Title: Mercy House
Author: Adam Cesare
Publisher: Hydra (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
Welcome to Mercy House, a state-of-the-art retirement home that appears perfectly crisp, clean, and orderly . . . but nothing could be farther from the truth. In Adam Cesare’s thrilling novel, the residents will find little mercy—only a shocking eruption of unfathomable horror.
Harriet Laurel notices the odor at Mercy House as soon as she sets foot inside, brought there against her will by her son, Don, and his wife, Nikki. In the early stages of dementia, Harriet has grown resentful of Nikki, blaming her daughter-in-law for failing to supply grandchildren. Yet even Harriet must admit that her mind becomes clearer as soon as she crosses the threshold. If it wasn’t for that annoying smell.
Arnold Piper is an eighty-five-year-old ex-Marine, a proud man who has cared for himself his whole life. But no longer. Betrayed by his aging body, Arnold is learning that the trials he survived long ago in war-torn Korea pale beside the daily indignities of growing old. Little does he know that his greatest nightmares are still ahead of him.
Sarah Campbell is an idealistic nurse whose compassion has been stretched to the breaking point at the chronically understaffed facility that is Mercy House. But now Sarah’s list of unpleasant duties is about to take a terrifying turn. For something wicked is brewing in Mercy House. Something dark and rotten . . . and deadly.
Praise for Mercy House
“Of all the new writers busting out on the scene—and there are some great ones, without a doubt—Cesare’s the young guy with the greatest encyclopedic gorehound know-how, blistering cinematic pace, unquenchable love of both fiction and film, and hell-bent will to entertain. . . . [He] does just about everything right.” — John Skipp, Fangoria
My Review
I'm glad that I've reached the end of the horror reviews that I have scheduled because I think my opinion of Mercy House suffered from me being burned out on the genre. I mean, it's set in a nursing home, which is horror in itself to many people. It sounded so good before I jumped into the horror swarm, but I was bored and skimming by the time I got to read it.
There are multiple characters in Mercy House, as stated in the description. I didn't really get attached to any of them (I expect everyone to die in most horror), but I became more detached as I read, which is not the norm for me. I didn't have much interest in what happened to anyone, and that definitely takes away from the tension that is present in this type of novel. Where I hoped to be hanging on to every word, I was skimming through the pages.
If you're a fan of horror, Mercy House has a concept that I've not seen before and most certainly is different from other stuff that I've read. It just wasn't for me.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
About the Author
Adam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. He studied English and film at Boston University. His books include Video Night, The Summer Job, Zero Lives Remaining, and Tribesmen. His nonfiction has appeared in Paracinema, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Follow the Tour
Mercy House Tour Schedule
Tuesday, June 9th
October Country
100 Pages a Day… Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Wednesday, June 10th
Bell, Book & Candle
Friday, June 12th
SJ2B House of Books
Monday, June 15th
The Qwillery
Wildfire Books
Thursday, June 18th
Mallory Heart Reviews
Monday, June 22nd
Sweet Southern Home
Wednesday, June 24th
It’s a Mad Mad World
Friday, June 26th
No More Grumpy Bookseller
Sunday, June 28th
From the TBR Pile
Monday, June 29th
Bewitched Bookworms
W.A.R.G.- The Writer’s, Artist’s & Reader’s Guild
Tuesday, June 30th
The World As I See It
Wednesday, July 1st
Bibliophilia, Please
Thursday, July 2nd
Kari J. Wolfe – Author, Editor, Entrepreneur
Monday, August 10th
The Scary Reviews
TBD
My Bookish Ways – Author Q&A
To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance digital copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
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