What would you do if someone close to you died and you couldn't say goodbye? Would you mourn them, or bring them back from the dead?

All the ghost stories (Bloody Mary, Candyman, etc) scared me as a child, this was no different. This took that to a whole new level and then some.

You want to see your family member again? Just be careful what you wish for.

3.5 stars. Grief horror is one of my favorite sub-genres, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I flew through the first 100 or so pages, loving the opening bathroom scene and the subsequent boat one. Solid ending as well. However, I was hoping for more emotional pull from this story. Part of problem is the surface level characters, particularly the main character, Alex. I never quite grasped who he actually is, so it became difficult to be invested in his story.

Alex wants to reach his dead uncle to make things right. Alex better be careful something else is in this town It is hungry. Do things really die or do they wait. Chilling read full of suspense filled creepiness. Pulls you in.

After a decently rough life, Alex has everything going for him. A decent job, a house, a loving fiance, and a baby on the way. One day he gets a call - his uncle, the man who raised him, has passed away.

Years before, he had a falling out with him. He was there for him every step of the way until their fight, and now Alex is full of regrets. He goes back to the trailer Uncle Matty left to him to see the sad life he led in the years they had no contact. Grief appears in many ways. Desperate ways.

Alex remembers an event that happened with a girl in high school, one longing to bring her deceased brother back. He remembers the steps. He also remembers getting interrupted and it not working. But he also remembers the footprints he found in the tub.

He attempts to summon his uncle back. He wants to apologize. He just wants closure. But what appears isn't what he wanted. It's not what he wanted at all.

These Things Linger confronts grief and terror in ways that I never encountered before. There were several parts of the book where I wondered what was going to happen next because there was either too much left in the book or too little left in the book for it to continue going in the same direction. There's so much despair. So much pain.

The cover art? Brilliant. It takes new meaning once you realize what it really is.

I absolutely loved this book. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dan Franklin, and Cemetery Dance Publications for the ARC!

This title says it all! This book had me paranoid and filled me with a sense of dread. It was fast paced, and a lot of times it feels like more like a movie than a book. The descriptions were so vivid, and the entity is just terrifying! This book is creepy and heart breaking all at the same time.

When Alex’s estranged uncle, the man who raised him, dies, he finds himself desperate for answers and closure. In an attempt to gain these, he tries an old summoning he learned when he was young from a girlfriend—but what ends up coming through to the other side now puts the lives of his fiance, unborn child, and the entire town in peril.

Including themes of family secrets and legacy, the occult, and making amends, this book was a unique story that was both horrifying and touching. The “entity” was extremely unique and the descriptions were detailed and terrifying. The characters in this book were well written and interesting and there were quite a few twists I did not see coming that made me want to read this book in one sitting. Without giving anything away, I usually hate endings like this one but for this book it was well played. This is the second book by Dan Franklin that I have read, and I am really loving the writing and style so far. Keep them coming! Thank you to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for the ARC.

"Some things die hard and secrets are perhaps the hardest of all.”

This is the second novel I’ve read from this author, and if there’s one thing I can say about it, it’s this: Dan Franklin writes horror with a heart. Throughout the entire book, I couldn’t help but feel like he was speaking directly to me about his own experiences. It’s rare that I’m able to actually feel the emotion behind the words I’m reading, but I could here. I’m usually not a fan of stories involving ghosts, as they’re all very similar, and I just think it’s overdone. This book, however, introduces us to a “creature” far beyond your typical ghost story. I liked the general concept, it’s something new to me, and I think it's an interesting and unique take. Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed the descriptions of it doing what it does and what it looks like. I do wish we were given more information on the “creature” itself though, like what it truly is and why/how it exists. I’m a sucker for a good, fleshed out background story. I was also left wanting more after the final scene. It could’ve been more action packed, considering the entire novel builds to it, and then we’re left with a few pages of “epic conclusion”. With that being said, I think this could’ve been a bit shorter too. It felt a little unnecessarily drawn out to me.

This novel features great writing, realistic, believable characters, and natural dialogue. It’s simplistic yet impactful, easy to digest, and flows well. I often find myself needing to reread sentences because of disjointed writing, but that wasn’t the case with this book. Our characters, especially Alex, experience grief, desperation, and trauma that drive them to extreme measures. This story really shows how susceptible to these things humans can be, and how important it is to seek healthy outlets. All of the characters also go through very real and normal emotions befitting their situations, and it makes it easy to connect with them on a personal level. I’ve read a lot of books with odd and awkward dialogue, where it suddenly changes or seems completely out of character. However, the conversations within this book left me with a clear picture of the characters’ personalities and mannerisms. These are are all aspects I look for in a book. All in all, this was a good read. It’s a slow burning, supernatural tale of why some things are better off left alone. There are some areas that fell flat, but others that I really enjoyed. If you like grief horror with a twist, be sure to check this out. The author has certainly found a faithful reader in me.

I appreciate Dan Franklin, Cemetery Dance Publications, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This horror novel explores grief, loss, and regret with utterly horrific elements along the way! 😱 The entity gives off major creepy vibes, especially in the earlier part of the book, but in the end I wasn’t quite sure what it really truly was. All in all, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it! ❤️

TW: animal death

Thank you to NetGalley, Cemetery Dance, and Dan Franklin for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cemetery Dance Publications strikes again! These Things Linger by Dan Franklin is a nightmarish masterpiece. From the first page of this novel, the reader is sucked in. Something is obviously wrong in Alex’s world, but from a literary standpoint, it is oh so right.

90% of this book was absolute perfect. It was the last 10% of sci-fi horror that is somewhat reminiscent of Andy Davidson’s The Hollow Kind and Stephen King’s The Mist that actually threw the story off for me. I appreciate the shock factor but honestly wanted a true haunting, ghost eater type story. Otherwise this book was an absolute win and I will be recommending it highly, especially around Halloween!

Very fitting name as this book does seem to linger a lot. Significantly too long and slow as all hell for very little seemingly to happen throughout. I get being a slow burn for atmosphere building but this really did little to help at all.

I enjoyed the story even though it was a little different to the horror I normally read. The scary stuff was a bit slow to start but once it did I enjoyed it.

As teens Alex and his then-girlfriend Lacey started a ritual to bring back her older brother, who had died in the army. They left the ritual unfinished. Many years later, Alex does the ritual again when his estranged Uncle Matty dies , hoping to ask some lingering, unanswered questions. The ritual succeeds and Uncle Matty returns, but something has come with Uncle Matty. Something troublesome.

I found that this book held my interest throughout. The concept was compelling and
interesting…the consequences of attempting to contact the dead. What can happen when you open a door that was meant to remain closed, The story had heart interspersed with the horror, and that was a nice touch.

While I enjoyed the actual story I found the author’s style a bit cumbersome and difficult to follow at times. I felt that I had to over-concentrate at times. The ending also felt slightly unfinished. I would love to see an excellent editor pour through this book and tweak it a bit for continuity.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CemeteryDancePublications for the opportunity to read and review #TheseThingsLinger

When he was a teenager, Alex and his then-girlfriend Lacey started (but never finished) a ritual to bring back her older brother, who had died in the army. Years later, when Alex's estranged Uncle Matty dies, Alex does the ritual again, in the hopes of asking his late uncle a few questions he'd never asked. This time, the ritual works, and Alex brings back Matty... as well as something else.

The premise and the characters of this story are sound (poor kid escaping home, complicated feelings of grief, good intentions go super bad) but the execution and plot are all over the place. Every time I thought I got a handle on what was going on, the story swerved — but not in a good way. Meh.

ARC provided by NetGalley

This was my first book by Dan Franklin and it definitely won't be my last. Franklin has a way of writing that is both beautiful and haunting. The characters in the story were very much three dimensional and I greatly enjoyed experiencing the main character's growth and development throughout the story. I'm also a great critic of endings, especially in horror books, and I found the ending to this book to be quite fitting.

Alex Wilson seems to have it all: a decent job, a fiancé, a baby on the way, and even his own home. But when the uncle who raised Alex passes away, he finds himself in search of answers. Through some horrible choices and utilizing a ritual learned in his young adulthood, Alex attempts to summon the ghost of his dead uncle. However, far more than a ghost manages to make its way through from the other side.

Haunting and atmospheric, this horror novel will leave a lasting impression. Though the horror itself is a bit slow to get started, the heartbreak will be sure to linger long after the story is over.

I loved Dan Franklin’s Eater of Gods! This book was just as good if not better! This is a fast read of super natural entities! Dan Franklins character and world building are massive in this one! This book left me excited for more from Franklin!

I really loved this book but I feel like it lacked something other than proper formatting. I also felt like it says ‘these things linger’ way to much! It’s due to be published February 15, 2024 and I am hoping that the author Dan Franklin will make a second edition of this book and get an editor. I have no doubt it could be a top seller and even be turned into a movie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for allowing me to ARC read this! I was not paid to read this and is my honest opinion.

Really impressive. It's scary, it's heartfelt, it's fun and it's ugly. Can't ask for more than that. This one's a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

This was well-written and I should note how nice the layout was. But I am so particular about horror and I didn’t love the story. It was 100% a me thing as I find horror has to hit in a specific way for me for it to work.

An incredible read for those looking for the following themes: supernatural, small town & family trauma, mental health.

Pacing works well, character development is great and growing up in a rural town it reminded me of people I know.

To be honest, this book captivated me from beginning to end. I usually rush through books trying to absorb as much of the story as I can. Dan’s prose made me slow down, and take the time to absorb this tale.

It’s interesting… a haunting gone wrong with terrible consequences. There’s also a lot of complex grief that the main character has to explore and navigate through.

I loved this story, but felt the ending could’ve been better to the readers. It feels like there’s more to this story that needs to be told; ultimately I got to the last page & it felt a little unfinished to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Cemetery Dance Publications for a copy!