Camp Hell

PsyCop, Book 5

By: Jordan Castillo Price

Narrated by: Gomez Pugh

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Victor Bayne honed his dubious psychic skills at one of the first psych training facilities in the country, Heliotrope Station, otherwise known as Camp Hell to the psychics who've been guests behind its razorwire fence.

Vic discovered that none of the people he remembers from Camp Hell can be found online, and there's no mention of Heliotrope Station itself, either. Someone's gone through a lot of trouble to bury the past. But who?

©2009 Jordan Castillo Price (P)2015 Jordan Castillo Price

Camp Wow!

JCP kicked the series up a notch when Camp Hell was released and Gomez Pugh does the same! Every familiar voice is more nuanced and the new ones just terrific.

Well done!

My favorite PsyCop yet!

When I saw the length of this book I was already happy. I love falling into the PsyCop world and letting it take me for a ride. The longer length works great for me.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the progress made between Vic and Jacob. Both of them made incredible leaps forward in their character arcs, and it was exciting.

As always, the description and the crafting of the prose was spot on. The scene in Crash's apartment was so vivid, I feel like I've actually been there.

Excellent book!

This series keeps impressing the heck outta me!

Gawd. This just keeps getting better and better!

What makes this series so absolutely amazing is that not only is each book a satisfying “mystery” unto itself, but the relationship between Vic and Jacob progresses organically with each new book as does Vic’s personal evolution. (Really, and Jacob, Lisa, Crash…all the characters.)

We’ve heard about Camp Hell but now we finally find out more about what really happened. Dear ol Stefan – he seems like he’s a good guy right? Well… he is and he isn’t. But he’s definitely a fascinating character with an amazing talent.

And we meet Con Dreyfuss – the head of the CPMP – and Vic’s new nemesis. He’s also – frickin’ hysterical!

I know the books are fantastic, but as a listening experience – this book begins to really showcase the absolute brilliance that is Gomez Pugh. There are SO MANY CHARACTERS and he gives them each an original, accurate, and stunningly REAL personality here. Einstein is PERFECTION. The laugh. His cadence. Everything. Stefan as the phone s*x operator/car salesman – wonderful! Laura… each and every character.

I was listening to a part where Vic is describing a repeater and the combination of Gomez’ voice and Jordan’s words – I could absolutely picture the scene like I was watching a movie.

It’s a truly amazing experience.

The other thing I’m now really starting to appreciate is the subtle changes we’re seeing in Vic. He started out all scattered and oblivious (and in oblivion) due to the meds. Now, he’s learning to harness his talent, rely less on pharmaceuticals, and really coming into his own. It’s so breathtaking to watch.

The other piece is his relationship with Jacob. Gawd. They are so cute together! And sexy! But watching them trust one another and “open up” to each other is so moving. (They aren’t effusive but that wouldn’t be them.)

I just can’t say enough about this series and this duo – Jordan and Gomez.

Really 7 of 5 stars.

Highly, highly recommended.

Nothing but love for this

Was excited when this was released on Audible. I loved everything about this book. Jordan Castillo Price is a brilliant writer. But Gomez Pugh is FAST becoming one of my favorite readers. I can't wait for the next one to come out. Kudos!

Camp Hell: Hell Yeah!

What made the experience of listening to Camp Hell the most enjoyable?

As usual, Gomez's narration is on point. His new voice, Stephan, is perfect. Can't wait to hear more from Crash.

What did you like best about this story?

That it is over 10 hours long.

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

I have almost every audio book that he's narrated and they're all great.

If you could rename Camp Hell, what would you call it?

Hell Hath No Fury....

Any additional comments?

I want the next one NOW.

might be best of the series so far

New readers of the series should start at least 2 books back, if not at book one. These could probably be read as standalones but a lot of detail is carried through without explanation for a new reader. The unexplained details may not matter for some, but having read from book one, I notice when offscreen characters and sore arms and such carry through without context. Also, this book has New Developments.

I like the longer book format. The author is fine at wrapping up short cases but does well with the extra length to weave in major secondary/tertiary plots better than in the shorter format.

Vic & Jacob went back to being nicer people with compassion rather than the judgmental jerks they were in the last installment that almost made me DNF that book & the series. Zig isn’t a one-and-done partner and seems to be a good fit for Vic. The bad guys are almost cartoonishly evil but, annoyingly, reading this in the Trump era, that reads as more real than not. (Dudes with money just get away with stuff like disappearing a few too many employees because society lets them. The big bads aren’t all dude bros, but the public facing ones are.)

I think the book(s) could benefit from a series of editing passes looking for continuity of
-police case plot
-Camp H plot
-sexual relationship development
-work relationships development
-friend relationships development
-development of psy abilities/ worldbuilding
In this book, 1,2,4,6 felt fully arced (if not “complete” because of course they continue) but 3,5 were hit and miss.

One could argue whether Vic & Zig’s cold case or Vic’s exploration of his PTSD triggers from Camp H is the primary plot line. Camp H finally becomes interesting more than as a bogeyman. The case is important but not for itself. It gets wrapped up. The Camp H plot gives some good payoff in new info for the readers in the form of scenes & details into Vic’s formative years. But while following some arc/trajectory, it’s still part of the long game. Camp H still has a lot more room but this time it didn’t leave me feeling hanging, which I appreciate. There’s lots going on. I’ll probably listen to this one again.

Secondary character wise:
Steven/Stephan is an interesting development;
Crash becomes more buddy than potential complication (an improvement);
the ER doctor is a force to be reckoned with who wont take crap, but does actually care, I hope we see her again;
Carolyn & Lisa are barely involved. (I’m not sure how they could have been but Carolyn’s not being on page more often felt strange.)

Steam: Med low. Vic & Jacob are developing their sexual relationship, the growth/depth of which is satisfying to follow along with. They have a couple of detailed M/M interludes on page. Vic is still developing a minor pain kink, which they both enjoy. The sexual component seems to fall off the radar toward the end of the book though.

Narration: Great narrator. Especially noticeable when the author throws in written voice details & the narrator takes care to get them right, every time. (Passages described like “whined in a nasally tone” is always whined in a nasally tone.) Really enjoyable to listen to, occasional nasally tones notwithstanding. Quality sound control.

Loved it

I love PsyCop. This book is my favorite so far but they are all excellent. I like them because not only are the stories entertaining and fresh, the MC's and peripheral characters are all thoroughly engaging and fun. I am so glad I found this series and I can't wait for book 6.

One thing that was a tiny bit disappointing in this book was the sex. In the previous books Phil was a verbal participant in the enjoyment, which added to the hotness of the scene. This time it's more one sided with Vic's voice being the only one heard during and upon completion of the sexy time. It might read better, but in the audio version it's a bit flat.

Also the narrator Mr. Pugh is excellent. Great voice and inflection. I can listen for hours and not get sick of hearing his voice.

Cripes!

I loved everything about this. Learning more about what went on at Camp Hell and Vic’s talent and seeing more character development for Jacob, as well as growth in their relationship, which was just so sweet and sexy. Jacob is such a good boyfriend. So dreamy. The cop drama and paranormal elements as always were exciting, and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. Not to mention Gomez Pugh’s narration was excellent as usual. Though I missed Lisa in this one. It’s fun seeing how Vic solves his cases and the crazy adventures and characters he runs into. Crash is so entertaining. The ending was the best so far & tugged at the heartstrings. Love this series. So addictive!

Fantastic Story, Entertaining, Well written by Gifted a Gifted Writer

The narration by Gomez Pugh is spot on and serves the story line well and perfectly captures the magic of each character in this novel. Ms. Price never disappoints in term of a great story and provides characters you really care about in term of relationships and dialogue.

Jordan and Gomez are a perfect match

I love Jordan's stories. They are gritty and edgy and a bit uncomfortable. Gomez brings that to life. Thanks.

Gets better and better

Would you listen to Camp Hell again? Why?

Yes, I have listened to the whole series a few times now. Gomez Pugh is brilliant, his deadpan delivery is just perfect

What other book might you compare Camp Hell to, and why?

Don't know to be honest

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I love the scene in the hospital basement, superb

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

I am so pleased for Jacob when he discovers his 'talent'

Any additional comments?

Buy this, after you've bought the rest of the series. JCP just goes from strength to strength. I am eagerly awaiting the remainder of these books on audible and cannot wait to read new ones ( hope JCP is reading this!)

Enjoyable Story

A well written story with and interesting  concept.  The characters are likeable and the narration is very good.

It just gets better and better

This series gets even better! The narration is wonderful! Every side character has own personal voice.

A Fantastic listen

I LOVED this book. My favorite of the series so far.

Victor Bayne's life has been one of rejection and institutionalization. He spent his early years in foster homes, then graduated to a mental hospital because of the 'seeing dead people' thing he's got going on, and then he went voluntarily to 'Heliotrope station' to be tested and trained as a medium. What a mistake that was! He called the place Camp Hell, and had blocked out most of what had occurred there, but now Vic is getting panic attacks and flashbacks, and so contacts his ex boyfriend, who is an empath, to help him remember.

Vic's relationship with Jacob deepens and I love how supportive and in love Jacob is. He really is a big hunk of love. The character development in this story was wonderful, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Gomez Pugh's narration continues to be a joy.

Review for the PsyCop series

I hadn't read any of the PsyCop books before I listened to the series on Audible. I throughly enjoyed each story and Jordan's distinctive storytelling. I loved the premise of the series and thought the chemistry between Vic and Jacob was sizzling throughout. Gomez Pugh's performance was fabulous. His narration was spot on for each character. He differentiated each person clearly and made them come alive for me. I pictured everything going on in the scenes and recognized each character when they spoke. Jacob's voice was husky and so sexy. UNF! The production quality was excellent. I will definitely listen to all five superb stories again.

So-so

Would you try another book written by Jordan Castillo Price or narrated by Gomez Pugh?

I quite enjoyed books 1-4 although by this point I've rather lost interest in the characters. The book's too formulaic and the plot too obvious while cursing the main character's inability to work out what's already clear to the reader - so there are no surprises, no twists. The narration was great as always but even this couldn't plug the gap of a good story.

Love it

Would you listen to Camp Hell again? Why?

Yes definitely. Love Gomez's narration it is perfect for the book. Love his Victor particularly!

Which character – as performed by Gomez Pugh – was your favourite?

I love them all.

Any additional comments?

Maybe it's because I'm a brit, but everytime Gomez pronounced Warwick I cringed. Surely it should be pronounced Warrick and not literally War wick? Apart from that I loved it!