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John Decker #1
Wenn Vergeltung droht
Etwas Schreckliches ist im Bayou erwacht …
Als zwei Schwarzbrenner auf einer illegalen nächtlichen Lieferung spurlos verschwinden, schenkt dem niemand große Beachtung. Bis ihr Truck auf einer einsamen Nebenstraße verlassen aufgefunden wird und nicht weit davon entfernt ihre verstümmelten Leichen. Die örtliche Polizei ist ratlos und tippt auf ein wildes Tier.
Aber der Mörder ist noch lange nicht am Ziel.
Ein weiterer Angriff folgt schnell. Ein Paar Teenager an einem beliebten Badeteich. Diesmal gibt es eine Überlebende, die von einer monströsen Bestie mit gelben Augen und scharfen Zähnen erzählt. Ein Monster, das es eigentlich gar nicht geben dürfte.
Jetzt, wo die Einwohner der Stadt in Aufruhr sind und weitere tödliche Angriffe befürchten, muss Sheriff John Decker diese schreckliche Kreatur jagen und zur Strecke bringen, bevor sie wieder jemanden umbringen kann. Denn wenn er es nicht tut, könnte das nächste Opfer jemand sein, den er liebt ...
Teils Thriller, teils übernatürlicher Horror – Sie werden bis zum Ende nicht aufhören wollen zu lesen.
Wenn Sie ein Fan von James Rollins, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Steve Alten oder Michael Crichton sind, werden Sie die John Decker-Serie lieben.
Als zwei Schwarzbrenner auf einer illegalen nächtlichen Lieferung spurlos verschwinden, schenkt dem niemand große Beachtung. Bis ihr Truck auf einer einsamen Nebenstraße verlassen aufgefunden wird und nicht weit davon entfernt ihre verstümmelten Leichen. Die örtliche Polizei ist ratlos und tippt auf ein wildes Tier.
Aber der Mörder ist noch lange nicht am Ziel.
Ein weiterer Angriff folgt schnell. Ein Paar Teenager an einem beliebten Badeteich. Diesmal gibt es eine Überlebende, die von einer monströsen Bestie mit gelben Augen und scharfen Zähnen erzählt. Ein Monster, das es eigentlich gar nicht geben dürfte.
Jetzt, wo die Einwohner der Stadt in Aufruhr sind und weitere tödliche Angriffe befürchten, muss Sheriff John Decker diese schreckliche Kreatur jagen und zur Strecke bringen, bevor sie wieder jemanden umbringen kann. Denn wenn er es nicht tut, könnte das nächste Opfer jemand sein, den er liebt ...
Teils Thriller, teils übernatürlicher Horror – Sie werden bis zum Ende nicht aufhören wollen zu lesen.
Wenn Sie ein Fan von James Rollins, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Steve Alten oder Michael Crichton sind, werden Sie die John Decker-Serie lieben.
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
June 10, 2024
A Good Scary Story!
John Decker is a small town Sherrif who doesn’t believe in the supernatural. But something supernatural is happening in his town.
Or is it just a large animal, maybe a bear? Whatever it is it’s definitely doing damage to some people.
But nobody has seen it. What could it be? Is it something supernatural?
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
John Decker is a small town Sherrif who doesn’t believe in the supernatural. But something supernatural is happening in his town.
Or is it just a large animal, maybe a bear? Whatever it is it’s definitely doing damage to some people.
But nobody has seen it. What could it be? Is it something supernatural?
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
March 28, 2024
Run of the mill horror!
It wasn't a bad story, it was quite enjoyable really, just rather predictable. A small town in Louisiana, with the name of Wolf Haven, has a problem. It has its own resident werewolf who has begun to murder the town's inhabitants. The greedy and ambitious town mayor has upset one old lady too many. Not a good idea when the lady in question is (allegedly) a Cajun witch who has the power to summon a mythical 'loup-garou'. This story moved along at a fast pace as the body count began to rise. It wasn't a bad story and it was an easy read but, I think I'll give John Decker a miss in future.
It wasn't a bad story, it was quite enjoyable really, just rather predictable. A small town in Louisiana, with the name of Wolf Haven, has a problem. It has its own resident werewolf who has begun to murder the town's inhabitants. The greedy and ambitious town mayor has upset one old lady too many. Not a good idea when the lady in question is (allegedly) a Cajun witch who has the power to summon a mythical 'loup-garou'. This story moved along at a fast pace as the body count began to rise. It wasn't a bad story and it was an easy read but, I think I'll give John Decker a miss in future.
August 21, 2022
Creature Carnage!
Backstory:
John Decker has come back to his home town and ends up taking the job of town Sheriff as he figures he will be not as busy and will just be dealing with small town crime, but he gets more than he bargained for when town citizens start becoming victims of a wild animal attack.
When John starts investigating what kind of animal is laying waste to the townsfolk he finds out that "what" it could possibly be is really impossible as this animal shouldn't even exist except in myth and folklore, but he will need to come to terms with the otherworldly creature before it decimates the whole town!
That is about all I can give on a backstory without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then you will just need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This was a great story that just drew me right in as the author's writing style just slowly pulls you into the storyline and leaves you there wrapped in mystery and suspense. The story moves along at a fast pace as when the creature appears then the story becomes faster as more things start happening with the towns people.
I love the character, Decker as he just does what needs doing to get the job done. There was more of a body count though in this book and there was quite a bit of graphic gore descriptions as well which makes having a gore suit very handy.
Looking forward to continuing the series to see what other situations Decker lands in and what he has to do to keep things under control. Giving this book five "Creature Feature Folklore" stars!
Backstory:
John Decker has come back to his home town and ends up taking the job of town Sheriff as he figures he will be not as busy and will just be dealing with small town crime, but he gets more than he bargained for when town citizens start becoming victims of a wild animal attack.
When John starts investigating what kind of animal is laying waste to the townsfolk he finds out that "what" it could possibly be is really impossible as this animal shouldn't even exist except in myth and folklore, but he will need to come to terms with the otherworldly creature before it decimates the whole town!
That is about all I can give on a backstory without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then you will just need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This was a great story that just drew me right in as the author's writing style just slowly pulls you into the storyline and leaves you there wrapped in mystery and suspense. The story moves along at a fast pace as when the creature appears then the story becomes faster as more things start happening with the towns people.
I love the character, Decker as he just does what needs doing to get the job done. There was more of a body count though in this book and there was quite a bit of graphic gore descriptions as well which makes having a gore suit very handy.
Looking forward to continuing the series to see what other situations Decker lands in and what he has to do to keep things under control. Giving this book five "Creature Feature Folklore" stars!
May 19, 2025
after the prequel concerning Anubis and a murderous cult trying to return this God back among the living, John Decker returns home. The fact that his policepartner tries to kill him left a painfull impression on the mans mind.
Now hé is a sheriff in a little city away in Louisiana, where drunks are the majority of offenders. When John moved away from his hometown hé left Nancy his highschool sweetheart. Now that hé is back hé hopen to rekindle their love.
This little town and their mayor want a new road to connect their little town to the rest of the world. This means taking land and transforming it, however modern society wakes up something and it does transform too into something from the legends.
The quiet days are over when the deathtoll is raised
Can sheriff John Decker save his hometown?
A decent little x-files light story, that tell a Quick story with enough action and worldbuilding. However on of the secrets of Decker namely the death of his mother and subsequent obsession of his father gets passed over mostly which could have given the book more depth and roots.
It remains fun and fluffy, and an easy and quick read.
Now hé is a sheriff in a little city away in Louisiana, where drunks are the majority of offenders. When John moved away from his hometown hé left Nancy his highschool sweetheart. Now that hé is back hé hopen to rekindle their love.
This little town and their mayor want a new road to connect their little town to the rest of the world. This means taking land and transforming it, however modern society wakes up something and it does transform too into something from the legends.
The quiet days are over when the deathtoll is raised
Can sheriff John Decker save his hometown?
A decent little x-files light story, that tell a Quick story with enough action and worldbuilding. However on of the secrets of Decker namely the death of his mother and subsequent obsession of his father gets passed over mostly which could have given the book more depth and roots.
It remains fun and fluffy, and an easy and quick read.
May 15, 2025
3.5 stars
Finished this one tonight. Book one in a series. A John Decker novel, has a rich and evocative setting deep in Cajun country where folks still talk of the loup garou in whispered voices.
A fast paced book that was easy to digest. I would recommend this to anyone that wants an action book mixed with supernatural mysteries. I have a feeling this series would make a really fun tv show.
Finished this one tonight. Book one in a series. A John Decker novel, has a rich and evocative setting deep in Cajun country where folks still talk of the loup garou in whispered voices.
A fast paced book that was easy to digest. I would recommend this to anyone that wants an action book mixed with supernatural mysteries. I have a feeling this series would make a really fun tv show.
September 8, 2016
Just ok
I live in south Louisiana and found the facts and geography in this book to be way off. The basic plot was ok, but the writing was sophomoric. It read like a made for tv movie.
I live in south Louisiana and found the facts and geography in this book to be way off. The basic plot was ok, but the writing was sophomoric. It read like a made for tv movie.
September 27, 2022
This was an enjoyable horror story, based on a slightly different myth than I'd heard of before. I'll certainly be looking forward to the next book by this author.
April 6, 2021
Amateur hour. Fast paced and easy. Too predictable. No depth to the characters.
Read
March 9, 2024DNF
I liked the characters and the pace and flow of the narrative. However, I could not believe that the monster was real. My brain knows werewolves are not real so I could not be invested in the story.
I liked the characters and the pace and flow of the narrative. However, I could not believe that the monster was real. My brain knows werewolves are not real so I could not be invested in the story.
May 11, 2023
Surprisingly good, can’t wait to read more.
January 9, 2025
A fun little creature feature.. just reminds me of 8-9 year old self sitting in front of the tv watching sci-fi in the 90s.
The nostalgia.
The nostalgia.
May 23, 2021
Am I missing something from the rest of the reviewers? What is this? First of all, the narrator is ok, but seems to be a little "radio voicey" like Criswell, so it sounds bizarre and flippant when he's talking about really serious things.
And now- nothing gets ME hotter than knowing my daughters boyfriend was torn apart in the woods. All of a sudden it's a bone-fest for mom? Just keep drugging the girl, that'll help."
No one in this book acted like real human beings would in this situation, except the daughter. Her mom got super horny from nowhere, and simply drugged her daughter to knock her out and not deal with her trauma.
Its not a new or exciting tale- WHEN YOU TELL EVERYONE WHO AND WHY THE WEREWOLF IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK!
Everyone was terrible and unsympathetic, again with the exception of the kids. So their deaths held almost no weight and I felt the most for the OLD LADY. They were trying to unconstitutionally steal her land. And cause she was weird and spooky, no one felt bad for her.
Is it also a new thing with lots of newer horror writers to not describe the physical attributes of their characters? Looking back, I see Nancy had red hair. Otherwise, a huge question mark.
Id stick to the Cycle of the Werewolf by Steven King or Beast of Bray Road movie for better werewolves than this.
And now- nothing gets ME hotter than knowing my daughters boyfriend was torn apart in the woods. All of a sudden it's a bone-fest for mom? Just keep drugging the girl, that'll help."
No one in this book acted like real human beings would in this situation, except the daughter. Her mom got super horny from nowhere, and simply drugged her daughter to knock her out and not deal with her trauma.
Its not a new or exciting tale- WHEN YOU TELL EVERYONE WHO AND WHY THE WEREWOLF IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK!
Everyone was terrible and unsympathetic, again with the exception of the kids. So their deaths held almost no weight and I felt the most for the OLD LADY. They were trying to unconstitutionally steal her land. And cause she was weird and spooky, no one felt bad for her.
Is it also a new thing with lots of newer horror writers to not describe the physical attributes of their characters? Looking back, I see Nancy had red hair. Otherwise, a huge question mark.
Id stick to the Cycle of the Werewolf by Steven King or Beast of Bray Road movie for better werewolves than this.
June 19, 2016
Review: WHAT VENGEANCE COMES by Anthony M. Strong
I loved this book! It's tremendously exciting horror and I kept a pleased expression of satisfaction throughout. Mr. Strong has a smooth writing style, and leads the reader subtly to the horrors. Not for him is the "throw the gore at the wall and watch it splatter" approach. Instead, while we are quite frightened (indoors, in daytime, I still kept glancing over my shoulder and watching behind me), we readers are also treated to excellent writing talent and an enjoyable story. I knew when I read THE APARTMENT that this is an author to watch.
I loved this book! It's tremendously exciting horror and I kept a pleased expression of satisfaction throughout. Mr. Strong has a smooth writing style, and leads the reader subtly to the horrors. Not for him is the "throw the gore at the wall and watch it splatter" approach. Instead, while we are quite frightened (indoors, in daytime, I still kept glancing over my shoulder and watching behind me), we readers are also treated to excellent writing talent and an enjoyable story. I knew when I read THE APARTMENT that this is an author to watch.
March 21, 2023
This was a cozy, quick thriller/mystery and I really liked it!!! I’m a big fan of the paranormal and a big fan of the people and culture of Louisiana, my home state, and this book brought those together. I’m no stranger to the hoodoo witches of the bayous, so I was tickled that our villain was little old Annie Doucet, a verified witch and all around evil old hag.
When Sheriff John Decker and the mayor show up at Annie’s shack to try and persuade her to sell her land to accommodate the impending highway, she hatched a dark and sinister revenge plot, and summons the Loup-Garou straight from Hell to help her exact revenge on everyone involved.
Soon, a ravenous beast is terrorizing the town, viciously killing left and right, horrifying the unlucky people who find the maimed and eviscerated bodies. John Decker works alongside his deputy, who turns out to be an unmitigated ASS, to try and stop the beast and save the town.
It wasn’t extraordinarily well written, very little character development, but the plot was decent and overall it was a quick read. Good old fashioned fun fiction with a side bonus of a little second chance romance!
When Sheriff John Decker and the mayor show up at Annie’s shack to try and persuade her to sell her land to accommodate the impending highway, she hatched a dark and sinister revenge plot, and summons the Loup-Garou straight from Hell to help her exact revenge on everyone involved.
Soon, a ravenous beast is terrorizing the town, viciously killing left and right, horrifying the unlucky people who find the maimed and eviscerated bodies. John Decker works alongside his deputy, who turns out to be an unmitigated ASS, to try and stop the beast and save the town.
It wasn’t extraordinarily well written, very little character development, but the plot was decent and overall it was a quick read. Good old fashioned fun fiction with a side bonus of a little second chance romance!
September 16, 2021
Relied heavily on plot and formula, not much in the way of character development and had the usual tropes, having said all that it was well written. Probably will continue reading more of Decker in hopes things improve in certain areas.
January 30, 2025
3 stars? 3.5 stars? Or 4 stars?
I liked this book. I think the writing was pretty decent, the story moved along quickly, and the book delivered exactly what it promised. There’s a werewolf on the loose in a small southern town and the sheriff has to deal with it. That’s it, that’s the book.
I was happy with the scripting, it flowed well and had almost no fluff. This isn’t the 80s when your publishers demanded 400 pages in paperback and not one page less, or else. This is a lean 223 pages. So there’s no reason to give us sprawling backstories for the characters, and Strong didn’t.
So why am I vacillating over a rating? I don’t honestly know. The book delivers as promised, good action, decent horror, a few surprises. Very few surprises, really, but I wanted something straightforward and I got it.
Strong is a solid writer and I think I’ll come back to him at some point. I don’t know if the other books in this series will have a little more meat on the bones or not. Do they need to?
Ima cop out and give it 3.5 stars rounding up.
I liked this book. I think the writing was pretty decent, the story moved along quickly, and the book delivered exactly what it promised. There’s a werewolf on the loose in a small southern town and the sheriff has to deal with it. That’s it, that’s the book.
I was happy with the scripting, it flowed well and had almost no fluff. This isn’t the 80s when your publishers demanded 400 pages in paperback and not one page less, or else. This is a lean 223 pages. So there’s no reason to give us sprawling backstories for the characters, and Strong didn’t.
So why am I vacillating over a rating? I don’t honestly know. The book delivers as promised, good action, decent horror, a few surprises. Very few surprises, really, but I wanted something straightforward and I got it.
Strong is a solid writer and I think I’ll come back to him at some point. I don’t know if the other books in this series will have a little more meat on the bones or not. Do they need to?
Ima cop out and give it 3.5 stars rounding up.
June 17, 2024
Overall, not bad. It started out pretty promising for me, with grisly murders by a werewolf-like creature. But, the writing started to peter out and I ended up hoping for the story to finish up. Like I said, not bad, but I probably won’t continue with the series.
November 10, 2024
With a million other books to read on my TBR I dove into this randomly and damn if I’m not gonna once again ignore everything else to go read the next book. While it is noted the series can be read as stand-alone’s I decided to start with the first one mostly to get a better idea of the MC and how the series would evolve. I imagine certain things like Deckers personal life will change inevitably over time but his new job title John Decker: Monster Hunter had to start somewhere. In this book an elderly woman living in the bayou is about to lose her land to a damn highway. After generations living there the last thing she is gonna do is sit back and let them steal her legacy. Known as the local witch, she lives up to the name and invites a supernatural being to seek revenge. As the newly appointed sheriff Decker is tasked with solving the animal attacks plaguing the town. Little does he know the trouble he’ll find himself in. Funny too considering he ran away from this town long ago and only just returned recently and even rekindles a romance only for these animal attacks and a hurricane to come along and test his very limits. Book ends on a good note but definitely drops some hints into the next book that may make it hard to move on to something else. Been in a book slump lately so hoping this momentum will keep up!
April 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this! A different spin on the werewolf legends. I loved the southern small town Louisiana setting. Add a hurricane to the monstrous killings taking place. Decker seems a solid good guy character and I'll look forward to reading his further adventures. Fun stuff!
July 13, 2024
Can’t believe the positive reviews.
I found this book as a recommendation on social media that described it as a cross between Supernatural and The X-files. How disappointing to find that couldn’t be father from the truth. The writing in this book makes both shows look like Shakespeare.
Many here have complained about the shallowness of the characters and lack of character development. This is true, but considering the content of the book, this didn’t particularly bother me. It’s a plot-driven novel and not every story has to have character depth to be entertaining. What makes the characters unbearable is the incredible stupidity and lack of action they possess. The evil creature knows who I am and that I know it exists? Let me go to the house of the person I suspect alone to snoop around and take pictures. I’m the sheriff and it’s my job to protect the town? I’ll go to the crime scenes with my deputy and make him do all the heavy lifting while I twiddle my thumbs and take zero action, but act like I’m the tough guy and so much better than the equally stupid and lazy mayor. Honestly, the “protagonist hero” of this story is the worst character in it. Yet somehow, someone half the world away seeks his help out by the end? The high school kid is the most logical and resourceful person in the whole book.
The writing in general is pretty terrible. It reads like a high school senior’s creative writing project and is rife with typos, spelling errors, misuse of words, and odd turns of phrase (as well as incorrect ones). I know I highlighted some of the more egregious ones, but can’t be bothered to go back for them at this point. It was also horrendously repetitive in terms of word use. Phrases are used repeatedly in the same few paragraphs. The “beast” is described using the same terms over and over. The author feels the need to describe similar events in detail when some things should really be glossed over when being depicted from the point of view of a second and then third different character.
One thing the author did well - description of some of the places in the book. Words choice and imagery in some of the scenes where a place is being described for the first time were so vivid I felt like it must have been written by someone else.
There were other issues. Plot points dropped and plot holes galore, such as why the main character’s mother was killed (we’ll never know because the one who killed her dies), why the creature at times seems to kill indiscriminately (no real issue with Terry as far as I could tell), and other times lets someone who has seen it go unharmed (leaves one character unharmed three separate times), and why this creature had surfaced in the past… or if it was even the same creature.
Overall, this story just seemed like an excuse to throw a bunch of vividly graphic (but terribly redundant) violence and lackluster sex scenes together and call it a book. I really fail to understand the thousands of positive ratings. Don’t waste your time.
I found this book as a recommendation on social media that described it as a cross between Supernatural and The X-files. How disappointing to find that couldn’t be father from the truth. The writing in this book makes both shows look like Shakespeare.
Many here have complained about the shallowness of the characters and lack of character development. This is true, but considering the content of the book, this didn’t particularly bother me. It’s a plot-driven novel and not every story has to have character depth to be entertaining. What makes the characters unbearable is the incredible stupidity and lack of action they possess. The evil creature knows who I am and that I know it exists? Let me go to the house of the person I suspect alone to snoop around and take pictures. I’m the sheriff and it’s my job to protect the town? I’ll go to the crime scenes with my deputy and make him do all the heavy lifting while I twiddle my thumbs and take zero action, but act like I’m the tough guy and so much better than the equally stupid and lazy mayor. Honestly, the “protagonist hero” of this story is the worst character in it. Yet somehow, someone half the world away seeks his help out by the end? The high school kid is the most logical and resourceful person in the whole book.
The writing in general is pretty terrible. It reads like a high school senior’s creative writing project and is rife with typos, spelling errors, misuse of words, and odd turns of phrase (as well as incorrect ones). I know I highlighted some of the more egregious ones, but can’t be bothered to go back for them at this point. It was also horrendously repetitive in terms of word use. Phrases are used repeatedly in the same few paragraphs. The “beast” is described using the same terms over and over. The author feels the need to describe similar events in detail when some things should really be glossed over when being depicted from the point of view of a second and then third different character.
One thing the author did well - description of some of the places in the book. Words choice and imagery in some of the scenes where a place is being described for the first time were so vivid I felt like it must have been written by someone else.
There were other issues. Plot points dropped and plot holes galore, such as why the main character’s mother was killed (we’ll never know because the one who killed her dies), why the creature at times seems to kill indiscriminately (no real issue with Terry as far as I could tell), and other times lets someone who has seen it go unharmed (leaves one character unharmed three separate times), and why this creature had surfaced in the past… or if it was even the same creature.
Overall, this story just seemed like an excuse to throw a bunch of vividly graphic (but terribly redundant) violence and lackluster sex scenes together and call it a book. I really fail to understand the thousands of positive ratings. Don’t waste your time.
April 18, 2025
DNF. I gave up at “He sensed a strained tone in Taylor’s voice. She sounded…strained.” Nothing to keep me interested since the culprit and motivation are given away in the very first chapter. Also, the audio book narrator doesn’t know how to pronounce “cicadas”.
November 13, 2022
Will that was a different an fun to read.
September 8, 2021
You can find this review and all my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
John Decker left his home town a long time ago in a bid to escape the horrible memories that plague his past, but now he's back. Normally Wolf Haven, Louisiana would see him dealing with the local drunk, saving cats from trees, or breaking up domestic disputes, instead, John finds himself dealing with a brutal killer who shows no mercy and is picking off the local residents one by one. John is in a race against the clock to find the killer and stop them once and for all, when he stumbles upon an age old superstition that bears shocking similarities to what the town is now experiencing, he doesn't want to believe it's true...but soon he may not have a choice.
I was on a horror kick and I just really wanted some good horror to keep me going. I did sort of get that with this story, but not to the level I was hoping for. This is probably what I would class as an old school creature feature, and it was well executed that's for sure. I think what let me down was being so desentised to the type of horror that this story was portraying. So it's definitely a case of, it's me, not you.
The story opens with John Decker as a child, he lost his mother to a horrific animal attack and this was a big part of him needing to leave his past behind because of how awful it was and how it impacted his life as he was growing up. His father became obsessed, and he didn't want that for himself. So when he finds himself back in his home town many a year later, and these killings start up, he can't help but wonder if he's destined to travel down the same road as his father before him.
This story was well written, though I must admit a little cliched in parts, but that's okay. Some stories work on a formula and this one definitely did. I had a fair idea on what was going to happen most of the time, and that's totally fine. Sometimes a bit of predictability is just what the doctor ordered. Told through the third person point of view, I felt like I was outside looking in for the most part, but I soon found the rhythm of the story and was able to fall into a nice flow that pulled me into the story itself.
The characters were written well enough, though a little stereotypical of the general horror tropes, and not super deep. I feel like there was opportunity here to delve into certain characters and make them more real, but this was a very plot focused story, so I don't expect deep characters in this instance. The plot itself was strong though as said earlier ran to a formula, which, once again, is not a terrible thing, just left me feeling like there was no mystery to the story itself or what was going to happen. I did know straight up from the first meet who the bad guy was, and maybe the author intended that. I will admit though, by about half way through I did care about a handful of characters, so Strong was able to endear some of them to me in the end, which is what counts.
This story didn't so much rely on shock factor gore, though there is some strong gore descriptions throughout the story, which I enjoy. I hate it when a book relies solely on shock factor and not the ability of the characters or plot to carry the reader through to the end. Even though I was pretty sure I knew how things would end, I was still invested enough to see the book through to the last page.
All in all, this was a creature feature horror story, that while predictable was still enjoyable enough to finish. I love that it touched on a lesser used version of a common horror trope too. Though I will admit, I had to actually read the blurb of the book again when it came time to write this review as I had totally forgotten which book this actually was. If you enjoy good old fashioned horror, give this one a go, you may love it.
John Decker left his home town a long time ago in a bid to escape the horrible memories that plague his past, but now he's back. Normally Wolf Haven, Louisiana would see him dealing with the local drunk, saving cats from trees, or breaking up domestic disputes, instead, John finds himself dealing with a brutal killer who shows no mercy and is picking off the local residents one by one. John is in a race against the clock to find the killer and stop them once and for all, when he stumbles upon an age old superstition that bears shocking similarities to what the town is now experiencing, he doesn't want to believe it's true...but soon he may not have a choice.
I was on a horror kick and I just really wanted some good horror to keep me going. I did sort of get that with this story, but not to the level I was hoping for. This is probably what I would class as an old school creature feature, and it was well executed that's for sure. I think what let me down was being so desentised to the type of horror that this story was portraying. So it's definitely a case of, it's me, not you.
The story opens with John Decker as a child, he lost his mother to a horrific animal attack and this was a big part of him needing to leave his past behind because of how awful it was and how it impacted his life as he was growing up. His father became obsessed, and he didn't want that for himself. So when he finds himself back in his home town many a year later, and these killings start up, he can't help but wonder if he's destined to travel down the same road as his father before him.
This story was well written, though I must admit a little cliched in parts, but that's okay. Some stories work on a formula and this one definitely did. I had a fair idea on what was going to happen most of the time, and that's totally fine. Sometimes a bit of predictability is just what the doctor ordered. Told through the third person point of view, I felt like I was outside looking in for the most part, but I soon found the rhythm of the story and was able to fall into a nice flow that pulled me into the story itself.
The characters were written well enough, though a little stereotypical of the general horror tropes, and not super deep. I feel like there was opportunity here to delve into certain characters and make them more real, but this was a very plot focused story, so I don't expect deep characters in this instance. The plot itself was strong though as said earlier ran to a formula, which, once again, is not a terrible thing, just left me feeling like there was no mystery to the story itself or what was going to happen. I did know straight up from the first meet who the bad guy was, and maybe the author intended that. I will admit though, by about half way through I did care about a handful of characters, so Strong was able to endear some of them to me in the end, which is what counts.
This story didn't so much rely on shock factor gore, though there is some strong gore descriptions throughout the story, which I enjoy. I hate it when a book relies solely on shock factor and not the ability of the characters or plot to carry the reader through to the end. Even though I was pretty sure I knew how things would end, I was still invested enough to see the book through to the last page.
All in all, this was a creature feature horror story, that while predictable was still enjoyable enough to finish. I love that it touched on a lesser used version of a common horror trope too. Though I will admit, I had to actually read the blurb of the book again when it came time to write this review as I had totally forgotten which book this actually was. If you enjoy good old fashioned horror, give this one a go, you may love it.
July 22, 2022
What Vengeance Comes. John Decker book one (Anthony M Strong.) As always no spoilers.
A loupe garou (werewolf) is prowling the small town of Wolf Haven Louisiana. Sheriff John Decker and his deputy have to solve the bizarre murders, the number of bodies - all ripped apart and mangled keeps adding up. The action hardly let's up from the first kill to the suspenseful ending in the town school being used as a shelter during a hurricane. And revenge is aplenty
It's a relatively short book at just 227 pages but the action starts early on with some background information on the main character Sheriff Decker. The action scenes are many and the suspense is great. I have never read anything by the author before this book, but i will certainly be reading more by him. I REALLY enjoyed it. 5 stars from me and recommended to anyone who enjoys horror with graphic descriptions.
A loupe garou (werewolf) is prowling the small town of Wolf Haven Louisiana. Sheriff John Decker and his deputy have to solve the bizarre murders, the number of bodies - all ripped apart and mangled keeps adding up. The action hardly let's up from the first kill to the suspenseful ending in the town school being used as a shelter during a hurricane. And revenge is aplenty
It's a relatively short book at just 227 pages but the action starts early on with some background information on the main character Sheriff Decker. The action scenes are many and the suspense is great. I have never read anything by the author before this book, but i will certainly be reading more by him. I REALLY enjoyed it. 5 stars from me and recommended to anyone who enjoys horror with graphic descriptions.
January 17, 2023
As a monster hunter origin story, this was an interesting premise.
I gave this three stars for several reasons:
1. Lack of professional editing. Wrong words (i.e. peaked rather than piqued), missing words, awkward phrasing, and phrases out of order littered the entire manuscript.
2. No suspense or mystery. The reader is told from the start what the monster is, and we see who summons it in the first chapter. The author missed a great opportunity to ramp up the story tension.
3. I wanted to know more about John Decker. For a title character, he had a disproportionately small amount of 'screen time.' I really expected him to get a clue and actively hunt the monster. Sadly, the showdown seemed more of an accident or 'wrong place at the right time' coincidence.
Will I read more in this series? Yes, one more, from later in the series. If craft and editing improve, I'll consider others.
I gave this three stars for several reasons:
1. Lack of professional editing. Wrong words (i.e. peaked rather than piqued), missing words, awkward phrasing, and phrases out of order littered the entire manuscript.
2. No suspense or mystery. The reader is told from the start what the monster is, and we see who summons it in the first chapter. The author missed a great opportunity to ramp up the story tension.
3. I wanted to know more about John Decker. For a title character, he had a disproportionately small amount of 'screen time.' I really expected him to get a clue and actively hunt the monster. Sadly, the showdown seemed more of an accident or 'wrong place at the right time' coincidence.
Will I read more in this series? Yes, one more, from later in the series. If craft and editing improve, I'll consider others.
July 13, 2023
A supernatural thriller that keeps it right to the point. A supernatural creature, werewolf look alike, is killing people in a small county town. The sheriff, who had already encounter others creatures in his past life in the police, is set to find and stop it. The identity of the creature was fun and I was secretly wishing it kills the mayor in a horrible way (lol). The romance affair was not to invasive, doesn't take all the place, gave a motive for the return of the sheriff in town. The sub-plot concerning is mother is a strong plus here. A good B series that will entertain you for sure.
December 7, 2021
Not as awesome as the supernatural/science series I've been reading by Russell James...but it was a good start, enough to make me interested in the main protagonist and to move on to the next book. I hope we get more character development with John as we get to know him better.
February 26, 2024
What an adventure!
This John Decker supernatural thriller is everything I've been looking for. If you watched the Supernatural television show, you will love this series! I've already downloaded book 2 and anticipate another thrill ride.
This John Decker supernatural thriller is everything I've been looking for. If you watched the Supernatural television show, you will love this series! I've already downloaded book 2 and anticipate another thrill ride.
August 29, 2025
Quick and easy to read. If you are expecting some mystery about the creature, you'll be disappointed. I will say that the epilogue made me shake my head. Decker doesn't believe everybody who saw the creature, why would he expect everybody to just believe him afterwards.
September 10, 2021
Fantastic monster adventures
I can’t get enough of his books, they remind me of the X-Files and The night stalker TV series which I just adored.
I can’t get enough of his books, they remind me of the X-Files and The night stalker TV series which I just adored.
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