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The Basement
Her marriage broken and infidelity losing its luster, Chloe Stenhouse is a high-powered capitol lobbyist drifting through life. That is, until she becomes fed up with it all by ending her affair and leaving her husband Mike, a reclusive workaholic who emerges from the seclusion of his basement office only when he must. Mike, hiding his own dark secrets, reacts unpredictably and violently, reminding Chloe of her wedding day promise that she would never leave him, a promise born of pity and destined to fail. The Basement is a wolf in sheep's clothing, lulling the reader in with a woman's awakening from her rut in life before then pouncing on its prey with male toxicity, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, gun violence, vigilantism, and mutually assured destruction. This story is not for the faint of heart but well worth the payoff.
122 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2022
About the author
Mark Paxson
13 books13 followersI've spent my life reading and always wanted to write. About ten years ago, I started One Night in Bridgeport, a legal thriller. Bridgeport is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon, and in all other e-reader formats on Smashwords.
Writing that story opened the door to writing. I've since written about 45 short stories -- with two stories published by The First Line and two at www.toasted-cheese.com.
Weed Therapy, about a man's journey to find happiness, is my next novel ready to be published. And, after that, I have three partially completed novels ready for my attention.
In my other life, I'm an attorney. I have two teenagers about ready to start college. I cook, bake, garden ... and read.
You can keep up with my writing news at www.markpaxson.com, and read my latest thoughts on virtually everything else at www.kingmidgetramblings.wordpress.com.
Writing that story opened the door to writing. I've since written about 45 short stories -- with two stories published by The First Line and two at www.toasted-cheese.com.
Weed Therapy, about a man's journey to find happiness, is my next novel ready to be published. And, after that, I have three partially completed novels ready for my attention.
In my other life, I'm an attorney. I have two teenagers about ready to start college. I cook, bake, garden ... and read.
You can keep up with my writing news at www.markpaxson.com, and read my latest thoughts on virtually everything else at www.kingmidgetramblings.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 10, 2022
The Basement, with its captivating cover art, tells the story of Chloe Stenhouse, a woman fed up with her lifeless marriage. When she finally takes measures to end it, however, her husband has other—much darker—plans.
As always, Paxson’s prose and storytelling is so smooth, you’ll immediately slip into his novella’s pages. Fair warning though: once you start it, you won’t be able to put it down! The last half especially had my finger pounding my Kindle screen, unable to turn the pages fast enough.
Chloe is a wonderfully dimensional character. She’s complex and flawed, but her mama-bear protectiveness of her kids makes her wholly likable too. Or at the very least, respected. She’s not just a mother or a wife or an employee—Paxson writes her as a multi-faceted woman with needs and desires that put everything she loves at risk. Too often, female characters are presented as one-dimensional tropes, but Paxson writes Chloe with all the darkness and richness of a character in a Gillian Flynn novel.
A great read for fans of domestic thrillers, psychological thrillers, and suspense.
As always, Paxson’s prose and storytelling is so smooth, you’ll immediately slip into his novella’s pages. Fair warning though: once you start it, you won’t be able to put it down! The last half especially had my finger pounding my Kindle screen, unable to turn the pages fast enough.
Chloe is a wonderfully dimensional character. She’s complex and flawed, but her mama-bear protectiveness of her kids makes her wholly likable too. Or at the very least, respected. She’s not just a mother or a wife or an employee—Paxson writes her as a multi-faceted woman with needs and desires that put everything she loves at risk. Too often, female characters are presented as one-dimensional tropes, but Paxson writes Chloe with all the darkness and richness of a character in a Gillian Flynn novel.
A great read for fans of domestic thrillers, psychological thrillers, and suspense.
April 17, 2023
I’ve been thinking for a while now that it would great if more writers were producing works shorter than the typical novel but of more heft than a novella. Mark Paxson has become something of a pioneer in this genre, with an earlier book, The Irrepairable Past [misspelling intentional!], and now with The Basement.
Other reviews lay out the short, tight plot, but I can say (though I don’t read many thrillers) that Paxson creates a chilling, tense storyline here and makes the sense of danger for protagonist Chloe seem utterly real. Her basement-dwelling husband, Mike (and the symbolism is perfect), oozes sociopathic menace, and you just know he’s hiding something terrible.
At the same time, Chloe is no blushing rose, but you won’t get any spoilers about her from me. The plot rushes along on this shorter scale, leading her to a climax that’s a true shocker, followed by a perfect denouement.
Paxson’s dexterity is evident in book after book as he tackles everything from thrillers, like this title, to coming-of-age tales, legal dramas, and story collections. Get a taste of his wide-ranging talents with The Basement.
Other reviews lay out the short, tight plot, but I can say (though I don’t read many thrillers) that Paxson creates a chilling, tense storyline here and makes the sense of danger for protagonist Chloe seem utterly real. Her basement-dwelling husband, Mike (and the symbolism is perfect), oozes sociopathic menace, and you just know he’s hiding something terrible.
At the same time, Chloe is no blushing rose, but you won’t get any spoilers about her from me. The plot rushes along on this shorter scale, leading her to a climax that’s a true shocker, followed by a perfect denouement.
Paxson’s dexterity is evident in book after book as he tackles everything from thrillers, like this title, to coming-of-age tales, legal dramas, and story collections. Get a taste of his wide-ranging talents with The Basement.
May 5, 2024
This short, taut novel traces the course of a marriage from its romantic, but not untroubled, beginning to ultimate deterioration. And beyond.
The story is told in first person by Chloe Stenhouse, a woman who decides to end her marriage and start life anew with her two children. She is a person who thinks a lot before acting, but is not immune to impulsive decisions. Care and concern for her kids' well-being is foremost in her plans, but when she declares her intentions to her husband Mike, his reaction derails everything.
I followed these developments with curiosity and trepidation. Up to a point, when I asked myself the question, "Can this marriage be saved?" my answer was a qualified "Maybe." Mike has serious problems, but Chloe isn't perfect either. Moments when they both realize this add nuance and texture to the story; it's not a matter of black and white, heroic woman versus evil man.
But. The conclusion of the drama was a big "but" for me. It's quite a jolt, but (there's that word again) it didn't quite work for me. I won't go into detail, to avoid spoilers, but I found some of Chloe's choices at the end wildly inconsistent with her basic principles and priorities as shown earlier in the story.
Paxson's prose is brisk and no-nonsense. It gets the job done, clearly showing Chloe's thought processes all along, including unvarnished references to sex when the plot demands it.
This is a tense domestic drama from start to finish, with elements readers will relate to.
The story is told in first person by Chloe Stenhouse, a woman who decides to end her marriage and start life anew with her two children. She is a person who thinks a lot before acting, but is not immune to impulsive decisions. Care and concern for her kids' well-being is foremost in her plans, but when she declares her intentions to her husband Mike, his reaction derails everything.
I followed these developments with curiosity and trepidation. Up to a point, when I asked myself the question, "Can this marriage be saved?" my answer was a qualified "Maybe." Mike has serious problems, but Chloe isn't perfect either. Moments when they both realize this add nuance and texture to the story; it's not a matter of black and white, heroic woman versus evil man.
But. The conclusion of the drama was a big "but" for me. It's quite a jolt, but (there's that word again) it didn't quite work for me. I won't go into detail, to avoid spoilers, but I found some of Chloe's choices at the end wildly inconsistent with her basic principles and priorities as shown earlier in the story.
Paxson's prose is brisk and no-nonsense. It gets the job done, clearly showing Chloe's thought processes all along, including unvarnished references to sex when the plot demands it.
This is a tense domestic drama from start to finish, with elements readers will relate to.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews