My thanks to Wicked House Publishing, Joe Scipione and Netgalley.
This was not at all what I was expecting. I thought it would be mostly about grave robbers. This was not so. I came for the grave robbing but stayed for the story.
I am 60 years old, and I would love to rob a grave! I know! What the hell kinda freak am i? It just sounds like fun! Yes, I do understand how funked up that is. Still? Come and knock on my door and say "hey, Lisa. Want to dig up a body? I'm old enough now that jail time doesn't scare me, so yeah I'd do it!
This story had very little to do with grave robbing, but holy shit was it one messed up story.
Personally, I was appalled! But gosh darn it, I truly appreciated the story! Honestly? Shorten this a bit and go deep into a National Forest somewhere and tell this to a bunch of backwoods campers over a fire? Pure fooking gold!
3 1/2 stars. Rounded up to 4.
I want to read a bit more from this author.

A commendable 4.5-star read. Familiar with Joe Scipione's work, I've consistently relished his creations, and this particular piece stands out as his most elaborate yet. It intricately unravels themes of monstrousness, callousness, and the perils of scientific hubris, interwoven on multiple layers. The narrative is composed with a poised and harmonious tone, steering clear of excessive plot twists, and avoiding a contrived and wearisome ending. Instead, Scipione expertly withholds revelations until precisely the opportune moment. Timing emerges as the linchpin of this tale, from its outset involving grave robbing to the mid-story dialogues among a clandestine society engaged in a sinister, albeit somewhat implausible, scientific venture. The narrative juggles myriad issues and unexpected turns until the grand reveal, showcasing the author's masterful storytelling prowess.

However, my lone critique pertains to the somewhat lacking 1920s Chicago ambiance. The setting feels assumed and underdeveloped, diminishing the immersive quality of the narrative. Yet, this minor setback pales in significance when juxtaposed with the intricacies of the plot. Ultimately, Scipione's novel remains a genuine treat for aficionados of horror, offering genuine entertainment and a testament to the author's narrative dexterity.

Loved every minute of this book. It is dark and creepy, is a slow burn of a novel with a lot going on. Grave robbing, medical experiments, big secrets and so much more. The characters are well written and the entire vibe is dark and creepy and leaves you constantly needing to know what happens next. This was my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last.

Solid read! I’ve just begun requesting most of Wicked House’s books at this point because they never seem to let me down.

This was no different. The mid 1920s setting with the grave robbing and reanimates was absolutely a creepy one.

I did find the last 1/3 of the book to be a bit hurried. I still had some unfinished questions that I would have loved to have had answered. Despite that I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I requested this book from NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing and jumped in blindly. I was not disappointed. The first chapter with late night grave robbing pulled me right in, and the book never let go. This is like a modern day Dr. Frankenstein with attempting to reanimate corpses, secret societies, and a reporter caught in the mix. It’s a frightening novel without the usual horror ingredients. No ghosts, no demons, no haunting…but still gives you a deep sense of dread. A fear of death. Very well done, Mr. Scipione!

Happy release day
Never Dead is a good Frankenstein story coming from a perspective of playing God. We have a reporter, groundskeeper (a very likable character) a greedy rich guy and an evil sociopathic doctor.
Michael Jacob’s goes to a small community outside of Chicago to investigate some grave robbings. Coming from the big city he is tired of the politics fake reporting on the mob bosses of Chicago. He’s looking forward to a good story elsewhere. What he finds is more than he bargained for. A secret society of rich people who want to live forever.
Years later, in current time, the story comes around to another reporter heading to the same town to investigate Jacob’s disappearance nearly 100 years ago.
Worth the read. I hope the grammatical errors are taken care of. Although it was a good ending, I did want more

I want to thank #netgalley and #wickedhouse publishing for my ARC

A very dark, twisty and gripping historical horror that kept me on the edge. The author is an excellent storyteller and i enjoyed this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5 stars rounded to 5. Although Joe Scipione is not a new author to me, and I've enjoyed everything I've read of his, I think this is his richest book yet: it unfolds as an excellent meditation on monstrousness, callousness, and the threat of scientific arrogance, on so many levels at once! The writing feels calm and balanced, without overdoing the plot twists and ending with a story contrived and tiresome. On the contrary, Scipione takes care to avoid showing his hand before the right time. In fact, timing in this novel seems to me to be everything: from the opening scene (grave robbing) to the middle scenes that rely heavily on dialogue (among the members of a secret society with a sinister, if a bit implausible, scientific project), the story touches on so many issues and throws so many curveballs at the reader till the big reveal, you can only stnad back and admire the author's storytelling skills. My single complaint would be the lack of a stronger atmosphere of 1920s Chicago; too much is taken for granted and built upon, losing somewhat the feeling for setting. Other than that (and that's an insignificant issue, when one takes the book's intricate plot into account), Scipione's novel is genuine entertainment for all horror fans!

As I do with most (all) of Wicked House Publishing, I requested the book without reading the description. I loved the author's Mr. Nightmare series and was excited to read more by him. The book did not disappoint.

It starts with one of our main characters, Clyde, digging ... at night, in the rain ... in a cemetery ... to then steal a body with his employer, Mr. Creighton. Talk about a chapter to start a book! Especially since I hadn't read the blurb about the book, I had no idea what to expect, but chapter 1 grave robbing was not it.

The story alternates between Clyde/Creighton chapters and a newspaper writer, Michael Jacobs. Jacobs lives/writes in Chicago - the newspapers can't write any mob stories because there's so much corruption that the Powers That Be squash the stories. As a result, he decides to investigate these grave robbing rumors in the suburbs. The author does a very good job of jumping between the two POVs. The chapters often ended where I wanted more of that character's story, but it wasn't done in a heavy handed way (e.g. "and Clyde couldn't believe what happened next!" end of chapter -- that type of cliffhanger gets old after a few times. The author did not do that. I wanted more but didn't feel like I was being needlessly teased)

We find out that Creighton belongs to a secret society doing experiments on the dead bodies. The story reminded me a bit of season 1 of the Frankenstein Chronicles show. The science/logic was a bit questionable, but I believed when the author said there's a realm of Nightmare creatures who feed on people's nightmares, so I can't really complain about questionable science :) I had to suspend some disbelief and kept raising my eyebrows, but it wasn't awful.

Overall, this was a very unique story with an interesting take on the "let's dig up dead bodies for creepy experiments" plot.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

Thank you to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for providing a review copy.

For fans of: medical experimentation, Frankenstein
This is a slow burn of a novel with a lot going on. There's grave robbing, medical experiments, journalism, and even a dual timeline. The book was slow going, but it did keep me entertained. Never Dead would be a good choice for any medical prompts on book challenges this year.

This is kind of a spin on the classic Frankenstein tale, set mostly in the 1920s, just outside Chicago, with the story then moving to the present day about two thirds of the way through. It started off great but ultimately I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped to. The science/technology is very vaguely explained and is totally implausible so I didn't buy into that aspect of the story at all. It would have made more sense if perhaps it turned out to be alien in origin! As it was, the story seemed a bit lackluster, though I did quite like the ending. Thank you NetGalley and Wicked House for the opportunity to read this book. Sorry I cannot be a bit more positive on this occasion.

I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book Back in Oct, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.

Creepy, eerie, spooky take. Such a wonderful author. A unique tale that was really refreshing when all todays horror stories usually have over-used tropes. I enjoyed this very much and will now look for more books by this author, who was new to me.

What is it about Chicago stories landing in my lap recently?

I reviewed Cynthia Pelayo's Forgotten Sisters last week. You can read the review here. Like all of Cynthia's books, it's set in Chicago. I haven't read any of Joe's stories before. I came into this fresh, but the beginning drew me in.

The opening, and so much of this book, reminds me of Frankenstein. The gothic feel, the trips to the graveyard, and other things about the story. There's a darkness to this story that's unsettling. It's a deep yearning in humanity to continue. So many of us fear death. The older I get, the more it comes to the forefront.

Joe brings this out. He doesn't talk about it, except in small moments between characters as they're being "fitted" with the devices that would change humanity. Joe could have taken a more graphic tone with the fittings and all it entails. He took a more tame path. It fits better with the story.

Behind the story of Creighton, the Doctor(who we never know his name), and Clyde, there's the story of the reporter, Michael. I liked this part of the story almost more than the other three.

I care about Michael. I care about his family and what he's trying to do in Chicago. I also understand his fear. He wants to dive into the mob stories in Chicago, but the fear of doing that and/or losing his family holds him to change what he does.

His journey and the journey of the other three collide. Michael's investigation throws him into the crosshairs of the other three, unwittingly so. It's in Michael, not Clyde, whom I grew to feel sorry for, that I wanted to see become triumphant. Clyde is the man who hides his intelligence, while Michael puts it on display, to his detriment.

In the end, Michael falls prey to the other three. It's when the story recommenced after years pass that we see Michael become the hero he wanted to be. He does it to save someone from his fate. He chooses to become the hero. Clyde does the same by Michael's side.

When we recommence with the story, it feels more like a vampire or zombie story. This turn of story lands perfectly, in my opinion. Joe does a great job of imagery throughout the novel. From the lightning, the graveyard, the catacombs under the house, there's the monolith of the house itself.

I grew up in a town with great old houses. They felt intimidating, though their beauty was majestic. Creighton's house is no different. If you've toured an old house, you know the feeling. The smell of the wood, the way the light pours through the front windows at certain times of the day. It has that reverent feeling, much the way the house in Forgotten Sisters does the same thing.

Both houses in the last two stories I've reviewed are characters of their own. Each of them holds secrets. And each plays a part in the greater story within the house itself.

I loved the feeling of this novel. I'll be looking for Joe's other books at my local library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4.5 stars

Joe Scipione has always been a great author. This might be my favorite so far. It was wonderfully written, and kept me enthralled the whole time. He really shows you that the real monsters are often human.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! As one of the reviewers said, it's the Frankenstein retelling we've all been waiting for. Well-written, with compelling characters and well-paced plot. You can't go wrong!

This is a wonderfully written novel that manages to frighten you even though there isn't anything supernatural. No ghosts, no creatures, no vampires or werewolves. But the subjects this book deals with are terrifying to imagine and makes for a thrilling chilling read.

I would call this book the modern day Frankenstein we've all been waiting for. It deals with reanimating corpse's, immortality, and how far evil men will go for the allure of money. And it does so with a one two punch narrative that just feels creepy throughout.

Part of this novel is set in the 1920s and part is set in modern times. These two timelines will meet in some very gruesome and unexpected ways as the story progresses. And what a great story it is!

An evil doctor with no moral code, a group of wealthy people who finance an experiment of the most morbid kind in an attempt to gain even more money, and a twisted rich man behind it all who will see these experiments carried out even if the subjects aren't volunteering.

There's also a reporter who's trying to uncover the truth and this will put him firmly in the cross hairs of this group. What happens after is so darkly and fantastically twisted I guarantee you won't see it coming.

I highly recommend this book.