Serial

by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch
Avg. Rating:
Publish Date: May 06, 2009
Read Reviews (35)
View Larger
Tell a Friend

Overview

Remember the twin golden rules of hitchhiking?

# 1: Don't go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy.

# 2: Don't pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be raving nutcase.

So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Nutcase #2?

When two of the most twisted minds in the world of horror fiction face off, the result is SERIAL, a terrifying tale of hitchhiking gone terribly wrong. Like a deeply twisted version of an "After School Special," SERIAL is the single most persuasive public service announcement on the hazards of free car rides.

Beyond a thrilling piece of horrifying suspense, SERIAL is also a groundbreaking experiment in literary collaboration. Kilborn wrote the first part. Crouch wrote the second. And they wrote the third together over email in 100-word exchanges, not aware of each other's opening section. All bets were off, and may the best psycho win.

Author Information

Jack Kilborn

Jack Kilborn is a pen name for award winning thriller author JA Konrath. He's a longtime fan of horror books and movies, and has had dozens of scary short stories published in magazines and anthologies.

Jack has this to say about horror:

"We love being scared. Whether it is a roller coaster, a haunted house on Halloween, or the latest Hollywood monster movie, there's nothing more fun than the skin-tingly adrenalin jolt of fear. But books have an advantage over all forms of self-inflicted horrific entertainment. Rather than assault our senses, horror novels assault our minds. We all have fears, and the most frightening books prey on those fears, enhanced by our own imaginations. I can't scare you nearly as well as you're able to scare yourself, so my job is to give you just enough room to do just that."

A native of Chicago, Jack currently lives in the suburbs with one wife, one child, and two dogs. He encourages you to visit his website, www.JackKilborn.com.

Other scary books Mr. Kilborn recommends are Desert Places by Blake Crouch, Pressure by Jeff Strand, Off Season by Jack Ketchum, Midnight's Lair by Richard Laymon, Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, Stinger by Robert McCammon, and Master of Lies by Graham Masterton. Read at your own risk.

Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch is a recent Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives with his wife in Durango, Colorado, where he is at work on the sequel to Desert Places.

Customer Reviews

9781102466000

Showing 1-10 of the 35 most recent reviews

1.This was an awesome book!

Posted March 29, 2010 by Amanda, Orange City

Serial is a sick book and that is why I loved it! When 2 killers meet there is no happy ending.
2.Funny, easy flow and sick

Posted March 28, 2010 by Chris, Pgh

For a quick read that is entertaining and somewhat horrifing read this short novel. If you can stomach a rated R movie then this isn't any worse. The characters were well described and the end is very ironic.
3.Dumb!

Posted March 19, 2010 by TattooGrandma, Wappingers Falls

I'm not a mean person and am not normally critical BUT this book was awful!! Too short with the most rediculous characters (two underdeveloped weirdos). It also has the most ludicrous ending I've every read. I've read Jack Kilborn's other book "Afraid" (which he wrote by himself) and it was fantastic (gore and all). Stay away from this - even though it costs you nothing; you'll read nothing substantial.
4.What did you expect.

Posted March 14, 2010 by Abisha!!, Johnson City

Seriously if you get disturbed easy or have a weak tummy..then not at all for you.

I am always searching for a new read no matter what the subject matter, and this caught me off gaurd but suprised and I enjoyed the little read, for free its worth the 30 mins, indeed.

Good writing to me is one that provokes our human feelings and gets us thinking/feeling. This book did that.
5.too short

Posted March 13, 2010 by waters, fort irwin

I wouldve loved to read more, but I thought it was worth the read. Short and sweet, just like the petite girl
6.No wonder it was "FREE"...

Posted March 12, 2010 by Lynne B, Trenton FL

Disgusting, sick, predictable---all 41 pages of it.
7.Good story, but not long enough!

Posted February 21, 2010 by Carol, Clintwood

I was ready to go a little further into this story. Would have liked if it had been longer. Be warned, it is VERY graphic!!!
8.Worth the time

Posted February 16, 2010 by Chrissey , San Jose

Good enough for a freebie... Worth the short time it took to read it. Kinda like a cute-ish story of serial killer love.
9.Good Start but....

Posted February 07, 2010 by Erika, Indiana

I think it could have been so much better. It has the makings for being an excellent story but was lacking in alot of ways. I think the ending was pretty lack luster considering the rest of the book. Worth the read, but like I said could have been alot better
10.Sick but entertaining

Posted February 06, 2010 by Julie, Succasunna

This definitely isn't for the weak at heart. Very graphic. I don't mind blood and gore so it didn't bother me. It did pass the time for a half hour & did have an ironic twisted ending that I wasn't expecting.