Featured on: Cosmopolitan’s “21 Scariest Horror Books of All Time”Joe works at a facility that performs human experimentation.His work just followed him home. The government wanted to unlock hidden abilities in the human mind.They put subjects in extreme sensory deprivation.All the test subjects went violently insane.But the research continued.Today it has been perfected.Almost perfected.From the … violently insane.
But the research continued.
Today it has been perfected.
Almost perfected.
From the author of In My Father’s Basement comes another chilling novel that’s a must-read for fans of horror. “Gruesome, gripping, and terrifyingly real!”
REVIEWS:
“A sick, fresh twist on the usual thriller/horror genre”
“Like watching a horror film”
“Refreshingly original”
“A page turner you won’t want to put down”
“No book has ever made goosebumps run down my spine this much.”
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Set in a secret government facility that conducts dangerous experiments on human subjects, Intercepts is a suspense/horror novel that grabbed my attention from page one.
There is a definite element of unknown with Intercepts. As a reader, I understood the experimentation element to some degree, but even after reading a third of the book, what exactly was taking place remained unclear. It didn’t detract at all from the story, but served to enhance the novel’s intensity.
The book definitely started out strong and kept my attention. It was a good read and definitely intense, but I felt the later portions of the book were a bit predictable. I would have loved to finish the book with that sense of dread that some horror novels leave the reader with, but this one didn’t quite hit that mark. Nevertheless, it was engaging and suspenseful.
3.5/5
Hmm, not bad, but not amazing either.
This was my first read by this author, and while I had some mixed feelings, I had a good time overall.
This novel centers on a hard-working guy named Joe. He works at a secret base where individuals known as ‘antennae’ are used in horrific experiments to gain useful knowledge in the outside world.
The blurb reminded me of Project MKUltra (it’s a real thing, so look it up if you don’t know about this bizarre piece of history!), and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.
The characters were intriguing, but I wanted a little more. Joe is your typical workaholic. He’s grown estranged from his family over time, but I didn’t pity him much because he didn’t have many redeeming qualities. He’s a ‘yes man’ through and through, and it took a lot for him to shift his thinking and get on the right track. That made sense given where he started from, but I wanted to root for him and just couldn’t bring myself to.
Riley, Joe’s daughter, was handled a bit better. You could really tell how awkward their relationship was, and she was thrust into a bizarre situation with no idea what was going on.
There was enough backstory revealed to keep me intrigued with these characters, but there was a lot of telling throughout the novel. I wanted the characters to speak for themselves more through their actions.
The plot really had me hooked from the beginning. My favorite parts were the tuning sessions with the antennae and the last section of the book where things reached a climax. There was also a nice element of mystery surrounding these antennae and what they are capable of, mixed with some gore here and there.
However, I feel I could’ve used some more changes of scenery. Most of the book takes place in this facility, and while that started out great, taking the story elsewhere more often would have made things better and less redundant.
Ultimately, this horror novel wasn’t without its faults, but it’s still entertaining enough for me to recommend if you’re looking to give this author a go. Happy reading!
Such a fast-paced thrill ride. A great twist at the end makes this one a hell of a memorable novel!
Very graphic details and scary because it seems like something that could occur in real life.
A page-turning thriller novel that keeps you wondering what, precisely, is happening to the characters throughout the first-half without being confusing, It’s a very fun ride into a world of government and corporate conspiracies and keeps you hooked all the way through.
Joe’s job at a secret government facility has its perks. It’s easy, cushy, and everything goes on routine. In the facility, his staff takes care of a handful of beings known as “antennas.” These antennas are humans who have been stripped of their consciousness while being kept alive. They’ve never really been dangerous, until one of the oldest antennas kills a caretaker. As things begin to spiral, and Joe’s daughter, Riley, connects to one of them, he’s left to wonder just how much of their consciousness actually remains beneath the surface.
This is the spookiest horror books I’ve come across so far this year.
The idea of consciousness and what lies beyond mixed with that of a hivemind is the stuff of nightmares. To me, this almost read as a sci-fi thriller with the secret facility. The last two hours of the audiobook really ramped up the horror though. There’s something about the image of a person being lost in their own body that’s truly chilling.
While the plot was fantastic and imaginative, it wasn’t the only thing I liked about this book. I also enjoyed the characters. Joe was very down-to-Earth and so was his daughter, Riley. Her slow decline into uncertainty was fun to read. Especially toward the end when I started questioning what was actually happening, and what was hallucinations.
Narration was chilling and made the story even more entertaining.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Whoa!
Great Book. I’m always looking for the next great Horror Book, and this is it. Hoping for way more from TJ Payne.
This is a haunting book which describes what a shadow organization within the US government is truly capable of doing. Removing all stimulus to people and using them in grotesque conditions to “find the bad guys”. The book is about revenge, families torn apart and futuristic science that seems all too possible in the near future. The characters are well evolved as the author draws you into the story. I highly recommend this book for those who like SCI-fi, evil government control and revenge. There are some graphic scenes, so beware.
A fast-paced story, easy to read and the ending twist was both unexpected and satisfying. One word of warning: If you have issues with gore, this won’t be the book for you. I don’t, and books don’t scare me anymore either, but I could see how this one could. Some of the images could definitely keep one up at night, were one so inclined. Definitely an entertaining read!