Anathema

By: Nick Roberts

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Bryan and Ellie Stockton hope they left behind their demons when they move to their idyllic new home in southern West Virginia. Above all, they want a fresh start for their young son, Derrick, who witnessed the tumultuous first years of their marriage—years that were rife with substance abuse, rage, and resentment. Their bright hope for the future is darkened when a child disappears from their neighborhood. The couple becomes suspicious of a reclusive resident with a degenerative brain disorder. Strange events begin to happen in their house just as Derrick tells them about a new friend who visits him at night. Their son may be acting out from the trauma he endured, or he could be the obsession of something much more sinister.

©2020 Nick Roberts (P)2023 Tantor

Excellent

You never quite know where Nicks story lines are going to go and this was no exception. Just when you think you have it figured out you’re wrong in all the best ways. His horror is some of the best you will find. Absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more!

Suspenseful, Disturbing and Deep

Let me say this, before you purchase this book you should listen to "The Exorcist House" but of course its not a requirement.

Wow this book had me going through a range of emotions. The fact that this book not only focuses on demons in a supernatural sense but also on a personal level is expertly written. You will find yourself connecting with the Characters and getting pulled into the story.

Nick Roberts is quickly becoming one of my favorite supernatural writer's and this story just solidified it!

GET THIS BOOK

Solid Brutal Horror

This was a solid horror read from start to finish and I believe his debut novel. It starts with a bang and some good mystery. It then takes us down a few notches and steadily builds the horror of a family moving into a new neighborhood only to be terrorized by a dark presence... perhaps a crazy neighbor... perhaps more? It gets brutal by the end. Also, it's related to some of his other books. So far, I've only read "The Exorcist's House" (which is a sort of prequel to "Anathema") but I will read the others. A few quibbles with things characters did here or there but nothing serious. 4 stars

Felt like a really good short story

I liked the book. I felt like there could have been way more to it than what was given. The parts of horror were well told but everything else was sort of rushed over. The reader made it a hard sell, he was so monotoned and his variance in voices from person to person was barely noticable. I will still continue to read Nick Roberts books, but wish this one just gave more to the reader.

Good Story

I really liked the story. It’s interesting. The narrator gave a good performance. Each character had a distinct voice.

Is it a movie yet?!?!

I'm speechless, this is a brilliant book! I totally didn't feel like I was reading "more of the same", which is amazing! it's original, it's scary, it's awesome! 👍🏻☺️

Ok story, narration not great.

The story was just ok, the narration was bad. He puts the inflection of his sentences in weird places, the way no one speaks. I listen to a lot of audio books so my standards are higher than most. He would be better suited to read technical manuals or children’s stories.

Great story and perfect narrator.

Joe Hempel is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators and he was the perfect pick for this great story. The story is cruel, startling, and well paced - traits that fit us disturbed Horror readers well. After this story, I look forward to checking out what other stories Nick Roberts has to offer!

bloody hell

that was not what I expected! I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of Nick's other work and have just skipped over this one! you're welcome!

Flat Gore Horror

This probably would've been a DNF for me if I actually read the book. The narration made the book tolerable.

A young family moves into a townhouse. They have their issues which are exacerbated by a weird neighbor. The story heavily relies on gore, multiple mentions of body hair (the horror!), and predictable shock value.

While the concept could've been suspenseful, the execution was very flat.