Blood Cruise

by Jake Bible

Ben Clow’s plans are set. Drop off kids, pick up girlfriend, head to the marina, and hop on best friend's cruiser for a weekend of fun at sea. But Ben’s happy plans are about to be changed by a tentacled horror that lurks beneath the waves.

International crime lords! Deep cover black ops agents! A ravenous, bloodsucking monster! A storm of evil and danger conspire to turn Ben Clow's vacation from a fun ocean getaway into a nightmare of a Blood Cruise!

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Monsters

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2015

About the author

Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror, sci/fi, thriller, and adventure tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.

Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.

Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Cruise
By: Jake Bible
Narrated by: Andrew Tell
I love a good smart, calculating beast story occasionally and this is a perfect example of one. Octopus are smart anyway but this story has one that has been scientifically tampered with to be larger and smarter. Then comes people to see this potential weapon. Good and gory, action packed, and some of the monsters are humans! I was on Team Octupus!
Andrew Tell does a terrific job performing this book! Enjoyed it. Not my normal routine read but love to read or listen to it that occasionally monster book!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG so glad that I picked it up, its everything that you would want in a scary, gruesome, read for October, after reading this I'm never going to get in the water or on a boat, it's definitely worth a five star rating, will definitely be checking more of this author's work out, so if you love scary,gruesome , and bloody details, then you need to check this out

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

To see more reviews like this, check out Brian's Book Blog

A Deep Sea Terror Is On The Loose

Ben Clow, the stories protagonist is one of the unlikely heroes. He's been up against bad guys in his life as a Rounder. But he thought that he put that life behind him and now just blogs about poker. But, Ben is quickly thrown into the fire when their simple poker game on a ritzy boat (yacht) starts to go south.

Andrew Tell is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. His use of different voices for different people and the execution of this makes each and every story feel like it's own. But, Tell is also able to make each story flow with such ease.

This story is nuts! I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen when I first started it, but Bible was able to write two stories that interconnected into one awesome story. I found myself sitting in my car numerous times when I was home trying to get further into the story.

The main antagonist of the story seems to be the sea creature that I will not write much about. This creature is really well explained and even believable with the way that it's written about. Let's just say that I would be absolutely terrified. It absolutely terrorizes the group of people and feels never ending.

The story felt like a combination of a lot of other stories and movies that I enjoy. I won't list them, but believe me, when I say that if you like "deep seas" movies like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, you will enjoy this. Also, if you enjoy James Bond movies (especially Casino Royale) this book will definitely be enjoyable for you.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really surpassed my expectations! Saying that, I didn't really have any to start with. I didn't read any of the reviews on this and only really wanted to read it because Andrew Tell was narrating!

This book though, has it all!! Action, adventure, comedic relief (at times), mobsters, unexpected twists, and plots within plots, but the main thing is the genetically modified sea creature. You can tell by the genetically modified part that things aren't going to end well ;) Lol.

Plot wise, it was slow to start but once it did it was awesome! What does an ex poker player, an Interpol agent, a mobster and a genetically modified sea creature have in common? Well you will have to read it to see!!

In all, this was such a gripping read. Once the action takes off, it's pretty much a non stop thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat! It had elements of so many books and movies I've enjoyed, all mashed expertly together by the author, to create a memorable and entertaining read. I will definitely be checking out more by Jake Bible!!

Andrew Tell was amazing, as always. He is so easy to listen to and has such an assortment of voices and tones, to bring any story to life. I loved his portrayal of the sea creatures thoughts!! His performance was effortless and made the book come alive.

*I received this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*

[Mya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funniest scene I have read in a long time: Who can fly a helicopter? This is said as a bargaining ploy to keep a villain alive. And there are at least four special forces guys who all raise their hands. Okay so I laughed out loud when that happened. The balance of awkward humor and terrifying horror is of a measure, I haven't experienced in a long time. Sure you have a story about a giant, killer, enhanced, mutant octopus (whose species was already quite intelligent and scary to begin with) but you also have an insight in to the thrilling world of... poker! Yup, as one of the protagonists (not necessarily hero) Ben Clow is/was a competitive poker player now blogger who ends up right in the middle of international danger and intrigue as someone on board the pleasure yacht that he has been invited on...wants to get their hands on the bio-weapon with eight arms.

Okay I just want to lay out some perspective. Sharks are scary somewhat, but NOWHERE near as frightening as an Octopus to me ( I believe its time for me to check out Peter Benchly's 'The Beast' again) And now that I think about it I am reminded of the Kraken from Pirates of the Caribbean)-- Anyway, the idea of trying to gain control of giant, bio-engineered octopus has got to qualify for a Darwin award as several special forces, hired killers and mercs discover.

If this book isn't a quality beach read, then I don't know what is. Excitement, humor, danger, depth and surprises- I'm kinda hoping there is a sequel.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Review of Audio Format **

True Horror

Ben is a poker expert with a dubious past. He's got two daughters, an ex-wife and a new girlfriend. He is taking his girlfriend for a poker-fueled cruise with a childhood friend on a million dollar yacht. What could go wrong? Let's see...mobsters, assassins, secret agents, and a genetically modified monster for starters!

This was a fun listen. Ben is a complicated character who keeps getting stronger with each peeled layer. It was fun to watch him unfold. Just be prepared as no one emerges from this horror story unscathed! It is a bloodbath in the tradition of Jaws or The Deep Blue Sea. It is action packed and a nice diversion for a few hours.

The narration was decent from Andrew Tell with some characters better acted than others. He is not great with the female voices but some of the male voices were quite good.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

[Kerry-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story reminded me of an action adventure sequel, you enjoyed the first one and thought you should watch the second, even though the trailer isn't so great, and none of the cast from the first one is in it.
It was a bit slow in the beginning, but picked up quickly after a few chapters and was much more action packed from there on in. The various story lines weaved together well, and there were a few unexpected twists. The creature didn't have as much impact as it could have done, its story was very much the same every time he (?) appeared.
The rest of the characters were pretty well developed, with some believable back stories added for good measure. Scene setting was quite basic as the bulk of the story happened in one of two places.
The narration was excellent and I think helped boost the story from just OK, to reasonably good.

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first introduction to Jake Bible was the Black Box Inc series (need more, Jake, by the way! lol), and I LOVED em!

This book, Blood Cruise is a fast-paced action horror thriller and FUN! Great characters, great everything. Love Andrew Tell's narration also, very well done.

Ben finds himself on a nice yacht and a high-stakes game of poker. Then things get crazy. A nearby boat's dangerous experiments have come to life, and it isn't pretty for the folks caught up in the mess. It's a classic-style murder monster mayhem, and too much fun, you just gotta listen!

I will keep reading your books, Jake Bible, if you keep writing em!
Great fun story, you'll love it!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Bellerophon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Sea Monster Tale

Love Bible's books, especially for the great humor. Oddly, this one was not very funny. The action though, and hilariously evil and screwed up characters was fantastic. On par with other Bible books. Lost a star due to long absence from the creature while we read a whole lot of rather lame dialogue in the middle of the book. Otherwise, top notch nasty killing machine. Liked the monster a lot. Good gore thrown in for added craziness. Also enjoyed the great plot twists and how the author settled loose ends at the conclusion. Good time. Highly recommended.

[Christophe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overstays its welcome in the final stretch, but despite that this book succeeds in being a pulpy creature feature that does not take itself seriously whatsoever. And that is a good thing. If played straight none of the beats would have landed, but the author leans into the absurdity and that lends the story a zany undertone all throughout.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Clow is hoping for a romantic weekend and also to reconnect with his best friend, what he gets is far more dangerous and will change his life forever. Not quite the same nonstop story you usually get from Jake, but still an interesting one.

[Ryan Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed thriller

Great story with some excellent imagery to boot. Jake Bible has a knack with monster stories and this doesn’t disappoint
!

[Trever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solidly 3 star pulp action fest with mobsters, spies, grifters, and a great giant octopus.

[Raqual Humphries · Rating 1 out of 5]

what a waste of a great storyline. i can't listen to any more and have requested a refund. i love Jake Bible but this narrator is all wrong :(

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake Bible, known for his various Zombie and Salvage Merc books, has something completely different here. On a ship in the Pacific, A defense contractor has a secret project under way, one that people are literally willing to kill to get their hands on. The fact that the secret project is alive and hungry should give you a clue this is not going to end well for some of the characters. When a double and then triple cross goes horrible awry, the project is released, and the other portion of the story, with Interpol agents, mobsters, card sharps and Deep cover spec ops comes together with the creature, creating some of the most creative and wild mayhem, chaos and carnage you are likely to read. Some really engaing characters help move the story along, as does the wild action.

Andrew Tell, who I was familiar with from his narration of books such as Nighblade and What Remains of Heroes, both epic fantasies, does an outstanding job with this contemporary horror story, doing a great job with reading pace, with the different characters and their various voices and accents. I will listen to any book he narrates, he's that good.

I recommend this for any fan of horror or darker sci fi. Any fans of Jake Bible's other books should really enjoy this one.

I was given a copy of this audiobook free of charge in return for an honest review from the Author, publisher or narrator through Audiobook Boom.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out slow and it takes a while for the story to really get interesting.

Entertaining once the action gets going.

Ex-Rounder, a longtime friend, Italian Mafia, Secret Op Agencies, Poker, Crime Lords, a genetically modified man eating sea monster and a yacht.

Who knows what? Who's working for who? Who's conning who? Who's an agent. Who's the asset? Who's the handler? Who wants the Sea Monster? Where is the Sea Monster?

This could of just been a story about Interpol trying to set up and arrest international crime bosses. The only thing that makes this story different is the addition of the genetically engineered creature. Which except for a short bit here and there, there is no real interaction with any of the main characters until about 5 1/2 hours into the book. Ben's character deserved better, since he was duped into a situation not of his making.


Andrew Tell did a really great job with the narration. Nice even pace and his narration flowed smoothly. There were a lot of different characters from different countries and he did a great job with all of them. Even the voices for female characters were great.

This audiobook was provided the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of audiobook boom.com

[Michele Berger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to Jake Bible's work. This is the first book of his that I have read. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. What's not to like? There's something for everyone: action/adventure, mystery, intrigue, horror and a little science fiction. The author keeps the pace going at an incredible speed. The set-up starts off in a pretty simple way: Ben Clow thinks he is going away on a private cruise with his girlfriend and his friend's and former poker buddy. Little does he suspect that soon he will be caught up with gangsters, spies, deep cover agents and other suspicious characters, and a giant genetically modified, blood-thirsty sea monster. The author moved pretty seamlessly through various characters' viewpoints. And, although I wouldn't have minded just a bit more interior thoughts and more emotional reactions from the characters, these issues didn't knock me out of the story. I think he did a superb job at telling a compelling story with believable and interesting characters. I read this in about three sittings. This is a fun book and makes me want to read more of his work.

[Ami Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent sea creature book. There was a lot more going on then just sea creature, you had mobsters, shady government, poker and more. The last half of the book had several twists and turns that I did not see coming, so that was nice.

The only thing I didn't really like was all the scenes with the main characters children. I understand why it was there, but I just did not care. But I'm not a big fan of children, so that's probably just me. It just felt like the first few chapters from Ben's perspective felt like filler.

[Deedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben and his girlfriend are headed for a getaway with an old friend. When they arrive they find a much bigger boat,and plan,than they had imagined.Meanwhile...a scientist creates an animal that can think and cloak itself.The government wants it for nefarious reasons.Others want it to.You see where I am heading.Andrew Tell is a fine narrator,when he sticks to his own voice.While he was doing Ukrainian and Italian...I felt like I was listening to 'Boris and Natasha'.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

[PJ Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying

Absolutely terrifying story, as what is supposed to be a relaxing cruise turns into a nightmare. Two stories, expertly crafted, combine to become a blood soaked race to survive. Many characters who deserve their fates, and Ben who really doesn't. Thrilling, enthralling, with a real shock at the end. Definitely a 5 star book.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great book. Loved it. Sea creatures? read it at once.

[Michael Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. Life is too short.