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Bad Games  By  cover art

Bad Games

By: Jeff Menapace
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
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Publisher's summary

Participation is not an option....

The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake, a rural cabin community in western Pennsylvania, for an idyllic weekend getaway. Some fishing, some barbecue, some games...

The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games - though not necessarily the type of games the Lamberts had in mind.

But it doesn't matter. The Lamberts are going to play whether they like it or not.

An intense psychological thriller, Bad Games has the dark, mind-bending terror of Cape Fear combined with the fish-out-of-water dread and suspense of Deliverance.

So let Jeff Menapace's best-selling thriller keep you up all night as it delves into the mystery of nature versus nurture when comprehending the evil in man, along with the will and determination an innocent family must summon to fight back against horrific odds.

Bonus! Includes the first chapter of the pulse-pounding sequel, Vengeful Games.

©2013 Jeff Menapace (P)2015 Jeff Menapace

Critic reviews

"If you liked Jonathan Kellerman's Guilt, you'll love Bad Games. Read on if you dare!" (indiereader.com)
"This psychological thriller will keep you totally captivated and enthralled." (Top Ten Psychological Thrillers)

What listeners say about Bad Games

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Top Horror, Hidden in the Suspense Section

BOUT AS HELPFULL AS A MESH CONDOM
Sometimes the decision of what section to put a book in, by audible, can help or hurt a book. Unless you are following someone who has read this book, you may not have heard of it. If you are a horror fan, than that is a tragedy. This is one of the more horrific books I have listened to. Mostly because of the realness of it. If my review seems to ramble to much, than read TAD B'S review, he nails it. This should be in the horror section as well as the suspense section. Book 3, is in the horror section. I was a little worried, as I have preached before, about books that are given away for free as usually being losers. I paid full price, but several reviewers got it for free. In this case, don't let that deter you, believe all the four to five star reviews.

SMALL TALK WAS A HEMORRHIOD TO HIM
The book is well written and extremely intense. If you have read THE GIRL NEXT DOOR , by Jack Ketchum, than I am talking almost that intense. Web Cam by Konrath would be another good example. This was entertaining all the way. Around the sixth hour, I almost got a little sick, as children were involved and due to the realness, I was not sure I could handle, what might happen to them. I don't want to give any spoilers, but don't let that bother you, they are not tortured, all though what they witness and it is not really that bad, could leave mental scars. As the man of the house, I am especially sensitive to being made helpless and watching my family suffer. The mental side of that would be worse on me, than anything that might be physically done to me.

A WOMAN WILL MAKE LOVE TO A PACIFIST, BUT SHE WILL F@@@ A KNIGHT
As a man who has been happily married for almost 39 years and who is sill passionately in love and lust with my wife, it was so refreshing to listen to a book, in which the main couple are happily married and passionate about each other. Many of these type of books, love to show all the couples as being unhappy and having affairs. I will not get started on my speech about statistics, but the norm really is, that most couples are happy. It also made it easier for me to relate to the main characters of this book. This is a series, and I will buy the next in line.

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89 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! This Was SO Good!

Nail biting suspense, humor, twists and turns. Well written and narrated story. Don’t want to say anything else, no spoilers. I’ll remember this one for a long time. Well worth your time, money or credit. There is some violence but surprisingly not as much as you might expect. The ending will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

mixed feelings

The reviews were misleading as this novel turned out pretty mediocre. There wasn't anything overly interesting or genius about the motives of the main characters, it read like a story that's been heard a hundred times, and by the end you realize that there isn't any super twist that makes you think you should of been paying more attention to details. I would go as far as to say that some of the actions of the brothers early in the novel was unnecessary and damaging to the overall novel. That being said, it was the narrator that added enough life to the simple story to keep me going to the end. The end is one of two possible endings that, satisfyingly, complete a story such as this. If it wasn't for the preview of the next book in the series at the end of this audiobook I would have lowered my rating.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome book masterfully narrated.

Would you consider the audio edition of Bad Games to be better than the print version?

This version was good, but it would be hard to top the print version.

What other book might you compare Bad Games to and why?

In a way, this book is hard to compare. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King comes to mind, but bad games has twice the bad guys. The pure sociopathic evil of the brothers puts me in mind of some of the bad guys in the Jack Daniels books by J. A. Konrath.

Have you listened to any of Gary Tiedemann’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first of his I have listened to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are a few chuckles, but most of my extreme reactions fall in the creeped-out shivering category.

Any additional comments?

Take this audiobook on your next camping trip. Sit around the campfire with a few friends and see if you can make it to the end.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thrilling on the edge of my seat Ride!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! BUT they cant be squimish or have a tendency for having bad dreams because this book will give them nightmares!

What did you like best about this story?

The starring couple. Their loving playful banter and their soul mate like relationship. Im not one who looks for romance in my thrillers but they certainly complemented this one.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the tables finally turned. Not to be a spoiler but the bedroom scene with Jim and Amy.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What would you do and how far would you go to save the ones you love!?

Any additional comments?

First time read for me with this author and he had me in the first few minutes of the book. I will definitely be researching all his other books. His characters are real in a way you feel you know them. The bad guys are awesomely evil. My kind of book!!

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bad Games audio FANTASTIC !!

Would you listen to Bad Games again? Why?

I loved the fact that it was good voices to listen to. I really enjoyed this experience.

What did you like best about this story?

The way it's told.

Which character – as performed by Gary Tiedemann – was your favorite?

I loved that the book came to life with different voices.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I definitely wanted to listen to it as I did chores, I didn't want to stop.

Any additional comments?

Jeff Menapace is a one of the best authors I have come across in some time. I have read everything he has written and nothing disappoints me.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Didn't Make It Through

Would you try another book from Jeff Menapace and/or Gary Tiedemann?

No. I like this genre and usually go after cheap thrills to engage myself when I'm out walking, but this was too dreary and mean and felt overly sadistic for the sake of it. I don't know why it feel so flat, but half way through I was just 'meh' about the whole story. I didn't care who died or lived or whatever. I completely lost interest.

What could Jeff Menapace have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The main character brothers are too dumb to carry out what they're carrying out and I didn't believe a word of it. If however, these main characters had been replaced with an intelligent solo stalker, it would have been far more thrilling.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I think the voice was perfect for the book.

Any additional comments?

I usually love this genre but this book fell flat fast. Waste of my credit.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Horror Novel with Great Narrator!!!!

What did you love best about Bad Games?

The whole story that kept me intrigued and the ending gave me chills!

What did you like best about this story?

How it kept me wanting more. So Intense!!!

What about Gary Tiedemann’s performance did you like?

He is the best narrator I have come upon in audible. This is the second book I have listened to that he has narrated. Enjoy how he reads and the voice changes that he does for each character. Both books I have listened to from him were a performed outstanding and from that I believe made the stories more intense and more enjoyable to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole story and especially the ending, I figured it was coming but still caught me off guard.

Any additional comments?

I love this horror novel and highly recommend it to other Audible listeners!!!!!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

100% Thriller

Wow. What a terrifying book! Sadistic brothers kin to Satan. And know I have to say I absolutely LOVED it! The writing is outstanding and the narrator is in a class by himself!
Graphic and creepy, but not too much, though, to stomach!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Too sadistic for me, but the narrator was great

I've been on a quest for good spooky stories, and this one popped up on a Goodreads list. Unfortunately, it's not a spooky story, it's a sadistic one, and I just couldn't get through it (or the idiocy of the hero and heroine, for that matter). I stuck it out a lot longer than I normally would have because I truly loved Gary Tiedemann's narration. It was almost hard to believe one person performed all of those voices. This author definitely isn't for me, but I'll keep an eye out for the narrator.

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12 people found this helpful