5 Star Review of THE DEAD GAME

There is something painfully wrong about the seemingly perfect town of Oasis

By Peter Garcia on May 24, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

 

The opening pages of "The Dead Game" grab you at the ankles and drag into the deeper story. There is something painfully wrong about the seemingly perfect town of Oasis. Without getting into spoilers, here's my take. Leist's cast of characters are interesting in and of themselves. They do leave you wanting to get to know them better; yet, as in real life you only get to see the sides and masks that others want you to see. That, to me, was the author's point. Everyone in Oasis seems to have an agenda, and it's hard to know what to believe. With that in mind, Leist does a great job of bringing to life the picturesque town of Oasis, and the menacing End House. The book is reminiscent of tales like "House on Haunted Hill," yet with its own twists on the supernatural thriller. The story is well-paced and the dangers faced by Leist's characters feels terrifyingly real. All in all, a good read. I look forward to reading more works from this author. 

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THE DEAD GAME -- Let the Games Begin

Chapter 8

End House appeared through the mist: a massive daunting
shadow silhouetted against the black sky. The house stood
tall and imposing before its invited guests.
     That was how End House appeared to Linda. Her first
glimpse of the foreboding house caused her body to shiver.
The house resembled all the scary houses in her imagination
and in every Gothic novel she’d ever read. But having to face
it on this dreary and isolated hilltop, with the wind blowing,
sharp branches slapping them across their shocked faces, made
the encounter more real and much more horrifying.
     Tom, Edward, Mike, and David were already walking up
the gravel path, while Gregg, Judy, and Ryan were waiting
for them by the massive front door. It was a very quiet group
that stood close together…staring up at the dark, menacing
structure.
     The front of the house faced the mountain with its wrap-
around porch, wide stone steps, and thick white columns,
while the rear had its large patio and built-in pool facing the
crashing waves of the ocean. A tall black iron fence—its pointy
spikes jutting upward to the sky—encircled the house and
pool before following the stairs in its straight descent to the
deserted beach below.
     Todd heaved open the huge steel door and walked in first.
He disappeared inside, leaving them no choice but to trail
along behind him.
     Huddled together as one, they entered the house and stood
in the dark hall.The only light came from two lines of lit candles traveling up the banisters of the marble staircase, and a third row of candles hanging from wall sconces in the right hallway. The sconces served to illuminate this hallway, while leaving the second hallway to the left of the staircase in complete darkness.
     No one was there to greet them or to tell them where to
go. The group stood still, in awe of the sweeping staircase with
its majestic red carpeting. Todd returned from somewhere in
the dark recesses of the house and suggested that they split
up into two groups. He directed Linda, Shana, Gregg, Ryan,
and Judy to proceed upstairs with him, while Mike, David,
Edward, Tom, and Louise were told to follow the long line of
candles along the right hallway.


 
    Louise was upset that she was stuck with Mike, David,
Edward, and Tom—when she really wanted to be with Todd.
Todd had arranged the two groups, purposely placing her in
the second group. How much worse could this evening get?
    Her group followed the flickering candles, which cast ee-
rie shadows from their elevated positions on the hallway’s left
wall. The dark paneled walls made the hall feel smaller and
even darker.
    David was lagging behind the others. He stopped walking
and said, “It’s not too late for us to leave and return home. I
don’t want to be here anymore. We should just—”
    Mike tugged hard on David’s arm. He said in the annoyed
voice that he reserved for David, “Don’t whine like a baby,
David. And try to have some fun.”
    “Yeah, right,” David said and pulled his arm away from
Mike.
     Edward and Tom assumed the lead and were following the
wavering lights. Faced with two closed doors on the right wall,
Edward opened the first one and walked in.
     The room before them appeared to be a large, cavernous
living room, empty except for the enormous unlit marble
fireplace on the opposite wall. The wallpaper was dark and
stained; the wood floor was dull and dirty. A connecting door
led them into the dining room, which turned out to be a large
room dominated by a long wood table without chairs.
     The bleakness of this room and all the other rooms in this
house made Louise feel uneasy. The house was very dismal-
looking with its dark paneling, and it lacked any furnishings
that would have made it feel more like a home.
     And where was everyone? Where was their elusive host? 
This was supposed to have been a party for them, but the house
looked deserted—as if it hadn’t been lived in for a long time. She really didn’t want to see any more of it. Who knew what could be lurking behind any of the closed doors? Now she was just scaring herself with her own gloomy thoughts. She caught up to the others, who were standing in the hallway waiting for
her.
     As they continued along the long hallway, the candles in
front of them lit up…while the ones behind them went simul-
taneously dark.
     It was leading them somewhere but where? She didn’t want to find out.

THE DEAD GAME

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MY BEAUTIFUL TOWN

MY BEAUTIFUL TOWN

Oh beautiful town of mine,
With beaches and white sand so fine.
Views to take your breath away,
For this tourists want to pay.

Oasis, a perfect name for you,
Waving palm trees and skies so blue.
But come night bets are off,
Once The Dead chop heads off.

I don't want to move from here,
But I can't live with this fear.
Please help rid the town of The Dead,
Then I could sleep sound in my bed.

THE DEAD GAME

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THE NIGHT

Who dares to walk in the forest?
A forest tinged blue by the moon.
I sit each night, watching.
Watching for intruders.
Intruders who will fall victim.
Victims of The Dead.
Who dares to challenge The Dead?
They own the forest.
They own Oasis, Florida.
They own the night.
 
THE DEAD GAME

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THE JUNGLE

THE JUNGLE

A tropical jungle you see
Is just perfect for you and me.
We could walk along the creaky bridge,
Better than eating out of our fridge.
The jungle is waiting for us,
So we must get on the next bus.
I want to go into the forest deep
And I don’t want to hear from you a peep.
Walk across the rickety bridge with me,
An adventure is waiting–you’ll soon see.

5 STAR REVIEW OF THE DEAD GAME

Gripping horror, March 14, 2015
 

By 

Jimbo "Jimbo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead Game (Kindle Edition)

 

“Beneath the pretty field of flowers growing on End House property, exists an evil so great and powerful that even the elders can’t fight it on their own.” Who are the elders? What is The Dead Game, what is the relationship between the wicked vampires, good vampires, human vampires and what role do spells and magic play in Susanne Leist’s hugely enjoyable horror novel? If you want to learn the answers then you’ll need to read The Dead Game, and if you enjoy this type of fiction then I strongly suggest you do.
The author wastes no time laying out her literary stall. After a gripping prologue replete with bloody tentacles and a swirling vortex Leist ends her introduction with, “No sounds or voices were heard again. End House remained empty until the party five years later that awoke the house to the possibility of new victims.” I especially enjoyed the prologue as I’m not a big fan of the slow burn or the slow build. When chapter 1 begins with descriptions of the quaint shops, pristine white sand beaches, tree lined walkways and grassy town parks of the picturesque town of Oasis we know that this tranquility is illusory, ephemeral at best. When Linda and the others receive invitations to End House the sense of suspense quickly grows and it isn’t long before we’re plunged into supernatural horror once more.
Some books you can’t help but imagine as films and for me, The Dead Game is one of these. I could easily see myself watching something like this on the horror channel or a Fright Night special. The characters are well drawn as are the interactions and interpersonal conflicts but in essence it is the narrative, the “game” itself which drives the tale as the victims wonder if their fate is to “all die in this house, one by one.”
On the whole the novel pretty much played out as I expected and the diabolical vampire, Wolf, was very much part of this. Even the little surprise right at the end wasn’t such a surprise. Yet for me at least, this is not to the work’s detriment. The Dead Game is extremely well written with vivid (often extremely vivid) descriptions, the premise is strong, the central characters well drawn and the actions and reveals continue to build throughout. If I had one criticism it is that of the narrative layering. Linda is the main protagonist and as such needs to be the focus a little more in the story. It is through the central character after all that the reader best experiences the roller coaster of emotions, especially fear and hope, of a horror novel. Although a fan of James Herbert this is an aspect that I never enjoyed of the late British horror writer’s work.
Notwithstanding this minor quibble, if you like this type of fiction then you will love Dead Game. I certainly did.

IT'S YOUR DECISION

IT’S YOUR DECISION

To go forward.
Or back.
To take a chance.
Or the easy way out.
There is darkness ahead.
A strange silence.
A thick quiet.
Strange shadows.
The leaves are trembling.
Do they know something?
Should we go to the house?
The house in the dark forest.
What could we lose?
Only our lives.

The Dead Game has begun.

THE DEAD GAME
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A SAD HOUSE

seasons-in-hell:

TTT

A sad house.
It sits alone,
waiting for visitors.
Waiting for someone
to clean and fix it up.
A family would be preferable.
Even a family with a dog would
be better than the dead quiet.
It will continue to wait until its
shutters fall off and its roof sinks in.
As long as it has its four walls,
there will always be hope for better times.
If only walls could talk.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

rosiesdreams:

Somewhere ..   Photo by David Soar

I love this picture.
It brings many images to mind.
An isolated cabin somewhere on a rise
of land near a small body of water.
Darkness is surrounding the cabin
but there’s a light inside.
Smoke is drifting upward from the chimney.
Someone is home.
Who lives there?
Why would someone want to live
far from the madding crowd?
Does the person ever feel lonely?
I don’t see a car.
How does this person travel?
I want to peek into the window.
Should I?