Asylum

The Afterlife Investigations, Book 1

By: Ambrose Ibsen

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2018 Audiobook Reviewer Award for best horror!

What lurks within Chaythe Asylum?

College professor Stephen Barlow needs cash. Badly. When a student asks him to head a new campus organization that centers around paranormal research, he puts his skepticism aside, and signs on in the hopes of scoring a fat bonus.

Enter Chaythe Asylum - a long-shuttered and controversial institution where patients were allegedly subjected to unethical experiments. Stephen deems the old building, closed in 1989 after a series of grisly murders, as good a place as any to explore the possibility of the supernatural, and arranges to take a tour with his students.

But it turns out that the asylum is not as abandoned as it seems. There is something sinister in the building. It has watched and waited for nearly three decades, and when Stephen and his students enter, they find themselves at the center of a nightmare 28 years in the making.

Asylum is the first novel in the Afterlife Investigations Trilogy.

The Afterlife Investigations:

• Asylum
• Forest
• The Occupant

©2017 Ambrose Ibsen (P)2017 Ambrose Ibsen

Another great Ibsen/Hempel story

What made the experience of listening to Asylum the most enjoyable?

Joe Hempel. He really does a fantastic job narrating all of his stories. He definitely adds to the tension of the plot and truly perfected his craft.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elizabeth, she was the only character who actually has a mission. Stephen is only doing this for money as he is broke and Jake is only doing it because I assume he loves his girlfriend. Why the story centers around Stephen, he was my least favorite character. I don't mean that as a bad thing, I just personally didn't like him and wouldn't want to be his friend.

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

Absolutely and as always he does not disappoint.

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

No extreme reactions but it definitely made me want to listen to the next story. I am happy to see that there is going to be more to the story than just a simple haunted asylum.

Any additional comments?

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

hmmm thought it would be better

I really expected this one to have more scare Factor. maybe the next books will.

Not really an ending, be prepared to buy the next

Any additional comments?

Pretty standard haunted asylum fair. The ending is very abrupt. I will probably end up getting the next in the series to see how the story ends. Man, I hate that.

loved it

the narration was great, story leaves you wanting more! can't wait for the next book!

Another great read!!

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

I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am legally blind and cannot read the printed work. That being said, the life the narrator brings to the audio version would make me a listener even if I could see!

Which character – as performed by Joe Hempel – was your favorite?

I truly liked Professor Barlow. He was a professor down on his luck and he was the witness of a major crisis in the death of the student by hit and run. The character was real in the sense that he had true feelings and he wasn't the typical stuffy college prof. He couldn't stand his office mate and he interacted with people like a normal guy. He wasn't afraid to tell a lie to suit his needs.

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

Some things are best left alone.

Any additional comments?

I am a huge fan of Ibsen! This new series did not disappoint! The characters were very realistic, the plot flowed easily for me, and the narrator brought life to the book! I can not wait for the next installment!

Spine-tingling

Creepy story, absolutely loved it! Fantastic narrator, relatable characters, kind of standard horror setting (old, abandoned asylum), but not your typical specter which made for a very enjoyable listen. Sets up nicely for the next book which I plan to listen to soon. I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Kept me intrested

Although the story kept me intrested, it took forever to even get to the asylum.This book is only 6 hours long and 3 hours into it they still weren't in the asylum. The main female character is unbearably annoying. The main character is an adjunct professor who is broke from only teaching one class. however, he is always eating out, drinking, grabbing Starbucks or smoking. I really find it hard to feel his struggle. Not sure if I'm going to Continue the series.

Good book

I enjoyed the book alot. I hope book two is just as good and that they release book three soon. I am always worried I'll get in to a series and they won't put out a book.

Suspenseful and Spooky

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent story, I can't wait for part 2. The narration was ok, most of the characters sounded the same. Otherwise great.

Just ended!

Where does Asylum rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Middle-high

What was one of the most memorable moments of Asylum?

The kid getting hit by the car

Any additional comments?

I was surprised that it just ended out of nowhere. It caught me off guard. I guess that is the hook to book two?