This book falls to the middle for me at a 3/5 rating. The writing is good and there’s no issue with pacing, but I didn’t find myself loving it. It was an okay read. Very fun and would be popular with music lovers. I tend to notice horror includes a lot of rock and roll music and that’s not really my thing so it doesn’t resonate well with me.

I found the cursed object aspect of the story to be cool but it didn’t hold up to other books with similar themes that I have recently read.

This book should automatically go down in history as a classic. This haunting and unnerving tale starts out with a bang and never stop chipping away at your nerves and sanity. I loved absolutely every word of this book. I can't wait to read more from this author!

There are elements here that trigger sentimentality and the use of family relationships alongside the mysterious record that crosses the paranormal realm was pretty unique. I enjoyed the dynamic between characters, but I must admit the story reminded me of the movie's final destination. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a quick, spooky, mystery novel.

With "Schrader's Chord" I came for the spooky music stories, and stayed for the cozy horror adventures. This was such a fun ride!

I was enjoying this book but for some reason it disappeared from my library (I don't know if the publisher placed a time limit on when the book was supposed to be done by) but it would've been nice to know. So I can't really comment on the ending.

"Schrader's Chord" is a haunting and imaginative horror that transports readers into a realm of eerie possibilities. The author's creative prowess shines through as they weave a narrative that plays on the senses and taps into the deepest fears. The vivid descriptions and imaginative elements make this horror novel a standout in its genre, offering a unique and chilling experience. If you're a fan of horror that goes beyond the ordinary, "Schrader's Chord" is a must-read, providing a thrilling journey into the realms of the unknown.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this book with me early to read and review. This book wasn’t my favorite but I do love bits of it and know others will too!

A fascinating and enthralling horror read that confronts familial conflict and grief head-on.

After the passing of his father, Charlie is left his father’s record store along-side four records known as Schrader’s Chord: that if played simultaneously can bring back the dead…for a cost.

After obtaining the records weird things start happening and upon playing them the paranormal elements become extremely prevalent.

In the end Charlie must make a decision of sacrifice and love and this book truly keeps you on your toes until the very end!

4 stars!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Publishing group for the E-ARC and physical ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group as well as the author for this ARC.
#NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup #ScottLeeds #Schrader’sChord #Bookstagram
Title: Schrader’s Chord
Author: Scott Leeds
Publisher: Tor Publisher Group/Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Themes and Trigger Warnings: ghosts, grief, demons, religion, family struggles/drama, parent death, sibling relationships, gore, hearing loss

“Schrader’s Chord” has everything I need in a horror novel. It has a great story that gradually, but not too gradually, builds into an emotional and satisfying ending. It has a great cast of characters that I really liked and cared about. It was scary! It was funny! I can’t rave enough about it. This is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read.

This book tells the story of Charlie Remick and his dysfunctional family. He returns home from his job as a well known record producer and musician to attend the funeral of his estranged father and receive his inheritance. His father’s record store and a box with four records as well as a cryptic note from his father have been bequeathed to him. The records are supposed to, when played simultaneously, are said to open the gates to the land of the dead. Why not try it? What could go wrong?

What could go wrong indeed! Naturally, everything goes wrong. Of course Charlie and his sisters have to play the records, or this would be a really short book. Each character had something unique to offer. I particularly liked the ghosts featured in this book. They were all creepy and gross, yet endearing. The antagonist was a villain that can, and hopefully will, stand right alongside the great horror villains of literature. I really liked his backstory. Schrader is/was evil but his backstory is such that you can’t completely hate him, despite his gruesome actions. There are so many little details that make up this haunted/cursed object story and I loved discovering each one. I will definitely be revisiting this book. I may make it part of my annual Halloween reads.

The only thing I can say that could have used a little improvement was the pacing. It was a little slow at times but, this was very minor. It slowed down a touch a few times but always picked back up again.

I loved this book! I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Charlie Remick returns home for his father’s funeral and is surprised to find he has been left a record store. He doesn’t want it, but it’s the livelihood of two people who were close to his father. He’s also been left four records.

Legend has it that if you play all four at once, you open the door to the dead. But it’s just a story, right? Except Charlie’s dad committed suicide, and a colleague of his falls dead at his wake. When Charlie and co try it, they find that Schrader may coming for them all.

I love a world within a world, or something more happening beyond what most of us can see, so this one checked that box for me. I really enjoyed the characters’ love of music and vinyl. Their knowledge made for some good jokes as well as little tidbits thrown into conversation. I loved the character and relationship building as well as the unfolding of the larger story of the records, what they are, how they were made, and how they really work. Plus, it’s horror, my favorite genre. It was the perfect read for spooky season, but spooky season lives in my heart all year long, so really, it’s good for any time.

Gosh I absolutely loved this one! The pace, the topic, the people it was all compelling! I loved what the author envisioned with the record store! Definitely a favorite of 2023.

🎧🎶

🌟Book Review🌟

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝 a debut novel from 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴

𝘈 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

What can I say about Schrader’s Chord that hasn’t already been said? This book was nostalgic, haunting and actually scared me a little.

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚢𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍. 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑, 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚜: 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍, 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍.

𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎, 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛. 𝙰𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗.

This gave me Empire Records meets High fidelity meets The Sixth Sense vibes. Being from the Pacific Northwest of the USA myself, I really loved all the geographical references to places in Washington state and the surrounding area.

Schrader most definitely gets the award for villain of the year. He is absolutely maniacal and terrifying. At one point it was like 3 in the morning and it took me forever to get up the courage to walk down the dark hall the to the bathroom.

And that ending! Wow. What a sacrifice that had to be made! I did not see that coming but Leeds does an amazing job bringing everything full circle while keeping you guessing.

This is one ARC I will definitely be grabbing a physical copy of! I highly recommend it.

The first scene of Schrader's Chord instantly captured my interest, as it was so creepy and mysterious that I had to keep reading and learn more. I was strongly interested in the story for the first half of the book, but as I progressed past the first half of the book my interest quickly waned.

For me, the tone of the book began with a true creepy-horror vibe, but then half way through switched to a somewhat comical episode of a Scooby Doo adventure in which the crew strategizes way too long on planning how they're going to return the deadly recorders to Schrader's grave and rid themselves and the world of evil. In the first half, I was genuinely surprised and loved the scene where the crew doesn't realize they've just spoken to the dead after they go drinking at the local bar. That was fantastic. Then the scene where Charlie meets the attorney at the diner for breakfast. That scene was pretty good too, showing the reader that yep, Charlie and his friends for sure got cursed. But then I expected more and did not receive it in the second half of the book

I realize you must suspend your disbelief while reading but I found it the fact that Raymond and Dale's ghosts were still hanging around somewhat annoying.
Ellie's not feeling well? Oh, Dale's ghost kindly goes to fetch her a glass of water from the kitchen. Ana said something worrisome? Don't worry, Raymond's ghost is there (still) to console her, "It's okay, kiddo. Hang in there, kiddo." I felt that the lingering ghosts cracking jokes and helping to plot the main plan with the group was distracting and somewhat corny, and that's fine but I was expecting a true "darker" horror story while reading Schrader's Chord.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read an early copy of Schrader's Chord.

I realize I'm in the minority with my review, but it's my honest review. Thank you for reading.

"...until there is only death."
Once you start reading this book you can't stop until you get to the end. It's layered with horror, humor, familial relationships and musical notes all over. It's truly an ode to music lovers who also like their books with some death sprinkled on top. Ghosts that are here aren't typical ghosts, some are mean, well most of them are, bit then again they also were mean when they were alive. But there's also sweet moments, rare but important.
I thought the book was too long and I'd probably get bored halfway and I was proven wrong, not only did I not get bored, I stayed till 6 am to finish it and am writing review right away.
"...not all who die are harmless."
I couldn't figure out what were some parts of the book reminding me of, and then it was mentioned and it hit me, it's like Final Destination at times! All the creepy vibes and all the deaths happening or looming over the characters who try to solve the mystery of the Schrader's Chord, music so deadly it'll bring the dead back. And then these dead will annoy the living, well sometimes, mostly some of them were helpful.
Paranormal horror with a heartbeat and some good music recs that'll make you want to listen to them when they are mentioned. Really interesting premise and even though I anticipated that one twist near the end, I still had no idea what was going to happen most of the time.
“It’s in our nature to search for that which destroys us,”
It's getting bright outside and I really should sleep now, even though I might be hearing some kind of creepy music in my earbuds even though I am not playing anything, and with every shadow I keep imagining things from the book coming to life, I'll probably have a nightmare or two because of this book, but death is fascinating and I couldn't resist.

I think I'd sum this book up as "What if the Mountain Goats wrote a Hellraiser movie?"

When Raymond Remick dies suddenly, it leaves alot of people in a sort of limbo. His estranged son Charlie, a music producer wunderkind, has to leave in the midst of a string of successes and return to Seattle. Ana and Dale, Raymond's employees at his struggling record store, are left wondering what happens to him. And Louis, a mysterious man from Raymond's life, is left trying to figure out how to steal something from Raymond's house before he dies in a horrible, supernatural death.

Ultimately the book opens up into a Hellraiser-esque horror story where the characters have to figure out how to stop the horrors that they've brought into the world but the book stands out the most in the quiet moments. Charlie humming in his car while staring into a record store that he barely recognizes. Dale trying to find the balance in explaining the deep wounds between Charlie and Raymond and why he'd understand if the Charlie closed the store. This is ultimately a book about grief and all the things we do in those moments when we are grieving. It's about the words left unsaid and the wounds that linger. It's about the questions that we'll always wonder after the people we love have passed.

Scott Leeds has crafted an extremely effective horror book and I'm excited for whatever comes next from him.

When I say you can *see* this book, I mean it reads like you’re watching a movie — characters and all. It’s like bits of “High Fidelity,” “Empire Records,” Gozer from “Ghostbusters,” the vibes of “Stranger Things” season one, a little bit of Freddy Krueger, the dead people in the waiting room scene from “Beetlejuice,” and the portal & horror from “Evil Dead 2” were mixed together and poured into a mould to create a creepy vinyl record that, once the needle drops, will melt your brain. I even found myself casting these characters, who really popped on the pages (Victoria Pedretti as Ellie; Jenna Ortega as Ana; Henry Cavill as Charlie; Jennifer Garner as Susan; Ty Burrell as Raymond — “hey kiddo!”; and Hugh Laurie as Dale). This was a slow build at first, but I feel like for good reason. Leeds snags you with a ghastly prologue and then develops the characters for the whole first half. Then, around the 40 percent mark, this story gets put into hyper speed and really delivers with the horror. It’s just a super entertaining book, one that’s rich with smart/dark humor and dialogue, and deeply knowledgeable music references. It has a love story. It has grief. It has problematic family dynamics. It has that hanging-out-in-a-music-shop banter. It can lean sometimes into the campy horror movie zone but it feels intentional and nostalgic — and it works. Above all, it has really vivid scenes of terror. This, of course, comes on the heels of one of the most creative promotional campaigns I’ve seen for a novel — go check out the author’s Insta page to see what I mean.

I've been hearing so many good things about this book. It did not disappoint.

I love when horror stories are creative. The premise had me intrigued right away. I loved how real and flawed the characters were. The author took time to let us get to know them before all hell breaks loose. This book would make an excellent movie. I can already see the visuals.

This book will break your heart and make you laugh. There's some really dark shit in this book but there's always a bit of hope.

If you liked We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix or Supernatural, then this is for you. If you're into music in general or enjoy horror books about cursed objects, then trust me, you need to read this.

I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

🎶 ARC REVIEW: SCHRADER’S CHORD 🎶

“I told you they were real.

After his estranged father’s mysterious death, Charlie Remick returns to Seattle to help with the funeral. There, he discovers his father left him two parting the keys to the family record store and a strange black case containing four antique records that, according to legend, can open a gate to the land of the dead.

When Charlie, his sister, and their two friends play the records, they unwittingly open a floodgate of unspeakable horror. As the darkness descends, they are stalked by a relentless, malevolent force and see the dead everywhere they turn.

With time running out, the only person who can help them is Charlie’s resurrected father, who knows firsthand the awesome power the records have unleashed. But can they close the gate and silence Schrader’s Chord before it’s too late?”

Anyone who loves horror needs to pick this book up. The nostalgia. The feels. The music. The relationships. They are all freaking ✨perfection✨ The fact that this is a debut blows my mind. I think the most complex relationship in this book is between Charlie and his father, Raymond. I love that this book takes us on a journey with them as they figure out their issues. The paranormal aspect in the books is so so good. It seems like it’s something that could actually happen and isn’t totally out there. The music and playlist in and for this book is just the icing on the cake. I’m already planning on rereading when the weather cools down, so just buy this dang book

First of all, WOW. Schrader’s Chord is a phenomenal piece of modern horror literature. I couldn’t believe this is a debut. Leeds blended horror with genuine emotion so well and I knew I was going to love the book very early on.

This story not only sent shivers down my spine but also tugged at my heartstrings. The exploration of death, loss, grief, and the complexities of family, both biological and found, is handled with precision.

The horrors unleashed by the cursed vinyl records are truly terrifying and take you on a relentless journey into the supernatural. Among the chilling backdrop, the characters and relationships shine, feeling real and familiar.

The emotional depth of this story makes Schrader’s Chord not only a horror but a work that resonates on a deep level. This has made it to my list of favorite books and I cannot recommend it enough. Schrader’s Chord is a must read for any supernatural horror fan!

This book good! The pacing the characters had me invested. The relationship between Charlie and Raymond wasn’t overly done which is nice because that would’ve been TOO frustrating