Violet

by Scott Thomas, Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

In the lineage of Peter Straub's Julia, Scott Thomas’ Violet is the disturbing tale of a woman haunted by her long-abandoned imaginary friend.

For many children, the summer of 1988 was filled with sunshine and laughter. But for ten-year-old Kris Barlow, it was her chance to say goodbye to her dying mother.

Three decades later, loss returns—her husband killed in a car accident. And so, Kris goes home to the place where she first knew pain—to that summer house overlooking the crystal waters of Lost Lake. It’s there that Kris and her eight-year-old daughter will make a stand against grief.

But a shadow has fallen over the quiet lake town of Pacington, Kansas. Beneath its surface, an evil has grown—and inside that home where Kris Barlow last saw her mother, an old friend awaits her return.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Adult, Paranormal, Mystery, Horror Thriller

Audible Audio

First published September 24, 2019

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Reviews

[Felicia]

DNF 26%

The writing is so detailed it's painful. Every single move is chronicled and I'm so bored I can't take it anymore.

I feel like I'm reading a script.

Here's a sample:

"She did a quick pass over her bottom teeth and spat a bubbly mixture of toothpaste and saliva into the sink. Cupping a hand under the faucet, she slurped cool water into her mouth. She spat the water out and rinsed the sink before turning the faucet off."

THE ENTIRE STORY IS LIKE THIS.

I mean, a simple "She brushed her teeth." would have sufficed. Amiright?

At 26%, one day has passed that consisted of cleaning house. Imagine the amount of detail involved in describing a house cleaning. Ugh.



I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grieving mother.

A lonely daughter.

An imaginary friend that just won't go away.

In 1988, Kris Barlow watched her mother die. It wasn't a terrible murder, but the slow and inevitable progression of disease.

Her father thought that bringing them to the simple and gorgeous lake house would help ease the passing. It didn't.

And when, thirty years later, Kris's husband passes...she returns to the now-dilapidated house with her young daughter.

However, the town holds a chilling secret. One that will threaten everything Kris has ever known.

Whew. This one was quite the spook-tober read!

I absolutely loved the way this story was crafted.

There were quite a few times that I was absolutely CERTAIN that I knew the direction this book was taking, only to be completely blindsided by the character's actions. (I loved it).

Kris was a realistic and compelling main character. Her daughter felt so real.

And Violet? I was never sure about Violet but at the same time, I couldn't look away.

I loved the way Thomas blended grief with horror - it was terrifying and gripping throughout.

With thanks to Scott Thomas and Inkshares for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

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[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about this story and the way Thomas writes just leaves me with a deep, down disquieting feeling. I will say that 2 books into this author, and I feel he knows what's up. His first book was messed up from the start. This? Honestly, if it were almost, any other author I'd have quit. That would have been real stupid on my end. I did have the heebie, jeebies! Not too big a deal! But, dude..when my short hairs stand straight up, that does it! Now y'all don't know me, but I have hair on my head That's it! When I say my short hairs have stood up, that means that I'm so scarified, that I've found an unknown region of hairs!!! LOL! O.K, that's a lie, but just barely! Maybe! Also, my thanks to the author, Inkshares Press, "whom I'm keeping my beastly eye on," and also Netgalley! Still, Inkshares have been coming on strong lately. We'll see how that goes.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Cemetery Dance Sept. 24th, 2019
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
Did Scott Thomas peek inside our horror-loving brains while we weren’t looking and use what he found there to write the most appealing book just for us? He might have. In fact, the more I sit here with all my review notes, the more I’m convinced he overheard us talking about all our favorite things to read about and he used ALL OF THEM in this one book: Violet.

Of course, I’m kidding. It’s abundantly clear that Scott Thomas just intuitively knows what horror fans want. His debut novel, Kill Creek, is evidence of that.

Last year, Kill Creek descended upon us like a madman wielding a knife. There was nothing any of us could do but willingly fall victim to the story—let it swallow us whole and leave us wanting more. Violet could very well be the most anticipated horror novel of 2019, and with such high expectations, is it even possible Scott Thomas could deliver? It’s this reader’s opinion that he more than delivered—he managed to set the bar even higher.

Violet opens with the description of an idyllic small town named Pacington. It might not be the wholesome, quaint vacation destination it appears to be. Perhaps something sinister resides here. As soon as we meet our protagonist, Kris Barlow, and her story begins to unfold, I got some serious slow-burning, gothic horror vibes.

Kris is a woman suffering through immense emotional trauma and grief. She is taking an extended holiday away from work to bring her daughter Sadie to her childhood summer house in Pacington. To the average reader, this doesn’t sound like a recipe for Kris to wind up with sustained mental health and well-being, but to the seasoned horror fan, this is the perfect set up for delicious horror. An unstable protagonist trying to overcome the nightmarish pain of unbearable grief in a suspicious town with a dark past? Unputdownable nightmare fuel.

This is where I must talk about how satisfying it is to read about characters restoring old, abandoned, spooky buildings. It is pure joy to read about the floors getting scrubbed clean, cobwebs coming down, windows getting washed—all the while knowing in the back of your mind that none of this surface-level restoration can fix a paranormal infestation or mental disrepair.

But it is entertaining to be a fly on the wall as the characters seem very distracted by all their hard work. The creeping dread and tension continue to grow, fester, and rot around the edges of this story until the reader is held in captivated suspension until the very last page. Violet has some of the most compelling storytelling I’ve read in a long time.

My favorite parts are when Kris and Sadie venture into town to get ice cream or make a trip to the bookstore—the encounters she has with the locals are like gathering up the author’s breadcrumbs. I savored every bit of mystery and intrigue.

Is it too soon to start pining away for the next Scott Thomas book? Not for this fan. I’m here for whatever fresh horror this author conjures up for his readers.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to give this a 4.5 but since there was a senseless, graphic death of a horse, I’m giving it a 3.5. This is the way I’m doing things now, I don’t care what anyone thinks. The end of that.

I loved the characters in the book and the whole town and atmosphere in general. It’s a slow burn, so if that’s your thing, you will be fine.

The creepy handprints on the window got me right off the bat.

They were handprints. Countless little handprints.

They were on the inside. Tens. Hundreds. Thousands of handprints. Small, like a child’s.

Kris stared at the layers of little handprints covering the glass, and the skin on the back of her neck prickled.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book but for that one part. It’s sad as well.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars!

VIOLET is the second major release from Scott Thomas. The first being KILL CREEK, which I adored. I liked this book as well, but not quite as much.

Kris Barlow and her daughter Sadie have recently suffered a tragedy that will change their lives forever. Sadie has now gone from a lively young girl to a quiet withdrawn one. In an effort to take their minds off things, Kris decides that they will spend their summer at a cabin on Lost Lake where she used to go as a child with her parents. They discover the home in a serious state of disrepair which keeps them busy for a while and Kris begins to see positive changes in Sadie's behavior. When they go into town, though, they get strange looks; one townie even tells Kris she needs to keep a close eye on her daughter in this town. Not long after that, back at the cabin Kris hears Sadie talking and giggling and thinks she is finally on the road to recovery. But is she really? Will they get the emotional healing they were seeking? Why were the townsfolk acting so strangely? You'll have to read VIOLET to find out!

I love a slow burning story, (see my reviews of Straub's GHOST STORY and/or Thomas Tryon's HARVEST HOME), and this one does start off slowly-but I was all hey, no worries, it's cool. But about 100 pages later I wasn't finding it so cool. Don't get me wrong, time was spent describing the town and its residents, (fine) the complicated goings on within the Barlow family, (fine), but the incredibly detailed sanding of the deck and the cleaning of rooms? Not so much.

If I set that aside and just focus on the family mysteries and how they unfurled, I feel more satisfied. Mr. Thomas had me intrigued with the story, which is why I kept going, but even in that area, I felt like it took too long for anything of substance to happen. Lots of teasers and a little foreshadowing will only hold me for so long. When the action did start though, I was glued and I dug the denouement in a BIG WAY(!), I just felt like it took too long to get there and It pains me to say it.

One thing that worked for me on all levels is the music featured. (Kris finds an old mix tape and plays it almost continuously when working on or in the cabin). For me, even when the music wasn't mentioned, I was still hearing it in my mind, playing behind the scenes I was witnessing. I thought that was done deftly and I appreciate the skill required for it to blend in the way it did.

I seem to be in the minority on this book as most of my reviewing clan seem to have loved it. All I can say is, please remember this is just my opinion, and if you were thinking of giving VIOLET a try, please do! I probably just read it wrong. I DO recommend this book, in spite of the things I've mentioned, but I was hoping so hard to LOVE it, and it just didn't happen.

Recommended!

*Thank you to Inkshares and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

[Chris Berko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this book does not just get pigeon-holed as a horror novel, I hope that this gets a wider audience than just readers of the genre because while it is a very suspenseful and at times scary book, it is also so much more than that. I loved this authors first book Kill Creek and was very excited when I was given the chance to read and review an arc copy of this. This is a book about friendship and family ties and ultimately, loss. It's also about survival. What people do and tell themselves to get by when the crap is hitting the fan with the realization that the world won't stop turning because you need it to and that life goes on whether or not you want it to.
Right from the onset you know that the characters are going through it. From the beginning you know that they are running from something, trying to regroup, and get themselves back to some sense of normalcy. This setup is what made the book for me in terms of connecting with the characters and making me care for them and about what was going on. And I think without the time spent doing this the ending would not have been as impactful nor as emotional. All these different things were happening and backstories were filled in and all the while it seemed like I, as the reader, was circling the drain, sinking slowly but gaining momentum towards the finale. And what a grand finale it was! Everything came together in such a spectacular and satisfying way I just might have had tears in my eyes. (might have, because men don't cry)
I also loved the way the author used music to set the tone and mood throughout. As the main character listened to old mix tapes her mom had made I was able to hear these songs in my head as I knew and loved most of them myself and it totally added to my overall enjoyment and appreciation of the book. It was little things like this that set this one apart for me, the little added details that might not have been necessary to further the plot but made the story all the more vivid for their inclusion.
Violet made me laugh, it made me sad, it also scared the crap out of me. The book made me feel pity and disgust but also relief and happiness. Violet is a fast paced book without a wasted page and no time was spent with meaningless fodder or filler. Total reading enjoyment is to be found in here and I give this my highest recommendation possible.

I want to thank Inkshares and Netgalley for providing me the arc of this but that in no way impacted my opinion or review.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Thomas’ first release, Kill Creek, was already on my radar due to the insanely positive reviews I have seen from many a trusted horror reviewer so I was delighted to win a giveaway, run by the publisher, for this book. It is safe to say his sophmore release equally measures up!

Little Krissy grew up with her summers spent at her family’s lake house. She holds fond memories of her time there, only slightly tainted by the memories of her concluding summer and her mother’s early demise to cancer.

Despite the decades that have past since then, grown-up Kris is hoping the lakeside house will provide the same restorative powers for her eight-year-old daughter, Sadie, who is struggling to cope after the death of her father. The house, the town, and the lake this whole story centres around, has other ideas for them, however…

Despite slightly slower in delivering the chills I had anticipated (although the last third had these in abundance!), this story captivated me from the first page. The grief felt by both mother and daughter was potent and I felt drawn to their sorrow. They both, however, retained hopeful hearts and it was this light that I clung to through the depths of despair and dread that the author repeatedly plunged the duo into.

The mysterious elements of this storyline were instantly heightened due to the repeated instances of foreboding foreshadowing. Secrets and lies abound, history refuses to remain buried, and there is a whisper heard in the darkness who is calling for Sadie to come out and play…

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIOLET is the second full length novel I have read by author Scott Thomas. This is most definitely a character driven novel, with emotional attachment that you can feel from the start. The atmosphere is already building from the very first page, as well as the intense characterization.

Kris Barlow and her young daughter, Sadie, have just suffered the traumatic loss of their husband/father in an accident. While Kris' feelings are understandably and realistically torn between her own emotions, finances, and adjustment, she also has to shoulder the grief of her daughter. This is the most challenging, as Sadie lapses into a near-silent, joyless existence--no longer the carefree, fun-loving child she used to be.

". . . once you went into the darkness, you never came out . . . Like the hole in the ground . . . that daddy lived in now."

Kris makes the decision to move them to a summer home, that was left to her by her father, called "River's End", near Lost Lake, in Kansas. Thinking a complete change of scenery will help her daughter to heal, she recalls fond memories of her own youthful summers spent there.

"She had first glimpsed the sparkling ripples playing across the lake's surface when she was four . . . in 1982 . . . the town had been a quaint lakeside resort for over two decades. That was the Pacington she remembered."

However, the decades between her last summer there, and their current visit, have not been so kind to the dying town.

"The house looked like a crumbling headstone on a forgotten grave . . ."

I'm not even sure where to begin with how well written, and all consuming this novel was. Thomas shows us the personalities and feelings of our main characters not all at once, but with a gradual progression through each and every page. There is nothing "forced" upon the reader. Rather, I found myself magnetized by the simple, everyday things that Kris and Sadie did--whether it was cleaning up the neglected lakeside house, or merely shopping for supplies. Each detail meant something to me, and revealed a bit more of our characters' mindsets at a leisurely pace.

". . . Sometimes it is easier not to know. Life is happier lived in ignorance . . . "

That is not to say that the story felt "slow", as each minute spent reading had me more invested in the Barlow's "new life" and healing process.

A process that was multi-layered and more complex than I had first expected.

Even as Kris tried to keep the unpleasant memories of her past mentally buried, it's felt through all of her thoughts, words, and actions. The town she recalls from her youth has changed, and yet it's like a psychological puzzle that she no longer has all the pieces to.

". . . That town, it's real. But what you've got in your head, the way you remember it when you were ten, the town you haven't let change . . . "

The town itself is almost a character in its own right. Outwardly separate from Kris' healing intentions, it is nonetheless tethered to her by invisible strings that are never overtly shown. Even the knowledge of some unfortunate happenings in the years since she had last been there, don't seem to reel her in. Although the fact that others have had their share of suffering, does bring her closer to accepting that she is not alone when it comes to grief.

". . . There was something comforting in knowing that you were not the only one being unfairly punished by fate . . . "

As the novel progresses, and simple things begin feeling somehow more . . . wrong . . . the pacing continues to feel natural, despite the mounting unease. In a case like this, I would normally find myself frantic for the action--and answers--to pick up, yet in this tale, I was so completely "one" with the narrative, that I couldn't have thought of changing anything if I tried. Thomas had me fully immersed in the world he had created.

". . . a puzzle from her past was falling into place whether she liked it or not."

Even as things with young Sadie began to rapidly change, I was in no hurry to get to the end of the book. I merely wanted to continue gliding along with the flow.

"There are some things that are meant to be left buried . . . "

Overall, I felt that while this was indisputably a horror novel, there were so many elements of sub-genres included that I felt I was getting a taste of everything. I connected strongly with the psychological aspects, the mystery, deepening suspense, emotional upheavals, memory repression, danger, and acceptance.

". . . The pieces had fallen into place, even the ones she had tried so hard to hide from herself . . . "

This was a novel of discovery in a myriad of forms; of the response to grief, guilt, and so many more complex combinations of emotions.

"People heal in different ways."

From the dramatic, yet leisurely beginning, to the jaw-dropping revelations and questions brought to the foreground near the end, I was completely entranced by this novel each and every page of the journey. This is a book that you simply have to read for yourself to full appreciate.

". . . the hardest truth life has to offer: happiness is not guaranteed . . . "

Highly recommended!

**Available NOW!**
https://amzn.to/2lkWeWK

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
A Slow Burning Piece of Psychological Horror Fiction
Video Review: https://youtu.be/ODTAANDOY0w

Sometimes you read a book at just the right time. This was certainly the case with Violet. After reading too many horror stories with weak writing and flat characters, I was finding myself burnt out by the genre that I love so much. Picking up Violet was the perfect remedy to my reading slump. If I had read this book years ago, I honestly might not have appreciated it as much as I did reading it now. In the past, I often preferred a fast paced plot over character development or good prose. Thankfully, my reading tastes have evolved over time and I have come to enjoy slower, more literary stories.

This was a wonderful piece of quiet horror that explored universal themes of grief that could easily appeal to readers who do not normally read horror. At its core, this was a very character driven story, focused on the relationship between a mother and daughter as they attempted to heal their emotional pain. Both characters felt well developed with realistic responses to their loss. 

The horror elements in this one took a while to show up and were quite subtle when they finally did emerge. While I personally did not find this one scary, but I was still completely immersed in the narrative. The horror in this one was primarily psychological since the story was told from the perspective of a potentially unreliable character. For most of the story, the horror of the story was quite ambiguous, which is something I personally really enjoy reading in the genre. 

The author has a very descriptive writing style, which certainly slowed the pace of the narrative. The actions of characters were recounted in such detail that it made for a slow burning reading experience. As someone who typically prefers shorter horror fiction, this was a bit longer than the stories I normally pick up. Yet, I never found the story bloated or boring. Instead, I was immersed in the entire time. The narrative pace did pick up in the final section of the novel. I stayed up way too late reading those last few chapters. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that the narrative built to a gripping climax with a satisfying ending. 

Readers will undoubtedly try to compare Violet to the author’s debut novel, Kill Creek. However, these two novels are very different from each other. While I have not personally read Kill Creek (yet), I feel that I know enough to compare the two books. As I understand, Kill Creek was much more fast paced with meta horror elements that were not present in Violet. I appreciate an author who demonstrates range in their writing, because I do want to read the same story over and over again. 

This was my first time reading Scott Thomas, but it certainly won’t be my last. I was very impressed by his storytelling abilities as he pulled me into this emotional narrative. I would highly recommend this one to readers who appreciate subtle psychological horror, fully fleshed out characters, and well crafted stories. 

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been days since I finished this book and I’m still processing it. It was absolutely BLOODY brilliant! I feel like it touched my soul and I’m left scarred in the best, most beautiful way possible and that is truly how reading is supposed to make you feel. Hats off to Scott Thomas for writing one of the best horror novels I’ve ever read, truly! Though it has horror in abundance and gave me shivers all down my back at certain points and made me want to sleep with the lights on, it’s also so much more than that. It’s a beautiful and emotional story about grief and loss and it felt like I was living through the heartbreak with our two main characters. I could go on and on about how brilliant this book is but just do yourself a favour and go out and buy it and fall in love with it like I did!

[exorcismemily]

Unfortunately, I've decided to DNF Violet. I gave it over 100 pages, and it's not working for me. I loved Kill Creek, so I was really looking forward to Violet. It feels very overwritten with a lot of unnecessary details - it's almost like an attempt at writing a King-style book, but it's just too much. There are 15 pages about cleaning a house, and also a detailed section with a back-and-forth conversation with a server when ordering food. It's extremely slow-paced, and I can't do it for 300+ more pages. I was interested in the synopsis, but I can't connect with the book itself.

[Helen Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis
When Kris’s husband dies, she decides to take her daughter, Sadie, to stay at the summer cottage her family used to visit when she was a little girl.  But things aren't quite as idyllic as Kris remembers.  The cottage is run down and uncared for.  The town of Pacington has had a string of missing girls.  Strangely, Sadie isn’t at all upset to be spending her summer in a creepy house in the middle of nowhere far from all her friends.  She’s made a new friend--an imaginary one. A little girl named Violet, who is suspiciously similar to the imaginary friend that Kris had when she stayed at this cottage twenty years ago…

Plot
The concept of this novel is simple, yet brilliant.  Unfortunately, because of this, there aren’t many twists in the plot that aren’t immediately given away by the blurb on the back of the book. Despite this, the book is all about the journey. It’s about following Kris as she struggles to understand what is happening, even if the reader already knows or suspects what is going on.

Unlike Kill Creek, Scott Thomas’s debut novel, Violet is far more literary, and, as a result, it is much slower paced.  There are many flashbacks to when Kris was a little girl staying in this house, filling in the gaps in her memories which have faded over the years.  The prose is powerful and gripping, and the setting and characters are so well-described that I could perfectly envision Kris and Sadie stepping out of the car and approaching their new home.

I did write down in my notes that at the very beginning of the novel, I found the writing to be somewhat muddled. It felt like a train of thought—hard to follow if you’re outside of the writer’s head.  It was also so literary that it didn’t at all feel like a horror novel until a quarter of the way through. It felt like Kris and Sadie were genuinely going to spend the summer at a cottage and that they would find themselves, not the horrors that awaited them.  There were a few somewhat ominous events towards the beginning of the book, but, unfortunately, I think a little more action earlier on would have made the first half more engaging for the novel’s intended reader (horror readers!).

The legend of the missing girls adds a delightfully foreboding atmosphere throughout the novel.  The history surrounding the town is just as important as the present-day events.  That said, Violet isn’t as scary as Thomas’s debut. However, the emphasis on character development and building the relationship between Kris and Sadie really made me genuinely fear for both of their safety.

Characters
As a result of the emphasis on flashbacks and introspection, Kris is a well-fleshed out, three-dimensional character.  We mostly see Sadie through Kris’s eyes, although the little girl occasionally gets scenes from her point of view.  I would have liked to have seen a little more from her perspective. At one point we get a flashback from Sadie’s POV to when Kris had mocked her creepy doll. Sadie had been deeply hurt by this. I particularly enjoyed this scene—as it clearly showed the contrast between who Kris is, who she believes herself to be, and how her daughter perceives her.  I would have liked more of these types of reflections from Sadie’s point of view, instead of the emphasis on Kris’s.

Everyone in Pacington has a realistic small-town vibe to them, which is accompanied by a mysteriousness that is quite subtle.  As I read the novel, I got the sense that everyone seems to know more than they let on about the missing girls.  That paranoia stoked in me as the reader perfectly mirrors Kris’s own paranoia and depression, as she spirals downward into her delusions (but are they delusions?).



I definitely recommend this book to those who want to read a gripping literary horror novel. This might even be a perfect gateway book for those who prefer literary works and are hoping to explore the horror genre.



*Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for the advanced reader copy for review*

This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/

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My 2019 Reading Challenge

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going to do something I don't normally do and that is to comment on the physical appeal of the book itself. In this age of modern technology the pages of this book actually have the feel of ages gone by. The texture feels good in my hands and when you look at the edge of the pages they are all sort of shredded like they were torn from a sheet one by one and fastened to the spine of the book. I don't know about you, but that really is a turn on for my book fetish!

As for the authors writing ability, I have to admit that his use of metaphors fill the pages of this book from one end to the other. I really got a kick out of his referring to a lineup of empty beer cans as a redneck Stonehenge. Unfortunately, this very bit of wit on the author's part made my finishing of this work a lot of work. I kept looking to see how many more pages were left.

I had two problems with this story. For one thing, parts of it reminder me of a movie I once saw, so that took some of the fun out of it for me for I had an inkling of what might transpire. Maybe it was a movie, I don't know. If it was, I probably rated it the same as this book. The reason being as follows.

I never connected with the main character. When ever I am watching a horror movie about the paranormal or supernatural and one of the first things the main character does is pop pills I say. "Oh great! Everyone is going to wonder if it in her head or not?" Our character here pops pills, but they are prescribed, so that is ok. (Wink, wink!) The other thing is, how many times does a kid have to say "We" when she is playing by herself before mom gets the hint?

Well, I tried not to give away too many spoilers. If I did, blame it on my pills or the voices in my head.

I won this book in a giveaway and I shall give it away and hope the next person enjoys it more than I and tells their friends.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book…I should have researched it more. Specifically, I should have double checked the page count. Because in paperback form it’s erroneously listed as 300 on GR. In Kindle form it is correctly listed at 446. And I only really had 300 pages worth of interest in it. Which, frankly, should be more than enough to tell a story. Especially a story that isn’t all that elaborate or original. A story about a 41 year old newly widowed woman who takes her 8 year old daughter back to her childhood’s vacation cabin only to discover that something evil lurks around and it’s been hungrily awaiting her return. Creepy dying small towns, disappearing kids, evil presences, hunky sheriff, weird locals…all been done. And the author doesn’t really improve on it so much as he overwrites it. Which it to say, boy, does this book need slimming down. It’s dangerously fat. American fat. It can barely move. It barely does. It’s so slow, it might be standing still or even sliding backwards. Yes, I understand that this isn’t meant to be a whambam thank you m’am guts and gore driven sort of thing, the frights here are literary and I very much appreciate the fact, but the stylistically languid pacing almost never lets the action to elevate itself above general tepidness. The thing that stood out at first was author’s overfondness for metaphors and later, and possibly just because I became accustomed to that quirk, the narrative dragged at every given moment. Every single action no matter how irrelevant was described in the tediously minute detail. It really did read like the man was getting paid by the word. So many unnecessary words. Sure, one needs to take the time to create an appropriately dark and eerie atmosphere for the characters to get mired in and one needs to take the time to develop the characters for the reader to care about, but it shouldn’t be done quite this leisurely. This took forever. To be fair I am generally against overly long books and I value succinctness of storytelling greatly, but some stories deserve and merit extra pages and that’s ok, because usually they make up for it with world building, originality, spectacular writing…something. But this wasn’t the case here, this book just dragged because it was bloated. And as such it made for a tediously slow, laborious read and the general impression was that of being underwhelmed. Mind you, it isn’t by any means a terrible book, it’s competently plotted, decently written, literary….but it is a heavy slog and personally I didn’t find it to be worth the time it took to wade through. In fact, pretty sure this might have been an exciting dynamic 300 page story stretched out without mercy or need over 446 ages. Thanks Netgalley.

[Kate♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5stars

I picked this up thinking it would give me "Imaginary Friend" vibes but instead I got "The Ring" vibes.

This was still VERY good but a bit predictable and banking on some pretty typical tropes. BUT it was incredibly entertaining and the twists it did take were GREAT. Really enjoyed it.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have tried to read this book THREE different times now. It's not even entertaining via audiobook, and that's saying something to me. I got almost 200 pages in and DNF'd it because absolutely NOTHING had happened yet. I totally understand a good slow-burn mystery, but this was just ridiculous in how slowly everything developed. I'm certain this book could have been half its' length and it would still cover all of its major plot lines. I may go back to this one on a rainy day, as I have it in both formats, but as of now there are just too many good books out there I want to read....

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn that satisfied my longing for summer horror vibes!!

[Tucker Almengor]

Many thanks to Inkshares for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

fine. that's not a violet. don't @ me

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[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violet is a great follow up to Kill Creek but it is a very different book and I think that is a beautiful thing. Kill Creek featured many characters creating all sorts of chaos and mayhem while Violet is much more of an intimate read about grief, trauma and the danger of burying memories so far inside that they begin to leak out in the most dangerous of ways.

You’re going to have to be in a certain frame of mind to read this one. It is a slow burning, atmospheric read, very detailed, character oriented read and it takes its own sweet time building up the scenes and the characters and slowly revealing all of its secrets. This worked well for me because I had some time on my hands and I was ready for some creeping dread and Violet delivers.

After a life-altering, trauma causing event, Kris returns to her childhood lake house hoping to help her daughter heal emotionally and find her way back to being a happy child again. Kris has only fond memories of the summer home that helped her family through her mother’s losing bout with cancer. But memories are tricky things . . . The house in serious disarray when they arrive because it has been left to rot. There’s a reason for this, of course, but I am not going to tell you what it is. Kris begins to restore things to their previous glory, keeping herself and her daughter busy, but as she starts chatting up the locals, she soon learns that something very unsettling has been happening in the idyllic town and she realizes that bringing her daughter here wasn’t such a great idea.

“The house looked like a crumbling headstone on a forgotten grave.”

If I had one word to describe this story it would have to be unnervingly-heartbreaking. Okay that’s two words connected by a dash but it’s my review and I will always do what I want, haha. Eerie moments fill this book and create a sense of unease that builds and builds until you just might be seeing dark things in the corner of your room, under your bed or in the closet. Seriously, read this with all the lights on because it creeped me out in a way that most things don’t. I think it was because of the slow, slow build and the tiny terrible moments that kept occurring in-between the daily grind of refinishing a home. It gets under your skin after a while.

If you’re in the mood for a character driven, spooky story and have some hours free, give it a go. It has a little mystery, a lot of emotion, characters that feel like real people and some very haunting imagery.

4 1/2 Stars

Content warning behind the spoiler tag:
CW: Be warned there are some very terrible, gut-wrenching things that happen here. Both to children and an animal. I was pre-warned before going in and I am THANKFUL for that because I would not want to stumble on that stuff unawares.

[Aaron Nash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Scott Thomas debut novel so I was really looking forward to this one. It bought a fresh take on the haunted house narrative and had plenty of great set pieces, twists, and turns. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for this, his second novel.

The problem it has is that for literally the first fifty percent nothing happens. Instead the novel follows a woman and her daughter, who have suffered a tragedy and decide to move back to the lake house the mother stayed in when she was young, to try for a fresh start. And that’s it. The first half of the novel basically follows them both as they shop for supplies, drive around the town, clean. Oh boy do they clean. Every miniscule detail is described, and I mean EVERYTHING. Imagine reading a passage about a hot day and the author mentions that a fan was spinning in a room. Well then imagine that the fan is described. How tall it is, how many settings it has, the blades whirring, the air it’s giving off. That is this novel and it is a chore to get through. I almost gave up but because I enjoyed Scott’s debut so much I decided to keep on reading.

Thankfully it picks up the last thirty percent or so but by then it’s too late. There are a few scares, but it’s not very original and I was happy when I finished. 2 stars for the relationship between the mother and daughter and the mystery of the missing girls.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You know, you ought to keep an eye on a little girl like that in this town.”

Kill Creek was one of my favourite reads of 2017 and I have been eagerly anticipating another Scott Thomas book ever since. When I saw the listing for Violet on NetGalley I jabbed that ‘Request’ button so hard it wouldn’t have surprised me to find an index finger shaped crack in my iPad screen. I was so excited about this book but I didn’t fall in love with it like I was supposed to and as a result I’ve spent the past fortnight dreading writing this review.

I still really want you to read Kill Creek and I hope that you love this book too. I want to be wrong about Violet. I want the problem to be me, not the book. However, I have some problems with this book that would have prevented me from reading beyond the first 10% if I hadn’t committed to reviewing it.

“There is something wrong with this place.”

While Scott’s debut was deliciously creepy and plot driven, with a group of horror writers attempting to survive Finch House (this house was my favourite character!), Violet is more atmospheric, an exploration of grief across time and its impacts upon multiple characters. I don’t usually mind novels where a slow burn gradually builds into a cataclysm of sorts but I found the set up too drawn out here. There were some nibbles along the ways but most of the payoff came after my interest had faded.

Her abuse of prescription medication chased down with a lot of alcohol, combined with the grief of her recent loss and snatches of memories of a more distant one, made Kris an unreliable narrator. This, along with her additional voices, those of Shadow Kris and Timid Kris, made me question whether anything I was reading was actually happening or not. Which parts of the story were real and which were distortions brewed up by a cocktail of trauma, chemicals and the possibility of an undiagnosed mental illness?!

Now, I’m rarely a fan of unreliable narrators in my life, either inside or outside of books, and as a result I never warmed to Kris. I was wary of trusting anything she relayed to me and so I kept her at an emotional distance. I probably would have connected with her daughter, Sadie, but because I saw her mostly through Kris’ eyes I didn’t know what to believe where she was concerned either.

“It is all connected, don’t you see that?”

Some words were used so frequently that I found myself being taken out of the story each time I came across them. By the time I reached 10% I’d considered counting how many times I encountered “like”, “as if” or “as though”. This trio weaved their way throughout the book, sometimes appearing two or three times on a (Kindle) page.

Then there were the descriptions of the house overlooking Lost Lake in general and of the cleaning process. Kris and Sadie need to make the neglected house habitable and the cleaning process was described in such detail that I was tempted to go clean my own home just so I could stop reading about it.

The lake house had helped Kris get through one of the most awful summers of her life. It could do the same for Sadie.

I hate that I felt like I was slogging my way through this book. The tidbits that teased of what was to come would usually have me hooked, poring over every word to make sure I didn’t miss any clues, but it didn’t work that way for me here. I didn’t feel like the story truly started until almost 70% and by then I was drained.

There were some glimpses of the magic that I enjoyed in Kill Creek and I could see myself enjoying a movie adaptation of this story, where the details that felt drawn out in the book could be captured quickly by the camera panning over each room, but overall it didn’t live up to its potential for me.

“Don’t be afraid to remember, Mrs Barlow.”

Despite all of this, I am still looking forward to the next book by this author. Their first book made such an impression on me that I am keen to see what other horrors they’re going to unleash upon my imagination. Maybe if I reread this book when I’m in a different head space I’ll find a new appreciation for it. If that’s the case I’ll definitely be letting you know. Until then I think I’m going to go with the hope that it’s not you, highly anticipated book; it’s me.

Content warnings include painful death of a horse at 57-58%, death of parents from accident and illness, death of children, and abuse of alcohol and prescription medication.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Inkshares for the opportunity to read this book.

[Ellen Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy and sad, Violet was a heck of a good read.

Here's where I have to admit I haven't read Thomas' first novel, Kill Creek. I've heard many good things, and it sounds like something I would genuinely like. But time constraints, you know? My 'books I want to read' vs 'free time I have to read' ratio is not good.
*and in between beginning to write this review and the time I actually finished, I read (and enjoyed!) Kill Creek. Which just proves that I'm currently the slowest reviewer on earth*



Anyway, to move on to a book that I did find time to read, let's talk Violet, a spooky and sad tale of a rotting house, a family trapped by grief, and an imaginary friend who will never leave you.

Kris Barlow is a newly widowed veterinarian, a crockpot of repression and burgeoning addictions. She and her eight year old daughter Sadie have both suffered an unexpected loss - Kris's husband was killed in a car accident. Sadie has hardly said a word since and Kris is barely holding it together.

What better way to heal this shattered family than an impromptu trip to the lakeside vacation home of Kris's childhood!



Sitting on the edge of Lost Lake, and conveniently miles and miles away from painful reminders of what / who they're lost, the house hasn't been their family vacation destination since Kris was 10, the summer her mother lost her battle with cancer.

Turns out, it hasn't been anyone's vacation destination in some time. Kris finds out her father stopped renting it out and denied any upkeep on the place whatsoever. His instructions were to "let it rot."

And rot it has! Kris wasn't expecting a rancid, grimy house on the edge of a town beset by tragedies. It's not exactly how she remembered it as a child. But Sadie is talking! She even wants to play again.

Matter of fact, Sadie's made a new friend. One that will soon force Kris to confront exactly what she's chosen to forget about Lost Lake.



What I liked most about Violet is the pervading sense of loss. Which typing it out feels depressing. But it's honestly not. It's about surviving loss, about life hitting you with the worst it has and finding a way to live on, to cope, to overcome.

It also does a great job of suspense, building the atmosphere and characters so the scares that come later on have solid ground to stand on. Thousands of handprints, tiny doorways, almost inaudible whispers - all creeptastic stuff that lands so much better when you really care about the people it's happening to. And it's easy to care about Kris and Sadie.

And while it's not pants wettingly terrifying, it is consistently creepy and melancholic is a way that follows hit after hit with the story's emotional beats. It manages to be nostalgic and sweet, sad and unnerving, all within pages of each other.

This was also a case of a book being made for me. I fully admit to being a sucker for horror based around family, either born or chosen. Throw in some of the magic of childhood and thematically based scares, and baby, you got a stew going.



Now that I've finally finished this review after trying to write it for nearly a month, let me quickly conclude by saying that Violet is a really solid sophomore effort from Scott Thomas. It's not perfect, but books don't have to be in order for me to get 100% genuine enjoyment out of them. Which I 100% did.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Inkshares for the review copy!

[Carole (Carole's Random Life)]

DNF @ 21%

I am officially going to set this book aside for now. There is nothing wrong with the book but it just doesn't seem to be what I am in the mood to read and I am finding it very easy to set aside. I do hope to get back to it at some point and give it another try.

ARC provided by the publisher.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love! Here’s my review from www.scifiandscary.com

“She imagined the road ending without warning, driving over the edge, plummeting into an infinite nothingness, until her screams became a song for the darkness.”

As only his second published novel, Violet is quite simply masterful. I dug everything about this book from the details to the characters, and of course the plot that sunk its hooks in me and didn’t let go.

This novel boasts a writing style that I found familiar from Thomas’ previous work, Kill Creek; however, it is decidedly different. Here I found lush and highly detailed descriptions that enveloped my reader mind and pulled me through this creepy tale in a binge read I just couldn’t escape from. Nor did I want to. Kill Creek was like watching a film and the details and pacing worked to put on the quite the show. Violet is an immersion. It isn’t just watching events unfold; the extreme attention to detail put me smack in the middle of Kris and Sadie’s lives.

Kris and her daughter Sadie are put through the paces in this novel. Throughout the entire 400+ pages, Thomas made sure both of them acted in ways that were true to the character. Not overdrawn, no stereotypes in sight, these female protagonists are fully developed people, flaws and all. There are a few instances in which I would NOT have behaved as Kris did, but that’s okay. She acted in a manner that matched the grieving, conflicted mess that she was.

This story is a journey. I appreciate that Thomas takes the time to set things up, weave in the back story organically, all the while keeping the focus on the lives of Kris and Sadie. Because we road trip with them, clean with them, cook with them, and so on, we are made more than just observer of their lives. This is crucial when it comes to the creep factor and the reveal – and oh man are both of those in rare form.

TLDR? I loved this book. I really liked Kill Creek, but this one is special to me. What’s next for Scott Thomas? Will his next book follow along the lines of Violet or will it hearken back to Kill Creek? Or will this chameleon subtly change again? I don’t know, but I’ll be here for it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING--I will have to think about this one a while before leaving a review....
ALL the stars!

[Mindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow...

[Amos · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an offensively bloated bore. I wish I had the last few days of my life to live over so the memory of this hollow 433 page clunker would stop haunting me the way the actual story never did. Ugh.....

Zilch Stars


......Ugh....

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/10/08/...

Two years ago, Scott Thomas thrilled and chilled me with Kill Creek, which has become one of my favorite books about haunted houses. Now he has a new novel out, in which he’s whisking readers off to yet another creepy and rundown old home, this time on the placid shores of Lost Lake in rural Pacington, Kansas. Compared to his first novel, Violet is definitely more of a moody affair, toning down the blood and violence in favor of a more psychological horror and paranormal vibe. The result is a slower and more measured approach to storytelling, which requires a fair amount of patience, but the second half makes up for it by regaining momentum with a fast and furious comeback.

As the story opens on the quiet lake town of Pacington, we are introduced to a small community that guards its secrets closely. After all, with the economy already killing the tourism industry, the last thing its residents want is to air their grief. Still, for Kris Barlow, who experienced her own tragedy when she was a little girl in the summer of 1988 at her family’s cottage on Lost Lake where she said goodbye to her mother who died of cancer, the town still holds a sense of beauty and nostalgia. Now, thirty years later, a terrible loss has struck Kris once again, and she has decided to return to Pacington with her 8-year-old daughter Sadie for several months in order to heal from the trauma of what happened. Kris’ father had never sold their property there before he died, and she figured a summer spent by the lake would be the perfect place to escape her problems for a while.

Upon arrival, however, Kris is shocked to see the cottage in a state of neglect and disrepair. Her father had always been such a practical and fastidious man, but for some reason, just prior to his death, he had given strict instructions to the property manager to stop all maintenance on the house and simply let it rot away. Frustrated, Kris decides to fix up the place herself, making it her project for the summer. But soon, she starts hearing disturbing rumors around town, and people seem to act uncomfortable around her especially when they find out she has a young daughter. Sadie herself is as withdrawn as ever, still coming to terms with grief. If anything, coming to Pacington has made her even more guarded and distant, and Kris has started catching her daughter talking aloud to herself, or responding to a voice that isn’t there…

So, while Violet is technically a book with several acts, in essence it really boils down to two distinct halves—the first, dragging half where nothing much happens; and the second, more intense half where suddenly, everything becomes insane. As usual with such cases, I just wish there had been a better balance. For the first two hundred pages or so, the narrative revolved around the minutiae of moving to a new town and more detail than you could ever want about fixing up a decrepit old house. I got the feeling Scott Thomas badly wanted to give Pacington and the cottage at Lost Lake a sense of place, making the setting as much a main character as the novel’s human protagonists, but unfortunately it didn’t really work out that way. Instead, we got all the particulars but that not much substance. While I understood the purpose of showing the state of the town and of the house, the level of description carried things well past this point into frustration territory. I mean, there’s only so much of the trivialities of deck sanding, house cleaning, or yard work that I can take.

That said, the second half of the book was another story—and I mean that in every sense. The plot finally got down to the business of making things happen, and instead of focusing on the house, we got to learn more about the characters themselves. For one thing, we found out why Kris’ childhood at Lost Lake mattered, as well as how some of her past experiences paralleled Sadie’s. More detail was also revealed about why mother and daughter escaped their home in Colorado in order to hide out at Pacington in the first place. All this was juicy information I wish the author had introduced a little earlier, as it would have improved the earlier sections of the book. The second half of Violet was amazing, however. Thomas delivered all the mystery and terror that was promised, and while I still can’t understand why he took so long, I’m glad the late revelations and strong ending made this novel all worth it.

Audiobook Comments: Any long-time audiobook listener would have probably heard of Cassandra Campbell, but it has been a while since I’ve listened to something she narrated and Violet reminded me all the reasons why I love her voices. Her variety of tones and accents makes the town of Pacington feel alive with different people, and she’s also definitely got her “horror movie little girl voice” down! All told, I’m pleased I also got to experience this story in audio because the format added quite a bit of depth and immersion. Recommended.

[Octavia (ReadsWithDogs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violet is beautifully written! Very lush and illustrative writing in a Stephen King style where descriptions go on for paragraphs but allow you to completely fall into the story.

Violet gave me Babadook vibes and it is also similar in the way that the real monster of the story is grief and how it fucking destroys you more than you can even realize.

There were so many touching moments that the slow looming dread felt far away and then suddenly it was right beside you and breathing on your neck!

Kris went a bit manic at times and I kept forgetting how old Sadie was supposed to be because she seemed wise beyond her years and yet creepy in that way children can be: giggling at nothing and making you look over your shoulder.

4.5 stars in all because the monster is real, the horror is subtle, but the pacing is a bit slow.