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Where the Monsters Live
How far would you go for revenge? When a six-year-old girl is abused and left for dead by a pedophile known only as the "Rabbit Man" due to the claw marks left on her body, police follow every lead but reach only dead ends.
Hungry for justice, her grieving father abandons wife and child on a harrowing journey deep undercover into Miami's sex offender colony under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. His purpose is simple: to find the "Rabbit Man" among them, and put him in the ground.
Months later, with no one to trust and the pedophiles he lives among growing suspicious of his actions, he learns nothing is simple where the monsters live.
Hungry for justice, her grieving father abandons wife and child on a harrowing journey deep undercover into Miami's sex offender colony under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. His purpose is simple: to find the "Rabbit Man" among them, and put him in the ground.
Months later, with no one to trust and the pedophiles he lives among growing suspicious of his actions, he learns nothing is simple where the monsters live.
ebook
First published December 2, 2016
158 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Ralston
82 books2,051 followers**CVLT: Lonely Motel Book 3 out now!!!**
**Sequel to the hit novel PUZZLE HOUSE coming Winter 2026**
Author of the cult smash-hit Woom and Ghostland and more than 15 other books that aren't the cult smash-hit Woom or Ghostland. His debut collection was blurbed positively by the legendary Jack Ketchum. His vampire novel, Pedo Island Bloodbath, was nominated for a 2024 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel. His horror-thriller Ghostland will soon be a board game from Crystal Lake Publishing.
For 10 FREE dark fiction short stories/novellas including the prequel to GHOSTLAND, "The Moving House," signed copies of Woom, bookplates and merch, please visit www.duncanralston.com.
Photo © Josh Silver 2015
**Sequel to the hit novel PUZZLE HOUSE coming Winter 2026**
Author of the cult smash-hit Woom and Ghostland and more than 15 other books that aren't the cult smash-hit Woom or Ghostland. His debut collection was blurbed positively by the legendary Jack Ketchum. His vampire novel, Pedo Island Bloodbath, was nominated for a 2024 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel. His horror-thriller Ghostland will soon be a board game from Crystal Lake Publishing.
For 10 FREE dark fiction short stories/novellas including the prequel to GHOSTLAND, "The Moving House," signed copies of Woom, bookplates and merch, please visit www.duncanralston.com.
Photo © Josh Silver 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 6, 2018
A good short story which I'm not sure I should review...
For what it was, it was well executed, though fairly straight-forward.
Pedophilia is a difficult subject to write about. Vigilante justice is an opinion that will divide people.
There is no right or wrong answer, because arguments can be made on either side. You only need to ask yourself what you believe:
Vigilante justice vs. Passive support
For what it was, it was well executed, though fairly straight-forward.
Pedophilia is a difficult subject to write about. Vigilante justice is an opinion that will divide people.
There is no right or wrong answer, because arguments can be made on either side. You only need to ask yourself what you believe:
Vigilante justice vs. Passive support
September 8, 2020
This was a great short story!
A little backstory for you readers:
The story is about a father wanting justice and revenge for the rape of his daughter. He was not satisfied with law enforcement handling it, so he goes out on his own, leaving his wife and daughter to go deep underground into a colony of sex offenders to find someone named the "Rabbit Man". He becomes friends with the offenders and makes up a story that he has done some bad things too, so that he can get close to them, so they will accept him as one of them.
On his search for the "Rabbit Man", he will have to endure the life of an offender and learn to survive among them to find and serve his justice. It is a long grueling task, but he does what needs to be done to become one of them.
Though this was a short story, it comes with a powerful punch and shows you the gritty side of life.
It also shows just how far a parent will go to protect their child and to serve justice on the criminals that invade their lives. Giving this book four stars.
A little backstory for you readers:
The story is about a father wanting justice and revenge for the rape of his daughter. He was not satisfied with law enforcement handling it, so he goes out on his own, leaving his wife and daughter to go deep underground into a colony of sex offenders to find someone named the "Rabbit Man". He becomes friends with the offenders and makes up a story that he has done some bad things too, so that he can get close to them, so they will accept him as one of them.
On his search for the "Rabbit Man", he will have to endure the life of an offender and learn to survive among them to find and serve his justice. It is a long grueling task, but he does what needs to be done to become one of them.
Though this was a short story, it comes with a powerful punch and shows you the gritty side of life.
It also shows just how far a parent will go to protect their child and to serve justice on the criminals that invade their lives. Giving this book four stars.
May 30, 2022
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 4.25 Stars
Story - 4.25 Stars
June 23, 2017
Where the monsters live? Apparently under the Tully Causeway in Miami. The over descriptive titles are a nuisance, apt as they may be. But the story was really good. Second experience with Ralston after reading Salvage. This one is without any supernatural elements, just a lean and mean psychological tale of a man on a mission to avenge the rape of his young daughter. The author's writing continues to be strong, he handles a difficult subject with a certain tact and restraint that genre doesn't always show and this one, unlike Salvage, doesn't have any extra fat on it, so it was a very entertaining (albeit not a light) read for something like 40 minutes. Ralston is definitely an author to watch and not just for genre fans, but anyone who likes their fiction dark and disturbing. You're also probably never gonna listen to George Michael's Father Figure the same way again. But then again...it is kinda creepy if you think about it. This story is creepy too, but in the right way. Recommended.
April 15, 2017
THIS is what happens when I say... "...it [my review] just needs a quick edit...", and you leave me unsupervised late at night!
That's OK - the timing worked out perfectly!
Now I can grab your attention by saying...
CELEBRATE EASTER WITH THE RABBIT MAN, AND DUNCAN RALSTON!
Intrigued? Come play with us HERE!
That's OK - the timing worked out perfectly!
Now I can grab your attention by saying...
CELEBRATE EASTER WITH THE RABBIT MAN, AND DUNCAN RALSTON!
Intrigued? Come play with us HERE!
June 13, 2017
This a very good story. I could see this actually happening. I have found a new author!
February 7, 2017
An absolutely brutal novella that had em squirming in my chair - and that's a good thing. If you're looking for a total gut punch, this is it.
October 21, 2018
This was a dark and disturbing short story. It shows humanity at its worst and how revenge can take over somone's life.
May 20, 2022
This was stupid. And was obviously written by a guy. The main character's narcissistic response to his daughter's assault was self-indulgent at best but mostly repugnant. Like, have your feelings dude, but it's literally not about you. I'm sure some incels will be eager to comment about it's my problem with vigilante justice--but it's literally not. My issue is with this dad abandoning his child after a horrific assault bc of his own feelings.
I had a hard time getting through the whole thing, and it was only 50-something pages. The writing wasn't notable, the story was mid, and the characters—well we've already covered. Go ahead and skip this one. And y'all know it really must have been bad bc I'm usually really generous with books, even when i don't like them.
I had a hard time getting through the whole thing, and it was only 50-something pages. The writing wasn't notable, the story was mid, and the characters—well we've already covered. Go ahead and skip this one. And y'all know it really must have been bad bc I'm usually really generous with books, even when i don't like them.
March 27, 2021
Ashamed to say I've waited this long to dig into Ralston's work after chatting with him around the virtual horror water cooler for sometime.
Well I started this and before long had zipped through the novella and bonus short in one sitting. Unapologetically gritty and the tightest of writing. For horror fans not afraid to get down and dirty (and not just in terms of violence, but regarding the topic and philosophies), this is a great read. When I argue for the relevance, need for, and effectiveness of more extreme horror, this is the kind of book I'm talking about. There's style, but there's also substance.
If this is par for the course with Ralston, and I believe this is the case, then I'm off to gorge on the rest of his library...
Well I started this and before long had zipped through the novella and bonus short in one sitting. Unapologetically gritty and the tightest of writing. For horror fans not afraid to get down and dirty (and not just in terms of violence, but regarding the topic and philosophies), this is a great read. When I argue for the relevance, need for, and effectiveness of more extreme horror, this is the kind of book I'm talking about. There's style, but there's also substance.
If this is par for the course with Ralston, and I believe this is the case, then I'm off to gorge on the rest of his library...
November 3, 2019
Naturally a parent has a desire to keep their children safe. But what if they were injured/ molested? Would you want revenge. That's what this story is about. A father's revenge. It's a short read and I enjoyed it. I think I liked the second story better about a woman who couldn't get pregnant. It was a mind twist kind of story.
January 29, 2019
Fantastic revenge story. And Perry Daniels was exceptionally good on the audio version. Great, dark, gritty story.
November 10, 2025
Where The Monsters Live
All of us EH/SP lovers know of Duncan to be the one who created Woom, it’s loved or hated but it’s one of the most rated & recommended books amongst this community. I wanted to read more from Ralston & this was definitely something different to the previous!
How far would you go to seek revenge for your daughter?
This dad does the unthinkable, after his 6 year old Nola is SA’D he cannot let it go. He goes undercover, living amongst the monsters in order to find the one who hurt his daughter.
With only claw marks & rabbit fur left to go on, he’s searching for the “rabbit man”. He won’t stop until he finds him even if that means pretending to be one of them…will it be worth it in the end?
This was one of those reads that has you thinking all the way through. If it was me, could I do what he did? Of course if justice wasn’t served then every single parent would wish death upon the abuser, but could you live amongst them for the long run so that you can get that outcome? I’m not sure I could!
It was a short listen, but very well done especially for this subject! It shows how tormenting yourself with the need for revenge can totally take over your life, I felt his pain & his journey to get his own justice for his own sake.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Do check your triggers, it is a sensitive subject 🤎
All of us EH/SP lovers know of Duncan to be the one who created Woom, it’s loved or hated but it’s one of the most rated & recommended books amongst this community. I wanted to read more from Ralston & this was definitely something different to the previous!
How far would you go to seek revenge for your daughter?
This dad does the unthinkable, after his 6 year old Nola is SA’D he cannot let it go. He goes undercover, living amongst the monsters in order to find the one who hurt his daughter.
With only claw marks & rabbit fur left to go on, he’s searching for the “rabbit man”. He won’t stop until he finds him even if that means pretending to be one of them…will it be worth it in the end?
This was one of those reads that has you thinking all the way through. If it was me, could I do what he did? Of course if justice wasn’t served then every single parent would wish death upon the abuser, but could you live amongst them for the long run so that you can get that outcome? I’m not sure I could!
It was a short listen, but very well done especially for this subject! It shows how tormenting yourself with the need for revenge can totally take over your life, I felt his pain & his journey to get his own justice for his own sake.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Do check your triggers, it is a sensitive subject 🤎
May 27, 2024
A father turns vigilante to get vengeance(?)/justice(?) on the man who sexually assaulted his 6 year old daughter.
Quick read. Not fun. But like good? Hard to explain haha.
Quick read. Not fun. But like good? Hard to explain haha.
March 11, 2017
Intriguing
A father out for revenge to the person who sexually abused his daughter. It's amazing how he actually stayed with the homeless sex abuser's for 4 months to locate the man. That is dedication
A father out for revenge to the person who sexually abused his daughter. It's amazing how he actually stayed with the homeless sex abuser's for 4 months to locate the man. That is dedication
November 21, 2020
Another great story from Duncan Ralston. As a father, myself, this, at times, gritty tale really struck a chord and had me questioning how far I would go to avenge my daughters, were they to ever meet these very real monsters. Ralston is fast becoming one of my favourite, modern horror writers.
June 14, 2017
Duncan Ralston has a habit of taking readers into those dark places we rather not go, but all for the better. Where the Monsters Live is a harrowing journey into the seedy underbelly of Miami's Julia Tuttle Causeway and the lengths a father will go to avenge his daughter. I've never been disappointed with Mr. Ralston's storytelling and I seriously doubt you will either.
March 6, 2017
Solid Noir Thriller
This uncomfortable little thriller packs quite a punch in its relatively small page count. It is easily worth its cover price.
The characters are solid, the motivation is clear, and the writing is skilled. Ralston's "Woom" might be one of my favorite extreme horror novellas but "Where the Monsters Live" does not disappoint!
This uncomfortable little thriller packs quite a punch in its relatively small page count. It is easily worth its cover price.
The characters are solid, the motivation is clear, and the writing is skilled. Ralston's "Woom" might be one of my favorite extreme horror novellas but "Where the Monsters Live" does not disappoint!
February 23, 2017
What you do for your child
This was a disturbing book. But the way the world is today, you should read this book. I would recommend this book.
This was a disturbing book. But the way the world is today, you should read this book. I would recommend this book.
September 13, 2017
While the subject matter, sexual abuse, may indeed be too traumatic for some audiences, this story tackles the difficult subject deftly. The protagonist, a man driven to hunt down a monster, must struggle not to become a monster himself. A quick and thoroughly engaging read.
December 4, 2023
Well this one was disturbing. I don't really know what to say about it. Sometimes the writing style was a little clunky, but I can honestly say that I have never read a story like this before. And it's no easy feat, this one. It's one of those subjects that can easily be written wrong, in a way that's insensitive or inappropriate. I actually think the author approached this well. The revenge plot is, of course, going to be perceived differently from person to person, but I think the author handled it appropriately. I didn’t love the story, but it IS memorable, if only because I can't think of a single other story like it. Read at your own risk though. Just reading the synopsis is enough to suggest there are multiple trigger warnings here. If you're a sensitive reader, I'd recommend skipping this one. But A+ for making me feel things. Horror has a tough time doing that for me.
December 9, 2016
Efficient, powerful prose in a short story that delivers about as much emotion and punch as a book ten times its length. It's a challenging character and his actions really need to be evaluated and thought over by the reader, which I think all good art should do. I have been a fan of Ralston's work for some time now, and this one did not disappoint. Check it out if you are looking for a good, fast read.
January 31, 2018
Vengeance
Excellent story of a father looking for revenge against the man who violated his baby girl. The author manages to convey the horror and frustration of this sensitive subject without resorting to graphic imagery. This father just can't let go and move on. I think many of us would feel the same way in those circumstances. We too, would want to take matters into our own hands. In this case, a vigilante is born, and I found myself rooting for him.
Excellent story of a father looking for revenge against the man who violated his baby girl. The author manages to convey the horror and frustration of this sensitive subject without resorting to graphic imagery. This father just can't let go and move on. I think many of us would feel the same way in those circumstances. We too, would want to take matters into our own hands. In this case, a vigilante is born, and I found myself rooting for him.
December 8, 2016
Wonderful.
I've been reading Ralston since Salvage. I feel that this is one of the best stories, he has told, so far.
I've been reading Ralston since Salvage. I feel that this is one of the best stories, he has told, so far.
April 7, 2023
This author writes with a lot of depth and takes on brave subject matter. He captures the true horror in that while 'these men may not have killed anyone, they'd strangle the souls of children'...childhoods taken..healthy emotional foundation stolen. The detail, setting, and characters are super striking as well.
We need the significance of abuse of power (in all its forms) conveyed more; clearly, and honestly. These are powerful human feels & the feels are why we read. They are our human stories. Most particularly, harm to a developing child's emotional well-being has an all-encompassing affect. Without intervention people often try to live their whole lives not knowing that it is not something that is wrong with them, but rather something that was done to them that makes much of life extremely difficult. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse (and other forms of abuse) know little, if any, joy in being alive. And no one has talked about it! They are alone in it. I would challenge anyone to name a worse hell. Children being conditioned to believe they are only to be used, not valuable in their own right. There isn't anything more tragic than having no sense of self and it sets one up for great difficulty in finding belonging and necessary interrelating with others throughout life.
In regard to the catch phrase of 'stranger danger' being rather meaningless, yeah, I think that pedophilia, like other crimes, may as often be committed by those we know. It's certainly more convenient to abuse your own children than to find others, and there is the "sanctity" of family that isn't questioned. If someone is ok with using a child sexually, their qualms about it being a relative aren't likely to be much of a consideration. People largely aren't ready to acknowledge these things yet, the comfort zone is still more casual murder, violence, psychological abuse, other exploitation and betrayal but it's time child abuse is released from the closet. It's not as rare as we would all like to believe.
It was a good story point that a parent is often more focused on their own guilt and anger than in helping heal injury to the child, but vigilante justice is at least something, it is at least something that someone is willing to fight for a child. It made for a good story. Our social structures and legal system sure don't work well, sometimes doing more harm than good, victimizing the victim.
This was an awful lot of story in a Novella! A good story, very well told. As it's said, 'it would be nice to meet under better circumstances', lol...but this author is gaining a lot of respect from me. I really appreciate these emerging, highly talented voices!
edit to add: Baby Teeth was also good. I just waited to long to make my notes why. : )
We need the significance of abuse of power (in all its forms) conveyed more; clearly, and honestly. These are powerful human feels & the feels are why we read. They are our human stories. Most particularly, harm to a developing child's emotional well-being has an all-encompassing affect. Without intervention people often try to live their whole lives not knowing that it is not something that is wrong with them, but rather something that was done to them that makes much of life extremely difficult. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse (and other forms of abuse) know little, if any, joy in being alive. And no one has talked about it! They are alone in it. I would challenge anyone to name a worse hell. Children being conditioned to believe they are only to be used, not valuable in their own right. There isn't anything more tragic than having no sense of self and it sets one up for great difficulty in finding belonging and necessary interrelating with others throughout life.
In regard to the catch phrase of 'stranger danger' being rather meaningless, yeah, I think that pedophilia, like other crimes, may as often be committed by those we know. It's certainly more convenient to abuse your own children than to find others, and there is the "sanctity" of family that isn't questioned. If someone is ok with using a child sexually, their qualms about it being a relative aren't likely to be much of a consideration. People largely aren't ready to acknowledge these things yet, the comfort zone is still more casual murder, violence, psychological abuse, other exploitation and betrayal but it's time child abuse is released from the closet. It's not as rare as we would all like to believe.
It was a good story point that a parent is often more focused on their own guilt and anger than in helping heal injury to the child, but vigilante justice is at least something, it is at least something that someone is willing to fight for a child. It made for a good story. Our social structures and legal system sure don't work well, sometimes doing more harm than good, victimizing the victim.
This was an awful lot of story in a Novella! A good story, very well told. As it's said, 'it would be nice to meet under better circumstances', lol...but this author is gaining a lot of respect from me. I really appreciate these emerging, highly talented voices!
edit to add: Baby Teeth was also good. I just waited to long to make my notes why. : )
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2021
Oh dear lord....
This is obviously a sickening subject, no parent should lose a child or, in this case, have one subjected to sexual abuse...but, this book was all wrong! It's written, badly, unfortunately, in the protagonists pov. His daughter's been raped and left for dead, his young daughter, there's no spoilers because we learnt this in the blurb. This book, considering the subject,fell extremely flat for me. It was more about the father and his vengeance which, quite frankly, was laughable. He had zero evidence of the abuser and actually lived amongst the low life???!! He thought it could possibly be one out of three men and then attacked a fourth???
Considering this book was extremely short, I expected precision!? He'd apparently been 'watching ' a suspect in his car noticing meticulously how the light didn't work when the door opened, probably broken?!, Yet it worked when he actually Sat in the car????
Really wasn't feeling this book, terrible literature, fortunately free and extremely short ending somewhere around 37% , where another book began...seriously do NOT bother!!!
How on earth this book got so many good reviews is completely beyond me!
This is obviously a sickening subject, no parent should lose a child or, in this case, have one subjected to sexual abuse...but, this book was all wrong! It's written, badly, unfortunately, in the protagonists pov. His daughter's been raped and left for dead, his young daughter, there's no spoilers because we learnt this in the blurb. This book, considering the subject,fell extremely flat for me. It was more about the father and his vengeance which, quite frankly, was laughable. He had zero evidence of the abuser and actually lived amongst the low life???!! He thought it could possibly be one out of three men and then attacked a fourth???
Considering this book was extremely short, I expected precision!? He'd apparently been 'watching ' a suspect in his car noticing meticulously how the light didn't work when the door opened, probably broken?!, Yet it worked when he actually Sat in the car????
Really wasn't feeling this book, terrible literature, fortunately free and extremely short ending somewhere around 37% , where another book began...seriously do NOT bother!!!
How on earth this book got so many good reviews is completely beyond me!
Read
April 30, 2021this is another Audiobook from Duncan Ralston’s back catalogue. Narrated very nicely by Perry Daniels, Ralston takes us through the life of a man driven from his home in a quest for revenge.
The events of this book and the way they play out are well written and nicely paced. I’m unsure about how likely this kind of situation really is, but for the purpose of a fictional novella, it was pretty entertaining. I know similar things to this situation do play out so there is something factual for it to be based against. It’s not a long one, so I don’t want to say too much and spoil the story for you, but I would recommend it if you want to check out Ralston’s back catalogue. I haven’t always liked everything he’s put out, and I don’t think it helps that I started with a much newer piece (Ghostland) which is arguably the best work I’ve seen from him. I just wanted to see what had come before, and you can see where he’s grown as an author between some of these older pieces and the much newer titles, one of which he’s actually just released – Ghostland 2.0.
The events of this book and the way they play out are well written and nicely paced. I’m unsure about how likely this kind of situation really is, but for the purpose of a fictional novella, it was pretty entertaining. I know similar things to this situation do play out so there is something factual for it to be based against. It’s not a long one, so I don’t want to say too much and spoil the story for you, but I would recommend it if you want to check out Ralston’s back catalogue. I haven’t always liked everything he’s put out, and I don’t think it helps that I started with a much newer piece (Ghostland) which is arguably the best work I’ve seen from him. I just wanted to see what had come before, and you can see where he’s grown as an author between some of these older pieces and the much newer titles, one of which he’s actually just released – Ghostland 2.0.
April 6, 2018
this book has two short stories, very much different. The first one is about a dad taking revenge for his daughters rape. I think this story could have been told a little better especially if it was longer than just a short story but i did find myself cheering for the father at the end when he was able to save another child from something that could have changed his life forever. the second story was just odd. A couple that was trying to get pregnant but the woman was told she was not able, then finds some weird creature in the attic and takes it in as her own and all of a sudden shes pregnant, with what i'm assuming is another one of those creatures? the second story was just to vague and short for me but all and all i was able to picture the stories and i'm not mad i read them.
September 23, 2018
Where the Monsters Live was an AWESOME READ!!
I actually remember reading this book, when it was first out.
I was born and raised in South Florida, and most of us remember the Adam Walsh event, like it was yesterday. We all lived in fear of it happening to us, as a young girl was kidnapped in a town close to us! I raised my guy young Nephew and NEVER allowed him to play in the front yard!! Most people, I grew up with, would have done something similar to this, if it happened to their own child!!
A chilling story of a father's retribution for his daughter's kidnapping and abuse at the man who took her!
I actually remember reading this book, when it was first out.
I was born and raised in South Florida, and most of us remember the Adam Walsh event, like it was yesterday. We all lived in fear of it happening to us, as a young girl was kidnapped in a town close to us! I raised my guy young Nephew and NEVER allowed him to play in the front yard!! Most people, I grew up with, would have done something similar to this, if it happened to their own child!!
A chilling story of a father's retribution for his daughter's kidnapping and abuse at the man who took her!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews