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Michael Patrick Hicks
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Broken Shells: A Subterranean Horror Novella Kindle Edition

by Michael Patrick Hicks (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 85 ratings
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Antoine DeWitt is a man down on his luck. Broke and recently fired, he knows the winning Money Carlo ticket that has landed in his mailbox from a car dealership is nothing more than a scam. The promise of five thousand dollars, though, is too tantalizing to ignore.

Jon Dangle is a keeper of secrets, many of which are buried deep beneath his dealership. He works hard to keep them hidden, but occasionally sacrifices are required, sacrifices who are penniless, desperate, and who will not be missed. Sacrifices exactly like DeWitt.

When Antoine steps foot on Dangle’s car lot, it is with the hope of easy money. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a deep, dark hole, buried alive. If he is going to survive the nightmare ahead of him, if he has any chance of seeing his wife and child again, Antoine will have to do more than merely hope. He will have to fight his way back to the surface, and pray that Jon Dangle’s secrets do not kill him first.
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  1. Print length
    128 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    February 2, 2018
  5. File size
    5184 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fun and nasty little novella...If you're a big creature-feature fan (digging on works like Adam Cesare's Video Night or Hunter Shea's They Rise) you're going to love this book." - Glenn Rolfe, author of Becoming and Blood and Rain

"Lightning fast...high octane fun." - Unnerving Magazine

"An adrenaline-fueled, no punches pulled, onslaught of gruesome action! Highly recommended!" - Horror After Dark

"With overtones of Lovecraftian/Aliens and tons of good ol' gonzo creature-feature skittering bloodbath action gore, it's a fun quick wild ride of a read." - The Horror Fiction Review

"Broken Shells is a blood-soaked, tense novella that is sure to appeal to a wide variety of horror fans, especially those that dig an old-school feel in their novels." - The Horror Bookshelf

"Horror fans will have much to gnaw on here... Fun, wild, and bursting with energy, Broken Shells is perfect for a rainy afternoon of monster mayhem." - Morbidly Beautiful

"Unnerving! ... It truly is the perfect blend of gore, horror and action." - PopHorror.com

"Broken Shells, the latest release from Michael Patrick Hicks... is another fine piece of...pulpy horror which moves along at eye-watering speed... You'll have fun rolling with the punches. I found myself cheering on hard-as-nails Antoine in his brutal fight for survival." - HorrorTalk

"A dark and nasty...novella I won't soon forget, mostly thanks to the nightmares I've already had." - Frank Michaels Errington

"The very definition of a page-turner. Michael Patrick Hicks delivers right-between-the-eyes terror." - The Haunted Reading Room

"Ghastly fun ... Broken Shells is an exceptional horror novella." - Dangerous Dan's Book Blog

"Broken Shells is a visceral experience, with oodles of ooze, gore galore, dry heaves and vomit, and some Alien worthy introductions to razor sharp creepy crawlies. ... This, my friends, is horror done right!" - Schizanthus, Goodreads review

"Michael Patrick Hicks has out done himself this time! When I didn't think his work could get any better, he goes and surpasses my expectations. From start to finish, you will get your money's worth." - Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews

"Michael Patrick Hicks has managed, in only 120 pages, to craft a terrifying, steamroller of a story. ... The author makes you immediately connect with the main character Antoine, who is down on his luck and just looking for a possible break. When Antoine is thrust into the dark, you are along for the ride, whether you like it or not. And in the dark is where this story shines. Hicks makes you feel dread, like the walls are closing in as you read." - One-Legged Reviews

"Hicks does a fine job of emotionally grasping the reader with his character creation. You'll come for the story of survival, and stay for the darkness and gore. If you enjoy extremely gruesome creature horror and pitch black underground tunnels, then Broken Shells is right up your alley." - FanFiAddict

About the Author

Michael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including The Resurrectionists, Broken Shells: A Subterranean Horror Novella, and Mass Hysteria. He co-hosts Staring into the Abyss, a podcast focused on all things horror. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association.

Michael lives in Michigan with his wife and two children. In between compulsively buying books and adding titles that he does not have time for to his Netflix queue, he is hard at work on his next story.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079KGQWNV
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ High Fever Books (February 2, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 2, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5184 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 85 ratings

About the author

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Michael Patrick Hicks

Michael Patrick Hicks

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Michael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including the Salem Hawley series and Friday Night Massacre. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction, and his short stories have appeared in more than a dozen anthologies.

Connect with Michael at:

Substack: https://michaelpatrickhicks.substack.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeH5856

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7909523.Michael_Patrick_Hicks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mphicks79

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
85 global ratings
Solid horror novella!
4 Stars
Solid horror novella!
Broken Shells is a very fun novella - it's dark, creepy, grim, and just an all-around good story. I read this book the same day it arrived at my house, and I'm glad I didn't waste any time digging into this one.The premise is very intriguing - Antoine is a sympathetic character, and you actually want him to win. Usually I don't care, but I wanted him to be successful.Broken Shells has a fair amount of gore & gross things, so if that's how you like your horror novels, pick this one up!This one is a 4.5⭐ for me - that's because I wish the ending would have been a little different, but I understand why it was the way it was. This is a thoroughly enjoyable novella, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Michael Patrick Hicks!
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Top reviews from the United States

Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars Broken Shells Kept Me Up Late
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
When I started this book I tried to figure out why he named it broken shells.  I had images of broken shells on a beach - I could not have been more wrong. 

Hicks has a way of scaring the hell out of me.  Seriously, I made the mistake of reading this over two nights -- both at night.  NOT the brightest idea.  The second night, the night I finished it, I ended up being up another 20 minutes playing a game on my iPad to get the images out of my head. 

I'm familiar with Hicks' novellas and he's able to tell stories that are amazing in 100 pages that most authors strive for in full-length novels.  This one included.  I felt for Antoine.  His story, though short was incredibly well explained.  I understood he was a down-on-his-luck kinda guy who was looking for just one thing to go right.  I hoped for him.  In 100 pages. I felt bad for a guy that is fictional. Just let that sink in.

I will not go into detail about the monster(s) in this story, just know that a lot of people will have a hard time with them.  I want to say why (look away for a moment, creepy crawlies), but I don't want to ruin the fun for anyone. 

I'm finding that I like horror more and more and Hicks is one of the reasons for that.  He's able to write a story that makes my stomach turn but at the same time makes it so that I can't stop reading.  It's like a literary car crash.  You want to look away but you just can't!

Overall, another novella from Hicks and another winner in my mind. If you're familiar with his work or like well-written monster stories, Broken Shells if for you.
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Kelly Warner
4.0 out of 5 stars Hardcore monster horror
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
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I like 'creature feature' horror more than any other sort of horror sub-genre. They’re rarely the most subtle pieces of work, but do I care? Heck no. They’re fun. And sometimes they’re beautiful and strange in a way that a ghost or a dude with a knife can’t be. Broken Shells by Michael Patrick Hicks (Revolver) is not beautiful. It’s gross. It’s grueling monster horror featuring bugs crawling out of people’s dislodged jaws. It’s gore on levels that I personally haven’t seen in creature horror since Nick Cutter’s The Troop. If this were a movie, you can imagine it’d play best in 3D with the screen throwing bits of intestines and eyeball goo at the audience every 10 minutes.

Antoine DeWitt is a guy who’s down on his luck. Desperately needing a good break, he takes a chance on a junk mail flyer claiming that he’s won $5,000 at a car dealership in the middle of nowhere. Antoine shows up and, much to his surprise, the shady car salesman says that, yes, you are a winner. Would you please step this way to collect your winnings? Maybe Antoine's luck has finally turned. Then next thing Antoine knows he’s been stabbed with a needle and pushed down a flight of stairs.

Antoine wakes up in the caverns beneath the car dealership. He’s encased in a biological shell. After some struggle, he breaks free of the shell, but his fight is only just beginning. Big bug bastards rule these tunnels. Human sacrifices line the walls, each locked in their own shells, each missing pieces thanks to the hungry creatures that keep them there. Now Antoine must fight as he forces his way through the monster insect hordes as he looks for a way back to the surface.

Broken Shells is a nasty little book. It’s like a long lost Tales from the Crypt episode in the way that it starts as one thing, becomes something else, and only gets darker as it goes. Hicks fits in a bit of political commentary into the book as well. Antoine is a poor African American man in Trump’s America and deals with open hostility long before the bugs bite off his ear. There are moments that call to mind Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, a horror movie ahead of its time with politics on its mind that also featured a black man as a hero.

But what Broken Shells will be remembered for is its gross monster horror brutality. Hicks does not shy away from the slimy details. If anything, the unflinching look at the gory details seems to be one of the author’s primary intentions in writing this story. The author’s style—blunt but squishy—makes for very readable prose. Antoine is a likable, flawed hero fighting against the odds and even the villainous car salesman is written with unexpected depth.

The book is grim. Maybe too grim for some folks. But for those in the mood for hardcore monster horror, look no further. I’m gonna remember it for a while, especially for one bug birthing scene that I think would make Ridley Scott proud. And I’m gonna think twice before following the car salesman to his office to make a deal.
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misspider
5.0 out of 5 stars There is always a catch...
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018
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When Antoine DeWitt looses his job, you might assume his day just couldn't get any worse. So when his wife finds they won a dubious lottery and he should go collect the 5 grand immediately, Antoine just knows there must be a catch. Hell, even the reader knows it, but the wife is just so convincing he can't say no. So Antoine finds himself at a car dealership somewhere beyond the outskirts of town, feeling uneasy and hesitant all the time. When even the car dealer confirms that he is a winner, Antoine slowly starts to relax - which is the moment the 'catch' hits him and throws him down into a dark cellar hole.

When Antoine wakes up again, he finds himself not only in a nightmare, but in the worst possible nightmare ever. Below ground live some really creepy creatures, and Antoine is supposed to be their next meal. He's already wrapped up in a kind of cocoon (supposedly to keep fresh). But Antoine decides this will not be the way he dies, and what follows is an all-out fight for survival, driven by the thought of seeing his family again. Lots of action and gore, unexpected turns, an impressive showdown and a mean ending - what more could you wish for?

I love creature features so I was thrilled when I learned this was another one, and well done! I wasn't aware of the myths it is based on. I was wondering where the creatures came from and what their background was, so I was glad to find that information as part the story. (view spoiler)

This was the first book I've read from the author, but will definitely not be the last. Recommended!
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Diamond Kennedy
4.0 out of 5 stars tense and creepy
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2019
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Terrifying subterranean creatures, a great antihero, a morally grey (very dark, almost black-grey) antagonist, and a subtle but powerful commentary on class and race made this one fantastic novella. The monsters were written with such detail they had my skin crawling and itching almost the whole read! I will say I found the ending absolutely INFURIATING! But it was very much intentional and incredibly effective. If you're in the mood for fast paced subterranean fight for survival you can't go wrong with this one.
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Top reviews from other countries

Max Stark
5.0 out of 5 stars Just buy this!
Reviewed in Mexico on December 8, 2019
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There is no easy way to review this book. But from the start I can tell you that if you like Aliens, this is definitively the right novel for you. It has a great sense of desperation and despair. You want to devour the pages to know what happens to the main character, and the best of all, you care and root for him. I couldn’t stop comparing Antoine DeWitt (the main character) with Dante from THE DIVINE COMEDY. I think there are lots of similarities between these two stories, and I think that made me enjoy the story even more and be shocked with the ending.
You really should go in to BROKEN SHELLS without knowing absolutely nothing about the story. And that’s why I really haven’t said anything about the plot. There is already a synopsis written in the back of the book that doesn’t tell you that much either so why the hell should I ruin it. But when I posted on Twitter that I had finished reading this novella, my friend Zen Ghost Bookworm (@ZenBookworm) came up with the must accurate description for this book that I can imagine:

Cool, a new car!
Oh, wait. Hey!!!
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!

This really sums the whole plot very well. And really the only thing I could say is that if you like horror, gore, heart breaking and action packed stories with a hint of those beautiful WTF moments... What the hell are you doing still reading this review? Go get your copy RIGHT NOW!!!!
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Morgan K Tanner
5.0 out of 5 stars Big insects hungry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2019
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I went into this fine novella blind. I’d bought it a while back and added it to the massive TBR pile and as such, had forgotten what it was about.

I think I did things right, though because if I’d have known what was about to unfold before my eyes I imagine it would have lessened the impact.

This story was short, horrifying, and a lot of fun. Think The Midnight Meat Train but with a bit more thought behind the logistics.

Antoine isn’t having the best of times. He’s lost his job, hasn’t got much money, and has been seriously considering walking out on his girl and baby for a while now. So when his lazy lady finds a winning scratchcard from a car dealership in the paper, she’s convinced their luck is changing.

To claim their prize, a wary Antoine must visit this strange dealership on the outskirts of town. It’s then that things turn crazy.

Shortly after arriving there, after the obligatory paperwork, Antoine is led to a room in the back, drugged, and thrown down some stairs into the eery basement. And this is all done by the owner. What a way to lose out on a potential sale! And it certainly seems Antoine isn’t going to be getting his prize anytime soon. When he awakes he is encased in a tough cocoon-thing, surrounded by darkness and the horrifying sounds of creepy monsters. These things sound hungry.

Yes, poor Antoine has been specially selected to be sacrificed to a hive of giant-carnivorous-insect-monster-beasts. But it seems he’s not the first.

I’m not going to give anything away because this bloody ride is one you need to go on yourself. Antoine must fight for survival against these creatures, and takes many an injury along the way, all described with wince-inducing clarity.

We are also treated to folklore of the monsters as well as the reason for the whole sacrifice thing, which only adds to the terrors on display.

Whilst trying to escape this cavernous tomb, Antione begins to realise he loves his family more than anything, and certainly more than he ever thought. This motivation for freedom is so well captured that you really find yourself cheering him on as he battles these frightening chitinous abominations.

The gore is perfect and the descriptions of the beasts shockingly vivid. A few toe curls were made by me as I devoured this novella in two sittings.

I was intrigued how it would all end, and wondered whether Hicks would go where I hoped he would. And he did! This is just the kind of ending I enjoy in my horror stories.

If you like bodily fluids erupting, fast-paced action exploding, and giant insects, erm, insecting, then check this gem out. Just make sure you bath yourself afterwards because you’re bound to feel a little but icky!
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Cliente Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Great horror novella
Reviewed in Spain on January 1, 2020
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Fast paced but well written, really gory and at the same time heartfelt story, with adeptly thought out characters. Horror fans need to check out this book
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Tommy Muncie
4.0 out of 5 stars Effective horror novella and typical of this author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2018
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Another very good slice of horror pie from Michael Patrick Hicks, with plenty of gore here to keep the hounds happy, but as I've come to expect from his shorter works, it's not really about what's happening in front of you, but about the deeper levels of why people act the way they do - this time it's what makes one man want to survive against all odds and fight ever-increasing pain in order to do so. There's a little touch of politics here as well for good measure (anyone who's visited the author's social media accounts won't be too surprised!)
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Yvonne
5.0 out of 5 stars When bad guy turns good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2018
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Most people get junk mail in their post and sometimes you do get a scratchcard delivered. How many people think it is a con and just rip it up. Antoine DeWitt was going to rip his card up, but pressure from his girlfriend forced him to try and cash it in. What he got was more than he expected.
Antoine just wanted something to go his way. With a girlfriend and a baby money would not stretch and they were always behind in their payments. When he goes to get the cash you have the feeling that things are finally going his way.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and whilst there are just over 100 pages, he definitely has a knack of telling a complete story. From the moment Antoine collects his winnings it is none stop action and whilst I was reading it all I could think of was the film Species. The style of writing was really descriptive and you could imagine being trapped and those creatures chasing you. Throughout I was urging the Antoine on to become the hero he wanted to be.
This is a great horror story that I did not want to end, through out the gore there are some touching memories from Antoine and you can see how much he did love his family. If you are looking for a story that will make you flinch and keep you on the edge of your seat then pick up this book. I am off to get some more of his works.
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