The Reaping

Paperbacks from Hell, Book 3

By: Bernard Taylor

Narrated by: Hannibal Hills

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

When Tom Rigby is commissioned to paint a young woman’s portrait at Woolvercombe House, the offer is too lucrative to refuse. But from the moment of his arrival at the secluded country mansion, strange and inexplicable events begin to transpire.

Soon, he is drawn into an impenetrable maze of horror, and by the time he discovers the role he is intended to play in a diabolical design, it will already be too late. For, the seeds of evil have been sown, and the time to reap their wicked harvest is nigh!

A classic novel by ’70s and ’80s horror master Bernard Taylor, The Reaping (1980) is now available as an audiobook.

Praise for The Reaping:

"Move over, Stephen King!" (New York Daily News)

"Draws the reader into a web that grows gradually tighter with each turn of the page!" (Booklist)

"Taylor works wizardry again!" (Publishers Weekly)

©1980 Bernard Taylor (P)2019 Valancourt Books LLC

Creepy story

I really liked this story it had nice flow. the narrator was fantastic and brought the characters to life.

Seeds of Evil Will be Sown

I thought this story was entertaining. I thought it was a slow burn with a slight pop at the end but was an enjoyable story. I liked trying to figure out what was going on more so than actually finding it out. I pretty much pegged what the goal was early on, although the journey of getting there was not at all what I thought and was quite surprising. Fans of 80’s suspense horror that isn’t full of gore and touches on cults and provides some decent thrills.

The overall plot wasn’t extremely original but the way it was told was. I liked how the plot unfolded and while I was really hoping for a bigger ending, I was happy with the final reveal. I just wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt and that there was a little follow up. I put this one down as an easy horror to listen to. Even the sexual scenes, which most horror authors put graphic details in, were tame. The best part of the story was the writing. I really enjoyed listening to the words and thought they were strung together to put the perfect image in my head.

The characters were quite engaging. My favorite was Miss Stewart. She definitely had the macabre factor and the few encounters with her had me completely creeped out. The room Berndard sets up for her coupled with the descriptions Tom gives kinda grossed me out. When she goes for a walk around the room I was thinking I couldn’t do that. Would have called it quits and walked out. Carl also got a bit under my skin. The vision I had of him, especially when he was helping Tom relax, was like that of an ancient vampire, all skinny with long bony fingers and a smirk that will haunt your dreams.

As he does with all of his narration, Hannibal Hills continues to bring the story to life. I love his character voices and the emotion he puts into the characters is palpable. If you want to be taken for a ride on a suspenseful thriller, look no further.

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

A horrifying tale

A very entertaining and excellent read very good and scary very well narrated. Thank you

A must-listen

This absolutely gripping story set in the British countryside is rendered all the more effective by its incredible reading from Hannibal Hills. Neither too feverish or muted, the reader definitely elevates what already is great. Horror fans of all stripes will love this one. Valancourt is doing fantastic work!

Well Written Old School Creepy Horror

This was a pretty solid and creepy slow burn horror written very well. In fact the quality of the writing takes first place in what was most enjoyable about the story itself, followed by the creepiness and how the horror was built up.

The narration was fantastic as well, doing a great job of giving voice to such a novel.

I received the review code for this audiobook at my request and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

The Reaping

This was a wonderful trip back to the horror filled books of the 1980's.We have a painter with a commision that is located in a strange place.There is a lot of intrigue with nuns and people in the village.The suspense goes right to the end so I won't spoil it.Hannibal Hills was an excellent narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Creepy slow build

This book takes a bit of time to get to the heart of matters, but that's OK because the story-telling is superb and Hannibal Hills does an amazing job at bringing it to life.

Our protagonist is brought out to a creepy old estate in the English Countryside -- ostensibly to paint a portrait -- but who the heck knows the real reason. It was interesting to see how this story progressed without the typical tropes one might expect here, though I could have done with more frights.

As mentioned, things did take a bit to get going, and at one point I thought there was no supernatural aspect to this at all. There was in the end, but the story was still decent without it.

Still, definitely worth a listen. The 7 hours flew on by.

Classic 80's

The Reaping is what I would classify as an 80's British classic. It starts off very slow but builds up into a twisted ending that I didn't see coming. The storyline is creative and intriguing. I received this audio book at my request and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own volition.

Really fun!

I've read 6 of the 10 books in Valancourt Books's Paperbacks From Hell line, and they have all been so much fun. This one is no exception! Some of these books are schlocky, some are uncanny, some are outright gross, but they're all well-written (for the most part), and I've enjoyed them all.

Of all the books in the Paperbacks from Hell line, this one felt most similar to the horror novels of the 1960's, including The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and The Stepford Wives. It's the kind of horror where domestic family spaces (the home, for example) at the beginning seem "normal," but as the story progresses, cracks in the facade begin to widen in uncanny ways, revealing the darkness underneath.

Be forewarned, however, that there is quite a bit of sex, and some of it is... uncomfortable. I'll stop now so as not to give anything away.

I enjoyed this book immensely! If you're already interested in reading it, I suggest you do so.

One for fans of Hammer Horror

I received a free audible copy from the author with the expectation of an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Tom Rigsby is a successful owner of a paint supply store. He is a widowed father, lives with his sister and has a semi-serious girlfriend. While his life has certainly not been all fun and games, these days, Tom is doing okay. His relationship with his oft away girlfriend is strained at the moment, but life is otherwise good. Then, one day, he gets a request to paint a portrait at a country estate, and after deliberating, finds it too hard to pass up. This sends Tom down a path that threatens to tear his comfortable life apart. Here’s my thoughts on this horror tale:

By the stars, this is possibly the most 70s/80s British story I’ve ever read/heard, and I grew up with BBC and UTV. This by no means makes it bad. In fact, this is quite a treat for fans of the old Hammer Horror movies and series. Like me.

I live to give the narrator some kudos for audiobooks (assuming they deserve them), but I found the awesomely named Hannibal Hills to be the driving force of the whole show, more so even than the story itself. His portrayal of Tom as his life begins to crash around him is top notch. He portrays a relatively large array of accents and personalities well, and pushes the pace. If I had one gripe, and we must have one, some of the women sound more like dockworkers, and it temporarily sends the plot in a different direction, when it shouldn’t really

It’s a slow build, which in horror novels can send people off to sleep, and The Rea;ing lacks the creeping dread of some of its counterparts. That being said, it’s a solid, if unoriginal, story, and a tale one could sit and sip tea while reading. It’s not overly long - I got through it in a couple of days

I must be honest, Tom seems to be a bit of a bonehead, and is as much the catalyst for his own failures as the overarching scheme he is being trapped in. At times I felt like screaming at him, as some of the twists of the plot were glaringly obvious, but that probably would not have ended well for me. Probably better than it did for him though

Certainly not the scariest of horrors, although definitely enjoyable. To be honest, I think this story would have translated better to TV, or perhaps even a low budget movie. 

Verdict

Solid, but unspectacular, if you like your horror with a bit of a bang, then this is not for you. If you like the everyman struggling against not particularly arcare forces, then check out...The Reaping (cool title, by the way).