The Montauk Monster by Hunter Shea

Shea is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I have yet to read a book from him that didn’t scratch that horror/monster itch that I was looking for. This is his latest effort, and it doesn’t disappoint. If you remember a few years ago a weird creature washed up on the shore near Montauk. It was clearly an animal that was rendered unrecognizable by being in the ocean and decaying, but it was odd looking. This started the invention of a whole new cryptid that had nerds on the internet speculating to what it was. This is where Shea takes his inspiration.

In his fictional version of Montauk, we are introduced to Gray, a local police officer, who is called out on a call of bodies at a beach in a nearby park. Only the bodies are in an odd state, melting and bubbling. We the reader know that they were attacked by something, but the characters don’t know that yet. The basic story here is that the government has been brewing up a horrible weapon in a lab off the coast. It is a biological weapon nicknamed War Machine. They are nearly unstoppable killing machines spliced together with DNA from many creatures. They are loose and killing anyone or anything that gets near them.

That is pretty bad, no? Well, it gets worse as the scientists decided to splice a super virus onto the animals. Even if they just scratch you a sickness takes hold that leads to your organs turning to mush with you eventually melting! Anyone touched by your remains will also get sick and die and become just as contagious. So, the monsters not only tear thru people but also bring an unstoppable plague! Gray and an ever-decreasing group of survivors at first fight to stop the War Machines but eventually just try to get out of town before the place is firebombed!

I love this book. It has everything that a good creature story needs. The story is quickly paced as we go from first encounter to full blown panic at breakneck speed. Though Shea does take the time to develop the characters both main and supporting well along the way. This is important as the story plays out because when one or more of them dies horribly it has an impact. I found myself rooting for certain characters to make it out, only for them to be victimized, some in horrible ways. When a story like this has generic characters getting killed off it feels too much like a “line them up and knock them off” scenario. Here the body count is high, but they feel like real people. That is cool in a horribly depressing way that I enjoyed. Yeah, I might be weird.

The monsters are brought to the page with vivid descriptions by Shea. Each one is slightly different in both size and appearance. Apparently genetically creating word destroying monsters isn’t an exact science. The deaths are also gleefully described with limbs flying, throats being ripped out to the spine, and people being battered against trees, cars, and anything else handy. We also get descriptions of bodies melting with organs liquifying and even one person popping like a balloon. This is a gorefest folks and I got a huge kick out of it.

I don’t know if it is intentional or not, but Shea’s books remind me of a drive-in movie. Great plots with twisted monsters and characters that are well defined and fun. The best part is that he isn’t constrained with budget and can let his mind go wild. He knocked it out of the park again with The Montauk Monster! Though you can’t go wrong with anything he has written to this point. It is all great! Do yourself a favor and check his stuff out.

 

© Copyright 2021 John Shatzer

Jurassic Florida by Hunter Shea

I’ve reviewed some other books by Shea for the website and when I saw this one and the description of giant lizards eating a small town in Florida I was sold. He did such a good job with the Loch Ness monster (review here) and the Orang Pendek (review here) that this went right to the top of my to read pile. Did it live up to my expectations? Time to find out. 

The book takes place in a small town of Polo Springs located on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Things kick off with the talk of an oil spill and the following ecological disaster. Sometime later the residents of Polo Springs start to notice a lot of geckos running around town tearing up gardens and damaging the sidewalk. That doesn’t see like a big deal until their much larger kin start to show up. Think house sized lizards that not only accidentally kill the locals by stepping on them but also occasionally pop into the houses to snack on the inhabitants. Things get bloody pretty quickly and build up to a satisfying if rather abrupt ending. 

In reviewing books as well as movies that deal with monsters, I tend to refer to the “formula” a lot. Jurassic Florida follow that formula to the letter. We are introduced to a community of characters while at the same time given some foreshadowing of what is to come. There is normally some mechanism used to isolate our potential victims, here a hurricane cutting them off from the outside world, keeping help from arriving. I know that some reviewers don’t like the feeling of a familiar pattern like that, but I love it. There are times when I want to sit down with a book and know what I’m getting into. When that happens all I’m concerned about is how well the formula is executed. 

I’ve already mentioned that I’ve read a couple other books by the author and that I thought he did a good job with those. This one is no different. The narrative is tight and paced quickly. I was very pleased with the characters and while many fall into the typical archetypes, for example the dad protecting his son, we also get some fun twists. One of the people trying to survive is a homeless guy that is actually a low-level mobster hiding out in town. The mayor is normally someone who makes horrible decisions and makes things worse, but here Shea makes the character a teenage girl that is trying her best and eventually saves some people. These changes might not seem like a big deal, but it is different enough to be interesting while familiar at the same time. 

One other thing that I wanted to mention is how well the author handles the gore. This is a book so there aren’t any limits on how the characters can die. Unlike a movie that is constrained with budget and what can be done with effects the author can be as twisted and vicious as they want to be. While Shea doesn’t go too crazy, we get some decent kills as people are squished, bisected, and eaten in all sorts of fun ways. I suppose it might just me being weird but when I sit down to read a tale about giant lizards, I want some mayhem and gore. Jurassic Florida delivers the goods and it made me quite happy. I highly recommend this one.

© Copyright 2021 John Shatzer

Savage Jungle: Lair of the Orang Pendek by Hunter Shea

The very first book that I reviewed for the Horror Dude blog was Hunter Shea’s Loch Ness Revenge. That one introduced the characters of Natalie and her brother Austin. Together with a new friend name Henrik they did battle with the Loch Ness monster(s) that killed their parents in exchange for helping Henrik get some revenge of his own. This book is the story of them helping Henrik as the three of them head off to Sumatra to find the Orang Pendek. What is an Orang Pendek? Basically, a smaller version of Bigfoot. Though just as dangerous.

Our returning characters are joined by some heavily armed friends as they head deep into the jungle looking for the creatures that killed Henrik’s father. His father was a famous hunter and he and his mother watched as the powerful creatures tore him apart. She never recovered and he spent his life preparing to go back and kill them all. But when they arrive at the home of the Orang Pendek things go sideways quickly. The creatures are much smarter than they anticipated and lay an ambush. Some of the group die, some are captured, and others find surprising allies. And there are dinosaurs! Henrik comes face to face with the monster that robbed him of his family and gets some payback. But that is only part of the story. So many fun things are happening that I want to be careful not to spoil the fun.

The book is solidly written, much like Loch Ness Revenge. Shea does an excellent job further developing our main characters while establishing some new ones. They all have unique personalities which brings emotional impact when some of them don’t make it home. I also loved how the author upped the ante with this book. We knew that there were going to be some Bigfoot encounters, but then he adds in other prehistoric beasts to the isolated setting. He seems especially fond of the Pterodactyls and uses them to gruesome effect. This one gets rather bloody and as a horror fan I approve. Much human and creature viscera is splattered about in the ensuing mayhem.

In addition to being an excellent follow up Savage Jungle also moves the world building further along. At the end of the book the characters mention that several Bigfoot creatures and at least one lake monster have made an appearance. It seems that between Loch Ness and Sumatra that their actions have “lifted the veil” and that more cryptids are showing themselves to the world. What does that mean? Well personally I hope that means we get more books featuring Natalie and her brother doing battle with creatures unknown. I’m so hoping for a Chupacabra!

I recommend Savage Jungle: Lair of the Orang Pendek. It is an entertaining read that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last. Even if you aren’t a fan of cryptids like Bigfoot the action is enough to make it worth a look.

© Copyright 2017 John Shatzer

Book Review - Loch Ness Revenge by Hunter Shea

I don’t only watch horror movies. Sometimes I read a book! Well actually I read a lot of books, many of them horror/monster themed. When Loch Ness Revenge was recommended to me and I realized it was about Nessie I knew I had to check it out.

Natalie and Austin McQueen are on a family trip exploring Europe when their parents are killed at Loch Ness by a monster. Of course, no one believes them and the assumption is they are just traumatized by watching their Mom and Dad drown. Years later, helped by a big insurance payout, they are ready for their revenge when the creature or creatures reappear. They aren’t alone in their quest and are joined by Henrik, an acquaintance of Austin who has his own agenda and is willing to help the siblings. Armed with an arsenal and a pontoon boat they head out on the Loch to kill the legendary creatures (yeah there is more than one!).

The pacing of the story is great with no lulls in the action. Shea manages to establish who Natalie and Austin are as well as their motivations quickly so that we the reader can dive right into the fight with the monsters. That isn’t to say that he doesn’t develop all of the characters. The book is populated with people that jump off the page with their own quirks and issues. Even the minor characters have personalities. Many authors try to add depth to the people populating the story by forcing interludes that interrupt the proceedings. Shea just weaves it into the action without it being a distraction or disruption.   

Random Nessie Picture.

For a book with monsters I thought we would have a higher body count and perhaps a little more gore. Other than the description of their parents being attacked there isn’t much to talk about. When I’m dealing with monsters in either the movies or books I can never get enough of the gooey bits, especially when it is a book and the only limitation is the author’s imagination. This is really my only complaint.

There is nothing in this world that I love more than to sit down for a good creature feature. The giant bug movies of the ‘50s or the Godzilla movies of the ‘60s and ‘70s have given me hours of enjoyment. Occasionally I find a book that gives me the same giddy enjoyment and Loch Ness Revenge is one of them. The book is a quick read at one hundred fifty pages, so it is perfect for summer vacation. Hell, if you are brave enough you should read it on a boat in the middle of a lake and then go swimming!

Remember when I mentioned Henrik’s agenda earlier? Well his father was killed by the Orang Pendek, a Bigfoot like creature in Sumatra. The sequel to this book are the characters getting revenge on them. I’ve already got it on my Kindle. That is how much I enjoyed Loch Ness Revenge and Shea’s writing! If you have an eReader enjoying this book is just a couple of clicks and a small online transaction away. If not the paperback is available at all the big online retailers. I recommend it.

© Copyright 2017 John Shatzer