Short easy read that kept me guessing until the end. Not bad. ( )

Suffering from writer's block, novelist Rachel Ames escapes to a lake cabin to calm her mind and regain a sense of herself. The location is perfect. Isolated. Beautiful. Inspiring. It even comes with a good-looking landlord who shows an interest in her. But she can't shake the sense that something terrible has followed her to the lake, something just beyond her consciousness, something out on the edge where the sounds of a raging fire and sirens linger whenever she slows down to listen. Determined to make the cabin work, she tries to settle in and give her new life a chance. But when strange things begin to happen around her, she wonders if she's made a terrible mistake. As the darkness that's followed her manifests itself in inexplicable ways, her concept of reality is stretched thin and she realizes nothing at the lake is what it seems. As she fights to survive with her sanity intact, she understands too late that the location she's chosen for herself is far from perfect.

Author Jeff Gunhus scared the ^%)* out of me with his book, Night Chill. So much in fact that I’m kinda scared to read the sequel. In fact, I think I’ll wait until Daylight Savings Time resumes. When he offered to send me a copy of his new novella, The Torment of Rachel Ames, I, of course, said, “YES!”. After all, how scary can a novella be? Then….OMG! Another night of no sleeping.

Rachel Ames suffers from writer’s block. With her two best friends, Underwood and Daniels strapped into the passenger seat, she heads to an isolated cabin. As she gets closer and closer, something feels off. Not just right. But there’s nothing she can put her finger on.

The landlord, John, seems nice, and may be interested. He keeps bringing food and checking on her. The idea of messing around soon skittles out of her mind---she’s a married woman after all. There is another cabin across the lake, a gnarly old codger named Granger, who is ticked off at the world. Then there are the sounds…every time she lets her mind go quiet, the sounds of an intense fire and sirens can almost be heard. Is she near a forest fire?

One night, the cabin is attacked by a large bird and a wolf. But when Rachel finally gets up the courage to go outside and investigate, there are no bodies, no blood, no broken glass, nothing.
Soon she begins to question her sanity…yet something tells her it isn’t her.

Don’t want to give anymore away, but the last scene had me gasping. I feel lucky I didn’t have nightmares! ( )

The Torment of Rachel Ames, by Jeff Gunhus is an enigma. Its mysterious ending left many readers wondering, but for me- it was perfect.

The story introduces you to Rachel, on her way to a writing retreat. She's literally a struggling author and looking to make something of herself. She became popular with the critics due to an odd situation with an instructor, but nothing she followed up with could maintain her success. That's not her real problem. She's seeing things in her rented cabin and a nearby local displays disturbing behavior, that causes Rachel to question her sanity and safety.

From a nosy neighbor to a huge, black man sweeping the forest, Rachel can't make head nor tail of what's happening around her. She can't remember things, she's struck with an immovable case of Writer's Block, and wolves along with monsterous birds are attacking. What can Rachel do for solitude and a peace of mind?
Let me just say, I didn't get this novella quite figured out- but I was close! It was baffling and funny to be honest, but not in a 'ha ha' way. At first I wanted to get mad because she was allowing things to take place that no one in their right mind would allow. Then I wanted her to just take some steps that could clear things up immediately- but she didn't! Then when things began to make sense, I was like, "Ahhh-ha! That shoulda happened!"

There is one part where I nearly cried- no lie. My heart breaks when situtiaons, like the one in this story; you'll know it. Anyone with a heart would take on The Feels, but I can't say much more- just know it's heart-wrenching. Gunhus has a gift for description and emotion. He writes with precision and gives only what's necessary to keep the reader hooked, eager to know what's coming next. Because of Rachel's reactions to situation, I continuously grew upset, but that's what interested (frustrated) me, yet kept me turning the pages. I love that with a book.

It really is hard to say much more without giving SPOILERS! What I can say is The Torment of Rachel Ames is a story with a much deserved ending. And if you're lucky enough to see it coming, you'll probably react like I did: So sad, but deserving....

I'm off to the next read. Have an amazing day!
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She had two options – forward or back.

Against her better judgment, onward it is.

Is she running away from something or toward something?

I love Rachel’s morbid sense of humor and hope it will carry her through what is to come.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she flipped off Underwood.

Her destination – the cabin.

The ramshackle condition of the cabin is a perfect setting for what is to come.

John, the landlord is there to greet her. Granger and Ollie share his warnings.

Are they good? Are they evil? I don’t know. Weird things are happening. Are they out of this world? Is it real? Is it only in her nightmares?

I feel horror and deep sorrow for her.

If it were in your power to erase your worst memory, would you?

Great ending. As I saw it unraveling, I couldn’t help but smile.

Is it supernatural? Are there devils and demons?

Yes, but not in the way you may think.

Jeff Gunhus set me up and led me down the path. His ability to spin a tale that keeps me hanging on his every word is right up there with the best of them. I read this in a couple of hours. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.

I received a copy of The Torment of Rachel Ames by Jeff Gunhus in return for an honest review.

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