Perfect Little Town

by Blake Crouch

Ron and Jessica Stahl are a power couple from Southern California, on a Christmas driving holiday in the Colorado mountains. When they stop for the afternoon in sleepy Lone Cone (Pop. 317), they’re charmed by the quaint tourist town which is filled with B&Bs, candy stores, and gift shops.

But the folksy hospitality will vanish as the sun drops behind the mountains. A winter storm is approaching, and the Stahls couldn’t have picked a worse night of the year to get snowed into this perfect little town with a dark, dark secret.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

Blake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the forthcoming novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Crouch lives in Colorado with his family.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crouch is the new Stephen King, with his twists and turns! Ron and Jessica Stahl are the ultimate power couple; he a successful plastic surgeon and she the cut-throat lawyer everyone fears. Choosing to take a trip to the scenic mountain areas in Colorado, they are forced into Lone Cone, a blip on the map, where they seek refuge from the weather. What begins as an awkward set of events turns horrific as the sun drops below the horizon. The Stahls soon realise that Lone Cone is anything but quaint and its inhabitants will do anything to protect themselves from outsiders. Will the Stahls be able to alert the authorities to the horrors they've seen, and live to recount their tale for years to come?

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Mort · Rating 3 out of 5]

Must be awful, going somewhere where nobody knows you, yet everybody wants to kill you.
Like the skinny girl eating a candy bar at the Over-eaters Anonymous meeting...
Or the Yoko Ono fan at a Beatles tribute concert...

Good story, but it lacked...something.

[Jennelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready for a fast paced wild ride. Perfect little town is a short story with a full novels worth of impact. Well worth the read.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book!

The book reminded me a little bit of an episode in the series "Supernatural" whereas the town was sacrificing tourists to a scarecrow totem - this book is along the same lines - very fast paced and kept me riveted to my kindle. Five stars for this one!

[Michelle {Book Hangovers} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Geez!!! This one started of really good!! My emotions were high and I completely connected with the main characters......But then.......it all went wrong. I understand it’s a short story and it was going well until about halfway through, then it got all muddled. It went downhill fast and that ending!?!?! WTF was that??
Oh well....thankfully I like Blake Crouch’s writing. This story will not deter me from reading his other/future books.

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is the case with everything else I have read from Crouch, this short novella did not disappoint. Quick, suspenseful and very well written.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella takes you on a crazy adventure.. I was on the edge of me seat the whole time!! I had no idea what to think.. and the ending was completely unexpected and totally unpredictable! I did not see that ending coming at all! although from reading 3 of Blake's other books I was a little disappointed with this ending.. especially because I know what he can do.. but then again it is just a novella so I have to cut him some slack!
amazing novella! I really enjoyed it.. only reason it's getting a 4 and not a 5 is because I don't love the ending.. it felt abrupt and cut off quickly.. I feel like I have no closure
and I hate when stories do that to me..
starting one of his other books right now! can't wait!

[Dan Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crouch is the master at creating fucked up towns I’d never want to visit in a million years. I won’t tell you why, because I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s just say I doubt this place is fun to stay in on your next vacation.

[Karolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short horror read! I love Blake crouch and I think this is another one worth reading. It can be read in one sitting, it’s super short.

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this short story from Blake Crouch! I'm glad I stumbled upon it as it was super good.

Quick Synopsis: Ron and Jessica are on a road trip/much needed vacation and decide to take a pit stop in Lone Cone (Pop.317). While they are exploring all the different shops the weather turns and a massive snowstorm is on the way which shuts down the roads, making their stay a little longer then expected.

I love stories that take place in the small out of the way quaint towns. You know nothing will be what it seems and that for sure is the case with Lone Cone. Once the storm comes the creepiness just takes off. There were a few times I was cringing at what was going on because it was terrifying! Without any spoilers, specifically when Ron and Jessica were having dinner was one of those moments.

Definitely give this one a try - while short it really covers the entire story and didn't feel like anything was left out or anything more was needed.

[Peter Monn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good. Eerie!

[The Story Girl (Serenity) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

A plastic surgeon and his attorney wife are heading to Colorado for their winter vacation, but get stranded in a small town due to a snow storm. At first, it seems like the perfect little town, until things start going wrong: they're told there's no vacancy at the only hotel in town, all the restaurants have closed, they have no where to go, and there's no way out either. Then strange things start to happen.

It was just an okay read. There was one major event that happened, but besides that, I didn't really get the point. I guess the book was about sacrifice, and the lengths people will go to get what they want, but it still just wasn't for me.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer scrabble challenge 2020

Well that was fairly horrific!

[Remie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was immediately captivating. It was a good story start to finish but it was super super short. I thought it was so much longer but there was actually just a bunch of promotional reading material at the end of the book and an interview with Blake. I would recommend reading it but just be mindful it is about 60 pages.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nasty little short story. (It ends at the 50% mark.) There were a few surprises, but it was mostly predictable. I do think the ending was excellent..the author did not take the easy way out.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story

Wow, really gruesome story. Makes you scared to stay in nice, friendly, small towns. 3 out of 5 stars.

[James Morpurgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid short story / novella. Blake Crouch once again creates a small town where everything isn't as it first seems...

[Tressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying these novellas by favorite authors that are available for eReaders. Short, affective, and to the point.

I've been a fan of Blake Crouch's since reading his wonderful time-jumping book,Abandon. Perfect Little Town tells the age-old tale of unwary tourists getting caught up in a town's stubborn ways practiced to ensure success—the old "we've always done it this way" mentality. This story recalls the build up of menace in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." However, Crouch's touch is a little nastier, and I really enjoyed the scene where the couple finally finds a restaurant that is open. I'll never eat a pot pie again.

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Kindle Book

I guess I've been living under a rock for awhile because I'm just hearing about Blake Crouch. I was going to start off reading the Wayward Pines Trilogy, since that's how I found out about him- By watching the show, but after watching the show I'm afraid my favorite character is also dead in the books and I'm not ready for that heartbreak again so soon, so I chose this book. It's short, but packs a punch. If I did the math right, (not my forte) this story takes place in 2004 and then in 2033. I like that you got to see what happens to Ron years after the tragedy. This story will stay with you for awhile and have you thinking twice about staying in little towns.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew this was a novella before I started reading, but it still was a little shorter than I was expecting. That being said, this wasn't bad. The basic premise had been done before, but the execution was a little different. It just seemed a little lacking, although of what I'm not sure. Maybe I just would rather have seen this as a novel, or maybe the ending just didn't do it for me.

It's still a suspenseful horror read, and fans of Black Crouch should check this one out. If you are looking for shorter reads to fulfill your reading list, this is a great one for that.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay short story but very similar to Pines and not as good - perhaps it would have been different if I hadn't read Pines but almost immediately I was sighing and thinking here we go again! And then it ended.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

strange, disturbing, loved this short story! I think about 87 pages!

[Jimmie Presgraves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have done so much with this, but the author let the ball fall.....

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Disappointing...

Blake Crouch has added 4 excerpts from his other books to make this story seem longer.

Works for me, I didn't really care for this anyway.

[Maggie (fck amaz0n) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pardon my French, but that was fucked up. I am sufficiently disturbed now. It was truly like reading one of the creative nightmares my medication gives me. Honestly, I'm not sure why I thought reading this at night was the right move.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica and Ron Stahl planned to spend their Christmas vacation in Aspen. On the way, they stop in the small town of Lone Cone to do some shopping and see the sights. Things are going well until they're told the roads are snowed in and they have to spend the night in the town. Little did they know what was in store for them...

This was a quick, easy read by Crouch that alternates between keeping you on the edge of your seat and cringing at the horror of what Jessica and Ron go through. While I would have liked a little more story on some things (why a bear?), the rest of the story was solid enough to make this a worthwhile read. Please be aware that the book ends at 50% and the second half is an interview with Crouch and excerpts from some of his other books.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't count Draculas, this is the first book that I have read by Blake Crouch. He is a very polished writer with a great ear for dialogue and description and I can't help but think of him as one of the new guard among horror/thriller writers. I completely lost myself in this dark story/novella which is a modern retelling of the "creepy small town" motif. I can't say much more without giving away part of the story line but I can say that if you haven't read Crouch this would be a good place to start. I am off to collect his other books and find a nice place to settle down and enjoy.

[Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read the pines series and at the beginning I thought it was so weird but then I really did enjoy it but this short story was not good apart from the scene, the whole town thing reminded me off pines but the storyline in this short story wasn't good and it was just way to short. Also what is the deal with people dressing up in blakes books? In pines someone was oddly dressed like Santa and now in this someone was dressed like a goddess, that part I even found weird about pines but I over looked it because I enjoyed the story with that one but with this story I couldn't because I simply didn't enjoy it.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know what to say about this. Sure, bits of it were suspenseful. The characters weren’t really fleshed out. It didn’t really make a whole lot of sense. He said Jess went into the bear smiling and obedient... but why? Why did she happily go in there to get burned alive?? The ending sucked too. They just stopped? End of? I know it was a short story, but you can still have a good ending on a short story. This felt like he didn’t know how to end it.

I’m a fan of Blake Crouch but this was not his finest work.

[404 Not Found · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say too much about this as it was a pretty quick read. To sum it up, a couple, on their way to Aspen, come across a seemingly perfect little town. But nothing is ever as it seems. The snow starts coming down and they have no other choice but to spend the night because the roads have closed. This is when things start turning bizarre. Kind of reminiscent of The Wicker Man.