Dark Passage

Apr 06, 2012 Craig McGray rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll preface this by saying that I don't sleep well. I may get three to four hours of broken sleep per night. Mr. Hayes has not helped me with this latest book. His vivid descriptions, and distinct style, made me have a dream about the story. Mr. Hayes has hit his mark once again with me.

I enjoyed the twists and turns that led me through the story. Dark Passage is one of the fastest books I've read. The pages kept turning as I was led from dream to reality, and places in between. I especially en...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Stephen Clynes rated it 3 of 5 stars

5 year old Tyson Barrett was told to never enter the locked room at the end of the hallway in his home. One day he did... what he saw the reader does not know as the story jumps to when Tyson is 38 years old. Tyson now has really bad nightmares and finds sleep very difficult. You assume Tyson is suffering from PTSD at whatever he witnessed was behind the locked door when he was 5 years old. Tyson joins a drug trial to see if the medication will help him sleep. The dreams continue and you wonder...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Jody rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won a copy of this through LibraryThing giveaway, but other reviewers must have read a different book from me as I found it somewhat disappointing. I found several spelling and punctuation errors and some editing gaffes as well. Regarding the story, it is a promising premise but suffers in execution. It centers on a man suffering from unexplained insomnia entering a test trial for a new drug. The drug has some interesting side effects which are not adequately explained. There is a connection t...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Tabitha Bower rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dark Passage is classified as a paranormal thriller and it definitely lives up to the hype; be warned, this novel contains images so chilling that it may keep some readers up at night, squinting into the dark corners of the bedroom, searching for signs of grotesque creatures…

The first chapter is a vague yet poignant look into the past. An unnamed boy is alone in a house that is clearly run by a mother with OCD. The reader learns from snippets of the boy’s thoughts that his mother is a germaphobe...more Dark Passage is classified as a paranormal thriller and it definitely lives up to the hype; be warned, this novel contains images so chilling that it may keep some readers up at night, squinting into the dark corners of the bedroom, searching for signs of grotesque creatures…

The first chapter is a vague yet poignant look into the past. An unnamed boy is alone in a house that is clearly run by a mother with OCD. The reader learns from snippets of the boy’s thoughts that his mother is a germaphobe who is also abusive. She uses the idea that there is a monster living in the room at the end of the hall to terrify her son into obedience.

The book then switches to the present where the reader meets Tyson Barrett. Tyson has insomnia and has not slept in six months. He is about to join a clinical drug trial for Noxil, which treats PTSD and is supposed to stop his nightmares so that he can sleep for longer than a few minutes at a time. The next chapter switches to another narrator, Dr. Hunter, who has just begun at Sunnybrook Asylum. Dr. Hunter learns that on the 8th floor, which is reserved for patients who have committed violent crimes, lays Brenda Barrett. Brenda has fallen into a coma, but shows unusually high brain activity.

The reader is left wondering how all of these characters relate to each other. When Brenda seems to speak to Dr. Hunter even in her comatose state and when things start appearing from out of Tyson’s dreams, the situation just becomes creepy and the reader cannot help but read on in hopes that the mystery will be solved and the nightmares that are bound to appear will be vanquished.

From the beginning, Hayes captures the reader’s attention with the image of a terrified boy and the terror does not stop there. Page after page, the past is pieced together and the future becomes more and more frightening and uncertain. At times, it may seem as if Hayes is falling back on psychological horror story stereotypes, such as a traumatized boy losing his mind. But this is not the case. Readers will not be disappointed in the ending; the nightmare lasts right up until the very last page.
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May 29, 2012 Yawatta Hosby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, thriller

This 46 chapter novel exceeded my expectations. Already a fan of the author’s writing style, I knew the story would be spooky, entertaining, and action-packed. But it went well beyond that. I’ll never smell a pine tree scent or see a fly the same way ever again.

* Griffin Hayes has an amazing talent with characterization, voice, and description. His creative, original metaphors helped enhance the narration. Each character sounded different. I got lost in the story, feeling what the characters fe...more This 46 chapter novel exceeded my expectations. Already a fan of the author’s writing style, I knew the story would be spooky, entertaining, and action-packed. But it went well beyond that. I’ll never smell a pine tree scent or see a fly the same way ever again.

* Griffin Hayes has an amazing talent with characterization, voice, and description. His creative, original metaphors helped enhance the narration. Each character sounded different. I got lost in the story, feeling what the characters felt. Experiencing what they went through because of the great use of showing rather than telling.

For the majority of the novel, Tyson and Hunter switched point-of-views, each having their own chapters. At first, its set-up where I had no idea how they could know each other or meet later in the story. Then, it’s finally revealed that Hunter’s patient Brenda (in a coma) is actually Tyson’s mother. Let me tell ya, the plot thickened! The premise was Hunter just got hired to join Sunnybrook Asylum as a doctor, and for awhile Tyson has had insomnia because of nightmares. He found Dr. Stevens to help him sleep by taking a dosage of medicine after every meal.

* There were some chapters that showed the supporting characters’ perspectives as well. Pay close attention because these sections are very important in developing the plot and revealing some of the mystery.

My favorite line was: “Funny, he thought how so many of the fears that we carry with us aren’t much more than a product of an overactive imagination.” Boy was Tyson wrong LOL! Bad for him–good for the readers. This thriller was very entertaining.

Besides the suspense and action, I loved the drama elements as well. It helped me, as a reader, really care about the characters. Poor Tyson. Due to his long periods of insomnia, he pushed his family away, so eventually Ruma left him taking their son Kavi with her. Their conversations broke my heart, and I wished she would have gave him a second chance. I’m a sucker for happy endings. He met Judy, so I enjoyed their friendship blossoming. She was the only one who believed him about all the craziness going on. Tyson had a crappy childhood. His brother Alexander had died, his mom had attempted to kill Tyson. That’s why Brenda was locked up in the insane asylum. She was in a coma but had high brain activity levels (like she was dreaming). No. She was stalking Tyson and Kavi, plus turning Hunter into a madman.

Chills went down my spine whenever the characters died. The scenes were so disgusting–in a good way–and I kept looking down under the table to make sure nothing wasn’t crawling towards me. Also when Hunter went cray-cray, the other characters weren’t aware. So, I kept screaming “Watch your back”, especially that cafe scene with Ruma. When Ruma and Kavi visited Sunnybrook to get answers, I knew her telling him “When adults ask you a question, you better answer” would blow up in her face. Brenda was able to communicate with Kavi, getting his home address out of him. Dun, dun, dun…

I have to admit that I was scared when I saw it was 46 chapters, wondering when I’d have time to finish reading it. However, it was a very fast read. And, all the sections were important to enhance the story along further. The action and emotion weren’t lost. There wasn’t any boring setups or unnecessary backstory. All the twists and reveals kept me on my toes; the ending tied together nicely.

* I could picture this as a movie. I could envision Logan Marshall Green as Tyson and Ryan Phillippe as Hunter.

I RECOMMEND this book to read.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Adriane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, sci-fi-horror

This book was great, and truly legitimately scary, I was on the edge of my seat for the better part of three hours last night digging into this story. It was to the point that my husband kept asking me if I was ok due to the intensity of my stare at the kindle. I would actually put this book on par with The Shining, and that's saying a lot, because I loved the Shining and it scared the piss out of me.

It may have affected me more than other people due to my connection with my own dreaming self,...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book for free in return for a honest review*

Tyson Barrett's life is out of control. His wife left him and took their son, Kavi, with her and his business isn't doing well either. Nightmares keep him awake and begin his downfall. Friend and business partner, Skip, tells him about a clinical trial for a new drug that might help with his insomnia. To his surprise, the drug works but he soon finds the side effect is much more than what he expected.

Griffin Hayes has crafted...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: librarything-giveaways, absolute-favourites, horror

I was lucky enough to win an electronic copy of Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes in a Librarything Giveaway.

Lucky isn't really the word. I am an avid lover of all things horror; horror films , horror and zombie video games and novels are highly ranked amongst my favourites. Yet very few things I watch, play or read actually scare me. This novel is one of those elusive creations that actually horrified me; such a rare treat cannot be commended enough.

Dark Passage is very well written, with hardly an...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Roxanne Crouse rated it 3 of 5 stars

Actually I give it 31/2 Dark Passage was entertaining and a nice break from the paranormal, romance, love triangle books I’ve received. If you’ve had your fill of the books reminiscent of Twilight you may want to pick this book up, if you enjoy horror and gore like I do. The kindle formatting of the mobi file the author gave me was a little wonky with beginning paragraphs in a larger font than the rest of the chapter and occasional larger fonts at random. I downloaded the free sample on my kindl...more Actually I give it 31/2 Dark Passage was entertaining and a nice break from the paranormal, romance, love triangle books I’ve received. If you’ve had your fill of the books reminiscent of Twilight you may want to pick this book up, if you enjoy horror and gore like I do. The kindle formatting of the mobi file the author gave me was a little wonky with beginning paragraphs in a larger font than the rest of the chapter and occasional larger fonts at random. I downloaded the free sample on my kindle fire and saw none of these problems so it may just be the mobi file I received. I did find about 30 or so editing issues. I know the author is currently hard at work getting those fixed so new purchasers will get a cleaner copy. The issues were few enough that it didn’t affect my reading experience in any major way.

The writing style is easy to read and follow and for the most part is done well. The one thing I’d like to see changed, take out the overuse of “had”. The author writes almost everything in past perfect instead of past simple. It creates the effect of separating the reader from the action, more like a friend telling you a story instead of the reader being apart of the story. For example, “He had found them in the maintenance lunch room and tried each key until he had found the one that worked.” Take out the “hads” and it reads much clearer and brings the reader closer to the action. another example,”If seeing those bodies had convinced him of anything, it was that he needed a weapon.” The words “had” and “that” are not needed. There is a lot could “coulding” too, I could see, I could taste, I could smell, when I saw, I tasted, I smelled brings the reader in closer to the action. Great books to read on these problems are
and

I liked the idea behind this book, pulling things from your dreams into reality, even though it’s not a new idea. I hoped to see a new spin on it. This concept isn’t really the main focus of this story, more like a catalyst. I’d say Tyson’s strange past with his mother and everyone’s strange interest in his mother is the main focus. Some of the reviews on amazon said that many of the plot items are never resolved. I partially agree. The reader never learns why Tyson’s mother did the things she did and why she continued to do them in the present. Every horror monster does what they do for a reason. Freddy kills children for the power of their souls, Jason kills to get revenge for what happened to him. I think that’s what was missing for me, a back story about the mother. Why did she put a bag over her son’s head, why did she keep a corpse? More info on Dr. Hunter would have been nice, too. Was he already insane or was the mother’s influence making him insane?

The plot is typical of a horror, monster problem is created, monster must be fought and killed, an unexpected twist at the end. Unfortunately, the twist was expected by me, too many clues before the twist gave it away. This may not be the case for every reader. I’ve read and watched many horror books and movies and I study writing. I can see a plot device. I won’t say any more about it because I don’t want to give anything away for other readers. If you are new to reading horror, I think this is a great book to start with, but if you are saturated in horror like I am, well, this book might be too old school for you.

If you’re not into sex in your horror then this book is a good choice. There were no explicit sex scenes. There was very little adult language, too. Actually, I don’t recall any, but I may have missed one or too colorful adjectives. Bad language doesn’t bother me so I tend to not notice it unless it’s poorly used, over used, or out of character. This novel mostly uses gore for its horror so if you don’t like gore you may want to pass. However, for me, it wasn’t super gory, just enough to be horror.

I thought this book had some good moments and is worth checking out if you are not heavy into horror and want to get into it. It does need some editing and that is getting worked on as we speak. At least download the free sample and judge for yourself if you think it’s worth buying. I’d say once it’s fixed, it’s a great horror book to start with.(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really liked Dark Passage once I figured out what was going on. Except that didn't happened until into the second half of the book, the summary really tells you nothing and the first half was just incredibly weird and there wasn't much connecting the dots. I know as a suspenseful thriller this book was supposed to keep me guessing, what's with Tyson Barrett's nightmares? Why's his mom locked up in a mental asylum? What the heck's going on? But besides the prologue that really didn't fit into t...more I really liked Dark Passage once I figured out what was going on. Except that didn't happened until into the second half of the book, the summary really tells you nothing and the first half was just incredibly weird and there wasn't much connecting the dots. I know as a suspenseful thriller this book was supposed to keep me guessing, what's with Tyson Barrett's nightmares? Why's his mom locked up in a mental asylum? What the heck's going on? But besides the prologue that really didn't fit into the rest of the story until late in the game, there wasn't anything that hooked me until things started making sense.

I'm not going to spoil the answers to those questions in this review because figuring them out's what made the second half (I will say generally it's about a man coming to terms with his troubled childhood), but, compared to what happens later, the first half feels almost empty. There are a couple of good moments that had me really guessing, the Han and Chewy toys, for example, or what was locked up in that room from Tyson's childhood, but there wasn't any sense of jeopardy, unlike the multiple very gruesome deaths in the second half. I really wished there were some cameos by the swarm of flies outside of his dreams, maybe a few sniffs of pine scent giving Tyson a feeling of dread in his stomach, something that would've had me eagerly anticipating getting to the bottom of the mystery. Instead, I got Tyson griping about how terrible his life is and his problems with his ex-wife, leading to him finding a trunk full of money and then going on a shopping spree that, while entertaining, just wasn't the same as what hooked me later. Maybe boring in places too, even if he and I were both questioning his sanity. Overall, it just wasn't very suspenseful.

The second half got really good though, but I still wish Hayes would've built up the anticipation, stuck some teasers of what to expect in the first half. But lots of memorable moments in the second half. Attacks by a nightmarish monster surrounded by a swarm of house flies? Check. Walking on a carpet of dead flies, their dead bodies crunching like chips? Check. Awesomely gruesome death scenes? Check. But there really wasn't any buildup, it's sort of like watching a character walking around on a sunny day for fifteen minutes before he's attacked by the monster in broad daylight, just not the same as watching the character freaked out in a dark, shadowy place seeing glimpses of the monster before it finally attacks. And while overall I'm very pleased with how the second half turned out, there are still one or two things that are still bugging me. For one, I just can't figure out Dr. Hunter, he sort of becomes unhinged and I'm not sure if he goes crazy on his own or as a result of Tyson's nightmares. And how much of what happened is because of Tyson and how much is because of his mother, there are a lot of conflicting answers depending on who you ask.

Anyway, this book is sort of uneven but still really good when it needs to be. It lost me at the beginning but I stuck it out and really liked how things turned out. 3.5 stars.(less)

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May 16, 2012 Ezra Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dark Passage, by Griffin Hayes, is the frightening tale of Tyson's struggle to leave his childhood trauma behind him. The problem Tyson has, though, is that it follows him home from his dreams.
Without spoilers, the monster in this was terrifying. Hayes has an excellent imagination and a gift for keeping the tension torqued. Every time I thought, well, this will have to be it, he pulled another twist.
This is a well told story, carefully thought out and nicely paced. The characters and their actio...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Edward Lorn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hugh Howey, author of Wool, wrote the blurb that hangs above Griffin Hayes's name on the cover of Dark Passage. It reads: "Nail-Biters beware." Though I haven't read any of Howey's work (yet, as Wool is on my TBR 2013 list) the man obviously knows good horror when he sees it.

After posting on Goodreads that I had started and was enjoying Dark Passages, Griffin contacted me, asking me to be completely honest with my review. I fully intended to, whether he had asked or not, but I'm going a little...more Hugh Howey, author of Wool, wrote the blurb that hangs above Griffin Hayes's name on the cover of Dark Passage. It reads: "Nail-Biters beware." Though I haven't read any of Howey's work (yet, as Wool is on my TBR 2013 list) the man obviously knows good horror when he sees it.

After posting on Goodreads that I had started and was enjoying Dark Passages, Griffin contacted me, asking me to be completely honest with my review. I fully intended to, whether he had asked or not, but I'm going a little further with this critique than I normally would. I'm going to discuss formatting and typos, which I rarely ever do. So, before I get into the meat of my review, I would like to warn the nit-pickers out there. This book is not perfect, as it suffers from repeated words (He frantically scanned frantically the shadows...), missing words (He found a shotgun inside locked gun rack), misused words ("wadding" instead of "wading", "flood" instead of "floor"), two issues with missing quotation marks (One example: But instead of answering, Tyson grabbed her by the arm. Run!" he shouted.)and several formatting foibles where new paragraphs are not indented or indented so much that the text looks to be centered. I only noticed these things because I read every word on the page. I do not skim or skip around. Also, I was paying close attention after having been contacted by Griffin. Now, does any of that matter? That's subjective. What I will say is, Griffin Hayes is a storyteller of the highest quality. Dark Passage is so good that I am not adding the dozen or so mistakes I found into the rating for this book. Here's why.

Dark Passage is a terrifying story, brutally intense and unflinching with its portrayal of stomach-turning events. Griffin Hayes is the type of author that truly unsettles me. No one is off limits in this book. Bodies amass quite quickly, and I loved every minute of it. I'm one of those people who like being scared by my entertainment. I enjoy the relief that comes when I put the story down. Breathe in, breathe out... it's only a book.

It's been a long time since I've read about a creature as utterly terrifying as the one in Dark Passage. It has all the markings of a successful monster; a chilling precursor lets you know when it's coming, though I won't spil what that event entails; the way it moves; a hint of innocence, yet it's consumed by a ravenous bloodlust. Yeah, Griffin's monster is money. Honestly, the last supernatural monster that terrified me as much as Griffin's was Pennywise the Clown, from Stephen King's It. Yeah, it's been that long. There have been other scary monsters along the way, but none anywhere near the level of the one in Dark Passage.

I don't do plot summaries or spoilers (you can read, so go check out the synopsis). I will say, though, the twist at the end of Dark Passage was brilliant. I've read my fair share of mysteries and thrillers, so I'm not green when it comes to figuring out what's really going on, but Griffin shocked me stupid. I actually laid the book down, went outside for some fresh air, then came back in and surfed through the earlier sections of the book to make sure he hadn't screwed something up. Everything tied together nicely. If there's a plot hole, I missed it.

In summation, I will be reading everything this man writes. Last year, I had the joy of stumbling upon Kealan Patrick Burke. This year, it seems I've found a different author to throw my money at.

Thank you for the nightmares, Griffin.

E.

(P.S. This part will not go in my Amazon review, but I wanted to add that everyone who enjoys my work, should check out Griffin Hayes. It's odd... Griffin and I sound very similar in voice. He uses witty vulgarisms in his metaphors and similes, and there's even a slight sarcastic humor to some of his character's inner thoughts. Don't get me wrong, though, as Griffin is a unique talent. He definitely will not bore you.) (less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Lynn Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great Horror story and not his normal short story either. Griffin Hayes nails horror on the head!

Not only does Tyson Barett have to deal with his abusive childhood, anger issues, and sleepless nights because of nightmares, his wife leaves him with his 5 year old son. He doesn't think his life could get much worse. That is until his best friend convinces him to join a pharmaceutical drug study.

Tyson's life seems to get better with this new drug. He is sleeping again and his nightmares have final...more

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Feb 19, 2013 C.W. Rhodes rated it 4 of 5 stars

THIS REVIEW CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT MY BLOG.

RATING: 3.8/5

Last night I had a nightmare in which I was chased by several freakish creatures. My legs wouldn’t allow me to run away – they felt like pillow cases stuffed to the top with wet cement. The monster in my dream was not the same as the one from Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes, but I awoke in the morning immediately thinking to myself, “I’m sure as hell glad I’m not Tyson Barrett.” Anyone who has read Hayes’s novel could easily understand why.

Tyso...more THIS REVIEW CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT MY BLOG.

RATING: 3.8/5

Last night I had a nightmare in which I was chased by several freakish creatures. My legs wouldn’t allow me to run away – they felt like pillow cases stuffed to the top with wet cement. The monster in my dream was not the same as the one from Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes, but I awoke in the morning immediately thinking to myself, “I’m sure as hell glad I’m not Tyson Barrett.” Anyone who has read Hayes’s novel could easily understand why.

Tyson – our sleep deprived insomniac hero with a deeply unsettling childhood (of which we get a glimpse at the beginning) – attempts to combat his restlessness and stress by testing a new drug called Noxil which seems (and quickly becomes) too good to be true. Tyson must overcome his anxieties and his nightmares, face the inevitable end of his failing marriage, and fight a monster he’s been afraid of his entire life. It’s quite a lot to handle for one man, and it shows. Meanwhile, we follow the story of the young Dr. Elias Hunter who has just begun work at the Sunnybrook Asylum and, more specifically, on the eighth floor of said asylum – the floor that houses Tyson’s mother, Brenda, who has fallen into a coma. Hunter works to solve the mystery surrounding Brenda that would, and at some point could, "rock" Tyson’s world.

This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read, fun and creepy story that I definitely enjoyed and recommend (though I have a few critiques). I found the premise to be very compelling and interesting, but found the characters were slightly lacking. A lot of this had to do with dialogue – there seemed to be a lot of exposition going on, which I felt could’ve been better handled if it were done through action, or something internal, rather than spoken by a character. The dialogue just seemed slightly unrealistic. I also had a hard time believing some of the character’s motivations, particularly those of the secondary characters and even our main character, Tyson, at times. I found Dr. Hunter to have the best characterization – his motivations and reasonings were shown through action and internal dialogue based in (sometimes twisted) emotional feelings, as opposed through exposition, which I really enjoyed. I also found the “monster” of the story itself to be slightly silly (for a lack of a better word) – though I enjoyed the characterization of the monster; its connections to Tyson’s past and the references to houseflies and the smell of pine trees was really nice.

All in all, this was a good read and I’d recommend it to fans of paranormal horror. It’s got a good amount of gore and grossness to it; not overdone by any means, though it's definitely there, and there quite often. The twist at the end was really nice and made me reflect back on everything I had read so far with amazement; there were so many telling things that I hadn’t noticed (until the twist was revealed), which made me like the book even more. I enjoyed Hayes’s writing style and will definitely be on the lookout for more from him in the future.(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Michelle Muckley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have just finished the latest offering from Griffin Hayes and I might add what an offering it is.

The story takes you on a journey with Tyson Barrett, an average guy with one hell of a messed up life. He throws all his efforts behind one last effort, albeit a drug trial that might not be all it's cracked up to be, in a last ditch attempt to get his life back on track. What actually happens is a total derailment of his life, when every living nightmare comes back to haunt him......and then some...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Griffin Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

By now, any of you who know me won't be surprised when I tell you that most of my story ideas come from dreams. The seed for Dark Passage was sown after I awoke from a particularly bad one. I couldn't tell you now what that nightmare was about, but I remember waking up and staring at my bedroom ceiling, a single thought chiming over and over in my head: "Thank God that was just a dream." I'm sure we've all been there before. Of course, we're all built a little different - maybe that's why I writ...more

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Dec 06, 2012 David Staton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Well thought out, wonderfully executed! (4.5 stars)

Not only is this book inventive and enjoyable, but it's a really quick read for the simple reason that you can't put it down. Once I got into it I burned through it in 2 days because every free second I had, my kindle was in my hand, and Griffin was leading me through a sleepless world of fear and excitement. I don't think I will ever smell a pine tree again without looking over my shoulder.

One of the best things I've read in a while. I would...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four and a half stars:

I will preface this review by saying that I don't usually read horror and I'm a wimp so I'm pretty easy to scare. That being said, I was drawn in by the very vivid images Hayes created from the very first chapter. I was struck by the quality of the writing on the whole, with some scenes described so clearly I could easily see them on a mental movie screen. I strongly feel Hayes was able to build both atmosphere and suspense. He was, in fact, so successful that I would actua...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a genre that I haven't sampled in literature for many years. I am glad I gave Dark Passage a try. It certainly wasn't written for a large demographic group, but if you are into horror and the suspension of disbelief, this may be the book for you. Considering the popularity of 'The Walking Dead' and 'Supernatural' on television, I think that Griffin Hayes may be able to tap into a whole new market with this book - provided people can be persuaded to give up the 'boob tube' and read. The b...more

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May 05, 2013 Steven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nbrc-2013, wicked-wango-mango-tango

Dark Passage is the first book I've read by Griffin Hayes. I read this book on the recommendation of a Goodreads friend, and dear Mallory was right -- this book was totally worth the read. This may have been my first Griffin Hayes book, but it certainly won't be my last.

Let's start with a RECAP: Tyson is a man of suffering. For the past six months, he's slept so very little that he's hanging on by a thread. His marriage has fallen apart, his career is spiraling downwards, and little tidbits of a...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Si rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hayes' Dark Passage is intriguing, creepy, mysterious, and glued me to the edge of my seat more than once.

Tyson Barrett has some childhood issues. He has some marital issues too. He also has a major case of insomnia due to some nightmares tied to his childhood issues. His mother has some issues too. Combine that with a drug trial to help relieve insomnia that also produces some very interesting side effects and you get a man on the run who can have everything he wants but only for a limited tim...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Martha D rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge, author-read-review, kindle, paranormal, sci-fi-fantasy-horror, favorites

This is the second work I've read by Griffin Hayes and I fall in love with the twisted thrillers all the more. This story, about a man named Tyson Barrett, who is tortured by nightmares of his traumatic childhood, receives a miracle cure for his insomnia. However, as we've learned, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. That is the case with this so called "miracle cure" that Tyson hopes will not only solve his medical problems but his personal ones as well (considering he has become es...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Liliana ♥s Mythology rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-author-or-publisher, own-ebook, monsters-or-other-creatures, other-mythology, read-for-review

Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book

This book was seriously creepy! And that's a good thing 'cause I LOVE horror novels! At one point it was soooo creepy (and more than a bit gruesome) that I had to stop eating my snack. Is that a good thing? Well, if it was trying to creep the heck out of me, then yes! Mission accomplished, lol!

The storyline was really interesting and kept me wanting to find out more...I'm always up for cracking a mystery!

I also really liked the Persian mythology reference...I am i...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto rated it 4 of 5 stars

Today's review is on Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes

I never look at reviews written by other readers until I myself have finished reading the book in question, and have my own opinion formulated. So when I looked over the reviews for Dark Passage, I was surprised to find a common theme. Like the main character, many readers themselves suffered from a sleep disorder of some sort, including myself.

Tyson Barrett's childhood was anything but average. His mother, who had OCD, controlled every aspect of...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Andrea

Shelves: 2013-dustbuster-challenge, 2013-personal-reading-challenge, 2013-authors-new-to-me-challenge, 2013_reads, january_2013_reads

Review of Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes
5 stars

A one-sitting horror thriller, “Dark Passage” is nevertheless a complex study of psychological underpinnings, horrific child abuse, and yes, metaphysics (witness the writings of Brenda Barrett, which gave me chills like I have seldom encountered). Not at all for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, still this novel is coherent, complicated, and delectably horrifying.

Tyson Barrett has a problem: he can’t/won’t sleep due to terrifying nightmares, and...more

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Mar 15, 2012 L.H. Thomson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Tyson Barrett is plagued by insomnia. In the hopes of a miracle cure, he volunteers for a drug test. But Tyson has a horrible past, one that haunts his dreams -- dreams which begin intruding upon the physical world.

Dark Passage has several merit-worthy elements, but is ultimately betrayed by numerous writing issues in structure and approach. The plot treds some familiar horror turf -- dreams and reality intruding upon one another -- and most of it has been done well elsewhere. The characters are...more Tyson Barrett is plagued by insomnia. In the hopes of a miracle cure, he volunteers for a drug test. But Tyson has a horrible past, one that haunts his dreams -- dreams which begin intruding upon the physical world.

Dark Passage has several merit-worthy elements, but is ultimately betrayed by numerous writing issues in structure and approach. The plot treds some familiar horror turf -- dreams and reality intruding upon one another -- and most of it has been done well elsewhere. The characters are thinly drawn, making it difficult to connect to them empathetically.

In fact, most of the book's problems betray a general lack of attention to realism. While author Griffin Hayes has reasonably smooth turn-of-phrase, his pacing in unpolished and his characters' conversations often ring untrue, in the kind of awkward, bantering manner you find when novelists or script writers are trying to hurry things along. Their emotional responses are often overexaggerated, or introduce a sudden shift in personality that seems out of place.

Some of the annoyances are purely technical, and would have been caught by a good proofer: grammatical quirks, like shifting when addressing the same individual from second- to third-person, or poor punctuation that affects pacing.

But a less forgivable sin is that a horror book, by definition, needs to build suspense. That is lacking here. In fact, you'll guess the weapon used in the climactic scene the first time it's mentioned, it's such a cliche -- and that's some 40 chapters before it actually happens. There's foreshadowing, and there's too much reliance on the familiar.

When the author does try to "spring" something, the pacing and delivery falls flat and the first attempt at a real shock instead seems goofily amusing. When he introduces another character's psychopathic leanings, it's so abrupt as to be unbelievable.

The book occasionally succeeds in being creepy, and there are some good ideas here, but few of the characters are particularly likeable. The hero of the story seems to be homophobic, too, which wasn't really necessary and didn't add much to his fairly baseline character development.

Not the worst book I've ever read, but I can't recommend it.

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Feb 10, 2013 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tyson Barrett has a major case of insomnia due to nightmares that are a result of childhood issues. His insomnia has drive his wife and son away. His business is failing, his best friend and business partner Skip is worried. Skip tells Tyson of a new drug testing for insomniacs. Tyson tries the new drug and finds he can sleep but there is a side effect to the drug. Things from his dreams show up in real life. And now the nightmares become terrifyingly real. A creepy story not to be read at bed t...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Amos Cassidy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The prologue pulled me in straight away and I read the book in one sitting! This horror had it all; chills, goose-bump inducing moments and a great plot. I loved the character of Dr Hunter, who begins the story with the best of intentions and then succumbs to a deadly spiral. I think one of the things that made this book so enjoyable for me, was Griffin Hayes writing style - it as very engaging. I have added this author to my Horror favourites list.

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May 07, 2012 Billie Copas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pardon the language, but this is one hell of a book! Absolutely fabulous. It's creepy, twisted, one of the best horror books I have read in a LONG time! I cannot stress enough how good this is. I read a lot of books, and I have a good many favorite authors. Griffin Hayes is most definitely one now. All I can say is, Look out, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker! .......Griffin Hayes has arrived and he is putting you on notice! If you like horror, this book is definitely a MUST READ!! It had...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Caridad cruz rated it 5 of 5 stars

wow!! this book was FANTASTICALLY CREEPY!! it had twisted minded characters with good and bad guys. I really enjoyed reading this book. This book will hook you from page one and will NOT let you go until the last word. It is that good!! It is fast paced, it has drama, monster's, it was emotional, creepy, scary, thrilling, etc... I have read different books by this author and must say that I am impressed with his method of writing. I say this because he has different styles in his stories. His ta...more

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