The whole premise of this story was pretty strange. The characters were not particularly sympathetic and the story felt very disjointed.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Flametree Press and Hunter for letting me check this one out. Big apologies to those three – as I mixed up a bunch of my release dates!
I’ve become a big fan of Shea’s writing over the last few years. Most people talk about how phenomenal ‘Creature’ was, and while I’m firmly in that camp as well, I’ve also loved his creature-feature releases. I recently read a stunning paranormal story by him in the anthology ‘Midnight in the Graveyard,’ and it’s great to see just how varied Shea can be.
This one comes off as a giant ode to the slasher film genre and for that, it was a lot of fun.
I really enjoyed the emotional opening, which gave Todd the kick in the pants to head back to Hayden Resort. Once there, Shea introduces us to The Wraith – a murdered who appears to have returned. A key figure in Todd’s deceased fiancé Ashley’s past.
The action comes fast and furious and at times it reminded me of ‘Kill Hill Carnage’ by Tim Meyers, which was also a ton of fun.
Shea worked hard to create a fluid back story that popped up time and time again, and filling in a lot of the answers to those lingering questions for the readers as well as for Todd was great.
Hunter created a really ideal setting for creepiness with Hayden Resort. The location helped to make the character of The Wraith that much more ‘other-worldly,’ if you will.
I think it was Char in her review who said something along the lines of; ‘what was that noise? Was it a leaf or is it The Wraith.’ I really can’t think of a better way to describe how putting this story in an urban-exploration type scenario could make it any better.
This was a really fun run through the trees, another great outing by Shea, and Flametree continues to deliver with their releases, time and time again.
** This review will feature on Kendall Reviews! **

Great book! Bloody, fun, incredible in many ways but seriously, trigger warning for mental health, completed suicide and more.
And, as it's a slasher style romp, expect all of the tropes. If you do...you'll love the book!
Hunter Shea handled this slasher style book masterfully. Really enjoyed the whole thing, and will look out for the author in the future!

This was bloody fun! So much blood! So much fun! Well, it was fun for me as a reader. I don’t think any of the characters were enjoying themselves as I cheered on from the sidelines during their bone crunching demise.

Ashley is a final girl, the lone survivor of the Hayden Resort massacre five years ago. Since that night she has lived with debilitating PTSD and the nightmare continues for her, inescapable whether she’s awake or sleeping.

“Ashley preferred the silence, for within the soundless void, she would be able to hear … things, if they came near.”

Ashley’s story may have concluded with her death by suicide (this is not a spoiler - it’s in the blurb) if not for her fiancé, Todd. He only knows snippets of what Ashley and her friends endured at the hands of the Wraith but Todd is convinced Ashley has left clues that will enable him to figure out the Wraith’s identity.

Todd and some friends take it upon themselves to visit the “thousand acres of crumbling resort” to investigate further. I bet they wish they hadn’t.

This is my first Hunter Shea novel but it will definitely not be my last. I adore slasher movies so having those scenes in book form, where my imagination can take the descriptions of what the characters are experiencing and run with them, was something I’ve been looking forward to. I was not disappointed. I love visceral horror deaths and they were not in short supply here!

I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth conveyed alongside the gore. I had expected lots of running, frantic dialogue and some good ol’ slicing and dicing. That was all there but there was also an authentic representation of PTSD with Ashley’s character and gut wrenching grief from Todd’s.

Whenever I encounter any stories with the potential for a final girl/guy I play a game of ‘Who Will Survive?’ Because this is my game and I’m weird, I have rules about how this is played. As quickly as possible after meeting each character I have to decide, based on the limited information I have at that time, whether I think they will still have a heartbeat at the end of the story or not. I’m not allowed to change my vote, regardless of how much information I come across that contradicts my initial assessment.

“Try not to get us killed. Okay?”

Naturally I played ‘Who Will Survive?’ while reading ‘Slash’. Even though I now know who bled out during this “night of horror and impossibilities” I haven’t edited my first impressions to match the outcomes, so you’ll have to read the book to find out who’s still breathing.

So, with that said, who are our contestants?

Todd - fiancé of the previous final girl and a man on a mission. Even though he wanders into horror no-no territory by saying, “I’ll be right back”, he’s the main character. Surely he lives to tell the tale, right?

Heather - Ashley’s best friend before she died. She’s caring and a good friend to both Ashley and Todd. I want her to survive so she and Todd can support one another after the blood dries.

Vince - Heather’s husband. I want him to survive because Heather is so lovely and I don’t want her to experience any more grief. However, I doubt both Heather and Vince will survive, so I’m expecting Vince to die at Hayden.

Jerry - Law enforcement don’t usually fare so well in horror stories. Jerry is a misogynist cop so he may die twice, if possible.

Bill - a gambler on a diet. Depending on how strict his diet is, he may not have sufficient energy to outrun a murderer. I think his odds are fairly slim.

Sharon - her older sister, Sheri, didn’t survive the previous massacre. She’s angry and impulsive, which could work for or against her. I’d hate for her parents to lose another child to this killer but I fear she’s going to leap before she looks at an inopportune time.

Elvira - the cat. The Wraith can kill all the humans they want, as long as they don’t hurt the cat. I want to believe Elvira is still purring at the end of this book.

Taylor - not part of the core group. He’s toast!

Kaitlin - also a stranger. Sorry, Kaitlin, but you don’t stand a chance.

““You think they’re all right?” Vince asked.
“No one’s screaming. That seems to be the best way to assume things are okay in this place.””

If I wasn’t currently in danger of a TBR pile avalanche I would have already started rereading this book. I’m definitely going to be on the hunt for more Hunter Shea books.

Content warnings include death by suicide, PTSD and gory death scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book. Five blood soaked stars!

5 went in….1 came out.

Ashley King is afraid of the dark and from her past experiences, she has every reason to be. I feel so bad for her. Her fear of the dark and her only escape was pills to sleep and forget…for a while.

Todd gave her his parience and support, but he would not force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He could only hope it would be enough.

Hunter Shea did not take her to a place I thought he would, and I love that he can throw me for a loop right out of the gate. When she hangs herself, it caught me totally off guard. All I could think is WTF? Now what? I can only imagine the pain and horror she lived through as it wore her down, a little more each day, until she couldn’t take it any longer…being the ‘final girl.’

Todd could not let it go. He has to go back where it all began. He has to know. And he will.

Once they crossed the boundary between the real world and Hayden lands, they are on his turf, and the horror begins.

Much of Slash by Hunter Shea is predictable, but Hunter is good for a twist or two.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Slash by Hunter Shea.

We already know from the book description that Poor Ashley King was the only one to survive the first killing spree, though she lost all of her friends and most of the memories of that awful night. For 5 years she tried to live a normal life though all the "final girl" fans didn't make it easy for her. When she learns the abandoned resort where her friends had been brutally murdered is about to be demolished it triggers memories that make her take her own life. Devastated and outraged, her fiancée taunts the killer and heads out to the resort to lie in wait, hoping to lure him out and finish him off. I was hooked on this story from the start, but by the time I was halfway through it was like a breathless race to make it to the finish and see who (if anyone) survived.
Highly recommended for all horror fans and contrary to the title it is not your typical slasher story.
5 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review.

Slash is my first foray into Hunter Shea's horror world and even though this was not the first book in the series, it will not be my last book by this author!

Five years ago Ashley King was the 'Final Girl' to survive the Hayden Resort Massacre, and as she just starts to regain her memory in tiny chunks she kills herself -- unable to live with the memories of the horror she survived. She just couldn't face getting all of her memory back and having to deal with that event all over again. In between escaping the resort and her death, the whole massacre had gone viral and she'd become a celebrity in her own right, even though the killer (dubbed as The Wraith by the press) has never been caught.

Todd, her fiancé, blamed the 'fans' for her death and was emotionally numb with all that was going on - until he discovers she'd left a possible clue to the killer's identity back in the Hayden Resort, which she left hidden during the time the killer was hunting her and her friends. A fact she'd forgotten about, and only revealed in her suicide note. She could remember recordings being left around the building, but not where or what was on them.

Of course, Todd wanted to know more because the police seem to have done little about what went on during that massacre and he decided to take matters into his own hands with a small handful of friends who assist him, in an effort to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid... (Like visiting the scene of a killing spree where The Wraith is said to still hang out? Cue the start to another slasher horror story!)

I'm a huge fan of the 70/80s slasher and horror books and films in general and the similar horror books written by authors like Shaun Huston (for example) from the same era. In fact, Stephen King started out writing a different style of 'thriller' which to me was pure horror how it still should be (Carrie). However, like many fads (or marketing trends) many books that should be classed as horror have a very different feel these days - as though the publishers can't sell horror, or possibly the authors can't be taken as seriously enough unless they move away from the genre. Either way, this has always been an issue for me, and Hunter Shea has made me feel that all is not lost! There are some true horror books out there and this is definitely one of them!
The plot was fun, and actually had a meaning behind the reason they went back to visit the scene of the crime, the characters were likeable and behaved realistically. It was even funny in places where Todd and his friends were all aware that they were acting like people from films they'd watched - the ones that died, that is.

What I really liked is how this story turned out to be more supernatural than expected, therefore killing the 'monster' they'd dug up again (excuse the pun) became a lot harder than they'd anticipated. It was a supernatural twist that I relished, and not only was I feeling very nostalgic because of this, but I thoroughly enjoyed the tense 'cat and mouse' scenes, the gory aspects and the way one-by-one The Wraith was killing people all over again... but why? Who is he? What is he? Why has he never been caught?

Fun action, gory slashings, with tense suspense. What more could horror fans want? Utterly sinister!

Thanks to the publisher and #netgalley for my unedited ARC ebook - this is my honest and unbiased review!

This is my first experience with Shea's writing - and I am sure that it won't be my last! As the title suggests, this is more of a traditional horror story - and one with a high body count! It opens up a bit slowly, with all of the set-up to set out for a quest to return to the abandoned property for lost footage of an urban exploration trip that went horribly wrong five years earlier. The story is pretty action-packed after that - with some room for limited character development. There are some funny moments with the dialogue, and it's really an entertaining and fast-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed! I just had fun reading this one!

It's a great October read - and while I never found this too scary, I am sure that the gory imagery would be too much for some readers! And the final body count definitely exceeded my expectations! I do wish that the epilogue had a bit more detail of just what the aftermath really was... plus the question mark at the end seems suggestive of a potential sequel? I definitely would read that! Plus, I am excited to see a number of Shea's earlier novels are available through the Kindle Unlimited program! I definitely plan to check out more of his writing!

This is a fun, straightforward and gory type of thrilling horror novel. I liked it! It reminded me a bit of a more toned- down Richard Laymon. And it certainly kept my attention from start to finish!

Five years ago, Ashley King survived a horrific event. She and four of her friends went to the abandoned Hayden Resort for a little urban exploring, and only Ash made it out alive after the group was attacked by a killer known as The Wraith. After burying her pain for so long, she is finally unable to deal with her demons and she hangs herself in the basement where her fiancé, Todd, finds her. After wallowing in self-pity for a few weeks, Todd stumbles across a note from Ash explaining why she killed herself, as well as clues as to what had really happened. Todd decides to drag his friends back to the Hayden Resort before it’s demolished so he can attempt to follow Ash’s breadcrumbs and give her – and those that loved her – some deserved peace. Of course, that’s not exactly what happens…

The book starts out with quotes from Friday the 13th (“You’re going to Camp Blood, ain’t ya? You’ll never come back again. It’s got a death curse!”), Halloween (“Was that the boogeyman?” “As a matter of fact, it was.”), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (“Oh, I wish they hadn’t let the place fall apart.” “Now it looks like the birthplace of Bela Lugosi.”). Obviously, this was going to be fun. But rather than a B-slasher movie, I felt like it was the sequel to a B-slasher movie – the original already happened, and they are piecing together the story. Like Friday the 13th Part 2, when the kids are around the campfire talking about Mrs. Vorhees and Camp Crystal Lake. Or Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2, when the new inhabitant of Nancy’s room finds her journal and with his girlfriend explores what happened in his house. (No, I don’t watch to many horror movies, thank you very much.)
But ultimately, even through they are adults, Todd and his friends break in at night to wander the creepy ass abandoned resort. And like a true sequel, bad things happen to the new bunch of idiots traipsing through.

I really enjoyed this book up until the very end - as in the epilogue. It was a solid 4 stars for me, perhaps creeping higher, but when I got to the first portion of the epilogue, I deflated. The second portion was great, but I simply didn’t like where the story ended, enough to take it down to 3 ½ stars.

Five years ago Ashley King was the Final Girl. The one who survived. She went urban exploring at an abandoned resort with a group of fellow enthusiasts. Ashley was the only one who left alive. A killer, nicknamed The Wraith, killed them all in gruesome ways and was never caught. And five years later, Ashley hangs herself in the basement of the home she shares with her fiance, Todd Matthews. Todd wants to know why......and he wants to catch The Wraith. What is the truth about what happened that night at the Hayden Resort?

This book is a bloody, campy romp.It wouldn't be slasher horror if it wasn't. Expect lots of cheesy dialogue, grisly deaths, spurting blood and strange twists. The body count definitely clocks upwards quickly.....and the secret behind the entire event is twisted. Perfect! Hunter Shea never fails to deliver!

The front cover design is perfect!

This story grabbed my attention from the start and kept me going the entire time. I found myself talking to the characters "NO! Don't go in there!'' and "RUN!!!!'' But it didn't help. Mince meat.

Great October read! This book is not for the faint of heart -- it's a slasher story. If blood is a bit too red for your comfort.....then best read something a little less.....slashy.

**I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

4.5/5 stars!

SLASH is the literary equivalent of a B-movie, and I thought it was a blast!

5 years after being the sole survivor in a real life urban-exploration trip gone wrong, Ashley is still trying to get over the murders of her friends and her survivor's guilt. The murderer, tagged "The Wraith" by the press, was never caught. Being celebrated as a "final girl" by groups of twisted followers doesn't help her to forget about it. Hearing the news that the site of the murders, the abandoned Hayden Resort, is about to be torn down, brings things even closer to the brink. Her fiancee, Todd, does his best to make sure Ashley feels loved, but even he cannot help her live with what happened. After she hangs herself, Todd discovers clues she left behind, and he, with a few of their very best friends, return to the resort to try to solve the mystery of the massacre, before the Hayden is torn down for good. Will Todd and his friends solve the mystery? Will they survive their visit? You'll have to read this to find out!

I felt like SLASH was a lot shorter than it actually was, because it was very hard to put down. After a little time meeting the characters and getting to know them, the pace picks up and I actually felt breathless at a couple of points because everything was progressing so fast.

What better place than an abandoned resort to set a horror story? Imagine the Stanley Hotel from The Shining, 70 years after it was abandoned. How scary would that be? The isolation and the detritus built up over years of break-ins, kids partying, urban explorers, etc.. both contributed to how real the setting felt and also to an increasing sense of paranoia as our brave group searched for clues. What was that noise? Debris settling, or the Wraith?

I can't say anymore without spoiling anything, (the bit about Ash hanging herself is right there in the synopsis). Following along with the B movie spirit of SLASH was a big bunch of fun for me. It was exciting, fast paced, thrilling and, at times, heart breaking. If this sounds like your cuppa, pre-order your copy of SLASH here: https://amzn.to/2pys97E.

Highly recommended, especially to fans of B-movies!

*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

If you love slasher movies you need to pick this up. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I was very surprised by the twist. As a lover of slasher movies I didn’t see it coming.

I enjoyed this book but there were parts of it that took me out of the plot. Many of the decisions that the characters made were just too ridiculous for me to believe. I had some problems with the character of the Wraith because of inconsistencies that didn't match up with what we learned about him.

The first quarter of the book was solid, easily a 4⭐. By the halfway point and slightly after, it was slow but still interesting and keeping me intrigued. Then the last 50-odd pages totally lost me. That ending was disappointing. I've literally seen (and been bored) by that storyline in an episode of Supernatural. I really did not expect that ending and unfortunately, it just didn't deliver.

I should start by saying that I'm not a fan of gore and horror, yet, Hunter Shea is such a good writer that this is his second book I've enjoyed.
It's definitely not for the fainthearted and has some very squeamish moments, that had me taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, counting to ten and then getting back to it.

I'm probably in the 'horror fan' minority by enjoying the back story and character building much more than the gore. Hunter Shea does the back story so well and I cared so much for the characters, it was doubly hard to see them head into danger.

The key storyline is around a survivor of a massacre, who lives in fear and dread and who suffers dreadfully following her ordeal.
Her partner and a group of friends are keen to establish what happened and so begins a visit back to the place of the massacre, a few days before it's due to be demolished.....what follows is a battle against a Wraith with super powers, a story that begins back in WW2 and a fight to survive.

All in all, a fabulous read for horror fans, an intriguing read for those, like me, who love a mystery, excellent writing and good folk to root for. I found myself shouting out at times!
A good one for Halloween.

Congratulations to Hunter Shea and thanks to Netgalley and FlameTree Press for the opportunity to preview this good read.

Solid 3 * for me.

Slash is the kind of story you read and you can see the movie running through your head, this book would make a brilliant film, it has a Blair witch feel to it, and without giving to much away it starts five years after a massacre at a abandoned holiday park which only saw one survivor get out, Ash. She has tried to rebuild her life but finally commits suicide, Todd her fiancee is devastated and in his grief states he's going back to the start of it all and if the killer wants him he'll no where to get him. Cue the screaming and jiggy camera work.

Slash
by Hunter Shea
due 10-24-2019
FlameTree Press
4.5 /5.0
#netgalley #slash
Thanks to Netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.

This reads like an 80's slasher movie. Its compulsive, powerful, and has a monster that is terrifying because it is like none you've heard of before. Thats 'The Wraith'.....a monster, the likes I've never encountered. Shea builds a monster that is terrifying, into something beyond imagination. Perfect scary read for Halloween.

#Slash #NetGalley


Slash is my second Hunter Shea read. I enjoyed the first Creatures, and was really excited when I discovered it was on NetGalley. I could wait to pick it up.

Now I’ve read it I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy this one as much I was hoping to. It was very very slow to get going. I know it’s important to have background info to set the scenes to come but this just to way too long and I didn’t feel like putting the book down. But I persisted and it got better.

Although I started to enjoy the book there were some confusing things that I could quite put my finger on at first, but after re-reading some parts I actually found what was causing the confusion and that was there where a mix up with names. For instance, a character starts a is introduced with one name but during the same scene that very same character has another name. This confused me because I couldn’t quite work out whether it was supposed to be the same character or another. (hope my explanation makes sense).

I also felt there was something missing in the plot, again not something I can put my finger on.

Despite the flaws there were some things I really loved. These were the parts I was waiting for and that was the blood and gore parts. I loved the descriptions and I really wished there was more of it in this book. It was this part of the book that I couldn’t stop reading.

All in all, a good book, but just not quite the horror read I was expecting. Even though this one didn’t live up to my expectations it has no way stopped me wanting to read more of Hunter Shea’s work, and look forward to reading more from him in the near future.

I would like to thank the publisher, Flame Tree Press and NetGalley from my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Well Hunter Shea does it again! Another great horror/creature tale. For me this one started out a little slow but boy, by half way in, I was all in! When I found out what the creature was, I don’t want to give anything away here, I became transfixed! I have read one other story that had this same creature it in and Shea has given me a second one!

Something happened to a group of friends when they went exploring, leaving a lone survivor. Five years later and after she is no longer with us, her husband and their friends head back to the same resort where the massacre took place! What them come upon fuels nightmares.

With a name like 'Slash' you'd expect a gory slasher and Slash is all that and more; blood, guts, male bonding, adventure and even the scary supernatural.

A bloody fun slasher with one of the evilest villians I've read in a long time!