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Pest
She takes your dreams, and then your life...
Sightings of a strange girl on the outskirts of the small Australian town of Thorn Tree coincide with the outbreak of a deadly sickness.
The girl appears in people’s nightmares, beckoning them into nothingness.
Maggie’s café lies at the heart of the town, and she quickly becomes embroiled in the unfolding events.
As more people she knows succumb to the illness, Maggie will have to act fast to root out its cause.
Maggie believes that if she understands the girl’s story and finds her, she can save her friends and herself.
But maybe she too has merely been lured into the pest’s evil embrace.
Sightings of a strange girl on the outskirts of the small Australian town of Thorn Tree coincide with the outbreak of a deadly sickness.
The girl appears in people’s nightmares, beckoning them into nothingness.
Maggie’s café lies at the heart of the town, and she quickly becomes embroiled in the unfolding events.
As more people she knows succumb to the illness, Maggie will have to act fast to root out its cause.
Maggie believes that if she understands the girl’s story and finds her, she can save her friends and herself.
But maybe she too has merely been lured into the pest’s evil embrace.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2020
595 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 7, 2022
A New Ending?
After her divorce, Maggie wants a new start to her life so she moves to the small town of Thorn Tree. She opens a restaurant and make some friends. Life is good.
One night, at the mayor’s party, she meets her friends. A travel agent named Prapti, introduces herself. Evilness emanates.
People, particularly children, have been dying, and no one can account for it.
Having her suspicions that Prapti is behind it, Maggie tells everyone who’d listen. Now her life and those she love are in danger.
With everyone getting sick and more people dying, Maggie thinks it is time to do something. Will she have what it takes to fight evil? Or will evil win another round?
This is a very good book and very interesting.
After her divorce, Maggie wants a new start to her life so she moves to the small town of Thorn Tree. She opens a restaurant and make some friends. Life is good.
One night, at the mayor’s party, she meets her friends. A travel agent named Prapti, introduces herself. Evilness emanates.
People, particularly children, have been dying, and no one can account for it.
Having her suspicions that Prapti is behind it, Maggie tells everyone who’d listen. Now her life and those she love are in danger.
With everyone getting sick and more people dying, Maggie thinks it is time to do something. Will she have what it takes to fight evil? Or will evil win another round?
This is a very good book and very interesting.
October 22, 2024
Some ancient evil has come to the small Australian town of Thorn Tree. Why are children dying and what is causing their death? What about the author Prapti? Can Maggie and her friends stop the uncanny series of untimely deaths? Page turning novel with precisely shaped characters and a great showdown at the end. All element an excellent horror novel has to come up with. Loved the lore and sinister encounters with an eerie child. Highly recommended!
February 1, 2023
Pest by Aussie author Anna Willett is a fantastic, gripping thriller/horror and believe me this one will send chills down your spine. It’s one of those books that you want to put down, but at the same time, you want to keep reading to know what will happen next.
If you enjoy reading thrillers, horror or suspense, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
If you enjoy reading thrillers, horror or suspense, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
June 29, 2025
3.5 stars. Once again, I can’t say enough good things about Anna Willett’s writing. She develops her plots and characters, coordinating them all in a well executed way every single time. And this was another example of that. Unfortunately, something just didn’t connect for me. The story had a very slow pace and was extremely long-winded. The characters also weren’t overly engaging, even with our standout leads in Maggie and Harness. That’s not to say it all wasn’t appropriate for this particular work, but everything combined made it hard to stay with the 275-page runtime. The Native American lore was very interesting and unique, while the creature itself had some very creepy and spooky showings. So, while I mostly enjoyed this, I feel like it would have come across better with less characters, a shorter length, and a slight increase in the creature’s actual presence.
May 21, 2021
When Maggie Hawkbetter spotted the bloodied young woman staggering out of the bush with a bundle in her arms, both she and Sergeant Harness Gibson had no idea what was ahead of them and the small town of Thorn Tree. Maggie’s friend Tess was holding her ten day old son Eddie, while Tess’ husband Ollie was missing. Meanwhile nine-year-old Annabel Chapel was seeing a vision of a small girl, beckoning to her and Annabel was terrified. Her psychic abilities were something her parents, Lisa and Rodney didn’t talk about much, but they knew what their daughter saw was real.
As children began dying along with the infirm and elderly, Maggie and Harness knew they had to do something. The town’s residents were panicking, leaving town in a stream of cars and heading for shelter in Perth, while the Health Department sent a representative to investigate. But when Maggie talked to her workmate, Jackson Palmer’s grandmother, Manjula, she learned of evil that had infiltrated Thorn Tree. Would Maggie be able to rid the town of the pest that was called Acheri – or would she lose her life trying?
Phew!!! Pest by Aussie author Anna Willett is an intense, riveting thriller which had me racing through the pages till the last. I started this one at night – then put it aside for something else lighter (I knew it’d give me nightmares if I continued) What a book! What a scary, heart thumping ride! I don’t read horror as a rule – this came close! But I have loved all Ms Willett’s books, and this one is no different. Highly recommended.
As children began dying along with the infirm and elderly, Maggie and Harness knew they had to do something. The town’s residents were panicking, leaving town in a stream of cars and heading for shelter in Perth, while the Health Department sent a representative to investigate. But when Maggie talked to her workmate, Jackson Palmer’s grandmother, Manjula, she learned of evil that had infiltrated Thorn Tree. Would Maggie be able to rid the town of the pest that was called Acheri – or would she lose her life trying?
Phew!!! Pest by Aussie author Anna Willett is an intense, riveting thriller which had me racing through the pages till the last. I started this one at night – then put it aside for something else lighter (I knew it’d give me nightmares if I continued) What a book! What a scary, heart thumping ride! I don’t read horror as a rule – this came close! But I have loved all Ms Willett’s books, and this one is no different. Highly recommended.
October 10, 2023
'Pest' is a fast-moving supernatural thriller with an original source of evil and an unconventional heroine. It's an interesting mix of plague story and monster story, set in an isolated small town in Australia.
When I first started the book, it felt like a very traditional 'bad things are happening and it's only gonna get worse' sort of story, filled with foreboding and threat. It was the sort of story that I'd normally have been tempted to skim through, like a graphic novel, looking for the existing action scenes. I quickly found that I couldn't do that because I found the deaths that established the threat too distressing to pass over swiftly while tallying the bodycount. Anna Willett got the pathos right. She made each death have an impact beyond moving the plot forward. So much so that I felt slightly guilty at watching them happen and seeing the pain that they caused.
I'd expected the novel to follow a 'brave, lone heroine doggedly pursues the source of the plague even though no one believes her' storyline but Anna Willett opened the story up in interesting ways. She gave our heroine allies and she did a good job of describing the slow slide towards acceptance of the unbelievable that the main characters underwent. The multiple points of view worked well to keep the tension high and allowed for a few surprises along the way.
I also liked that the story had more than one Big Bad. There was the monster in the shadows, which might or might not be a dream and which, in true Creature Feature style, I knew I wouldn't see cleary until the last moment. There was one who was part of the life of the town but who was hiding a ruthless ambition that was much darker than her public persona. Finally, there was the exotic stranger who oozed threat even when she smiled. The multiple baddies introduced more complex motivations than the 'unstoppable plague killing the vulnerable' storyline would have.
There were only a couple of things that didn't work so well for me. The first was the insta-love thing between our heroine and the Sherrif. I saw the need for the relationship and the two seemed like a good match but I think the story would have been stronger if the two had already started a relationship rather than stumbling into it just as the body count starts to rise. The second was the final chapter. I think it should either have been omitted or have been grittier, I could see it was supposed to be a 'trying to get back to normal after a trauma' piece but it felt too light and too neat to me.
When I first started the book, it felt like a very traditional 'bad things are happening and it's only gonna get worse' sort of story, filled with foreboding and threat. It was the sort of story that I'd normally have been tempted to skim through, like a graphic novel, looking for the existing action scenes. I quickly found that I couldn't do that because I found the deaths that established the threat too distressing to pass over swiftly while tallying the bodycount. Anna Willett got the pathos right. She made each death have an impact beyond moving the plot forward. So much so that I felt slightly guilty at watching them happen and seeing the pain that they caused.
I'd expected the novel to follow a 'brave, lone heroine doggedly pursues the source of the plague even though no one believes her' storyline but Anna Willett opened the story up in interesting ways. She gave our heroine allies and she did a good job of describing the slow slide towards acceptance of the unbelievable that the main characters underwent. The multiple points of view worked well to keep the tension high and allowed for a few surprises along the way.
I also liked that the story had more than one Big Bad. There was the monster in the shadows, which might or might not be a dream and which, in true Creature Feature style, I knew I wouldn't see cleary until the last moment. There was one who was part of the life of the town but who was hiding a ruthless ambition that was much darker than her public persona. Finally, there was the exotic stranger who oozed threat even when she smiled. The multiple baddies introduced more complex motivations than the 'unstoppable plague killing the vulnerable' storyline would have.
There were only a couple of things that didn't work so well for me. The first was the insta-love thing between our heroine and the Sherrif. I saw the need for the relationship and the two seemed like a good match but I think the story would have been stronger if the two had already started a relationship rather than stumbling into it just as the body count starts to rise. The second was the final chapter. I think it should either have been omitted or have been grittier, I could see it was supposed to be a 'trying to get back to normal after a trauma' piece but it felt too light and too neat to me.
September 18, 2020
Scary!!!
This book is creepy, scary and more!! I loved it!!!. If you like the sound of this book you must read it!!. You won't regret it!!!!
This book is creepy, scary and more!! I loved it!!!. If you like the sound of this book you must read it!!. You won't regret it!!!!
November 21, 2020
Great story!! A demon called Devi and her minion Acheri super crazy 😳
September 28, 2020
Pest by Anna Willett
Synopsis /
She takes your dreams, and then your life...A NAIL-BITINGLY SCARY SUSPENSE THRILLER
Sightings of a strange girl on the outskirts of the small Australian town of Thorn Tree coincide with the outbreak of a deadly sickness. The girl appears in people’s nightmares, beckoning them into nothingness.
Maggie’s café lies at the heart of the town, and she quickly becomes embroiled in the unfolding events. As more people she knows succumb to the illness, Maggie will have to act fast to root out its cause. Maggie believes that if she understands the girl’s story and finds her, she can save her friends and herself. But maybe she too has merely been lured into the pest’s evil embrace.
My Thoughts /
I was slightly hesitant coming into this book, as my last read by this Author was not great. However, with a positive glass half full outlook I began…..
I delayed writing this as I didn’t want a knee-jerk response for my review. Now, upon reflection, it wouldn’t have mattered. My initial thoughts remain. I wish people would stop putting descriptive prose into the précis of a book. A nail-bitingly scary suspense thriller?????? – well now I’m visualizing, no, actually anticipating that part of the story that will have me biting my nails to the quick.
This is a story about a little village (Thorntree) that was (almost) torn apart by the thorns of untimely death. As it happened, a demon had come to town and was determined to kill children (and even adults when possible) until it got that one child for which it came. Cue the supernatural element (pretty much lost me already). I didn’t think the story progressed to the point where I could become invested in its characters. For me Maggie (as a main focal character) was nowhere near strong enough. I found Maggie’s character annoying but she grew on me when she was paired with Harness. I must say that I did enjoy the side (love) story between the two protagonists: Maggie and Harness. Harness is a very likeable character. Some of the lesser characters, for example, Prapti were written well and I would have liked them to have had more of a front end setting.
I’ve given a 3 ⭐️ rating, but I might round that down to 2.5
Synopsis /
She takes your dreams, and then your life...A NAIL-BITINGLY SCARY SUSPENSE THRILLER
Sightings of a strange girl on the outskirts of the small Australian town of Thorn Tree coincide with the outbreak of a deadly sickness. The girl appears in people’s nightmares, beckoning them into nothingness.
Maggie’s café lies at the heart of the town, and she quickly becomes embroiled in the unfolding events. As more people she knows succumb to the illness, Maggie will have to act fast to root out its cause. Maggie believes that if she understands the girl’s story and finds her, she can save her friends and herself. But maybe she too has merely been lured into the pest’s evil embrace.
My Thoughts /
I was slightly hesitant coming into this book, as my last read by this Author was not great. However, with a positive glass half full outlook I began…..
I delayed writing this as I didn’t want a knee-jerk response for my review. Now, upon reflection, it wouldn’t have mattered. My initial thoughts remain. I wish people would stop putting descriptive prose into the précis of a book. A nail-bitingly scary suspense thriller?????? – well now I’m visualizing, no, actually anticipating that part of the story that will have me biting my nails to the quick.
This is a story about a little village (Thorntree) that was (almost) torn apart by the thorns of untimely death. As it happened, a demon had come to town and was determined to kill children (and even adults when possible) until it got that one child for which it came. Cue the supernatural element (pretty much lost me already). I didn’t think the story progressed to the point where I could become invested in its characters. For me Maggie (as a main focal character) was nowhere near strong enough. I found Maggie’s character annoying but she grew on me when she was paired with Harness. I must say that I did enjoy the side (love) story between the two protagonists: Maggie and Harness. Harness is a very likeable character. Some of the lesser characters, for example, Prapti were written well and I would have liked them to have had more of a front end setting.
I’ve given a 3 ⭐️ rating, but I might round that down to 2.5
June 16, 2022
That was a great horror read. A little romance thrown in, but it wasn't over done. I enjoyed the evil(s) in this book and how the characters that had to come together to fight it. Would totally recommend.
September 13, 2021
Setting: 'Thorn Tree' (fictional), S.W. Australia. In the small town of Thorn Tree, Maggie runs her coffee shop, set up when she left Perth and her controlling husband. Then, out of the blue, children in the small town start to die from what appears to be some sort of virus. As Maggie hooks up with Senior Constable Harness, it transpires that the deaths are being caused by some sort of demon, known as an Acheri, that preys on children.....
A fast-paced horror story, told in the author's inimitable style - easy to read yet gripping, good characters and storyline. Definitely a four star read for me - 8.5/10.
A fast-paced horror story, told in the author's inimitable style - easy to read yet gripping, good characters and storyline. Definitely a four star read for me - 8.5/10.
December 26, 2024
Strange title
Not a bad read.
I enjoyed the characters and the scene setting of the town and its dynamics. The author manages to create strong imagery and atmosphere. It just lacks a little depth.
I skimmed much of it but enjoyed the crux of the story, still quite a page-turner. So my review is a little mixed with this one.
I did find the title to be a bit odd, not very inspiring. Didn’t really fit the book and could have been much better.
Overall 3 stars.
Not a bad read.
I enjoyed the characters and the scene setting of the town and its dynamics. The author manages to create strong imagery and atmosphere. It just lacks a little depth.
I skimmed much of it but enjoyed the crux of the story, still quite a page-turner. So my review is a little mixed with this one.
I did find the title to be a bit odd, not very inspiring. Didn’t really fit the book and could have been much better.
Overall 3 stars.
August 30, 2020
I knew Anna Willet could write a thrilling action sequence and a disturbing nightmare scene but in this book she has brought them all together coupled them with a fantasy element and written a disturbing and gripping story of death, heartbreak, fear and ultimately bravery and love. Who knows what can be accomplished when the brown stuff hits the whirly thing and your community is at risk, not only the community but the most vulnerable in it. Well, you just have to pull up your big girl socks and get on with it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in the early hours with bleary eyes because I just had to know what the plan was and whether or not it would work. How wonderful that this author is so very proficient in yet another genre.
rocommended.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in the early hours with bleary eyes because I just had to know what the plan was and whether or not it would work. How wonderful that this author is so very proficient in yet another genre.
rocommended.
September 15, 2020
I just couldn't I just could not get into this
The lead character just annoyed me. I just could not get into the story. I usually try to make it 50% into the story just could not. And her obsession I'm just meeting a man was annoying. She was like I wanted to see if I can have sex with him not regret it for 3 years. That part of annoyed me. Or the fact she was verbally abused to a narcissistic man that she divorced but anyway I am not giving his book a chance when the lead character annoying me. For you guys may like this. So I give one bad character out of five.
The lead character just annoyed me. I just could not get into the story. I usually try to make it 50% into the story just could not. And her obsession I'm just meeting a man was annoying. She was like I wanted to see if I can have sex with him not regret it for 3 years. That part of annoyed me. Or the fact she was verbally abused to a narcissistic man that she divorced but anyway I am not giving his book a chance when the lead character annoying me. For you guys may like this. So I give one bad character out of five.
September 17, 2020
Book review
Pest by Anna Willet
Reviewer: Kasimma
Pest had a gripping start: a storm. As I dived further into the pages, I realised that Anna’s mastery of creative writing was constant throughout the piece. In the first few pages, I thought I had to close my windows because I suddenly started feeling cold. The pacing of the description of the storm was that of urgency. It made you see that Maggie was thinking fast.
Pest is a story about a little village of Thorntree that was almost torn apart by the thorns of untimely death. It happened that a little demon had come to town and was determined to kill children (even adults when possible) until it got that one child for which it came. It was also a love story about the two protagonists: Maggie and Harness.
In Pest, every character had a story. Even the characters who we were meeting for the first time in that chapter and who would go ahead to die in the same chapter, we loved. Anna gave every character a heart, even the evil and its agent.
The story was not rushed. What Anna did was that she made me stand aside and watch her characters play out their stories. It was a detailed story. Even little details like Maggie warming her palms by holding the hot mug, or tucking her hair behind her ear, it was very detailed. It reminded me of Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. At some point into the book, I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction. I kept thanking my stars that it was fiction. This is because the imagery was so real, I almost thought it was my city of Abuja going through this nightmare.
The suspense in the story heightened as the story progressed. At this point, I must note that every single sentence in this book is important. While the suspense attempted to explode my head, I decided to jump some lines so that I could find out what, in the name of all that is bright and fair, happened next. Just to realise that those lines I jumped are connected to where I jumped to. I had to go back and reread those lines. I learned not to jump sentences anymore, a rewarding lesson.
At the climax of the story, I liked that whatever Maggie decided to do, she did not wait. She went ahead and did it that day. She recruited those whose help she needed and went ahead to finish up the Acheri (the killer spirit) and its agent (Prapti). We saw, from the point of view of different characters, what was going on in every angle of that scene. It was at this climax that we understood why the antagonist did what they did (killed). Even if we hated them for all the pains they had caused, Anna made us wish that there was another way of settling things with the Acheri, who was in itself, a victim. And on top of that, I was glad about the way Maggie finished off the Acheri even after understanding its reason for killing. It taught me one thing: there is no reason to kill. That you are a victim does not mean you should unleash terror on others because when karma catches up with you, it would not care about your backstory.
Pest is certainly a book I’d recommend to anyone to read. It is the kind of story that stays with you long after the book’s been closed. It makes you imagine life for the protagonists after the story ended. It makes you want to check up on Thorntree to be sure that they are still doing fine. The book draws you to it and makes you one with it.
I’m glad that I accepted the offer to review Pest. It was a fantastic read.
Pest by Anna Willet
Reviewer: Kasimma
Pest had a gripping start: a storm. As I dived further into the pages, I realised that Anna’s mastery of creative writing was constant throughout the piece. In the first few pages, I thought I had to close my windows because I suddenly started feeling cold. The pacing of the description of the storm was that of urgency. It made you see that Maggie was thinking fast.
Pest is a story about a little village of Thorntree that was almost torn apart by the thorns of untimely death. It happened that a little demon had come to town and was determined to kill children (even adults when possible) until it got that one child for which it came. It was also a love story about the two protagonists: Maggie and Harness.
In Pest, every character had a story. Even the characters who we were meeting for the first time in that chapter and who would go ahead to die in the same chapter, we loved. Anna gave every character a heart, even the evil and its agent.
The story was not rushed. What Anna did was that she made me stand aside and watch her characters play out their stories. It was a detailed story. Even little details like Maggie warming her palms by holding the hot mug, or tucking her hair behind her ear, it was very detailed. It reminded me of Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. At some point into the book, I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction. I kept thanking my stars that it was fiction. This is because the imagery was so real, I almost thought it was my city of Abuja going through this nightmare.
The suspense in the story heightened as the story progressed. At this point, I must note that every single sentence in this book is important. While the suspense attempted to explode my head, I decided to jump some lines so that I could find out what, in the name of all that is bright and fair, happened next. Just to realise that those lines I jumped are connected to where I jumped to. I had to go back and reread those lines. I learned not to jump sentences anymore, a rewarding lesson.
At the climax of the story, I liked that whatever Maggie decided to do, she did not wait. She went ahead and did it that day. She recruited those whose help she needed and went ahead to finish up the Acheri (the killer spirit) and its agent (Prapti). We saw, from the point of view of different characters, what was going on in every angle of that scene. It was at this climax that we understood why the antagonist did what they did (killed). Even if we hated them for all the pains they had caused, Anna made us wish that there was another way of settling things with the Acheri, who was in itself, a victim. And on top of that, I was glad about the way Maggie finished off the Acheri even after understanding its reason for killing. It taught me one thing: there is no reason to kill. That you are a victim does not mean you should unleash terror on others because when karma catches up with you, it would not care about your backstory.
Pest is certainly a book I’d recommend to anyone to read. It is the kind of story that stays with you long after the book’s been closed. It makes you imagine life for the protagonists after the story ended. It makes you want to check up on Thorntree to be sure that they are still doing fine. The book draws you to it and makes you one with it.
I’m glad that I accepted the offer to review Pest. It was a fantastic read.
August 23, 2020
A thrilling book by Anna Willett, slightly more in the horror genre than her previous books, with a supernatural element. PEST also contains the same level of action and suspense as Willett's other titles, but this time the context is closer to home - given it is set in the midst of a pandemic.
Some kind of virus is killing the vulnerable. Cafe owner Maggie thinks it is linked to sightings of a strange girl. She tasks herself with finding the girl and eradicating the virus, but at what cost will that be?
PEST had me gripped from start to finish.
Some kind of virus is killing the vulnerable. Cafe owner Maggie thinks it is linked to sightings of a strange girl. She tasks herself with finding the girl and eradicating the virus, but at what cost will that be?
PEST had me gripped from start to finish.
September 5, 2020
AWESOME
And Willet is my all time favorite author!!!!
This book does not disappoint. If you have never read any of of her books the Read the Backwoods Ripper first. You will be so hooked Anne Willet turns the fire up in thriller and you won't see what coming around any corner until you get there!
For HORROR AND THRILLER Anne Willet is the best in the business!!
And Willet is my all time favorite author!!!!
This book does not disappoint. If you have never read any of of her books the Read the Backwoods Ripper first. You will be so hooked Anne Willet turns the fire up in thriller and you won't see what coming around any corner until you get there!
For HORROR AND THRILLER Anne Willet is the best in the business!!
September 21, 2020
Excellent read!
I had a hard time putting it down. It kept !y interest from start to finish. Don't let the title fool you it's much more than a pest!
I had a hard time putting it down. It kept !y interest from start to finish. Don't let the title fool you it's much more than a pest!
October 14, 2020
Great supernatural thriller
I couldn't turn pages fast enough. Great read with interesting characters.
I wanted a couple of characters interactions to be more detailed and longer.
I couldn't turn pages fast enough. Great read with interesting characters.
I wanted a couple of characters interactions to be more detailed and longer.
October 18, 2020
This is a good story!! Great characters and a good ending.
September 27, 2020
Nightmarish evil
This novel is stunningly written. The plot is threaded throughout this book with glimpses of horror, humor and honor. This is a terrific read.
This novel is stunningly written. The plot is threaded throughout this book with glimpses of horror, humor and honor. This is a terrific read.
November 27, 2020
Nice and creepy
I always enjoy a creepy tale that makes you question if you actually know what's going on. This one fits the bill. Definitely a recommended read
I always enjoy a creepy tale that makes you question if you actually know what's going on. This one fits the bill. Definitely a recommended read
May 6, 2021
Gripping
I couldn’t put this book down, it had me hooked from the 1st page! It’s the 2nd book I’ve read by Anna Willett, she’s a brilliant writer... can’t wait for her next novel!
I couldn’t put this book down, it had me hooked from the 1st page! It’s the 2nd book I’ve read by Anna Willett, she’s a brilliant writer... can’t wait for her next novel!
December 27, 2020
Gripping suspense and wonderful characters that beg to be cared for sad for or despised keep this supernatural horror moving briskly. I couldn't stop reading and found myself sad towards the end because I didn't want it to end..
Great book. Can't wait for more from this author. I wrote the review in my heading. Sorry!! Thank God for good horror!!
Great book. Can't wait for more from this author. I wrote the review in my heading. Sorry!! Thank God for good horror!!
December 19, 2020
A good, chilling, thrilling story. Except for the very last chapter, an epilogue of sorts, which seemed too “easy” after everything that had happened.
May 1, 2021
I enjoyed this, I personally would class it as a straight up horror rather than a thriller given the nature of what is stalking the town.
July 22, 2021
This was my first time reading Anna Willett and it's fair to say I'm impressed. Really creative writing, with good characterization and world building, and a story that's as creepy as hell. I loved the ending.
July 4, 2022
Firstly I want to thank James at Henry Roi PR for offering me the chance to read and review this book.
I will start by saying that I don’t usually read thrillers, however I couldn’t get enough of this book. Anna Willet’s excellent writing shines through in every section, painting a terrifying but gripping narrative. The background of a storm in the early pages not only felt like the perfect backing for the story but portrayed the sense of urgency, keeping me reading until late into the night. Willet managed to fully connect me to Maggie and the town of Thorn Tree - the characters were compelling and relatable, so you couldn’t help but read on, needing to know what would happen to them, and whether they could stop the evil spreading in their town. The details of the book made you love each character, and I really enjoyed the style of showing a wide range of characters’ stories even when they weren’t going to last long. The different character views really allowed an interesting perspective of the final scenes, showing what was happening simultaneously to link the events and everyone together. The suspense throughout the book was superb and increased throughout the story, impressing on you the urgency to stop the spread of infection and death.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thriller with a fantasy element. I’m so thankful I was offered the chance to read PEST and will be picking up more of Anna Willett’s books based on this read.
I will start by saying that I don’t usually read thrillers, however I couldn’t get enough of this book. Anna Willet’s excellent writing shines through in every section, painting a terrifying but gripping narrative. The background of a storm in the early pages not only felt like the perfect backing for the story but portrayed the sense of urgency, keeping me reading until late into the night. Willet managed to fully connect me to Maggie and the town of Thorn Tree - the characters were compelling and relatable, so you couldn’t help but read on, needing to know what would happen to them, and whether they could stop the evil spreading in their town. The details of the book made you love each character, and I really enjoyed the style of showing a wide range of characters’ stories even when they weren’t going to last long. The different character views really allowed an interesting perspective of the final scenes, showing what was happening simultaneously to link the events and everyone together. The suspense throughout the book was superb and increased throughout the story, impressing on you the urgency to stop the spread of infection and death.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thriller with a fantasy element. I’m so thankful I was offered the chance to read PEST and will be picking up more of Anna Willett’s books based on this read.
March 1, 2022
My first read from this author and while I did enjoy the story for the most part, there's way too much happening. I'll try not to spoil anything here but it feels like the author just threw a bunch of ideas together to try and make a story work.
Setting is a small Australian town, the main character's Native American heritage is frequently mentioned but that really goes nowhere, and the evil creature is Indian (not Native American - actual Indian). There's some nefarious scheme by the town's mayor which makes no sense, a romance between two main characters (they're in love after 48 hours when they met for the first time at the start of the book?), an additional unrequited love subplot, a school principal with a dark secret, a psychic little girl which everything is centered around.... this isn't even including the main story of some mysterious illness sweeping through the town. If you feel overwhelmed already, I don't blame you - I was too
A lot of these subplots go completely unresolved, so I was left with more questions then answers. If the author had tightened things up and left out half her ideas this would have been great. Instead it's just an OK pandemic story with some very weird components that don't mix well.
Setting is a small Australian town, the main character's Native American heritage is frequently mentioned but that really goes nowhere, and the evil creature is Indian (not Native American - actual Indian). There's some nefarious scheme by the town's mayor which makes no sense, a romance between two main characters (they're in love after 48 hours when they met for the first time at the start of the book?), an additional unrequited love subplot, a school principal with a dark secret, a psychic little girl which everything is centered around.... this isn't even including the main story of some mysterious illness sweeping through the town. If you feel overwhelmed already, I don't blame you - I was too
A lot of these subplots go completely unresolved, so I was left with more questions then answers. If the author had tightened things up and left out half her ideas this would have been great. Instead it's just an OK pandemic story with some very weird components that don't mix well.
June 15, 2022
First time reading this author. A truly evil being enabled by greed arrives in a very small and rather isolated Australian town and reeks havoc on the inhabitants. The good: interesting setting, multi-cultural interplay, quite a lot of action, and believable evil one's mode of action. The bad: story has a lot--maybe too much--going for it, but much does not go anywhere. For example, one of the main characters has Native American heritage, but little is done with it to develop the character. Some background was given on the evil entity, but I would have liked more on it and its entourage. I could have done without the love interest. All that said, it is a quick read with quite a bit of action; my mind's eye could see it on film or TV for mindless entertainment. I liked it enough to finish with a degree of enjoyment, but I would have to think about investing my time on the author's other books. A solid 3.
PS I greatly appreciated that the author prefaced with a note (I assume for those pesty English readers who complain about spelling typos). This story was written in Australian.
PS I greatly appreciated that the author prefaced with a note (I assume for those pesty English readers who complain about spelling typos). This story was written in Australian.
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