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Fever House #1
Fever House
A small-time criminal. A has-been rock star. A shadowy government agency. And a severed hand whose dark powers threaten to destroy them all.
When leg-breaker Hutch Holtz rolls up to a rundown apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, to collect overdue drug money, a severed hand is the last thing he expects to find stashed in the client’s refrigerator. Hutch quickly realizes that the hand induces uncontrollable madness: Anyone in its proximity is overcome with a boundless compulsion for violence. Within hours, catastrophic forces are set into motion: Dark-op government agents who have been desperately hunting for the hand are on Hutch’s tail, more of the city’s residents fall under its brutal influence, and suddenly all of Portland stands at the precipice of disaster. . . .
But it’s all the same for Katherine Moriarty, a singer whose sudden fame and precipitous downfall were followed by the mysterious death of her estranged husband—suicide, allegedly. Her trauma has made her agoraphobic, shackled within the confines of her apartment. Her son, Nick, has moved home to care for her, quietly making his living working for Hutch’s boss.
When Hutch calls Nick in distress, looking for someone else to take the hand, Katherine and Nick are plunged into a global struggle that will decimate the walls of the carefully arranged life they’ve built. Mother and son must evade both crazed, bloodthirsty masses and deceitful government agents while exorcising family secrets that have risen from the dead—secrets, they soon discover, that might hold the very key to humanity’s survival.
Can you resist the hand? Find an excerpt from the next Fever House novel at the end of the book.
When leg-breaker Hutch Holtz rolls up to a rundown apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, to collect overdue drug money, a severed hand is the last thing he expects to find stashed in the client’s refrigerator. Hutch quickly realizes that the hand induces uncontrollable madness: Anyone in its proximity is overcome with a boundless compulsion for violence. Within hours, catastrophic forces are set into motion: Dark-op government agents who have been desperately hunting for the hand are on Hutch’s tail, more of the city’s residents fall under its brutal influence, and suddenly all of Portland stands at the precipice of disaster. . . .
But it’s all the same for Katherine Moriarty, a singer whose sudden fame and precipitous downfall were followed by the mysterious death of her estranged husband—suicide, allegedly. Her trauma has made her agoraphobic, shackled within the confines of her apartment. Her son, Nick, has moved home to care for her, quietly making his living working for Hutch’s boss.
When Hutch calls Nick in distress, looking for someone else to take the hand, Katherine and Nick are plunged into a global struggle that will decimate the walls of the carefully arranged life they’ve built. Mother and son must evade both crazed, bloodthirsty masses and deceitful government agents while exorcising family secrets that have risen from the dead—secrets, they soon discover, that might hold the very key to humanity’s survival.
Can you resist the hand? Find an excerpt from the next Fever House novel at the end of the book.
417 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2023
871 people are currently reading
30187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,250 reviews
April 7, 2023
This is metal.
Like, I’m not even sure how to describe it. It’s horror and crime and raw, screaming intensity.
It’s definitely gruesome at times and extremely fast paced, yet doesn’t sacrifice character development at all. Our characters (good, bad & indefinable), were so perfectly realized.
The book is an experience – and it’s a good one!
Loved this and want more.
• ARC via Publisher
Like, I’m not even sure how to describe it. It’s horror and crime and raw, screaming intensity.
It’s definitely gruesome at times and extremely fast paced, yet doesn’t sacrifice character development at all. Our characters (good, bad & indefinable), were so perfectly realized.
The book is an experience – and it’s a good one!
Loved this and want more.
• ARC via Publisher
November 6, 2025
This book was so much better than I was expecting! The concept was super engaging and interesting, I really haven’t read a book recently with such an original concept.
This is one of those book where right when you think it can’t get better, it does just that! I’ll definitely be reading the second one (hopefully soonish).
This is one of those book where right when you think it can’t get better, it does just that! I’ll definitely be reading the second one (hopefully soonish).
Read
August 15, 2023FEVER HOUSE by Keith Rosson
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059359...
Release Date: August 15th, 2023
BISAC Categories: Horror - General Science Fiction - Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Thrillers - Suspense:
Sub-Genre/Themes: Cursed objects, Hit Men, City Life, Musicians, Crime Drama, Government agencies, Agoraphobia, Family secrets
Writing Style: Gritty, Humorous, back-and-forth POV with a large, ensemble cast
What You Need to Know: This is an investment. The novel is sectioned into parts, chapters are medium length, not buzzy & short, and not too terribly long. Peppered throughout are ‘transcripted, scientific, classified, governmental-style secret-agency type’ field notes about a being named Michael. There is a lot to keep straight at first, a sizeable, ensemble cast but it gets to be second nature after about 30%. The apocalyptic energy layered with graphic violence and crime-thriller-esque suspense makes this an intense read. Horror enthusiasts that enjoy lighter fare may want to proceed with caution. There are plenty of characters to invest in at an emotional level if you choose to dive in.
My Reading Experience: When gritty, suspenseful crime thrillers collide with supernatural, apocalyptic horror novels, FEVER HOUSE is the result; an explosion of graphic violence, colorful characters, and buck-wild storytelling.
I was laughing three pages in. The two main characters kicking this whole thing off are straight out of Mean Streets. You’ve got a small-time hood employing some amature muscle to collect debts by acting like heavies and roughing people up when they have to. They get involved in something that totally blows up in their face–just one bad decision after the next. It’s as entertaining and amusing as it is cringe-worthy; I wanted to read what would happen next through my fingers.
I LOVE THE DIALOGUE. Rosson has that whole rough-around-the-edges street lingo down solid. A few new characters get added into the chaos batter, making everything a bit more complicated but in a good way. I loved the way Rosson put the reader in the driver’s seat for the mystery. It was exciting to pick up clues and breadcrumbs while I developed theories.
I love the ensemble, alternating POV/narrative storytelling when it’s done right. I think Jurassic Park was my first exposure to it and it has stuck with me all this time.
The risk, of course, is the reader will fall in love with one timeline and come to hate the others as just a distraction. This happened to me in SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux. And while this didn’t exactly happen to me in this book, some of the chapters were long and there were a few lags in the action but my overall reading experience was one of curious engagement most of the time.
Final Recommendation: FEVER HOUSE is cool and tempered like smooth jazz when it needs to be and full-on metal with the volume all the way up the rest of the time. Toward the end, it was classic punk rock overtones with a great hook for more in this universe. I bought my ticket!
Comps: LAST DAYS by Brian Evenson mixed with A VOICE SO SOFT by Patrick Lacey and a dash of SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux, infused with Hand of Glory mythology.
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059359...
Release Date: August 15th, 2023
BISAC Categories: Horror - General Science Fiction - Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Thrillers - Suspense:
Sub-Genre/Themes: Cursed objects, Hit Men, City Life, Musicians, Crime Drama, Government agencies, Agoraphobia, Family secrets
Writing Style: Gritty, Humorous, back-and-forth POV with a large, ensemble cast
What You Need to Know: This is an investment. The novel is sectioned into parts, chapters are medium length, not buzzy & short, and not too terribly long. Peppered throughout are ‘transcripted, scientific, classified, governmental-style secret-agency type’ field notes about a being named Michael. There is a lot to keep straight at first, a sizeable, ensemble cast but it gets to be second nature after about 30%. The apocalyptic energy layered with graphic violence and crime-thriller-esque suspense makes this an intense read. Horror enthusiasts that enjoy lighter fare may want to proceed with caution. There are plenty of characters to invest in at an emotional level if you choose to dive in.
My Reading Experience: When gritty, suspenseful crime thrillers collide with supernatural, apocalyptic horror novels, FEVER HOUSE is the result; an explosion of graphic violence, colorful characters, and buck-wild storytelling.
I was laughing three pages in. The two main characters kicking this whole thing off are straight out of Mean Streets. You’ve got a small-time hood employing some amature muscle to collect debts by acting like heavies and roughing people up when they have to. They get involved in something that totally blows up in their face–just one bad decision after the next. It’s as entertaining and amusing as it is cringe-worthy; I wanted to read what would happen next through my fingers.
I LOVE THE DIALOGUE. Rosson has that whole rough-around-the-edges street lingo down solid. A few new characters get added into the chaos batter, making everything a bit more complicated but in a good way. I loved the way Rosson put the reader in the driver’s seat for the mystery. It was exciting to pick up clues and breadcrumbs while I developed theories.
I love the ensemble, alternating POV/narrative storytelling when it’s done right. I think Jurassic Park was my first exposure to it and it has stuck with me all this time.
The risk, of course, is the reader will fall in love with one timeline and come to hate the others as just a distraction. This happened to me in SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux. And while this didn’t exactly happen to me in this book, some of the chapters were long and there were a few lags in the action but my overall reading experience was one of curious engagement most of the time.
Final Recommendation: FEVER HOUSE is cool and tempered like smooth jazz when it needs to be and full-on metal with the volume all the way up the rest of the time. Toward the end, it was classic punk rock overtones with a great hook for more in this universe. I bought my ticket!
Comps: LAST DAYS by Brian Evenson mixed with A VOICE SO SOFT by Patrick Lacey and a dash of SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux, infused with Hand of Glory mythology.
November 19, 2025
If you dance with the devil, you're gonna get burned.
Rosson's Fever House takes us on an unrelenting post-apocalyptic free fall into the pits of hell.
Something evil is afoot. Healthy people are turning into blood thirsty savages and chaos rules the streets.
And there are some very powerful people willing to kill with extreme prejudice in their quest to retrieve the instrument they believe is responsible.
They must stop the spread before their secret is out.
There is not turning back this clock of damnation.
Looking forward to finding out how it plays out in The Devil by Name (Fever House, #2).
Rosson's Fever House takes us on an unrelenting post-apocalyptic free fall into the pits of hell.
Something evil is afoot. Healthy people are turning into blood thirsty savages and chaos rules the streets.
And there are some very powerful people willing to kill with extreme prejudice in their quest to retrieve the instrument they believe is responsible.
They must stop the spread before their secret is out.
There is not turning back this clock of damnation.
Looking forward to finding out how it plays out in The Devil by Name (Fever House, #2).
February 27, 2023
I must admit that trying to describe this amazing novel is difficult. But I also have to say that I loved it and it will be in my "best of" list for 2023.
It's a noir-ish tale that goes to completely unexpected places. Gangsters, black ops government agencies, a punk rock band, a severed hand, a detached eyeball, and an audio recording with a subliminal message are all included in this novel.
It's the way in which the author puts them altogether that really makes this book stand out. Fever House is a good name because this is like a fever dream in book form but one that still flows and ebbs so well that, when we're reading it, it makes sense.
The characters are absolutely in the spotlight here and each one is given their due in such a way that it never feels like any of them are disposable. In fact, we learn about some of them and grow attached until the author kills them in some very unexpected ways. It's so visceral when it happens that it feels like a gut punch when that happens.
This is one of those books that you'll be glad to sink back into when you take a break. It begs to be read and experienced and I think it's better to go in blind. It's definitely a great horror novel and I think it's going to be talked about by a lot of people once it releases. I give it my highest recommendation.
It's a noir-ish tale that goes to completely unexpected places. Gangsters, black ops government agencies, a punk rock band, a severed hand, a detached eyeball, and an audio recording with a subliminal message are all included in this novel.
It's the way in which the author puts them altogether that really makes this book stand out. Fever House is a good name because this is like a fever dream in book form but one that still flows and ebbs so well that, when we're reading it, it makes sense.
The characters are absolutely in the spotlight here and each one is given their due in such a way that it never feels like any of them are disposable. In fact, we learn about some of them and grow attached until the author kills them in some very unexpected ways. It's so visceral when it happens that it feels like a gut punch when that happens.
This is one of those books that you'll be glad to sink back into when you take a break. It begs to be read and experienced and I think it's better to go in blind. It's definitely a great horror novel and I think it's going to be talked about by a lot of people once it releases. I give it my highest recommendation.
August 27, 2025
dude, most metal EVERRRRR!
you know that part in Stranger Things when shit is hitting the fan...adrenaline is HIGH, anxiety is PEAKED & Eddie is doing his guitar cover of Master of Puppets like the end isn't upon us??? Yeah??that was my experience reading this book.
i literally don't even know how to write a review on this so i'll keep it short. this was a fast paced, in your face, gritty, violent chaotic ride!! from the first paragraph you know you're about to experience some shit...this felt like watching a movie the entire time i was reading this. everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at you but it somehow comes together so good??? dark op government agents, the occult, severed hand with evil dark powers, a metal band...
my only issue is there was about 80 ish pages when we're getting some backstory around the 60% mark that felt like a drag but everything else??? SO GOOD!?!?
this was like Talk to Me x grindhouse x TWD...either you get it or you don't. i..need..book..two..The Devil by Name
you know that part in Stranger Things when shit is hitting the fan...adrenaline is HIGH, anxiety is PEAKED & Eddie is doing his guitar cover of Master of Puppets like the end isn't upon us??? Yeah??that was my experience reading this book.
i literally don't even know how to write a review on this so i'll keep it short. this was a fast paced, in your face, gritty, violent chaotic ride!! from the first paragraph you know you're about to experience some shit...this felt like watching a movie the entire time i was reading this. everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at you but it somehow comes together so good??? dark op government agents, the occult, severed hand with evil dark powers, a metal band...
my only issue is there was about 80 ish pages when we're getting some backstory around the 60% mark that felt like a drag but everything else??? SO GOOD!?!?
this was like Talk to Me x grindhouse x TWD...either you get it or you don't. i..need..book..two..The Devil by Name
December 19, 2024
From the first page, I knew this author spoke my language:
“Waiting for some poor guy to come home so they can terrify him and, if necessary, perform grievous harm to the fragile architecture of the man’s body”
These are the type of lingual treasures that gnaw their way into my anxiety-riddled brain, and sit there waiting to be recalled at the exact wrong moment. I love unique turns of phrase, and this book was full of them.
Oh, and it was also full of bloodshed, carnage, zombies, authoritative malfeasance, fallen angels, devil remnants, and much more…
The good…
All the things I said above are good right? Is that not reason enough?
Need more? Well, it also has character development, relationship explorations, criminal underbellies, and evil appendages. What more do you want?
The less good…
My only beef with the book is the ending. Without getting too spoiler-y, let’s just say this book doesn’t satiate my innate need for closure. When things aren’t wrapped in a bow at the end, it breaks my brain. This is a personal quirk, and I can still appreciate the way this ending was intended to leave us wanting more.
To read, or not to read
You should… it’s unique. And good, it’s very good
“Waiting for some poor guy to come home so they can terrify him and, if necessary, perform grievous harm to the fragile architecture of the man’s body”
These are the type of lingual treasures that gnaw their way into my anxiety-riddled brain, and sit there waiting to be recalled at the exact wrong moment. I love unique turns of phrase, and this book was full of them.
Oh, and it was also full of bloodshed, carnage, zombies, authoritative malfeasance, fallen angels, devil remnants, and much more…
The good…
All the things I said above are good right? Is that not reason enough?
Need more? Well, it also has character development, relationship explorations, criminal underbellies, and evil appendages. What more do you want?
The less good…
My only beef with the book is the ending. Without getting too spoiler-y, let’s just say this book doesn’t satiate my innate need for closure. When things aren’t wrapped in a bow at the end, it breaks my brain. This is a personal quirk, and I can still appreciate the way this ending was intended to leave us wanting more.
To read, or not to read
You should… it’s unique. And good, it’s very good
August 13, 2023
This was chugging along at 4 stars for a long time (it's very long!) but the last act lost all of what made the rest of it so great. It was not the usual horror novel thing where the scary stops being scary when you start trying to wrap it up. No, here what had been so great was the pacing. This novel moved at practically a full sprint almost all the time. There were flashbacks and exposition but they mostly filled in useful context and didn't slow down. In fact sometimes they only raised the stakes because you were in the middle of some real intense stuff and you wanted so much to get back to it and find out what was happening.
Unfortunately the last act here plods along. Which is weird because that is where the most is happening, but all the characters suddenly have very little to do. And while everything around them should be at a very high volume, it reads weirdly like background noise. A bummer. Especially as this is clearly the setup to a follow up novel to come.
Most of it, though. Most of it is a lot of fun. Horror this year hasn't really done much for me, only a few standouts, but here I loved the mashup of horror, gangster story, aging punk rockers, and shady government conspiracy. It sounds like it shouldn't work but it works. Mostly because of that full sprint pace where things keep happening and happening and it isn't very long at all until you do not understand how so many things have happened and how they can keep happening. And yet they do.
Shave 50-100 pages off the last act and you have a very very good book.
Unfortunately the last act here plods along. Which is weird because that is where the most is happening, but all the characters suddenly have very little to do. And while everything around them should be at a very high volume, it reads weirdly like background noise. A bummer. Especially as this is clearly the setup to a follow up novel to come.
Most of it, though. Most of it is a lot of fun. Horror this year hasn't really done much for me, only a few standouts, but here I loved the mashup of horror, gangster story, aging punk rockers, and shady government conspiracy. It sounds like it shouldn't work but it works. Mostly because of that full sprint pace where things keep happening and happening and it isn't very long at all until you do not understand how so many things have happened and how they can keep happening. And yet they do.
Shave 50-100 pages off the last act and you have a very very good book.
October 25, 2023
Edit:
I did really enjoy this for the most part- I think if you liked It Rides A Pale Horse, Damnation Game by Barker, or Infected by Scott Sigler, this is right up your alley. It’s like a mix of mob/government conspiracy thriller, with some some supernatural elements in the mix. It’s gory, over the top, and has some very tense moments, although it does get bogged down with some of the POV’s (def preferred some over others).
But yeah, it just kinda ends out of nowhere!
OG review minutes after finishing:
I’m honestly kinda pissed that I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series, and would not have picked it up had I known. This was great and I was looking forward to seeing the absolute insanity that was building, but it ends on not even a cliffhanger, more like he just stopped writing the story? It feels unfinished? Like it’s so abrupt I feel like I just got into a car accident. My head is spinning.
And I know (now) it’s unfinished, but this is why I don’t read unfinished series because this feeling is frustrating at hell 😂
Anyways, go into this knowing it’s a series, and you’ll enjoy it. It’s gory, ridiculously tense (and just ridiculous in general), but yeah, stupid abrupt ending. Will probably update my rating at some point because I did actually really enjoy this, but man did that annoy me 😂
I did really enjoy this for the most part- I think if you liked It Rides A Pale Horse, Damnation Game by Barker, or Infected by Scott Sigler, this is right up your alley. It’s like a mix of mob/government conspiracy thriller, with some some supernatural elements in the mix. It’s gory, over the top, and has some very tense moments, although it does get bogged down with some of the POV’s (def preferred some over others).
But yeah, it just kinda ends out of nowhere!
OG review minutes after finishing:
I’m honestly kinda pissed that I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series, and would not have picked it up had I known. This was great and I was looking forward to seeing the absolute insanity that was building, but it ends on not even a cliffhanger, more like he just stopped writing the story? It feels unfinished? Like it’s so abrupt I feel like I just got into a car accident. My head is spinning.
And I know (now) it’s unfinished, but this is why I don’t read unfinished series because this feeling is frustrating at hell 😂
Anyways, go into this knowing it’s a series, and you’ll enjoy it. It’s gory, ridiculously tense (and just ridiculous in general), but yeah, stupid abrupt ending. Will probably update my rating at some point because I did actually really enjoy this, but man did that annoy me 😂
February 22, 2025
A tornado of characters and individual stories all come crashing together in this action packed thriller, driven by occult supernatural remnants. Characters include a winged man with psychic powers, secret government agents using a devils hand and voice, a former punk band couple and their son, Portland gangsters, a corrupt weapons manufacturing company, and collectors of occult items. Each chapter is told from a different characters POV providing an in depth understanding and background of them. Really unique story with an apocalyptic ending, I can’t wait to read the second book!
August 29, 2023
This should’ve been so good but it was extremely dull the way it was written. It unfortunately didn’t hold my interest even if there was some violence. It’s hard to explain but even though a lot happened, it felt like nothing did. I think I’m just disconnected from this authors writing sadly.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
September 24, 2023
Fever House felt like a film noir in book form. It was giving Grindhouse and Pulp Fiction with a paranormal horror twist. There's a small time criminal/bagman, a has-been rockstar widow and her son, a shady black-ops government agency, and a severed hand that drives anyone near it literally mad. I will just say this, don't get too attached to any character in this book, although I think that's going to be nearly impossible because they are all so fleshed out and you will want to root for them, even the shady ones. My only complaint was that even though there was a great cast of characters it was hard to keep up with all of them, and it took me a really long time to finish this book because it just had a lot going on in it. I would love seeing this made into a movie though. Keith Rosson, link up with Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez please.
Thank you Netgalley, Random House, and Keith Rosson for the eARC.
Fever House is out now!
Thank you Netgalley, Random House, and Keith Rosson for the eARC.
Fever House is out now!
November 9, 2023
By every measure, this thing fuckin' ruled.
March 7, 2025
Chilling, action and gore packed apocalyptic occult/zombie thriller that's brimming with evocative and gritty prose, colorful characters and snappy and humorous dialogue. We've got gangsters, punk rock stars, government black ops agents, occultists and more. Rosson spends considerable time on the backstories of this host of well realized characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways and slowly reveal a mystery and government/corporate conspiracy that inexplicably binds them to the chilling events that are unfolding. Events that, if nothing else, are a testament to man's hubris in the face of things better left alone. So many questions. Moving right on to book two!
"You keep looking for a reason when there is none. The recording's a powerful thing, and people want to use powerful things. They'll find reasons to. They'll make up reasons to. What's the point of having a thing if you don't get to use it?"
"You keep looking for a reason when there is none. The recording's a powerful thing, and people want to use powerful things. They'll find reasons to. They'll make up reasons to. What's the point of having a thing if you don't get to use it?"
August 16, 2023
Yall!
This book is an absolute BANGER!
And please let's take a moment to appreciate that cover!🤘🤘🤘
And yes, I realize that term is typically associated with music, but the musical influences within this book are pure metal. I want this to be a movie so badly... and I want to hear the soundtrack for it!!
The level of intensity in this book... is just insane. To be frank, it's nearly impossible for me to sum this up into a coherent review... I'll give it a shot...but seriously just buy it and read it yourself because I simply am incapable of doing it justice.
FEVER HOUSE is packed with grit, grime, and gore. It is incredibly fast-paced, and yet Rosson still delivered great development of the storyline and its many characters... and trust me, there are quite a few. You're gonna love some, and others there will be no love lost when he offs them!
FEVER HOUSE beautifully melds together crime with horror, so this book is versatile. And will appeal to different types of readers.
My one complaint, and it's not even a legitimate complaint... is that now I have to wait for book 2. That's it... that's all I got. I'm not even going to complain about how long it was because it moves so fast that I honestly didn't care.
If you have to pick one book to read this year, let it be this one. I guarantee that in a literary world full of the same old trope after the same old trope, this BOOK will be unlike anything else you read this year.
As always, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is an absolute BANGER!
And please let's take a moment to appreciate that cover!🤘🤘🤘
And yes, I realize that term is typically associated with music, but the musical influences within this book are pure metal. I want this to be a movie so badly... and I want to hear the soundtrack for it!!
The level of intensity in this book... is just insane. To be frank, it's nearly impossible for me to sum this up into a coherent review... I'll give it a shot...but seriously just buy it and read it yourself because I simply am incapable of doing it justice.
FEVER HOUSE is packed with grit, grime, and gore. It is incredibly fast-paced, and yet Rosson still delivered great development of the storyline and its many characters... and trust me, there are quite a few. You're gonna love some, and others there will be no love lost when he offs them!
FEVER HOUSE beautifully melds together crime with horror, so this book is versatile. And will appeal to different types of readers.
My one complaint, and it's not even a legitimate complaint... is that now I have to wait for book 2. That's it... that's all I got. I'm not even going to complain about how long it was because it moves so fast that I honestly didn't care.
If you have to pick one book to read this year, let it be this one. I guarantee that in a literary world full of the same old trope after the same old trope, this BOOK will be unlike anything else you read this year.
As always, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2023
This was one of the most badass books I have read in awhile! A special thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy it. It was definitely metal! Rock on.
October 28, 2024
Disappointing, considering all the praise it gets here. I couldn't get into this crime and horror combo. Not really. Not entirely. Style, structure; I wasn't very comfortable with it. Especially struggled with the parts where the author dives into the past and background of his characters.
Happens a lot. And quite frankly, I didn't care that much for most of them. Because of that overload perhaps, I don't know. They just didn't do much for me. And it also messes with the flow of things. Gotta keep the fan spinning once the shit hits it, right? No room for chitchat when all hell just broke loose.
At least that's how I (usually) feel about it when it comes to horror. Wouldn't go as far as calling this a total misfire, there's an undeniable eeriness to the whole thing with the remnants and the outcome wasn't unsatisfactory either, but I kept disconnecting, so no, didn't meet expectations.
Happens a lot. And quite frankly, I didn't care that much for most of them. Because of that overload perhaps, I don't know. They just didn't do much for me. And it also messes with the flow of things. Gotta keep the fan spinning once the shit hits it, right? No room for chitchat when all hell just broke loose.
At least that's how I (usually) feel about it when it comes to horror. Wouldn't go as far as calling this a total misfire, there's an undeniable eeriness to the whole thing with the remnants and the outcome wasn't unsatisfactory either, but I kept disconnecting, so no, didn't meet expectations.
December 12, 2024
I'm trying to not let the cliffhanger ending ruin how much fun this book was...
F CLIFFHANGERS FO REAL!!!
Grrrrr....
Other than that the book was a bloody blast!
Panic, carnage, death, demons, covert government programs, walking dead folks, love, lies, automated body parts, friends, frienamies, occult junkies, junkie junkies, buckets of blood and so much more.
Now that I think about it, even with the cliffhanger this book was pretty dang awesome. Yup.
Getyousomeyo
4 Sadistically Satanic Stars
F CLIFFHANGERS FO REAL!!!
Grrrrr....
Other than that the book was a bloody blast!
Panic, carnage, death, demons, covert government programs, walking dead folks, love, lies, automated body parts, friends, frienamies, occult junkies, junkie junkies, buckets of blood and so much more.
Now that I think about it, even with the cliffhanger this book was pretty dang awesome. Yup.
Getyousomeyo
4 Sadistically Satanic Stars
February 2, 2024
After so many chances in life, this is what he chose? This abomination of love? Love skewered through the devil’s prism, made a mockery. Some flailing second chance, with Hell trailing along behind him.
A million chances in life, and this is the road he chooses.
Dead, deathless, alive, he holds out his hand toward her.
A million chances in life, and this is the road he chooses.
Dead, deathless, alive, he holds out his hand toward her.
September 5, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Fever House is the first book in a duology by author Keith Rosson. The book takes place in Portland and is focused around a severed hand that induces violent compulsions and ultimately madness to those nearby. I erroneously assumed the aforementioned severed hand would be an occult Hand of Glory but alas, it is not. That, along with the stunning cover, is initially what drew me to buy the book.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I found the pacing slow and my attention often drifted elsewhere while reading. It really felt like a slog to finish all 426 pages which is unusual for me. However this novel has many great ratings and was lauded by Stephen King as a scary and well-paced story.
Fever House is the first book in a duology by author Keith Rosson. The book takes place in Portland and is focused around a severed hand that induces violent compulsions and ultimately madness to those nearby. I erroneously assumed the aforementioned severed hand would be an occult Hand of Glory but alas, it is not. That, along with the stunning cover, is initially what drew me to buy the book.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I found the pacing slow and my attention often drifted elsewhere while reading. It really felt like a slog to finish all 426 pages which is unusual for me. However this novel has many great ratings and was lauded by Stephen King as a scary and well-paced story.
January 10, 2024
4.5/5
Fever House opens with two leg-breakers, Tim Reed and Hutch Holtz, doing their rounds, collecting money for their boss. Initially, you get the noirish vibe but once they find a peculiar artifact in the freezer of one of their "debtors", all hell breaks loose.
The object in question? A severed hand that makes people around it mad and violent, filled with the urge to hurt, bite, and rend. Of course, the government is involved; it’s all a part of a potentially world-breaking conspiracy. Once the action hits the ground running, it never stops. The story is as propulsive as possible.
Fever House is structured around multiple point-of-view characters and the narrative switches off between them as the plot moves forward. I like multi-POV books, and I think Rosson has done a stellar job of making each character multidimensional and intriguing. Other than showing various perspectives, it allows the book to move fast - it has a fresh sense of mobility and non-stop action.
Anyway, as the hand changes hands (:P), we meet new characters, learn about their backstories, and see them run for their lives. Those include a disgraced undercover agent, a mutilated angel, a hyper-ambitious field agent, a former rock star, and more. If this makes you wonder if it’s not overstuffed with characters, it isn’t. Not in my opinion.
The action is kinetic and moves fast, and each vignette builds on the previous one and allows to create a full picture of the apocalyptic scenario. One element I need to mention and that I loved to bits included interstitial material such as top-secret memos and transcripts from interviews with Saint Michael that provide insight into the powerful forces at play.
Additional points for the way Rosson handles family drama and relations balancing them with kinetic action, splatterpunk elements, and grit. A word of caution: the explosive, somewhat rushed climax suddenly stops and the story ends on a cliffhanger. The good news is the sequel is written (I think) and scheduled to hit the shelves in 2024.
Fever House is a kinetic horror with cinematic scope and pacing, excellent characterization, and top-tier writing. It’s a wild, brutal ride, and it gets my highest recommendation.
Fever House opens with two leg-breakers, Tim Reed and Hutch Holtz, doing their rounds, collecting money for their boss. Initially, you get the noirish vibe but once they find a peculiar artifact in the freezer of one of their "debtors", all hell breaks loose.
The object in question? A severed hand that makes people around it mad and violent, filled with the urge to hurt, bite, and rend. Of course, the government is involved; it’s all a part of a potentially world-breaking conspiracy. Once the action hits the ground running, it never stops. The story is as propulsive as possible.
Fever House is structured around multiple point-of-view characters and the narrative switches off between them as the plot moves forward. I like multi-POV books, and I think Rosson has done a stellar job of making each character multidimensional and intriguing. Other than showing various perspectives, it allows the book to move fast - it has a fresh sense of mobility and non-stop action.
Anyway, as the hand changes hands (:P), we meet new characters, learn about their backstories, and see them run for their lives. Those include a disgraced undercover agent, a mutilated angel, a hyper-ambitious field agent, a former rock star, and more. If this makes you wonder if it’s not overstuffed with characters, it isn’t. Not in my opinion.
The action is kinetic and moves fast, and each vignette builds on the previous one and allows to create a full picture of the apocalyptic scenario. One element I need to mention and that I loved to bits included interstitial material such as top-secret memos and transcripts from interviews with Saint Michael that provide insight into the powerful forces at play.
Additional points for the way Rosson handles family drama and relations balancing them with kinetic action, splatterpunk elements, and grit. A word of caution: the explosive, somewhat rushed climax suddenly stops and the story ends on a cliffhanger. The good news is the sequel is written (I think) and scheduled to hit the shelves in 2024.
Fever House is a kinetic horror with cinematic scope and pacing, excellent characterization, and top-tier writing. It’s a wild, brutal ride, and it gets my highest recommendation.
October 24, 2025
I really liked this at first-- seemed like a perfect blend of hoodlum noir, sketchy government agencies tossed together with some cosmic horror. Yet, the deeper I went into the novel, the relentless detailed backstories of the major characters coupled with the chaotic pacing turned this into a bit of a slog. I can see why people really dug it, but by the end I was ready for it to be over.
This starts with a pair of thugs-- knee cappers essentially-- collecting debts for their boss Peach. Things go well until one of the debtors, despite being beaten, refuses to cooperate. Further, they find a severed human hand in the freezer. So, they pack up the guy and the hand and take him to warehouse where brother in law of the boss holds fort. Things quickly go sour from there.
Rosson then detours into some shady government agency with what could only be an angel, an angel they torture on a regular basis for information. They want the hand come hell or high water. In another detour, we are introduced to a woman and her son. The woman, along with her deceased husband and two others, played in a band that had some success a few decades past. The son, Nick, works occasionally for Peach, the mobster, 'finding things' for him.
So, interesting set up for sure, and I really dug the music nostalgia of the band. Yet, as I stated, the more I read, the less I liked this. Even the bloody mayhem seemed boring. What started as a 4+ star rating turned eventually into a 2 star finale, so I will go with 3 stars. YMMV!!
This starts with a pair of thugs-- knee cappers essentially-- collecting debts for their boss Peach. Things go well until one of the debtors, despite being beaten, refuses to cooperate. Further, they find a severed human hand in the freezer. So, they pack up the guy and the hand and take him to warehouse where brother in law of the boss holds fort. Things quickly go sour from there.
Rosson then detours into some shady government agency with what could only be an angel, an angel they torture on a regular basis for information. They want the hand come hell or high water. In another detour, we are introduced to a woman and her son. The woman, along with her deceased husband and two others, played in a band that had some success a few decades past. The son, Nick, works occasionally for Peach, the mobster, 'finding things' for him.
So, interesting set up for sure, and I really dug the music nostalgia of the band. Yet, as I stated, the more I read, the less I liked this. Even the bloody mayhem seemed boring. What started as a 4+ star rating turned eventually into a 2 star finale, so I will go with 3 stars. YMMV!!
March 14, 2023
While this had a really interesting premise with a solid lineup of main characters, I still really struggled to stay attentive while reading.
Some characters just felt like page fillers, the story meandered, segueing into unnecessary backstories and details.
I had to push myself to stay focussed and try to finish this book, so unfortunately I just can’t give it a higher rating.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for a copy.
Some characters just felt like page fillers, the story meandered, segueing into unnecessary backstories and details.
I had to push myself to stay focussed and try to finish this book, so unfortunately I just can’t give it a higher rating.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for a copy.
October 8, 2023
I went in pretty blind with this one, but the cover gave me high hopes. Right off the bat we are given this grimey-mobster noir feel with a “job” that goes horribly awry and the introduction of this ominous severed hand. The minute the hand enters the scene, everyone connected to it feels its pull as violent whispers invade their thoughts. This was some top tier horror that was delivered under the guise of a gritty grindhouse movie that played out so vividly in my mind, I feel like I already watched it…but now I want an actual movie of it made. It was that good. Gangsters, black op government agents, recordings of the inconceivable, family secrets, a punk band that somehow reaches cult-like status overnight, possibilities of other cursed body parts and the truths about who or what they belonged to. Extremely visceral, borderline jump-scares as the barbarity explodes in front of us. An unrelenting assault on the mind as we find out just how far these cursed fingers can reach.
September 14, 2023
Have you ever read a book and thought about doing an Annie Wilkes, lock them in a room and make em write the next book immediatley, no? Oh me neither was just saying 👀 .....This was incredible! Reading this felt like watching a high octane car chase in a Bond movie, it was fast paced, gritty and violent, I loved the supernatural elements and if I had to define its genre I would struggle, a suspensful crime thriller that has supernatural and noir elements, this has so much going on that if you laid it all out you'd think it wouldn't work, but Keith Rosson's talented writing seamlessly blends a concoction of criminal chaos and conspiracy theories with a backdrop of punk rock that has a witty dialogue that has you hooked from the very start, although this is very fast paced no sacrifices have been made on the character development, authentic, relatable and moving in parts this was an intense edge of your seat read with a barrage of unexpected twists and turns and is most definitely unlike anything else you've ever read, its going on the favourites of this year pile with my other precious babies 📚
December 6, 2023
I saw someone describe this as a heavy metal novel, and they aren’t wrong at all. But not one of those slick 4 minute songs full of heavy riffs and dueling guitars, this is one of those 13 minute lulls that could be half as long and still be too long. The story is simple enough - a thug finds a hand that makes him want to kill everyone around him as brutally as possible, and chaos ensues. But the rest of the book is filled with a massive cast of characters, most of whom end up dying, including, black ops, an agoraphobic punk rocker, psychics, a Mexican-Montanian crime lord, a wannabe Portland Tony Soprano, an angel, a number of psychopaths, methheads, maybe the devil, a couple heavy hitting heart-of-gold type guys, and so many other one note characters. I have a good idea of the kind of person the author is because every single character is written the same exact way. The plot is littered with logical/temporal/geographical inconsistencies, irrelevant and meandering backstories, too many characters, and so many layers that don’t add anything other than length and confusion. This book is a bloated 420 pages and at the end you’re rewarded with the most non ending I’ve read in a long time. Not only is it shitty and doesn’t wrap up anything, it also requires you to wait for book two, which, no. Sorry Keith, I will not be reading your next one.
March 1, 2023
Almost didn't make it to work today, couldn't put the book down. Luckily I devoured the last forty pages with minutes to spare. What a wild and intense read! The imagery is bound to take up residence in my head for a long time!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication. As always, my opinions are my own.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication. As always, my opinions are my own.
December 2, 2023
It took me a really long time to decide on how I was going to rate this book. It is well written and is a really unique horror book. I found myself enjoying the story but I felt the end was sort of abrupt and like something was missing. Then I seen that there is a 2nd book coming and that made it make a little more sense to me. Definately read this of you're looking for something different. 3.75 🌟
November 6, 2025
When you're in the business of breaking kneecaps for the mafia, you never know what you’ll run into when you roll up to settle a debt for your boss. Hutch Holtz has heard every sob story, every tall tale, every line of bullshit you can imagine. What he’s never heard is “what you want is in my freezer,” only to find a severed hand among the freezer-burnt ice cream. But his boss is known to be a collector of the odd rarities, and this ranks right up there in the odd department. So off he goes with the severed hand. What Hutch wasn’t expecting was what the hand would do to his mind while he had possession of it. Or who else might want the hand.
Rosson delivers the goods in Fever Hand. I made the mistake of getting the audio version of Fever Hand instead of a reading copy. It was a mistake because the narrator, Xe Sands absolutely ruins the story. She mumbles through the whole thing in this annoying, inaudible way that sounds like she’s stoned out of her mind. Half way though, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was ready to dropkick the whole thing, but I just had a gut feeling that the story was excellent, that I needed to try reading it. Boy, I’m glad I did. Otherwise, I would’ve missed out on one of my favorite reads this year. So, do yourself a favor and avoid the audio version at all costs.
With that being said, Rosson really does an excellent job weaving an unsettling, yet entertaining tale. The character development is top-notch. Organized crime meets punk rock meets cursed objects meets government conspiracy? Sign me up. While you're at it, sign yourself up too. You can thank me later.
5 Deals with the Devil out of 5
Rosson delivers the goods in Fever Hand. I made the mistake of getting the audio version of Fever Hand instead of a reading copy. It was a mistake because the narrator, Xe Sands absolutely ruins the story. She mumbles through the whole thing in this annoying, inaudible way that sounds like she’s stoned out of her mind. Half way though, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was ready to dropkick the whole thing, but I just had a gut feeling that the story was excellent, that I needed to try reading it. Boy, I’m glad I did. Otherwise, I would’ve missed out on one of my favorite reads this year. So, do yourself a favor and avoid the audio version at all costs.
With that being said, Rosson really does an excellent job weaving an unsettling, yet entertaining tale. The character development is top-notch. Organized crime meets punk rock meets cursed objects meets government conspiracy? Sign me up. While you're at it, sign yourself up too. You can thank me later.
5 Deals with the Devil out of 5
September 6, 2023
I power-read through Keith Rosson's Fever House since I had a short loan time on it from the library. It's 400+ pages & rotates through a variety of narrators so it's probably good I read it in a short window because that makes it easier to keep up with everything. I loved Smoke City more but this was good satanic zombie punk black ops horror, lol. It could have been a bit shorter but I still found it a fun book. Biggest disappointment is that the ending sets it up for a sequel (which comes out next year). Nooooo!!! I'm a standalone book person, not a sequel/series reader! That said, I'll totally be reading the next one. Lol.
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