Cafe Vengeance

by Clarissa Cottrill

In ruthless New York City, Dane Roman, an ambitious entrepreneur, risks his very soul for success. He exploits a deceased tenant and desecrates the corpse to orchestrate a catastrophic event for wealth. His dreams of celebrating with his girlfriend, Pilar, are shattered when Café Vengeance, embodying his desires, introduces unimaginable horror.
Guided by an eerie quartet and a cryptic waiter, Dane faces judgment for his tainted soul in a macabre ballet of his own creation. Café Vengeance is no ordinary place; it's a purgatory where Dane must atone for his sins before a greater darkness emerges. Can he find redemption or face eternal torment?
Inspired by Dante's "Inferno", this novella delves deep into mankind's ancient fear-eternal damnation. With each page, it pulls readers into a nightmarish modern day underworld, in an unforgettable tale of horror.

108 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2023

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fast-paced retelling of Dante’s Inferno was a perfect Sunday morning one-sitting read (93 pages all while getting kitty cuddles). Before my review, I should note that I absolutely loved this cover, and the book has lovely chapter page art as well!

Right from the start, Cottrill does an excellent job of casting the main character Dane in a perfectly villainous and despicable light. By page 2, you’re already looking forward to whatever terrible fate is going to befall him, and without giving anything away, suffice it to say, you leave the story feeling quite satisfied.

I especially loved the descriptions the author uses throughout the tale. Its deliciously gory and evocative language is fun and a great mix of disgusting and poetic.

And another quick note, I absolutely loved the acknowledgments in this book, so heartfelt and well written.

Recommended for readers who love a well written, quick read with a good villain and for readers who love good vengeance even more.

Thanks so much to the author and publisher for my copy of the book! Opinions are my own.

4.5 rounded up to 5!

[Spooky Little Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short, fast-paced novella and I loved it! It was imaginative and very well written. The scenes were described in a way that felt like I was there. It was so eerie!

Dane is the perfect villain because he is greedy, manipulative, and deceitful. He has done the unthinkable for money. He definitely never deserved such a sweet, thoughtful girlfriend as Pilar. He did, however deserve everything else he faced in this book.

I would recommend this book to any lover of horror. It does have some gore and grossness. I would definitely read more by this author!

[John Ryland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

This is an excellent read full of clever writing and description that will transport you to places you might not want to visit, Cafe Vengeance. Dark and delicious, this is a wonderful read. I highly recommend this book.
John Ryland
Author of The Unkindness of Ravens

[Joey Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read demands a quick review! Knowing the material that inspired the story, there aren't many big-time surprises to be found in the plot of Cafe Vengeance, but there's something comforting about seeing a story reinvented through fresh eyes. We know that Dane is a bad guy, and we know that he'll meet some dire fate, but the journey before the destination is filled with wonderfully gross descriptions of body horror and weird, otherwordly imagery that keeps us reading. I always respect someone who centers a story around an outright unlikable protagonist. It may be one of the hardest things for a writer to accomplish: to keep readers engaged when they're following a bad person. I'm happy to say Cottrill pulled it off.

[JXR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good debut by the author! I really liked some of the horrific elements. The weak point I felt was the very predictable plot. I also felt it was a bit too short in my opinion. 3.5 rounded up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read this novella, I imagined it as an episode of Tales from the Crypt. That made it very fun. The writing style wasn't my favorite, so I was glad it was a quick read. But I loved the spooky scary skeletons of it all.