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Faces of Beth

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When Andrew meets Beth at the Myles-Bend State Mental Hospital, he knows she has issues. She checked herself into the place because of her problems, but he can’t help falling in love with her anyway. He’s willing to put up with her constant mood swings and all the baggage she brings into the relationship. He’ll help raise her kids, give her siblings a place to stay, and even look after her creepy grandfather. After all, he has the space in the huge house left to him by his parents.

Marriage has its hardships, Andrew knows that, but there seems to be something else wrong with Beth. A dark entity grows inside her and he can’t help wondering if she might be possessed. Andrew can look past all the other drama in their new life, but the thing inside her that seems to want him dead – that’s kind of a deal breaker.

Written by 2x Splatterpunk Award-nominated author Carver Pike, with an introduction by Bram Stoker and World Horror Grandmaster Award-winning author Brian Keene.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2022

52 people are currently reading
1574 people want to read

About the author

Carver Pike

30 books332 followers
My name is Carver Pike. Since as far back as I can remember, I've been fascinated by everything horror. I'd sit cross-legged in front of the TV and watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre while devouring a bowl of Kaboom cereal. I always wished the ghost at the end of each episode of Scooby-Doo wouldn't be just another man behind the mask. I wanted real ghastly ghouls, dastardly demons, and malevolent monsters.

At some point, I knew I couldn't sit back and keep watching this horror world from the stands. I wanted to be in the game. So, now I wield this virtual pen and sling ink onto this page with the hopes of someday being a major player. I want to create those worlds you visit, feed that fear that keeps you up late at night, and entertain you in ways only the greatest storytellers can.

Be advised, most of my books are very graphic in nature. Most contain strong violence, and some have very detailed sex scenes. I try to give you a warning in the book blurb.

Hopefully, we'll form a great author-reader relationship and you'll come to trust that Carver Pike will always keep you entertained.

Member of the HWA: Horror Writers Association
Participated in KillerCon2020

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5 stars
277 (46%)
4 stars
210 (34%)
3 stars
86 (14%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
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12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
Profile Image for Misty Marie Harms.
559 reviews728 followers
May 31, 2022
Andrew loves Beth. Even though she is a packaged deal. To love Beth, you also have to love her family. Sure, she has a few problems. Andrew knew that when he met her at the mental hospital where he is employed as an orderly, her a patient. Andrew took Beth and her family home with him, where they have been ever since. However, Beth's creepy grandfather is causing serious issues lately, to the point Andrew thinks maybe he is possessed. Something wants Andrew dead, and that is not in his 5-year plan.

I will admit, Pike messed with my head when the first twists started being thrown at me. I thought I was misreading what was happening, or maybe I should not drink wine before reading anymore. This is a unique horror read. I enjoyed it immensely!
Profile Image for Mort.
Author 3 books1,635 followers
May 22, 2022
Full review available at The Mort Report:

https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...

Hmm…so this is a Carver Pike you won’t expect.

Let’s get this out of the way. FACES OF BETH – the title is a about a character named Beth who suffers from a very rare skin disease called temulentusia, where the skin has these strange, glowing lines and, in direct sunlight, it gives the face this blurry appearance that makes it look like multiple faces on top of each other. You know, like when you’re drunk...
Hope that explains it.

I’m willing to bet you’ve just looked that up, didn’t you? And Google gives you a lot of stuff you can’t read, right?
Let me put you out of your misery. Google temulentus.

That’s right, I’ve just made that shit up.
Beth is actually a very complicated woman. She’s got psychological problems. But Andrew loves her. So he marries her and moves her entire family into his house.

Now, I need to backtrack here for those who think no man would ever do that.
The male ego is a sum-bitch. A lot of men think they can handle anything. I will try to explain like this:
In the movie ZOMBIELAND 2, there is this scene where the girl brings all her luggage to the car, while one of their rules is to travel light, so to get things going, Woody Harrelson’s character says he’ll load it up. So he waits for the girl to get in the car, gives it a couple of seconds, then slams the trunk shut, and they leave leaving all her luggage behind.

And that sums up what a lot of men THINK – they can leave the girl’s luggage behind.

Only, it doesn’t work like that.
Next thing you know, you’re like the guy who has to get all the Kardashian luggage at the airport.

So, Andrew has become an instant father, brother-in-law and grandson-in-law. While it is exhausting, he loves Beth enough to accept it and adapt to the circumstances. For the most part, he even enjoys parts of it. Because family is family, after all.

But, like any house of cards in a shit-storm, things can’t keep going at that pace. Eventually, things will start to crumble, much like my attempt at cooking the perfect dinner will end up with an upside down pot on the sauce-covered floor, with the cat licking it off the fridge door, and me sitting with my hand over my face. Or, as it’s known at my house, Thursday evening.

So, in the end, it will come down to the ultimate test of Andrew’s love for his wife and his love for his life. Because things are not always as they seem.

Well, for some reason I keep thinking of this as the grown-up Carver Pike novel, because this is a straight up horror story – this does not fall in the extreme realm. And it also means that Carver should be able to broaden his readership with this story.

It was not perfect for my taste, but I also recognize the fact that the author actually achieved what he set out to do with this story. I can recommend this to most horror readers, especially the ones who are into possession stories.

5 Stars
Profile Image for Janie.
1,175 reviews
April 24, 2022
This story had a twist that I was not expecting early on. After I got my bearings, I read through the rest of this novel as fast as I could to find out what would happen to each of the characters, all of whom I cared about. There's enough blood and violence to keep gorehounds invested, and the suspense was very enticing. Carver Pike is one of my favorite names in horror right now.
Profile Image for Stitching Ghost.
1,515 reviews391 followers
June 12, 2023
I'm not sure how to rate this one. On the one hand I thought it was too long, I saw things coming from miles away and I found the ending kinda meh, on the other hand I really enjoyed Pike's authorial voice and I liked that he presented someone with a very visible mental illness as worthy of love and agency. He even goes so far as to . There's quite a bit of sex in this one but it doesn't come across as gratuitous (if like me you're not a fan of sex in books you can skim the scenes without losing much and the scenes are not drawn out). Andrew is also a well-rounded character which comes across as pretty realistic, I enjoyed that his inner life was pretty rich and nuanced.

I decided to rate based on my enjoyment of the authorial voice and character more so than my enjoyment of the actual story because that's what seems most fair and call it a day.
Profile Image for Brian Bowyer.
Author 62 books273 followers
April 18, 2022
Amazing!

This one is incredible. I know it's early, but FACES OF BETH, so far, is probably my favorite book of the year. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Renée.
226 reviews3 followers
June 27, 2022
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Beautifully written and emotional.
I enjoyed the first half a lot more but overall an excellent read. I will now go to sleep and dream about Andrew. 🖤
Profile Image for Working Man Reads.
197 reviews31 followers
May 9, 2022
Carver Pike Weaves all of his experience writing fiction into this one book. I feel as if, this book will go down as one of the best books of 2022

That being said I suggest going into this book blind as hell.. my recommendation is that you pick it up and read it for yourself. No synopsis will do this twisty bizarre tale justice.

The main character Andrew works at a mental health facility. Andrew lives at home with his New Wife Beth and her "extended" Family. Fans of "Split" and even fans of Romance may be able to venture into this horror story as their first venture into the genre. Carver writes in multiple genres under other pen names. This important to bring up for this review, because his skills were translated into this book pertaining to the spicy scenes with his wife.


Horror ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Fun⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely mind blowing dark fiction, Pike put on a clinic weaving a truly unsettling read of psychological and supernatural Horror.
Profile Image for Nikki.
240 reviews20 followers
April 17, 2022
Wow! What a Gripping Story!

This book was impossible to put down! I started reading it yesterday while at work and I just didn’t want to stop. It was such a unique and amazing storyline that kept me guessing throughout the whole story. I got to know and love the characters really well and the way it all came together in the end was just brilliant! This is my new favorite Carver Pike book. Thoroughly enjoyed every single page!
Profile Image for Tara Losacano.
Author 13 books85 followers
May 31, 2022
What a fantastically creepy read!! This one kept me up late at night turning the pages bc I just had to know what was going to happen next. Beth was such an intriguing character and I just loved getting to know her and her "family". Andrew was such a supportive, tender husband which made me love him. But there were some seriously creepy moments in this book that gave me chills down my spine! Just an awesome read and definitely 5/5 priest that isn't a priest skulls 💀
Profile Image for Todd Love.
Author 40 books101 followers
May 28, 2022
Beth is Family

Carver Pike really knows how to tell a great story. I instantly felt drawn into Andrew and Beth’s world. Andrew takes on a new approach when it comes to dealing with Beth’s extended family, even goes so far to cover up the bloody mess left behind by Gore. Drew loves his wife and will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even if it kills him. Beth had a beautiful mind that evil want to call home. Andrew trudges through hell with the help of some familiar and not to familiar faces. Beth’s past has to be dealt with in order to save her future. This book is truly amazing, heart breaking, and beautifully told as only Carver could tell it.
Profile Image for Paul Nelson.
681 reviews163 followers
February 4, 2024
Had a myriad of feelings about this, the family aspect was initially very strange and the twist explanation was a decent idea. The mash up in the care home was cool but I think after that it kinda went as expected. Writing was decent, there was just something about the whole thing that didn't quite gel with me, almost like an absurdity thing.
Profile Image for DA.
Author 3 books134 followers
April 20, 2022
Once again Carver Pike demonstrates he's not locked into one particular horror trope.
This book is stunning, creepy, soulful and full of heart. The seamless way mental illness and possession is blended together to create a story that in the end is about family and love is breathtaking. I won't forget this story or the characters.
Profile Image for Rachel M.
416 reviews17 followers
June 20, 2022
What’s that saying……… if you can’t love someone at their worst you don’t deserve their best. Andrew certainly deserved Beth at her best!
Profile Image for Elli Toney.
200 reviews19 followers
April 19, 2022
This was my first Carver Pike book, and based on that, I have to agree with Brian Keene's assessment. Carver Pike is Motorhead; blending the Splatterpunk message and the Extreme boundary-pushing into one glorious monster.

Faces of Beth caught me off guard, I was expecting more of an extreme gore book, but what I got was just so much more. Yes, there is a lot of sex and gore, but the storyline twists and turns surprised me even at 30%. It became infectious, I had to know what happened. There was also some really freaky, chilling stuff of nightmares in there.

The story also gave me a bit of a retro vibe, like a seedy 70s underground horror movie on crack.

This book has it all. I devoured this one in a day.
Profile Image for Lisa Lee.
580 reviews39 followers
May 2, 2022
aces of Beth by Carver Pike is a truly gripping tale told with incredible skill. It’s complex, evocative, and deeply disturbing on many levels. In the Introduction, Brian Keene says Carver has heart and pushes boundaries and that it shows in this book (I paraphrase, of course). That assessment is perfect and perfectly stated (as Keene states it, not my paraphrasing; read the Introduction). This story is phenomenal in many ways.

That being said, I really hate the synopsis blurb. It does not begin to do the story justice. It’s a basic teaser, and Faces of Beth is anything but basic. There is much more to this story than the synopsis indicates. So much more.

But back to complex, evocative, and disturbing. It’s difficult to review this one without spoilers. I will say the complexity comes from a seamless blending of horror subgenres and the incredibly complex and fantastic characters (such good characters and characterization). But reader beware, this story is extreme in both content and graphic description. However, there is nothing gratuitous here. This is the story and Carver Pike’s style. His masterful writing is what makes the characters and events so evocative. But yes, disturbing content. This is horror. Many types of horror. Real life horrors and supernatural horrors and other horrors. Exclaim-out-loud-and-annoy-your-partner horrors.

I cannot say enough good things about Faces of Beth. It was engrossing, thought provoking, and it made me feel things—horror, disgust, dark glee, sadness, curiosity, even outrage and amusement. This is a shelf-worthy and fantastic read for horror lovers.
Profile Image for LJ🥀👻.
158 reviews84 followers
April 12, 2023
Excellent

This book surpassed all my expectations, and had such an amazing ending. I loved every second of it. 10/10 would recommend. You won’t be disappointed!
Profile Image for John Lynch.
Author 14 books182 followers
April 28, 2022
After finishing Scalp, and thoroughly enjoying it, I popped online only to discover Carver Pike had a new release, with an introduction written by Brian Keene. There’s nothing I can say to convince you to buy this book, if Keene can’t, but what I will tell you is that there are levels to this book. There is more than meets the eye, and even when you’ve past that point, pike eventually peels back more layers of the onion.

There are some splatterpunk/extreme staples of sex and violence here, and it is very well done. I blew through this book and then intentionally took my time finishing the last 100 pages because I didn’t want it to end. If you consider yourself a genre fan, you owe it to yourself to pick of Faces of Beth. I haven’t read enough Pike yet to say definitively that this is his best work yet, but I would feel confident that there is a good chance. It also feels like the book of an author who’s career is on the cusp of blowing up. Pike certainly has the chops to do it, I hope his lottery ticket gets pulled and he gets the attention he deserves.
Profile Image for Paul.
Author 57 books64 followers
May 29, 2022
A very good, very solid horror novel. Not enough people write them anymore. No real bells or whistles, just well-written tension delivered by a sensible story. In a world where so many authors are attempting what will end up being glorious failures, Carver simply delivers the goods here.
Profile Image for Amanda Mann.
Author 30 books172 followers
June 5, 2022
Another amazing and chilling tale by Carver Pike.

I'm going to be honest, I did NOT see any of that coming. I thought I knew what I was getting into going into this story, but that was definitely not the case.

Once again, Mr. Pike took what I thought I knew and completely twisted and contorted it into a spine-chilling tale that kept me on the edge of my seat.

This story was so complex and disturbing, but also sweet and endearing in its own way. I'm sure that's not something you expect to hear about a horror novel, but you will just have to read and find out what I mean.
Profile Image for Aimee.
183 reviews34 followers
October 20, 2023
I loved the writing!! I could see this translating well for an on-screen adaption, with maybe a few sexual scenes toned down, or it would be a full-on xxx film. The setup was excellent, introducing a man in a big old house, his beautiful wife, the loveable but straining cast of family members that live with them, and that kooky job at the psych ward. It was apparent to me that something was not as it seemed. And even after the rollercoaster of twists, I stayed invested with the supernatural aspect lurking in the background and the agenda of Beth’s brother, Gore.
At that point, I was confident this would be a solid five-star read.
But, I would say around the 70% mark, I had that dreaded feeling of mmm, okay, I think I got the gist. I closed the book after every chapter, which is a pain in the butt because I swear I have the attention span of a fruit fly, but that does not diminish the overall story. I think it’s an original, solid horror book that I would totally recommend. 3.5

Oh old Lynne and her swinging boobs will be haunting my dreams for the foreseeable future.
Profile Image for Erica Summers.
Author 15 books85 followers
August 16, 2023
What a surprisingly fantastic read. The first half of this actually made my jaw drop a few times and the finale was a lot of fun. The characters were all fun and exciting in their own ways (especially Gore). The plot was fresh and twisted. Loved where this adventure took me. I will certainly be reading more of Carver's work in the future. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Profile Image for Jason Nickey.
Author 69 books206 followers
April 25, 2022
I've read quite a few books so far this year, but this one just might be my favorite so far. Faces Of Beth deals with family struggles, mental illness, and demonic entities in a way that's both creepy as hell and suspenseful. This book grabbed me right away and kept me guessing the whole time. Carver Pike has really written an amazing horror novel here.
Profile Image for Melissa.
169 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2022
The United States Of Tara meets The Exorcist…….Faces Of Beth begins simply enough. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl get married, boy inherits her complicated family. Ah, but wait there’s a catch, or should I say, a twist. And what a twist it is. One of the reasons this book is so engrossing is it’s premise isn’t too far fetched. Some of the things that happen, happen in real life, making it even more disturbing. From word one, I was hooked. Definitely one of Carver’s best books. If I had more than two thumbs they would all be up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Autumn Feathers.
Author 4 books2 followers
April 25, 2022
Really enjoyed this!!
Seems like a typical weird mental health based situation. Man falls for a psych patient, they marry, marital bliss plus all her family. Little stressful but Beth is worth it!!!!!
We’ll over look the psychopathic brother, comes home bloody….
But not long into it, you start to question things…. Then more things… and soon enough it all gets weird and people die. But the twist!!! The twist!!! Bam!
Highly recommend!!!!
Profile Image for Gemma 🖤🧸🌷.
150 reviews7 followers
May 7, 2024
This was like a palette cleanser for me. It was extremely well written and well paced. I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects around mental health and demonic possession and how it all intertwined. I would recommend this to any fan of horror/psychological thrillers.

I would say go into it with no knowledge of what this is about. It may catch you off guard at first and then have you going “OHHHH”🤣. It will be given away if you read the book description though.
Profile Image for The_5ft_reader.
513 reviews7 followers
May 20, 2023
Wow wow wow what a story! I'd never heard of this book or author before, so I went in totally blind and it did not disappoint!
This one had my emotions all over the place from the horror/gore and creepy nasty characters to the sensitive mental health issues it's a rollercoaster of a ride
Profile Image for Karen.
213 reviews29 followers
April 17, 2023
This was my first book by Carver Pike, and I really liked it. I definitely will be checking out more of his books.
Profile Image for Darlene Loop.
262 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2022
This was one of those on the edge of your seat reads, there were parts that made the hair on the back of my neck stand and I loved it. This is definitely a favorite, Carver did such a great job keeping me guessing. Must read for sure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews

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