Skinner – David Bernstein

Reviewed by Steve Stred

Want an easy checklist to know if you will enjoy a horror book? (This applies to movies as well.)

– Snow? Check.

– Weekend trip with a group of friends? Check.

– Accident that leaves them stranded? Check.

– Surviving against insurmountable odds? Check.

– Mysterious, paranormal figure that is older than time? Check.

If you’ve read this much and decided that it doesn’t sound like something you would read or watch, well then, I guess you can carry on.

For those still here, fantastic!  

This book was a treat.  I’ve seen Alien Agenda Publishing feature this before, but I just never checked it out.  Now that I have, all I can say is I wish I would have read this far sooner.

The group of friends is both really well done but Bernstein does a great job with injecting some real life dynamics.  This makes them both enjoyable but equally frustrating, which really moves the story along nicely.

The villain in the story is done really well, even if (and stop me if you’ve ever read this before) I wished there was more about the back story.

As the situation becomes more dire and the odds of surviving stack up, Bernstein decides to infuse the story with a nicely done dark psychological bent, which will keep you turning the pages.

This was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and is something that all fans of horror should check out, especially if you’ve read or watched the adaptation of Adam Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ and enjoyed that tale.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, paranormal-psychological, snow survival tale, then look no further!

Star Rating (out of 5): 5*

For six close friends, a weekend away turns deadly when their vehicle skids off the road and crashes in a remote part of the Adirondack Mountains.

In the direct path of a blizzard, they are hurt, cold and scared, wondering if they’ll make it through the night. But the group’s luck seemingly changes when they take refuge in a small cabin.

Their plan is simple: wait for the storm to pass. But there is something else out there that has its own plans for them.

Invade. Reveal secrets. Invoke madness. Make enemies out of friends. Create chaos. And shed blood.

You can buy ‘Skinner’ from Amazon UK & Amazon US

Steve Stred

Steve has a new book out will ALL PROCEEDs going to charity!

You can buy Dim The Sun from Amazon US & Amazon UK

Steve Stred is an up-an-coming Dark Horror author. Steve is the author of the novel Invisible, the novellas Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick.

Steve also has a number of works on the go and enjoys all this horror, occult, supernatural and paranormal.

Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog Oj.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred

You can visit Steve’s Official Website here