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7 Weeks in Hell
Still traumatised by the events of Halloween in the tiny village of Basard, Vicky Murtagh has moved to the Irish city of Galway to forge a new life, but the ghosts of her past have followed her west.
Veterinarian, John Tighe, wants to find out why the city’s pets are viciously attacking their owners. As violence increases on the streets of Galway, he wonders if the conspiracy theories of the shut-in who lives in the apartment across from his might make sense.
The Better Living Program promises to revolutionise people’s lives, but Violet Casey is more interested in learning how to use its business model to become as successful as its creator. Could the company that has rejuvenated Galway also be responsible for its downfall?
Three people linked by a web of horror as their lives descend into 7 Weeks in Hell, to Hell or to Galway.
The second book in the 7th Hell series.
Arrives Halloween 2020
Praise for 7 Days in Hell, 7th Hell #1
Iseult Murphy clearly knows the horror genre very well and has a firm handle on the tension, building it up with confidence.
Nick Clausen, #1 Bestselling Amazon Author
Atmospheric, well written, and definitely worth a read.
Catherine McCarthy, author of The Wolf and the Favor
Iseult Murphy’s 7 Days In Hell is a surprising horror gem, with nods to Lovecraft, George A. Romero, and The Omen.
Joseph Sale, author of The Black Gate trilogy
Veterinarian, John Tighe, wants to find out why the city’s pets are viciously attacking their owners. As violence increases on the streets of Galway, he wonders if the conspiracy theories of the shut-in who lives in the apartment across from his might make sense.
The Better Living Program promises to revolutionise people’s lives, but Violet Casey is more interested in learning how to use its business model to become as successful as its creator. Could the company that has rejuvenated Galway also be responsible for its downfall?
Three people linked by a web of horror as their lives descend into 7 Weeks in Hell, to Hell or to Galway.
The second book in the 7th Hell series.
Arrives Halloween 2020
Praise for 7 Days in Hell, 7th Hell #1
Iseult Murphy clearly knows the horror genre very well and has a firm handle on the tension, building it up with confidence.
Nick Clausen, #1 Bestselling Amazon Author
Atmospheric, well written, and definitely worth a read.
Catherine McCarthy, author of The Wolf and the Favor
Iseult Murphy’s 7 Days In Hell is a surprising horror gem, with nods to Lovecraft, George A. Romero, and The Omen.
Joseph Sale, author of The Black Gate trilogy
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2020
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Iseult Murphy
32 books144 followersIseult Murphy started writing at a young age, entertaining her family with magazines that she wrote and illustrated as a child. In her teens, she won several local and national short story competitions, including three time overall winner of the RDS Young Science Writers competition, and had work placed in international writing competitions such as the BBC Wildlife Poetry competition.
Iseult is drawn to horror, fantasy and science fiction, as she feels that the most difficult aspects of life can be best explored through the lens of speculative fiction.
She currently resides on the east coast of Ireland with four dogs, a couple of humans and a cat. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, art and spending time with her animals.
Iseult’s speculative fiction short stories have appeared in over two dozen venues, most recently in Liquid Imagination and Frost Fire Worlds.
Iseult is drawn to horror, fantasy and science fiction, as she feels that the most difficult aspects of life can be best explored through the lens of speculative fiction.
She currently resides on the east coast of Ireland with four dogs, a couple of humans and a cat. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, art and spending time with her animals.
Iseult’s speculative fiction short stories have appeared in over two dozen venues, most recently in Liquid Imagination and Frost Fire Worlds.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 14, 2020
Superb sequel – surpasses the first in horror, tension and fun
In the sequel to 7 Days in Hell, Vicky Murtagh – totally traumatised by her experiences in Basard – flees to Galway where she lives as a shut-in in a tiny apartment, eking out her living as an influencer on the internet. Her old adversary, devil-worshipping zombie master Fergal, now known as Gerard, is also in Galway and up to his old tricks, although things take a turn for the worst when he takes on a new assistant, Violet. Suffice it to say that hiding from Fergal and from life is not going to save Vicky from having to deal with him once more.
I don’t want to give spoilers but I have to call out a few highlights for me.
First of all is Vicky’s character and life. The author handles the difficulties and fears that Vicky experiences every day superbly well. I loved this character from 7 Days and I felt like crying with Vicky at all she has to go through. She is understandably traumatised by events in Basard – who wouldn’t be? - and I thought the trauma was a nice obstacle for the heroine to overcome. I lived through every moment with her where the story was from her point of view.
All the characters are well drawn and I particularly liked John the vet and his family and colleagues. The antagonist is well developed too and I really enjoyed reading their sections.
I also revelled in the plot and the development of the zombies that we met in 7 Days in Hell. I loved how the author portrayed and further developed the workings of her zombies and their zombie master. I have a soft spot for controlled zombies in a story, but I think this series brings this idea much further and more sinisterly.
If you have read 7 Days In Hell, you will know that the author does not shy away from killing characters, that no one is safe, which adds to the tension as well as pulling on your emotions. For me this was true horror, because the antagonists were so powerful, there was a chilling sense of indomitable evil pervading Galway, there was the shock of sudden death, and at how some died, well-paced action, great characters, and a vein of humour, albeit dark, that runs throughout the story. The characters and the choices they make are a good commentary on many aspects of life, but for me there was a very clear message which I won’t say for fear of spoiling the plot.
I thought 7 Days in Hell was a five star read but this is even better. I really look forward to the next in the series!
In the sequel to 7 Days in Hell, Vicky Murtagh – totally traumatised by her experiences in Basard – flees to Galway where she lives as a shut-in in a tiny apartment, eking out her living as an influencer on the internet. Her old adversary, devil-worshipping zombie master Fergal, now known as Gerard, is also in Galway and up to his old tricks, although things take a turn for the worst when he takes on a new assistant, Violet. Suffice it to say that hiding from Fergal and from life is not going to save Vicky from having to deal with him once more.
I don’t want to give spoilers but I have to call out a few highlights for me.
First of all is Vicky’s character and life. The author handles the difficulties and fears that Vicky experiences every day superbly well. I loved this character from 7 Days and I felt like crying with Vicky at all she has to go through. She is understandably traumatised by events in Basard – who wouldn’t be? - and I thought the trauma was a nice obstacle for the heroine to overcome. I lived through every moment with her where the story was from her point of view.
All the characters are well drawn and I particularly liked John the vet and his family and colleagues. The antagonist is well developed too and I really enjoyed reading their sections.
I also revelled in the plot and the development of the zombies that we met in 7 Days in Hell. I loved how the author portrayed and further developed the workings of her zombies and their zombie master. I have a soft spot for controlled zombies in a story, but I think this series brings this idea much further and more sinisterly.
If you have read 7 Days In Hell, you will know that the author does not shy away from killing characters, that no one is safe, which adds to the tension as well as pulling on your emotions. For me this was true horror, because the antagonists were so powerful, there was a chilling sense of indomitable evil pervading Galway, there was the shock of sudden death, and at how some died, well-paced action, great characters, and a vein of humour, albeit dark, that runs throughout the story. The characters and the choices they make are a good commentary on many aspects of life, but for me there was a very clear message which I won’t say for fear of spoiling the plot.
I thought 7 Days in Hell was a five star read but this is even better. I really look forward to the next in the series!
January 28, 2021
Jaunts & Haunts
4/5
I gave this novel four stars!
Set eighteen months after the events of the first book, we continue to follow Vicky's life. Vicky struggles to get by, suffering from a condition that makes her see people as the undead. Naturally, she's terrified to go outside and stays inside her apartment. But when some scary changes begin to occur in her neighborhood, Vicky has to get over her past and get brave quick, or there could be some deadly consequences.
I've been a big fan of Murphy since reading her first book in this series 7 Days in Hell, and this did not disappoint!
The characters were fun and had depth. There are two main characters, Vicky from the last book, and John, a new character. Vicky is a completely different person from before, and it was really sad to see how the events of the first book scarred her. It was also extremely believable and three-dimensional. John was everything that Vicky wasn't, brave and strong, a sturdy support structure for her.
I started out liking John a bit more than Vicky, but by the end I ended up liking both characters equally. Oh, and there's a cute Boxer doggy!
The bad guys were pretty great too. Not quite as three-dimensional as Vicky, but they were vile, especially Violet. *shudders* Talk about screwed up!
The plot was extremely entertaining. I'm not the biggest zombie fan, but Murphy's take on them is new and refreshing. This book reminded me of Doctor Sleep in some ways, but went further than that with the horror element. There were a couple scenes where I just had to set the book down and say, 'Man, that was seriously messed up.'
If I had to pick at anything, I would point out is that in places the typos drew me out of the story, especially near the end. Other than that, no serious complaints!
This was a well thought out novel with unique characters and a plot that will make your blood curdle. Definitely worth a read!
4/5
I gave this novel four stars!
Set eighteen months after the events of the first book, we continue to follow Vicky's life. Vicky struggles to get by, suffering from a condition that makes her see people as the undead. Naturally, she's terrified to go outside and stays inside her apartment. But when some scary changes begin to occur in her neighborhood, Vicky has to get over her past and get brave quick, or there could be some deadly consequences.
I've been a big fan of Murphy since reading her first book in this series 7 Days in Hell, and this did not disappoint!
The characters were fun and had depth. There are two main characters, Vicky from the last book, and John, a new character. Vicky is a completely different person from before, and it was really sad to see how the events of the first book scarred her. It was also extremely believable and three-dimensional. John was everything that Vicky wasn't, brave and strong, a sturdy support structure for her.
I started out liking John a bit more than Vicky, but by the end I ended up liking both characters equally. Oh, and there's a cute Boxer doggy!
The bad guys were pretty great too. Not quite as three-dimensional as Vicky, but they were vile, especially Violet. *shudders* Talk about screwed up!
The plot was extremely entertaining. I'm not the biggest zombie fan, but Murphy's take on them is new and refreshing. This book reminded me of Doctor Sleep in some ways, but went further than that with the horror element. There were a couple scenes where I just had to set the book down and say, 'Man, that was seriously messed up.'
If I had to pick at anything, I would point out is that in places the typos drew me out of the story, especially near the end. Other than that, no serious complaints!
This was a well thought out novel with unique characters and a plot that will make your blood curdle. Definitely worth a read!
August 23, 2022
Murphy does it again. The most important thing I need to say about this book and its predecessor is that it is NOT a typical zombie survival situation. It's a lot more nuanced than that, in ways that are both sinister and comedic. The horror is real but masterfully broken by moments of humour which are subtle and never feel out of place. But perhaps my favourite thing is the human element: the characters at all times feel like realistic people and you experience the story through them in very relatable ways. Murphy has a gift for setting the very ordinary alongside the extraordinary within the same scene, sometimes even the same sentence, and it delivers something which is simultaneously thrilling and charming. Highly recommended.
June 20, 2021
Loved it. Well written, crazy zombie story that had me hooked from the beginning. Enjoyed the terrifying zombie adventures. Well thought out and written very colorful and descriptive. Can't wait for the next.
September 11, 2021
7 Weeks in Hell: To Hell or to Galway is the second novel in the Seventh Hell series. This is the second book that I have read by Iseult Murphy. Iseult is absolutely notorious for her delightfully fleshed out protagonists, enticing and interactive concepts with engaging plot follow-through, and delightful arrays of inclusive side characters and visionary worldbuilding. 7 Weeks in Hell is the continuation of the first novel 7 days in Hell. You can read this as a stand alone novel but I think you will miss out on some of the depth of the novel if you read them in order. In this novel three people linked by a web of horror as their lives descend into 7 Weeks in Hell. I am looking forward to the next book in this series as I am absolutely hooked! I highly recommend this novel. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the book with no monetary compensation.
November 7, 2021
To start the review off, I'm going to say this: IT SURPASSES EVERYTHING THIS AUTHOR HAS WRITTEN!
I have always loved Murphy's work. From her short stories to 7 Days in Hell, her writing as well as her characters and her ideas and imagination has always captivated me and inspired me. However this book is definitely a game changer. 7 Days in Hell had me gripped but 7 Weeks in Hell SQUEEZED and wouldn't let me go.
The character, Vicky, was someone who I loved because she wasn't your typical heroine. Although we all knew that she had that strength and courage inside of her to take on this horrific world, she never knew herself and you, the reader, had this longing to try and reach to her and tell her to stand up and fight.
Everything about the story gripped me from start to finish. The characters were engaging and interesting and the story develops into a much wider scale than the last book. As it should be with sequels, it's bigger, meaner and definitely unforgiving in terms of horror and I was here for every second of it! Much like Game of Thrones, nobody is safe and I loved knowing that. It definitely kept you on the edge of your seat and hoping your favourite character wasn't the one to bite the dust...so to speak!
Bring on 7 Months in Hell! (or I'm guessing that's what it will be called).
I have always loved Murphy's work. From her short stories to 7 Days in Hell, her writing as well as her characters and her ideas and imagination has always captivated me and inspired me. However this book is definitely a game changer. 7 Days in Hell had me gripped but 7 Weeks in Hell SQUEEZED and wouldn't let me go.
The character, Vicky, was someone who I loved because she wasn't your typical heroine. Although we all knew that she had that strength and courage inside of her to take on this horrific world, she never knew herself and you, the reader, had this longing to try and reach to her and tell her to stand up and fight.
Everything about the story gripped me from start to finish. The characters were engaging and interesting and the story develops into a much wider scale than the last book. As it should be with sequels, it's bigger, meaner and definitely unforgiving in terms of horror and I was here for every second of it! Much like Game of Thrones, nobody is safe and I loved knowing that. It definitely kept you on the edge of your seat and hoping your favourite character wasn't the one to bite the dust...so to speak!
Bring on 7 Months in Hell! (or I'm guessing that's what it will be called).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews