The Torment of Rachel Ames

 The Torment of Rachel Ames by Jeff Gunhus  180 pages

Author Jeff Gunhus scared the ^%)* out of me with his book, Night Chill. So much in fact that I’m kinda scared to read the sequel. In fact, I think I’ll wait until Daylight Savings Time resumes. When he offered to send me a copy of his new novella, The Torment of Rachel Ames, I, of course, said, “YES!”. After all, how scary can a novella be? Then….OMG! Another night of no sleeping.

Rachel Ames suffers from writer’s block. With her two best friends, Underwood and Daniels strapped into the passenger seat, she heads to an isolated cabin. As she gets closer and closer, something feels off. Not just right. But there’s nothing she can put her finger on. 

The landlord, John, seems nice, and may be interested. He keeps bringing food and checking on her. The idea of messing around soon skittles out of her mind---she’s a married woman after all. There is another cabin across the lake, a gnarly old codger named Granger, who is ticked off at the world. Then there are the sounds…every time she lets her mind go quiet, the sounds of an intense fire and sirens can almost be heard. Is she near a forest fire?

One night, the cabin is attacked by a large bird and a wolf. But when Rachel finally gets up the courage to go outside and investigate, there are no bodies, no blood, no broken glass, nothing.

Soon she begins to question her sanity…yet something tells her it isn’t her.

 

Don’t want to give anymore away, but the last scene had me gasping. I feel lucky I didn’t have nightmares!