Karaoke Night

by John Watson

Missing in rural Georgia for three days, travel blogger Brian Keane is found with no memory of his lost time. What he does have, though, is a digital recorder containing interviews with eleven people whom he does not remember talking to.
Each person tells the story behind their reason for singing their chosen song at Karaoke Night, with each tale a little more twisted than the one before. What becomes clear through these interviews is that the people of Redfield, Georgia are connected in ways they could never have imagined.
Brian Keane may have zero recollection of those lost three days, but through his transcripts, he stumbles upon the true story of one creepy little Georgia town and the Karaoke Night where the songs always remain the same.

Genres: Horror

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2019

About the author

As well as robots, clowns, and living statues, John Watson has an extensive list of things that terrify him. He is of the belief that writing about these horrors will make him immune to their evils, but it is still a work in progress. Mr. Watson spends most of his time hiding out in the closet space beneath the stairs, where he is currently working on a series of scary short stories. He resides in Atlanta with his chef wife Penny and a pair of equally skittish fur babies.

Reviews

[L.M. Kaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karaoke Night by John Watson is a very unique book. Told through a series of recorded interviews with patrons at a local dive bar, the tales start off innocently about a small farming town but soon enough the stories intertwine with each other, allowing the reader to put together the pieces of a larger puzzle. By the end, when everything clicks, it almost begs you to go back and read it again from the beginning, with a new perspective.

I’m a big fan of short story collections that come together to tell a larger narrative and Karaoke Night is a perfect example of the sum being greater than the parts. Check it out.

[Christopher Besonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been obsessed with the Horror genre most of my life, and generally I see the same tropes and ideas revisited. However, the same cannot be said for this book. It felt completely original and was very clever in making the stories connect. Highly entertaining and an easy five stars, I'll be recommending this book for years and years!!! I'm very curious to see what other imaginative tales Watson has out, he has proven himself a promising author.

[NaiKa Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Stephen King. There's a new horror writer in town and his name is John Watson.

Watson really out did himself with Karaoke Night. From beginning to end this story had be wrapped in. The way he wrote this story...and how you get to see this story unfold through each of his different characters. I also had conflicted feelings over BK the main character. Which is how, I believe Watson wanted you to feel.

We meet so many different colorful characters each with their own story that gives you mixed feelings. More than once I found myself going, "You are crazy. You and your whole town is cursed."

An excellent read. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes horror and/psychological thrillers.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very interesting premise and I was eager to see how everything came together. The first tale was filled with mystery and horror and definitely made me want to continue reading. I liked the way each story flowed right into the next as the interviews were passed from person to person. The interview layout itself added some creativity to the story and made for an easy read. As the pieces of the story continued to fall into place, it certainly demonstrated the true darkness of the people and place of Redfield. The ending held a bit of a twist yet brought everything full-circle. I would like to read more from this author.

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten songs, ten stories that get more and more disturbing. Then finally the pieces all fit together and you're left a feeling that maybe you shouldn't have read these stories because you just might end up at Karaoke Night.
I absolutely loved the interview style of this book. It actually made a lot of sense to the story.

[M.W. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music and dark tales from a mysterious bar

Thoroughly enjoyable story. Watson does an amazing job of pulling the reader in with diverse characters and sharp dialogue, building the tension to a stunning and satisfying final chapter. Highly recommend this unique story.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!! Such a twisted, creative tale. I love how each character told basically how they were responsible for their own fate, yet it was not their story. It grabbed me from the first word and I had to keep reading.

[Robbie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing psychological thriller that takes you on a journey you didn't even know you wanted. The writing flows very smoothly and questions are answered in an order that keeps you turning the pages.

[Vicky Peplow · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story

From the beginning I was hooked. The characters and how the story was laid out had me gripped from the very start. Great work and look forward to reading more.

[Shelby W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a mysterious tale with some twisted and interesting characters. The neat thing about this is, I could hear the characters' voices in my head, all with their varying accents. I am impressed how everything in the story came together to create a surprising ending. Will definitely be reading more written words by this author.

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE a story with mystery and a good creep factor. Karaoke Night had plenty of both. With each passing chapter, I had no clue what to expect next. And the final chapter ended with a punch that I absolutely loved! If you like mystery and horror, then I would 100% recommend this book!

[Eve Corso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I absolutely loved it and loved the way it all came together in the end, even though I couldn't figure out how it would end. It had me guessing the whole time.

Each character had their own voice, and I could picture each of them in my head, their descriptions clear. I got lost in each and every interview and loved each one.

I'm definitely going to re-read this book.

[DJ Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the ride

Each chapter left me feeling more perplexed then the last, yet the end, while satisfying, still kept me at bay, making me realize that I never actually knew what I thought I did the entire time

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!

It's refreshing not being able to predict the ending of a story as is so often the case. The interview angle is creative and keeps you interested.

[Summer Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

I really enjoyed the whole premise of this book.

The writing gave me 1408 vibes and I enjoyed each story more and more than the last.

[Nicole Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. I was very impressed with this story. It held my attention. I wasn't able to put it down until I was done with it. I highly recommend this book

[Jeffrey Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago, when I was in film school, we studied a 1963 experimental film called Scorpio Rising, where the director combined brutal, graphic images with pop music. The idea was to show how our senses could be manipulated by changing our perception of these senses, specifically, sound and vision. The result was our senses were jolted: on the one hand, we were repulsed by the graphic images we saw while on the other hand, in the background the music we heard did not match this brutality and the horror.

In many ways, John Watson's brilliant collection of short horror tales, Karaoke Night, takes this idea of marrying two opposite sensory realities to the next level. First of all, I just LOVED the premise for this book! I mean, you take some popular songs and then, write stories about them in such a twisted, and frightening way that you will never listen to the songs the same way again. Moreover, these are not your average, run-of-the-mill horror stories either.

To be sure, the gems in this collection are just as real as they are frightening, which makes this collection all the more chilling. I mean, just read "Strawberry Fields Forever" to understand what I'm talking about. I grew up listening to The Beatles, and this is one of my favorite songs, but after reading this tale in Karaoke Night, it's hard to listen to the song without thinking about Paul, Pops, and Calvin.

Karaoke Night is a riveting and chilling debut novel from a writer who demands our utmost attention.

Jeffrey Miller,
The Day the Earth Swallowed Louis

[Tabitha Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved how this Author wrote the book in his unique format, I was a little leery on how it all was going to play out but that just made it more of a page turner... reading and getting to know each character as they told their twisted tale. Loved it!!

[Negan88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Song Has a Story

Karaoke Night by John Watson is a fantastic collage of ten tales. John tells the tales as Brian Keene blogging about patrons of a dive bar. In specific Keene is interested in the story behind their song choices. This becomes a connecting story told from different perspectives, and a patchwork of a larger spooky story.

I have to say hands down that Bad to the Bone was the most chilling entry for myself, but the book as a whole is fantastic! Watson hones his writing skill well, and for me Karaoke Night can only be compared to Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. Only John puts Chuck to shame in the manner he delivers the story. By the end I was shocked by the twist, and was thinking how very clever!

I highly recommend horror fans to pick this book up. As well as fans of music with stories behind them. I loved how every patron had a story coinciding with their song choice. (Which is important *wink wink*).

Overall I give Karaoke Night by John Watson five shining stars out of five brutal basements. If you have yet to pick up John’s work then do yourself a favor! I should have sooner! Until next time, my friends.

P.S. John Watson will be live Friday July 22nd to discuss Karaoke Night, and answer any burning questions you may have. Even if it is another piece of his work I am sure John would love to share. Join us tomorrow at 7pm EST in the Horror Nerds 😈 Facebook group. To join simply click on the link below. https://www.Facebook.com/groups/87427...

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sucked right in as soon as I read the first story. My daughter loves the song Strawberry Fields Forever, and it's safe to say I won't be able to hear that song and not think of this book. A very impressive start that held tight for the whole book.

I enjoyed the layout. I thought the interview style was unique and made me more eager to hear the following story. The characters were portrayed well, they each brought their own personality to the table. I could picture each one in my head as they shared their stories. The ending blew me away. Not what I was expecting at all and made it even more chilling!

I had a really hard time setting this book down and cannot wait to read more twisted tales from Watson.

[Nick Watters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike anything I've read before

There are fights, scares, gore, sex, violence and evil. These things can be shared in only so many ways. John Watson found a way unlike any I've seen before to relay these topics. The writing itself was excellent, the flow was intentionally choppy but still worked so well.
Bouncing from story to story, or rather song to song the reader is forced to appreciate, anticipate and recall simultaneously. The presentation was entirely unique and only added to an already awesome story. I highly recommend!

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrapped up neat and tired with a bow

This is a book with several short stories, each told from the point of view of one of the townspeople. Each story is a little creepy or weird out just plain gross. They build on each other. All the stories are intertwined. He wraps it up neatly at the end tying everything together. I really enjoyed this book, I look forward to reading more stories by this author.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paranormal and horror aren't usually my genres of choice, but I really enjoyed this collection of short vignettes told in a sort of interview style that seem to be all connected. This book made me feel all creeped out, but in a good way, so if you have an interest in the supernatural, you will probably like this one. Many thanks to the author for my copy.

[J.B. Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody Clever!

I went into this read blind, not knowing much about the book, and I'm grateful I did. Our MC, Brian Keane, a blogger looking for a fresh story in a rural town of Georgia, sits down with ten strangers in a dark, dingy, dive-bar, learning about their tragic histories. Each unique character reveals their own horrors, yet all the stories are loosely connected through a larger tragedy. And it's beyond clever.

The book's structure and formatting are different as over 90% of the book is dialogue. It's really just Brian speaking to the others, but it delivered chills and gasps. Watson showed tremendous range with his abilities, bringing out the agony, the fear, and the chaos brewing amongst the souls in the bar. Each character was an individual, having qualities and specific traits. I learned a few things, too.

Overall, I really enjoyed Karaoke Night. It's a compelling, brilliantly executed story written in a unique verse. I just wish it had a few more elements of fiction. If it's not on your TBR list, it should be. A solid four stars.

[Ashley Lister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Redfield, a quiet spot in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the backwaters of rural Georgia. We're introduced to this one horse town through the recordings, transcripts and journals of writer Brian Keane, although Brian's knowledge of how he came by the interviews is somewhat compromised. He remembers driving down a dirt road, seeing a sign for a Karaoke bar, and then he was collating stories from the amateur singers in the establishment.

This is my first John Watson novel but it's not going to be my last. Watson knows how to build character and he does this through the form of the song they're singing and the voice they use to tell their own puzzle-piece of this story.

I'll be the first to admit I know very little about popular music, so there's a chance that I missed out on some of the references in this story because of my ignorance, but the narrative is so well-paced that I didn't feel as though I was missing anything. Instead, I reached a tightly-plotted conclusion with a story that revealed itself through one rich layer after another.

Highly recommended.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karaoke Night is one of those rare reads that pulls you in right from the start and refuses to let go. John Watson masterfully weaves together a collection of engaging stories that feel both rich and relatable, without ever dragging or losing momentum. The writing is crisp and detailed, offering just enough vivid imagery to draw you into each scene without feeling overindulgent.

What really stood out to me was how connected I felt to the characters. Each one was layered and real, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with them, to dig deeper into their lives. Even better, the way all the stories tied together was seamless and surprising, capped off with a plot twist that was both unexpected and incredibly satisfying.

If you’re looking for a well-written, engaging read that’s both thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable, Karaoke Night absolutely delivers. I couldn’t recommend it more.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhilarating!

At first it took me a little bit to get into this book as it is outside of the usual genre that I read. This book takes you on an exhilarating, mind bending journey with the plots intricacies and spine chilling twists keeping me on the edge of my seat. Each chapter coincides with a person and their choice of song they continue to sing and the story that goes along with it, with the ending all molding together. The ending blew me away and was not at all what I was expecting! This is a must read for those craving a gripping supernatural experience with our even realizing that's what you are having!

[Jackie Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎤 Karaoke Night 🎤 by John Watson - I read this for my horror group book club and finished it in a day. It’s very enjoyable and fucked up haha! A blogger goes to Georgia in search of dive bars and finds one where the regulars sing the same song every evening, and when he dives into their traumatizing stories, he begins to realize reality isn’t what it seems. The interweaving stories are very interesting of the tiny town of Redfield, the stories from the singers are complete trauma dumping. It reminds me of the bar scene in Fall of the House of Usher (iykyk). Loved this book and recommend it highly!

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karaoke

A blogger goes missing for 72 hours while doing research on bars. He has a story of being in a dive bar on karaoke night. The patrons tell him stories of the songs they sing every night. A car with a sinister past. A group of friends goes in the woods, and only one comes out. Who is the bar owner? Why is there no bartender? These and other tells on karaoke night. Original stories.

[Lizzie Czyzniewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I wasn’t sure where this was going. By the last “song” I was floored. What a neat concept and what very intricate way to weave together stories that seemingly have nothing to do with each other. other than them being individually unsettling of course. Once you realize there is an actual connection and what is actually going on, it makes you want to read everything all over again to see if you missed something the first time through which is really want all the best books are about.