Intercepts: A Horror Novel

By: T.J. Payne

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Joe works at a facility that performs human experimentation.

His work just followed him home.

The government wanted to unlock hidden abilities in the human mind.

They put subjects in extreme sensory deprivation.

All the test subjects went violently insane.

But the research continued.

Today it has been perfected.

Almost perfected.

From the author of In My Father’s Basement comes another chilling novel that's a must-listen for fans of horror. Gruesome, gripping, and terrifyingly real!

©2019 T.J. Payne (P)2019 T.J. Payne

Truly Fantastic

To say that I enjoyed this story would be a massive understatement. 'Intercepts' grabbed me right from the top and pretty much derailed all productivity until it was over. Seriously, I couldn't put it down! T.J. Payne does an incredible job of weaving a tale that I wasn't able to anticipate with characters that felt real. No spoilers, but the ending is super satisfying, which is something I've grown to expect will NOT be the case. Joe Hempel does an expert job of narration, as always, breathing life into the characters and making the story easy and compelling to follow. 10/10 I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone who enjoys interesting horror stories!!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Creepy, Gory Fun

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but what I was given was pretty excellent. Joe's a workaholic at a research facility doing bad things in the name of good (aren't they all?). His wife dies so now he's gotta worry about his daughter and the emotional toll on the both of them. Then there's the test subjects whose presence goes from the kind of thing he only has to deal with at work, to starting to seep into his and his daughter Riley's home life. In the middle there's plenty of blood and gore and creepy scenes to keep you interested as they hurtle towards a pretty solid ending.

The narrator did a great job of portraying the characters and the mood of the piece, such that things are ratcheted up rather than remaining too calm and losing the impact of the story.

I received the review code for this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review.

Not for the squeamish....

Joe works at a top-secret government facility and he is a workaholic. His daughter, Riley is having visions that she can't explain. Can there be a connection?

I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that this book was excellent. There is some very gory stuff here, but it's got some supernatural elements too. The scariest part is that the overall idea doesn't seem too far off from possible.

I will say that the prologue was a bit confusing, but once I got to the first chapter, I was hooked. As the story progresses, you get some ideas of what is going on, but the end is still surprising. Joe Hempel does a fantastic job with the narration and amps up the tension without going over the top.

Highly recommended.

Captivating

I could not stop listening, finished the book in a day and a half. Excellent narrator. Excellent read/audio book.

sooo scary

I loved this book. I have it in audible did not want to leave the car. funny you cringe when things are detailed . great story

Recommended psychological thriller

I'm not someone who gives 5-star ratings that often, but I really enjoyed this story. The pacing was good, the characters were well-developed, there was lots of tension, and the plot was plausible. Also, the author did a great job of making the 'protagonist' relatable enough that you felt sorry for the situation that was unfolding in his life even though he earned his troubles. Anyone who has heard of the Milgram experiments in social psychology or Arendt's writings about the banality of evil will recognize some common themes in this audiobook. My background is in behavioural science, so it's no surprise that the story hooked me. I'm not a fan of conspiracy theory fiction, but if you're interested in that, then you might want to check out this story.

The book ended well, with some clever twists at the end that, I confess, I didn't see coming. Although it's definitely a standalone story, the author sets up the possibility of continuing the story in a subsequent volume or series of short stories.

I've reviewed numerous audiobooks narrated by Joe Hempel, and have enjoyed some of his work more than others. He does a good job with this story, although I definitely increased the playback speed to better suit my preferences.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Entertaining

Interesting science fiction horror story. Would make an entertaining movie or television series. Very good narration

Great story well developed characters

Could have developed the company more. How it worked who the antenna were. How it got its start

Intense horror

This felt like a prequel to Stephen King’s “The Institute.” I really enjoyed this one and all the twists and turns.

tense, interesting, suspenseful

So many horror stories indulge in depressing backstories or traumatic childhood events. Not this one. Good characters where the horror is in the present. Interesting idea about the banality of evil. Where regular people like you and me do terrible things because it's just part of the job, because they're one step removed from what they're part of.