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The Things in Heaven and Earth
"...plenty of the unpredictable chills and excitement horror thriller fans appreciate." –Kirkus Reviews
Nash Baxter is a liar.
He's the famous skeptic who rides his motorcycle across the country debunking hauntings everywhere he goes. Yet he knows ghosts are real - suffering remnants of the departed, held fast to this world and tormented by demons. Hell, it seems, exists all across the land, side-by-side with the living world. Nash has the power to see into that hell and destroy the demons by a force of will.
But sometimes demons fight back...
When they do, they possess Nash and force him to commit murder. Not that Nash minds. He does not feel emotions. Not fear. Not horror. That is until a mysterious woman comes into his life and convinces him nothing was ever as it seemed. He has one purpose in life - to save the world from the truest evil, an evil that lives and breathes inside of Nash Baxter himself.
Nash Baxter is a liar.
He's the famous skeptic who rides his motorcycle across the country debunking hauntings everywhere he goes. Yet he knows ghosts are real - suffering remnants of the departed, held fast to this world and tormented by demons. Hell, it seems, exists all across the land, side-by-side with the living world. Nash has the power to see into that hell and destroy the demons by a force of will.
But sometimes demons fight back...
When they do, they possess Nash and force him to commit murder. Not that Nash minds. He does not feel emotions. Not fear. Not horror. That is until a mysterious woman comes into his life and convinces him nothing was ever as it seemed. He has one purpose in life - to save the world from the truest evil, an evil that lives and breathes inside of Nash Baxter himself.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2021
40 people are currently reading
1717 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 22, 2021
On its polished surface, this is a well-paced tale that strays with intelligence from what’s said on the book’s backside blurb about a famous ghost-debunker who investigates hauntings. Thankfully, things are not as simple as that.
Like it’s namesake title taken from Hamlet’s famous chat about ghosts with Horatio, this gruesomely entertaining joy ride into the supernatural asks us to acknowledge the limits of rational thinking and reason. What you see isn’t always what you get. Once you submit to this idea and slide down Michael Hopkins’ spooky glory hole, this fictional journey truly becomes multi-layered and can be enjoyed as a pure horror thriller or as a clever philosophical mashup of Steven King and suspense writer John D. MacDonald, only with bigger and better words.
Instead of the hard-boiled Travis McGee investigating bad guys from a Florida houseboat, here you have an outlier sleuth named Nash Baxter doing the same from the seat of a Harley-Davidson.
Baxter’s plight and battle with himself is quickly foreshadowed in the book’s brief’s prelude: “Those who seek the source of sorrow need look no further than where I stand. It grieves me to be this thing, yet here I am.”
Is this a thriller or a seek-and-destroy parable about an introspective investigator in a biker do-rag who searches for dangerous spirits? It’s actually both.
Without revealing spoilers, the novels straddles an eery netherworld world where all is not what it seems and characters assume parallel identities that drive the story’s narrative. There’s enough subtext here about the inner workings of human good and evil to warrant a twice-reading of certain pages and Hopkins is a good enough writer to pull off such an ambitious storyline.
There’s much to like about the book’s complex lead character, the darkly flawed paranormal investigator Nash Baxter, who travels cross-country astride his motorcycle battling Beelzebub and a cast of evil minions — some of whom rise up from the unlikely landscape of a humid Midwest cornfield like CGI apparitions in a blockbuster Netflix movie:
“…the image of demonic creatures found in old books, winged and hooved…upon legs articulated backwards at the knobby knees.”
Baxter, who himself has more than a few emotional and psychological kinks to work out, is the perfect foil for the evil spirits who try to manipulate his mind and body and they becomes more human as the storyline develops.
There are few wasted words in this nicely constructed novel. The writing is tight and the believable dialog, with its glib humor, is tighter. Hopkins’ disarming and casual prose seems effortless as he struggles with a cast of supernatural enemies whom we never quite know are real or just imaginary creatures sent to make mischief as Baxter struggles with the meaning of good and evil. The main character, the reluctant recipient of supernatural and telepathic powers, has more lives than a cat as he shares his ongoing inner dialog while trying to solve the puzzle of having been possessed by a persistent evil that seeks to control him.
Like everyone’s favorite Danish prince, this Hamlet never stops trying to answer the big puzzles of life and death, good and evil as well as fate and self-will…all while struggling with a cast of crazy demon shapeshifters who rattle around in his head and sometimes appear in the flesh.
The evil and manipulative nasties in this novel make The Exorcist look like a friendly pizza delivery guy standing at your door.
I recommend giving this author a careful read and I hope he comes up with more of the same very soon.
Like it’s namesake title taken from Hamlet’s famous chat about ghosts with Horatio, this gruesomely entertaining joy ride into the supernatural asks us to acknowledge the limits of rational thinking and reason. What you see isn’t always what you get. Once you submit to this idea and slide down Michael Hopkins’ spooky glory hole, this fictional journey truly becomes multi-layered and can be enjoyed as a pure horror thriller or as a clever philosophical mashup of Steven King and suspense writer John D. MacDonald, only with bigger and better words.
Instead of the hard-boiled Travis McGee investigating bad guys from a Florida houseboat, here you have an outlier sleuth named Nash Baxter doing the same from the seat of a Harley-Davidson.
Baxter’s plight and battle with himself is quickly foreshadowed in the book’s brief’s prelude: “Those who seek the source of sorrow need look no further than where I stand. It grieves me to be this thing, yet here I am.”
Is this a thriller or a seek-and-destroy parable about an introspective investigator in a biker do-rag who searches for dangerous spirits? It’s actually both.
Without revealing spoilers, the novels straddles an eery netherworld world where all is not what it seems and characters assume parallel identities that drive the story’s narrative. There’s enough subtext here about the inner workings of human good and evil to warrant a twice-reading of certain pages and Hopkins is a good enough writer to pull off such an ambitious storyline.
There’s much to like about the book’s complex lead character, the darkly flawed paranormal investigator Nash Baxter, who travels cross-country astride his motorcycle battling Beelzebub and a cast of evil minions — some of whom rise up from the unlikely landscape of a humid Midwest cornfield like CGI apparitions in a blockbuster Netflix movie:
“…the image of demonic creatures found in old books, winged and hooved…upon legs articulated backwards at the knobby knees.”
Baxter, who himself has more than a few emotional and psychological kinks to work out, is the perfect foil for the evil spirits who try to manipulate his mind and body and they becomes more human as the storyline develops.
There are few wasted words in this nicely constructed novel. The writing is tight and the believable dialog, with its glib humor, is tighter. Hopkins’ disarming and casual prose seems effortless as he struggles with a cast of supernatural enemies whom we never quite know are real or just imaginary creatures sent to make mischief as Baxter struggles with the meaning of good and evil. The main character, the reluctant recipient of supernatural and telepathic powers, has more lives than a cat as he shares his ongoing inner dialog while trying to solve the puzzle of having been possessed by a persistent evil that seeks to control him.
Like everyone’s favorite Danish prince, this Hamlet never stops trying to answer the big puzzles of life and death, good and evil as well as fate and self-will…all while struggling with a cast of crazy demon shapeshifters who rattle around in his head and sometimes appear in the flesh.
The evil and manipulative nasties in this novel make The Exorcist look like a friendly pizza delivery guy standing at your door.
I recommend giving this author a careful read and I hope he comes up with more of the same very soon.
July 5, 2021
Nash Baxter is a famous demonologist riding around the country on his Harley telling people ghosts aren’t real and “banishing” them. This is the only normal thing that happens in this book and if you aren’t paying attention you will get LOST. An epiphany hits Nash when he stops in a small town to get a bite to eat and learns of a demon living in his head. “All of Creation” loves him and the demon in his head and tells him to do a bunch of crazy shit like shoot the place up so Creation can bring everyone back to life so she can do it again in a different way. The demon in his head makes Nash wipe out on his bike and suffer extreme injuries so he can find out he has super healing powers. Nash gets put into a tug of war battle with Creation and the demon and it’s up to him to find out who is telling the truth. Killing off the wrong one could end everything.
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October 17, 2021
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've been picking up more and more urban fantasy, so when I saw this, I knew that I had to give it a try. A demonologist telling people that ghosts aren't real, even though he knows they are? Sounded right up my ally,.
I did enjoy the story, and the paranormal aspect of it. But it bounced around a lot and there were a lot of times that I was confused. I will probably do a re-read of it though to clear up my own confusion.
I will try this author again as I did like the story and hope he writes more of the same kind of genre.
3.5 stars.
I've been picking up more and more urban fantasy, so when I saw this, I knew that I had to give it a try. A demonologist telling people that ghosts aren't real, even though he knows they are? Sounded right up my ally,.
I did enjoy the story, and the paranormal aspect of it. But it bounced around a lot and there were a lot of times that I was confused. I will probably do a re-read of it though to clear up my own confusion.
I will try this author again as I did like the story and hope he writes more of the same kind of genre.
3.5 stars.
July 29, 2021
Powerful and gripping from cover to cover, Michael Scott Hopkins smashes through in an earth shattering tour de force with his debut novel, The Things in Heaven and Earth.
Maybe it’s the likable antihero in Nash Baxter, or the barrage of obscenities uttered by the likes of Second Jack to his counterparts at the diner as they go through their normal morning routine.
Or, perhaps, it’s the terrifying reality of a long and hard fought battle between two lovers in another dimension leaping hosts that reeled me in.
When there’s not blood, there’s evil.
When there’s not evil, there’s intrigue.
Marry that together with a perfect craft cocktail recipe of demons, ghosts, and the real kind of psychics that haunt your nightmares, and you’ve got yourself a real hell of a ride… to hell and back.
Throw in a dash of budding romance amongst these lingering beings and begin to savor with care.
With a myriad of American locales and the rumble of his trusty Harley, Nash finds himself jumping between dimensions and minds, piecing together a shadowy and troubled existence, all the while wrestling with the unsettling reality of a terrifying childhood trauma as the demons of his past motivate him to rise (or ride) to the challenge.
Hopkins has clearly demonstrated himself an educated authority over language within a beautifully dark construct and landscape.
Not for the faint of heart or easily troubled, I highly recommend this intense and gut-slinging tale to fans of the supernatural and horror genres! Looking forward to what’s next from this guy!
Maybe it’s the likable antihero in Nash Baxter, or the barrage of obscenities uttered by the likes of Second Jack to his counterparts at the diner as they go through their normal morning routine.
Or, perhaps, it’s the terrifying reality of a long and hard fought battle between two lovers in another dimension leaping hosts that reeled me in.
When there’s not blood, there’s evil.
When there’s not evil, there’s intrigue.
Marry that together with a perfect craft cocktail recipe of demons, ghosts, and the real kind of psychics that haunt your nightmares, and you’ve got yourself a real hell of a ride… to hell and back.
Throw in a dash of budding romance amongst these lingering beings and begin to savor with care.
With a myriad of American locales and the rumble of his trusty Harley, Nash finds himself jumping between dimensions and minds, piecing together a shadowy and troubled existence, all the while wrestling with the unsettling reality of a terrifying childhood trauma as the demons of his past motivate him to rise (or ride) to the challenge.
Hopkins has clearly demonstrated himself an educated authority over language within a beautifully dark construct and landscape.
Not for the faint of heart or easily troubled, I highly recommend this intense and gut-slinging tale to fans of the supernatural and horror genres! Looking forward to what’s next from this guy!
March 23, 2022
I got just over halfway with this book and had to DNF it. It was so confusing. The line between reality and not was just so hard to keep track of. Nick/Nate was not a very likeable character. I found him misogynistic and just an obnoxious show off and I'm very sorry to the author and publisher for this but I simply could not continue. Was he possessed by murderous demons, or did it happen in another reality or simply in his imagination? Who the hell knows - I am sure someone will love this book, but unfortunately I couldn't.
July 17, 2021
This novel is such a fun read! Great plot that moves along quickly - you really want to know what the hell (no pun intended) is going on in this strange, demon and ghost-infested world. If demons aren’t your thing - you will still enjoy the witty dialogue and character development. English nerds like me will enjoy the bits of Shakespeare sprinkled in. This is a smart and exciting novel - I highly recommend it! It’s fun to discover a new and talented author.
August 2, 2021
Unfortunately this is one book I wasn't able to finish. Don't get me wrong, there are interesting elements, interesting characters, and a unique plot, but there are far too many inconsistencies, leaps of logic, and plot turns that don't get grounded before we're leaping into the next scene, and then the next. This could've been a very engaging book but it felt like these issues just weren't going to resolve themselves by the 60% Mark and I was done.
August 17, 2021
I took two stars off because while clearly written from a male perspective the female characters were sorely lacking, seeming to be there merely to serve as a mysterious prize or spontaneous love interest to get him through hard times. That said, I did enjoy reading the story of it. The paranormal aspect was fun and the male characters had a depth and warmness that made you like them. I was also fond of his version of the big bang, or small thought.
August 8, 2021
Misunderstood
The book was simply strange. The plot kept bouncing around so you didn't know what was going on. I read the entire book because I don't start a book and not finish the book.
The book was simply strange. The plot kept bouncing around so you didn't know what was going on. I read the entire book because I don't start a book and not finish the book.
August 11, 2021
Immortal love and battle
Two immortals take over a mortal man. The book is about his attend to understand, and the trials he faces
on his journey to the end.
It's a good story, but a bit rambling.
Two immortals take over a mortal man. The book is about his attend to understand, and the trials he faces
on his journey to the end.
It's a good story, but a bit rambling.
October 5, 2021
This novel encompasses the classic battle of good versus evil, but its depiction of that ageless fight is anything but typical. The unique and complicated story of Nash Baxter and the (actual and metaphorical) demons he faces will have you simultaneously scratching your head and quickly turning to the next page to find out what happens next. Don't be mistaken: this isn't a candy-and-popcorn thriller. Hopkins' style is deeply literary and demands an attentive read. There are dueling timelines, double personas, and shifts in reality, all which add up to a richly woven *and* challenging tale.
This cinematic story of a lawyer-turned quasi-ghost-hunter on a Harley has something for everyone... even a romantic such as myself. I do ride a Harley, after all.
This cinematic story of a lawyer-turned quasi-ghost-hunter on a Harley has something for everyone... even a romantic such as myself. I do ride a Harley, after all.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews