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the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
4.0
Beyond the Creek is dark desperate and engaging. If you want to explore a world that is beyond the ordinary, then this a novella for you! A propulsive plot and the perfect read for spooky season.
A creature feature with a beating heart and venomous fangs, I was entrapped by its consummate storytelling and succinct narrative.
The ending had me high-fiving the person next to me. It was fresh air I was hitting but still, it felt good to have that conclusion.
Beyond the Creek – a perfect title that promised mystery and intrigue. The cover increased the appeal, I was beyond curious to find out just what was beyond the creek. I wanted to escape the Nox’s house and take a trepidatious walk to the creek. I wanted to hear the water making its journey through the forest, whilst running from tree to tree in case someone was following me. I don’t know what I was expecting but like a cat eyeing up its prey, I was played with and eventually swallowed whole.
I’m sure by now you’ve realised that I really enjoyed this story, so you want more details instead of my waffling, okay?
Alex Foster is on the run; she’s trying to escape the clutches of her ex-partner. She’s pregnant and she’s determined to keep her unborn child away from the abusive monster she’s spent so long trying to evade. She interviews for the position of caregiver to the Nox. The client, Peter has had a stroke and he needs help with daily care while he rehabs from the effects of his illness. It’ll provide a strong future for her and her unborn baby, there’s just one rule – don’t go beyond the creek. Sounds simple right?
She quickly discovers that there’s something inherently wrong with her employers. They seem secretive and no matter how friendly she is, Rachel isn’t interested in being nice to her. She becomes close to her employer’s granddaughter, who has a little pet that scared the crap out of me. Upon getting acquainted with some of the locals in town, including the granddaughter’s father it appears that nothing is as it seems with the Nox family. Dottie the grandmother, especially, there is something off about her, something reflected back that isn’t exactly warming.
The writing transported me to the heart of the story. The pacing was perfect and at first glance, you expected a very cut-and-dried story, but it ended up being very complex, no word was wasted. The characterisation was so expertly crafted that the characters created tension, the fear, it all gave me the creeps. This was one story that I was glad I’d opened the doors to.
A creature feature with a beating heart and venomous fangs, I was entrapped by its consummate storytelling and succinct narrative.
The ending had me high-fiving the person next to me. It was fresh air I was hitting but still, it felt good to have that conclusion.
Beyond the Creek – a perfect title that promised mystery and intrigue. The cover increased the appeal, I was beyond curious to find out just what was beyond the creek. I wanted to escape the Nox’s house and take a trepidatious walk to the creek. I wanted to hear the water making its journey through the forest, whilst running from tree to tree in case someone was following me. I don’t know what I was expecting but like a cat eyeing up its prey, I was played with and eventually swallowed whole.
I’m sure by now you’ve realised that I really enjoyed this story, so you want more details instead of my waffling, okay?
Alex Foster is on the run; she’s trying to escape the clutches of her ex-partner. She’s pregnant and she’s determined to keep her unborn child away from the abusive monster she’s spent so long trying to evade. She interviews for the position of caregiver to the Nox. The client, Peter has had a stroke and he needs help with daily care while he rehabs from the effects of his illness. It’ll provide a strong future for her and her unborn baby, there’s just one rule – don’t go beyond the creek. Sounds simple right?
She quickly discovers that there’s something inherently wrong with her employers. They seem secretive and no matter how friendly she is, Rachel isn’t interested in being nice to her. She becomes close to her employer’s granddaughter, who has a little pet that scared the crap out of me. Upon getting acquainted with some of the locals in town, including the granddaughter’s father it appears that nothing is as it seems with the Nox family. Dottie the grandmother, especially, there is something off about her, something reflected back that isn’t exactly warming.
The writing transported me to the heart of the story. The pacing was perfect and at first glance, you expected a very cut-and-dried story, but it ended up being very complex, no word was wasted. The characterisation was so expertly crafted that the characters created tension, the fear, it all gave me the creeps. This was one story that I was glad I’d opened the doors to.
darkcornerofthelibrary's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
loogenhausen's review
4.0
A movie-suitable novella with brisk pacing, clearly-defined characters, and a delicious plot full of familial intrigue, ancient curses, and the aura of a good old creature feature for good measure. This is my first Nico Bell book and I'm sure it won't be my last. If it wasn't for my horrific ADD, I would have absolutely read this in one sitting. D&T Publishing is really doing a great job with horror fiction written by women and this joins Ruthann Jagge's THE NEW GIRLS' PATIENT and Rowan Hill's IN THE ARCTIC SUN in the pantheon of absolutely unputdownable recent novellas from the women of horror!
Read more novellas and start with BEYOND THE CREEK.
Read more novellas and start with BEYOND THE CREEK.
kilosmom7's review
4.0
EXCELLENT. ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT.
i'm not one for the monstery type stories but...oh damn...ya'll got me on this one.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so i will not disclose very much but OMFG...
and what an amazing ending! i knew Robert would come back into play at some point, but man i was not expecting ol girl to catch him up like that! again, excellent. I am SO glad i got to read this beauty.
i'm not one for the monstery type stories but...oh damn...ya'll got me on this one.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so i will not disclose very much but OMFG...
and what an amazing ending! i knew Robert would come back into play at some point, but man i was not expecting ol girl to catch him up like that! again, excellent. I am SO glad i got to read this beauty.
indiebookaddict's review
4.0
Alex left a troubled relationship and is looking to start a new life for her and her unborn baby. She accepts a care provider position with the Nox family. Alex is excited for the opportunity until weird things start to happen.
I enjoyed the mystery of the Nox family. Watching everything unfold was great. Bell did a wonderful job keeping my attention from beginning to end. The dark secret about Dottie finally becomes known and delivers quite a surprise. This will have you flipping through the pages! This was my first read by Bell and I look forward to reading more of her work.
I enjoyed the mystery of the Nox family. Watching everything unfold was great. Bell did a wonderful job keeping my attention from beginning to end. The dark secret about Dottie finally becomes known and delivers quite a surprise. This will have you flipping through the pages! This was my first read by Bell and I look forward to reading more of her work.
ninag98's review
Bell’s writing is so wonderful that before finishing the first chapter, I already knew this novella would become one of the top ten reads of the year. It’s a modern gothic that has all of my favorite elements: a strong female lead, great queer representation, a creepy house, and a dark family secret.
The novella follows a woman, Alex, who’s desperate to get a job, seeing as she’s escaped her abusive husband and is pregnant. That’s how she becomes the new caretaker for Peter, which seems like a perfect opportunity at first until her landlady tells Alex about the (supernatural) rumors surrounding the X residence. Not long after that, she begins experiencing strange things while at the house and it becomes apparent that the family she’s been working for has their fair share of skeletons in the closet. Due to it being a novella, there’s not much build-up, once the first truly creepy thing happens, the rest followed quickly, and the plot becomes fast-paced. Even so, the story never feels rushed, the reading flowed well, and I was left feeling very satisfied with the ending. As weird as it may sound, the overall tone of the book is wholesome and advocates that everyone is strong enough to fight. It left me with a warm feeling of hope, something I’ve been needing these days and that I was not expecting to get from this novella. Bell ties up all the loose strands, however, she does leave the reader with an open ending, which I’m usually not a fan of, but it worked well with the plot she had constructed.
As I’ve mentioned time and time again, characters will always come before the plot to me and no matter how well a story is written, if I can’t feel for the characters then I’m incapable of getting invested in the story. Thankfully, Bell’s characters are constructed really well and there was also the bonus that all the “big players” in the story were women, something we don’t see enough when it comes to horror. On top of this, the main character is an abuse survivor who succeeded in escaping, the reader sees how much she still struggles with her trauma, but Bell makes sure that Alex never comes off as weak or fragile, even when that’s how she sees herself. I found this protagonist to be an incredible representative of trauma survivors and, although this isn’t the main (or perhaps, only) intent of the novella, Alex’s arch does great service for the perception of abuse victims. Still on the topic of good representation, Bell does another thing that’s out of the (mainstream) horror pattern: she writes a queer couple whose role in the story has absolutely no connection to their sexuality. It’s not even mentioned, not by Alex and not by anyone else in the story, it’s so wonderful to finally read a story with queer characters that does not center around their pain and trauma (related to their sexuality, Bell had plenty of creepy traumas to inflict on everyone).
The novella follows a woman, Alex, who’s desperate to get a job, seeing as she’s escaped her abusive husband and is pregnant. That’s how she becomes the new caretaker for Peter, which seems like a perfect opportunity at first until her landlady tells Alex about the (supernatural) rumors surrounding the X residence. Not long after that, she begins experiencing strange things while at the house and it becomes apparent that the family she’s been working for has their fair share of skeletons in the closet. Due to it being a novella, there’s not much build-up, once the first truly creepy thing happens, the rest followed quickly, and the plot becomes fast-paced. Even so, the story never feels rushed, the reading flowed well, and I was left feeling very satisfied with the ending. As weird as it may sound, the overall tone of the book is wholesome and advocates that everyone is strong enough to fight. It left me with a warm feeling of hope, something I’ve been needing these days and that I was not expecting to get from this novella. Bell ties up all the loose strands, however, she does leave the reader with an open ending, which I’m usually not a fan of, but it worked well with the plot she had constructed.
As I’ve mentioned time and time again, characters will always come before the plot to me and no matter how well a story is written, if I can’t feel for the characters then I’m incapable of getting invested in the story. Thankfully, Bell’s characters are constructed really well and there was also the bonus that all the “big players” in the story were women, something we don’t see enough when it comes to horror. On top of this, the main character is an abuse survivor who succeeded in escaping, the reader sees how much she still struggles with her trauma, but Bell makes sure that Alex never comes off as weak or fragile, even when that’s how she sees herself. I found this protagonist to be an incredible representative of trauma survivors and, although this isn’t the main (or perhaps, only) intent of the novella, Alex’s arch does great service for the perception of abuse victims. Still on the topic of good representation, Bell does another thing that’s out of the (mainstream) horror pattern: she writes a queer couple whose role in the story has absolutely no connection to their sexuality. It’s not even mentioned, not by Alex and not by anyone else in the story, it’s so wonderful to finally read a story with queer characters that does not center around their pain and trauma (related to their sexuality, Bell had plenty of creepy traumas to inflict on everyone).
karlakayjenniges's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
"Alex Foster never expected to survive her past; now she had no choice but to face the future."
Alex has fled from an abusive relationship. Pregnant and alone, she has to try to rebuild her life
and provide safety for herself and her unborn child. She feels fortunate to find a place to live and a job she can rely on. She becomes a private caregiver for the Nox family. Eccentric and somewhat unfriendly, Alex learns the Nox family has many dark secrets. She comes to cherish little Callie and will do anything to protect her from the darkness that lies in wait "Beyond the Creek".
Shrouded in mystery and evil intentions, we are spell bound to the unraveling of the hidden secrets. Alex's journey becomes one of survival, the pure love and protection of motherhood, and more than one underlying threat.
Supernatural, creepy and sinister , a creature that just may scare you and give you the chills.
A pretty strong female protagonist, considering she is pregnant and yet she stands strong and fights with all the strength she can muster. A surprise element pertaining to the Nox family women and little Callie is quite a twist that may cause you to squirm with shivery tingles. A bit of revenge in the end that put a smile on my face!
Alex has fled from an abusive relationship. Pregnant and alone, she has to try to rebuild her life
and provide safety for herself and her unborn child. She feels fortunate to find a place to live and a job she can rely on. She becomes a private caregiver for the Nox family. Eccentric and somewhat unfriendly, Alex learns the Nox family has many dark secrets. She comes to cherish little Callie and will do anything to protect her from the darkness that lies in wait "Beyond the Creek".
Shrouded in mystery and evil intentions, we are spell bound to the unraveling of the hidden secrets. Alex's journey becomes one of survival, the pure love and protection of motherhood, and more than one underlying threat.
Supernatural, creepy and sinister , a creature that just may scare you and give you the chills.
A pretty strong female protagonist, considering she is pregnant and yet she stands strong and fights with all the strength she can muster. A surprise element pertaining to the Nox family women and little Callie is quite a twist that may cause you to squirm with shivery tingles. A bit of revenge in the end that put a smile on my face!
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