Black Friday

By: James Kaine

Narrated by: Tom Jordan

The Mall Doors are locked and there’s only one way out…over a pile of dead bodies.

Logan Talbot is no stranger to war. Retired from the Marine Corps, he watches as his best friend now fights a different kind of battle against a deadly illness. A fight that requires more money that either of them have.

So when Logan is approached by a stranger with an offer that seems too good to be true—a chance to win millions of dollars in cash on Black Friday—he knows it’s his only chance to help his friend. What he doesn’t know is that he will find himself locked in a shopping mall with dozens of other desperate contestants.

And the only way to win is to kill them.

Now, along with Logan, a single mother, an online model, a crooked cop and a college student will join the throngs of players that will be forced to turn to savage violence. Not just to win, but to survive a game orchestrated by a madman. A contest broadcast for the entertainment of the sickest, most depraved individuals on the dark web.

How far will they go to survive Black Friday?

©2024 James Kaine (P)2024 James Kaine

Dark and full of gore

Black Friday is a work of horror that straddles the line between dark horror and splatterpunk. I was expecting more horror and less gore, but the work was clear and engaging. This might not be for every reader due to the amount of gore involved, but splatterpunk fans would enjoy this. I wouldn't recommend this for every reader because this is going to appeal to a specific audience.

You can find Black Friday is on KU, but it is also available as audiobook.

And you thought your Black Friday was bad!!

If you enjoy a good slasher movie, you will love this book. It's a mix of a Hunger Games-type contest, mixed with plenty of gruesome deaths and gore. Then, add in a few sadistic (and truly horrific) villains and you have the perfect storm!

The author does a great job of introducing the reader to the cast of characters and I enjoyed their backstories a lot. Why would someone subject themselves to a contest with unknown parameters? For money, of course! If you are facing bankruptcy, huge medical bills, cruel loansharks or Mob gangsters, a night at an abandoned mall fighting to get millions of dollars doesn't seem so bad.

There is plenty of action and lots of graphic scenes, but as a person who doesn't really enjoy extreme horror, I didn't find this one to be over the top. The addition of the unexpected "animals" made the dread even more palpable. There were also some emotional moments in the book that were a refreshing break from the mayhem of the contest.

The narrator did a great job with the audiobook and added a lot to this book. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites when I want a well-written, entertaining horror book.

definitely dark and twisty

I absolutely loved this book.
The narrator did an amazing job.
Do I see a Black Friday 2 possibly coming???

The mall from hell

Received an audio copy from the author, this is an honest review. Gorgeously narrated by Tom Jordan, Black Friday is a hauntingly disturbing survival story that the author James Kaine beautifully engages his readers with his realistic grounded characters trapped in an abandoned mall; pawns for a twisted online influencer named Vortex and numerous psycho viewers that watch the gory game unfold. Each of Vortex's victims believed this "opportunity" coming to this old mall could grant them the money each and every one of them desperately needed; to discover themselves awash in a nightmare with no chance to escape. For Logan Talbot, he's nobody's victim and won't let a serial killer determined his fate and with those he trusts as allies in this bloody arena maybe through knowledge and sheer luck can survive this shit show... and perhaps bring a shocking twist to Vortex the person won't see coming.


Highly recommended.

🫠🫠🫠

really enjoyed this book in the grotesque scenes didn't expect the it to end the way it did

Battle royale with epic build up

Don’t let your kids read this. Bought this off the sales rack and wasn’t disappointed in the least. Took a few chapters to set up but I read this in one day. Truly gory and very detailed oriented. I will read more of this author.

Love it!

Outstanding story writing, Incredible voice performance. Gory, intense, some parts a little funny. Very entertaining and engaging from the start.

Bloody and f’d up. Just like I like ‘em

This story was fantastic and the narration was on point. Absolutely love the ending after it tries announcing that this story was brought to you by audible. Really dealt a nice surprise.

Even better the second time

I had the privilege of reading this in physical form. When the audiobook dropped I scooped it up. This book is so much bloody and gory fun that I could not stop listening. James Kaine always knocks it out of the park. He is and will continue to be an author I constantly buy from!

I really enjoyed the set up of the characters before the carnage started!

nothing really, maybe a second book 😁! I really enjoyed Black Friday! Now I need a another book to listen to!