Bad Man

A Novel

By: Dathan Auerbach

Narrated by: Lincoln Hoppe

Reddit horror sensation Dathan Auerbach delivers a devilishly dark novel about a young boy who goes missing, and the brother who won't stop looking for him.

Eric disappeared when he was three years old. Ben looked away for only a second at the grocery store, but that was all it took. His brother was gone. Vanished right into the sticky air of the Florida Panhandle. They say you've got only a couple days to find a missing person. Forty-eight hours to conduct searches, knock on doors, and talk to witnesses. Two days to tear the world apart if there's any chance of putting yours back together. That's your window.

That window closed five years ago, leaving Ben's life in ruins. He still looks for his brother. Still searches while his stepmother sits and waits and whispers for Eric, refusing to leave the house that Ben's father can no longer afford. Now 20 and desperate for work, Ben takes a night stock job at the only place that will have him: the store that blinked Eric out of existence.

Ben can feel that there's something wrong there. With the people. With his boss. With the graffitied baler that shudders and moans and beckons. There's something wrong with the air itself. He knows he's in the right place now. That the store has much to tell him. So, he keeps searching. Keeps looking for his baby brother while missing the most important message of all. That he should have stopped looking.

©2018 Dathan Auerbach (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An atmospheric and unsettling novel.... Auerbach’s portrait of an after-hours grocery store - as benign a setting as one could imagine - takes on an aura of almost Gothic menace. Most importantly, his ability to convey the grief, guilt and sense of loss that fuel Ben’s fixation gives the book a resonant emotional center. With just two novels, Auerbach has established himself as a significant figure in the post-King generation of horror writers.” (The Washington Post)

“Auerbach cleverly weaves in the horror trope of creepy kids amid a vibe that’s best described as Stephen King meets Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.... The novel is wickedly effective in creating a feeling of doom.... Bad Man delivers an unexpected gut punch and saves its darkest deeds for an unnerving end.” (USA Today)

“If you think The Shining set in a grocery store, you’re not far off.... Auerbach is magnificent with atmosphere, able to conjure dread from a huge array of normally nonthreatening places. This is a horror author to watch very, very closely.” (Booklist)

“Dark and disturbing.... Readers will be reminded of the young Stephen King.” (Publishers Weekly)

the best kind of heartbreak

this story will stay with me awhile, just like penpal did, I love what this guy has written so far, and i'm anticipating the future

I really like this book. It drew me in .

Really like this book. It drew me in and kept me wondering what would happen next. Surprise ending. Epilogue almost made me cry.

The Author's Imagination Has My Full Attention

This kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. If you love a good twist in a story, something that keeps you engaged, anxious to know the result yet not wanting it to end all at the same time, this author will not disappoint. Unsatisfactory reviews on this book have me perplexed. I loved Pen Pal, it was amazing, and infiltrated my dreams at night. Bad Man is every Mother's worst nightmare and will leave traces of its existence in my mind forever. Thank you for sharing this true gem Dathan, and don't stop writing. Your imagination is truly special and I look forward to the next adventure you share!

This book was too long for it's own good.

I struggled to finish. the only reason I kept listening was because I had gotten beyond a point of no return where I didn't want to completely throw away the time I had invested. I did not really like this story. it was supposed to be suspenseful, but I did not find it so. way too much detail. way too little substance

good book

This book kept me listening for the next twist in the story. However, sometimes the story was slower in progressing.

Dark, Creepy, and Engrossing...

I don't like to give summaries in reviews, but I'd rather the reader have a general idea of what he or she is in for.This book has the perfect setting for this story. Bad Man takes place in small northern Florida town sometime in the mid-90s (the author doesn't say but it's inferred by the information given). I found the plot to have a very ominous feel and the inner dialogue of the protagonist to be deeply affecting. The subject matter wasn't joyous in the least, however, I still did not want the book to end! I thought this was a very important and meaningful tale and the author was tying to tell us a great deal about life and about ourselves. I enjoyed the creepiness and the nostalgia of transporting back to the 1990s during a time when you didn't have a phone on you at all times and the internet wasn't really a "thing" although it did exist on some level. I recommend Bad Man to anyone needing a darky shadowy escape!

Bleak and dreary

So I got pulled into the idea of this with the beginning having the feel of early Stephen King, and I suppose it did- with the exception of wildly under developed characters(something King was never guilty of). This book was 16 hours of bleak hopelessness and stayed that way. There were so many characters that hinted at back stories that went untold, characters that may have actually been great had the history they were seemingly covering ever come to more fruition than “they saw something bad” or “they did something bad”. I think this is the first negative review I have ever posted on here but I stuck with it hoping the end would justify the journey and let me just say it did not, even a little.

Amazing Book, utterly disappointed with the ending

I loved this book, however the ending made me wish I never invested my time or emotions in this novel.

I'm emotionally drained!

This was such a good story! It just didn't end the way I wanted it to! I feel like I've been on an emotional rollercoaster!

The performance was excellent! I was so engaged! I cant wait to read more from this author and hopefully hear another audiobook soon!

Creepy...

This is a great read. It’s sad funny tragic all at the same time. I gave the story 4 stars because the ending didn’t make me happy! Still worth the time!