Erin Shepherd runs away from home, certain she’s escaped the worst kind of monster.
Despite her homelessness, she believes the pain and torment is behind her when a kind stranger offers her food, safety, and a ride out of town.
She is wrong.
Now a prisoner, her life unravels into a waking nightmare of captivity, cruelty, and whispered promises of something waiting beyond pain.
Surrounded by horrifying atrocities and dark mystery, Erin begins to wonder if she is running from her fate or becoming it.
I’m going to start this by saying that I’ve read all of Mique Watson’s books. Even the ones he wrote for anthologies. So I went into this new one completely blind.
We meet Erin who was taken and thrown into a world of debauchery. She ends up down a dangerous path but as she’s learning the ropes of her new lifestyle, she quickly realizes that things aren’t exactly as they seem and she doesn’t know who she can trust.
Just when I thought that this book isn’t as bad as Mique’s other stuff or that it’s not as extreme or gross as I expected…um…yeah I was wrong. The things someone does for survival. I kept thinking to myself, nope, there is no way but at the same time, I’ve never had to deal with this sort of situation. So who actually knows how they’d react or what they would do given the circumstances. I’d like to think I’m strong and would also do anything to survive but I’m not actually sure.
I have to say that as someone with a uterus, one of the last scenes….holy crap on a cracker. What a way to go. It reminded me of Art from the Terrifier movies and what he liked to do to his victims. Wow. Mique, you upped your game with this one. I’m going to think of this scene every time I go for a physical now.
The ending of this book was NOT what I was expecting at all but like I’ve said many times in previous reviews for other books, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Like always, I suggest going into this book completely blind. It’s more fun that way. But I will tell you that if you like cult horror or anything remotely having to do with cults, then this may be for you. While this book isn’t as gory as some of Mique’s other work, it’s definitely just as gruesome.
Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/4oqH6Rg
