Kill Creek

By: Scott Thomas

Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark

Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

At the end of a dark prairie road, nearly forgotten in the Kansas countryside, is the Finch House. For years it has remained empty, overgrown, abandoned. Soon the door will be opened for the first time in decades. But something is waiting, lurking in the shadows, anxious to meet its new guests....

When best-selling horror author Sam McGarver is invited to spend Halloween night in one of the country's most infamous haunted houses, he reluctantly agrees. At least he won't be alone; joining him are three other masters of the macabre, writers who have helped shape modern horror. But what begins as a simple publicity stunt will become a fight for survival. The entity they have awakened will follow them, torment them, threatening to make them a part of the bloody legacy of Kill Creek.

©2017 Scott Thomas (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A slow-burn, skin-crawling haunted house novel that had me on the edge of my seat until the last page. This debut establishes Scott Thomas as a force to be reckoned with on the horror scene. " (Shane D. Keene, HorrorTalk)

UNUSUAL PREMISE, COULDN'T STOP LISTENING

What did you love best about Kill Creek?

Four horror-story best-selling authors are offered a proposal they'd rather refuse: meeting at an obscure 'most haunted house' - for an interview. Dangled as bait: an absurd paycheck for a few day's travel, and the possible propulsion to world fame and money...mega-millions in book sales. But there was a twist: The interview would be 'live' - streamed as it happened to millions of people world-wide, by the billionaire owner of the internet media's prime trend-maker "WriteWire".

Three men and a woman are invited to the interview, then learn this will be a 'group interview' - a vying for 'best author to be promoted'. All four write 'horror' as differently as they appear: Sam, lean and writer-blocked, whose novels twist ordinary days into terror, while his own horrific past keeps flashing back - Daniel, a Christian doughboy who scares teens with philosophic endings - T.C. Moore, a hard Gothic diva whose novel covers of sex, blood and perversity are horrifying in themselves, especially when written by a woman - and the impeccable Sebastian Cole, the most prolific of the authors, whose prolific classic British horror had engaged fans who liked to 'think'.

Thoughtfully written with partial 'reveals' of each character's secrets, nudged along with dark references that slip into your subconscious, the book twists from the expected 'Ten Little Indians" format into that of an UN-haunted house - an infuriating joke made at the four writers' expense. Then it twists once again, and the real darkness creeps back in as the real story of 'the house' is revealed.

My professor in 'creative writing' used to tell me 'how to create a plot': "See that statue out there?", he'd say. "Turn it upside down, and write about what you discover." Always practical, I'd think in terms of bronze, concrete, steel, even the earth and the grass roots beneath it. "Nope", he'd grin, as he sucked on his pipe. "Try again, and use your imagination this time."

Scott Thomas' superb writing flips that statue multiple times, and with each landing , another plausability skews the story down an increasing, frightening scenario. Narration by Bernard Clark is 'right on' as he nails accents from the Midwest to the Eastern Europe. This is one of the VERY, VERY FEW novels that I will probably read again. I urge you to read it also!

Great book that had me wanting more.

I️ am a true horror fan and not easily scared, but this book had me looking in the back seat of my car while driving back and fourth from Utah to Montana. Scott Thomas did a great job telling a well put together story by providing enough detail on that long trail to the end without over doing it.

meh

different slant on overused premise. writing was fair but far too flowery for my taste. it's not necessary to include a metaphor for every descriptive sentence. narration was not terrible except for the strange dialect of one character. I think it was meant be be Irish but it varied. lots of suspended belief needed here.

Pretty Good

Worth a listen. Great reader with lots of personality. A few moments really landed. I would definitely recommend.

It was better than most.

I liked the story even though it was a bit drawn out. The narrator was a bit bland and I found myself nodding off or my mind drifting to the point I would need to go back a bit to get back on track. I gave this book a try because it is not my norm and while it was good it just isn't the same as a scary movie. This book would make a great movie.

Just couldnt get through it

This is supposed to be a horror story, right? The only horror is the tangled mess of the plot. I dont shy from complicated plotlines, but this was far too muddled for me to get through.

Good. Starts slow and drags a little but good.

this is a good book. I enjoyed listening to it the narration is very good and the story's a good one. it does dragon little sometimes and it's not the most terrifying book I've ever read but it is macabreb and the story does hang together well.

Fun Horror

Oh my goodness how fun this was!!! This was kind of predictable like most horror, but well written, and fun, if horror can be fun. No really this horror story had everything, from haunted houses, horror story writers from different horror genres, mysterious past, supernatural, scientists, just short of scully and mulder and abductions and aliens and alien ghosts!
I really enjoyed it. Recommend it for halloween months!

Favorite book, unsure why he has not released more

I rarely say this but this book madd me want to become a writer. 10/10

heavy on the gory details

really awesome plot and story although it starts slightly contrived. extremely gory details near the end. had to stop and breathe a few times