The Writhing

by Abe Moss, Hillary Huber (Narrator)

You never truly know your neighbors, or what goes on behind closed doors. Sometimes it's better not to. Sometimes the truth is downright haunting. Alex watches from her bedroom window as the small, secluded town of Amberton a bright, pleasant town with a dark, disturbing secret. Helen, her foster mother, is gone all hours of the night with no explanation. The neighbors, always friendly, always smiling, are also always watching. They know something Alex doesn’t. Something she shouldn’t… When three outsiders become ensnared in the town’s dark conspiracies, Alex witnesses for herself the nightmare hiding in plain sight. Together, haunted by their own pasts, these outsiders threaten to unstitch the town at its rotten seams, uncovering the gruesome truth writhing beneath the surface.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Suspense, Supernatural, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Paranormal

13 pages, Audio CD

Published December 8, 2020

About the author

Abe Moss has been writing horror stories for as long as he can remember, and hopes to never stop. He loves creature-features, psychological horror, supernatural horror, cosmic horror, you name it. With each book he writes, he hopes to try something a little different. The possibilities are endless and that's what he really loves about storytelling. He hopes you'll enjoy his stories, too!

Reviews

[Katie T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Weird and good fun, much more entertaining than I was expecting.
Hillary Huber is the best narrator for spooky and strange.

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.It’s been a while since I read a story in the horror genre. When I saw the audio for The Writhing was available from the publisher for review and after reading the synopsis, I jumped at the chance to listen to it. Now if I were to rate this book on a scale of one to ten on the scary metre, it would fall below five. It was not the type of scary which would require me to read with the lights on. However, what it lacked in scariness it sure made up for on the suspense, twisted and goose bumps metre.

This is one of those stories, where the reader needs to go in blind. There is not much I can say without giving away the plot. However, I will say this not knowing what your neighbours are up can be a blessing in disguise. The author delivered two storylines, which eventually converged to become one. At first, I had no idea how both storylines would connect, as they occurred in different locations and the events were dissimilar.

The author created a world where monsters of the human and alien variety existed. The humans are not aware of the alien species, making it easy for them to to take control. If you are familiar with the movie The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, then you get a feel of what this story is like. However, a word of note, besides the body snatching there were other things occurring, which made for a suspenseful atmosphere. I became immersed in what was happening and connected with the characters and hoped each got what they deserved.

I enjoyed the pacing along with the world building, which added to my listening experience. Hillary Huber narrated, and she did a splendid job with the voices of the characters.

Fans of science fiction, horror and suspense will enjoy The Writhing. This was my first experience with the author’s work, and he did not disappoint.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Writhing by Abe Moss

This is my 1st time reading something by this author and it definitely won't be the last! Twists and turns in this book that keep you reading along to figure out what the heck is going on in the sleepy little village of Amberton. Great characters and a disturbing storyline keep your attention and keep you creeped out. I got this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. This book makes a great read just in time for Halloween!

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had potential but fell right on it face. Most of the characters were weak and unlikable. This book was more science fiction, than it was horror. I have read a few books by this author and they were good.

[DebbieDoesBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and it started off very promising but it simply didn't hold up. It jumps all over the place. The parts that seem to start to grab you fall flat. I found myself very bored many times. If I wasn't reading this to leave a review and just bought it myself I wouldn't have read the entire book and just counted it as a loss. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mike Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen Abe Moss novels floating around on Amazon "Books You Might Like" lists for quite a while. Also on those lists are a lot dreck, so I never really paid them any mind. I saw that one of my favorite audiobook narrators, Hilary Huber was reading The Writhing and picked it up. What a pleasant surprise. Abe Moss is a great story teller and dare I say in the same league as heavy hitters like Ania Ahlborne and Ronald Malfi.

The story is a Body Snatcher-ish horror tale with great characters and a well paced story. I'm looking forward to more from Abe Moss.

5 Stars*****

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dnf'd this confusing and boring ass snooze fest at 49%! Skip it!

This was so poorly written that it read like a script for a really BAD Lifetime Movie about a scorned spouse or some dumb ass story. Sorry. Won't be reading anymore from this author.

1 🤦‍♂️

[Cattie Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

The Writhing was a little slow to build but once it got going it was crazy! The nut job neighbor...Brenda, the weird people of the town, Aaron, Alex and David were all great characters. After reading this I read this was his first novel. For a first, it is pretty awesome! Highly recommend!

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style was good, imho. The beginning started out intriguing, but it evolved into a "different type" of story than I was expecting. By the time I got to that, I still hadn't "connected" to any of the characters, and honestly felt like they were making the most ridiculous decisions, repeatedly. At the end, I still had questions, but wasn't invested enough to want to read more of this one.

I've heard great things about some of the author's other books, and will definitely give them a try. This one just went into a direction I didn't care for: more "Sci-fi" than horror.

[❤ArtfullySinful❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six years, she told herself. Six years, and one night had changed everything.
“She’s not my mom,” Alex said, and she dropped her hand and stared into the blinding light. “And this isn’t my home.”
I’m alone now. Truly alone.

Lives seem to cascade around around another in this haunting novel, as everything that once seemed a little off becomes completely bizarre. Haunting memories of a life she shouldn’t of known about, Alex begins questioning the life she’s come to know in Amberton with Helen, but even those questions wouldn’t bring the answers she craved. After running from home there for the first time, Alex discovers a sight that would unlock her own tortured past. A young boy, only eight named David was being drug from a vehicle into the town’s church in the earliest hours of the morning. As they tried to coach her back to the running car she discovered through his tortured, anguished cries her very own.

“Where are you going, anyways?”
Capable of surviving.....
“Come home, Alex.”

Her own family was ripped away from her, as she remembered the visions of her so young, so innocent waking in a fatal car crash, leaving her parents barely holding to life. As she wandered the icy tundra of the road for what felt like hours, Helen would appear from the shadows slaying her family and taking her own to become her twisted version of a daughter. Now as the days have gone by and she’s grown in the small town of Amberton, Alex begins noticing tiny things that weren’t adding up. The neighbors seem too friendly, too many secrets held aloft in their grins. Wendy, the librarian she bonded with knows the secrets surrounding the town, but death may be the only way to share the truth. After discovering David also was taken, his parents butchered in the middle of the night, Helen tried to get the monsters to attach to him as well, where their cold and sharp pale limbs would take root from deep inside. The town was infected, where death would allow the tentacles to explore the outside realms free of their human hosts, their bodies drug behind while a merciless hinder lead them towards those not quite turned.

Close your eyes. Close them and breathe.

Aaron and his young wife Lucy seemed to have it all, a beautiful marriage filled with hope and everlasting happiness, that is until their neighbor Brenda takes an interest in Lucy. A tragic widow after her husbands death two years prior, she has the secrets to hide and loneliness was the best remedy for the silence to be kept from the world. As Brenda begins being haunted by Willard, the ghost of her past husband, the long standing secrets would unveil as he pulls on her broken and manipulative mind. Following ling years of tragic physical and emotional abuse at his hands, she snaps, killing his with one of his beloved golf clubs before staging his death at his favorite place, the river. The secrets remained hers until his spirit put the blame on Lucy causing Brenda to snap one chilly night.

My husband is buried in Canvas Cemetery. He’s been for two years. For two years.... I’ve been a widow, I’m a....”

She snuck to their doorstep, pulling them from a slumber and while Aaron was outside investigating the commotion left Lucy vulnerable and as he stumbles inside he sees her body, her head removed and the rest splayed out of their table. Shocked by the actions of their long time neighbor and considered friend, he too was violently attacked and finds his escape by the river and taking refuge in a cabin, owned by Milton and his life would forever be shifted following their chance encounter while Brenda stalked the woods hunting for him.

Close your eyes. Just for a minute.

Instead of phoning the police, Milton calls Helen alerting her to a human in their area, one carrying the secrets of possibility. Fleeing from Brenda he winds up in their seemingly innocent town but it would be discovered it’s far from that as he witnesses the First True One for the first time. A cold and billowing blue haze seeped from its pores, illuminating the entire room around him as he opened his eyes to its haunted appearance. As the townspeople seem eager for his change to occur he and David held the secrets of being free of the creature inhabit sting everyone else, placing them in critical danger. Following Helen’s death by Brenda it allows The three of them escape but not before Aaron avenges his slaughtered wife by clubbing Brenda with the very club that lead to Brenda snapping, now as they adhere to life far from Amberton it’ll never be the same again...

Were there other towns like Amberton?

[AnnaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, s***... This was a very disturbing, crazy, insane story. And I mean that in the best possible way.

At first the story was a little confusing, I just had no idea what the hell was going on. The prologue confused me to no end so obviously I needed to find out what will happen.

It is really really hard to give a review without giving too much away.

Brenda is a widow. But not your normal, everyday kind. Than there is Aaron. He is Brenda’s neighbor. One night Brenda does something unimaginable that changes their lives for good. They end up in Amberton. A little sleepy town, where everyone seems to lead a happy, normal life. Alex lives there ever since her parents died. Her foster mother, Helen is a little strange. She keeps secrets from Alex. She lies to her. And then when one night Alex has had enough and goes after Helen, her life is turned upside down. She sees something she wasn’t suppesed to. Their lives intertwine in the most horrible way.

The writing is descriptive, the story flows nicely after I got the hang of it. I started reading it in the evening, when it was dark...I must say it was a horrible idea. I was scared. And I don’t scare easily.

I liked most of the characters, I liked Alex and Aaron. They are smart, they fight through everything that happens to them.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off too slow for my liking, as did my previous read, it was just a tad too corny for me.

[Marianne Pritchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable take on invasion of the body snatchers. You will like this if you enjoyed Stephen King's Dreamcatcher.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and there were several parts I did like. Overall, I think the story went on too long and created excess words. I found parts of it just too unbelievable like Brenda getting away with so many murders. At times I think there were too many small stories in the big story. This made it a little tough to follow at times. I liked the concept of an "alien" taking over human bodies but didn't understand why sometimes it was so easy to kill them and other times not at all possible. I was happy that there was an upbeat ending to the story. All in all it wasn't a bad read and did keep me wanting to see what happened to Alex, David and Aaron in the end. I would like to read something else by Abe Moss in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lori Degarmo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the effort

It is rare for me to give up on a book partway through. I have suffered through some very long, tedious novels, perhaps relieved when they were finally over, but I’ve finished them. Others I’ve stretched out over time, reading other books in between chapters, but always coming back and then eventually finishing.

This book started out well enough, the writing wasn’t bad, I was becoming engaged in parts of the story. There was, however, quite a bit of jumping around, going back and forth between characters and storylines. That, in itself, is also not a reason I’d use to put a book aside.

I also found it unfortunate that I did not particularly like or care about any of the characters. None of them appeared to have many, if any, redeeming qualities. Perhaps the only character I found worthy of rooting for was the young girl, Alex, but even with her, the way that she went about questioning what was secretly going on, came off as obnoxious rather than endearing her to the reader.

I think what turned me off the most was, what seemed to me, the very sudden turn to extreme violence of the widow Brenda. From a character who’d previously been portrayed as kind of a “sad sac” of a woman, lonely and rather bitter, she rather quickly became paranoid, delusional and downright psychotic! While her motivation for killing her overbearing, abusive husband, Willard, was clear enough, the motivation for turning on her neighbor, Lucy, was less so. Even less understandable was the extreme nature of how she killed; she didn’t merely stab Lucy, but decapitated her, and what’s more seemed rather cavalier about it!

According to the Kindle reader I was using, I made it to 37%. This was after even more killing had taken place, along with clear indications that a “pod-people” narrative was forthcoming. All things considered, I found it a good time to bow out before I invested any more time in the story. Who knows? I may go back to it some day and skim through to the end, but as for now, my patience and interest are both, sadly, gone.

[Samantha Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, so I've read 3 of this author's books in the past 4 days, and even though I gave this one 3 stars, I don't regret it at all and I'm going to keep going through his backlist. I'm really on a horror kick right now, and I think he's got interesting ideas.

He says in his bio that this is his first book, and quite frankly, I could tell. This one was more slasher flick than psychological horror (and you can probably tell from that where my preferences lie), whereas his later ones are more subtle. But the biggest reason I downrated it is that there's no real explanation of anything at the end, and I am insatiably curious. I WANT TO KNOW. WHERE DID THESE THINGS COME FROM? WHY ARE THEY HERE? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM NOW AFTER THE END OF THE STORY?

Still, this is a meaty story--the novel feels long for the horror genre, which I prefer, because none of it is wasted space. There's always something happening somewhere, no naval gazing at all (even if, again, sometimes I prefer naval gazing--ha).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you happen to see a sign for the town Amberton, on your travels, make sure you keep going and whatever you do, don't stop! The people look normal and are doing normal things, but they are not at all what they seem.

Add to this, Brenda, an insane woman, who talks to her dead husband and does what he says.. and you really have a good scare coming!

Alex, David and Aaron live in this small town and have each lost parents or spouse under weird conditions. Helen runs the town and is Alex's foster mother. Alex doesn't trust her (rightfully so) and lucky for her, Helen has developed a somewhat motherly attachment to Alex, despite the trouble the girl gets into. Wendy is another character who could have been useful to this small group, but was too frightened, after what happened to her husband.

This novel by Abe Moss will surely keep you on your toes and make you think twice before venturing on to new places. While parts were a bit slow, it held my interest and I couldn't wait to see how it all came together! I wasn't disappointed.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever you thought was going to happen, you are wrong. I saw some people saying to go in blind, which I think is pretty sound advice, however, in the end I don't think it matters because I promise you will not guess the direction the narrative is heading until you're in the middle of it.

This book is what happens when you combine a crazy house wife, a snotty neighboring couple, a little girl with too much time on her hands, and an adoptive mother with secrets in order to make .... whatever the hell this was. In a good way.

My biggest issue was probably how long it was. I think a lot of the ending scenes were overwritten, trying to build suspense where it wasn't necessarily needed anymore. Or how there was several, not just one or two but multiple scenes of escape and capture, again and again and again. Scenes of Aaron trapped in his own head. David just stumbling around in the dark. I think it could've been condensed a little more.

Overall I had a good time with this read, even if Sci-Fi isn't one of my go-to genres.

[Teodora Toncheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-ish? I am really not sure how to summarize this. I've been looking for a nice horror in a while and this started out great for me. I was having a lot of fun (wasn't really scared though), really liked the writing, the atmosphere and was trying to figure stuff out along with the characters. I had zero idea what this book was about which was actually a good thing as I don't usually enjoy one of the tropes in there. So overall this stated out great and I was sure it would be a solid 4 stars. But then I had some personal issues so I wasn't really in the mood for reading. Afterwards I just wasn't as invested in the story. Also by the end of it I felt lots of stuff were kept quite vague, I think I would've enjoyed a bit more of an explanation. As a positive - I really enjoyed Brenda as a character, I felt she brought a fun twist to the story. I would try something else by the author as I liked the writing so hopefully it would be a better fit for me.

[Krysteff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should be categorized as Sci-Fi, I would have known to skip it.

If you enjoy audio books, maybe skip this one. There are a lot of characters and the narration often switches mid chapter. It can be difficult to follow along with who's POV you are currently in. Also the narration comes off as half AI sounding, and half whiny brat sounding.

Also rated low because if I would have known this was a book about 'parasites' hosting in human bodies I would have never picked it up in the first place. Not my cup of tea, and just did not enjoy the story.

Too many characters and none of them were likable. David, an 8 year old, has the dialog of a grown man, which I just found annoying. Also, how is Brenda some sort of super woman?? I'm supposed to believe and 'overweight' and middle aged woman is some sort of bad ass that just goes around murdering everyone she comes across? I believe there ended up being 9 people killed by Brenda alone?? Come on.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar Supernatural Thriller

Every book by Abe Moss is unique. The Writhing was in a class of its own. It had me hooked right from the start and I had to finish it as I was curious to know the outcome. What do the protagonists have in common?Alex, David and Aaron, by mischance have ended up in Amberton, a quaint town. However, something is not right. Alex feels that Helen, her foster mother is hiding something. When she comes across David and Aaron she finds out that they are being used for a macabre purpose. Who is Helen and what is her hold on the townspeople of Amberton? The ending is a shocker. I highly recommend all Abe Moss's books for their originality and graphic depiction of the weird and macabre. Horror at it's finest!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book!

In the beginning- I really got into the 2 different Lucy/Aaron & Brenda background and Alex/Helen & David. There was enough background info without being to much. There is a big "(((GASP))) Oh that did NOT just happen!!" then things really start getting crazy...in a morbidly entertaining way LoL. The story line was good/ well written. Full of surprises. I was very happy with the ending. I thought this was a worthwhile read & would recommend! I am currently binge reading all Abe Moss waiting for the release of the next book in his series (which is AWESOME- I HIGHLY recommend!!!) and having a BLAST! You really can't go wrong with ANYTHING he has written!!!!

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had been on my list for a while and it would seemed to have been a choice novel for my taste. It starts out strong with the crazy neighbor, who killed her husband, now attempts to kill her neighbors because she thinks they know what she did. Then about three hours into the book it goes off the rail and for lack of a better comparison becomes a kind of Invasion of the body snatchers. It is at this point that the novel becomes disjointed and sometimes difficult to follow. It eventually goes all over the place weakening the narrative. There is also the confusion of which character we are following which becomes a major distraction.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an introduction to an author! This book is full of twists and suspense along with horror. This is a new author to me, and he has done an awesome job coming up with a great unique plot and a brilliant way of telling his story. This is a page -turner for sure, I was sitting on the edge of my seat as I eagerly flipped through the pages digesting every word, every scene that this book has to offer. If this is your genre then this is a book that you do not want to miss reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lola Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride!!!

This is the first of Abe's works I've ever read but, I've got to say, I'm impressed! At the beginning of the novel, I just couldn't figure out how the different characters' stories had anything to do with each other. But when it all came together....my mind was just blown. If you're on the hunt for a solid horror novel with realistic, drawing characters...look no further!!! Thanks, Abe for finally deciding to share this wonderful story with us! Can't wait to see what you do next!

[Elby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty out there, which I super enjoy in horror. However it began as a totally different story and then took a sharp turn into something else, started as a ghost story and went Lovecraftian. The characters were not likeable which was my biggest barrier to enjoying this. Likeable doesn’t mean nice, but I have to be able to understand them to want to follow along their story, which I couldn’t. Maybe with Alex and David, I suppose. I read other reviews and apparently this is one of the weaker offerings of this author so will try another of their books at a later time!

[Keion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really a wild ride in which I didn't see a lot of twists and turns. It started out as a more or less "normal", two separate stories. One involving domestic violence and the other involving a girl who was adopted by strangers after her parents died. Initially this was confusing because I didn't see a connection. But when that connection was made WOW! The plot is ultimately revealed to have a Sci-fi twist, and when these two stories finally connect it hit like a double barrel blast to the chest.

[Carolyn Strength · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I found this book by Abe Moss. What a ride!

I just finished reading "The Writhing". This is a really good book. The characters are well-developed and I found myself caring for the heroes. The story is skillfully told and I was caught up in the story from the very beginning. Keep on writing, Abe Moss. I will keep reading. Thank you for your work. I have already ordered another of your books and can't wait to get started.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A disturbing, thrilling, horror story with elements of the paranormal and sci-fi. I mean that in the best way possible. If you love the horror genre and love a good monster or two, this is an excellent book for you! The Writhing has human monsters and sci-fi style monsters all in one story and they all collide in one town to bring chaos. This one will haunt my nightmares for a bit!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[John Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gory sci-fi with a paranormal backdrop!

It took me a while to really get into this book. Was it a ghost story? No. Was it a violent thriller? No. It was in the manner of a late 1950s, early 1960s sci-fi horror. Something along the lines of "Village of the Damned" meets "The Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" meets "The Stepford Wives". However you would describe it, this was a thoroughly entertaining tale.