The 13th

by John Everson

No missing pages, Water Damage, or stains. Spine shows creasing. This is a readable copy.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Splatterpunk, Novels, Ebooks, Thriller

323 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

John Everson is a former newspaper reporter who writes thrillers filled with erotic horror and supernatural suspense. He is the author of the Bram Stoker Award winner Covenant, and finalist NightWhere, which reviewers called "50 Shades Meets Hellraiser!" He is also the creator of the characters Danika and Mila Dubov, seen in the Netflix series V-Wars, based on the books created by Jonathan Maberry. Booklist said his recent New Orleans novel, Voodoo Heart, "is a solid blend of supernatural horror and hard-boiled detective fiction, and should appeal to horror devotees as well as mystery buffs” while Living Dead Magazine called him "the master of dark and sexy."

Follow John on the BookBub: John Everson page for information on book sales and new releases as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts at www.johneverson.com.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a spooky and bloody romp all the way to the end of the book! The cover of the book shows blood and that is definitely what is within these pages!



Castle House has been abandoned for a long time as it use to be a mental asylum and now it is opened once again. Doctor Rockford is the only doctor on duty along with a nurse to help him out. But there is more than meets the eye with the good ole' doctor as the patients that are within the asylum are far from being crazy.

Women are disappearing within the town and no one can figure out what is happening to them. One of the women on the police force decides to do an investigation of sorts without the knowledge of the Chief of Police. What she finds within Castle House is way beyond anything she could ever imagine! With the help of a local man, David, who becomes involved with the investigation after a girl he had been partying with disappears, turns the whole town upside down when they find out what is really going on in the basement of Castle House Asylum.

This was definitely an intriguing twisted read and the last half of the book was a bloody, gory mess!

I could hardly put it down as I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next! Giving this a five "bloody" star read!

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Lee blurbed the cover of this one and that makes sense as it reminded me of Lee's work, but perhaps not his best work. The 13th is set in some mountain town and features David, a college student staying with his aunt in town for the summer and getting in some training on his bicycle. Close to town the Castle House Lodge sits; once an exclusive spa/hotel in the early 20th century, it has sat abandoned for 25 years after a horrific bloodbath that took place there. Now, the Castle House Lodge exists as the classic haunted house, rife with rumors. Yet, when David rides his bike close to it one day he sees it is now occupied.

Old Castle House Lodge David discovers is now a hospital/clinic for mentally disturbed pregnant women, or at least that is the official story. On a related story arc, the newest police officer in town, the one who clipped David's bike on her way to the Lodge, discovers that several woman have 'gone missing' in the area in the last six months. Connection? When a gal David was chatting up at a local bar goes missing the next day, he starts to wonder as well. After all, he took a part time job at the Lodge doing yard work and thinks something hinky is going down there...

This is a good story to read with a few beers, and Everson notes in the intro that he largely wrote it in bars. Everson also features two rednecks that reminded me of Lee's Dicky and Balls-- amoral and who will do anything for cash; pretty obvious right from the get go that they are kidnapping gals to sell to the Doctor at the Lodge. While heavy handed at times, Everson delivers a decent splatterpunk tale here (heavy on the splatter!), but one that does not really reinvent the old tropes animating the story: creepy mad doctor/scientist (check), old 'haunted' real estate (check), a few plucky protagonists (check), a cabal to summon old forgotten gods (check), etc. Still, the pacing pulls the story along and if Everson did not reinvent the wheel here, he took it on a good ride. 3 splaty stars!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Castle House Asylum is dedicated to helping mentally disturbed pregnant women who have been physically abused and psychologically damaged. Or is it? Maybe it is a harvesting center for embryonic stem cells that are funding a mad doctor’s quest to bring about the return of Ba’al in a gore drenched orgy of blood and death. Hmmm…I’m thinking it’s the latter.

John Everson is one sick puppy. The dude likes his sex and gore in the extreme and always manages to create some seriously twisted and over the top characters. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: EXTREME VIOLENCE, and GORE! But i loved it!

Disclaimer: This is my review and it is my opinion ONLY. You might disagree and that is fine.

Well, Everson has done it again!!! So, after i had read his 'The Devils Equinox' i was going to take a Gruesome Gore and Violence Break....did I? Hell no! The way to describe the extreme and disgust that takes place NON STOP in this book.....: Take the 'Suspiria' remake, 'baby scene' (X5), 'The Devils Equinox', 'Beyond The Door' (from 1975), then throw in The Sentinel, Rosemary's Baby....and so on, and so on! Yes, I almost did not finish this book because of the disturbing 'baby mill, stem cell torture hospital' and the violence against woman that is very over the top with this one! But I did, and I am glad i did.

So, Castle House Lodge and Hotel has been closed over 40 (or so) years ago. Then Castle House was turned into an Insane asylum and was closed 25 years ago, after a Demonic Ritual and slaughter that had gone bad and killed almost everyone inside. Now, 25 years later, Dr. Rockford has opened Castly House Asylum for mentally disturbed pregnant woman. But what is this 'The 13th' that the patients are screaming and rambling about?

In the local town, woman are disappearing all over the place, both locals, and those from out of town, never to be seen or heard from again. Christy, the towns newest police officer is going to do an investigation undercover sort of, to see if she can find out a little of what's going on, when suddenly out of nowhere she runs over Olympic training bicyclist; David. Not knowing what else to do, she rushes him to the 'newest hospital in town' the newly reopened Castle House!

The asylum has a staff of only 2, yes 2. Dr. Rockford and his Nurse Amelia. Dr. Rockford has plans to kidnap and impregnate 13 woman, hold them captive all for 9 months, then cut out their babies and bring back the demon Ba'al with a Satanic Ritual and Event. An event only for those who are invited.

Once released from his accident injuries, David goes to the local bar near his aunties house where he is staying, while training; and he meets Brenda. After drinking too much, they both get drunk, and go outside to go pee. This is the last time he sees Brenda.

Get ready for an experience in real horror and graphic, disturbing violence, sexual mutilations and sacrifices all in the name of The God Ba'al! Yes, sounds like a Robert R. McCammon classic, huh?

WARNING: This is most brutal of the 3 books i have recenctly reviewed now by Everson, it is NOT FOR THE WEAK and Simpled minded and or for those who are newly pregnant and or recently lost a child! SCENES OF EXTREME VIOLENCE TOWARDS EXPECTING MOTHERS ABOUT IN THIS BOOK.

I know this sounds sick............but i loved it! This book made my jaw sore from grinding and gritting my teeth, and i actually became to where i had to take a break in the 107 degree California sunshine today. Don't say I didn't warn you!

[William M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't judge a book by its cover, because although this cover is surprisingly bad coming from Leisure, it turned out to be a rather demented and generally enjoyable read. The premise and characters seem right out of an Edward Lee novel, only a bit more suspenseful and fast paced. Not as gory as Lee, but I'll take better characters over gore any day. In previous work, Author Everson seems to have a fixation on high cliffs and secluded mountain towns, and "The 13th" is no exception. This new title is about as good as his last book, "Sacrifice", but not better than "Covenent".

I really enjoyed the slow build of piecing together what exactly was happening at the asylum and the relationships between the characters. The first half felt honest and organic... and then things seemed to enter the Twilight Zone, as realism seemed to go out the window. The problems started when a police officer discovered numerous missing people held captive and did little to get them out. Sure, in reality, breaking and entering is illegal, but the safety and lives of a dozen women have to come first. To search the asylum, the police could have simply claimed that an anonymous caller gave them a tip, which in turn would have given the authorities reasonable suspicion to search the premises. Or at the very least, contact the families of the missing women to at least let them know where to visit their loved ones. Even when an eye witness explains how he saw a bloody ritual in the basement, the lame police response was that they're looking into it. Looking into it? That's it?! Are you kidding me?!

Some other problems I had were the threatening letter to the chief of police not to get a warrant seemed very contrived. No father, especially a good cop, would knowingly allow his daughter to be kept in danger like that. It just didn't ring true based on that character's past. The doctor giving a key that unlocks the asylum to the lawn boy after meeting him for the first time just didn't make any sense, especially since the doctor's intentions were so secretive and privacy so valued. Why risk that liability? It really bothers me when all the details in a story hold true except for the one that counts the most.

While there were some genuine surprises peppered throughout the story, along with some creatively graphic violence, I found the 100+ page climax a bit too long and drawn out. With an ending that long, the tension and suspense begins to fizzle and go flat. I did enjoy that author Everson never shied away from the darker material, and overall this is still a solid read. However, I preferred his first novel, "Covenent", a lot more than this, and rank "The 13th" about equal to Everson's "Sacrifice".

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tremendously. Scary good. Will there be another 13th? :O

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

It gripped me from the begginning and it's intensity only increased. Done in a way that I'm now expecting from Everson - entertaining, gripping, shocking and that little twist you are waiting for...

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never trust the quotes on the back of a book.
Short review: http://perpetualspiralreviews.blogspo...

[Beate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blutige Ritualmorde in den Kellergewölben hatten das Hotel Castle House einst in Verruf gebracht. Doch Jahrzehnte später, als man dort ein Sanatorium für Schwangere eröffnet, scheint der Fluch der Vergangenheit endlich besiegt zu sein. Aber dann verschwinden immer mehr junge Frauen aus den benachbarten Orten.
Die Suche nach seiner vermissten Freundin führt David Shale nach Castle House. Dort entdeckt er eine verwitterte Holztür, gekennzeichnet mit einem roten X. Als er sie öffnet, betritt David ein okkultes Reich voller sadistischem Sex und qualvollem Sterben. (Quelle Amazon)

Nach den vielen eher gemäßigten Büchern, die ich in letzter Zeit gelesen habe, musste ich meine Rezensionsexemplare mal liegen lassen und wieder zu Blut und Gedärm greifen. Die Auswahl fiel mir gar nicht so leicht, weil ich hier seeeehr viele Bücher aus dem Festa-Verlag stehen habe. Aber nachdem auf meinem Lieblings Vlog von Nici Hope auf YouTube "Die Dreizehnte" besprochen wurde, bekam ich wahninnige Lust auf das Buch. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.

Der Student David Shale ist zu Besuch bei seiner Tante in dem kleinen Örtchen Castle Point und möchte die Zeit nutzen um mit seinem Rad in der bergigen Gegend zu trainieren. Sein Training führt ihn auch zu dem entlegenen Castle House, das früher mal ein Hotel war und dann lange Zeit leer stand. Jetzt soll es als psychiatrische Klinik für schwangere Frauen dienen. Nach einem Unfall, lernt er den Leiter der Klinik kennen, der ihm etwas merkwürdig erscheint.

In einer Bar lernt David eine nette junge Frau kennen, die ihm mächtig imponiert, aber am nächsten Tag ist sie verschwunden. Obwohl er sie kaum kennt, stellt David Fragen und irgendwie kommt immer wieder das Castle House ins Gespräch. Wäre doch David nur nie hineingegangen und hätte er doch niemals die Tür mit dem roten X geöffnet.

Boah Leute, ich bin echt begeistert. Ich hatte bisher noch nichts von Jack Everson gelesen und verließ mich da ganz auf die Meinung von Nici und ich habe gemerkt, dass wir hier wieder auf einer Wellenlänge sind. David ist ein sehr sympathischer, wenn auch ein wenig naiver Charakter und mit der taffen Polizistin Christy Sorensen hat er die perfekte Partnerin an seiner Seite.

Fehlen durften in der Geschichte auf keinen Fall die beiden Hinterwäldler, die in eine sehr wichtige Rolle spielen und über die man sich entweder schrecklich aufregt oder köstlich amüsiert. Bei mir war es dann eher letzteres.

Ich fand die Geschichte richtig spannend, möchte aber zur Handlung gar nicht mehr verraten. Das muss man unbedingt selbst lesen. Es geht teilweise schon sehr blutig zu und ist nichts für schwache Mägen oder empfindsame Seelchen. Vom Ende war ich erst ein klein wenig enttäuscht, bis der Autor mich dann doch noch zufrieden stellte.

Ich bekam genau das was ich suchte: Blut und Gedärm und jede Menge kranken Spaß. Darum vergebe ich sehr gerne 4 von 5 Punkten und kann das Buch nur jedem empfehlen, der mal wieder was blutiges lesen möchte und die Schnauze voll hat von den ganzen seichten Geschichten. Ich werde jedenfalls jetzt öfter mal wieder was aus meiner Festa-Sammlung lesen und einfach mal weniger Rezensionsexemplare annehmen. Das hatte ich mir ja eigentlich für dieses Jahr vorgenommen, aber so ganz hat das nicht funktioniert. Vielleicht klappt es ja im nächsten Jahr. Man soll ja die Hoffnung nie aufgeben ;-)

© Beate Senft

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether it was intentional or not, John Everson's "The 13th" is very "Laymon-like". Most horror fans, I think, would consider that a good thing because of Richard Laymon's reputation for creating memorable characters and plot lines. And, as with most Laymon books, Everson has provided the reader with plenty of gore, gratuitous nudity and sex, copious amounts of violence (especially against the fairer sex in this book - too much IMHO), scenes of dark horror, and a churning plot line.

The book is a quick read that revolves around the resurrection of sorts of an old hotel that's turned into an asylum for pregnant women. When women in the area begin to disappear on a regular basis, a local deputy and teenage boy decide to find out if these disappearance are connected in any way to the asylum. What they find is that the asylum is not what it portrays to be, but can they convince the sheriff and town fathers that all is not well? Everson puts the two protagonists in some unbelievable situations that doesn't provide any consistency to the plot. For this reader, that is the one big negative that I had with the book.

Recommended for those who like their horror dark and Laymonesque.

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 stars.
Favorite Everson novel. Gore galore and some sensational scares. Fast paced page turner. Could put it down. Sexy.

Excellent addition to any serious horror colection.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am equating this book to my smutty eroticas or paranormal romance series, which are the same stories over and over, just with character names changed. Every reader has a weakness, a sweet-tooth for frivolous candy reads and this is such a book for fans of graphic and gruesome horrors.

I feel as though I owe an explanation for rating this book only 1 star. If you love a ton of gore and blood then this book is for you, as long as you do not require a watertight plot to go with it. I feel there were too many holes. I was unsure why characters did most of what they did. I was confused as to why the story was able to progress without the cops doing their job, without any effective effort made, as would be made in the real world. I guess I wanted a more realistic horror. And even though I love being scared and shocked, this story was shock for shock's sake. This brings to light my issue with some of the sexual content. I do not see how the majority of the sexual scenes contributed at all. There are many scenes with abuse. The story centers around pregnant women and babies, to offer a warning. I am convinced that even though I have no problem with blood, I tend to prefer atmospheric and less brazen builds towards a grand finale. Pregnant women and babies are traditionaly something which would terrify me but I did not feel that here.

[Benjamin Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to spend hours rehashing the plot of this book - you can get all that info for the description above. Sufficed to say, it's an inventive, gripping story line without being groundbreaking - which, to be honest, is exactly what I want from a good horror novel. I read horror to be entertained, not challenged. And Everson is one hell of an entertainer.

The extra gift you get with Everson is nostalgia. In amongst the scares is the priceless pure, bottled teenage summer of the Scream generation. When you read The 13th your worries about your mortgage, your kids and your ever-expanding beer gut are replaced with the simple, Jennifer-Love-Hewitt-esque desire to avoid being killed and/or eaten by the local disgruntled-fisherman-turned-serial-killer / demonic cult / unrealistically large crocodile. For ageing horror fans like me, that's a priceless feeling.

Everson deserves to be recognised alongside more well-known millennial masters of the macabre like Adam Nevill, Joe Hill, Andrew Pyper and Christopher Ransom. The 13th is a particularly good example of his work and, as a stand alone volume, is a great entry point for the new reader to discover Everson's genius.

[Andrew Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I prefer my horror supernatural, so this isn’t the sort of story I’d normally choose to pick up (although, in fairness, there is a supernatural element). However, I was soon drawn in; Everson has an easy way with words and can characterise seemingly effortlessly. He does use a lot of characters, and with most writers there would be a danger they would become indistinguishable. However, Everson is good enough to give each their own strong and distinctive voice and I found myself caring about each one – even the bad guys.

There is a lot of graphic and sexual violence. Despite that not really being my thing, this was gripping and the blood was very much in context and part of the plot.

Perhaps my only major gripe was the plot disappearing into backstory for a chapter thre quarters of the way through, which seemed to butt in. Other than that, I’m trying very hard to think of any negatives, but can’t. I guess this has to get five out of five, then.

Oh, and I loved the ending.

[John Bruni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is kind of weird in that it seems like two different books telling the same story. The first half feels like it was written by Richard Laymon, and the second feels like it was written by Edward Lee. As a result, this book is some heavy, intense reading. If nasty and vile is your thing, you need to read this book. My only problem with it is that the characters are a bit too jokey with their one-liners and witty banter when they're in a hellish pit of rape and murder. Humor's OK, but this just doesn't seem to sync up with the rest of the story. I'm pretty sure, for example, that I wouldn't try to get a laugh out of my companion if she's being raped by an invisible demon at the time. That aside, this book is a lot of fun.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my was this a fucked up little tale! The last part just past halfway mark it never lets up! Very bloody!! This is almost as good as his NIGHTWHERE book, which I gave a better rating. But this is in the same vein as that book. My only complaint with this one is that when some characters are being held against their will by the demon worshippers, they are making sexual jokes? Huh? Why? You are about to get killed by who knows what and the dude can't control himself from staring at the girl's breasts? Parts like this that remind me of Richard Laymon's writing. Horny guys in these situations.

[DJMikeG · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffered from a malady that I have noticed is pretty common in horror fiction. The first half of the book is great, with suspense ratcheting ever higher as the characters (and the reader) try to figure out what manner of sinister stuff is going on. The reveal comes a little too early, and the 'shocking conclusion' drags on for way too long. Everson is a talented writer (and an extremely cool guy), but I wasn't overly impressed with this book. For a great, extremely entertaining Everson novel, I would recommend "Sacrifice".

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't overly impressed with this story. It didn't feel very scary or interesting for that matter, and some story elements were laughably absurd in terms of characterization. The book has some decent bloodshed here and there but mostly focuses on "demonic"and sinister orgies...

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue kicked off the book with a bang and it just continued from there. Very gruesome, you have your violence, gore and requisite love interest. Couldn't put it down

[Litio Broie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me temo que me ha decepcionado, y eso que tenía potencial...
Aviso: contiene escenas gráficas de violencia de todo tipo contra mujeres y bebés. No tan gráficas como hubiera querido, y esa es mi queja principal (además de arrastrar el final durante tres cuartas partes del libro). No esperéis el momento pedal de The Human Centipede 2 ni el newborn porn de A Serbian Film (escena "inspirada" en un conocido guro), ni por asomo, si pestañeas ni te enteras. La carnicería es entre adultos.
Curiosamente, el final es satisfactorio, y el principio es bastante bueno. Falla la carnaza, que tenía que haber fuegos artificiales y se quedó en una ristra de petardos.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a real page-turner and I couldn't put it down! For me, this hailed back to some of the older horror from the 70's and 80's and that's one of my favorite types of horror. A good story, great suspense, and an unexpected ending. Horror makes me thankful for my life, which is FAR less horrific than the stories I read, and I think that's a big part of why I enjoy it so much. It's easy to let life get you down, but when you read a story like this you can seriously count your blessings that your life is nowhere NEAR as bad as it could be!

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex, Sacrifice, Small Town

I had this book for a while and decided to read it. This book was hard to put down I absolutely love the sex , Gore and humor. The best way to describe this book as every town has an abandoned building for reasons known and unknown and sometimes people like to relive those memories again.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

New to John Everson and (thankfully) glad I took the leap. The 13th is a little bit of Brian Keene, Dean Koontz, and smattering of Lovecraft but all tied together with Everson's no nonsense writing style and well place plot points.

4/5 skulls, will read more of his works!

[Marisa Pullan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story had so much potential, but then there was an excess of blood and gore. I know that blood and gore are part of many horror stories, but this felt like overkill. Almost seems as though the author was going for a shock factor, but instead became repetitive in his writing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome extreme horror story. Starts out very action packed. The characters were all very well done. The setting was super creepy. The backstory was very unsettling. John Everson is an awesome writer.

[Tim B · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Everson is always entertaining. The man has a wicked and twisted mind and is a great storyteller.

[Sarah Schuelke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very grateful to have read this book. It is completely different from what I normally read. I enjoyed the characters and the plot.

[Scott Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Everson does right, he does very well. His descriptions of every blood and sweat stained moment are really cringe-inducing, while at the same time fascinating. His descriptions of how the young women (see above) are kidnapped are disturbing to the point of the reader feeling dirty for having read them. His action sequences are top-notch, as is his descriptive prowess.

But where the novel falls down comes from two main deficiencies: plot and characterization. Plot-wise, it's pretty evident what's going to happen from the get-go. No real surprises and definitely no "holy shit" moments. It's obvious from the first paragraph where everyone is going to end up and what they're going to be doing when they get there. Character-wise, the first half of the book is excellent. However, after that, the characters become a mass of glib comments at inappropriate times. There are a few genuine moments of "huh?" throughout the last part of the book, which give the ending a rushed, half-conceived feeling. It also degenerates into a collection of stock clichés that seem out of place, particularly coming from Everson.

On the whole, The 13th isn't a bad read. It's just not great. There are quite a few good moments in it that can keep the reader engaged, but his previous novels seem to have found their voices easier than this one. With any luck Everson will find his groove with his next book.

[Suby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superstition can do a lot to distort the perception of even highly qualified, right thinking people. The good doctor would have continued his work on stem cells if only his University had permitted him to carry on with his research instead of asking him to resign for reasons of ethics.The Genetics scientist need not have fallen into the net of the odd woman who studied occult with the aid of old manuscripts. She herself need not have studied occult after having a childhood trauma in which she came out victorious. The people of the small town need not have fallen into the superstition of the 13th and participated and also actively aided in a devil worshiping orgy that included not just sex but murder of mothers, all kidnapped young women together with their babies. The Police chief need not have kept quiet about what was happening in his town when his 2nd officer slipped a note on the back of his daughter's photograph threatening to kill her. The entire police force of the town need not have gotten wiped out.
In the end when the suggestion is made that devil actually made its presence felt in the orgy and implanted its seed in the only surviving young woman - well, it becomes it a little hard to digest.
But you must read the book to appreciate how much horror John Everson has managed to pack into his gripping narrative of the summer holiday of a young champion cyclist in a small town.

[Frederic Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last 100-150 pages of The 13th are extremely gore, which make it a satisfying read. However, it was a bit slow in the middle and would have been better if slightly shortened. The may problem of the book is characterisation, which is sometimes lacking. Still, as a tongue-in-cheek gore novel, it is a fine and bloody read.

***

Les 100-150 dernières pages de ce livre sont extrêmement gore, et c'est assez satisfaisant. Par contre, j'ai noté un certain ralentissement au milieu du livre, qui aurait gagné à être resserré un peu. Le principal défaut du livre est la caractérisation des personnages, qui reste souvent superficielle et rend parfois les actions des personnages peu crédibles. Cependant, comme roman gore sans prétention, c'est une lecture sanglante à souhait.