Come Knocking

A Novel

By: Mike Bockoven

Narrated by: Ryan Haugen, Jennifer Pickens

When a groundbreaking theatrical experience goes horribly wrong, a deadly night reveals the dark consequences of blurring the lines between performance and reality.

When Come Knocking came to Los Angeles, the interactive theater production that took over six floors of an abandoned building was met with raves, lines for tickets, and reviews calling it the “must-see experience of a generation.” But after dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured on a bloody night of chaos during the show’s run, the nation was captured by one inescapable question: How could this happen?

As the dust settles, investigative reporter Adam Jakes is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the massacre. Through a series of gripping interviews with survivors, cast members, and witnesses, Jakes pieces together the chilling reality behind what was supposed to be the ultimate theatrical experience.

In Come Knocking, the enthralling and terrifying exploration of human nature under extreme conditions poses unsettling questions about the grotesque underbelly of immersive experiences and the true nature of reality.

©2025 Mike Bockoven (P)2025 Skyhorse Audio

Not Fantasticland, Still Great!

I'm sure Mike Bockoven may be a little tired of folks comparing his work to that of his first (and excellent) book Fantasticland, but when a story leaves such an impression, it's hard not to do so.
First, the interview format is still so good. I found my stomach rolling with some of the accounts of the horrible things the characters encountered, and it was easy to empathize due to how real they sounded. I really enjoyed the complexity of the character Talia Hills in Chapter 24 in particular. However it was a little too easily put together? And I only mean that in the way that I still have loads of questions from Fantasticland and its seemingly unreliable narrators. Come Knocking left me with maybe one or two, and that was in the last chapter. A little nitpick here: too many Star Wars grievances lol
Secondly, the narrators here did a solid job. Fantasticland (sorry) is one of the BEST books on this platform, but Ryan gave it some great effort. He had good range and gave each character their own voice. If he didn't mostly read romance, I'd definitely check out more of his work! While Jennifer does a great broken and upset female voice, she kinda gave that exact voice to everybody. One character was described as having some of the South in her accent and I think Jennifer missed that. The 911 calls were particularly flat for me. :(
Overall, it was a a very good listen, and one that warrants another go to connect some dots! Thank you for your work, Mike!