What do you think?
Rate this book
Night Shoot
A group of desperate student film-makers break into Crawford Manor for an unauthorised night shoot. They have no choice. Their lead actress has quit. They’re out of time. They’re out of money.
They’re out of luck.
For Crawford Manor has a past that won’t stay dead, and the crew are about to come face-to-face with the hideous secret that stalks the halls.
Will anyone survive… the Night Shoot?
A delirious homage to the slasher movies of the 1980s, Night Shoot delivers page after page of white-knuckle terror.
They’re out of luck.
For Crawford Manor has a past that won’t stay dead, and the crew are about to come face-to-face with the hideous secret that stalks the halls.
Will anyone survive… the Night Shoot?
A delirious homage to the slasher movies of the 1980s, Night Shoot delivers page after page of white-knuckle terror.
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2019
295 people are currently reading
5752 people want to read
About the author
David Sodergren
21 books2,878 followersDavid Sodergren lives in Scotland with his wife Heather and his best friend, Boris the Pug.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 484 reviews
June 28, 2019
“He realised how trivial onscreen deaths were. They never got it right, couldn’t replicate the true gut-churning horror of real life.”
Desperate student filmmakers break into Crawford Manor for an unauthorised night shoot.
The best damn horror book I’ve read in a while! I devoured it in 24 hours and even stayed up until 2am cos I just. couldn’t. stop. And I never do that!!
This is only Sodergren’s second novel and yet his writing reads like that of an esteemed author. He just hits all the right notes and the pace is consistent, yet exciting (until the last 50 pages when I just couldn’t put it down!) I adore how he so effortlessly combines humour with horror, I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud in a coffee shop!
A creepy manor screams out for all the cliches we have experienced so many times, yet this novel felt so FRESH and unique. The kills are incredibly original and inventive and had me grimacing on more than one occasion. AND Sodergren now has a track record of writing spunky female characters in his novels, which I am HERE FOR and there’s also great LGBTQ+ inclusion!
Honestly, if you’re a fan of slasher movies from the 1980s, you NEED this one on your tbr! It’s the perfect homage. I can not recommend it enough, I loved it even more than Sodergren’s debut The Forgotten Island.
5 stars.
Desperate student filmmakers break into Crawford Manor for an unauthorised night shoot.
The best damn horror book I’ve read in a while! I devoured it in 24 hours and even stayed up until 2am cos I just. couldn’t. stop. And I never do that!!
This is only Sodergren’s second novel and yet his writing reads like that of an esteemed author. He just hits all the right notes and the pace is consistent, yet exciting (until the last 50 pages when I just couldn’t put it down!) I adore how he so effortlessly combines humour with horror, I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud in a coffee shop!
A creepy manor screams out for all the cliches we have experienced so many times, yet this novel felt so FRESH and unique. The kills are incredibly original and inventive and had me grimacing on more than one occasion. AND Sodergren now has a track record of writing spunky female characters in his novels, which I am HERE FOR and there’s also great LGBTQ+ inclusion!
Honestly, if you’re a fan of slasher movies from the 1980s, you NEED this one on your tbr! It’s the perfect homage. I can not recommend it enough, I loved it even more than Sodergren’s debut The Forgotten Island.
5 stars.
January 3, 2025
I liked the premise, but nothing else stood out to me. All of the characters were unlikeable, and our main character Elspeth was just ok. My main issue here was that for almost 2/3 of the book, we’re following this bumbling group of film students as they bicker and whine about each other. I felt like it was a slight step up from reading a YA story. And all of the male characters were definitely depicted as these creepy, sinister people. Not sure if there was a reason for that or it just organically happened, but it was a bit strange. And then there was just a barrage of action, creatures, and this sudden information dump about the Crawfords, which realistically should have been peppered through the earlier portions. So it was a hard pivot that needed a much smoother transition of some sort. And the summary mentioned this paying homage to classic slasher films, which I didn’t think was accurate at all. I’ve read a few books from this author and enjoyed them, but this was my least favorite Sodergren book to date.
September 23, 2019
Night Shoot is a wild slasher flick in novel form and it is a ton of fun with plenty of dreadful characters who couldn’t die fast enough!
Elspeth is our main character. In order to receive her degree in film & photography she has to complete a project with a group of mostly idiot jerk-offs. The lead jerk in charge decides his family’s ancient and crumbling ancestral home called “Crawford Manor”, surrounded by woods and sea, would be the perfect setting to film their horror flick. And he’s not wrong. I think I might like to move in there after reading the description. But there’s a catch. The whole thing must be done in a day and they MUST be gone by nightfall. Absolutely no exceptions or excuses. If not, well, they’ll see.
Naturally, as these are slasher movie characters and the people aren’t that bright, things go awry and the group decides to come back and film at night and that’s when the fun filled bloodfest begins!
I love horror films, good or bad it does not matter, almost as much as I love books and reading this novel was the very best of both worlds. The story sets up its dark and ominous atmosphere very well, creates a cast of killable characters and tosses in a huge handful of madness. It was a really fun book that moved fast and was relentless and creative and disgusting when the killing began. The characters make dumb horror mistakes and you’ll want to scream at all of them and that’s why I love things like this. They make me feel smart and smug and superior. As if I wouldn’t do the same thing in their shoes, lol.
The end is either going to work for you or not, I think. It made me cringe so hard in revulsion at one particular reveal and really got under my skin. It leaves you hanging a bit so be prepared for that. Despite not KNOWING EVERYTHING (and I’m one of those annoying people who needs to know everything), I still enjoyed this book so very much. It’s wacky and a little pervy, totally gruesome and definitely worth reading if you like this type of thing. If they ever film this madness, I will be the first in line. 4 1/2 stars
Bonus recommendation: I think a viewing of the film Castle Freak starring Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton would go nicely with this book! Treat yourself to both of them.
4 1/2 Stars
Elspeth is our main character. In order to receive her degree in film & photography she has to complete a project with a group of mostly idiot jerk-offs. The lead jerk in charge decides his family’s ancient and crumbling ancestral home called “Crawford Manor”, surrounded by woods and sea, would be the perfect setting to film their horror flick. And he’s not wrong. I think I might like to move in there after reading the description. But there’s a catch. The whole thing must be done in a day and they MUST be gone by nightfall. Absolutely no exceptions or excuses. If not, well, they’ll see.
Naturally, as these are slasher movie characters and the people aren’t that bright, things go awry and the group decides to come back and film at night and that’s when the fun filled bloodfest begins!
I love horror films, good or bad it does not matter, almost as much as I love books and reading this novel was the very best of both worlds. The story sets up its dark and ominous atmosphere very well, creates a cast of killable characters and tosses in a huge handful of madness. It was a really fun book that moved fast and was relentless and creative and disgusting when the killing began. The characters make dumb horror mistakes and you’ll want to scream at all of them and that’s why I love things like this. They make me feel smart and smug and superior. As if I wouldn’t do the same thing in their shoes, lol.
The end is either going to work for you or not, I think. It made me cringe so hard in revulsion at one particular reveal and really got under my skin. It leaves you hanging a bit so be prepared for that. Despite not KNOWING EVERYTHING (and I’m one of those annoying people who needs to know everything), I still enjoyed this book so very much. It’s wacky and a little pervy, totally gruesome and definitely worth reading if you like this type of thing. If they ever film this madness, I will be the first in line. 4 1/2 stars
Bonus recommendation: I think a viewing of the film Castle Freak starring Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton would go nicely with this book! Treat yourself to both of them.
4 1/2 Stars
June 7, 2025
What a disappointment this was.
Rather than rehash the plot, I'm just going to explain my two-star rating. I get what Sodergren set out to do here with this homage to cheesy, 80s horror movies, particularly the Italian gorefests of Argento, Fulci, etc. The old dark house with a bloody curse is the sort of set-up that should have worked really well for a reader like me, already predisposed to forgive some fluff writing and one-dimensional side character work in the case of Sodergren, who I've come to rely on to at least give me a bloody good time in spite of those things.
Another trope that appears in *almost* all of the books I've read by this author are pervy, creeper men, usually more than one, objectifying, leering at, assaulting, or in some other way harassing every female character that breathes (and some that don't). Again, this is something I don't love in any of the content I choose to consume, but I can usually forgive it with Sodergren (it did ruin some of my enjoyment of The Forgotten Island). Where Night Shoot lost me is the mean- spiritedness and the prevalence of this type of nonsense. It just wasn't necessary to be so pervasive for so much of the book, and the scenes that set out with only this objective in mind in order to establish the lechery of the male characters went on for an unnecessarily long time. But what really made this a big turn-off (wink, lecherous wink) for me in Night Shoot is that the main character Elspeth was a pushover doormat. Lest anyone think I have a hang-up about sex and death, see my glowing review of the author's Dead Girl Blues, which is about snuff films for crying out loud, but gave me a heroine that I felt the author was actually rooting for and that I could root for too.
In any case, all of the above, which went on for well over half of this short novel, had me pretty much tuned out by the gory end. There were some glimpses, for sure, of what I know could have been accomplished with this book - the creepy, gory, Argentoesque good time that I was looking for when I picked it up, but these scenes were too few and far between. Thankfully, this wasn't my first foray into the author's work, otherwise I might never have picked up The Haar or Maggie's Grave, which I would encourage other readers to go check out instead of Night Shoot.
And the end/explanation/story behind the cursed Crawford Manor? Lame and halfhearted.
Rather than rehash the plot, I'm just going to explain my two-star rating. I get what Sodergren set out to do here with this homage to cheesy, 80s horror movies, particularly the Italian gorefests of Argento, Fulci, etc. The old dark house with a bloody curse is the sort of set-up that should have worked really well for a reader like me, already predisposed to forgive some fluff writing and one-dimensional side character work in the case of Sodergren, who I've come to rely on to at least give me a bloody good time in spite of those things.
Another trope that appears in *almost* all of the books I've read by this author are pervy, creeper men, usually more than one, objectifying, leering at, assaulting, or in some other way harassing every female character that breathes (and some that don't). Again, this is something I don't love in any of the content I choose to consume, but I can usually forgive it with Sodergren (it did ruin some of my enjoyment of The Forgotten Island). Where Night Shoot lost me is the mean- spiritedness and the prevalence of this type of nonsense. It just wasn't necessary to be so pervasive for so much of the book, and the scenes that set out with only this objective in mind in order to establish the lechery of the male characters went on for an unnecessarily long time. But what really made this a big turn-off (wink, lecherous wink) for me in Night Shoot is that the main character Elspeth was a pushover doormat. Lest anyone think I have a hang-up about sex and death, see my glowing review of the author's Dead Girl Blues, which is about snuff films for crying out loud, but gave me a heroine that I felt the author was actually rooting for and that I could root for too.
In any case, all of the above, which went on for well over half of this short novel, had me pretty much tuned out by the gory end. There were some glimpses, for sure, of what I know could have been accomplished with this book - the creepy, gory, Argentoesque good time that I was looking for when I picked it up, but these scenes were too few and far between. Thankfully, this wasn't my first foray into the author's work, otherwise I might never have picked up The Haar or Maggie's Grave, which I would encourage other readers to go check out instead of Night Shoot.
And the end/explanation/story behind the cursed Crawford Manor? Lame and halfhearted.
August 11, 2019
Last year I reviewed David Sodergren's debut novel, THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND for Scream Magazine. A full five out of five skulls! It was my hope that Scream Mag's fanbase would pick that book up because they truly are Sodergren's target audience.
Horror Fiction Lovers who are also Horror Cinema Hounds will find that Sodergren marries the two mediums together.
Being an avid horror fiction reader and horror film aficionado himself, Sodergren brings his vast knowledge of both to the page. The result is a book that reads like a movie. The narrative has a cinematic quality--all the given details and descriptive language lend themselves to capturing silver screen images in your mind.
I was given the opportunity to beta read NIGHT SHOOT for Sodergren. I had this to say,
"Night Shoot is wildly entertaining. If you’re not laughing, you’re scared out of your mind. A final girl story people will be talking about for a long time.”
The characters are 3-dimensional people-the dialog is authentic and compelling-serving to develop their personas but also give life to the scene. I found myself laughing out loud a few times reading, NIGHT SHOOT and I remember having a similar experience with his previous novel.
In classic horror trope fashion, NIGHT SHOOT has the perfect set up for everything to go horribly wrong. Some amateur film students go on location to film a movie at an abandoned mansion.
But is it abandoned?
Of course, it isn't!!
My favorite thing about this book is the well-built tension. It doesn't launch you right into the middle of the action, it takes its sweet time making the reader feel comfortable and settled before things begin to go awry.
I love that.
Both of David's books, THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND and NIGHT SHOOT belong on the shelves of any horror reader who enjoys witty dialog, strong characters, brutal guts & gore, thick, page-turning tension and satisfying, epic conclusions.
Horror Fiction Lovers who are also Horror Cinema Hounds will find that Sodergren marries the two mediums together.
Being an avid horror fiction reader and horror film aficionado himself, Sodergren brings his vast knowledge of both to the page. The result is a book that reads like a movie. The narrative has a cinematic quality--all the given details and descriptive language lend themselves to capturing silver screen images in your mind.
I was given the opportunity to beta read NIGHT SHOOT for Sodergren. I had this to say,
"Night Shoot is wildly entertaining. If you’re not laughing, you’re scared out of your mind. A final girl story people will be talking about for a long time.”
The characters are 3-dimensional people-the dialog is authentic and compelling-serving to develop their personas but also give life to the scene. I found myself laughing out loud a few times reading, NIGHT SHOOT and I remember having a similar experience with his previous novel.
In classic horror trope fashion, NIGHT SHOOT has the perfect set up for everything to go horribly wrong. Some amateur film students go on location to film a movie at an abandoned mansion.
But is it abandoned?
Of course, it isn't!!
My favorite thing about this book is the well-built tension. It doesn't launch you right into the middle of the action, it takes its sweet time making the reader feel comfortable and settled before things begin to go awry.
I love that.
Both of David's books, THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND and NIGHT SHOOT belong on the shelves of any horror reader who enjoys witty dialog, strong characters, brutal guts & gore, thick, page-turning tension and satisfying, epic conclusions.
May 8, 2023
A brutal slasher with a pretty slow start.
The first like 40-50% was a bit frustrating honestly. The story starts *slow*, introducing all the (mostly sexist misogynistic) characters, as they act sexist and misogynistic towards our MC. I understand why it was like that, it’s meta commentary on the genre, but it didn’t make it any fun to read.
The last half was the off the walls brutality I’ve come to expect from the author. Overall it’s worth a read, and I still flew through it in a few hours, but beware of the slow/rough start!!
The first like 40-50% was a bit frustrating honestly. The story starts *slow*, introducing all the (mostly sexist misogynistic) characters, as they act sexist and misogynistic towards our MC. I understand why it was like that, it’s meta commentary on the genre, but it didn’t make it any fun to read.
The last half was the off the walls brutality I’ve come to expect from the author. Overall it’s worth a read, and I still flew through it in a few hours, but beware of the slow/rough start!!
November 6, 2025
That’s me done with David Sodergren manic horror frolics for the time being; we've had a fun buddy-read ride through his five most popular books as rated here on Goodreads.
Night Shoot was my fourth favorite, or second least favorite, depending on your glass half full/empty perspective.
My personal recommends are: Maggie’s Grave, The Haar, and The Forgotten Island in that order.
Night Shoot starts off slowly and there’s a lot of unnecessary brainless banter between the characters and not enough sordid Scottish smut and local colloquialisms that usually make his books so pleasingly immature, plus some wooden and irritating characters, rather lame and cheesy sexism, and not enough laugh-out-loud moments, which is strange considering this is supposed to be b-movie schlock literature and nothing serious.
The three pieces of internal artwork deserve a mention, though, and I wish more authors would make such an effort.
Thankfully, when the action gets going, the gore ramps up really nicely as the dusty storytelling cobwebs are cast aside and the walls change from pretty pastels to a darker shade of pale. But that’s the thing, it’s a bit of a plod and then no respite, which feels rather one-dimensional.
There’s something lacking in terms of scope, unlike his first novel and the superior The Forgotten Island for its multiple layers of infiltration and retreat while it applies the brakes before pummeling back on the accelerator again, Night Shoot borrows the same ideas, diving back in for another foray at the baddies, but here feels barebones and rather bereft of storytelling ideas.
I'm a big fan of David Sodergren because he connects to my British past and upbringing, prints what you think but don't dare utter, and makes you laugh and squeal like a naughty piggy puppy at times, but there’s not much of that delight and revelation in Night Shoot.
The LGBT element is good, though, and the kick-ass female lead characters are worth getting into, plus the odd naughty and below the belt quip:
Night Shoot is an irreverent book that feels rather safe and short on ideas compared to some of his later and better works, but out of respect, I've bought a sixth David Sodergren novel - Dead Girl Blues - which I will read at a later date, hidden in a closet with a good chuckle and a few shivers.
Night Shoot was my fourth favorite, or second least favorite, depending on your glass half full/empty perspective.
My personal recommends are: Maggie’s Grave, The Haar, and The Forgotten Island in that order.
Night Shoot starts off slowly and there’s a lot of unnecessary brainless banter between the characters and not enough sordid Scottish smut and local colloquialisms that usually make his books so pleasingly immature, plus some wooden and irritating characters, rather lame and cheesy sexism, and not enough laugh-out-loud moments, which is strange considering this is supposed to be b-movie schlock literature and nothing serious.
The three pieces of internal artwork deserve a mention, though, and I wish more authors would make such an effort.
Thankfully, when the action gets going, the gore ramps up really nicely as the dusty storytelling cobwebs are cast aside and the walls change from pretty pastels to a darker shade of pale. But that’s the thing, it’s a bit of a plod and then no respite, which feels rather one-dimensional.
There’s something lacking in terms of scope, unlike his first novel and the superior The Forgotten Island for its multiple layers of infiltration and retreat while it applies the brakes before pummeling back on the accelerator again, Night Shoot borrows the same ideas, diving back in for another foray at the baddies, but here feels barebones and rather bereft of storytelling ideas.
I'm a big fan of David Sodergren because he connects to my British past and upbringing, prints what you think but don't dare utter, and makes you laugh and squeal like a naughty piggy puppy at times, but there’s not much of that delight and revelation in Night Shoot.
The LGBT element is good, though, and the kick-ass female lead characters are worth getting into, plus the odd naughty and below the belt quip:
Had her miserable old grandmother been right all along? ‘Bloody lezzers go straight to hell.’
Night Shoot is an irreverent book that feels rather safe and short on ideas compared to some of his later and better works, but out of respect, I've bought a sixth David Sodergren novel - Dead Girl Blues - which I will read at a later date, hidden in a closet with a good chuckle and a few shivers.
March 5, 2025
A nice trashy slasher story written for the classic movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th. Sodergren definitely embraced the trash in this book, in a tasteful manner.
Fun story about a group of film students given one day to film in a classic gothic mansion on the Scottish coast. The Crawford manor is old, dark, dusty, full of hallways and doors, bars on all the windows, and all the accoutrements expected in a haunted mansion. Some of the characters you will hate, others you will love, and there is a creature that will scare the shit out of you.
Overall fun slasher story full of gore and mayhem, written by a master of the horror genre. Who will be the Final Girl? Or will there be one at all?
Fun story about a group of film students given one day to film in a classic gothic mansion on the Scottish coast. The Crawford manor is old, dark, dusty, full of hallways and doors, bars on all the windows, and all the accoutrements expected in a haunted mansion. Some of the characters you will hate, others you will love, and there is a creature that will scare the shit out of you.
Overall fun slasher story full of gore and mayhem, written by a master of the horror genre. Who will be the Final Girl? Or will there be one at all?
March 15, 2020
This ode to 80s slasher films gave me one of the most edge of my seat reading experiences this year and did some without one drop of blood. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of grisly murder in this book, there is, but the experience I mentioned came from a scene, in which four friends bully their female friend to act and appear nude in their student film. It is a heart in your throat type of read that takes true talent to pull off and it is achieved with flair by the author. Reading, his works is like discovering a rising star in the horror community, I can’t wait to read more.
May 24, 2019
3.5 Stars
Night Shoot blends together elements of popular horror subgenres to create a narrative that felt classic, yet fresh. Crossing a haunted house story with a slasher narrative, this novel has something for just about every kind of horror reader.
The characters were well developed, especially given the length of the novel. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of some queer representation with a lesbian relationship prominently displayed at the beginning of the novel.
The author is clearly skilled at his craft. The writing was very strong throughout the novel with descriptions that allowed me to picture the horrific events in vivid detail. The narrative built slowly towards the ending, which had a satisfying climax. While this book did not personally scare me, there was enough tasteful gore towards the end to satisfy my horror palate.
The tone was more serious that I would usually expect from a slasher. However, the horror movie setting was fun and helped to add a some entertainment to the narrative.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to readers looking for a well written, classic horror story.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the author.
Night Shoot blends together elements of popular horror subgenres to create a narrative that felt classic, yet fresh. Crossing a haunted house story with a slasher narrative, this novel has something for just about every kind of horror reader.
The characters were well developed, especially given the length of the novel. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of some queer representation with a lesbian relationship prominently displayed at the beginning of the novel.
The author is clearly skilled at his craft. The writing was very strong throughout the novel with descriptions that allowed me to picture the horrific events in vivid detail. The narrative built slowly towards the ending, which had a satisfying climax. While this book did not personally scare me, there was enough tasteful gore towards the end to satisfy my horror palate.
The tone was more serious that I would usually expect from a slasher. However, the horror movie setting was fun and helped to add a some entertainment to the narrative.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to readers looking for a well written, classic horror story.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the author.
August 23, 2020
What an absolutely AMAZING homage to 80s slasher films. I fell instantly in love with it from the very first word and my love only grew stronger as the story progressed. Sodergren knows how to write one HELLUVA horror novel! This book made me laugh one minute and gasp in disgust and horror the next and I really could not have loved it more. From start to finish it is just pure horror excellence, in fact it is by far the best horror novel I’ve read so far this year and I honestly doubt anything will beat it! Horror fans and 80s slasher film fans, do yourself a favour and read this phenomenal gem of a book!
September 11, 2019
"Within the dank walls of Crawford Manor, secrets were given time to breathe. To atrophy. To fester. He knew this all too well."
3.5⭐ rounded up
Night Shoot is David Sodergren's second novel, and once again, it feels like a horror movie on the page, which I love. His books are always entertaining. I loved the night shoot environment of this book, and it set up an interesting story.
I felt like the book sort of transitioned from horror comedy to a much more serious vibe, and I had really been into the horror comedy aspect, so I was kind of thrown off. I guess I wanted more slashing.
While the horror movie aspect makes Night Shoot unique, I felt like I'd read this main story before. I didn't love the ending. Although I had mixed feelings, Night Shoot was still a very fun read.
3.5⭐ rounded up
Night Shoot is David Sodergren's second novel, and once again, it feels like a horror movie on the page, which I love. His books are always entertaining. I loved the night shoot environment of this book, and it set up an interesting story.
I felt like the book sort of transitioned from horror comedy to a much more serious vibe, and I had really been into the horror comedy aspect, so I was kind of thrown off. I guess I wanted more slashing.
While the horror movie aspect makes Night Shoot unique, I felt like I'd read this main story before. I didn't love the ending. Although I had mixed feelings, Night Shoot was still a very fun read.
November 16, 2019
Έχετε διαβάσει λογοτεχνία βγαλμένη από τις slasher horror ταινίες της δεκαετίας του '80; Αν δεν έχετε διαβάσει Sodergren, μάλλον όχι, γιατί αμφιβάλλω αν γράφει κανείς κάτι παρόμοιο. Ο Sodergren αποφάσισε πως αφού δεν το έχει κάνει κανείς άλλος, θα το κάνει ο ίδιος. Αγαπάει αυτό τον κινηματογράφο και, γνωρίζοντας τις αδυναμίες του, δηλαδή πόσο ταλαιπωρημένος είναι, τι θέση έχει στην συνείδηση του κοινού (πράγμα για το οποίο είναι σε μεγάλο μέρος υπεύθυνες οι ταινίες που αναβίωσαν το είδος στα τέλη των 90s), γράφει ιστορίες βουτηγμένες στο αίμα, με εκκωφαντικές θηλυκές τσιρίδες και νεαρούς που πάνε να φάνε το κεφάλι τους.
Έχοντας διαβάσει το πρώτο του βιβλίο, The Forgotten Island, ήμουν σίγουρος πως ήθελα να ξαναδιαβάσω κάτι δικό του. Δεν θεώρησα πως βρήκα την επόμενη μεγάλη αγάπη μου, ωστόσο ήταν ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο και ο συγγραφέας, έχοντας γνώση του τί γράφει, εκμεταλλευόταν στο έπακρο τις συμβάσεις του είδους, για να παραδόσει μια εθιστική διήγηση. Εδώ επιστρέφει σε μεγάλη φόρμα. Το Night Shoot συνδυάζει το slasher, με την γοτθική φρίκη των μυστηρίων ενός πύργου (βλ. Ρεμπέκκα για παράδειγμα) και των αμερικάνικων ιστοριών southern βλαχο-κανιβαλισμού.
Το night shoot είναι μια βελτιωμένη εκδοχή του οράματος που παρουσίασε ο Sodergren στο πρώτο του βιβλίο. Είναι μια ιστορία φρίκης και βίας, άκρως διασκεδαστική. Δεν έχει κάτι πρωτότυπο, είναι όμως ένα βιβλίο για να το αρπάξεις και να παραδοθείς σ' αυτό αργά το βράδυ, χωμένος στο κρεβάτι σου.
Έχοντας διαβάσει το πρώτο του βιβλίο, The Forgotten Island, ήμουν σίγουρος πως ήθελα να ξαναδιαβάσω κάτι δικό του. Δεν θεώρησα πως βρήκα την επόμενη μεγάλη αγάπη μου, ωστόσο ήταν ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο και ο συγγραφέας, έχοντας γνώση του τί γράφει, εκμεταλλευόταν στο έπακρο τις συμβάσεις του είδους, για να παραδόσει μια εθιστική διήγηση. Εδώ επιστρέφει σε μεγάλη φόρμα. Το Night Shoot συνδυάζει το slasher, με την γοτθική φρίκη των μυστηρίων ενός πύργου (βλ. Ρεμπέκκα για παράδειγμα) και των αμερικάνικων ιστοριών southern βλαχο-κανιβαλισμού.
Το night shoot είναι μια βελτιωμένη εκδοχή του οράματος που παρουσίασε ο Sodergren στο πρώτο του βιβλίο. Είναι μια ιστορία φρίκης και βίας, άκρως διασκεδαστική. Δεν έχει κάτι πρωτότυπο, είναι όμως ένα βιβλίο για να το αρπάξεις και να παραδοθείς σ' αυτό αργά το βράδυ, χωμένος στο κρεβάτι σου.
November 2, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review: Night Shoot by David Sodergren
I’ve just finished Night Shoot and realised that David Sodergren and I must share a mutual fondness for Scotland, sleaze, and slightly unhinged student filmmakers.
This one felt like a blood-splattered cousin to Richard Laymon’s Beast House trilogy — all gothic grime, pulpy menace, and that distinct whiff of VHS-era chaos. It’s as if a drunk John Carpenter wandered onto a student film set and said, “You know what this needs? More entrails.”
This was our buddy read for the “Horror or Heaven” group, and let’s just say I expect opinions to fly faster than body parts in the third act. Some will love it, some will want to set the film reel on fire... but honestly, that’s half the fun. After all, nothing says “group bonding” like arguing over which character deserved to die first.
As a quick three-hour read, it did exactly what it said on the tin: entertained me, grossed me out a bit, and left me nostalgic for scratchy 80s soundtracks. After all, what’s three hours between friends when you’ve got a cursed Scottish manor, a doomed film crew, and something unspeakable in the attic?
That said, this wasn’t quite the high point of Sodergren’s catalogue. I didn’t love Night Shoot the way I did The Haar or Maggie’s Grave, there’s a mean-spirited streak running through the first half that occasionally overwhelms the fun. The constant parade of lecherous, idiotic male characters started to feel like overkill, and poor Elspeth, our nominal heroine, doesn’t really get to shine until the blood starts flowing.
Still, when the carnage kicks in, Night Shoot absolutely delivers. Gory, gleeful, and so cinematic you can almost smell the fake blood and hear the off-screen scream queen rehearsing. It’s trashy horror done with affection and a wink; Sodergren knows exactly what kind of movie he’s making here, and he commits to the bit.
A pulpy, blood-slick popcorn read. Maybe not his best, but a good reminder that sometimes, you just need to sit back, switch off your brain, and enjoy the scream-reel, preferably with your favourite horror buddies shouting, “Don’t go in there!”
I’ve just finished Night Shoot and realised that David Sodergren and I must share a mutual fondness for Scotland, sleaze, and slightly unhinged student filmmakers.
This one felt like a blood-splattered cousin to Richard Laymon’s Beast House trilogy — all gothic grime, pulpy menace, and that distinct whiff of VHS-era chaos. It’s as if a drunk John Carpenter wandered onto a student film set and said, “You know what this needs? More entrails.”
This was our buddy read for the “Horror or Heaven” group, and let’s just say I expect opinions to fly faster than body parts in the third act. Some will love it, some will want to set the film reel on fire... but honestly, that’s half the fun. After all, nothing says “group bonding” like arguing over which character deserved to die first.
As a quick three-hour read, it did exactly what it said on the tin: entertained me, grossed me out a bit, and left me nostalgic for scratchy 80s soundtracks. After all, what’s three hours between friends when you’ve got a cursed Scottish manor, a doomed film crew, and something unspeakable in the attic?
That said, this wasn’t quite the high point of Sodergren’s catalogue. I didn’t love Night Shoot the way I did The Haar or Maggie’s Grave, there’s a mean-spirited streak running through the first half that occasionally overwhelms the fun. The constant parade of lecherous, idiotic male characters started to feel like overkill, and poor Elspeth, our nominal heroine, doesn’t really get to shine until the blood starts flowing.
Still, when the carnage kicks in, Night Shoot absolutely delivers. Gory, gleeful, and so cinematic you can almost smell the fake blood and hear the off-screen scream queen rehearsing. It’s trashy horror done with affection and a wink; Sodergren knows exactly what kind of movie he’s making here, and he commits to the bit.
A pulpy, blood-slick popcorn read. Maybe not his best, but a good reminder that sometimes, you just need to sit back, switch off your brain, and enjoy the scream-reel, preferably with your favourite horror buddies shouting, “Don’t go in there!”
June 20, 2019
Review to follow...
May 7, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
** A couple of Full Disclosure’s here before we start! The first is that Mr. Sodergren has become my main copy-editor on all of my works. He’s been instrumental in helping me and my writing. The second is that, while he does have a column here at Kendall Reviews, neither of the two disclosures have in any way influenced my review. **
Last year, the horror world was introduced to David Sodergren’s debut Novel ‘The Forgotten Island.’ It was a marvellous achievement for a debut novel and the characters and story were stunning. It easily made my top 10 year-end list and made a number of other year-end best-of lists as well. It was even awarded a stunning 5 skull review in Scream Magazine. This was first-rate story telling by a first-rate gentleman.
Now, in 2019, Sodergren returns and if we thought he was going to ease up, back off or rest on his laurels with the success of The Forgotten Island to fall back on, you can forget about that.
Sodergren has a gift for storytelling, for pacing, character development and for not filling space with useless words. He puts down what is needed and does it effortlessly. Throw in the amazing artwork that keeps the stylistic aesthetic of his debut and Night Shoot fires on all cylinders.
The entire book reads as David intended – a classic 1980’s VHS slasher, kill them all tale. It keeps the standard plot points to engage; amazing setting (ancient manor), boobs (lead actress/main character), and a gaggle of odd and strange characters. Then of course there is suspense, scares, gore and death. Plenty of gore and death.
This is one of those books that would be an easy rental for me back in the VHS days and I’d be now waiting for the Blu-Ray release to come out. It has nostalgia written all over in the best way possible.
We follow Elspeth and her college friends as they arrive at the writer/director’s Uncle’s manor. The group are filming a movie for their final mark in University and they’re filming a horror movie. Robert, the director has been given permission to film for the day, with one caveat – they must be packed up and gone by 8pm sharp. Not a second later. The Uncle doesn’t spend the nights there and will be locking it up at 8.
Well, of course, and no surprise to us horror fans, things don’t work out and the group sneaks back in after 8pm.
From there Sodergren flexes his writing chops and begins offing his characters in the best ways possible.
The ending left me stunned, saddened and infuriated, which is to say – he ended it exactly as it should’ve. I finished reading it about four days ago as of the writing of this, and I’m still wishing it would’ve ended differently, but glad it played out like it did.
Sodergren’s many hours watching movies continues to pay off and he framed the scenes fantastic and injected a bit of humour at a few key spots, which upped the emotional attachments to the various characters.
This is another home run for David and frankly, I’m already waiting to see what’s up his sleeve next!
** A couple of Full Disclosure’s here before we start! The first is that Mr. Sodergren has become my main copy-editor on all of my works. He’s been instrumental in helping me and my writing. The second is that, while he does have a column here at Kendall Reviews, neither of the two disclosures have in any way influenced my review. **
Last year, the horror world was introduced to David Sodergren’s debut Novel ‘The Forgotten Island.’ It was a marvellous achievement for a debut novel and the characters and story were stunning. It easily made my top 10 year-end list and made a number of other year-end best-of lists as well. It was even awarded a stunning 5 skull review in Scream Magazine. This was first-rate story telling by a first-rate gentleman.
Now, in 2019, Sodergren returns and if we thought he was going to ease up, back off or rest on his laurels with the success of The Forgotten Island to fall back on, you can forget about that.
Sodergren has a gift for storytelling, for pacing, character development and for not filling space with useless words. He puts down what is needed and does it effortlessly. Throw in the amazing artwork that keeps the stylistic aesthetic of his debut and Night Shoot fires on all cylinders.
The entire book reads as David intended – a classic 1980’s VHS slasher, kill them all tale. It keeps the standard plot points to engage; amazing setting (ancient manor), boobs (lead actress/main character), and a gaggle of odd and strange characters. Then of course there is suspense, scares, gore and death. Plenty of gore and death.
This is one of those books that would be an easy rental for me back in the VHS days and I’d be now waiting for the Blu-Ray release to come out. It has nostalgia written all over in the best way possible.
We follow Elspeth and her college friends as they arrive at the writer/director’s Uncle’s manor. The group are filming a movie for their final mark in University and they’re filming a horror movie. Robert, the director has been given permission to film for the day, with one caveat – they must be packed up and gone by 8pm sharp. Not a second later. The Uncle doesn’t spend the nights there and will be locking it up at 8.
Well, of course, and no surprise to us horror fans, things don’t work out and the group sneaks back in after 8pm.
From there Sodergren flexes his writing chops and begins offing his characters in the best ways possible.
The ending left me stunned, saddened and infuriated, which is to say – he ended it exactly as it should’ve. I finished reading it about four days ago as of the writing of this, and I’m still wishing it would’ve ended differently, but glad it played out like it did.
Sodergren’s many hours watching movies continues to pay off and he framed the scenes fantastic and injected a bit of humour at a few key spots, which upped the emotional attachments to the various characters.
This is another home run for David and frankly, I’m already waiting to see what’s up his sleeve next!
June 8, 2025
4,5*
A group of desperate student film-makers need to finish their project quickly and they only have one day to film all the scenes in the beautiful Crawford Manor.
They are only allowed to film there during the night and need to leave before sundown. As the crew start recording, some differences between the director and the main actress puts a hold on the filming and they are running out of time.
The characters are very well developed and let me tell you, this is one of those books in which you are most likely going to hate all male characters. David Sodergren wanted to comment on how many horror slashers from back in the day felt the need to always include female nudity (boobs) even if it had no purpose whatsoever for the plot. So there is a discussion about this that I thought was quite interesting.
Even though this was a slasher, the book had a more serious tone and you also end up caring for our main character a lot more than you might do in other such stories.
After the director messes up, the crew has no choice but to break into Crawford Manor in the middle of the night to try and finish the movie since they need to finish the project to graduate school.
However when they return at night, things are different. They are not alone in the house and they might never be able to leave. One by one our characters are killed in this almost haunted mansion story where family secrets are way darker than you would expect.
A group of desperate student film-makers need to finish their project quickly and they only have one day to film all the scenes in the beautiful Crawford Manor.
They are only allowed to film there during the night and need to leave before sundown. As the crew start recording, some differences between the director and the main actress puts a hold on the filming and they are running out of time.
The characters are very well developed and let me tell you, this is one of those books in which you are most likely going to hate all male characters. David Sodergren wanted to comment on how many horror slashers from back in the day felt the need to always include female nudity (boobs) even if it had no purpose whatsoever for the plot. So there is a discussion about this that I thought was quite interesting.
Even though this was a slasher, the book had a more serious tone and you also end up caring for our main character a lot more than you might do in other such stories.
After the director messes up, the crew has no choice but to break into Crawford Manor in the middle of the night to try and finish the movie since they need to finish the project to graduate school.
However when they return at night, things are different. They are not alone in the house and they might never be able to leave. One by one our characters are killed in this almost haunted mansion story where family secrets are way darker than you would expect.
November 13, 2021
Night Shoot was my first experience with David Sodergren. And you know what? It was a good one! In his afterword, Sodergren gushes over his love of slasher films, and explains that he set out to try to filter that appreciation into this book by “embracing the trashiness”. Well, I’m here to say he accomplished his mission. And I mean that as a compliment.
The premise and setting are both very cool: a group of mostly obnoxious college film students (written that way intentionally ... after all, this is a slasher ... well, a slasher with a twist) breaks into a massive mansion after hours for an unauthorized night shoot in order to finish the horror movie they are desperately trying to film for finals. The lead actress has quit, so they are in a race against time to reshoot everything in one night. The only problem? They are not alone. In fact, they are in the worst kind of trouble, and just don’t know it yet.
Which brings me to the gnarly gore. This is a very bloody book. Things get very twisted in the final act, so stay with it! It’s worth the ride after a relatively slow start. And the setting really adds to the sense of dread and the effectiveness of the story. It’s basically the mansion in Resident Evil crossed with the house in The People Under The Stairs. Lots of creepy rooms, hidden passages, and nasty surprises.
4/5 stars. This was a fun one! I will be checking out more of his work for sure.
The premise and setting are both very cool: a group of mostly obnoxious college film students (written that way intentionally ... after all, this is a slasher ... well, a slasher with a twist) breaks into a massive mansion after hours for an unauthorized night shoot in order to finish the horror movie they are desperately trying to film for finals. The lead actress has quit, so they are in a race against time to reshoot everything in one night. The only problem? They are not alone. In fact, they are in the worst kind of trouble, and just don’t know it yet.
Which brings me to the gnarly gore. This is a very bloody book. Things get very twisted in the final act, so stay with it! It’s worth the ride after a relatively slow start. And the setting really adds to the sense of dread and the effectiveness of the story. It’s basically the mansion in Resident Evil crossed with the house in The People Under The Stairs. Lots of creepy rooms, hidden passages, and nasty surprises.
4/5 stars. This was a fun one! I will be checking out more of his work for sure.
December 17, 2019
Night Shoot is one of those books that, despite being based on an interesting premise, never lives up to its potential. Never even close, in fact. The setting--a sprawling seaside mansion where several student movie-makers are trying to shoot a horror film--is by far the best thing about the whole story. I don't know if the author tried to make the cast of characters utterly unsympathetic on purpose or not, but the fact is not one of them is remotely likable. It's not uncommon for horror stories to be populated with relatively unlikable characters so you don't feel bad when they meet a grisly demise, but in this case even the supposed main protagonist (I refuse to call her a heroine) is a self-righteous, infantile hypocrite who proves to be at least as bad everyone else in this sordid tale when the chips are down. As for the plot, just imagine Richard Laymon's great novel The Cellar if it were written by a rabid SJW. The political talking points get checked off one by one, but I can only wish the author had spent more time building an engaging story with interesting characters than he did trying to score points with the Politically Correct crowd. The horrors that stalk our sorry characters are certainly nasty enough, but they aren't quite as malevolent as they should be and one of the villains makes an abrupt and totally unheralded decision near the end that takes him out of the narrative entirely. Why? Who knows. The author is good at describing action and the violence is appropriately bone-crunching, but since there's zero reader empathy for our dramatis personae it doesn't really matter and so there's almost no suspense. Night Shoot should have been a good book, but a cast of unmitigated losers and badly conceived political interjections guarantee it can't be. And it isn't.
September 14, 2020
I have seen and read so many good things about this book, but I didn’t quite know what it was all about. So a group of students are making a film for their last year of university, and the director has asked his uncle if they can film in his house, he doesn’t live there, its empty (or so they think). The uncle agrees but they need to out of the house by 8pm and no later. There is a long build up of the tension between the group to get all the shots they need by 8pm. Consequently they don’t get all the shots they need and they want to stay to film. So the pretend to leave the house, but go back in to carry on shooting. That is when it all starts to go downhill for the group.
I did feel the build up did take quite long, I felt I was waiting and waiting for something dramatic to happen. Eventually it did. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There was a small explanation as to why these circumstances had arisen, but I felt there were a few holes that definitely needed filling. For me it’s a slasher for no real reason, and I think those reasons could have gone into more detail.
Despite this, I did enjoy this and I do like slashers. I read it really quick as well, it is a short story but I don’t normally read that fast, but this did keep me guessing and intrigued. I will read more of this author.
I did feel the build up did take quite long, I felt I was waiting and waiting for something dramatic to happen. Eventually it did. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There was a small explanation as to why these circumstances had arisen, but I felt there were a few holes that definitely needed filling. For me it’s a slasher for no real reason, and I think those reasons could have gone into more detail.
Despite this, I did enjoy this and I do like slashers. I read it really quick as well, it is a short story but I don’t normally read that fast, but this did keep me guessing and intrigued. I will read more of this author.
July 2, 2022
I read this book for The Midnight Book Society book club pick for the month of June. This was also my final slasher book I read for June's Slime & Slashers- Slasher readathon!
This was my 1st Sodergren book, & it surely will not be my last! A film crew is filming a slasher movie inside a creepy old mansion that sits on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. Unbeknown to the film crew, the house has some dreadful inhabitants! Reader beware- you're in for a gory ride!
I loved the creature feature element. Sodergren delivers a haunted, creepy & terrifying environment inside the Manor. The kills were messy & gross which is needed in a great slasher book. I would consider this both a creature feature & a slasher read as well. This story read very cinematic to me which was a major plus. The ending was chef's kiss. I ended the book gasping with an eerie smile to my face. What a fun ride this book was! I am so glad this was a Midnight Book Society book club pick!
This was my 1st Sodergren book, & it surely will not be my last! A film crew is filming a slasher movie inside a creepy old mansion that sits on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. Unbeknown to the film crew, the house has some dreadful inhabitants! Reader beware- you're in for a gory ride!
I loved the creature feature element. Sodergren delivers a haunted, creepy & terrifying environment inside the Manor. The kills were messy & gross which is needed in a great slasher book. I would consider this both a creature feature & a slasher read as well. This story read very cinematic to me which was a major plus. The ending was chef's kiss. I ended the book gasping with an eerie smile to my face. What a fun ride this book was! I am so glad this was a Midnight Book Society book club pick!
May 2, 2025
This was a fun and bloody slasher that leans heavily into common slasher tropes and does a great job with it!
August 2, 2024
brilliantly executed!
This novel was brilliant. The characters are so well-developed that I found myself making solid connections with them right from the start. The story perfectly blends the chilling slasher vibe with the twisted atmosphere reminiscent of “The People Under the Stairs.” Each page kept me on edge, and I couldn’t put it down. The suspense, the horror, and the unexpected twists all come together to create an excellent read. Bravo!
This novel was brilliant. The characters are so well-developed that I found myself making solid connections with them right from the start. The story perfectly blends the chilling slasher vibe with the twisted atmosphere reminiscent of “The People Under the Stairs.” Each page kept me on edge, and I couldn’t put it down. The suspense, the horror, and the unexpected twists all come together to create an excellent read. Bravo!
March 28, 2022
A pretty good book which reminded me a lot of older cheesy slasher films.
October 3, 2025
Not my horror aesthetic but I enjoyed it. I just feel empty after reading the ending.
February 3, 2022
I didn’t like it. According to the Afterword, the author set out to write a slasher. In that respect, he definitely failed. If Night Shoot were a horror movie it would be a modern day Hammer movie with a student film crew trying to liven up hoary gothic house plots, not a slasher. Which goes to show that you can have the best instructions and the finest legos but still make a pile of crap!
This was yet another breezy horror book bordering on YA that became way too predictable in both its plot and its prose. So, halfway in: go, go, Gadget Speedreading!
PSA: you can return ebooks to Amazon within 7 days of purchase. If you, however, read it on or after the eighth day, you’re screwed. You can’t return it, then. Even if you try.
There seems to be a new subset of fiction that exists in the space between (Adult) Fiction and YA Fiction. Arrested Development Fiction, maybe. Where the pages reveal their author’s drawing not from the natural world around them but the heavily edited world in which the media forms and “informs” them. In this case it would have been fun if the author drew from the mediated world of horror films but he didn’t. Arrested Development Fiction makes it that much harder to suspend disbelief because you’re asked to invest in fake, social media profiles instead of people.
Unfortunately this is also one of those books/movies/shows where all the men are either stupid or evil… liberals, saints; conservatives, sinners. What a horrible world it must be for those suckers who live in the CNN-Fox News matrix***. But I can look past that. I mean, you have to if you’re a “classical liberal” allergic to groupthink and want to read something new now and again. I can look past it—up to a point. I understand the small-minded millennials who fear the herd might reject them if they step out of line and so they virtue signal. I get that. It’s cowardly but I get it. But this author goes above and beyond. I tried to nope out when a young woman, in a life or death crisis, has the presence of mind to exclaim, “Why can’t they just give women fucking pockets!” A line as stupid as when a clipboard-clutching soldier in the Gender Equalizer Army with tears in her eyes incredulously asks, “did you know 29% of homeless people are women?”
Night Shoot is basically Urban Legends 2: Final Cut and Dark and Stormy Night smushed into a Scottish blender. Which sounds fun actually, but it’s told so cynically and by-the-numbers that the fun is spoiled. My biggest issue: the deaths come way too fast and there’s no mystery. Early in we see enough to predict the whole plot. My favorite part of horror books and films is the tension in the atmosphere when me and the characters both don’t know exactly what the hell is happening.
I could go on and on about why I didn’t like this, but it’s not worth my time. Not in a good way it reminds me of Nothing But Blackened Teeth, another horror novel about a group of young people trapped in a haunted house, and another horror novel in which the author bent over backwards to convince us that Brexit made her cry, she still has an “It’s Hilary’s Turn” bumper sticker on her hybrid, men blow, etc, etc, etc, and another horror novel that could have been much improved by instead focusing on telling a good story. Also, like in my review of that book, I’d give the author of Night Shoot a fair shake next time because it wasn’t without promise.
—————————
***For instance, we’re shown a comical portrayal of a sexual abusive Scottish father—and he reads The Daily Mail. Of course, he does. Why are British people always obsessively publicly distancing themselves from The Daily Mail? We get it: it’s a rag, a lot of people read it anyway. Who cares? Shocker: some Good People read the Mail, some Bad People read the Guardian (but all Clever People subscribe to the Times for the puzzles.) A sexually abusive, alcoholic father is evil enough. You don’t have to also tell me he likes anchovies on his pizza for me to know he’s bad news.
Another instance: one jerk of a character has a politician father that always bails him out of trouble. Would you wager he is a liberal or a conservative? ‘Dear God, imagine anyone on The Right Side of History using his place of privilege and his platform to impugn a fictional Liberal local politician? My pearls!’ Talk about small-mindedness. (Ironic that I’m reading this just after infamous crackwhore and fraudster Hunter Biden has been in the news again.)
There’s a lot of stuff like this. Suffice it to say, we get it, upcoming authors: you’re not like those other evil white men, you’re one of the good ones… sure, sure, just stop protesting so much.
This was yet another breezy horror book bordering on YA that became way too predictable in both its plot and its prose. So, halfway in: go, go, Gadget Speedreading!
PSA: you can return ebooks to Amazon within 7 days of purchase. If you, however, read it on or after the eighth day, you’re screwed. You can’t return it, then. Even if you try.
There seems to be a new subset of fiction that exists in the space between (Adult) Fiction and YA Fiction. Arrested Development Fiction, maybe. Where the pages reveal their author’s drawing not from the natural world around them but the heavily edited world in which the media forms and “informs” them. In this case it would have been fun if the author drew from the mediated world of horror films but he didn’t. Arrested Development Fiction makes it that much harder to suspend disbelief because you’re asked to invest in fake, social media profiles instead of people.
Unfortunately this is also one of those books/movies/shows where all the men are either stupid or evil… liberals, saints; conservatives, sinners. What a horrible world it must be for those suckers who live in the CNN-Fox News matrix***. But I can look past that. I mean, you have to if you’re a “classical liberal” allergic to groupthink and want to read something new now and again. I can look past it—up to a point. I understand the small-minded millennials who fear the herd might reject them if they step out of line and so they virtue signal. I get that. It’s cowardly but I get it. But this author goes above and beyond. I tried to nope out when a young woman, in a life or death crisis, has the presence of mind to exclaim, “Why can’t they just give women fucking pockets!” A line as stupid as when a clipboard-clutching soldier in the Gender Equalizer Army with tears in her eyes incredulously asks, “did you know 29% of homeless people are women?”
Night Shoot is basically Urban Legends 2: Final Cut and Dark and Stormy Night smushed into a Scottish blender. Which sounds fun actually, but it’s told so cynically and by-the-numbers that the fun is spoiled. My biggest issue: the deaths come way too fast and there’s no mystery. Early in we see enough to predict the whole plot. My favorite part of horror books and films is the tension in the atmosphere when me and the characters both don’t know exactly what the hell is happening.
I could go on and on about why I didn’t like this, but it’s not worth my time. Not in a good way it reminds me of Nothing But Blackened Teeth, another horror novel about a group of young people trapped in a haunted house, and another horror novel in which the author bent over backwards to convince us that Brexit made her cry, she still has an “It’s Hilary’s Turn” bumper sticker on her hybrid, men blow, etc, etc, etc, and another horror novel that could have been much improved by instead focusing on telling a good story. Also, like in my review of that book, I’d give the author of Night Shoot a fair shake next time because it wasn’t without promise.
—————————
***For instance, we’re shown a comical portrayal of a sexual abusive Scottish father—and he reads The Daily Mail. Of course, he does. Why are British people always obsessively publicly distancing themselves from The Daily Mail? We get it: it’s a rag, a lot of people read it anyway. Who cares? Shocker: some Good People read the Mail, some Bad People read the Guardian (but all Clever People subscribe to the Times for the puzzles.) A sexually abusive, alcoholic father is evil enough. You don’t have to also tell me he likes anchovies on his pizza for me to know he’s bad news.
Another instance: one jerk of a character has a politician father that always bails him out of trouble. Would you wager he is a liberal or a conservative? ‘Dear God, imagine anyone on The Right Side of History using his place of privilege and his platform to impugn a fictional Liberal local politician? My pearls!’ Talk about small-mindedness. (Ironic that I’m reading this just after infamous crackwhore and fraudster Hunter Biden has been in the news again.)
There’s a lot of stuff like this. Suffice it to say, we get it, upcoming authors: you’re not like those other evil white men, you’re one of the good ones… sure, sure, just stop protesting so much.
March 13, 2021
Looking for a good horror book to read, I came across this author and saw good reviews for his works, which seem like stories with simple premises, and I often think "simple is best", so I gave this one slasher book of his a try. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly disappointed.
The main problem with this book is that it takes it simple premise and makes it formulaic to the point of becoming boring. While the setting of an old mansion on a cliff by the ocean in beautiful Scotland is a fantastic setting, the stalking and the kills are dull and devoid of any tension. Likewise, the villains are just the generic deformed cannibals we see in so many slasher movies, and there is nothing interesting or threatening about them. Even worse, their father, who aids them by killing people to feed them, makes no sense as to his motivations or actions. He wants the main group out of his house so they won't be killed and eaten, but then goes out of his way to kill people to feed them, but then at some point he just decides to leave the remaining few to their impending doom and just drives off a cliff, and it's so out of nowhere and jarring that it comes across as ridiculous.
The book becomes even worse in regards to the characters, because there's barely any likable ones in this bunch. Almost every single character is so absolutely odious in one way or another that it becomes irritating to read, and I know many people say slasher genre victims are supposed to be unlikable so the viewer/reader can root for the killer, but I disagree; I don't want to root for any killer, I want to care about the people who are in danger, I want to be invested in their fates. When they're this painfully unlikable, I don't look forward to them getting killed, I just put the book down because it's so annoying to read. it's why it took me literal weeks to get through this book.
Another thing that really didn't work for me at all where some parts that felt so badly conceived. One scene introduces us to a teenage girl, we learn she's had a horrible life, and then she instantly gets killed; this whole entire scene could've been kept out of the book and absolutely nothing would have changed, and it's pretty clear that it was written just to add to the kill count. Personally, as a horror fan who thinks too many horror stories rely more on gore, kill counts and shock value than on inducing a sense of dread and thrill, I hate scenes like that. Then come the non-sensical part near the end of the book, when the main character's girlfriend goes looking for her and gets caught up in the horror. We've seen the villains having no qualms about killing everyone who crosses their path, but the main character's girlfriend is left alive by villains twice, just so the main character has to stick around and confront the killers after she had already managed to escape the mansion. It feels extremely contrived to the point of ridiculous.
I wanted to like this book, I really did, and I really don't enjoy having to write negative reviews, but I have to be honest. Besides a good setting, I just didn't like this book at all, making me not want to seek out any other books by this author because this first foray into his work was such a disappointment. Honestly, after reading this book, it made me decide on taking a break from horror books for some time, as I've had a lot of bad luck with those for years now.
The main problem with this book is that it takes it simple premise and makes it formulaic to the point of becoming boring. While the setting of an old mansion on a cliff by the ocean in beautiful Scotland is a fantastic setting, the stalking and the kills are dull and devoid of any tension. Likewise, the villains are just the generic deformed cannibals we see in so many slasher movies, and there is nothing interesting or threatening about them. Even worse, their father, who aids them by killing people to feed them, makes no sense as to his motivations or actions. He wants the main group out of his house so they won't be killed and eaten, but then goes out of his way to kill people to feed them, but then at some point he just decides to leave the remaining few to their impending doom and just drives off a cliff, and it's so out of nowhere and jarring that it comes across as ridiculous.
The book becomes even worse in regards to the characters, because there's barely any likable ones in this bunch. Almost every single character is so absolutely odious in one way or another that it becomes irritating to read, and I know many people say slasher genre victims are supposed to be unlikable so the viewer/reader can root for the killer, but I disagree; I don't want to root for any killer, I want to care about the people who are in danger, I want to be invested in their fates. When they're this painfully unlikable, I don't look forward to them getting killed, I just put the book down because it's so annoying to read. it's why it took me literal weeks to get through this book.
Another thing that really didn't work for me at all where some parts that felt so badly conceived. One scene introduces us to a teenage girl, we learn she's had a horrible life, and then she instantly gets killed; this whole entire scene could've been kept out of the book and absolutely nothing would have changed, and it's pretty clear that it was written just to add to the kill count. Personally, as a horror fan who thinks too many horror stories rely more on gore, kill counts and shock value than on inducing a sense of dread and thrill, I hate scenes like that. Then come the non-sensical part near the end of the book, when the main character's girlfriend goes looking for her and gets caught up in the horror. We've seen the villains having no qualms about killing everyone who crosses their path, but the main character's girlfriend is left alive by villains twice, just so the main character has to stick around and confront the killers after she had already managed to escape the mansion. It feels extremely contrived to the point of ridiculous.
I wanted to like this book, I really did, and I really don't enjoy having to write negative reviews, but I have to be honest. Besides a good setting, I just didn't like this book at all, making me not want to seek out any other books by this author because this first foray into his work was such a disappointment. Honestly, after reading this book, it made me decide on taking a break from horror books for some time, as I've had a lot of bad luck with those for years now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2019
This was a heck of a fun read. I picked it up on the recommendation of Mother Horror, and wasn't disappointed. I went into it knowing it would be a total gore fest. It was perfectly paced, with interesting characters you're either rooting for or can't wait for them to meet their demise. I also loved all the tidbits about the joys of being on set - the personalities and egos and petty fights. The book was a quick read, because I kept wanting to know what happened next.
One other excellent note about this book - Sodergren has added in here a short side story that deals with the exploitation of women on set. I really appreciated finding this gem in here, woven seamlessly and treated with truth and care. We're in the head of Elspeth, the set designer, and read her trains of thought on the matter. I felt like this was an excellent addition to an already enjoyable slasher horror book.
Sodergren's an excellent writer, and I'm excited to read more from him.
One other excellent note about this book - Sodergren has added in here a short side story that deals with the exploitation of women on set. I really appreciated finding this gem in here, woven seamlessly and treated with truth and care. We're in the head of Elspeth, the set designer, and read her trains of thought on the matter. I felt like this was an excellent addition to an already enjoyable slasher horror book.
Sodergren's an excellent writer, and I'm excited to read more from him.
November 13, 2020
Pretty decent monster mash of a horror which steadily builds tension until a horrific cinematic ending. The characters do just enough to be entertaining but it’s the gory detail which makes this a must read for fans of the genre. Think Richard Laymon’s THE CELLAR and Guy N Smith’s CANNIBALS and you’ll have a good idea as to what to expect.
April 21, 2020
5 stars - full review to come
Displaying 1 - 30 of 484 reviews