Follow

by A.J. Matthews and Rick Hautala

Surviving a serious car accident, Pamela Gardner walks away from the hospital physically unharmed--yet haunted by missing time, black-outs, and visions. A shadowy killer is closing in, but is he just a figment of her fractured imagination? As darkness arrives, so will the truth.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0515140155
• ISBN13: 9780515140156
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Jove Books
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.3" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Nice to find a treasure where you didn't expect it

It's been a long time since a horror novel actually scared me. I consider it a win when the book keeps me awake, touches me emotionally, keeps me guessing, fails to have any significant plot holes... and FOLLOW does all that. But a book that makes me turn pages, that creeps me out to the point where my ringing cell phone makes me jump... That's something special. FOLLOW is, on the surface, a simple ghost story. A woman survives a car accident and immediately begins seeing and hearing ghosts, particularly that of her murdered best friend. And she can't shake the feeling that someone is following her, someone very much alive who means her harm. At first, I thought A.J. Matthews must be a woman. Pam is rendered expertly, a woman dealing with a lackluster marriage and a devastating miscarriage on top of all the creepy-crawlies wandering about her. I was rather surprised - pleasantly so - to find a male horror writer who knows women this well. Pam's method of communicating with the ghosts is especially creepy, listening to recordings she cannot hear with her own ears. It brought to mind that awful, boring ghost-fest WHITE NOISE, a movie that should have been so much better than it was. But FOLLOW manages to scare the heck out of you, and you will end up suspecting just about everyone in the story - including Pam herself - of being the killer. There's no obvious red herring, and no obvious answer, either. Just like real life. Read the full review at CultureGeek: http://bellevillenewsdemocrat.typepad.com/culturegeek/2008/01/bookgeek-follow.html

STOP RIGHT HERE

FOLLOW centers around a car-accident victim who may or may not have the gift to see the dead. Matthews/Hautala pens a intriguing tale of vision versus reality, which now has become his more than welcomed forte. Again, his protagonist is strong-willed behind a passive exterior. Her road to (self) discovery is filled with atmospheric feel and many goosebumps moments. If not for the less than impressive denouement where the easy way out is the route taken, FOLLOW sure is a one sitting read worthy of bestselling stardom.-----Martin Boucher

A captivating, slow-burn, supernatural mystery/thriller

Pam Gardner's life seems to be falling apart. Her husband cheated on her and she lost her baby in a car accident. But that may not be the worst part: she seems to be going insane. Pam is hearing things, seeing shapes in dark shadows, and receiving visits from several women (including her best friend Lily) who may have met bad ends, and she thinks someone is trying to kill her. Is it all in her mind? And why do the voices keep telling her to "open the door"? I can say one thing about A.J. Matthews (pseudonym of Rick Hautala) after reading "Follow": this guy knows how to build tension. From the very first page the suspense is building, the mystery is getting thicker, and the confusion deeper. You can cut the tension in "Follow" with a knife. Pam Gardner is in a frightened, confused state of mind through most of the book and Matthews puts us right there in the seat with her for every moment. This is an extremely well written book. I can't remember reading any supernatural mystery-thrillers more engrossing than "Follow". My only gripe is the ending. Without giving away too much (this is a mystery after all), Matthews leaves a lot of unanswered questions at the end of "Follow". Don't misunderstand, it's obvious Matthews did this on purpose and his ending makes good sense, but it left me feeling a little unfulfilled. What's the fun in building a great mystery and not having it wrapped up nicely in the end? This book is a great, slow burn mystery. The general idea driving "Follow" isn't new but, with a few curveballs thrown in and captivating storytelling, Matthews has pulled off a must-read supernatural thriller.

Fear the way it should be done...

This is one clever horror novel, with all the twists and turns you'd ever want, characters you care about, and a feeling of fear that runs from page one all the way to the end. And speaking of the end, you definitely won't guess what's about to happen until you breathlessly reach those last pages!

The best yet

I have read all three of the AJ Matthews books, and this is by far the best. The book is "leaner and meaner" and Matthews' writing is much tighter in this book. The characters spend more time acting and less time thinking, and there is LOTS of action in this story. Pamela Gardner is recovering from an accident, and all kinds of strange things -- blackouts, time-slips, hallucinations -- keep happening to her, making her feel like she's losing her mind --or being stalked. Her family and friends are less than supportive. How she works through it and confronts her tormentor at the end makes for a really good read. The surprise twist at the end is great. I never saw that one coming. If you are looking for a thrilling read for a long winter's night, I recommend this novel. AJ Matthews is at the top of his or her game.