The 13th

by John Everson

Book Overview

Castle House Lodge. A century ago it was an exclusive resort hotel. But for years it's stood empty, a haunting shadow of its former glories. Now, after twenty-five years of rumors and ghost stories,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843962674
• ISBN13: 9780843962673
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 323 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

This is simply Everson's finest book to date...

I have been a fan of John Everson for a number of years now- and his work never fails to capture my imagination. However this book completely blew me away. It is on my best ten list of books from 2009. If you are a fan of the horror genre- and if you aren't why are you on this page?- you simply must read this book.

A new favorite!

This book was such a fun and wild ride! There is so much going on, there is never a dull moment! I didn't know what to expect since this was my first time reading John Everson, and it won't be my last! I enjoyed this so much! This was so sick! (In a good way, of course....and those who love horror like I do, know what I mean!) I highly recommend this! I can't wait to read more by him! :)

Absolutely Amazing Read

I had so much fun reading this! Women disappearing, occult happenings, twisted minds...what more could you want? It takes an old idea to a whole new level. Everson masterfully keeps the action going, with creepy guys bringing women to a psycho doctor and his beautiful cohort for God-knows-what, and it doesn't get boring for even an instant. Everson really twists the sick cord tight, including horrific scenes I've never read in any other horror novel. Lots of "Oh, my god!" moments. The doctor's ultimate purpose is where all the action culminates to a thrilling end, but no disappointment, even in the end.

Everson has carved out yet another twisted tale of lust-spiced, bloody mayhem

With perhaps his most intense offering yet, Stoker Award winning author John Everson has carved out yet another twisted tale of lust-spiced, bloody mayhem. In a narrative that pays homage to eighties slasher flicks but is also reminiscent of an Edward Lee gore-fest, Everson lays down a gruesome adventure. Bloody horror is about to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting town, driven by two masterminds whose desire for power is only eclipsed by the ancient evil they've conjured. After failing to make the Olympic biking team, David Shale's not interested in a "normal" summer. Training is his focus, and the twisting, mountainous forest trails surrounding the small town of Castle Point is all he wants to follow. However, when David goes out one night, he encounters a bold, invigorating young woman named Brenda. Chemistry sparks between them and the beer flows, but tired from his training, David passes out at the bar. When he wakes, Brenda has gone, in David's mind just another "one that got away". David's future isn't Olympic bound, however, as something insidious spreads through town. Women in the area are disappearing, and coincidentally, Castle House Lodge - a previously abandoned resort with a dark history - has reopened for business as a "private asylum for pregnant women." Christy Sorensen is one of the newest faces in the Castle Point police department, but even so, she's certain something's terrible wrong at the asylum. Eventually she and David join forces, as David becomes convinced that Brenda, a woman he could've loved, is trapped with other doomed women in the resort. Can they rescue her and any others in time? Or, will they be drowned in a bloody flood of truly "biblical" proportions? Though there isn't just one character that's perhaps as strongly written as reporter Joe Kieran, ("Covenant", "Sacrifice"), the overall cast of "The 13th" is balanced, perhaps Everson's strongest assembly of entertaining characters yet. Also, in a tale of blood sacrifice and demonic lust, Everson hits buried, quieter fears: that of hidden darkness in those thought closest. Hitting consistently on subtle terrors such as this is what will continue to carry Everson's career forward.

Pleasantly surprised, very engaging read.

I received a copy of John Everson's latest novel (guess which one...) via random selection through the Leisure horror book club. At first I wasn't going to read it because it seemed as though it would end up being a pretty generic read. That is, it wouldn't have much substance to it and would therefore fall apart by page 100. As a result, I would have spent precious hours of my precious life only to end up an empty man... hollow... saddened. And maybe even a bit livid. Then one night boredom set in. I began reading. Much to my surprise, it was quite delectable! Everson is extremely successful in holding the reader's attention, which is a craft in itself. While this may not be the most original plot ever created, Everson does have a quaint skill for creating characters whom you ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT! I think this is where so many novels, movies... whatever... go wrong. In order to care about a story, you have to like (or at least feel something for) the characters who are driving the storyline. Otherwise, its doomed. It's crap. In the end, "The 13th" left me thinking... and some of the events that took place in its conclusion actually stuck with me for a couple days afterward. That's when you know a book is good! I am not going to warn anyone about the book's content, because if you are here... more than likely you already know that this is "hardcore horror" and what that entails. Everson isn't quite as grotesque as Lee, but he does a good job. Having read "The 13th", I am now looking to check out some of Everson's other works and am anticipating new releases by this author. Also, I have become a bit more open to checking out the work of author's whom I have never heard of before. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy :) - D Man -