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Midnight Horror Show Kindle Edition

by Ben Lathrop (Author), Crystal Lake Publishing (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

41 ratings

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It’s end of October 1985 and the crumbling river town of Dubois, Iowa is shocked by the gruesome murder of one of the pillars of the community. Detective David Carlson has no motive, no evidence, and only one lead: the macabre local legend of “Boris Orlof,” a late night horror movie host who burned to death during a stage performance at the drive-in on Halloween night twenty years ago and the teenage loner obsessed with keeping his memory alive.

The body count is rising and the darkness that hangs over the town grows by the hour. Time is running out as Carlson desperately chases shadows into a nightmare world of living horrors.

On Halloween the drive-in re-opens at midnight for a show no one will ever forget.

Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from The Darkest Depths.

Interview with the author:

What was the inspiration for supernatural thriller?

In the late 90’s, I produced and starred in a TV show where I hosted public domain horror movies in character as “Boris the Undead Hepcat,” kind of a mash-up of Dean Martin and Beetlejuice. The show was definitely amateurish, but also a true labor of love and an ode to all the horror hosts I’d grown up with. Over the years I’d thought about trying to bring the show back, but none of my ideas for it were very satisfying. Then one night I was playing The Cramps during my commute home and kind of letting my mind wander. Listening to Lux Interior tease every possible threat and innuendo out of old rockabilly lyrics put this image in my head – It looked like my old horror host character, but it was something else. Something much darker. A real monster pretending to be a fake one. This book is his story.

Tell us a little about your lead characters.

David Carlson is police detective haunted by past failures and the everyday tragedies of working class crime. He’s a relative new comer to the town of Dubois (“rhymes with noise”) Iowa, but he’s made it his home and is committed to protecting it. While struggling to find clues, Carlson develops a bond with video store clerk James West. James is 19 and still trapped in the small town he never belonged to. He dreams of escape…and finds it at the movies.

Why should readers give your work horror fiction a try?

Midnight Horror Show comes from untold hours haunting video stores. From long, lonesome drives through endless cornfields. It comes from desperately searching the airwaves and staying up way too late to get a glimpse of something magical, and terrifying, and true. This book is my love letter to the monsters, who were there for me when no one else was.

From the Publisher

Where Stories Come Alive

Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books. In 2023, Crystal Lake officially transitioned into an entertainment company, joining several other divisions, genres, and imprints, including Torrid Waters, Crystal Lake Comics, Crystal Lake Games, Crystal Lake Kids, and many more.

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Customer Reviews	47	3	38	24	—	32
Price	$3.99	$4.99	$3.99	$4.99	$3.99	$4.99
Category	Novel	Novel	Novella	Novella Anthology	Novella	Novel
Blurb	White Death plunges readers into the chilling and treacherous world of the Great Plains in 1888, where a deceptively warm winter day quickly turns into a fight for survival.	Black Wattle’s residents are plunged into a nightmare of infection and blood-curdling transformations.	Perfect for fans of middle-grade horror, spooky adventures, and spine-chilling mysteries, Scareville is an unmissable series that will keep young readers on the edge of their seats.	Three stories. One terrifying truth: we are not alone!	In this supernatural creature feature, the fight against nature’s deadliest predators becomes a fight against something far darker lurking in the depths.	A suicidal nudist strolls into traffic. An eccentric Buddhist claims he can occupy other people's bodies. All the while, whispers of a new form of entertainment blow through town.

Editorial Reviews

Review

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Firmly rooted in all those things that made '80s horror so great. Campy, gross, weird, harrowing, scary, funny, big-hearted. Midnight Horror Show is a good one."—Keith Rosson, author of The Mercy of the Tide and Road Seven

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Spook shows, drive-ins, horror hosts & monster movies - Ben's love for the genre shines through in this page-turner."—Dr. Gangrene, Chiller Cinema, Dr. Gangrene's Cinetarium

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Midnight Horror Show takes you through the darkest recesses of horror nostalgia and video store lore into a fog-drenched gothic landscape of occult murders, mysterious creatures, and so much blood. Evokes Poe, Lovecraft, and Clive Barker in a compelling mystery that's familiar while feeling thoroughly fresh. I couldn't put the book down."—Ben Rock, Video Palace, The Blair Witch Project

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "For fans of Dan Simmons' one-two punch Summer of Night and A Winter Haunting, where the horror seeps into the very region itself, there's a new novel waiting for you to call home... Ben Lathrop's Midnight Horror Show is the bleak and bloody equivalent to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, if it were directed by Al Adamson. This is acoustic guitar horror at its best, strumming up windswept screams against a backdrop of the lonesome Midwest."—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of The Remaking

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "An ode to the nearly lost tradition of the Midnight Creature Feature and their macabre hosts. If you fondly remember Elvira, the Svengoolie, Vampira, Dr. Creep, Sinister Seymour, or Grampa Al Lewis you will absolutely love this sinister adaptation of the late night monster movie scene."—Rex Hurst, author of What Hell May Come

About the Author

Ben Lathrop has written and taughton the history of cinema with a focus on the horror genre and cult audiencebehavior. He is a native Iowan, former television horror host and presentlibrarian. He lives with his family in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08H1CGWFR
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crystal Lake Publishing (September 25, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 25, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B08JGYCGSF

Best Sellers Rank: #2,181,823 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,713 in Horror Fiction Classics
- #2,628 in Occult Suspense
- #3,531 in U.S. Horror Fiction

Customer Reviews:
41 ratings

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Crystal Lake Publishing
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Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books in print, eBook, and audio formats.
While we strive to present only the highest quality fiction and entertainment, we also endeavour to support authors along their writing journey. We offer our time and experience in non-fiction projects, as well as author mentoring and services, at competitive prices.
With several Bram Stoker Award wins and many other wins and nominations, Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our publishing operations.
We strive for each book and outreach program we spearhead to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.
Not only do we find and publish authors we believe are destined for greatness, but we strive to work with men and woman who endeavour to be decent human beings who care more for others than themselves, while still being hard working, driven, and passionate artists and storytellers.
Crystal Lake Publishing is and will always be a beacon of what passion and dedication, combined with overwhelming teamwork and respect, can accomplish. We endeavour to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors, reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, bookstores, and libraries.
We will be as trustworthy, forthright, and transparent as any business can be, while also keeping most of the headaches away from our authors, since it’s our job to solve the problems so they can stay in a creative mind. Which of course also means paying our authors.
We do not just publish books, we present to you worlds within your world, doors within your mind, from talented authors who sacrifice so much for a moment of your time.
There are some amazing small presses out there, and through collaboration and open forums we will continue to support other presses in the goal of helping authors and showing the world what quality small presses are capable of accomplishing. No one wins when a small press goes down, so we will always be there to support hardworking, legitimate presses and their authors. We don’t see Crystal Lake as the best press out there, but we will always strive to be the best, strive to be the most interactive and grateful, and even blessed press around. No matter what happens over time, we will also take our mission very seriously while appreciating where we are and enjoying the journey.
What do we offer our authors that they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing?
We are big supporters of self-publishing (especially hybrid publishing), if done with care, patience, and planning. However, not every author has the time or inclination to do market research, advertise, and set up book launch strategies. Although a lot of authors are successful in doing it all, strong small presses will always be there for the authors who just want to do what they do best: write.
What we offer is experience, industry knowledge, contacts and trust built up over years. And due to our strong brand and trusting fanbase, every Crystal Lake Publishing book comes with weight of respect. In time our fans begin to trust our judgment and will try a new author purely based on our support of said author.
To date we’ve published around 100 books, and with each launch we strive to fine-tune our approach, learn from our mistakes, and increase our reach. We continue to assure our authors that we’re here for them and that we’ll carry the weight of the launch and dealing with third parties while they focus on their strengths—be it writing, interviews, blogs, signings, etc.
We also offer several mentoring packages to authors that include knowledge and skills they can use in both traditional and self-publishing endeavours.
We look forward to launching many new careers.
This is what we believe in. What we stand for. This will be our legacy.
Welcome to Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
See more on the author's page
Ben Lathrop
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Ben Lathrop has written and taught on the history of cinema with a focus on the horror genre and cult audience behavior. He is a native Iowan, former television horror host and present librarian. He lives with his family in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Website: www.BenLathrop.com
Twitter: @BenLathrop13
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

41 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging, with one mentioning it's a good creepy mystery that's woven together well. They appreciate the character development, with one review noting the main character is a detective in a small town.

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6 customers mention "Enjoyment"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one describing it as good creepy fun.

"...So this one had me before I even started. But given that, I really enjoyed it and burned through it in three nights...." Read more

"I enjoyed this book. It was well written...great descriptions, good character development, and an interesting plot...." Read more

"...Great book that kept me on the edge and holding my breath more than once!" Read more

"Good, creepy, gory. Perfect for Halloween season. I was drawn into the story and could easily visualize the characters and town. Quick read...." Read more

6 customers mention "Plot"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, finding it engaging and well-woven with supernatural elements that are super creepy.

"...(and I believe any reader who reads on) soon found myself engrossed in a very good mystery with recurring glimpses of something that caused me to..." Read more

"...a likable cop, mysterious teenager, malicious murders, and supernatural happenings....what’s not to like! I am looking forward to the sequel......" Read more

"...character was a detective in a small town which allowed for a very real scenario...." Read more

"Good, creepy, gory. Perfect for Halloween season. I was drawn into the story and could easily visualize the characters and town. Quick read...." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning the main character is a detective in a small town, while another notes they could easily visualize the characters and town.

"...It was well written...great descriptions, good character development, and an interesting plot. I read it in two days and could not put it down...." Read more

"...This book was not only a thriller but the main character was a detective in a small town which allowed for a very real scenario...." Read more

"...I was drawn into the story and could easily visualize the characters and town. Quick read. Didn’t want to put it down." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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CRBDURANGO
A horror story, a page turning mystery and a great read
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2020
Verified Purchase

The book’s title and first chapter (set in the 60’s while the book’s plot is an engrossing mystery set in the 80’s) would make some think it was just a horror story. I (and I believe any reader who reads on) soon found myself engrossed in a very good mystery with recurring glimpses of something that caused me to think there might be something happening that was not the ordinary explanation for the crimes that were occurring. I do not want to spoil the surprises, twists and turns that the author skillfully weaves into the plot.

I could not stop reading until the very end...which may or may not be the end of this story. I can easily imagine this book being read and reread each year. For my part, I hope a sequel is on its way in time for next Halloween.

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jay bechtol
Good creppy fun that rips along!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
I'm a little biased. I'm already in on all things 80s, drive in, and horror. So this one had me before I even started. But given that, I really enjoyed it and burned through it in three nights.

Looking for a blast, try this one out!

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Kay Kombrinck
Great book.....hard to stop reading ...grabs your interest!
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book. It was well written...great descriptions, good character development, and an interesting plot. I read it in two days and could not put it down. A nostalgic setting, a likable cop, mysterious teenager, malicious murders, and supernatural happenings....what’s not to like! I am looking forward to the sequel......

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Sandy
More than a horror story!
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020
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Horror is not a genre I would normally chose. This book was not only a thriller but the main character was a detective in a small town which allowed for a very real scenario. Great book that kept me on the edge and holding my breath more than once!

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DebM
Perfect for the Season
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020
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Good, creepy, gory. Perfect for Halloween season. I was drawn into the story and could easily visualize the characters and town. Quick read. Didn’t want to put it down.

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A. Customer
Over Bloated Amateur Hour
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Stephen King’s rule is Second Draft = First Draft - 20%. This book would have benefited from serious editing. There’s so much unnecessary fat in this book it creates a sense of apathy to the characters and story. The dread I had was in continuing to read. I only kept going because some reviews mentioned it got better at the end. It didn’t. So many half baked ideas never fully explored, a dénouement only scary in how boring it was, and a “twist” at the end that was not only seen a million miles away, but when we get there, it’s an even more boring twist than the one we saw. The author tries to make his characters dark and damaged, but this gets lost in the overwritten prose.

At the end of the book, the publisher, Crystal Lake Publishing, extols their values as a company and the ways the support and author. They should have supported this one with a (gore soaked) knife, so he could trim down his bloated book. There’s a good book somewhere in here, but good luck finding it.

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Michael J. Clarke
Compelling detective fiction inside a nostalgic, tense horror novel
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2020
Contained within the pages of this horror novel is an engrossing detective story. As the author describes it, The Midnight Horror Show is “a horror story about a detective” that “doesn’t fit easily into one genre.”

The police procedural is a tried and true device that has served as the framework for many popular and acclaimed works. Rather than seem formulaic, when it’s used properly it can move a story along at a page-turning pace as it does here. The difference is in the way the writer develops and portrays the characters and their emotions and responses to what they observe and experience. THE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW is a story rich in characterization, description, and detail. The detective story serves as the framework. Upon this skeletal structure, the horror elements provide the sinew and fat, the meat that make the story sizzle.

The novel transports readers back to 1980’s pop culture nostalgia with spooky film festivals at drive-in theaters and late night horror movies on television. Interest in horror spawned a rapidly-growing market for scary films within the burgeoning videotape (VHS) culture. Remember the public hysteria over heavy metal music, horror films, dungeons and dragons role-playing, and secretive satanic cults during the 1980’s? On a lesser scale, some religious groups and overwrought parental activists went after the more flamboyant television horror movie hosts and sought to censor them.

In the backstory to THE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW, one such television host, Boris Orloff, loses his job in 1964 after a concerned group protests his devilish influence on younger viewers of his very popular Saturday Nightmares program. They threaten to pull their advertising support from the local television station in the fictional town of Dubois, Iowa. They do their best to run him out of town, but he resurfaces as the host for Saturday night horror movies at the local Moonlite Drive-In.

Twenty years later, strange murders begin to occur in the sleepy town.Soon, sightings are noted of a strange dark figure in the shadows and threatening wolf-like animals. Detective sergeant David Carlson is assigned to investigate and the novel follows his narrative as he uncovers one clue after another which leads him to a brotherly friendship with a horror-obsessed teen who may be a prime suspect. As more information is obtained, the evidence seems to point to the unlikely resurrection of Boris Orloff, who perished in a fatal fire at the drive-in.

Author Ben Lathrop knows how to keep readers engaged and builds the tension until the final outcome at a revival of the old Saturday night horror movies with a new Orloff inspired host at the remodeled Moonlite Drive-In on Halloween night 1985.

In an interview with Lathrop by publisher Joe Mynhart, the author referenced several 1980’s horror films in describing his novel: “It’s kind of like Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II mashed up with Trick Or Treat and set in Twin Peaks. Like those classics, THE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW deals with the darkness that exists inside and the satanic urges to release it."
At several points the reader may feel that they are watching a movie, just waiting for the jump scares.

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Amazon Customer
A great read
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
This story is woven together so well. I continued thinking about elements of it for days after I finished it, putting more pieces together. Also, super creepy- in the best way. I hope there’s a sequel.

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Top reviews from other countries

Ms. Theresa M. Derwin
Cinematic scares, monsters, moody cops and mostly dead killers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2020
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Midnight Horror Show

Author: Ben Lathrop

Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing

Page count: 205

Release date: 25th September 2020

Sat 3rd May 1964

Well hello boils, ghouls and ... readers

Welcome to the Midnight Horror Show

The year is 1964.

Steeped in the limbs and livers of R. L. Stine, this retro horror novel sees kids watching the host of the show open up the viewing in true Crypt Keeper style; full of bloody, camp effects and bad puns, whilst apparently killing a young girl on stage before the double feature.

David Carlson loved it.

At first.

Oct 1985

Years later, the now adult David Carlson, has been appointed "head of the Investigative Unit", which prior to this, had been a one-man band, back in his home town.

Carlson had started drinking years ago, his wife left him and he'd hoped his transfer to a small town would help, but he was still drinking.

'Til Chief Hayes had helped him pull it together 'bout ten years ago.

Carlson in a way appears to be the cliched grizzled, jaded cop, yet as the novel progresses we find out more about some of his buried memories and how it relates to the events in 1985.

He's also aware of the skills of a female police officer who is mostly ignored by colleagues and wants to help James West, a loner teen who may or may not be involved in the murder of a local dignitary.

The nude male body of Richard Boyd is found by his wife Mary.

The body is tied up, hanging upside down but there's a distinct lack of physical evidence; no blood despite the throat being cut. And the witnesses all saw the streets filled with heavy fog, "like out of a movie."

The victim is Boyd of "Boyd’s Quality Meats Boyd" - a local meat packing plant employing many of the guys in Dubois. Though Boyd had retired and sold up he would always be known for the meat business.

Something isn't right with this case, and cop Franklin tells Carlson he reckons it's some sort of cult thing.

Then there's the weird guys passing out flyers.

"Midnight Spook Party

SEE the dead return! ...

See a murder live in stage"

Set the same year that 'Fright Night ' came out, the book revels in the vibe of the late night movie showing, and even has its own 'Peter Vincent' in the form of Boris Orlaf, host of Saturday Nightmares. It is brimming with movie nostalgia, with Easter eggs or pop culture references scattered throughout the text,the most amusing being the character Johnny Alucard, a name fans of Kim Newman will recognise.

There's also some very real commentary about the role of women in film during this period and contextual discussion between characters about the violence in film creating serial killers etc, which adds a depth and a realism to the text.

I liked Carlson so much I thinks could easily lead his own continuing series of supernatural cri!es, kind of like Barker 's Harry D'Amour.

Gory, funny, punny and with genuine scares, 'Midnight Horror Show' is a fantastic blend of Richard Laymon meets R L Stine with a dash of noir cop and The Monster Squad - for adults.

This is probably my favourite horror of 2020.

Ben Lathrop's cinematic visions are a force to be reckoned with.

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