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Death Rattle
The newest residents of Fleet, Texas are out for blood.
The town of Fleet, Texas is dying, and long-time resident Ebner Graves can only watch. Ebner grew up in Fleet, fought for it in Vietnam, grew old there, and now it’s drying up.
Until the addition of Sunny Meadows, a planned community on the city’s outskirts. Built by foreign investor Oskar Fuchs, it’s bringing wealth back into the area, and Fuchs wants more. He’s buying up property all over town, and making generous offers with old money. But Ebner’s not buying it. Fuchs isn’t what he seems, and Ebner won’t see his town become something he hates.
And then townsfolk start dying.
Everyone who stood in the way of Fuchs, all ripped apart in gruesome murder. Suspicious, Ebner sneaks into Sunny Meadows and finds the source of the killings.
Vampires.
Sunny Meadows is their den, and Fuchs their master. Now Ebner must stop him, before Fleet is bled dry.
The town of Fleet, Texas is dying, and long-time resident Ebner Graves can only watch. Ebner grew up in Fleet, fought for it in Vietnam, grew old there, and now it’s drying up.
Until the addition of Sunny Meadows, a planned community on the city’s outskirts. Built by foreign investor Oskar Fuchs, it’s bringing wealth back into the area, and Fuchs wants more. He’s buying up property all over town, and making generous offers with old money. But Ebner’s not buying it. Fuchs isn’t what he seems, and Ebner won’t see his town become something he hates.
And then townsfolk start dying.
Everyone who stood in the way of Fuchs, all ripped apart in gruesome murder. Suspicious, Ebner sneaks into Sunny Meadows and finds the source of the killings.
Vampires.
Sunny Meadows is their den, and Fuchs their master. Now Ebner must stop him, before Fleet is bled dry.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2021
About the author
Robbie Dorman
19 books94 followersRobbie Dorman believes in horror. Words of Christ in Red is his seventeenth and newest novel. When he's not writing, he's making cocktails, walking his dog, or playing video games. He lives in Florida with his partner Kim, their three cats, and the best dog in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 29, 2025
4.5 stars. Wow, did I love the bad ass intro with Ebner. Just a great lead. Hard-nosed, old school, tough as iron type that you just kept wanting to learn more about. And he had quite a complex situation on his hands, between his personal life, his love of Fleet, and the newest extenuating circumstances involving our antagonist, Mr. Fuchs. Great job of building up the hate between the two, showing each of their polar opposite ambitions. It honestly had me question a few times who should have come out on top. Interesting dynamics by the author. Now, I’m very picky with vampire-related content and this felt very comparable to Salem’s Lot. However, Robbie Dorman made quite a few creative changes that made a world of difference. Nothing necessarily too extreme or different from standard vampire lore, but unique enough. The supporting cast was wonderful, especially the late addition of Ana, who was another homerun. Ana and Ebner waging war on an army of vampires with an action-packed finale that will do one’s heart good. This was another really wonderful horror experience from an extremely talented writer in Robbie Dorman.
June 15, 2022
Not very good
Ok first of all a gay 70 year old man, please..... I don't want to read about no gay people. I want just a scary good story. Don't even want to read about any sex.
Ok first of all a gay 70 year old man, please..... I don't want to read about no gay people. I want just a scary good story. Don't even want to read about any sex.
November 27, 2022
5 stars
I was ready for a good vampire story when I started this. What I got was phenomenal story about love, family, loss, and vampires, of course. I will be looking for more from this author in the future.
I was ready for a good vampire story when I started this. What I got was phenomenal story about love, family, loss, and vampires, of course. I will be looking for more from this author in the future.
May 23, 2026
Vampires weren’t real.
Welcome to my second review from my holiday weekend bookfest, namely what I'm calling my Memorial Day/Pentecost Read-A-Thon (™ pending… because like every good vampire or backer of Chthulu-esque god of the Voidborn, I will be monetizing all this to the best of my ability!). Again, this announcement comes with apologies to anyone who thinks I should also acknowledge, say, their local, totally neutral Bank Holiday or even World Turtle Day (May 23rd, go ahead and mark it down for next year). And as I've just updated in my last review, it's no longer going to be a Double Dorman weekend but most likely a Triple Dorman weekend - that's author @robbiedorman for those of you not keeping up - barring any weird honey-do's that pop up. But since it's also abnormally warm outside, I doubt I'll be moving away from the AC downstairs - or I may get wild and switch to the AC upstairs, who knows!
Same look. Same eyes. Something ain’t right about him.
ANYWAY, long story made hopefully somewhat shorter, I'm pleased to announce that I've now finished my second targeted selection, namely, the vampire-centric "Death Rattle". Once again, Dorman has delivered a stunning horror story with not-quite-classic monsters included. These bizarre creatures - they are vampires mind you but they are also truly creepy in a "definitely no sparkles here at all" kind of way - are here to destroy what one visitor calls Bumfuck, Texas (real moniker = Flint) a place that many confess "is dying, and I don’t want to die with it." And just like the bad, greedy dudes we realized were more prevalent than expected like we found in "What Dwells Beneath The Waves", things are looking pretty strained for the locals. Well, for the locals not in on things anyway…
There is no normal to go back to. Normal left a long time ago.
And it all starts with the arrival of one fancy pants, "bloodsucking carpetbagger" with a Polish accent - and who strangely enough is leaking white stuff from his skin - that wants to buy every square inch of property and reform Flint in his own image. Even now shops are closing up and being remodelled for the exciting new tomorrow envisioned for the area! Why just come visit the new Sunny Meadows planned community that has sprung up just down the road a spell and see what we mean! Only, not everybody is as enamored with the visiting, smooth-talking Mr. Oskar Fuchs and his tendency to wave massive amounts of cash at everyone. No, some folks want to just be left in peace, being able to live out the rest of their lives with things just being as they are and have always been. Funny though, a lot of those same folks - some might say they're being stubborn - don't live very long afterwards anyway. How convenient!
The people of Fleet would do more than serve as underlings. They’d serve as meals.
So while we're following Ebner Graves - who is about as local as local can get, having lived in Flint for all his 70 or so years except when he was busy servin' in 'Nam - we slowly but surely realize just how bad things have gotten for the folks in Flint… and just how bad it may wind up in the days and years still to come ("When I stared at him, it felt hopeless."). Sure the small town (not sure about this descriptive as there's apparently 30,000 folks here or so, noting my own "village" only has around 2,500) is down on its luck after the local factory closed, but jobs don't grow on trees for folks that aren't willing to invest in infrastructure, schools, and other amenities that might attract new businesses (oops, I'm doing it again, aren't I?). Anyway, things are just slow, slow, slow all around … well, unless you're helping get Sunny Meadows up and ready. Ready for what, well, let's just leave that as a surprise…
You are in danger! Not just you, but your soul!
So if you haven't guessed yet, I think Dorman did a lot of really terrific things in this book, emphasizing that these "classic monster" tales don't have to be complicated to be extremely entertaining. First, the characters are as per usual for one of his books really a highlight. There are more layers involved with the folks we meet than I could possibly describe here without going on for a lot longer than I intend to. And a lot of this is really centered around some really powerful emotions ("That deep dedicated love … so deep it couldn’t be severed, not even with hate. Or death."), the kind that develops naturally over the years for such a tight-knit community. Yeah, it's a shame that things have slowed down and, yeah, you can kind of sympathize with those folks that think a quick fix is the way to go. But then again, are you ready to give up being, well, human just for that?
If you touch me, I’m going to put your dick in the dirt.
So before you know it, we've got one old man - who may be the last man in Flint who hasn't succumbed to the Master's truly despicable wiles - waging war with what could wind up being thousands of vampires. Sure, Ebner may have gotten lucky and shot one out in his backyard one night - which gave him an up close and personal view of just how these creatures tick ("… whatever it was, wasn’t human. The face was something monstrous, split in half from the jaw up past the nose…") - but fighting off a literal horde of these things, including their extremely strong, incredibly fast, and centuries old leader ("He was more than the others.")? Well, it must be time to call in the monster hunter, you know, after looking it up on YouTube! And when she arrives and starts laying out their strategy, well, we just begin to believe that maybe we humans might still have a chance (loved the Van Helsing vibe, too!). At least here in Flint because they're not sure if taking out this cell will help much what with all the hundreds more that exist around the country and the world.
… a lot of them are hiding in plain sight … Among the rich and powerful.
Again, Dorman has delivered a fast-paced horror tale that hits on all cylinders, with top-notch character development, great action, and an extremely relatable setting. Plus, any time you can take vampires out of the big cities (oh, the lists I could make with NYC vamps, or those from London, Paris, Edinburgh, etc….) AND give them some original talents ("Holy water and crosses do nothing. God can’t hurt them.") - with perhaps also some interesting new ways to kill them (no spoilers!) - then you'll get nothing but cheers from me! Now if you'll excuse me, but it's time to move on from sea creatures and blood suckers and turn instead to… hang on… medical research? Oh dear, I bet there's going to be needles involved, isn't there? Talk about horror…
Welcome to my second review from my holiday weekend bookfest, namely what I'm calling my Memorial Day/Pentecost Read-A-Thon (™ pending… because like every good vampire or backer of Chthulu-esque god of the Voidborn, I will be monetizing all this to the best of my ability!). Again, this announcement comes with apologies to anyone who thinks I should also acknowledge, say, their local, totally neutral Bank Holiday or even World Turtle Day (May 23rd, go ahead and mark it down for next year). And as I've just updated in my last review, it's no longer going to be a Double Dorman weekend but most likely a Triple Dorman weekend - that's author @robbiedorman for those of you not keeping up - barring any weird honey-do's that pop up. But since it's also abnormally warm outside, I doubt I'll be moving away from the AC downstairs - or I may get wild and switch to the AC upstairs, who knows!
Same look. Same eyes. Something ain’t right about him.
ANYWAY, long story made hopefully somewhat shorter, I'm pleased to announce that I've now finished my second targeted selection, namely, the vampire-centric "Death Rattle". Once again, Dorman has delivered a stunning horror story with not-quite-classic monsters included. These bizarre creatures - they are vampires mind you but they are also truly creepy in a "definitely no sparkles here at all" kind of way - are here to destroy what one visitor calls Bumfuck, Texas (real moniker = Flint) a place that many confess "is dying, and I don’t want to die with it." And just like the bad, greedy dudes we realized were more prevalent than expected like we found in "What Dwells Beneath The Waves", things are looking pretty strained for the locals. Well, for the locals not in on things anyway…
There is no normal to go back to. Normal left a long time ago.
And it all starts with the arrival of one fancy pants, "bloodsucking carpetbagger" with a Polish accent - and who strangely enough is leaking white stuff from his skin - that wants to buy every square inch of property and reform Flint in his own image. Even now shops are closing up and being remodelled for the exciting new tomorrow envisioned for the area! Why just come visit the new Sunny Meadows planned community that has sprung up just down the road a spell and see what we mean! Only, not everybody is as enamored with the visiting, smooth-talking Mr. Oskar Fuchs and his tendency to wave massive amounts of cash at everyone. No, some folks want to just be left in peace, being able to live out the rest of their lives with things just being as they are and have always been. Funny though, a lot of those same folks - some might say they're being stubborn - don't live very long afterwards anyway. How convenient!
The people of Fleet would do more than serve as underlings. They’d serve as meals.
So while we're following Ebner Graves - who is about as local as local can get, having lived in Flint for all his 70 or so years except when he was busy servin' in 'Nam - we slowly but surely realize just how bad things have gotten for the folks in Flint… and just how bad it may wind up in the days and years still to come ("When I stared at him, it felt hopeless."). Sure the small town (not sure about this descriptive as there's apparently 30,000 folks here or so, noting my own "village" only has around 2,500) is down on its luck after the local factory closed, but jobs don't grow on trees for folks that aren't willing to invest in infrastructure, schools, and other amenities that might attract new businesses (oops, I'm doing it again, aren't I?). Anyway, things are just slow, slow, slow all around … well, unless you're helping get Sunny Meadows up and ready. Ready for what, well, let's just leave that as a surprise…
You are in danger! Not just you, but your soul!
So if you haven't guessed yet, I think Dorman did a lot of really terrific things in this book, emphasizing that these "classic monster" tales don't have to be complicated to be extremely entertaining. First, the characters are as per usual for one of his books really a highlight. There are more layers involved with the folks we meet than I could possibly describe here without going on for a lot longer than I intend to. And a lot of this is really centered around some really powerful emotions ("That deep dedicated love … so deep it couldn’t be severed, not even with hate. Or death."), the kind that develops naturally over the years for such a tight-knit community. Yeah, it's a shame that things have slowed down and, yeah, you can kind of sympathize with those folks that think a quick fix is the way to go. But then again, are you ready to give up being, well, human just for that?
If you touch me, I’m going to put your dick in the dirt.
So before you know it, we've got one old man - who may be the last man in Flint who hasn't succumbed to the Master's truly despicable wiles - waging war with what could wind up being thousands of vampires. Sure, Ebner may have gotten lucky and shot one out in his backyard one night - which gave him an up close and personal view of just how these creatures tick ("… whatever it was, wasn’t human. The face was something monstrous, split in half from the jaw up past the nose…") - but fighting off a literal horde of these things, including their extremely strong, incredibly fast, and centuries old leader ("He was more than the others.")? Well, it must be time to call in the monster hunter, you know, after looking it up on YouTube! And when she arrives and starts laying out their strategy, well, we just begin to believe that maybe we humans might still have a chance (loved the Van Helsing vibe, too!). At least here in Flint because they're not sure if taking out this cell will help much what with all the hundreds more that exist around the country and the world.
… a lot of them are hiding in plain sight … Among the rich and powerful.
Again, Dorman has delivered a fast-paced horror tale that hits on all cylinders, with top-notch character development, great action, and an extremely relatable setting. Plus, any time you can take vampires out of the big cities (oh, the lists I could make with NYC vamps, or those from London, Paris, Edinburgh, etc….) AND give them some original talents ("Holy water and crosses do nothing. God can’t hurt them.") - with perhaps also some interesting new ways to kill them (no spoilers!) - then you'll get nothing but cheers from me! Now if you'll excuse me, but it's time to move on from sea creatures and blood suckers and turn instead to… hang on… medical research? Oh dear, I bet there's going to be needles involved, isn't there? Talk about horror…
April 8, 2022
Good story
An original take on a well told tale with action steady enough to keep you interested. I recommend taking the time to read this book.
An original take on a well told tale with action steady enough to keep you interested. I recommend taking the time to read this book.
December 6, 2023
Such a good read. This book will pull you in and leave you wondering about what will happen next. As the main story unfolds, there are side stories that give this book depth and character and they all get wrapped up perfectly In the end. No loose ends here.
This was an easy book to follow and understand.
This was an easy book to follow and understand.
January 12, 2025
Oh, I enjoyed this.
Perhaps it is because the main character, Ebner is a cantankerous older person, which I hope to be one day. His story was so good, the stubborn ol' coot, just wouldn't bend to become part of the new town plan. It had some gore, action, creepyness and heart. Easy to read in a day.
Perhaps it is because the main character, Ebner is a cantankerous older person, which I hope to be one day. His story was so good, the stubborn ol' coot, just wouldn't bend to become part of the new town plan. It had some gore, action, creepyness and heart. Easy to read in a day.
February 6, 2023
A fantastic spin on vampire lore with an elderly protagonist of a different stripe.
May 21, 2026
3.5 - Fun! Reminded me of Salem’s Lot and Late Phases
May 13, 2024
The book takes place in a small dusty town, Fleet, Texas, where opportunities are drying up fast. That is until a development starts on the outskirts of town, the developer seeming to be paving the way to reinvigorate Fleet, but then townsfolk start brutality dying. Nothing is what it seems. And oh yeah, VAMPRIES.
So imagine you're up real late, and you're watching the SyFy channel. They're having one of those independent horror film marathons going on. Sure, there are some neat ideas and visually appealing concepts, but then BOOM. You see a movie that catches your eye, then reels you in and makes you invested. That was Death Rattle for me. I also love how Dorman wasn't afraid to put his own DNA into the vampire lore and not be constrained by traditional perceptions. I really want to adapt this into a screenplay. You should definitely read this book 🤘
So imagine you're up real late, and you're watching the SyFy channel. They're having one of those independent horror film marathons going on. Sure, there are some neat ideas and visually appealing concepts, but then BOOM. You see a movie that catches your eye, then reels you in and makes you invested. That was Death Rattle for me. I also love how Dorman wasn't afraid to put his own DNA into the vampire lore and not be constrained by traditional perceptions. I really want to adapt this into a screenplay. You should definitely read this book 🤘
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews