The Pumpkin Man

The Pumpkin Man

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3.48 of 5 stars 3.48  ·  rating details  ·  60 ratings  ·  23 reviews
After her father’s gruesome murder, Jenn needed a place to get away from it all with some friends, to take her mind off her grief. The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn’t know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and best left alone. She didn’t realize until it was too late that the old books and Ouija board she found ther...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published October 15th 2011 by Dorchester Publishing Trade (first published June 2011)
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Lou
When an author the likes of Jonathan Maberry gives a novel like this praise, you’d better pay heed. He was right in commenting, “This is a deliciously creepy novel”.
On the offset of the story I was hooked and under the spell of the Pumpkin man Its been a while since I have read a good creepy gory novel. The writing flows well and really keeps you on he edge of your seat. Everson is an author that I had not yet sampled and I am glad that I did his novels have either been nominated or won a Bram s
...more
Debra
I wanted to really, really like this, but I couldn't suspend belief well enough to give this higher than a 3 rating. I didn't think the main characters were believable; they seem pretty stereotyped. And they all bought into the supernatural aspects of the story too easily, in my opinion... plus falling in love during such a time of crisis, fear, and mortal danger after only knowing each other a couple of days? Not buying it, sorry.

On the other hand, the gruesome descriptions of the Pumpkin Man's...more
Erin
First reviewed at www.quixoticmagpie.blogspot.com

This book started off so scary, it gave me the creeps!! I was reading it at night before bed, and I was sure someone was going to pop out of my closet at any moment and get me. Unfortunately however, the excitement reached a crescendo and then died down.

Jenn inherits her aunt's house in California after her father is murdered and decapitated. Strangely and ironically, not long after this happens, Jenn and her roommate Kirsten both lose their jobs...more
Karen
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Kathy Jackson
Oct 17, 2011 Kathy Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Horror fans
Let me begin with how Barnes and Nobel describes the book:

After her father’s gruesome murder, Jenn needed a place to get away from it all with some friends, to take her mind off her grief. The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn’t know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and best left alone. She didn’t realize until it was too late that the old books and Ouija board she found there really do hold great power. And it was only after her friend’s he...more
Julie Witt
I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I saw this book listed, at Halloween no less, I just had to request it! I haven't read a good horror book in a while and this sounded like it would fit the bill. Alas, it didn't. It started out good, with nice spooky clues and weird things happening with no explanation, but it seemed to peak about halfway through and then kind of got lost along the way.

From Goodreads: "After her father’s gruesome...more
Annette Gisby
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Holly
Read more of my reviews at BookGasmic.

Being a big fan of horror novels in general, i jumped at the chance to read an ARC of this book. Unfortunately, this book was nothing short of a hot mess.

The basic plot of the book involves a man who was brutally murdered and decapitated, being brought back from the dead to seek vengeance against those who did him wrong. A grieving daughter seeks refuge in an empty cabin, and all kinds of supposedly spooky things ensue. The first third of the book had promis...more
Chibineko
If you're familiar with the pulp horror books of the 80s and 90s, you'll be well prepared for this book. If you're not, then the best I can equate them to are the equally campy-yet-fun movies of that era. (Think 976-EVIL style camp.)

After her father’s gruesome murder, Jenn needed a place to get away from it all with some friends, to take her mind off her grief. The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn’t know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and...more
SenoraG
I really wanted to like this book. The plot line sounded great and it also sounded pretty darn creepy and sicko at the same time. (Yes, right up my alley!) It started off pretty good but really didn't go anywhere for me. The gore was over the top which is usually ok by me but it just didn't work for me this time. Oh well, all books can't be fantastic and what doesn't work for me will for sure work for someone else. That is the beauty of books. If you want a Halloween read, give this one a go, yo...more
Audrey
After Jenn's father is murdered and decapitated, and she loses her job, she decides to take a break with her roommate, traveling to the California seaside cottage left to her by her recently deceased aunt. What she finds is a strange house full of her aunt's witchcraft supplies, hidden rooms, human bones, and a tucked away witchboard. The townsfolk shun Jenn, because her uncle was known as the Pumpkin Man, a serial killer who went after the kids of the town, leaving only a pumpkin carved in thei...more
Ken
This is the first John Everson novel I’ve had the privilege to read, folks. I’m currently kicking my butt for waiting so damn long. With The Pumpkin Man, John Everson has created a new urban legend, one I really like.


When the decapitated bodies of missing children start being found scattered throughout a little northern California town, all hell breaks loose. People have no idea what to do until someone notices something really odd. Carved into the pumpkins at a local man's roadside pumpkin sta...more
Benjamin Uminsky
While I have never read John Everson before, I have definitely heard positive reviews of his other works... in fact, he won a Stoker award for one of his earlier novels. Needless to say, I had pretty high expectations for PUMPKIN MAN. I can't say that I was really dissapointed with this piece, but I was overwhelmingly underwhelmed by this story.

Without sounding overly flippant, I think the blurb about this book on horror-mall.com did a better job of captivating my attention than the story itself...more
Elizabeth B
Once the mystery starts going, the plot starts off promising, creepy goings on and details that will send shivers up your spine. The back story of the town and family is the most interesting part of the book but less time is given to that than it should be. Instead, we are given an unlikeable main character that reacts in unrealistic ways to events for the majority of the novel. Her life has been turned upside down, the people she meets are all disappearing or being brutally hacked to death and,...more
PopcornReads
. I’m not a huge horror fan so I was kind of dreading reading it. This is definitely an over 18 book, because of the nature of some of the rituals involved. That said, I really liked the main character and her friends as well as John Everson’s writing style. It ended up being a novel I couldn’t put down! Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=2112
Naomi
I must admit that I liked this book. Not for its' fine writing though (it was written well though). I liked the "no brainedness" of this book. This book is the written version of a Grade B horror film. You know the type that you roll your eyes at and sigh why you just paid $10 for seeing it because its goofiness factor, with the loose women, gratuitous and stupid sexual decision making and goofy slasher scenes. This is the type of book that you don't seek out except for when you have been readin...more
Barb
"The Pumpkin Man" was a great story of sheer terror. I can legitimately claim that it provided nightmares and creepy spasms of fear throughout the night. If you're looking for a nice fear-filled mystery that keeps the pages turning, I thoroughly recommend this book.
A.J. Garrett
I found this title to be a very gripping tale told by one of the great storytellers of the horror genre. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to it’s film adaptation. Another great read from a great writer- AJ
Cheree
I thought this book was just okay. Like other reviewers, I thought it began strong and then faded toward the end. I also felt that everything wrapped up too easily and without much explanation.
A. R.
I don't care much for slasher stories, and the title and the content of the book seem a bit too gimmicky for me, coming along right at Halloween. I just didn't buy the story and the many plausibility issues. The plot picked up after page 200 and tried to redeem the project, but it was still simply a slash & hack tale, and those bore me. I give it three stars for an ambitious plot. It didn't outright suck so bad it made me sick.
Ilia
Awesome! If you're looking for a spooky, gruesome, edge of your seat, with a little bit of magic kind of book, this is it. I am a John Everson fan. The books would make a great horror movie.
Steve
John Everson is a great horror writer. That being said, this story is a miss for me. It has a great premise: Dark arts, serial killer, and pumpkins. A good formula for a Halloween read. But this is more of a murder mystery than anything else. Not really scary, drab characters, with some info in the dark arts for a history lesson. With all the build up and characterization, this book simply falls at the end.
Dezrray
May 10, 2013 Dezrray marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Kyle
Apr 28, 2013 Kyle marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Cecilia
Apr 14, 2013 Cecilia marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Zach
Apr 03, 2013 Zach marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
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John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant (Leisure Books, 2008), Sacrifice (Leisure Books, 2009), The 13TH (Leisure Books, 2009) and Siren (Leisure Books, 2010). These novels were all issued as limited edition hardcovers. A Polish translation of Covenant was also issued by Poland's Red Horse Books as Demoniczne Przymierze in late summer 2007 and a translation of S...more
More about John Everson...
Covenant The 13th Siren Sacrifice Nightwhere

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