Maple Falls Massacre

by Daniel J. Barnes

Every winter dozens of people go missing in Maple Falls. Many people believe that an ancient creature known as Blackfoot is responsible for these unexplained disappearances.

But, the truth is far worse than any urban legend.

For mature readers only. Contains sex, violence & bad language.

Genres: Horror

232 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2020

About the author

Author of the novels Monster Home, Blood Stained Canvas, The Vatican: Angel of Justice series, Dinner Party, Maple Falls Massacre, Fear Trigger, Welcome to Crimson & Monster Meals.

Creator/Writer of several independent comics Vatican: The Angel of Justice (1 issue), Monster Home (3 issues), Starlex (2 issues), Revenge is Geek (1 issue).

Reviews

[Michael Brososky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting the book I had no idea what I was truthfully in for, nor prepared for the roller coaster I was about to endure. Once you open the pages your automatically whisked away into a snow covered mystery that grips you tight and doesn’t let go. Once you think you have the mystery of Maple Falls figured out, your in for a surprise.

Aside from being completely enthralled in the mystery and suspense I absolutely loved the characters. Each person doesn’t seem like names on a page, but more like people you know way before the book begins. You become deeply invested in each character as the horror progresses. The author makes every character unique yet relatable , which is hard to find - especially in this genre.

There are so many great cultural references and references to the authors other works - that when they pop up you feel like your discovering movie Easter eggs. I have nothing but praise for this book and with this reading it has easily become of my favorite suspense / thriller works.

[Anthony Labriola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnes really captures the genre in this piece, creating all the air of uncertainty in his environment and suspense in his characters. This was a fun read through and through and a difficult one to put down. All the tropes we’ve come to know and love about the slasher genre are present and accounted for but take a quick turn into subverted expectation. I would easily enjoy following maple falls dark history, as the tastes we get sprinkled throughout answer questions with more questions. The characters are engaging and together form an enjoyable dynamic to help build the reader’s attachment... but don’t get too attached! Happy Hauntings!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Maple Falls Massacre it's so addictive I found it difficult to put down it's well written I really like your style how you capture the characters and bring the reader into the novel In certain aspects it does make you feel cold I enjoyed the journey it's amazing how you can just sort of switch off and go to the place you imagine in the book.

[Richard Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this classic slasher fic. Devoured it in two nights. I particularly enjoyed the decoy protagonist at the beginning and then the time shift made it even more fun.

[Jim Ody · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want small town horror? Creepy shenanigans and eerie atmosphere? Legends, dark woods and splattering bloodshed? Then Maple Falls Massacre delivers these and more. Much more.

Mr Barnes has snuck into the deceased mind of Laymon and ripped out those elements of a slasher horror that we all crave. But it's not cut & paste, it's well spun in his own unique way.

People are going missing in the remote and snowy town of Maple Falls, and the rumour mill is rumbling on with talk of Blackfoot, the hairy, man-beast the is said to frequent the dark corners of the wilderness. But who can stop the body count before it's too late?

This is a great book that panders to all the things I love in horror. 80s throwback, well crafted characters and sex-crazed teenagers all set in an American town. I flew through it and will eagerly wait to read the next book in the series (which I also own).

Dan is an extremely talented author, and he has the ability to expand into other genres, or sub-genres of horror with great ease. He's also a top bloke, so that's nice.

[Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all of dans work, this one really stands out. Constantly leaving you wanting more. It’s such a breath taking action paced story line. When I picked up the book to begin with, I couldn’t put it down. The pace of the plot really goes hand in hand with the story. This well crafted novel is great no matter if you love or have never read horrors I urge you to read this book. Once again I applaud Dan on his work.

[Earendil Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

“𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞.”
― 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙬𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 , 𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨

The narrative started off unassuming....then it got 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬

There's something 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 taking place in Maple Falls and what an 𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 name.

Next, the flashback of the terror/legend - 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃!!!

The love scene empathetic, tender and sensitive - and... 𝐮𝐡...𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥...𝐞𝐫𝐫...𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭

I appreciate the list of the many names of Bigfoot (pgs23-24)

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨!

Thank you for gifting me the ebook. Totally enjoyed it.

[☠Arianne Reads Horror ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought I'd made a bit of an error in judgement, as it starts off with an article about 'The Blackfoot' which is like a yeti, sasquatch type of being. Although not usually my kind of read, the writing really intrigued me, and I actually found this part of the story quite interesting and wondered where this mythical type creature could cause a massacre in this small town.

There is small cast of characters within the book, which reminds you throughout that this is a small remote town, with little help if anything was to go wrong. A group of teens come at this strange time, in midwinter, to rent a cabin off one of the locals. The group felt like that classic, isolated horror group, where you wonder who may die first and which ones will survive. They were all likeable, well described, and funny throughout.

The story develops quickly into something a lot more sinister, and the quick paced writing meets up to this cat and mouse vibe that the story has. I was a big fan of the drip feeding of discovery that the local sheriff gets, as its suspenseful enough that you're left with some mystery until you find out the truth.

I enjoyed the description throughout, the format of the writing felt almost old fashioned which was an aspect that went well with the small town feel. The gore scenes were written well, they definitely have that slasher vibe which can be fun to read, as the way certain deaths happen are bloody and different from the norm.

Unfortunately, I found the dialogue throughout the book to be quite robotic and unnatural. overuse of names when they weren't needed, especially with such a small group of characters left me just a bit frustrated. There were times characters spoke to themselves, which at times, works well, but other times made me feel like I was reading dialogue from NPC's I've seen in games. Sometimes description works better in this instance.

All in all, the story and characters are really enjoyable, it's a fun slasher/ cat and mouse type read and would recommend it if you're after something gory and quick paced.

[Elyrria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what I would call a "fun," cozy read. I love creature features and cryptid horror. The things I didn't like were that the Kindle edition was so poorly edited that you couldn't even tell who was talking sometimes unless you read everything around the quote, and that there was a spelling or grammar issue on nearly every page. Near the end, there's a really dumb sex scene that panders to the banal male fantasy. Acknowledging that the way the female participant orgasms is rare doesn't erase the scene's ridiculous presentation. I'm not trying to take it too seriously, because horror can involve some level of fantasy and fun for everyone, but it's just one of those things that is overdone by male horror authors. I wish more attention had been paid to the murder scenes and that there was greater background from the personal view of the monster. I may still read the other books in the series, because the author nailed things from an aesthetic point in so many ways! I just want the story to deepen and move beyond trope-y characterization techniques.

[Mr M A SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

After digesting The Dinner Party in a single sitting, I couldn't wait for the physical release so had to get a copy for my Kindle on day of release.

Absolutely loved it start to end (another of his books I read in a single sitting). Although the book was advertised as a horror / thriller, the start of the book confused me a little. Once I got through the prologue and the story properly got going, the title definitely made a lot more sense!

Any fan of classic horror slasher films won't be disappointed. The victims are well written, and the development between them really ramps the tension as the bodies begin to build up. Beau Tooth was such an eerie yet satisfying killer. The book left a lot of stuff unexplained (until the last few pages where everything comes together) and I cannot wait to see if the writer pens another Massacre.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripped. I finished this book this afternoon and I'm torn. I'm glad I've finished it in the day time but I lost the feeling of reading it at night. This isn't a reflection on the story because believe me yesterday night I was GRIPPED! This story has been written to grip and grab it does. At points when Beau Tooth was watching them through the windows I felt someone looking through mine too! Great story with what I think is a hook at the end. Maybe another book. Maybe leaving it there. Who knows.....

[Killian Gore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll just say that I absolutely loved this book! Totally my type of horror. If you like the words of Richard Laymon, then I'm sure you'll love this too. It's brutal, it's funny, it's thrilling, it's got a great storyline and Dan Barnes has a great, very readable, style. Definitely my favourite horror book of the year. Highly recommended.

[Scarlett Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

As i started reading this book i had no idea the wild ride that i was in for. You think one thing is going to happen and than it takes a turn that you weren’t expecting. All of the characters were absolutely wonderful in each of there own way.

It’s perfectly paced and doesn’t feel rushed at all. You’ll notice references from other authors as well. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller/ mystery as it’s become one of my favorite books that kept me on the edge of my seat with every page that i turned.

[Baz West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished this book and I must say it’s one of the best books I’ve read for a while.
The story flows and personally I forgot I was reading and at times I was there with the characters.
This would make a great movie or a series.
My only complaint is the book ended.
👍🏻👏🏻

[John Jeffries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gripping read. First book by this author I have read and I'm definitely going to be reading more. It starts off with a legend of a Bigfoot type creature, but the truth is much more nastier. Great characters and settings, and an unforgettable killer. Looking forward to reading more of this universe, excellent read, highly recommended. Great work Daniel J Barnes.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!! What a fantastic gory, spine chilling story!! Couldn’t put it down.

[Nic Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maple Falls Massacre is a tightly crafted, tension fraught and clever horror read. The reader follows the sardonic, witty and adventure loving Professor Felix Cumberbatch as he navigates through a brutally cold, snow drenched and desolate forest ground and also wades through urban legends, folklore and a potential axe murderer on the loose, all in the hope of getting to the core of the legend of Bigfoot. Witty and humorous dialogue provides wonderful character interplay and the horror is deliciously wicked which leaves the reader enjoying every second of this wonderfully crafted five star read. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Lylith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Maple Falls Massacre really captures the essence of the 80s slasher genre. You have it all, a small remote town, a group of teens, an isolated cabin in the forest, a snowy backdrop and, of course, something, or someone, that is to blame for many unexplained disappearances. Is it an ancient creature known as Blackfoot, or is something more sinister going on? An action-packed, suspenseful mystery laced with carnage, and peppered with humour, make this a fun and fast-paced read for horror fans. This was my first novel from Barnes, and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[W Hearsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing 80's style slasher horror read. Set in small town America, this story pulls you in from the first page. People have been going missing, during the long cold winter months, for decades. No trace of their remains ever found Is it the legendary Blackfoot, or is it something more sinister? The author keeps this fast paced, horror story moving. Filled with tension and suspense and with touches of humour, this is a great read.Will the new sheriff unravel the sinister secret of this quaint little town, or will Maple Falls keep its disturbing secret intact and claim even more unsuspecting victims?