Winner Best Debut Novel, Indie Horror Book AwardsInquisitr’s Best Horror Books of 201812 of the Best Scary Audiobooks of 2018, Insider
New York audiobook narrator Peter Larson and his wife Hannah head to his hometown of Maple City to help Peter’s ailing father and to put a recent tragedy behind them. Though the small, Midwestern town seems the idyllic place to start afresh, Peter and Hannah will … idyllic place to start afresh, Peter and Hannah will soon learn that evil currents flow beneath its surface.
They move into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town—a house purchased by Peter’s father at auction and kept secret until now—and start to settle into their new life.
But as Peter sets up his recording studio in a small basement room, disturbing things begin to occur—mysterious voices haunt audio tracks, malevolent shadows creep about the house. And when an insidious presence emerges from the woodwork, Peter must face old demons in order to save his family and himself.
“The Nightmare Room is one creepy little gem! I highly recommend this fantastic 5 star read!”
HORROR MAIDEN’S BOOK REVIEWS
“Holy hell it’s been awhile since I whipped through a book so fast. And not because I was eager to be done with it but because it was just so good.”
SCI-FI & SCARY
“The author has a knack for cliffhangers that make you want to start reading the next chapter immediately.”
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Time for honesty–I don’t remember buying this book. I don’t remember choosing it, or even seeing an ad for it on Amazon or BookBub. I found it on my Kindle one sleepless night after finishing another book.
But I am so glad I did pick it up, and I’m glad I found it loitering on my Kindle and decided to read it. I enjoyed this book a lot–Chris Sorensen wrote an excellent book–he created a world I can believe in, created characters I loved spending time with.
The book is at times creepy, at times poignant. The prose is clean and enjoyable. The dialog is crisp and believable. Yes, all those things are important, but the biggest praise I can levy at this book is its originality. You may think you know where Sorensen is taking you as you read this tale, but you will be mistaken.
If you want a fresh new horror novel to devour, grab a copy of this book. You won’t be sorry.
This is one terrific read! A total page-turner – it kept me up in the wee smalls, unable to put it down!
The story revolves around audiobook narrator, Peter Larson, and his wife, Hannah, who, after the tragic death of their son, move from New York to Maple City, Illinois, the town Peter grew up in. His father, in the early stages of dementia, is being transferred to a nursing home and Peter plans on moving to the old family homestead. However, when they arrive, Peter and Hannah are informed by the realtor that the home is to be sold to pay for the cost of his mother’s and father’s long-term care.
But fear not, Hannah and Peter will not be orphans of the storm, Dad owns another property – an old abandoned farm house sadly in need of some tender loving care. When Hannah, still grieving for her lost son, sees the house, it kindles something inside of her and she throws herself into the renovation project. Peter is not as enthusiastic, but does not want to extinguish the spark he sees in his wife’s eyes – a spark that has been missing since the boy’s death. Needless to say, there are things in this farmhouse that cannot be fixed by hammer and nails or a fresh coat of paint. The basement, especially, holds terrors that soon begin to plague Peter’s mind.
Full of twists and turns, Sorensen’s narrative moves effortlessly through both the supernatural and real tortures of the mind. His depiction of the grief experienced by Hannah and Peter is so real it is almost palpable. These are fully-fleshed characters who are easy to identify with and become invested in.
I loved this book. It’s one of the best horror novels I’ve read in a long time. The first in a series (The Messy Man Series), I can’t want to see what Sorensen comes up with next. Most highly recommended.
THE NIGHTMARE ROOM starts off as a great haunted house tale but then evolves into something else altogether. I loved it!
Peter and his wife Hannah return to Peter’s hometown after a family tragedy. A fresh start in Maple City is just what they needed. Moving into an old farmhouse, disturbing things begin to happen, (as they often do in these types of tales), and from there, hang on tight because it’s a crazy ride!
Fast paced with characters I could really root for, I found it difficult to put this book down. I know everyone says that, and I know that the week it took me to read this book doesn’t seem that fast. However, with everything I had going on in real life over the last 2 weeks, it truly is a miracle I was able to read anything at all. This is a testament to the quality and pace of the writing.
Will Peter and his wife get to the bottom of what is going on in their old farmhouse? Will they survive it if they do? You’ll have to read this to find out!
This was my first read from author Chris Sorensen and I’m starting part 2 in THE MESSY MAN series today. That should be another indicator of how much fun I had with this book!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/35jCWmx
*Thanks to the author for the signed paperback copy he sent in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
**I apologize that it took so long to read this book. I regret it!**
***I had already purchased the Kindle copy of this book when the author contacted me, which is why my review on Amazon shows as a verified purchase.***
I absolutely enjoyed everything about this book and can’t wait to start The Hungry Ones which is the next book in The Messy Man series. I highly recommend this book for all the horror-loving bibliophiles looking for their next read. You will no doubt devour this book as I did.
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I couldn’t finish this book fast enough! I had to know what was going to happen next. There were a few twist and turns in this one I didnt see coming and I enjoyed them all.
This was such a good read! So glad I snagged it when I did!
Characters related really well, and the back story was amazing.
Cant wait for book 2!
I love it…Don’t go in the basement. LOL Bad things happen in the basements of horror novels and I must admit, at least through words, I want to be one of the first to venture into the dark, dank depths of the abyss.
Once you read The Nightmare Room, you will realize how appropriate the tag line is to the story.
As soon as Peter Larson returned to his home town, Maple City, I knew…it’s on. The scenario made me think of Steven King and I am eager to see if Chris Sorensen can meet my expectations.
Peter’s life is messy and it’s not getting any better since the move. One problem after another. Isn’t that life for all of us? Peter is the thinker, Hannah is the doer.
Hannah thinks positive, when she sees the house:
A broke place we can put back together.
I wonder how long she’ll be saying that. LOL
Peter thinks:
This was every house in every horror movie he’d ever seen.
He saw the padlock and I thought, walk away dude. Don’t open that door. Don’t do it….then I thought, DO IT. DO IT. DO IT, as a big smile lit up my face. Oh yeah, some call me Scary Sherry and I’m proud of it!
A haunted house, yes, but it is so much more than that. Peter meets it up close and personal, while Hannah is along for the ride.
The suspense and anticipation kept me flipping the pages. Plenty of chills, thrills, and bumps in the night. First I feared for Peter, then Hannah, who would not let him face IT alone.
The story seemed familiar, but, it didn’t stay that way. I love the spin Chris Sorensen gave The Nightmare Room, and the ending…Well done. In the last chapter, each page unfolded giving more delight than the last. Surprised me and I dare say it will surprise you too.
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It was an entertaining read. Enough twists to keep you turning the page. I would recommend this book to others.
Enjoyable read. Good character building. Original ending.
I enjoyed this book! I couldnt stop reading. Wonderful characters. This book would make a great movie.
I think this was an interesting story line. I actually read a book similar in ending to this before and it really didn’t land well but this one was far more interesting, proving to do justice to this ending type. I liked the creepy imagery in this and the few jump points in time. It was well laid out, the characters were interesting and I got invested in this story. It is nothing extravagant but it was fun. It wasn’t too complicated, not too emotional or depth driven, but it was fun and sometimes you just want a little scare from a good horror. I think if you’re just looking for an easy to read, creepy novel, this is a good pick. I plan on reading the next and hope it to be just as good.
It is a good read that will give you nightmares about the story line
I enjoyed this one.
The Nightmare Room is one of the best horror novels I’ve read this year. Written by a veteran audiobook narrator, it has a unique perspective, some truly creepy moments, and a heartfelt and surprising climax. If you enjoy horror with heart, this one is for you.
I really liked this phycological horror, at times it drew me into the storyline but by the end I was dissatisfied. 3 1/2 stars
It was ok. There were a few misses by the editor but I did enjoy it.