Review: Haunted House by Jack Kilborn

Author: Jack Kilborn
Publisher: Self
Date of publication: April 2018

At Butler House, a series of grisly murders over a century have lead many to believe it's haunted. To one scientist, it's the perfect place for an experiment in fear. Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience, are offered a million dollars to spend one night at Butler House. They can take whatever they want with them-religious items, survival gear, and weapons. All they need to do is last the night. But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil . . . and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality. There are much scarier things than ghosts. Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams. Things that won't let you get out alive.

Haunted House is the fourth and, I believe, final book in the Afraid series.  This one features characters from the first three books as well as a couple from another series.  I would love to say that this holds up well as a stand alone book, but it doesn't really.  You could read it first, but it really spoils who survives in the first three books.  

I thought this one was pretty enjoyable.  It did remind me of Endurance, but wasn't as over the top gruesome.  The house was really creepy and the scares would make good movie scenes.  The one thing that I liked was seeing how each of the survivors were affected by the events of their stories.  Often we don't get to see what really happens weeks or years later.  For most of them, it wasn't a complete HEA.  I definitely recommend this one, especially if you love haunted house stories.  

  

2 in 1: Afraid and Endurance by Jack Kilborn

Author: Jack Kilbon
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date of publication: April 2009

Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force. Until now . . . 

A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying. Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate. As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven's only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom. And each will have this harrowing thought: Maybe death hasn't come to their town by accident . . .

Afraid is the first book in the "Afraid' series.  Out of the three I have read so far, this one was the mildest one in terms of violence.  Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty violent, but the gore factor is not as high as Trapped or Endurance.  I did like this one.  I was kept guessing and was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong in the end.  I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't ruin the plot.  I liked most of the characters and loved that I had a couple that I was rooting for to make it out alive.  I definitely recommend this one.

Author: Jack Kilborn
Publisher: Self
Date of publication: June 2010

The bed and breakfast was hidden in the hills of West Virginia. Wary guests wondered how it could stay in business at such a creepy, remote location. Especially with its bizarre, presidential decor and eccentric proprietor.

ONCE YOU CHECK IN...

When the event hotel for the national Iron Woman triathlon accidentally overbooked, competitor Maria was forced to stay at the Rushmore. But after checking into her room, she quickly realized she wasn't alone. First her suitcase wasn't where she put it. Then her cell phone was moved. Finally, she heard an odd creaking under the bed. Confusion quickly turned to fear, and fear to hysteria when she discovered the front door was barred and the windows were bricked over. There was no way out.

...YOU'LL BE DYING TO LEAVE

One year later, four new female athletes have become guests of the Inn. Will they escape the horrors within its walls? Or will they join the many others who have died there, in ways too terrible to imagine?

Endurance is the third book in this series and the one I have liked the least.  Have you ever seen the X-Files episode "Home"?  Were you completely grossed out by it?  If your answer is yes, then you should avoid this book.  I thought Trapped was at peak grossness level, but no, Endurance topped that one.  I'm not squeamish, but this one made me a bit nauseous as I read it.  I can't really say that I enjoyed it.  For me, it was a little over the top.  Maybe don't read this one on your lunch break.

The nice thing I can say about this series is they can all be read as stand alone books.  I read them out of order and found it really didn't matter.  I am looking forward to reading the fourth and latest book, Haunted House very soon,

Review: Trapped by Jack Kilborn

Author: Jack Kilborn
Publisher: CreateSpace
Date of publication: June 2010

TERRIFIED...

It was supposed to be a harmless camping trip. Six wayward teenagers who'd run into trouble with the law, and their court-appointed guardians, Sara and Martin Randhurst. Three nights on a small, deserted island off of Michigan's upper peninsula. A time to bond, to learn, to heal. Then Martin told a campfire story about the island's history. Of the old civil war prison hidden in there, and the starving confederate soldiers who resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Everyone thought it was funny. They even laughed when Martin pretended to be dragged off into the woods. But Martin didn't come back. And neither did Sara when she went in search of him. Then the laughter stopped.

...TO DEATH

The group soon began to realize that this deserted island wasn't so deserted after all. And perhaps Martin's ridiculous story had more truth to it than anyone thought. What's the most horrifying thing you can imagine? This is a hundred times worse... 

  Trapped involves Sara and Martin who run a center for troubled teens.  They take six of their "kids" on a camping trip on a secluded island off of Michigan's upper  peninsula.  After telling a spooky campfire story, Martin disappears.  There begins a long night filled with screams and horrifying darkness.

I went into this book completely blind.  It was a random audio choice from my library and it ended up being a guilty pleasure. I both loved this book and hated it at the same time.  It had the gory parts and suspense that I love from a good horror book.  But at times, this one kind of went a bit too far.  If you are not a fan of reading about cooked human flesh, you might want to skip this one.  The overall story was engaging.  The characters were fun.  There were a few twists that kept the story on a winding path to a very satisfying, if extremely bloody, conclusion.  

I'd recommend this one to fans of movies like Saw and Hostile.  It's part of a series, so I'll be seeking out the others as well.