The Torment of Rachel Ames

By: Jeff Gunhus

Narrated by: Lisa Stathoplos

Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

Suffering from writer's block, novelist Rachel Ames escapes to a lake cabin to calm her mind and regain a sense of herself. The location is perfect. Isolated. Beautiful. Inspiring. It even comes with a good-looking landlord who shows an interest in her. But she can't shake the sense that something terrible has followed her to the lake, something just beyond her consciousness, something out on the edge where the sounds of a raging fire and sirens linger whenever she slows down to listen. Determined to make the cabin work, she tries to settle in and give her new life a chance. But when strange things begin to happen around her, she wonders if she's made a terrible mistake. As the darkness that's followed her manifests itself in inexplicable ways, her concept of reality is stretched thin and she realizes nothing at the lake is what it seems. As she fights to survive with her sanity intact, she understands too late that the location she's chosen for herself is far from perfect.

©2015 Jeff Gunhus (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

You Are Now Entering.....

So yeah, this would have made a perfect Twilight Zone episode (well, double episode). I've always loved this kind of mindbending, 'just sit back and enjoy the ride' story, but it's been so long since I've read (well, listened to) one, that it took me a while to recognize it.

The Torment of Rachel Ames is an excellent production of a most excellent trip through psychosis, but if you need your t's crossed and i's dotted, don't bother. It is what it is.


Ummm, before I go, just let me say that the story is extremely unpleasant and harrowing. It's the kind of story I would normally have returned unfinished. I suppose it's a testament to author Jeff Gunhus' mastery of storytelling that I not only finished it, but stayed up into the morning hours to do so.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

It surprised me...

At first, I was thrown off by the reader's voice. I didn't care too much for it. But, once the story was being told, I just had to see what would happen next. The ending was SOO unexpected and surprising. I really enjoyed this. It kept you guessing and intrigued. This is my first audiobook after an hiatus, and it was a superb welcome back.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A little bit crazy for my taste.

The story was interesting and a little off the wall and the ending was quite disappointing.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The ending unfortunately felt like patchwork

I made it through to the end because I needed to piece the story together. I was interested enough and needed the ending to help tie the story together. It fell apart for me about 3 -4 chapters near the end. Then there was an attempt to pull it together but sadly I was disappointed. I love a good psychological suspense /horror story but this fell a bit flat.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

A deeply disturbing delight

I loved everything about this perfectly paced novella. I'd leave it at that, but a review requires at least fifteen words.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Excellent! 5 stars!

Loved this story! It even made me cry! Not horror in a scary sense. This is a journey into tragedy, love, loss and the frailty of being human.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A different kind of book for me

At a little more than four hours, it seemed horrendously sad and too dark for me, or so I thought. Author and narrator do work well together to bring to life this confusing story with so many twists and turns. For me, it became obvious what Rachel was going through. Toward the end, this book will leave you reeling and crying tears of loss. So many emotions throughout: Guilt, love, selflessness, tragedy, sadness, depression, loss. Just when you think it's the ending, surprise, there's more. My jaw dropped! I may have had some plots figured out but not all. This one may not be for everybody and I am not even sure it was for me, but I have to admit this story is well-written and excellently narrated.

Excellent story, believable plot. <br />

The author draws the reader inside the mind of the main character who experienced a horrific loss of her child in a car wreck which rendered the mother helpless as she watches her son painfully pass away. The resulting psychological trauma leads the mother into a recurring "never land" where she finds a place of distorted and surrealistic existence. This is a satisfying story of anticipation as it leads the reader to turn the next page wondering what might next take place.

couldn't even listen

was done after 3rd chapter. narrator SOOO overly dramatic. about eveything! Took away from the story and made us seem juvenile

Great read<br />

very creative and a surprising ending. very nicely done building the story. I highly recommend