Book Review: Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach

If you haven’t read, Bad Man, by Dathan Auerbach then you’re missing out. I was first introduced to Auerbach with his debut novel, Penpal which is an excellent read as well. With his latest novel we’re thrown into a world of tension and weirdness when Ben loses his little brother, Eric (who is three years old at the time) at a supermarket. One moment the boy is there, the next, he’s gone. Fast-forward five years and we get to see the emotional and psychological toll of such an event on both Ben and his parents.

Eric was never found and Ben is convinced that the police didn’t do a good enough job. He is also convinced that Eric is still alive. He suspects multiple folks and as we go through the novel, we start to see that Ben’s point-of-view is skewed. To say that strange things start happening once Ben starts working the night shift at the very grocery store that the event occurred, would be an understatement. Auerbach has a way with words that get under your skin, and the imagery he can paint it quite vivid. On top of that, his characters are top notch. They’ve all got their secrets and those little hooks kept me reading going. The way Auerbach weaved the narrative together is masterful. Many times I had to go on to the next chapter because of a bombshell chapter-end. Thanks for the late nights.

Auerbach’s characters are full of depths and secrets. As the story evolves, you’re left wondering who’s hiding what, and how it could be connected. The tone and atmosphere that Auerbach builds is rich and tense, and the dark imagery that he shows us is creepy as hell.

I highly recommend this book. It’s been quite a while since I read such a creepy and disturbing read. 

​Check it out here.