ebookreview | Entries tagged with author: grady hendrix

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Series:
N/A

Genre:
Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller, Fiction, Novella, Standalone, Fantasy, Ghosts, Adult, Satire, Contemporary, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Humor, Dark, Third Person Point of View

Publication Date:
September 23, 2014

Pages Numbers:
248

Read Date:
October 22nd, 2023

Date Finished:
October 22nd, 2023

Rating:
4.8/5

Blurb:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.

Designed by Andie Reid, cover photography by Christine Ferrara.

Review:

Amy is our female lead, who started working at Orsk Location #00108 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, an Ikea knockoff two-story box-like store. Unfortunately, the sales at this particular store have begun to see plummeting profits, and strange happenings during the late night hours have drawn concern from Basil, the deputy manager, that he calls in Ruth Anne and Amy. Both women believe that they are about the be fired but Basil offers something different - help him find the culprit to the late-night problems and he will pay them under the table.

As the three members meet up that night, strange occurrences begin to cause concern for our three characters. From writings on the bathroom wall to sections of the store changing position, Amy and her companions begin to see that there is more to the box store than what meets the eye. As the night wears on, sinister happens drawing them into a game of life and death. Can the group manage to stay alive long enough before the store opens?

Grady makes this book creepy. Even with the catalog style seemingly innocent between the pages, it still doesn't make things any less eerie. The descriptions of various items come across as disturbing, especially when combined with the ominous undertone that Grady sets throughout the book. From the contents of the mysterious basement to the unsettling behavior of the characters, there is a constant sense of unease that permeates the pages.

Furthermore, Grady does a fantastic job of building up suspense and keeping the readers guessing. Every reveal and twist feels earned, and the slow burn of the story is done so effectively that it feels like the tension is constantly mounting. The result is a book that is difficult to put down, despite how unsettling it may be.

Final Thought:

Grady uses various techniques to make this book creepy, such as unsettling descriptions, ominous undertones, and expert suspense-building. The result is a chilling read that will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page. Pick up this book especially if you are looking for something during this Hallow's Eve.