Maniac Menagerie

The Cursed Manuscripts

by Iain Rob Wright

Jurassic Park meets Silence of the Lambs...

Simon ‘Sim’ Barker runs a successful True Crime YouTube channel with his girlfriend Chrissy. One day, after completing their latest episode, they are approached by Billionaire Tech Industrialist Evers Nealy, who asks them to endorse his latest – Top Secret – project.

Reluctantly agreeing, they are taken to a private island in the English Channel and given a private tour of a brand new facility nicknamed ‘The Keep.’

What they find inside is beyond their wildest dreams. And worst nightmares. More than thirty sadistic serial killers all gathered in one place. What could go wrong?

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2022

About the author

One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

Reviews

[Els Shelves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited by the premise but honestly I feel it ended up being childish, cheesy and the main characters were annoying af.

[Tara Losacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an EPIC read!! Imagine Jurassic Park but with serial killers rather than dinosaurs, and a group of people that know serial killers in and out and you get Maniac Menagerie. This book kept me turning pages late into the night and the suspense was unrelenting. The characters, flawed and genuine, felt authentic and I ended up really caring if they survived or not. This is my new favorite Iain Rob Wright book and it's definitely going to be on my mind for some time. 5/5 murderous skulls 💀

[Mylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve said it before and I will say it again….

Iain Rob Wright is one of my favorite authors. I read all his books, and this idea of having stories related to the cursed manuscripts is brilliant.

However, I was kinda expecting something with the title “Maniac Menagerie” would be awesome. I was a bit disappointed and I found the story dry like the first book in the series “The Witch”. The other two reads (The Zombie and Hell Train were excellent).

Part of my issue with this book is that I felt that the introduction of the main characters dragged, and I did not care a whit for Sim. The smaller villainous characters were more intriguing and The Boxcutter just seemed to be more of an empty Friday the 13th Jason who liked the sound of his own voice than a true representation of evil.

Not a favorite for me this time.

[Kiera ☠ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off very strong for me but lost my interest half way through. If I’m being honest, I nearly DNF’d and I probably just should have but stubbornness kept me going. The characters were very strong and the story should have worked for me but for some reason, I just found it to be boring despite the subject matter at hand.

This reminded me a lot of Ghostland by Ralston but instead of ghosts, make it serial killers. An attempt at a live murderer museum gone bad. In theory this should have worked for me and I can’t quite pinpoint why it didn’t. When things started happening, I got bored.

[clumsyplankton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a really fun read and I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurassic Park meets The Silence of the Lambs. Literally!

One island off the coast of the English Channel.
The island is full of you guessed it Serial Killers!

A group of invited guests go on a so called tour around a big building that is named "the keep", they were invited by a Billionaire called Evers Nealy. They tour around in a vehicle with bars around it. As they go around they are shown cells of serial killers, sadists and psychopaths. What could go wrong?

Woah such a thrilling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't read fast enough, absolutely love, love, LOVE it so much!

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the beginning of this book, you can tell that things are going to go very badly off the rails, and boy do they ever. There is an endless supply of killers and they keep coming out of the woodwork. Can open, killers everywhere. At times in the book, you just want to take the main character Sim, and give him a good shake. He's stubborn and only wants to play by his narrow set of rules. Fortunately that doesn't last and we find out why he is like that. Other characters range from his girlfriend, sweet Chrissy, to some other people that like to take full advantage of the business and fame, that collecting a group of serial killers can bring. Loads of action and gore and a lot of fun.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. I wouldnt say it's the "scariest" thriller i've ever read but i was certainly tense when reading. The first chapter was very claustrophobic and tense, then the next few built up the anticipation of what was to come. Very well done and enjoyable. And then the sh*t hits the fan and you're dragged along on a gory, blood fuelled ride along with the characters. Pacing of the story was well done.

There's no surprises in this book, well, there are, but they are pretty obvious to see. And the story does exactly what you think when you read the synopsis- maniacs run loose and innocents try to escape.

Certainly a good read.

[Betsy Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book out this series!!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurassic Park but with serial killers

Absolutely loved it. Wright never fails to horrify and amaze me. The callbacks to Jurassic Park were icing on the cake.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sim and his girlfriend get a job offer. They arrive to find a island with serial killers. What if they escape. Nail bitting read.

[Teo · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

I was so sure at the beginning of this book that maybe it would be the one to change my mind about horror… well it didn’t. 

As per usual, the story progressed far too slowly, and once the action started it was just boring. You’re telling me there are dozens of serial killers on the island, and majority of them act like ‘animals’ (oh how I hate that comparison) full of bloodlust and don’t actually have a more diverse set of reactions? Did not seem plausible and called for a very repetitive story. Many of the killers had almost supernatural qualities, which was strange and didn't make this feel realistic at all. In no shape or form was the story scary. 
The dialogue was a straight up cheese fest a lot of the time, I really didn’t like it. The random insertion of anti-capitalist politics was just odd and didn't feel at all in place with the story. The announcement the member of the anti-capitalism group gave was so cringe worthy, I couldn’t honestly. If you’re going to include stuff like that make it good; otherwise it just adds even more to the cheesiness. 

The premise was far more interesting than the execution. A half star gets given because I read the first half very fast.

[Airika B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've liked pretty much every other book in this series but this one was not it. Almost a dnf. I was hoping the ending would make up for how unbelievably cheesy it was, but the ending made it worse. If you'd like an unbelievable cringeworthy Jurassic park meets serial killers, then I guess this is the book for you.
I was sorely disappointed.

[Ashley Chmielewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Jurassic Park vibes mixed with serial killers! Read exactly like Jurassic Park but what could make it better? Serial killers! Felt like it was missing something to the plot but very much enjoyed this!

[Emma Cowley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable and not scary. Also not a fan of the way the French character’s dialogue was written.

[Claire Salter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Laughable - not scary or particularly thrilling

So ridiculously far fetched and, although a novel idea, not convincing in the least. I was hoping for and expecting much better.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The predictability was very disappointing. Interesting premise, but it ended up a joke.

[Brett Grossmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

All this writer does is rip off better works and miss the pint of what made them good to begin with. This book is garbage. The series isn’t a series.

[Venus · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY HOLY HORROR

I don’t even know where to start. This book was so good. Interesting because it’s only the second book I’ve read from this author, and the first one was the zombie book in this series. That book was good, but nothing amazing. It still received a solid four stars from me, but this one? I would give it 10 stars if I could

I skipped around in this series a little bit because they are all interconnected standalone, and this particular premise fascinated me. I also liked that it was a full length novel instead of a short story like the others. Not the biggest fan of short stories, but whatever.

So now onto why this book was so amazing. First of all, the premise itself is unique even though it draws from other concepts. It’s like Jurassic Park, but with serial killers. It’s so freaking fascinating and well researched it keeps you turning the pages. There isn’t a huge amount of character development, but that is to be expected in these“kill them off one by one“ type of horror stories.

The serial killers? Oh my God so interesting. The twists and turns? So well done. Creep Factor? On point. Let me just say without giving spoilers that the wax statue scene made the book deserve five stars alone.

I don’t really know where to go from here with this review without rambling incessantly for several more paragraphs, so just go read the darn book.

[Suzanne Lopes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good morning Goodreads, I gave the book 1 ⭐️ This book was weird and it wasn’t good AT ALL!! I’m surprised because the other books in this series were pretty good. But the storyline really didn’t get my attention.. the only good thing in this book were the characters. Each one played a role in this story. Actually the characters were the only reason I kept reading 📖 but the actual story was NOT good. Anyway, I only have a couple of books to finish the series. I don’t like to leave things half way. So, I started the series and I’ll finish it. Regardless, of how the good or bad the books are. Again, this one was not good but hopefully the next one book will be good. On a lighter not I’m 5 books ahead of my reading challenge. On a side note, I learned during this years reading challenge is that I read 2 books at a time and I wasn’t speed reading just to finish the books, I was really into them. Anyway, if anyone is actually reading my review, although I doubt anybody is but if there is a book that you really liked let me know what it is (Hopefully, it’s a kindle unlimited book) 📕 Pls let me know what it is so I can read it as well. Have a great reading day guys!! See you at my next review… ❤️😉

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sim and Chrissy are blogging partners with a couple of million followers. Their topic of interest is serial killers. Techno billionaire, Evers Nealy, is also very interested in serial killers, so he’s spent the past few years building a fortress on his own private island off the coast of England. Nealy has also spent the past few years collecting live serial killers to populate his fortress. He’s planning on opening it to the public as a prison/museum/entertainment venue. He invites Sim, Chrissy, another blogger, Jason, and a couple of potential investors to be the first people to visit the island and let him know what they think of it. What could go wrong? To find out, you’ll have to read the book. Just know there’s plenty of murder and mayhem. I thought the characters were great. The story was kind of far-fetched, but hard to put down once you start reading.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won’t regret picking up this one!

A YouTube couple who investigate True Crime are invited to explore a billionaire’s island theme park. Things turn into a cluster fack and blood starts flowing. Will anyone survive!?

This is like Jurassic park but with unhinged serial killers! There are lots of intense scenes, chases, and gore. I loved Feral Fred, he seems totally misunderstood.

I’m familiar with the author’s work, but this was the first book I’ve read in The Cursed Manuscripts series. It definitely won’t be the last!!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurassic Park meets serial killers. Even some JP quotes tossed in for fun. What a fun ride!

[Caz Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one i read on holiday ....only 3 to find

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non Stop Thrill Ride

This book was awesome. The serial killer theme park was great, and the action was non-stop.I look forward toamy more stories from this author.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the concept wish it was a bit more brutal to seperate the killers. They seemed to blur into the same people

[Sharah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would’ve been a 5 star read but some of the dialogue and names of the killers were a bit cringe. Other than that, I enjoyed it 😊

[Lauren Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prologue was brilliant, the book was very fast paced and really well put together however the ending lacked, it just sped up to finish quickly but still enjoyed reading.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing on so many levels. The main character is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read about. Depressing, childish, and overall a real killjoy. As a true crime lover, I don't feel like this book hit the spot at all. For one, I have a hard time believing that if 30 serial killers were freed from prison, they would turn into savage animals and try to kill every person in sight rather than try to escape. You just have to look at the profiles of some of the killers named in the book to know they would never react that way. Also, although the main character likes to remind us that the killers are only humans, the author seems to have given them supernatural abilities. They are resistant to bullets and any kind of injuries for one and are even faster than bullets in some cases. The most feared killer in the book has super strength to the extent of being able to break someone's neck with the flick of his wrist, resists every injury (we are talking bullets, stabbings, taser, tranquilizers, and more...) and is blessed with super speed. I found the book to be uninteresting, repetitive, and cheesy. At some point, I started looking forward to the ending, which was also very disappointing. Sad because the synopsis seemed interesting. I should have just re-read Jurassic Park...

[butterfieldbooks12 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
One of the first books I’ve read in this kind of genre and it was such a unique, bazaar but really good idea. I found it quite intense and found myself really nervous in some parts. Some of the narrative felt a bit repetitive and the dialogue got a bit corny near the end, which took away from how unnerving most of the book was. Will definitely be reading some of the authors other books!