Junkman

by Christopher Bevard

When forty-two year old bus driver Mark Devold inherits his late grandfather’s home in rural Galesburg, Illinois, he's forced to revisit painful memories of his childhood and the brutal, unspeakable crime for which his uncle Tony has been sentenced to life in prison. With his mother Audrey in an assisted living facility and his sister Ann living abroad, Mark lives a solitary life and struggles with alcoholism while attempting to maintain a rekindled relationship with his high school girlfriend, Cory. Then Mark discovers a homemade Halloween costume among the old house’s many effects—a grotesque body cast that calls to mind memories of trick-or-treating and days long past. At first, the thing appears to be little more than a creepy curiosity, but soon, Mark discovers that it seems to exert a strange influence over everything around his house, his family, and even his memories. As reality and hallucinatory fantasy become harder to separate, Mark discovers a terrifying secret about the costume —a secret that could cost him everyone he loves.

Genres: Horror

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2021

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one surprised me, I wasn't sure if I really liked it until the last 30% and yet here I am ready to recommend it for fans of bleak supernatural horror.

Edited to add; if you've seen the movie where the guy finds an antique clown costume, this book has very similar vibes and it takes it a notch further.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, simply excellent! But it's bound to be divisive: the book takes abuse for granted and without any fuss empathizes with both abuser and victim - it may even be charged with victim-shaming. I for one couldn't care less, this is an absolutely riveting supernatural story, written brilliantly, with great characters full of sin, heart and life. So any triggers or uncharacteristically balanced treatments of abuse would be absolutely secondary for me. The book stands out for the creepy situations it describes, the physical and psychological torture it depicts, and the hugely impressive good writing. The ending was heart-breaking, yet realistic and solidly grounded on the premises. This was the first time I read Christopher Bevard, but it certainly won't be my last!

[Ben Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junkman by Christopher Bevard is the single creepiest book I’ve read this year. The cover vibes are spot on the story vibes. A slow descent into madness, driven by broken family history, terrible secrets and repressed trauma. But even with all that going on, the haunted faceless Halloween costume steals the show and freezes the blood.
K*ll
Junkman
K*ll

[Andrew Schultheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very impressed with Christopher Bevard's Junkman. This creepfest is easily one of the best horror novels I've read in a while. There is an authenticity to his style of writing, a "realness" to the characters. As the dread kept building and the horrible things started happening to these people, I wanted to put the book away and stop reading it - but I couldn't.
Highly recommended.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.

This book is a very difficult one. There are some heavy triggers, so I would suggest checking them before diving in. Junkman is a book that really pulls at your heart. Stories where basically good people who have been through some shit and are about to go through a whole lot more shit really get me. The "cursed object" in the book is severely creepy and it's very well-written, so those scenes were particularly effective. This was my first Christopher Bevard book, but I definitely hope to read more. 4.25 stars

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really disturbing. A great story of family and relationships and the past haunting them forever. Kill Junkman Kill.

[Kristen Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an awesome, quick read that blended human horror with supernatural horror. Very creepy, and would definitely recommend if you like haunted/possessed item stories.

[Jody Steed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride! No one is safe.