This review first appeared in scifiandscary.com
‘Halloween Fiend’ is one of those books that leaves you thinking. Like CV Hunt’s excellent novella ‘Cockblock’, ‘Halloween Fiend’ is an intelligent slice of horror that’s quite different from most of what’s on the market at the moment. It lacks the raw, emotional punch of ‘Cockblock’, but makes up for it with great atmosphere and a memorably creepy monster. It’s a simple tale that gets under your skin and stays there. The brilliance of it is that there isn’t an obvious reason why it does that – it isn’t graphic or shocking, it’s just a well-written, subtle, small town horror story.
The town in question is Strang, a messed-up community haunted by a creature the locals call ‘Halloween’ that preys on local animals and occasionally people. The narrator is an inhabitant of the town, an older man who is convincing and sympathetic even if he isn’t always likeable. He is an effective protagonist, starting to question the relationship between the town and the fiend for the first time as the story progresses and more of the town’s secrets are revealed are revealed to the reader.
At only 100 pages, this isn’t a long book by any means, but Hunt packs a lot into it. I can imagine many any author spinning this concept out into a 500-page monster (looking at you, Mr King). Hunt keeps things brief and doesn’t waste a word. She wrings all the meaning from the story without exhausting the reader.
What makes the story as effective as it is, is that Strang is a believable community. For all the strangeness of its situation, the town’s inhabitants and their reaction to the problem they face is convincing. The story drags to the surface humanity’s willingness to put up with bad shit for a quiet life. Like so many of us, the people of Strang would rather maintain their town’s terrible status quo, than recognise their own complicity in it.
Most of all though, ‘Halloween Fiend’ is great horror. It has a superb monster and reads a bit like the unholy offspring of HP Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson. I enjoyed every page and it reaffirmed the sense I had after reading ‘Cockblock’ that Hunt is a very talented writer.
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Barry is forty-five, overweight and has been employed at the town's general store for thirty years. He's never dated and lives with his dad, who claims to be confined to his motorized chair but Barry knows he can walk, he just likes to have Barry do everything for him. Barry's life is uneventful and dull during the day, but every night is filled with terror, as this small town is visited by Halloween, a shape-shifting presence that demands a live "treat" from every resident. Barry can't help but listen for Halloween on the porch, dreading the sounds he hears, but it gets even worse when Halloween begins taunting Barry through the doors and windows. And then the mayor brings in carnival rides for the town's Fall Festival, which brings carnies, and Barry doesn't know if the presence of outsiders after dark will make things better or worse for him.

If you have a Kindle and want a truly tense read, this is a good one with a strong nod to Shirley Jackson. ( )