It seems my opinion of this book is not as so many others have found it, nor will it be a popular review. However, I was given this as an arc and although I do thank The publisher, author, and net gallery for allowing me to read this up front, I just didn't find it pleasurable. Although the story base itself was good, I found the book itself annoying. First I didn't think it was very well written at all. If the masks were described in the same verbage one more time I thought I was going to scream. I think that there could have been many more ways to describe it rather than regurgitating the same description over and over again. Secondly, I found it confusing. To launch right into the fact that the librarian was non-binary without telling you they were non-binary before he started talking pronouns and whatnot, it was confusing. I had to go back and reread it several times and then it clicked. It wasn't until much later that the author actually described the non-binary aspect of the character, so then, when a widow was referred to as a widower, I had to go back and reread it again to make sure that I was reading about the same character. And the fact that that same character was a woman not a man. Widow, not widower. Those were just two instances of things that could have been made much clearer and made the story flow in a much more natural way. So, I don't recommend this book. I was disappointed. After reading all the positive reviews I was really looking forward to the story, but it just didn't live up to it.

This book knocked my socks off. It was down right terrifying!! This author came close to knocking Stephen King off his throne.

The atmosphere of the book left half scared out of my mind! It was a little slow in pace for me but thw writing.... OH THE WRITING! It is the kind of book you need to leave the light on to read.

This book isn't for the faint of heart!

4 stars

Horror At Pleasant Brook was... wow. I'm kind of all over how I felt about it. The plot really pulled me in, the extreme overuse of "covid" was extremely annoying and I often rolled my eyes. But I chose to overlook the few annoyances and read on and I'm glad I did. The author's drops of horror movies elated me. Loved Scott's character and his love and knowledge of the genre. The ending was somewhat expected but also was hoping it wouldn't happen. Definitely recommend

The small isolated town called Pleasant Brook lies deep within the Andirondacks and is really too small to be a considered town or even a hamlet and although most people want to leave because of the lack of opportunity, for some reason most people end up returning where their roots are. It is now October and close to Halloween so it is the perfect time for this story to be told.

The sheriff hasn't seen any murders in over ten years so it is the wonderful place to reside for quiet living. The story centers around a wooden mask meant to be in a museum but was intentionally misdirected into the wrong hands that used old spells and rituals to call forth an ancient entity buried within the hideous looking mask. People slowly are reported missing yet others say they have seen some of these people around town but something seems very off about them and they all seem to be wearing the same disgusting mask.

The sheriff runs herself ragged trying to get to the bottom of the stories wondering at first if they were Halloween pranks until finally witnessing a scene so truly bizarre and horrific that she couldn't believe her own eyes yet she was able to save teenager Scott from a fate worse than death and she finally realizes Pleasant Brook is quickly disappearing and the evil pervading her town is not of the human variety. Time is of the essence as the small population continues to dwindle, so will the sheriff figure out how to stop the monsters with their voracious appetites that are roaming and consuming her town or are all the inhabitants doomed forever including the sheriff and how can they be stopped from taking over more towns or even cities?


This was quite the horror story. It was very creepy and disturbing with enormous amounts of violence and gore. The book is brutal with it's descriptions and storytelling so it was written for horror fans only not recommended for anyone who may be sensitive to horror or graphic violence (Not Pretty). I enjoyed the unique plot and the fleshed out characters who I grew attached to while not being able to figure out how the story would eventually unfold. I appreciated that the author supported a non-binary character although calling (her) a they/them/their was very distracting and off-putting for myself since it was confusing at times thinking the book was talking about plural characters instead of one person but I understand what "Kevin Lucia" was trying to accomplish. Be forewarned the ending was so unexpected that it caught me off guard because I felt disappointed for myself since I wanted something different but this finale was perfect for an unexpected horror book ending!


I want to thank the publisher "Crystal Lake Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 3 1/2 HORRIFIC AND DISTURBING 🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crystal Lake Publishing for this Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

Four stars out of five (4/5).

Trigger words: Animal death, character death, gore, and violence.

Although it was very similar to a book I've read lately I still found this book to be an enjoyable read, once I got past the surprise of this being another horror with spreading masks and black goo. Same with the idea of the infection sort of making everyone "one" entity.

There were a few errors throughout the novel, usually just simple spelling mistakes or a word missing etc.

It was nothing that made it unreadable.

The Horror at Pleasant Brook is a small-town horror that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

I was sort of disappointed at the end of the novel as it was ended, and not how I expected it to end. But if I were to take stars off a book for that then I wouldn't be able to get any 5-star books.

The book was a little slow to start off, but once it got going it was hard to put it down.

I would recommend this to a friend or my readers and I would probably have bought this if I hadn't got it free as an Advanced Readers Copy. As someone who doesn't get scared often, this kept me on my toes.

This book was pretty good. Overall I liked the ending, but the writing felt amateurish at times. I don’t know if this book was for me though.

TW: there is some pretty degrading comments about women, some toxic masculinity, and rape.

The Horror at Pleasant Brook by Kevin Lucia is a Halloween horror story. It takes place in a small town called Pleasant Brook during COVID. One of the residents purchased an ancient mask that has powers. Once it is on, it spreads. As the evil spreads throughout the town, a handful of people try to stop it. They may not be able to save Pleasant Brook, but they hope to keep this evil from leaving town. I have an advanced reader copy of this book and tried very hard to finish it before its publication date (two of which I had, so actually not sure when it was meant to be released). This has Stephen King-ese vibes at the beginning so I was hopefully it would be good. Instead, it was annoyingly repetitive and tedious. I don’t need to read multiple descriptions of this mask and what the things wearing it look like. Especially when those descriptions are almost exactly the same. I tried for several days to force myself to finish this book and fell asleep instead. Thanks for the good naps, I guess. Everyone in this book has a drinking problem and they know it and cannot stop talking about it. This read like it was a long ad for JEEP, always in all caps. I don’t care that everyone drives a Jeep, thanks. This had an unexpected religious turn that wasn’t even interesting. I skimmed over the last 70 pages or so to make it through. I know this was an ARC, but it had a ton of mistakes. More than most ARCs I have read. 1/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date ? This review will be found on Instagram and Goodreads indefinitely.
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A dark, chilling read that's a bit gorey. Lucia did an amazing job of building up the suspense and chills, from the opening to the grisly end. A small town, Halloween, and a creeping horror preying on the townspeople? What else do you need for the perfect setting for a terrifying read? The story itself moves along smoothly, and the descriptions are so vivid it's like watching a movie unfold (so if gore turns your stomach, you might want to skip this one). A great book for anyone who loves horror that will have you looking over your shoulder at every small sound as you read.

If you're looking for a straight-up, fun Halloween horror novel to occupy your time for a night or two, The Horror at Pleasant Brook will certainly scratch that itch.

While I did find it a little tedious that some descriptions were used practically word-for-word repeatedly throughout the book, the story and pacing were strong enough to keep it entertaining until the final page.

Thank you, NetGalley, Crystal Lake Publishing, and Kevin Lucia for the opportunity to read and review the advanced reader copy of this book.

Pleasant Brook,is an isolated town and community in the Adirondacks. The town is rough, depressed, and all too similar to many small towns, and then drops a unique horror threat right in the middle of it. It is almost Halloween. This Halloween, a malevolent, creeping horror invades Pleasant Beaks. Scott Carver who loves horror movies. He and his friend Jasper hang out together. The town has come out of COVID shutdown which didn’t stop their friendship. They became good friends during the two year COVID shutdown. They would go out even though they were supposed to stay inside during the shutdown. Scott’s mother doesn’t approve of Jasper as a friend for Scott. One night they were going to cross a bridge but didn’t as two people were on the end of it — they didn’t look “right.” Jasper decides to run home instead of going in a store that Scott does. The next night Scott dreams Jasper comes to him looking like a monster and tries to attack him but when he touches Scott’s cross, he jerks back and leaves. When Scott wakes up, he thinks it was a dream. He isn’t sure though when he sees his cross’s chain broken on the floor. As time passes more strange occurrences happen. Eventually many of the people are turned into monsters. Will Scott survive?

The novel includes a diverse cast of characters. The author’s suspenseful writing may have you jumping at shadows and at every unexpected noise. There is a comprehensive description of the characters facts, traits and desires giving a point of view of each character’s perspective on what is happening in the story. It made me care all the more about them and wondered if they would survive this ancient evil. There is much more to this story than I’ve written. I didn’t want to spoil your reading an excellent horror novel. I have added this author to my must read book list.

This was tough to get through. Lots of slut, skank, whore use as well as other nasty terms. Frequent phrases repeating in a strange way. The story wasn’t scary or creepy. Seemed like an excuse to write about bad sex scenes and nudity.

I have to say it was the title that first caught my attention. Honestly it sounded Lovecraftian to me. And while not Lovecraft, The Horror at Pleasant Brook is an excellent small town horror novel. As long as you like your small town horror novels incredibly creepy and with some intensely brutal gore. No spoilers, but the moment the mask began to meld onto Bobby Lee’s face I was hooked. And then as the story unfolds and we learn more about the mask’s origin, wow. I’d love to see one of the streaming services like a limited series out of this one, but only if they don’t tone down the gore. Thanks so much to Crystal Lake Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.

A great, spooky Halloween read. I liked the writing, liked the story, I can't say it's a new all time favorite but I do think it will have it's audience. I'm also interested to read more from the author!

The little town of Pleasant Brook is in for a big surprise, and it won't be a good one. We begin with a broken marriage. Two people who shouldn't be together anymore, well past their expiration date.

The wife, a museum curator, has a plan born of desperation and the means to make it happen. She has acquired a mask. Not just any mask. This is a mask of tremendous power, including the power to help you forget all your pain. All you have to do is whatever it wants.

An ancient force is at work and it's been invited into the little town, like so many towns and villages before across geography and time. It is there to feed and it's hungry, always hungry.

Small town troubles are the least of everyone's worries. A town that survived the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to heal, trying to remember how to be a town, full of all the quirks and characters of every other little town, such a perfect place and a perfect time for this entity to thrive.

There's violence, gore, detailed descriptions of feedings, but there's also a large cast of characters who feel a little too real. They'll probably remind you of people you know.

However familiar the townspeople are, one thing is certain, I'm glad I'm not in Pleasant Brook this Halloween.

The Horror at Pleasant Brook was defiantly a horror book that had a great plot and the horror aspects were really good. Sadly though this book was not one I liked because I felt that this book was painfully slow and had repetitive uses of words or phrases too. I also was too confused with this book and struggled with it because of the multiple Povs and storylines that it had. I would still recommend this book to horror fans though! This one was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Kindle ARC.

Part Lost Colony of Roanoke, with that hint of Croatoan. What really happened to the residents in the town of Pleasant Brook?

It’s about a sleepy, picturesque town in October that sounds like a postcard of quaint homes, beautifully manicured lawns, fall foliage, corn mazes, and where everybody knows your name. Some residents have tried to leave but still end up back in Pleasant Brook.

The town (of course) is not without your vagrants, alcoholics, and misguided people who have gone astray, but for all intended purposes, this book starts like your typical horror movie. It builds with the murder of townsfolk and an evil presence.

One of our protagonists in the story (Scott) has a love for all horror movies and has seen just about everything, which is too many. This character would become an integral part of the remaining group and provide his brand of knowledge about all things evil. My favorite is Sage and Constable Grace Matthews, and you always need some to-the-death women in these situations.

An ancient evil is swiftly taking over the town, and to make matters worse, the story takes place with the 2nd lockdown for COVID, and people, by this point, are weary.

When the genre is horror, not all books deliver, but this book is a true horror novel with all the gore you can stomach. It's the most graphic novel I’ve read this year, with parts that had me cringing as deaths would be explained in full detail. You’re definitely not left wondering if a person died as it was described in full detail. Imagine a Halloween or Final Destination for the ages.

It’s a great creepy novel for the season if you can handle it, and I enjoyed it all. It's not a mystery. You're not going to be guessing what’s happening. There are no twists or turns. It’s just a straight up-and-down horror novel. Keep 'em coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This book was interesting I’ll give it that. Has a slasher plot, plenty of pov’s, and body horror. Main plot is monster takeover in a small cozy town, it switches pov’s throughout the book to a wide variety of people, including; a stripper, the town sheriff, a teenager, farmer, and anything else you’d imagine. definitely check tw for this book and it’s lgbtq+ inclusive!

This book was very good. The author was new to me, so that was a nice surprise. The action never lagged; I never got bored reading it. It moves very fast. The creatures' backstory/summoning ritual/reason for summoning could maybe be developed a little more, but that is a common problem in horror novels. The characters were very well-developed. I also liked that the book included several lgbtq characters. The book has some gore, but not too much. It wasn't over-the-top. Just enough gore and violence. I would definitely read more books from this author and purchase them for our library's collection. I think our patrons would like them as well.

Really enjoyed this one! 🧡 Definitely gave some creepy vibes with the masks and of course the cover is 🔥😍 Very much felt like it would make a good horror film!!

I did feel at times there was some repetition, especially when describing the masks. I think that also slowed the pace of the story down at times. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good old school horror read with a bit of gore! 🔪🧡

Thank you to NetGalley, Crystal Lake Publishing, and Kevin Lucia for the opportunity to read and review the ebook in exchange for my honest review! 🧡

Oh wow, this book did NOT work for me from page 1. The cover is great, the synopsis is fun Stephen-King meets John-Carpenter's 'The Fog'-era work, but then the writing...I guess it was pretty reminiscent of cringey King, only now I'm long removed from my teenaged problematic reading. It was not enjoyable.