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Have you ever been cut up by another road user? Have you have been stuck behind some idiot driving well below the speed limit? Have you ever had to swerve to avoid someone who hasn't used their indicators? Have you ever been served by rude staff members who clearly don't want to be working? Have you ever listened to just how rude old people can be? Ever got frustrated listening to the excessive open-mouthed chewing of someone sitting near you? Have you ever been cheated on by a partner? Paul James has and...he's had enough.
He understood why she did it. She had lost her own baby - one conceived by the unwanted advances of a sexual predator - and hated thinking of them out there in the cemetery, alone and cold. She had to bring them into the warmth. She had to give them the lives they'd otherwise never live. It was her mission. But with each new doll brought home, her yearning for a living child of her own continued to grow. Yes, he knew why she did it, but even so, he wasn't able to stand by her, and he knew she was going to get a lot worse before she got better.
Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where "Fun is Guaranteed!" But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares.
It was supposed to be a pleasant evening out; a break from the stress of the hard-working week they had both endured. A bite to eat in one of their favorite restaurants and then, if there was time, a movie at the cinema opposite. It had been - her husband - Sam's choice; an impromptu date. Yet his day had been one cock-up after another. Meetings had gone on longer than they should have, his phone had run out of battery, and every single traffic light seemed to be working against him.
Daniel Martin has never forgotten his childhood encounters with Frank Watkins, the man who built his family a summer home out of cardboard and plywood. Frank's gaze was oddly confusing, as if he was attempting to discern the proper way to behave because he didn't know how to respond in a human manner. Since Frank obviously wasn't an alien, young Daniel thought maybe the man was crazy. In the end, Daniel would learn the terrifying truth about Frank Watkins. And as an adult, Daniel is about to discover there are more of them out there.
Something is wrong with Crista's children. Her partner, Matt House, tells her it's nothing to worry about. He says they're probably acting up because they didn't want to move into this new house. But Crista knows her children. She has seen them play up before at various times and this isn't like them. What they're saying, what they're doing...It's not like her children at all....
Have you ever been cut up by another road user? Have you have been stuck behind some idiot driving well below the speed limit? Have you ever had to swerve to avoid someone who hasn't used their indicators? Have you ever been served by rude staff members who clearly don't want to be working? Have you ever listened to just how rude old people can be? Ever got frustrated listening to the excessive open-mouthed chewing of someone sitting near you? Have you ever been cheated on by a partner? Paul James has and...he's had enough.
He understood why she did it. She had lost her own baby - one conceived by the unwanted advances of a sexual predator - and hated thinking of them out there in the cemetery, alone and cold. She had to bring them into the warmth. She had to give them the lives they'd otherwise never live. It was her mission. But with each new doll brought home, her yearning for a living child of her own continued to grow. Yes, he knew why she did it, but even so, he wasn't able to stand by her, and he knew she was going to get a lot worse before she got better.
Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where "Fun is Guaranteed!" But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares.
It was supposed to be a pleasant evening out; a break from the stress of the hard-working week they had both endured. A bite to eat in one of their favorite restaurants and then, if there was time, a movie at the cinema opposite. It had been - her husband - Sam's choice; an impromptu date. Yet his day had been one cock-up after another. Meetings had gone on longer than they should have, his phone had run out of battery, and every single traffic light seemed to be working against him.
Daniel Martin has never forgotten his childhood encounters with Frank Watkins, the man who built his family a summer home out of cardboard and plywood. Frank's gaze was oddly confusing, as if he was attempting to discern the proper way to behave because he didn't know how to respond in a human manner. Since Frank obviously wasn't an alien, young Daniel thought maybe the man was crazy. In the end, Daniel would learn the terrifying truth about Frank Watkins. And as an adult, Daniel is about to discover there are more of them out there.
Something is wrong with Crista's children. Her partner, Matt House, tells her it's nothing to worry about. He says they're probably acting up because they didn't want to move into this new house. But Crista knows her children. She has seen them play up before at various times and this isn't like them. What they're saying, what they're doing...It's not like her children at all....
Mark fears that his wife is cheating on him. Over the past couple of weeks, she has been growing more and more distant and shudders at his very touch. Determined to keep his new marriage afloat, he confronts her only to find the truth of the situation is far more horrific than he could have ever envisioned.
Warning: This is an extreme horror novel. There is gore. There is bad language. There are scenes of a sexual nature. But hidden underneath it all is also a chilling story. Please do not purchase....
Moving from school to school is never easy. You're constantly struggling to catch up to the level of the other students. You're forever meeting new friends just to have to leave them and establish new colleagues at the new schools. You always find yourself lost in the never-ending maze of corridors as you battle to get to grips with where everything is.... But it's worse when the more unfriendly students decide to take an instant dislike to you. Tormenting you each day...pushing you to see how long it is before you're going to snap...
Editors Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax put the call out to horror writers and editors of extreme stories, the hardcore stuff that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos, the transgressive tales you can't "unread" (as Chuck Palahniuk says). Some of the stories you'll find here are loaded with very graphic descriptions of violence, sex, and depravities, while others may contain only one shocking moment of brutality. In others, the hardcore aspect may be less graphic and subtler than you might expect.
From Matt Shaw (Sick B*stards) comes a new short story following a working girl as she tries getting her life back on track after one session goes very, very wrong. Violent, tragic, sad, and sweet. This one has everything.
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.
When Angela was young, before she came to realize she had a rare ability, she was a rather ordinary girl. At least, that was what everyone said. But Angela is anything but ordinary. The daughter of a meth addict, she is convinced she was born a freak. Haunted by an abusive childhood, she was forced to become a woman far too soon. And in the process, she became more.
Robert Nash is unlucky in love. He is so unlucky in love, in fact, that he has never been with another living person. And that's not about to change any time soon when his latest date is far from living.
Some people are destined for greatness. They could create fantastic pieces of art to be discussed throughout the ages, they could invest something which furthers mankind, and they could even help solve world hunger or make important steps toward world peace for everyone. These people could be your friends, your neighbors, and even the person you unwittingly bumped into at the petrol station this morning. They could really be anyone - anyone, that is, except Ted. Ted is an asshole....
Cassie knew exactly what she was looking for when she trawled the world of mobile dating to find the perfect man for an afternoon of rough, kinky fantasy. She only did this once a year, and this time it was going to be extra special. But, there was just one problem... Rich thinks he's hit the jackpot when he meets a hot older woman on a dating app. She's gorgeous and doesn't want any long term commitments, just an afternoon of no-strings-attached kinky fun - what could be better? But can he be man enough to tie her up and play the role of aggressor?
Suburbia. Shady, tree-lined streets; well-tended lawns; and cozy homes. A nice, quiet place to grow up. Unless you are teenage Meg or her crippled sister, Susan. On a dead-end street, in the dark, damp basement of the Chandler house, Meg and Susan are left captive to the savage whims and rages of a distant aunt who is rapidly descending into madness. It is a madness that infects all three of her sons and finally the entire neighborhood. Only one troubled boy stands hesitantly between Meg and Susan and their cruel, torturous deaths.
Dean and Jess knew the house had a tragic past but it did not stop them from making the move with their young daughters. It was supposed to be a new - and bigger - home with which they could continue to build upon their already established happy memories but as the house's past begins to haunt them they realize it is not the dream they first hoped it to be.
Warning: This is an extreme horror novel. There is gore. There is bad language. There are scenes of a sexual nature. But hidden underneath it all is also a chilling story. Please do not purchase this book if you are easily shocked, disgusted, or offended. This book is not for you.
Would you give up your child if a stranger asked? No? What if they offered money? Still no? What if they threatened the rest of your family? Give your child up or lose your entire family in the most horrific way possible. What would you do? How would you protect those you love and at what price?
This is another amazingly twisted book from Matt Shaw.
A nasty thunderstorm wakes the entire family one night, so they all gather in the living room to calm everyone down. A stranded couple sees the lights are on and decide that is the house to ask for help. Would you let them in your house to use the phone to call for help? Seems like the nice thing to do right? I can honestly say that I don’t think I will ever open my door to a stranger after dark again after listening to this book. This is every parent’s worst nightmare come true. And it’s not entirely unbelievable. Watch the news. You see tons of people who think they are entitled to something just because they want it. What is to stop them from believing they can adopt a child just because they ask? Do you think someone like that is going to take no for an answer?
Chris Barnes is easily one of my favorite narrators. He always breathes life into the story, and makes it a pleasure to listen to. He also narrates my favorite genre, so it’s a win – win for me :)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
To me, the best kind of horror novel deals with situations that could happen in real life. My Family is one of those kinds of books.
During a particularly nasty thunderstorm, Jeff and Dawn show up on Cathy and James's doorstep after their car breaks down. James, being the nice guy he is, invites the couple into their home, allowing them to use the phone to call for help. The couple immediately shows an interest in Cathy and James's five children. Luckily, help comes soon enough and Jeff and Dawn head out. The next day, Cathy and James are approached by the two strangers who want to adopt two of their children because they can't have kids of their own. They try to convince the parents that five kids it's just too many. Of course, Cathy and James refuse the offer and that's when their lives take an unimaginable, dark, and twisted turn.
My favorite audio book narrator, Chris Barnes, brings this disturbing tale to life and his narration can only be described as chilling. His passion for narration combined with the intensity of the story comes through in every word, and the saying, "Waste not, want not" will never be the same again.
This is another excellent tale from Matt Shaw that combines a well-thought out story with excellent characters and scares you won't soon forget.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
The best thing I can say is that Cris Barnes brings his usual excellence to the table in this book. Aside from that the book is slow to get on with itself and never reached anything close to what matts other books attained. Not even sure what went wrong to be precise, it just want very good.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Great Plot and great twists with the perfect ending! Great narrator who told the story well.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The storyline was pretty good....I believe you could encounter crazies, if you're crazy enough to open your door at midnight! The narrator was good also. My problem was the warning.... The book doesn't need it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after reading the warning. It's pretty short too....but overall good for a quick read.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
Lots of suspense, although the main characters made many mistakes. The bad guys were exciting. I kinda wished for a more triumphant ending. . I enjoyed listening to this audio book overall.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about My Family?
The story starts a little slow in the beginning, but the author has to introduce us to the members of the family. Then there is building some mystery and tension. When you get hooked up with the story, it really will take you to the thrilling part.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Wtf not horror just dumb a waste of time. Nothing else to say but to submit the review I didn't have enough words. There is diffidently nothing else to say about the story
The story line made sense for a phyco but I have read much much worse so what is being hailed as horror is mild.
I received this free for an honest opinion
2 of 5 people found this review helpful
I expected big things from this book. I purchased it so save the credit on a short book. I wish I had saved the money to ball it up and throw it away instead. The storyline is original-ish but I didn't find it Horror-worthy. Skip this.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Poorly written, narated and simply rubbish. not sure what I expected but I thought it would be better than this amateur nonsense.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The blurb suggests this is truly horrifying but I found it pretty ordinary. Rather disappointing.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
An ordinary family is up late one night, kept awake by the terrible storm, when there is a knock at the door. A stranded and wet couple ask to use the phone to call a recovery service for their broken down car. The family invites the in the strangers, who seem very taken with the five daughters of the house.
This is the start of what turns into a nightmare for the titular family. It escalates pretty quickly from the merely creepy to extremely nasty. And it’s pretty effective, mostly, to the extent that I was annoyed when work forced me to stop listening at a crucial point.One for fans of splatterpunk and torture porn.
There were problems however. The prose in general is a little clunky, with a constantly shifting POV - a more limited POV from one character would have made this a lot better. There’s quite a lot of repetition in the prose, the dialogue, even the violence. One eye-gouging is shocking; using it twice diminishes the effect.
The narration is very good. Chris Barnes’s steady delivery works well with the gruesome subject matter to the extent that he became almost invisible, serving the story and bringing the characters to life.
Overall, the story was quite fun, but could have been better – I most likely wouldn’t have read this to the end in any other format. The narration saved it, injecting character and compensating for a lack of care in the writing.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
What did you like most about My Family?
When I first read the story I described the pacing as a linear construction of tension followed by an exponential ride through a scene of madness, torture and gruesome acts of dispicable nature. Finally the story brings the reader to a chilling and slightly saddening conclusion that will leave you panting for breath. This pacing is not lost in the audiobook and you will find yourself stopping whatever else you are doing whilst the story takes hold of your thoughts.
What did you like best about this story?
Is this not a repeat of the above question? I guess I'll give another reason that I liked the tale. As a parent, this is more than a nightmare. I cannot imagine a day when I will ever stop worrying about my girls or ever stop experiencing parent guilt. You know, that feeling where your kids are stuck in your thoughts and you worry that they need something from you whilst you're not there. Many parents would say that they'd rather die than make any of the choices offered in this book. But what if the choices were 'horrible' or 'really horrible'? What if death wasn't an option put on the table? How would you deal with that situation? I defy any parent not to hug their kids tightly after reading this.
Have you listened to any of Chris Barnes’s other performances? How does this one compare?
How do you make a Matt Shaw tale even darker? Get Chris Barnes to read it. His gritty scottish tongue amplifies the steadily dominating sense of dread that Shaw worked so hard to create. The mannerisms that Barnes gives to his interpretation of the antagnonist is terrifying. You really get a sense that the bad guy has no awareness of his own evil and has almost childlike thought processes. Think Marc Warren as Mr Teatime in 'The Hogfather' and you'll get what I mean. This was highlighted most when I heard the line: "Waste not, want not". Pure horrifying evil. I have never had the pleasure of experiencing a performance by Barnes before. However, based on this production, I'll be sure to try some of his other audio books.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I finally had the chance to find a quiet spot in the lab, put my headphones on and project strong "LEAVE ME ALONE" vibes to those sat around me. I have never had to stop what I was doing for an audiobook before. Having read the book previously, I knew what was coming and I wanted to experience how those sequences were performed. This is not a book you can dip in and out of. It'll grab you by the short and curlies and accelerate you into a gruesome scene of madness and terror. Do not listen to this story (at least the second half) in bed, unless you like insomnia.
My favourite audiobook of all time is Librivox's version of Moby Dick. This is a close second. Congratulations Shaw and Barnes; I rate you almost as highly as a classic work of literature. You should be very proud of yourselves.
Any additional comments?
A confession, My name is James Hudson and I commisioned this novella from Matt Shaw as a christmas gift to my wife, Cathy. I can forgive you if you believe my opinion is biased, heck, I'd think the same thing too. I have tried to approach this review as a fan of audiobooks who is new to the dark world of Shaw and Co. I just want to assure you that I have had nothing to do with this particular production and saved up my monthly credit when I heard it was coming out, to purchase the audiobook. Therefore, as a paying customer, I believe my opinion is as valid as the next person.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
What did you like most about My Family?
I loved the story and the characters. This could happen to you would you be prepared to give up your children to complete strangers?
What was one of the most memorable moments of My Family?
This has to be the line "waste no want not" it just makes you shiver when you listen to it.
Have you listened to any of Chris Barnes’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Chris Barnes is a awesome narrator he puts his heart and soul into all his audio books. He makes you bond with the characters and feel their emotions.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book has made me think would I help a stranger? What would I do if this happened to me and my family?.
Any additional comments?
Great book brilliant story by Matt Shaw. A must for all horror fans.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
This audiobook was so good I didn't want to stop listening! I finished in only a few sittings. This was so...insane. My only issue is that it's a bit misleading. This is NOT a horror novel. In no way is it scary. However, it's thrilling, and that works wonders for the book! Oh also, it starts off a bit slow which annoyed me at first, but then I realise it's to give the family some character development. I LOVE THIS BOOK.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
I was dubious about getting an audiobook with a Scottish narrator, but so glad I did. I found it a gripping, tight horror/thriller with good characters and no pointless padding. I couldn't stop listening, which is rare for me. Highly recommended for fans of modern horror. Plus the narration was first class.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Matt Shaw is twisted but this is a great idea. Chris Barnes reads this really well. I really enjoyed this.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Wonderful book Matt has the greatest ability to write awesome books this one is shocking and very moving showing the lengths people will go to to get what they want 5 star read
1 of 2 people found this review helpful