!!

[Blanche Padgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to read the next book

This is a great series. I especially loved Monica and Domino in the third book. She’s tough nut he proved he was tougher. And Amy, at the end, had a whole lot of courage and gave Monica what she deserved.

[samantha tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was amazing . Couldn't put each book down,the twists and turns in these books had me shouting and feeling the despair of the characters as they struggled to survive the awful circumstances they found themselves in . Great read that will make you wonder if you could survive ..

[Julie Slama · Rating 1 out of 5]

A.K.A. “How to Become a Serial Killer”

Stilted dialogue, witless and unlikeable characters, and far too much focus on gore. There was very little “thrill”, and no suspense, other than hoping that the dog didn’t die. If I could give negative stars, I would.

[R Stanfill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DID NOT FINISH. I DID NOT LIKE IT. I quit reading less than 20 pages into book 1. I don't care for the subject matter, the tone, the language. I cannot recommend these books. Either the original blurb was misleading, or I got this by accident. It's not something I would choose on purpose.

[pam brokamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series!

Couldn't put these books down. Loved the characters from beginning to end. It takes a lot to keep me interested in a story and this series definitely had me from book one. Looking forward to reading the next!

[michael pilgrim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unbelievable

After wading through the first chapter, I found my ability to continue at it's end! The fact that anybody could imagine the atrosities let alone put them to paper is beyond my comprehension! If you bend toward the gruesome , you will enjoy this book!

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one intense, shocking, addictive, complex, insane, jaw-dropping trilogy! Fast-paced. Riveting. Emotional. Suspenseful. An artful melding of twisted psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. This set brings it ALL!

[Becky D]

I didn't finish reading the first book. Came back to it many times thinking it was just my mind-set.
Nothing ever changed. Was too grisly for my taste. I like thrillers. Even scary and horror books are great. But this one was repulsive to me.

[terri smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave a light on!

Wow, what a ride. I read the entire series on KU. I think I will but them so I will be able to revisit them anytime. This book made me cry and cheer. More please Mr.Menapace

[paulette sarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great box set

These stories kept you on your toes until the end. The antoganist was really a disturbed person. Loved the main characters. Would definitely read more from this author.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend

I am a fussy reader and if a book doesn’t grab my interest early on, I very rarely carry on with it but this Bad Games series got my 100% attention from the start.
I really recommend it.

[Jacqueline Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy Games

Loved the games, probably makes me a little psycho. Loved all the characters. Really enjoyed all three books. The story telling got better with each one.

[Dorothy Pointon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

The series wasn't bad a bit demented but a good read. It gave a whole new meaning to a sociopath.

[Tamara Burdick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg.....

Disturbing. Recommended for those with a strong heart and stronger stomach. Makes you think twice about your so called "bad luck".