Nightmare Tenant

by Richard Holliday

For years, Chivron Tower was abandoned and left to rot as the world turned. It loomed in the skyline a desolate, abhorred ruin; a forgotten relic of the past. That was how it should have stayed.

But now, the Tower has been resurrected and shown a renewed lease of life, ready for a new generation of families to move in. Everyone in the community is celebrating this achievement. Councillors, developers, residents all applaud the regeneration of this unloved eyesore.

Except for one member of the community.

The one who still lives in Chivron Tower, unknown to all. The one who never left.

The lone occupant’s way of life is under threat by these new invaders with their new ideas – sullying their idea of urban perfection cast in steel and concrete.

Great hope for this restoration is soon to be extinguished. The mysterious tenant is angry, is without mercy and is hungry. It feeds on suffering, making things go bump in the night. It brings more victims to its lair. The warnings it gives turn to torment it revels in. Joel Barton and his family find they are trapped, with the last remaining residents, good and bad, as they realise escape means confronting a… NIGHTMARE TENANT

Genres: Horror

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2021

Reviews

[Bethany Votaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Who and Horror? Sign me up! This was a short book that will keep you entertained and guessing!

[C.J. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another author that I met through bookstagram that very very kindly offered me a copy of his book for an honest review.


This is an enjoyable entry into a supernatural world. It has both thrills and chills, and will make you think twice about moving into any old, remodeled buildings. At about 180 pages, it gets right to it, not pulling any punches even right from the prologue.

The inclusion of the effected tenants hearing music that drew them upstairs made me think more than once to the music going off upstairs in Home Before Dark, and the flute-like music luring people in Little Heaven, which gave me that same creep factor while picturing it (even though VERY different things are going on in the different stories).

I think if this was written into a longer novel, or seeing that there is also a prequel novella maybe we could see a sequel, the author could really amp up the trapped feeling, and this would hit as a spectacular claustrophobic-horror series.

What would you do if the place you called home turned against you, hostile? Wouldn’t let you leave? Wanted you to stay…forever?


I will say that this is a good horror for someone that is typically really scared of horror, because it wears a lot of itself on its sleeve. It doesn’t cloak what’s happening with jump scares or ambiguity. It gets right into the meat of the story and tells you exactly what’s happening. This might be at the cost of overall spookiness, but I think it’ll translate very well for the same reason.

[K.D. Marchesi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.

Chivron Tower has reopened, and it’s glorious. Once an eyesore, jutting into the skyline and now a thing of beauty. Residents flock to the tower with promises of new lives.

Shortly after settling, tenants complain of bumps in the night. Ominous music from the twenty forth floor. A floor that shouldn’t exist. It seems the building wasn’t as empty as it seemed.

This was a fun haunted building story and I had a great time with it! The architect was creepy and the various mishaps that happened in these pages gave me that giddy sort of feeling well known to lovers of the genre. A very easy and fast read.

While some of the dialogue felt a bit forced/cliche, I think that added to the story. This was an unapologetic haunted tale which blurred the lines of the trope while still having fun inside them.

[Hannah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're in the market for a High Rise inspired, Dr Who-esque horror tale, this may well be the story for you! Loads of characters, amazing concept and some pretty Final Destination style goings-on, Nightmare Tenant is nothing if not a fun, quirky spin on the haunted house trope you think you know so well.

[Colin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this well-constructed Horror tale in one sitting because putting it down wasn't an option.
Mr Holliday has a way of drawing you in, that to me, was reminiscent of the late, great, James Herbert. In taking the haunted house tale into a hastily refurbished tower block, the author gave a fresh and chilling twist to one of my favourite tropes. This, combined with the author's deft touch for evocative description and believable characters, meant I was invested in the story from the start.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys their horror action-packed, unpredictable and written with style.
As I live in a fourteen floored tower block [although a much cleaner, healthier and safer one than the one in this tale] having read this, I'm steering clear of the upper floors once darkness falls.
Have to admit, I can't wait to read Richard Holliday's next offering, which I hope will be soon.

[Chris Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story!

Let me caveat the title of my review by saying that I have only ever "loved" one book, that being The Count Of Monte Cristo. So when I say I loved Nightmare Tenant, the word is not used lightly.
From the moment I read a short preview of this novel a few weeks back via the author's Newsletter, I knew I couldn't wait to get my hands on this and devour it as fast as I could.
Needless to say, I finished this book in one sitting, it was such a page turner and I was desperate to find out what happened and the pages kept getting turned and that is a credit to the writing of Richard, who has excelled with creating suspense, tension and genuine horror in this wonderfully crafted novella.

I cannot wait for more of Richard's works to come and will be eagerly awaiting the next book! Fully recommend this to anyone looking for a crisp, engaging and well written horror!

[Victoria Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard created an action-packed, spooky tale, a haunted house story but instead of a rambling building, it all takes place in a giant London tower block. He's created a great, fully fleshed-out cast of characters. Richard does a great job of pulling you into the story using the main family in the story, so we really get a feel for their plight, and the adventure pulls you along to a rapid, scary finale! I will never be able to drive past a tower block again without remembering this story.
I loved it!

[Dan Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in an old tower block, I found the visuals and descriptions were perfect in setting the scene in a place that's been quickly tarted up! The author did a great job of having a variety of characters from all walks of life, alongside a sprinkle of humour throughout this thrilling horror story!

An excellent read and I can't wait to see more from this author! Though I'm now put off from ever living in a tower block...

[Ben Pick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great horror story with the right amount of heart. I was both attached to the various characters and spooked by the supernatural elements. I hate that the worst characters felt like my own roommates or people I knew within a previous apartment complex.

As an American, this book is also quite British in its terms and phrases.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, fast paced and well written this story of a "haunted" tower block mostly hits the mark. It's an engaging and creepy story set in the UK, and having at one time lived in flats myself - not the haunted type - there is much I recognised. It's a page turner, quite short and I flew through the book in two sittings and I simply wouldn't have done that if I wasn't enjoying myself. There is however a trope/plot device in there that I know is used in plenty of stories but which as a reader I've simply come to hate - it'd be a spoiler so I won't say what - and while it certainly didn't spoil the book for me, and likely won't bother you at all, it's just something that has come to annoy me when I read it.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone into urban horror and I'll certainly read more from this author.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, short read that packs in plenty of terror into an interesting new setting!

[Adam Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recommended this by a writer friend. I am not a horror fan be that novels or movies/TV shows. However, I decided to give this a go and I'm glad I did. The way Richard draws you in with a fantastic prologue for a first-time writer was amazing. The second thing was how well-drawn the cast of characters was. We either are or know these people in our community. Making it so easy to care about them.

As for the horror aspects. They have an old school quality that reminded me of when I was young and read goosebumps novels. I would find myself thinking of the creepy theme from Ghostbusters as I read it as it had that feel to it.

All in all a top book that has chills and some mega creepy vibes with realistic characters and a fantasy ending. It is a novella which means it is short but easy to read in a sitting or two. A real page-turner that has opened me up to reading more horror/suspenseful fiction.

[Gary S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read if you like this genre

I enjoyed reading this, and without any spoilers there's one or two twists towards the end which make it even more worthwhile!
A good set of characters you'll enjoy following on their terrifying adventure.

[Claire Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a creepy but very intriguing book. I couldn't put this down and read it in one go. I loved the characters and would totally relate to all of them if I was ever put into this situation (which I hope never happens). Loved the plot as well just brill.

[Roxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting horror

So you wonder about doing old building up? Might be worth checking it's history before you do ...
Great story.