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The Pope Lick Massacre #1
The Pope Lick Massacre
There are two types of people in Jefferson County: those who know the legend of the Pope Lick Monster and those who believe it. Before the night is over, Sam will have no choice but to join the believers.
Since their mother’s death, Sam’s sole focus has been taking care of her younger brother, Kenny. Now Kenny’s Scout troop is missing, having never returned from the woods around Pope Lick. Sam gathers a group of friends to search for the boys and their Scoutmaster. With each step, they get closer to discovering the scouts aren’t the only ones in the woods this night.
“The Pope Lick Massacre is a bold, brutal horror story that’ll remain in your mind long after you read it. This book is not for the faint of heart.” –Independent Book Review
Since their mother’s death, Sam’s sole focus has been taking care of her younger brother, Kenny. Now Kenny’s Scout troop is missing, having never returned from the woods around Pope Lick. Sam gathers a group of friends to search for the boys and their Scoutmaster. With each step, they get closer to discovering the scouts aren’t the only ones in the woods this night.
“The Pope Lick Massacre is a bold, brutal horror story that’ll remain in your mind long after you read it. This book is not for the faint of heart.” –Independent Book Review
263 pages, Paperback
Published May 8, 2020
37 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Eric Butler
45 books198 followersI'm an indie Horror writer who lives deep in the heart of Texas. When I'm not writing novels and stories for anthologies, I'm doing the bidding of 3 adorable huskies. I've been married for over 20 years and have a teenager in the house, so I won't be running out of horror material for quite some time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
March 24, 2022
This was gory ride into horror!
A small backstory without giving away spoilers:
Boy Scouts head off on a camping trip into the wilderness of the Kentucky backwoods and they were suppose to only be gone just a few short days, but when family do not hear from them then they decide to go on a rescue mission.
Sam's brother Kenny is one of the boy scouts and she is worried something terrible has happened so she reaches out to the local police and they send one of their officers (Tom) to help out.
In the meantime, there are some criminals that have something going on in those same woods and they are trying to cover their tracks as they don't want people invading their domain.
Everyone that is involved does not realize that a myth/legend is also roaming the woods (the Goat Man) and by the time they find out might be too late as when he makes his appearance known is when the crap hits the fan and the blood starts to fly!
What happened to the boy scouts? Does the family and the officer find the boy scouts? Does anyone make it out of the woods alive? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
Once the rescue mission begins of finding the boy scouts the pace picks up, but when the Goat Man makes an appearance the book takes off like a rocket! I could not turn the pages fast enough as so much happens after the 60% mark that I could not put the book down and read the last 40% in about three hours as when the blood started flying I was reaching for my gore suit gear! Giving this book five "Splatter" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
A small backstory without giving away spoilers:
Boy Scouts head off on a camping trip into the wilderness of the Kentucky backwoods and they were suppose to only be gone just a few short days, but when family do not hear from them then they decide to go on a rescue mission.
Sam's brother Kenny is one of the boy scouts and she is worried something terrible has happened so she reaches out to the local police and they send one of their officers (Tom) to help out.
In the meantime, there are some criminals that have something going on in those same woods and they are trying to cover their tracks as they don't want people invading their domain.
Everyone that is involved does not realize that a myth/legend is also roaming the woods (the Goat Man) and by the time they find out might be too late as when he makes his appearance known is when the crap hits the fan and the blood starts to fly!
What happened to the boy scouts? Does the family and the officer find the boy scouts? Does anyone make it out of the woods alive? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
Once the rescue mission begins of finding the boy scouts the pace picks up, but when the Goat Man makes an appearance the book takes off like a rocket! I could not turn the pages fast enough as so much happens after the 60% mark that I could not put the book down and read the last 40% in about three hours as when the blood started flying I was reaching for my gore suit gear! Giving this book five "Splatter" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
November 5, 2022
The Pope Lick Massacre was my introduction to Eric Butler’s work and I most definitely and quite thoroughly enjoyed it.
This short novel had good pace and lots of action. It had additional layers with interesting characters and agendas and facets to the underlying story that I did not expect, but made this shorter read much more enjoyable. It had very good images created by skillful economy of words, like The periodic reveals and twists were a welcome surprise as well.
I love regional horror, too. I always like learning about local customs and cultures and ideas. Really cool. I had no idea about the real-life urban legend that this book featured. I also liked Butler’s take on the
The book had a satisfying ending. The only issue I had was I felt some of the characters made, what I felt, were some rather obvious tactical blunders that left me wondering, wait what? Why would you do that instead of some other option? Please know that this is very subjective on my part and that I could be waaaay off base here.
But in any event, it was my reaction… For example, when The more I thought about it, however, I can understand why that scene unfolded the way it did. It might not have been how I would have approached the scenario, but I can see it the way the kids and scoutmaster acted. But then we get to a part later Let me be clear. These were just my subjective reactions. I love it, love it, LOVE IT when a book gets me so immersed that I am thinking about it and really delving into the characters’ minds. And this book did that. For SURE! But here it also left me thinking that the characters kind of created some of their own misery.
Anyway I liked this one a lot, wholeheartedly recommend it and I look forward to reading the Donn, TX books soon.
This short novel had good pace and lots of action. It had additional layers with interesting characters and agendas and facets to the underlying story that I did not expect, but made this shorter read much more enjoyable. It had very good images created by skillful economy of words, like The periodic reveals and twists were a welcome surprise as well.
I love regional horror, too. I always like learning about local customs and cultures and ideas. Really cool. I had no idea about the real-life urban legend that this book featured. I also liked Butler’s take on the
The book had a satisfying ending. The only issue I had was I felt some of the characters made, what I felt, were some rather obvious tactical blunders that left me wondering, wait what? Why would you do that instead of some other option? Please know that this is very subjective on my part and that I could be waaaay off base here.
But in any event, it was my reaction… For example, when The more I thought about it, however, I can understand why that scene unfolded the way it did. It might not have been how I would have approached the scenario, but I can see it the way the kids and scoutmaster acted. But then we get to a part later Let me be clear. These were just my subjective reactions. I love it, love it, LOVE IT when a book gets me so immersed that I am thinking about it and really delving into the characters’ minds. And this book did that. For SURE! But here it also left me thinking that the characters kind of created some of their own misery.
Anyway I liked this one a lot, wholeheartedly recommend it and I look forward to reading the Donn, TX books soon.
May 8, 2020
Being from Kentucky, this book really hit home. I grew up nearby, and I recall back in high school how we'd have fun at the Goat Man's expense. Fortunately, we never actually met the monster, but I think we tried to by hanging out in that area. Especially at the train track trellis. Which is very dangerous. But hey, we were kids back then. What can I say.
This story captures the area and Goat Man legend very vividly. A group of boy scouts go missing in the Goat Man's stomping grounds. Of course, nobody believes the Goat Man is real, so friends/ family go looking for the missing boy troop, clueless as to what kind of dangers lurk in the caves.
Meanwhile (a side story I loved) people are trying to run a drug operation in the same area and they are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent people from stumbling across their illegal activities.
Not only is there a monster trying to hunt them down, so are people.
This was a fun and very entertaining read. I recommend it to people who like monster legends and especially to people who live in the area.
This story captures the area and Goat Man legend very vividly. A group of boy scouts go missing in the Goat Man's stomping grounds. Of course, nobody believes the Goat Man is real, so friends/ family go looking for the missing boy troop, clueless as to what kind of dangers lurk in the caves.
Meanwhile (a side story I loved) people are trying to run a drug operation in the same area and they are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent people from stumbling across their illegal activities.
Not only is there a monster trying to hunt them down, so are people.
This was a fun and very entertaining read. I recommend it to people who like monster legends and especially to people who live in the area.
February 28, 2021
This was my first book by Eric Butler and it did not disappoint. The action started from the beginning and kept going full throttle until the last page. This had the feel of an old school slasher movie: basic characters, sex and violence. The gore is abundant and the author isn't afraid to kill your favorite character
April 15, 2021
This was an entertaining and engaging read throughout. Writing style is excellent and well-paced. I found it a good mix of characters and an interesting monster/legend. A really, really solid story with an ending I found quite satisfying.
January 30, 2021
Extremely Caught Off Guard. Get This Book Now!
The Pope Lick Massacre by Eric Butler was a novel I was quite excited to dig into. However, I didn’t read too much into the synopsis, the legend of a goat man, and really just went along for the ride. I was thrown off by the title at first thinking, “Pope Lick? What is that?”. Eric quickly put that question to bed, and the horrific adventure began.
The story surround a Boy Scout troop in Kentucky that is out on a camping trip. When Sam’s little brother, Kenny, and the Troop do not return at the intended time no one really thinks twice. It seems to have happened before that the boys get interested in something, and stay out a while longer than planned.
This sentiment does not last very long once the Scout Master William doesn’t even call his wife. Once this occurs Sam, and a police officer Tom gather up a small search party to find the boys, and the Scout Master. What they do not understand is that there is more treacherous occurrences happening in the woods, and it is not only unknown creatures of legend that they all have to worry about. Will they reach the Troop before it is too late? Is the legend of the goat man true? Or is it an elaborate cover that they may have stumbled upon?
I cannot stress enough how much I was caught off guard by The Pope Lick Massacre! Eric writes very well, and utilizes adjectives marvelously. I cannot really think of a moment that it felt redundant, and I love that! The story starts off at a slow pace, and then Butler shifts it into overdrive redlining you all the way to the finish. I also can say I never had anything pinned down, and was thrown for so many loops! The ending is absolutely crazy and amazing in my humble opinion!
I really had to stew on this one because I thought I had a star rating locked in, but as I reflected the deductions I was going to make were not thought out. As I reasoned in the author’s direction he was going with some things I questioned I felt that Eric was trying to get his audience to think, and draw their own conclusions for themselves in some aspects. I admire that immensely, and many of my favorite authors and novels do not spoon feed the reader all the answers. The reason I love this is I feel the author doesn’t take me for an ignorant uneducated fool. I felt this way about the book, and appreciated Eric taking his readers as being able to ponder and think.
After I completed my brooding over how to rate this novel, and I finally came to a concrete conclusion. At first, I was going to deduct a star to a star and a half for questions left unanswered. As I stated above I reasoned with myself with Eric’s decision to do so. Butler can definitely throw some major plot twists your way!
In conclusion I must say The Pope Lick Massacre by Eric Butler absolutely deserves a solid five stars out of five stars. I am really pleased that I let this one stew, because my review would have been different if not. I strive to be honest and fair here. Some of the visuals Eric draws with words are chilling! That bloody smile is creepy. The ending was absolutely my favorite part, and I didn’t see it coming at all! I was left mouth agape! Until next time, my friends.
The Pope Lick Massacre by Eric Butler was a novel I was quite excited to dig into. However, I didn’t read too much into the synopsis, the legend of a goat man, and really just went along for the ride. I was thrown off by the title at first thinking, “Pope Lick? What is that?”. Eric quickly put that question to bed, and the horrific adventure began.
The story surround a Boy Scout troop in Kentucky that is out on a camping trip. When Sam’s little brother, Kenny, and the Troop do not return at the intended time no one really thinks twice. It seems to have happened before that the boys get interested in something, and stay out a while longer than planned.
This sentiment does not last very long once the Scout Master William doesn’t even call his wife. Once this occurs Sam, and a police officer Tom gather up a small search party to find the boys, and the Scout Master. What they do not understand is that there is more treacherous occurrences happening in the woods, and it is not only unknown creatures of legend that they all have to worry about. Will they reach the Troop before it is too late? Is the legend of the goat man true? Or is it an elaborate cover that they may have stumbled upon?
I cannot stress enough how much I was caught off guard by The Pope Lick Massacre! Eric writes very well, and utilizes adjectives marvelously. I cannot really think of a moment that it felt redundant, and I love that! The story starts off at a slow pace, and then Butler shifts it into overdrive redlining you all the way to the finish. I also can say I never had anything pinned down, and was thrown for so many loops! The ending is absolutely crazy and amazing in my humble opinion!
I really had to stew on this one because I thought I had a star rating locked in, but as I reflected the deductions I was going to make were not thought out. As I reasoned in the author’s direction he was going with some things I questioned I felt that Eric was trying to get his audience to think, and draw their own conclusions for themselves in some aspects. I admire that immensely, and many of my favorite authors and novels do not spoon feed the reader all the answers. The reason I love this is I feel the author doesn’t take me for an ignorant uneducated fool. I felt this way about the book, and appreciated Eric taking his readers as being able to ponder and think.
After I completed my brooding over how to rate this novel, and I finally came to a concrete conclusion. At first, I was going to deduct a star to a star and a half for questions left unanswered. As I stated above I reasoned with myself with Eric’s decision to do so. Butler can definitely throw some major plot twists your way!
In conclusion I must say The Pope Lick Massacre by Eric Butler absolutely deserves a solid five stars out of five stars. I am really pleased that I let this one stew, because my review would have been different if not. I strive to be honest and fair here. Some of the visuals Eric draws with words are chilling! That bloody smile is creepy. The ending was absolutely my favorite part, and I didn’t see it coming at all! I was left mouth agape! Until next time, my friends.
April 3, 2021
Great read! I found myself staying up way too late just so I could keep flipping the pages. It has all the elements I love in a horror book.. a monster, a bad guy, gore, believable characters, oh and did I mention GORE? The Pope Lick Massacre was just an awesome read all around and I give it 4.5/5 Goatman skulls 💀
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November 9, 2024The dark, small-town atmosphere and eerie folklore of the Goatman legend had potential to make The Pope Lick Massacre a captivating read. Fans of regional horror and cryptid tales may still find something to appreciate here, as Butler effectively taps into a haunting setting that gives the story a unique, sinister edge.
However, I found the character introductions lacking in depth, which made it hard to connect with or feel invested in their journeys. Much of the early narrative centered on odd encounters without building much suspense or advancing the plot. Unfortunately, I stopped at around 40%, as I didn’t feel fully drawn into the story.
However, I found the character introductions lacking in depth, which made it hard to connect with or feel invested in their journeys. Much of the early narrative centered on odd encounters without building much suspense or advancing the plot. Unfortunately, I stopped at around 40%, as I didn’t feel fully drawn into the story.
November 18, 2022
All you indie authors are just amazing writers. Practically everything I have read has been amazing! And today I finished another fantastic book by Eric Butler, The Pope Lick Massacre. This story is full of adrenaline and gore. Just the right amount in my opinion.
Sam’s brother and his boy scout group are missing. A group of people get together, with the help of a police officer, to go and find them. But what they found, nobody could be prepared for. In this story, the town's worst horrific myth comes true. What follows is a massacre!
Butler’s writing is candid and fast. While there may not be a lot of world building; there is a lot of dramatical events that make you speed read with the need to find out what happens. The action and the gore gets your heart racing and before you know it, the ending is here and you drop your jaw! Oh the ending was epic! I did not see that coming. Well played Eric!!
If you are wanting to read a quick weekend story, look no further. Once the story gets going, it’ll be hard to put down.
Sam’s brother and his boy scout group are missing. A group of people get together, with the help of a police officer, to go and find them. But what they found, nobody could be prepared for. In this story, the town's worst horrific myth comes true. What follows is a massacre!
Butler’s writing is candid and fast. While there may not be a lot of world building; there is a lot of dramatical events that make you speed read with the need to find out what happens. The action and the gore gets your heart racing and before you know it, the ending is here and you drop your jaw! Oh the ending was epic! I did not see that coming. Well played Eric!!
If you are wanting to read a quick weekend story, look no further. Once the story gets going, it’ll be hard to put down.
April 19, 2021
A lot of people are hyping this up like an omega level epic. I couldn't see it myself, though I tried hard enough. There seemed to be an uneven balance between the chapters devoted to the missing scouts and the chapters devoted to the search party. The search party was focused on far more than the missing boys. I thought maybe the saving grace might be how the author wrote the monster (Goatman), but that seemed off as well. Of course I'll read Eric Butler again, because it takes a lot for me to sign off on an author. This just wasn't for me as it seems to be for so many others.
September 16, 2023
Eric Butler delivers a thrilling page turner soaked in blood. A fun read with a monster that will continue to creep you out again and again.
April 9, 2022
Sam Downing is becoming increasingly worried over the course of the day Sunday, when her little brother, Kenny and his boy scout troop do not return on time. No other parents, nor the scout leaders wife have heard any updates either. When Sam meets deputy Tom Keene at her work - the local diner - that afternoon, he volunteers to help her look for her brother after closing.
Sam and Tom assemble a small search party and head off into the Kentucky woods, hoping desperately to find the boys.
Meanwhile, scout leader, Bob has just woken up shackled in a cave, with his four scouts and something straight out of a nightmare - a 7 foot tall, bipedal half-man, half-goat creature. This abomination is local legend, the Pope Lick Monster aka the Goatman.
He lives in this cave, and he's been very hungry. But with all the humans he's managed to lure into his lair, he'll have enough meat to last him all winter...
Sam and Tom assemble a small search party and head off into the Kentucky woods, hoping desperately to find the boys.
Meanwhile, scout leader, Bob has just woken up shackled in a cave, with his four scouts and something straight out of a nightmare - a 7 foot tall, bipedal half-man, half-goat creature. This abomination is local legend, the Pope Lick Monster aka the Goatman.
He lives in this cave, and he's been very hungry. But with all the humans he's managed to lure into his lair, he'll have enough meat to last him all winter...
April 18, 2021
Run little rabbits. A group of kids get lost underground, while being chase by the Goatman. If you have watched the movie The Descent and love that claustrophobic feeling you will love this book. With great twists and turns this book will have you wondering who will live and who will die. In Pope Lick there are no safe havens in town or in the woods. Beware if you visit and run if you hear anything or anyone screaming for help.
December 22, 2020
What a ride! That was an awesome read! Fast paced, tense, gory, and a brilliant twist ending. Although there was far too much vomit for me 😉 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend!
THE GOATMAN IS REAL...and hes terrifying!!
THE GOATMAN IS REAL...and hes terrifying!!
August 13, 2023
I was thoroughly unsettled and yes. I totally believe. I wasn't sure what the outcome of this would be, but omg. If you can call a horror book fun and a rabbit hole, this is it.
April 18, 2021
The Pope Lick Massacre takes the legend of the Goatman and shows readers just how terrifying a legend can be. Eric Butler has four scouts and their scout master face off against the Goatman while Sam, the sister of one of the children, races to find her brother after the group fails to make it home on time. With the help of a local police officer, friends, and the father of another scout, Sam enters Pope Lick Park, hoping that it’s not too late to save her brother. Butler did an excellent job at pacing the book, and the decision to have chapters only be a few pages long made me break many promises to myself of reading only “one more chapter”. Butler really shines when it comes to atmosphere. While the characters explored the caves of Pope Lick I felt just as claustrophobic as they must have felt while searching for the lost scouts. The Pope Lick Massacre deserves 5/5 stars and I can’t wait to read the rest of Eric Butler’s books!
October 30, 2020
Fast paced gore fest
Butler knows how to entertain and doesnt hesitate to drench it in blood.
Tightly written the story hurtles along at a breathless pace in the woods of Pope Lick.
Highly recommended.
Butler knows how to entertain and doesnt hesitate to drench it in blood.
Tightly written the story hurtles along at a breathless pace in the woods of Pope Lick.
Highly recommended.
July 25, 2021
Excellent urban legend
Wow! This was a terrific story that races ahead at breakneck speed. The author mixes a host of characters with various plot lines. The reader will never be sure what will happen next and who will bite the dust. The ending was just killer and added another layer of excellence to the story. I could totally see this adapted into a horror movie. I will certainly look for other books to read by Eric Butler.
Wow! This was a terrific story that races ahead at breakneck speed. The author mixes a host of characters with various plot lines. The reader will never be sure what will happen next and who will bite the dust. The ending was just killer and added another layer of excellence to the story. I could totally see this adapted into a horror movie. I will certainly look for other books to read by Eric Butler.
June 1, 2021
Jefferson County has a legend, some believe it, some only know the legend.
Since the death of their mom, Sam has been the sole caretaker of her brother, Kenny. Kenny and his scout troop are now missing somewhere in the woods around Pope Lick. Now Sam, Officer Tom Keene and several others gather to search the woods around Pope Lick, hoping to find the boys before nightfall.
As the rescue party sets out, someone else is also interested in what is going on in the woods that surround the small town. Someone that is more than what they appear to be and someone that has been betting on the local legend to keep people away from the woods and its secrets, real or imagined.
But something wicked also lives in the woods around Pope Lick, something few ever live to tell about. Sam and her rescue group are about to find out that some small town tales are true.
This story was one intense ride, pure fun, unexpected twists, complex characters and a great blend of small town drama, local lore and one savage creature stalking the woods. My only complaint is that I would have liked it to be a bit longer, with some more backstory about the creature in the woods, more of its origin story. Overall, fun read and gruesomely gory. I am giving this 4.5 stars.
Since the death of their mom, Sam has been the sole caretaker of her brother, Kenny. Kenny and his scout troop are now missing somewhere in the woods around Pope Lick. Now Sam, Officer Tom Keene and several others gather to search the woods around Pope Lick, hoping to find the boys before nightfall.
As the rescue party sets out, someone else is also interested in what is going on in the woods that surround the small town. Someone that is more than what they appear to be and someone that has been betting on the local legend to keep people away from the woods and its secrets, real or imagined.
But something wicked also lives in the woods around Pope Lick, something few ever live to tell about. Sam and her rescue group are about to find out that some small town tales are true.
This story was one intense ride, pure fun, unexpected twists, complex characters and a great blend of small town drama, local lore and one savage creature stalking the woods. My only complaint is that I would have liked it to be a bit longer, with some more backstory about the creature in the woods, more of its origin story. Overall, fun read and gruesomely gory. I am giving this 4.5 stars.
October 9, 2021
We need to have a chit chat about Eric Butler Author and his gotdamn book, The Pope Lick Massacre.
It has a goat on the front so I thought, oooooooh occult goat sacrifice! I love goat stew, just as much as the next person. I have never, in my life, wanted to kill something so badly. That goat is a sack of horse farts!
A scout leader and some kids go in the woods. Goats happen. Death happens. I have never been so pissed at an ending before (in a good way.)
I may have gasped and slightly yelled, “That motherf*cker!”
It may have happened. It did.
The tension that Eric wrote was phenomenal. Just when I thought the characters were safe, he slapped me across the face and said stop being stupid, and continued the onslaught of insanity and gore.
I recently read the first two installments of Donn, Tx (which are amazing!) I had bought The Pope Lick Massacre a while ago and it was just sitting there.. waiting to ruin my life. (It’s on KU, Audible, and Godless).
Seriously, this one was a wonderful way to start my October. It earned it’s spot as one of my Top Ten of the Year.
It has a goat on the front so I thought, oooooooh occult goat sacrifice! I love goat stew, just as much as the next person. I have never, in my life, wanted to kill something so badly. That goat is a sack of horse farts!
A scout leader and some kids go in the woods. Goats happen. Death happens. I have never been so pissed at an ending before (in a good way.)
I may have gasped and slightly yelled, “That motherf*cker!”
It may have happened. It did.
The tension that Eric wrote was phenomenal. Just when I thought the characters were safe, he slapped me across the face and said stop being stupid, and continued the onslaught of insanity and gore.
I recently read the first two installments of Donn, Tx (which are amazing!) I had bought The Pope Lick Massacre a while ago and it was just sitting there.. waiting to ruin my life. (It’s on KU, Audible, and Godless).
Seriously, this one was a wonderful way to start my October. It earned it’s spot as one of my Top Ten of the Year.
October 28, 2021
*Audiobook*
I listened to this one pretty quickly while I’ve been sick the last few days. A ginormous goatman in the woods of Kentucky is a great way to lose track of your illness!! Will the boy scout troop and the rescuers looking for them make it out alive? Read (or listen) to find out!
Engaging, quick and fun. A bloody good time!
I listened to this one pretty quickly while I’ve been sick the last few days. A ginormous goatman in the woods of Kentucky is a great way to lose track of your illness!! Will the boy scout troop and the rescuers looking for them make it out alive? Read (or listen) to find out!
Engaging, quick and fun. A bloody good time!
August 31, 2021
Ok so wow. I was not expecting all this from the author of The Sins of the Past. Ok, Eric Butler. I see you. I will now expect the unexpected.
This book was a freaking thrill ride of emotions. I was grossed out and pissed off, some cute moments, some wtf moments, and some moments I was laughing out loud. Both human and nonhuman characters were so rich with unique personalities. I loved some, and really really hated others. I love when an author has such a vastly different cast of personalities.
There were a few different stories intermingled here, the Goatman of course, then the lost scouts had their dynamics, the team of rescuers, and also a band of unsavory miscreants wanting to set up their illegal activities. It seems like a lot, but it really all worked together and there were some truly horrific moments!
I'm usually not a huge fan of extreme horror, but this one, I really enjoyed.
This book was a freaking thrill ride of emotions. I was grossed out and pissed off, some cute moments, some wtf moments, and some moments I was laughing out loud. Both human and nonhuman characters were so rich with unique personalities. I loved some, and really really hated others. I love when an author has such a vastly different cast of personalities.
There were a few different stories intermingled here, the Goatman of course, then the lost scouts had their dynamics, the team of rescuers, and also a band of unsavory miscreants wanting to set up their illegal activities. It seems like a lot, but it really all worked together and there were some truly horrific moments!
I'm usually not a huge fan of extreme horror, but this one, I really enjoyed.
June 6, 2024
Kenny and his boy scout group are out in the woods of Pope Lick when they come across The Goatman who is supposedly just a myth. When they realize he's real, the bloody chase starts!
Sam is Kenny's older sister who's taken care of him since their mom passed. When she realizes that the group of boys aren't back and no one's heard word, she sets to go on a mission to find them.
This was my first Butler book and it won't be my last! I'm normally not a creature feature fan but this book was hard to put down once it got going! The Goatmans ability to mimic anyone was one of the best parts! Spooky and fucking awesome! That ending was a cliffhanger!!! 🤯🤯🤯 There were some shady ass characters in here which added more to the story. Overall I really did enjoy this! The writing was spot on and I definitely want book 2!
Sam is Kenny's older sister who's taken care of him since their mom passed. When she realizes that the group of boys aren't back and no one's heard word, she sets to go on a mission to find them.
This was my first Butler book and it won't be my last! I'm normally not a creature feature fan but this book was hard to put down once it got going! The Goatmans ability to mimic anyone was one of the best parts! Spooky and fucking awesome! That ending was a cliffhanger!!! 🤯🤯🤯 There were some shady ass characters in here which added more to the story. Overall I really did enjoy this! The writing was spot on and I definitely want book 2!
June 11, 2022
I was immersed with this story and loved it til the end, when Eric decided to rip all our hearts out!
The characters and monster were great and I was genuinelyconcerned for our peoples safety. And what an absolutely awesome ending! Loved every second of this read.
I listened to this while I was at work, so the details our a little foggy, which only means I may have to give this one a reread someday. But dude, did I ever enjoy this one!
This isn’t my first encounter with Eric’s work. I read a short story by him in No Anesthetic, which was amazing, and I’m glad I decided to give this one a shot!
Five out of Five Stars!
The characters and monster were great and I was genuinelyconcerned for our peoples safety. And what an absolutely awesome ending! Loved every second of this read.
I listened to this while I was at work, so the details our a little foggy, which only means I may have to give this one a reread someday. But dude, did I ever enjoy this one!
This isn’t my first encounter with Eric’s work. I read a short story by him in No Anesthetic, which was amazing, and I’m glad I decided to give this one a shot!
Five out of Five Stars!
March 12, 2024
Didn't live up to the hype in my opinion. It started to get really good at 60%. A bit of a drag for me. Maybe more suited to YA.
June 9, 2021
This is the 1st novel of Eric Butler's that I have read. And it definitely will not be my last! Holy hell! I flew through this book. I enjoyed everything about it, immensely!Possibly my favourite book of the year, that I have read so far
August 23, 2025
This was the first book I've read from Eric and it won't be the last. A thrilling read surrounding the legend of the Goatman. The characters are not who they seem to be, either. An innocent scouting trip around the woods turns into a total nightmare as the MC, Sam, will meet the legendary monster of Pope Lick. At the same time, another 'enemy' is around as they try to hide their criminal activity in the woods.
Eric provide plenty of twists and turns throughout the book. The deaths in this book are brutal as well, so make sure you prepare yourself accordingly. Overall, this has plenty of slasher vibes with a great ending that ties things up. Be warned, Eric isn't afraid to kill off characters, lol. A fun read!
Eric provide plenty of twists and turns throughout the book. The deaths in this book are brutal as well, so make sure you prepare yourself accordingly. Overall, this has plenty of slasher vibes with a great ending that ties things up. Be warned, Eric isn't afraid to kill off characters, lol. A fun read!
June 6, 2021
I'm not a big fan of extreme horror as this book was portrayed to be, but I decided to take a chance on it, after hearing some great reviews, and glad I did.
The story follows a group of cub scouts who fail to return home after an excursion and the local sheriff and the boys parents trying to locate them. Little do the parents know the reasons for the boys failing to return...There is another subplot going on which adds even more tension to the story and kept me guessing throughout as to what the final outcome might be.
I was expecting a lot of bloodshed and gore with this one but suprisingly there wasn't as much as I thought, yet even so what there was, was plenty gruesome enough! The ending was a complete surprise, too, definitely not what I expected, so that was a pleasant surprise also.
I only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it's not the kind of sub-genre of horror that I usually read, but this has nothing to do with the book itself. For fans of creature-features I'm sure they wil enjoy this one and all the others Eric has written!
The story follows a group of cub scouts who fail to return home after an excursion and the local sheriff and the boys parents trying to locate them. Little do the parents know the reasons for the boys failing to return...There is another subplot going on which adds even more tension to the story and kept me guessing throughout as to what the final outcome might be.
I was expecting a lot of bloodshed and gore with this one but suprisingly there wasn't as much as I thought, yet even so what there was, was plenty gruesome enough! The ending was a complete surprise, too, definitely not what I expected, so that was a pleasant surprise also.
I only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it's not the kind of sub-genre of horror that I usually read, but this has nothing to do with the book itself. For fans of creature-features I'm sure they wil enjoy this one and all the others Eric has written!
August 13, 2021
Loved it!
First book I've read by this author. So freaking good!! Suspenseful, gory, action packed, loveable characters. This is a definite recommend!!
First book I've read by this author. So freaking good!! Suspenseful, gory, action packed, loveable characters. This is a definite recommend!!
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