Horror Book Preview: Read or Skip--- THE MAYHEM CHILDREN By Paul Seiple
Are you ready to dive into an unsettling tale of witchcraft, demons, and rituals?
If you’re a fan of 80’s style horror then you may just enjoy THE MAYHEM CHILDREN by Paul Seiple.
Published in September 2018, the book is part of a series called A Project Specter Mystery and has been well-received by horror fans who have praised the author for writing authentic characters who show interesting development.
THE MAYHEM CHILDREN Book Plot
Elvin Hayes is convicted of presumably murdering six children known as The Silent Six because their bodies were never recovered. Thirty years later, the children have returned to play a disturbing game called The Mayhem.
Detective Kim must find a way to end the game before all those who are connected to the case are killed. Unfortunately, her father was the detective who had sent Hayes to the electric chair.
Will Kim be able to solve the case in time?
THE MAYHEM CHILDREN Review and My Take
Detective Sam Strode is interrogating convicted felon Hayes, demanding to know what he has done with the bodies of the six children who disappeared between the winter of 1972 and summer of 1975. A fiber from a bed sheet from one of the children is what put Hayes on death row.
Elvin Hayes may have been bullied when he was a kid but Strode suspects that he isn’t as dumb as he is pretending. Hayes refuses to give away any information regarding the children. Frustrated, Detective strode leaves and prepares for the execution.
A reporter, Derek Gallagher is also present, although he is made to promise he would not report anything regarding the missing children in case Hayes decides to say something at the very end.
Even as he is about to be executed, Hayes does not let go of his apathy regarding the children’s murders, and neither admits nor refuses the accusation against him. He is electrocuted and dies.
Years later, Tommy Lloyd is arrested for killing his entire family. Detective Kim, who is Detective Sam Strode’s daughter, has been put on the case. Tommy Lloyd was Jimmy’s father, one of The Silent Six children. He has killed his other son and his entire family because he claims that Jimmy instructed him to.
We then meet another family consisting of Charlie and Sara whose parents are Norma and Ben. They have moved into a new house and Sara claims to have met a girl in her room. Her family thinks it is an imaginary friend.
But clearly, it’s one of The Silent Six children.
Next we meet Detective Kim who has gotten her almost seventy year old father Sam Strode, chinese takeout. He may be suffering from Alzheimer’s but seems to be fully aware of his surroundings and the cases. He is also organized and always interested in hearing about Kim’s cases.
As the sample draws to a close, Kim and Terrence are working on Tommy Lloyd’s case. He has deliberately injured himself.
Kim keeps hearing children giggling, so that can’t be good. She has also found her father’s notes on the Hayes files, where apparently the accused had spoken a chant while he was being taken away. Kim tells her partner to not read it.
The story is captivating and so far, fast-paced.There is a genuine creepy vibe going on each page that makes your skin prickle, especially the first scene with Hayes.
The suspense is carefully built so that you keep turning pages to find out what happens next. The Silent Six are clearly on a mission. Can they be stopped in time or will they claim more victims?
The author Paul Seiple is clearly to watch out for.
Read or Skip?
Of course: Read.
The Mayhem Children is suspenseful, delightfully unsettling, and a well-written book. The story flows well and the mounting suspense is palpable. Since the book summary promises rituals and demons, I cannot wait to find out just how does the abduction of children is connected to the occult.
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