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Jeff Menapace
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Wildlife - A Dark Thriller (Wildlife Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Jeff Menapace (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,280 ratings
In the Everglades, some sights aren't meant to be seen...

Deep in the Florida Everglades, a horrific accident ignites a deadly feud between two families.

Meanwhile, a vacationing family takes a boat ride into the isolated wilds of the Everglades, only to become unwitting witnesses to a brutal crime.

Now, as night falls, forced to travel on foot, they must flee through the treacherous wilderness while avoiding the dangerous wildlife...and the far more lethal human predators that are hunting them.

From the award-winning author of the bestselling Bad Games series comes a heart-stopping new foray into terror like nothing you've ever read.


What readers are saying about Jeff Menapace and the Wildlife series:

"Could not put it down! Good job of capturing the underlying fear most of us have of gators, snakes, and Deliverance style backwoods." ★★★★★

“Menapace will become a household name along with Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Richard Laymon." ★★★★★

"I have been a lifetime reader of Dean Koontz, Stephen King, James Patterson, Lisa Gardner, and various other suspense and horror authors...I have found a new author to add to my list of greats." ★★★★★

“Sharp and fast, the pace reminded me of Jack Ketchum's Off Season.” ★★★★★

"If you like Stephen King, Blake Crouch, or Dean Koontz, then you'll love Jeff Menapace. ★★★★★

“The best horror novel I've read in a long time. If you are a King, Koontz fan, this ranks right up there.” ★★★★★

“Fast paced read, reminding me a lot of Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum.” ★★★★★

“Reminded me of a tale Jack Kilborn, J.A. Konrath might conjure up.” ★★★★★

"If you love J.A. Konrath, Jack Kilborn, and Blake Crouch, you'll love Jeff Menapace." ★★★★★

"FIVE STARS...I would recommend this book to any fan of Richard Laymon or Jack Ketchum." ★★★★★

"Compares to my favorite writers Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and John Saul." ★★★★★

"Richard Laymon would be proud." ★★★★★

“One of my new favorite authors. Fantastic read! Very King like.” ★★★★★

"Excellent read! Similar to the style of Dean Koontz."

I hope you enjoy the first book in the Wildlife series, my friends. This series is ideal for fans of authors across several different blends of dark fiction! Authors like: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, James Patterson, John Saul, Jack Ketchum, J. A. Konrath, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Unger, Lisa Gardner, Blake Crouch, Edward Lee, Brian Keene, Bryan Smith, J. F. Gonzalez, L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain, Patrick Logan, Jeff Strand, Darcy Coates, Willow Rose, and many, many more. Happy Reading!
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Wildlife Series
  2. Print length
    206 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    April 7, 2015
  6. File size
    4.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"From its creepy swamp setting to its psychotic characters, this is a must read. There was literally nothing I didn't like." - Book Lovers Life

"An ultra-fast paced horror thriller that takes off on the first page and continues unmercifully until the end. If you want a quick read, fun, dripping with excitement and suspense, and don't mind a little murder and mayhem, this book is for you." - Vine Voice Review

"Every page of Menapace's writing explodes with chills and thrills." - Michaelbrent Collings, International bestseller and Bram Stoker Award finalist

"I find the author to be ridiculously talented." - Red Adept Reviews

Some authors try to 'scare' you; Menapace drags you kicking and screaming through the pages until the terrifying end . . . and you always come back for more." - Erik Therme, award-winning author of Resthaven

"If you're looking for a ride to explore the darkest parts of humanity, all with relentless suspense and non-stop chills, look no further than Jeff Menapace. Hop on, and hang on tight." - Michael Robertson Jr, bestselling author of the Lance Brody Series

"Jeff Menapace is one of the rising stars of the horror thriller genre...he can scare the daylights out of the best of them." - J. Chambers, Amazon Hall of Fame, Top 10 Reviewer

From the Author

Now available! Wildlife: Reckoning, the terrifying follow-up to Wildlife.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00VTXHRPI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mind Mess Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Wildlife Series
  • Best Sellers Rank: #135,395 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 3,280 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jeff Menapace

Jeff Menapace

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A native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff has published multiple works in both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.

Jeff's debut novel BAD GAMES was a #1 bestseller that spawned four acclaimed sequels, and now the series has been optioned for feature film.

Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion some day, and hates spiders.

He currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Kelly and their cats Sammy, Bear, and Baby Girl.

Follow Jeff on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Goodreads, Instagram, BookBub, and Amazon:

https://www.facebook.com/JeffMenapace.writer

http://twitter.com/JeffMenapace

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmenapace

https://www.goodreads.com/jeffmenapace

https://www.instagram.com/jeffmenapace

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jeff-menapace

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004R09M0S

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
3,280 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and suspenseful, with one review noting it's a whirlwind of insanity. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting the author's skill in capturing local colloquialisms. Customers praise the character development and fast-paced narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seat. The book contains graphic violence, though some customers appreciate its tasteful execution.

Select to learn more

ReadabilitySuspensefulWriting styleCharacter developmentPacingPage turnerGripViolence level
232 customers mention "Readability"219 positive13 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as exciting and entertaining, with one customer noting it was a whirlwind of insanity.

"...This happened many, many times! Great read!" Read more

"I thought it would take a little longer in swamp. All in all was a great read. Looking for the next book." Read more

"Great book. Could not put it down...." Read more

"This was an qmazing, exciting, creepy and heart pounding read. I loved everything about this and the characters. I look forward to more" Read more

206 customers mention "Suspenseful"164 positive42 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful and intriguing, with one customer describing it as a fast-paced thriller full of surprises.

"...But, all in all, Wild Life came across as a good story and makes you applaud the good guys and have utter distain for the bad guys." Read more

"...It did not disappoint. The suspense, the thrilling surprises, the gruesomeness...all that you expect from him , is here in Wildlife...." Read more

"First of all I have to say the book is well written and very suspenseful and also very scary...." Read more

"...I can’t wait to read the next book. I will admit it is disturbing and explicit, but not anything worse than on TV these days...." Read more

67 customers mention "Writing style"58 positive9 negative

Customers are impressed with the writing style of the book, finding it readable and talented, with one customer noting how the author effectively captures local colloquialisms.

"This book was a quick and easy read. Was almost funny with the absurdity of it but kept you in suspense too...." Read more

"...AND it is well written...." Read more

"Excellent writing. I was hooked from the first page. I would really love to see this book made into a movie!" Read more

"...Easy to read, enjoyable characters, at least the ones you are supposed to enjoy, some pretty good action and fight scenes...." Read more

45 customers mention "Character development"41 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning that the villains were particularly scary.

"...Great characters, lots of action and twists, a dark mood, and flowing language. It was such a horrifying delight; quite the page turner...." Read more

"...A page turner, great characters brought to life by the author. I finished this in a couple of settings. The story is face paced and suspenseful...." Read more

"Good story. Did a really good job portraying the characters and their unique speech. The only thing; it was a little long winded for me...." Read more

"...I could barely put it down. The characters were believable, the action was nonstop, and the villains were scary. I will be reading the next." Read more

44 customers mention "Pacing"37 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing, describing it as fast and quick to read, with one customer noting it maintains the momentum until the end.

"Fast paced and exciting! I read it in one afternoon while waiting for the snow to melt. I couldn’t put it down!" Read more

"...I missed this and thought it would have enhance the plot. This is a quick read...." Read more

"This book was a quick and easy read. Was almost funny with the absurdity of it but kept you in suspense too...." Read more

"...hiding for spanking or rather, "beating". Fast, fun read." Read more

14 customers mention "Page turner"14 positive0 negative

Customers describe the book as a page turner.

"...A page turner, great characters brought to life by the author. I finished this in a couple of settings. The story is face paced and suspenseful...." Read more

"Now THIS is a page-turner...." Read more

"Good entertainment. Page turner that had you wondering who would die next, no one seems to be safe. Will certainly read the follow-up book." Read more

"It was a good read. Keeps you interested and turning pages. Characters keep you interested and plot moves smoothly." Read more

10 customers mention "Grip"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book gripping, keeping them on the edge of their seat and unable to put it down.

"Great entertaining read. Keeps you captive. Read this over two days, and I`m a busy guy...." Read more

"I very much enjoyed this book, it has a very brutal feel.but also a great.lesson is involved if one.Will.on mms y accept it...." Read more

"What a read. I am a fan for life . Menapace keeps you gripped, mouth aghast, heart in mouth. Wow!!!" Read more

"Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Had to keep reading to see what happened next." Read more

46 customers mention "Violence level"21 positive25 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the violence level in the book, with some appreciating the horror without graphic content, while others find it too brutal and gory.

"...book was well written, but not the kind of book I like, it was pretty gruesome. Maybe I'm just getting old.." Read more

"...I had too put it down and walk away for a bit. It's violent and gory and incredibly intense in all the best ways...." Read more

"I like a good thriller but this book was absolutely awful. Violent, disturbing, extreme foul language and no storyline to say the least...." Read more

"Jeff Menapace is absolutely brilliant. If you like twisted, gruesome, awesome characters read his books...." Read more

Read it all in one night! That great!
5 out of 5 stars
Read it all in one night! That great!
Amazon Your review could not be posted. Thanks for submitting a customer review on Amazon. Your review could not be posted to the website in its current form. While we appreciate your time and comments, reviews must adhere to the following guidelines: http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines Wildlife - A Dark Thriller ★★★★★ from W. Faris on June 25, 2018 Just.......wow! Had to read it all in one night! Read the entire book in 3 hours. The only time I set it down was when I got to a part and went “Omg!” and had to set it down to think about what had just happened. This happened many, many times! Great read!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This is a nail bitter for sure, living in Florida I could visualize places this might happen.
    Couldn’t put it down!
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  • janice
    4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I was purging samples on my Kindle. I started to read a few pages of Wildlife and I could not put it down. I read it in three days which is pretty fast for me. The book centers around a psychotic family who live in the Everglades and because of some lame incident with their boy getting in a fight with another one, they decide to wage war on the other boy's family. They are completely insane. Nothing terrible happened to the psycho's child, just a few bruises. The family of the other boy is a very nice family (who also live in the Everglades) who they go after first. Then, a family touring on an air boat in the Everglades becomes endangered. I deducted one star, because the young woman tourist and her fiance (She brought her fiance to meet her parents who live in Florida) are annoying in their conversations with her parents. Especially her - and throughout the book she is odd. There are a few instances where the victimized tourists do stupid things, like they would have the better of the psychos at times, but do not kill them. No one would do that after what they had been through. Other than that, I could not put the book down and I would like to check into some of this author's other books. This book was so exciting.
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  • Holly Horror
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another story for the swamps
    Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    “You ask me, the wildlife here—in this house—is far more lethal than anything we’re gonna find out there.”

    I've had this book for some time. I like to take pictures of my books in different places and had planned on bringing this along when I go night fishing in the Glades. Problem is, I'll bring my books, but often get too busy to remember to take the picture. Being from the area where this book takes place, I was happy to see how accurate he was on most things. I love to read anything having to do with the Everglades, me being a swamp girl and all. Wildlife was indeed a dark thriller. During an airboat tour, the guide, Sam, leads a family to a locals' house deep in the Glades to get up close to his gators. When they arrived, it was a case of wrong place, wrong time, when they witness a murder. After being caught, the Burk family live a night of terror as they try to survive, relying on two teenage boys to guide them to safety without losing their lives to things that call the swamps home.
    Wildlife was a wild ride full of backwoods brutality, murder and action-packed fun!
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  • Jackie
    3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Graphic Violence
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I don't often read horror novels, mostly murder mysteries. But I do have a few favorite authors -- like Dean Koontz. From the book description, I thought this would be a good read with plenty of thrilling scenes. Don't get me wrong, this book is fine, but it is lacking in some key areas. The characters are relatively flat, one dimensional. I've been reading a lot of books where the characters are very well developed with lots of dimension. So in this case, I was pretty disappointed. There's plenty of action -- or rather mostly graphic violence. The deaths come quickly and sometimes very unexpectedly. I was really sorry that my favorite character was killed graphically very early in the book. I thought this was a mistake because I thought this character would add a lot of dimension to the plot. No spoilers here. Since this book is titled Wild Life, you'd think wildlife would be a central theme. Well, I suppose it is since some of the characters are considered wildlife! But other than the pythons and the alligators, no other wildlife are mentioned in the book. In a swamp, you'd think there would be lots of actual animal mentions. I missed this and thought it would have enhance the plot. This is a quick read. In fact that means a loss of character development and plot development. I think this story would have gained by a longer and richer narrative. But if you just want a quick shot of horror and violence, then this book certainly provides that. I just like more. I thought the author was doing pretty good at capturing the local colloquialisms, but there was a glaring (at least to me) miss. I guess just one isn't bad. I'm sure many will really enjoy this and other Menapace books. I'm not sorry I read Wildlife, I'm just not sure that I'll read more. By the way, the graphic violence in this book didn't bother me, but I think it will some readers. So reader be aware of what you are getting. There can be horror without graphic violence. Not in this book.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Oo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don’t go to the Everglades!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Well developed. Thrilling from beginning to end. Had to pace myself…I wanted to finish it in one reading. More please!
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  • jjarnold
    4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Me reading this book….”Wait…what just happened?” “Did I read that right?” “Hold on a minute.” Loved that it kept my attention. Took one star away because I think his characters are better in other books but if that’s my only complaint, we are doing all right. If you like his work buy the book. if you’re just here because you’re curious, buy the book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Joe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I've read other books by the author (Bad Games, etc) and really enjoyed them. Thought I'd give Wildlife a try. Both books are really good!! Highly recommend both books in the series!
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  • Nan54
    5.0 out of 5 stars Horror at its best
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This read took me some very scary places! Loved it and just ordered book 2!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Manon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!!!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Best book that I have read in a very long time. Couldn’t put it down. Definitely going to look for more books by this author. Very well written, with many unexpected turns. I found myself saying many times...” wow, I didn’t see that coming”
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  • wendy thorpe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on June 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Awesome read couldnt put it down love this author 😊😊😊😊
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  • Audster
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in France on October 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Juste as the other books I've read from Jeff Menapace (the bad games series and hair of the bitch), I just couldn't stop reading it. From the first page the author brings you into a very twisted situation that just keeps on going weirder and weirder. Jeff Menapace has that thing about his writing that makes you instantly picture the scenery and the characters! Such a page turner that I had to order another book sooner than I thought/had planned! Highly recommended for people who like "twisted", full of action stories! in other words if like long (boring) descriptions where nothing really happens for pages and pages, this book is not for you ;-)
    Report
  • Bärbel Merino-Pohlod
    5.0 out of 5 stars one lie
    Reviewed in Germany on February 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    That’s all it took. A chain of events that follow. Makes you think. Get ready for a wild ride with this.
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  • paul severn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great
    Report

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