BEHEMOTH

Read this within a couple of days. The village of Morris was completely creepy and mysterious. Good atmosphere, loads of suspense, characters to root for. I hope Newquist will write another horror novel soon.

I LOVED this book. I couldn't put it down; I know that's a bit cliche, but it was extremely engaging from start to finish. It has everything I love in a novel: elements of history, great characters, religion and symbols, conspiracies, quick chapters, mystery and intrigue, and I could go on. I was very curious as I got closer to see how it ended, and I was not disappointed. It's the perfect combination of a satisfying ending, while leaving the door open for more to come. Fingers crossed for a sequel!

There is so much to say about this story that I barely know where to begin. Let’s start with “Holy Hell, what a ride!” I am a huge fan of creature features and this delivered in so many glorious ways. HP Newquist is a new to me writer, with a large background in non-fiction. “Behemoth” is his first novel and it’s one hell of a debut!Finely crafted characters, a richly detailed small town, a large dose of history and some religious scriptures all combine to make one chiling tale of the “Behemoth.” A creature that God has made along with Man. It ranks first among God’s works...Nothing on earth is its equal-a creature without fear. The Book of Job, 40:15.This happens to be the opening lines of the book which sets up the entire tale, from start to end. Do you believe it? Is it real? Does it exist? Is it even possible that something so big, so monstrous could still be walking amongst men, even now? All of those questions and more are raised in this story, which reads as part mystery and all horror, as Robert Garrahan, editor-at-large of the New York Globe, is pulled into the biggest story of his life.Robert spends his days off and many weekends at his house up in Ashford, where he is supposed to be working on a novel. Ashford is only a town away from Morris, but today, Garrahan needs to stop off in Morris to fill up his gas tank, someplace that he’s not been before.A young girl, Abby, comes out to greet him at the old-fashioned gas station and she fills up his tank while making pleasant small talk with him. He is a bit amused and charmed by her and by the small town, which looks like it hasn’t progressed at all in the last several decades. Before he pulls off, she asks him about the radio station he is listening to so he writes the call letters down on one of his business cards and gives it to her, smiling.Meanwhile, in Morris, a few days prior to Garrahan meeting Abby, a carload of drunk teens crash into a marker just outside of town and are found dead the next day. In Ashford, Billy McGrath suddenly disappears in the middle of the night. The following week, another woman is snatched from her bed. Something is stalking and killing people, snatching them directly from their homes.Two more weeks pass before Garrahan makes his way back to Morris, hoping to see the town better. Of course, he stops by the gas station and this time he meets Abby’s father, Bruce Donahue, as Abby fills his tank. Small talk is made and connections are formed, but Garrahan does not know the role that his small visits will soon play.A few weeks later, Bruce shows up in New York City seeking Garrahan out for help. He tells him that something is wrong in Morris, that Abby is in danger. That Garrahan is the only person outside of Morris that they’ve ever met. He desperately needs his help and the story Bruce tells Garrahan is more far-fetched than any he’s ever heard. In a cruel twist of fate, Bruce is killed by a car as he is leaving Garrahan’s office, with Robert Garrahan being the only person alive to know where Abby is and that something is very wrong.Being a decent man, he knows he cannot leave her stranded in a hotel in the middle of New York City, so he goes to get her and takes her back to his apartment so he can try to figure things out from there. Abby backs up her father’s wild tale, leaving Robert Garrahan no choice but to investigate and to get Abby back to her mother, in Morris. Robert Garrahan has no idea what is really going on in Morris but he is determined to find out.This is just the opening set-up for this horrifying tale as HP Newquist weaves his elaborate tale of terror through the small villages of Morris and Ashford and creates a cast of characters that are richly detailed, highly relatable and all come together to form one complex, chilling tale of chaos, murder and mystery as Robert tries to understand the history behind the “Behemoth.”While this story does have some slow moments, it is well-worth the wait as the story unfolds. It is full of details, and old history that must be explained and pieced together in order to understand the entirety of events that are happening. This was such a well-written story with a very frightening creature, the likes of which I have not ever heard of before in any story.I am giving this 4 solid stars out of five and I hope to see more horror from HP Newquist very soon.

Full of suspense, each chapter builds up and keeps you guessing until the end! An what a satisfying ending indeed!! This book hit all the points for me and as a bonus was built around Biblical aspects. This was my first work from Newquist, but certainly not my last!!!

Bought this for my wife, who let me read it after her. We both loved it. The shorter chapters kept the story moving, made it hard to put down. Also made it feel very script-like, shifting between well-written scenes without feeling disconnected. Great characters rounded out a very entertaining read. Be great if it became a series OR a film.

Even in this modern, interconnected day and age, there are going to be those secretive small towns who keep to themselves, don’t welcome outsiders, and have their own ways that might seem strange or even cultish to the unfamiliar eye.Towns like Morris, where nobody goes out at night and all the houses are fitted with heavy bolts, sturdy shutters, and metal doors. Where a majestic old church stands derelict, while religious services are held in a simple community center. Where several stone bowls like large flowerpots sit empty and waiting.Towns like Morris, where newspaper editor and struggling author Robert Garrahan stops off for gas on his way back from his vacation cottage and meets an inquisitive, friendly little girl. That chance encounter, and the attention it gets from the locals, leads to Garrahan becoming way more involved with Morris than he -- or the people in charge of its secrets -- ever wanted.Next thing he knows, he’s way over his head in a sinister mystery of disappearances and deaths, at risk of being framed for crimes he didn’t commit, and trying to deal with a story too fantastical to be believed ... though everyone in Morris sure seems to believe it.With, it turns out, very good reason. Sometimes, the monsters are real, and bad things are required to prevent worse things from happening. The more the evidence mounts, the more Garrahan is forced to confront an unthinkable truth.The writing strikes a neat balance between stark and sparse; at times I found myself wanting more emotional responses from the various characters; terrible things happen but they often seem to shrug it off or reactions are tersely described. I liked the way the various bits of history, theology, mythology, and lore were fitted together into a cohesive, inclusive whole. And I really liked one of the final confrontations toward the end, but, no spoilers!

I was looking for some fiction to get lost in during this stressful time. This is the perfect read. It is engrossing from the first page to the last. The author has created an interesting character in his protagonist. I hope this is only the first of many novels to come.Michele C.

O começo da história é interessante, um acidente fatal, alguns desaparecimentos, mortes violentas, supostamente provocadas por animais selvagens, porém, logo em seguida o autor já revela o que provocou essas mortes, tirando assim qualquersuspense ou atmosfera. São capítulos curtos, e se algo suspeito acontece, no capítulo seguinte isso já é explicado. Na história falta a mais básica forma de suspense, os personagens não parecem reais, não parecem ter emoções, incluindo o personagem principal. O que me levou a terminar a leitura era o querer saber se o que estava provocando as mortes, era realmente real ou algo envolvendo os habitantes da cidade. No final, algumas coisas não foram explicadas, frustrando ainda mais a leitura, pra mim, toda história tem que ter um final, e com tudo bem explicado, eu não pago por um livro, pra que eu tenha que criar um final ou buscar explicações.