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Horror in Small Towns #4
Suicide Town
You can visit the town, but you won't be leaving.
Dean is a bestselling writer who struggles with writer's block ever since the scandal. Between the accident and the public scandal, no publisher wants to work with him anymore - until his agent calls him one day to tell him he managed to sign a deal with a small publisher. Dean isn't thrilled, but his lack of excitement turns into frustration when he learns that his deadline to come up with an idea for a book is thirty days.
It is during his research of creepy internet legends that he stumbles upon the mysterious story of Suicide Town. This isolated little place is notorious for its high number of suicides, but that isn't the only thing it's famous for. The legend claims that any visitor who comes to Suicide Town ends up killing themselves soon after.
Inspired to write a book about Suicide Town, Dean decides to visit the town. At first glance, everything is normal except one minor thing - the townsfolk have strange rules they want Dean strictly to follow to the letter. The longer Dean spends in Suicide Town, the more he learns that the townsfolk are hiding something important from him; something dark that only they know.
By the time he learns why the rules are so important, it's far too late to leave without consequences. Writing the book falls into oblivion as Dean's main concern becomes how to survive his stay in Suicide Town.
Dean is a bestselling writer who struggles with writer's block ever since the scandal. Between the accident and the public scandal, no publisher wants to work with him anymore - until his agent calls him one day to tell him he managed to sign a deal with a small publisher. Dean isn't thrilled, but his lack of excitement turns into frustration when he learns that his deadline to come up with an idea for a book is thirty days.
It is during his research of creepy internet legends that he stumbles upon the mysterious story of Suicide Town. This isolated little place is notorious for its high number of suicides, but that isn't the only thing it's famous for. The legend claims that any visitor who comes to Suicide Town ends up killing themselves soon after.
Inspired to write a book about Suicide Town, Dean decides to visit the town. At first glance, everything is normal except one minor thing - the townsfolk have strange rules they want Dean strictly to follow to the letter. The longer Dean spends in Suicide Town, the more he learns that the townsfolk are hiding something important from him; something dark that only they know.
By the time he learns why the rules are so important, it's far too late to leave without consequences. Writing the book falls into oblivion as Dean's main concern becomes how to survive his stay in Suicide Town.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 1, 2022
Surprisingly a good read. Get past the first 2 chapters and your home free.
September 29, 2023
3.5 Stars
Video: https://youtu.be/DWp3ljyCkIk
I loved the premise of this novel with a small town setup that felt very reminiscent of a Junji Ito plot. The story had a fantastic start with a horror writer investigating a Creepypasta post. However when the story moved in the town setting, the writing became noticeably repetitive, particularly in the dialogue. This is a case where I loved the setup but the overall story and ending didn't quite hit the mark.
Video: https://youtu.be/DWp3ljyCkIk
I loved the premise of this novel with a small town setup that felt very reminiscent of a Junji Ito plot. The story had a fantastic start with a horror writer investigating a Creepypasta post. However when the story moved in the town setting, the writing became noticeably repetitive, particularly in the dialogue. This is a case where I loved the setup but the overall story and ending didn't quite hit the mark.
June 15, 2023
This one is a rather slow moving one until the last couple of chapters where things start happening really fast but it's a pretty enjoyable story. The characters are endearing so it never really gets boring even when it's rather slow, further proof that you really can't go wrong with a Bacic!
March 22, 2022
"Help me."
"Help me."
"Help me."
Well, that was on creepy ride through Suicide Town!
The story starts with Dean Watson, a once-best selling author, who is struggling with writer's block. Following a tragic accident, he finds his popularity all but canceled and is finally given an opportunity to get published if he can come up with a really good idea - in 30 days. He decides to write a story based on urban lore, and stumbles across the legend of Suicide Town - a small town somewhere in Oregon with an exceedingly high suicide rate, and rumors that if you visit there, you'll fall victim as well, even after you leave. So, what does he do? You guessed, it! He goes there, and what he finds is haunting.
Now, I've read this author before, so I know the creepiness factor I was in for, and I knew not to expect a "happy-ever-after" kind of ending. But from the minute Dean entered Pineridge, aka "Suicide Town", I was on the edge of my seat. The townsfolk were weird and secretive, clearly hiding something. Everyone is watching him. Then there were the rules. The strange, cryptic rules that Dean was told to follow. Well, you can probably see where this is leading.
So, all through the most of the book, I was thinking that maybe this was just some weird cult village with a nefarious leader or council. Creepy enough. Then Chapter 30 happened and I literally gasped, muttering "oh, no", and then it hit the fan.
I love how this author draws you in from the very start, and keeps you captivated all throughout the book. This might sound strange, but even when nothing is happening, there is something happening. Even when the character is performing an every day task (walking down the street, talking on the phone, etc), you are always waiting for that boot to drop, for something or someone to be watching or appearing out of nowhere. It's awesome.
This is one of the books in this authors Horror in Small Towns series. They are all stand-alone books and can be read in any order. I am not waiting to dive in to another one! I would recommend this one to anyone - just......follow the rules, ok?
"Help me."
"Help me."
Well, that was on creepy ride through Suicide Town!
The story starts with Dean Watson, a once-best selling author, who is struggling with writer's block. Following a tragic accident, he finds his popularity all but canceled and is finally given an opportunity to get published if he can come up with a really good idea - in 30 days. He decides to write a story based on urban lore, and stumbles across the legend of Suicide Town - a small town somewhere in Oregon with an exceedingly high suicide rate, and rumors that if you visit there, you'll fall victim as well, even after you leave. So, what does he do? You guessed, it! He goes there, and what he finds is haunting.
Now, I've read this author before, so I know the creepiness factor I was in for, and I knew not to expect a "happy-ever-after" kind of ending. But from the minute Dean entered Pineridge, aka "Suicide Town", I was on the edge of my seat. The townsfolk were weird and secretive, clearly hiding something. Everyone is watching him. Then there were the rules. The strange, cryptic rules that Dean was told to follow. Well, you can probably see where this is leading.
So, all through the most of the book, I was thinking that maybe this was just some weird cult village with a nefarious leader or council. Creepy enough. Then Chapter 30 happened and I literally gasped, muttering "oh, no", and then it hit the fan.
I love how this author draws you in from the very start, and keeps you captivated all throughout the book. This might sound strange, but even when nothing is happening, there is something happening. Even when the character is performing an every day task (walking down the street, talking on the phone, etc), you are always waiting for that boot to drop, for something or someone to be watching or appearing out of nowhere. It's awesome.
This is one of the books in this authors Horror in Small Towns series. They are all stand-alone books and can be read in any order. I am not waiting to dive in to another one! I would recommend this one to anyone - just......follow the rules, ok?
March 31, 2022
This was such a good creepy book. I went in with no expectations and I really really loved it.
May 7, 2023
Great creepy read, everyone loves stories set in small towns, even better when it’s suicide town.
April 7, 2022
Slow start but, stay with it!
This story could well have come from the pen of Stephen King, a slow and ponderous start leading to an explosive conclusion. A small town, with a history stretching back less than 60 years, isolated and ignored by society possesses a great secret. The town's residents have a habit of killing themselves. Along comes an outsider, a disturbed writer of note, who decides to confront the sickness infecting the town's populace. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
This story could well have come from the pen of Stephen King, a slow and ponderous start leading to an explosive conclusion. A small town, with a history stretching back less than 60 years, isolated and ignored by society possesses a great secret. The town's residents have a habit of killing themselves. Along comes an outsider, a disturbed writer of note, who decides to confront the sickness infecting the town's populace. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
July 21, 2024
I absolutely love urban legends so this book was awesome! It was creepy as fuck and everything I could have wanted. Boris Bacic might be my new favorite horror author.
December 20, 2022
This is such a dark, dark book even for the horror genre. The name, of course, gives that away but it is deeply unsettling and disturbing on all kinds of levels. As a horror aficionado who has built up a kind of tolerance for the macabre, the fact that this book made me feel so unsettled and shook can only be praised!
This book does an excellent job of portraying the forays of a down-on-his-luck author looking to get his life, and career, back on track by writing a new bestselling book. To do this, he settles on horror as his genre of choice and decides to begin some research about a place referred to as "Suicide Town," which is known for its disturbing number of suicides; many seemingly inexplicable. Being the dedicated writer he is, he decides to pay the town a visit to get some real inspiration for his story and that's where things really get spicy!
This book also does a good job of portraying the dark, oppressive atmosphere surrounding the town as well as the behavior and suspicion that an outsider to such a place is likely to face from the locals. The writer really instills moments of dread and fear, particularly during the later scenes and his trip through the woods. I felt every one of those steps, and his imagination in some parts taking over.
The reveal right at the very end was also divine and left the events of what happened very much open to interpretation. Sometimes I get frustrated by a book that doesn't fully reveal everything, but the way it was done here was perfect.
There were a few minor typo/editing issues with the book and the character of Iris I found to be somewhat annoying and a little unnecessary who sometimes took the edge off of the horror elements and made a little bit too light of a situation. There were definitely times when it was hard to believe a character could be talking so jovially or about such trivialities given the weight of the situation, and I felt the book could have done without a "comic relief" character at all but overall these are minor complaints about an otherwise exceptionally told story. It's also a little bit slow at the beginning, but the methodical setup has its charm and the payoff is well worth it.
For any fans of the horror genre, Creepypasta and /r/nosleep this one's definitely for you!
This book does an excellent job of portraying the forays of a down-on-his-luck author looking to get his life, and career, back on track by writing a new bestselling book. To do this, he settles on horror as his genre of choice and decides to begin some research about a place referred to as "Suicide Town," which is known for its disturbing number of suicides; many seemingly inexplicable. Being the dedicated writer he is, he decides to pay the town a visit to get some real inspiration for his story and that's where things really get spicy!
This book also does a good job of portraying the dark, oppressive atmosphere surrounding the town as well as the behavior and suspicion that an outsider to such a place is likely to face from the locals. The writer really instills moments of dread and fear, particularly during the later scenes and his trip through the woods. I felt every one of those steps, and his imagination in some parts taking over.
The reveal right at the very end was also divine and left the events of what happened very much open to interpretation. Sometimes I get frustrated by a book that doesn't fully reveal everything, but the way it was done here was perfect.
There were a few minor typo/editing issues with the book and the character of Iris I found to be somewhat annoying and a little unnecessary who sometimes took the edge off of the horror elements and made a little bit too light of a situation. There were definitely times when it was hard to believe a character could be talking so jovially or about such trivialities given the weight of the situation, and I felt the book could have done without a "comic relief" character at all but overall these are minor complaints about an otherwise exceptionally told story. It's also a little bit slow at the beginning, but the methodical setup has its charm and the payoff is well worth it.
For any fans of the horror genre, Creepypasta and /r/nosleep this one's definitely for you!
November 21, 2023
I had never heard of this author but I’m excited to read more. A creepy small town where the residents can’t ever leave. Great protagonist and characters. I really enjoyed it. Since this is part of a series “Horror In Small Towns” I am off to the next small town 😊
March 24, 2022
Suicide Town - 5/5
By Boris Bacic
Okay - I loved this book. This was by far my favourite in the series. Initially, I thought some weird cult thing was going on… but it was waaaay worse than that!
This book had me on edge and was almost like a haunted house story, but was more of a haunted town.
The cover of this book also made me super happy - I’m not entirely sure why though. This book was a bit graphic and had a few gory death scenes. Definitely not one to read if you have a delicate constitution.
I look forward to reading so much more by this author!
By Boris Bacic
Okay - I loved this book. This was by far my favourite in the series. Initially, I thought some weird cult thing was going on… but it was waaaay worse than that!
This book had me on edge and was almost like a haunted house story, but was more of a haunted town.
The cover of this book also made me super happy - I’m not entirely sure why though. This book was a bit graphic and had a few gory death scenes. Definitely not one to read if you have a delicate constitution.
I look forward to reading so much more by this author!
February 17, 2022
Fantastic
Horror in small towns is 100 percent accurate. I have enjoyed this series and hope there will be more :). The author draws you in and makes you wonder, does this kind of thing happen and we're unaware? Has it happened in the past? If not can it happen in the future? Questions to ponder (if you think outside the box). Definitely recommend this series.
Horror in small towns is 100 percent accurate. I have enjoyed this series and hope there will be more :). The author draws you in and makes you wonder, does this kind of thing happen and we're unaware? Has it happened in the past? If not can it happen in the future? Questions to ponder (if you think outside the box). Definitely recommend this series.
February 24, 2022
I was totally enthralled with the story from the moment the writer started to research the subject of his new book. The subject, kind of urban legend/ creepypasta was great. The characters and townspeople were wonderfully portrayed. The little touches like the weather this story more atmospheric. I would have loved to have a peek into the future to find out what the fallout is from all that happened, but I guess I'll use my imagination.
May 14, 2022
Loved it, loved it, loved it!!
May 21, 2023
3.5 not quite a 4
Shelved as 'unfinished'
August 31, 2024Between the nasally monotone of the narrator and the lack of anything interesting happening, I decided not to continue reading
October 12, 2023
3.5 This was a bit creepy and a little too predictable. The MC is a writer looking for inspiration and seeks out a small town known for its many suicides. The book often gave off some Silent Hill vibes but nothing as gory or dangerous. Once in the town MC Dean is given a few rules which are non-negotiable. Wouldn’t be much of a story if he didn’t break them. Personally I didn’t find Dean to be as smart as he came off even while slowly using some detective work to dive into the towns history. He made stupid mistakes and let his ego rule him. I mean a whole town doesn’t live like this for no reason. Why he thinks he can save the day or somehow be the hero I still don’t understand. It was a quick read and the audio made it easy to listen to.
August 18, 2024
Not really a "horror" novel, more like a suspenseful thriller. There was some gore but not a lot. I really enjoyed the writing style.
September 14, 2024
The main character is incredibly unlikeable and he has one simple rule to follow in order to not wreak havoc on a small town. He can’t do it, and in the end deserves everything he has coming to him. He’s basically like Billy in Gremlins if the gremlins were suicide.
August 6, 2024
The premise was cool. Execution not so much. Did NOT like this narrator.
February 24, 2022
Yet again, Bacic managed to creep me out with this incredibly atmospheric novel. It gets a little wacky near the end, but the story was unique and just dark as hell. Some may find this novel to be a bit slow, but I loved the way this one progresses. Great suspense, paced out wonderfully for the most part.
May 31, 2022
Suicide Town - will you get out alive?
Suicide Town is another creepy place that lives inside the mind of author Boris Bacic. As a fan of the unexpected like the old Twilight Zone stories and the Bruce Willis movie, 6th Sense, Suicide Town is a very satisfying read. I tried to 2nd guess where the story would take me, but like Bacic's other books, there will be surprises.
This Suicide Town is one of several books in the series Horror in Small Towns. I've already added several of them to my future reads.
I also recommend available AudioBooks available from this author on the Authors Direct app.
Suicide Town is another creepy place that lives inside the mind of author Boris Bacic. As a fan of the unexpected like the old Twilight Zone stories and the Bruce Willis movie, 6th Sense, Suicide Town is a very satisfying read. I tried to 2nd guess where the story would take me, but like Bacic's other books, there will be surprises.
This Suicide Town is one of several books in the series Horror in Small Towns. I've already added several of them to my future reads.
I also recommend available AudioBooks available from this author on the Authors Direct app.
June 13, 2023
What a page turner! Once our protagonist, Dean, gets to the town, hears the rules, and then contemplate on breaking them… it was hard to put down the book. I kept wanting to know what the heck was going on.
I will say though, I wasn’t a fan of the epilogue. Usually I enjoy those, but this time, not so much.
I will say though, I wasn’t a fan of the epilogue. Usually I enjoy those, but this time, not so much.
February 15, 2022
Dean is a writer with writers block. A call from his agent pushes him to find a idea. When he finds Suicide Town online. He dives into researching. This town has rules you must follow. Don't look outside after 1 stay inside and more. Dean breaks a rule and starts hearing a voice call him. Chilling.
November 4, 2022
My favorite creepypastas are ALWAYS the ones with a list of rules. This book is exactly like a long no sleep which I absolutely loved. It was ominous and creepy and I actually enjoyed the ending a lot. Obviously the subject matter can be hard to read but if you can, highhhly recommend.
March 24, 2022
I didn't expect the ending. That tricked me good. Great story! A must read asap! 🙂
December 27, 2022
Oh yeah, Boris Bacic, you're quickly becoming my favorite go-to. I can't get enough.
November 2, 2022
This book suffers a lot from a classic horror shortcut: "Don't do this!" says an NPC, "Why?" says the main character, "Can't tell you! But you don't want to do it!" comes the answer. So of course the main character does it, and gets horrible consequences he indeed did not want. In the horror genre, many problems would be avoided if those who have the information at the beginning would at least try to share it.
("But it's so horrible and weird that, if we told him, he wouldn't believe us at all!" say the NPC in my head; still, YOU NEVER EVEN TRY, NPC, who are you to think you know with 100% certainty what someone else will think).
Also, world-building is a bit clonky. There isn't even a decent road going into the village, no one gets in and out, but they all live in perfect self-sufficiency (baker, butcher, diner are all normal), with no crops (it's stated that nothing grows there), so no way to make money from the land, and yet they can import regularly from the outside world (bookstore sells bestsellers) - do they sell handcrafted mugs and use Amazon drone delivery?
Nonetheless, the writing and rhythm are good, characters relatable, and the overall ambiance creepy enough. The scene where the main character freaks out in the dark even though he still hasn't seen anything was especially well done. Very good base idea, nice execution, had a good time, would recommend.
("But it's so horrible and weird that, if we told him, he wouldn't believe us at all!" say the NPC in my head; still, YOU NEVER EVEN TRY, NPC, who are you to think you know with 100% certainty what someone else will think).
Also, world-building is a bit clonky. There isn't even a decent road going into the village, no one gets in and out, but they all live in perfect self-sufficiency (baker, butcher, diner are all normal), with no crops (it's stated that nothing grows there), so no way to make money from the land, and yet they can import regularly from the outside world (bookstore sells bestsellers) - do they sell handcrafted mugs and use Amazon drone delivery?
Nonetheless, the writing and rhythm are good, characters relatable, and the overall ambiance creepy enough. The scene where the main character freaks out in the dark even though he still hasn't seen anything was especially well done. Very good base idea, nice execution, had a good time, would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2023
What a story! Really inventive, atmospheric and full of dread, with a frightful ending..
I listened to this story as an audiobook and I have to massively congratulate J. Kirk for the narration as it was perfect! It made me really feel like I was there with in the town amongst the characters.
As for the characters, Dean is a broken famous author that in the pursuit of writing a new horror novel goes after an urban legend claiming the existence of a town where everyone entering it, is driven to unalive themselves. Following the information of a journalist who recently unalived himself after visiting the town, what started as a research trip for the book, becomes the quest to find the truth about the town and its inhabitants. Could there be a chemical substance behind this, are the people in the town hiding something or is it something worse?
Loved the story and how everything seemed to go full circle in the end, with a broken Dean forced to look into himself, find a way for redemption and take full responsibility. But that ending was painful!
One thing is sure after this audibook, I'm going to read more of Boris Bacic and remember, watever you do, don't look!!
Be sure to check your triggers as this book contains a heavy subject.
Thanks to Boris Bacic for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook and this is my honest review.
I listened to this story as an audiobook and I have to massively congratulate J. Kirk for the narration as it was perfect! It made me really feel like I was there with in the town amongst the characters.
As for the characters, Dean is a broken famous author that in the pursuit of writing a new horror novel goes after an urban legend claiming the existence of a town where everyone entering it, is driven to unalive themselves. Following the information of a journalist who recently unalived himself after visiting the town, what started as a research trip for the book, becomes the quest to find the truth about the town and its inhabitants. Could there be a chemical substance behind this, are the people in the town hiding something or is it something worse?
Loved the story and how everything seemed to go full circle in the end, with a broken Dean forced to look into himself, find a way for redemption and take full responsibility. But that ending was painful!
One thing is sure after this audibook, I'm going to read more of Boris Bacic and remember, watever you do, don't look!!
Be sure to check your triggers as this book contains a heavy subject.
Thanks to Boris Bacic for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook and this is my honest review.
April 14, 2023
Boris Bacic is quickly becoming my go-to author when I want a great horror story. As the name implies, this story is about a town noted for its high number of suicides. Dean is a famous author, but hasn't been able to write after a scandal nearly destroys his life. When his agent gives him a chance at another book, he only has 30 days to deliver. He soon discovers the existence of "Suicide Town" and sets off to find it and write the book.
Dean is determined to not only learn the truth about this town but live to write the expose of what is actually going on. He soon discovers that all of the tales are true and the truth is even more horrifying than suspected. After breaking one of the many rules, he finds himself feeling the desire to kill himself. Will he be able to fight this urge and tell the world what is happening here or will he succumb to the town's lure?
This book is full of creepy moments, truly horrific tension and a great story. The narrator did a great job and his performance added a lot to the tension and atmosphere of the book.
Dean is determined to not only learn the truth about this town but live to write the expose of what is actually going on. He soon discovers that all of the tales are true and the truth is even more horrifying than suspected. After breaking one of the many rules, he finds himself feeling the desire to kill himself. Will he be able to fight this urge and tell the world what is happening here or will he succumb to the town's lure?
This book is full of creepy moments, truly horrific tension and a great story. The narrator did a great job and his performance added a lot to the tension and atmosphere of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews