Grave Regrets

by David Massengill

THE PAST HITS HARD IN DAVID MASSENGILL’S LATEST NOVEL

A murdered woman’s body is found sprawled across a car seat in Seattle, a tree branch resting on top of her corpse. She clutches a cell phone displaying a website featuring horror fiction stories posted by the public. The story of the day is about Spindly Arms, a killer with a face in the shape of a crescent moon and tree branches for arms.

Forty-four-year-old John Larsen is aghast after hearing about the murder. “Spindly Arms” was a story he wrote over a quarter of a century ago, when he was a high school senior. The tale first appeared in a literary magazine published by the girl—no, the woman—who just met her bloody end.

Back in 1992, John was the boyfriend of Vivian Chiang and best pal of Brandon Laurent until a major betrayal among the friends forced them to stagger off in their separate ways. This was also the year the three classmates had disturbing encounters with the person they called “the armless man,” a bald, stocky fifty-something with bulging eyes and prosthetic arms. The man lived in a ramshackle house on John’s paper route, and he was the inspiration for Spindly Arms.

Now all three classmates painfully regret past actions as some sinister stranger who remembers 1992 stalks them. Spindly Arms is reaching across the years, and he won’t let go of John, Vivian, or Brandon until they’ve paid for past sins, or they’re dead.

282 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2022

About the author

David Massengill's latest work of fiction is the horror novella Virulent (Demain Publishing). He is the author of three novels—Grave Regrets, The Skin That Fits, and Red Swarm—all of which are available from Montag Press. He has also written the short story collections Extermination Days (Demain Publishing) and Fragments of a Journal Salvaged from a Charred House in Germany, 1816 (Hammer and Anvil Books). His short works of literary and horror fiction have appeared in numerous literary journals, including Eclectica Magazine, Pulp Metal Magazine, Word Riot, The Literary Hatchet, and The Raven Chronicles, among others. He lives in the Seattle area. Visit his website at www.davidmassengillfiction.com.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend David’s strongest novel to date shows how past trauma comes back to haunt. More mystery/thriller than true horror, the novel rotates among the viewpoints of several characters, showing events unfolding through different perspectives and layers, breathlessly moving the reader through about a week of time but with numerous important flashbacks. It’s a page-turner you won’t want to put down as you uncover each unexpected twist.

[Ruuf Wangersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book grabs you. A creepy thriller, that takes this...other direction. The key characters find their past coming back to haunt them in a completely unexpected, crazy scary, violent way. Like the best books of its kind, the reader is led along, gets caught up in the narrative, and starts trying to predict what's going to happen next, desperate to be one step ahead. But author Massengill is a master at stringing you along, so that just when you think you have it all figured out, he rips the rug out. Grave Regrets will take you exactly where you don't want to go. Which is exactly what you want most. Massengill goes the extra mile by creating tragically real characters, genuine people you actually care about, a lot, just as their lives are suddenly, crescent-moon-mask-crazily, completely upturned. Lots of easter eggs scattered throughout for denizens of the Pacific NW. Get this book and you'll be too scared to put it down. Seriously. Enjoy, fearfully.

[Dan Dembiczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Massengill’s third – and most ambitious to date – is a thrilling ride through 90s Pacific Northwest Nostalgia and a metaverse of horror. It follows a string of attacks linked to a mysterious “Spindly Arms” character, who was created by one of its central characters back in high school. Only now someone is reprising the character and is hell bent on revenge. For what remains a critical mystery for the characters (and police) to figure out. Grave Regrets is a very cinematic read; you can see the suspense playing out in each scene as characters try to escape a deadly grip or listen an impending intruder with a mysterious weapon. Some of the plot points recalled Wes Craven’s Scream as the plot-within-the-plot began to thicken and comment inward on itself. While towing the line between horror and thriller, Grave Regrets also is a comment on more than just decaying bodies. You see the decay of character, decay of a city, decaying qualities of life. As the characters confront their pasts, the present becomes murky and confused. Told through multiple perspectives, the author pulls the reader into this tapestry of confusion and vengeance with ease and skill.

[Kathy Brown]

I don't do stars but highly recommend for horror fans or anyone that loves a tense, character driven thriller. A real page turner.

[Stafford Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

GRAVE REGRETS is a skillfully constructed thriller offering plenty of suspense and a multitude of characters. The fast pace and fascinating mystery at the core of the novel kept me turning pages. This is an atmospheric read that will capture your attention—and creep you out— I really enjoyed it!