Once upon a Predator

by Alex Loch

Picture this…
A lovely fall day where the reds, oranges and yellows of the turning leaves makes the quiet residential street look like it’s on fire. Movement to the left draws your eye. Someone is standing in the middle of a yard talking to a woman framed in the window of a two-story home. They’re completely wrapped up in their conversation. The woman’s expression is unreadable, but the man’s chuckle reinforces the assumption they know one another.

Look again, closer this time…
The sweat soaked strands of hair clinging to the woman’s forehead, the erratic rise and fall of her chest as her breath hitches, the intermittent shaking rippling through her body, and the death grip she has on the fork in her right hand. The man standing directly in front of her is not so much smiling but grinning. An overly wide, ear to ear grin that chases away the illusion this is an innocent chat. The only barrier between them is a flimsy screen, which is being peeled back as something in the man’s hand slides along the window frame.

This is just the beginning…
Local law enforcement is baffled as more bloodshed hits their small community, one after another. And their only consistent lead is a local Sam Turner who allegedly survived an attack years ago and keeps showing up in all the wrong places.

This psychological thriller, woven with a thread of horror, will keep you guessing until the very end.

Genres: Thriller Suspense, Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2022

About the author

Many of my stories start with a dream that I just can't shake. My upcoming release was written based on such a dream... of standing in a sun room appreciating the gorgeous fall colors reflected in the leaves of the maple trees lining the street. The street looks like it's on fire and I'm lost in the beauty of it when a stranger walks right up to the window and starts a conversation. The stranger is charming, attractive, and looks harmless but as the conversation progresses, the more threatened I feel until my hand, the one currently holding a fork, instinctively strikes out at the only thing close to me, the stranger's face.

After being plagued by this dream for months I finally wrote it down. I stopped having the dream but I still kept coming back to it thinking what kind of scenario could possibly drag out such an irrational reaction?

As more stories built up I decided to share some of them with a wider audience to see if they catch others’ attention as much as they’ve caught mine.

I guess we'll see...

Reviews

[Lynsay Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one go! The story is a bit of a genre mash up... a psychological thriller, with supernatural overtones, and some horror, which I love because life does not fit any one genre.

I really enjoyed it, and I'm only sorry there aren't more stories out by this author yet.

[Maria Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this nail-biter! (Literally as I have no nails left on three of my fingers!). This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect and they
didn’t disappoint.
The many characters in this story, over a dozen, are very well developed. You really have a tangible idea of who they are, which draws you even further into the mystery surrounding this odd town and the stranger who won’t leave the town and its residents alone.

[Lori King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, I'm not much of a reader but this one hooked me! It's a fantasy thriller with lots of twists which keeps you intrigued and wanting to keep turning pages!

Definitely loved this book!

[Mark McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the paperback edition (released June 14th). It was unexpected pleasure and one that had me reading it in one go. From the start, I wasn’t quite sure where this was heading and the twists left me scratching my head but by the end you do understand just how dangerous the antagonist is, and how much the title “Once Upon a Predator” suits this story.

You’re never quite sure if this book is about a highly skilled and deadly opponent or something more until the end, which I liked. Not many story lines keep me guessing but the author did a good job of hiding the reveal. And even after you get answers, they just open it up to more questions.

I look forward to reading more from this author, especially the continuation to this series...

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a thrilling page-turner that kept my attention right up to the last page! Loved the characters and how the story evolved to reveal one character who really is scary and as we find out, a very bad dude. The writer's narrative voice and descriptive passages made this an engaging and interesting read. Really well done for a first book, and I look forward to #2 in this series!

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get a review copy of this and it didn't disappoint.
This story kept my focus from start to end, which is not an easy thing to do these days! It also kept me guessing all the way through to the end.
It's a thrilling, and at times very scary, read.
I wish I could say more but I don't want to post any spoilers so I'll just say I'm really looking forward to reading #2!

[Shy Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I walked into this blind and I feel like I came out of it blind! I for sure thought this was going to be a criminal minds kind of book but it is so much more! The amount of times I yelled WTf and jumped at the slightest noise was ridiculous! I’ve never done horror and this was something… very interested to see what goes on in the second book!

[Andrea Sicard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging enough but the main character seemed hard to relate to all too often and the plot line gets chopped up at times. There was a supernatural aspect which I could’ve done without as it’s not really explored well and confusing at times. The book ties up quickly, leaving many loose ends and unanswered questions. I look forward to book #2 in the series. At the end of the book, after a whirlwind ending, the dates given are way off, further confusing the reader as to whether we were dreaming this whole time or if it’s been a year and 8 days… Overall, entertaining and a fast read albeit with some typos and plot errors.

[Trisha Phillips-Leith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Enjoyed Early On...


Spoilers...


I enjoyed the first part of the book. I breezed through it. But then it became a bit tedious and then it became upsetting. At least for me. I enjoy a good murder mystery, psychological thriller, etc. My favorites, actually. But I don't like books about occult, Satan or demons. I wish there had been some advanced warning that that was what this book contained. That the antagonist was a demon or satan was not appealing to me in the least.

[Jolynn Kuhlman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This book was great, kept me sitting on the edge of my seat .I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.

[Jennifer Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. Nail biter for sure.
Well written. Can’t wait and hoping for another one.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Thriller! Kept me riveted.