If you're a suspense junkie like me, and you enjoy an imaginative pulse-pounding tale told expertly with 21st century macabre flair, then you can't go wrong with Jack Kilborn's Afraid.

Set in the small fictional Wisconsin community of Safe Haven, the novel opens with one of the most intense murder scenes I've ever read. Things grow progressively worse as we learn five ferocious technologically-enhanced supersoldiers have been unleashed to achieve an objective set forth by the mad scientist who "created" them.

Safe Haven's aging sheriff, along with a handful of ordinary townspeople, are left to fend off these murderous fiends.

But can any of them survive such an onslaught?

Make no mistake, this is a horror novel. Read it alone at night, or with a plate of lasagna in front of you, at your own risk.

Is it the scariest book ever?

You be the judge.

Afraid.

Coming March 31 to a bookstore near you.

So what's the scariest book you've ever read?

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Well, I don't care at all for Konrath's crime books so I am extremely unlikely to pick this one up anyway (I think I read in an earlier post that he's Kilborn?), however, in answer to your general question, I have a huge problem with scary books and films in that they scare the crap out of me :o) I know that's what they're supposed to do but... I used to read Stephen King and one night when I was reading Salem's Lot I found myself whimpering and going round the house putting all the lights on, so I decided that horror was not for me! It's the same with films. I can't even have the TV ON when The Excorcist is on, let alone actually WATCH it. And a 'friend' put a rubber skull on my bed after a group of us had watched the (very mild and excellent) BBC version of Dracula and I screamed and burst into tears when I went into my room - much to the cruel glee of everyone else who was in on the trick. I think, though, that the scariest thing I ever read was Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. Brrrrrr
Donna:

Yeah, Kilborn/Konrath, same guy.

I watched The Exorcist in a theater in 1978, and I haven't been able to watch it since. Some day I'm going to work up the courage to read the book.
Yeah, Konrath is Kilborn. His own website mentions it.

This sounds like more ad than discussion. Have you read this book Jude?
John - I don't GO to his website so I wouldn't know. As I said, I don't like his books so from my point of view it's not a very good ad :o)

Jude - no way could I actually READ The Exorcist. I find books much scarier than films, so if I can't actually watch a film it's a good guide to definitely being unable to read the book.
I didn't mean to imply that it was common information. I was just confirming what you had seen elsewhere for the record, that's all.
Well, now when I see 5 technologically enhanced super soldiers, I tend to get the giggles.

Give me something realistic for horror.
My thought exactly. The idea of anything particularly frightening happening in Wisconsin also made me laugh. If only! I'm not a Stephen King fan, as I've said here already about ten million times, but he did have a great insight about horror early in his career (which was also Lovecraft's insight, and the guy who wrote the Exorcist's, etc.): the scariest thing ever is when the familiar goes haywire. So, a little girl is possessed by the devil, or a car is possessed by the devil, or a big, friendly dog is possessed by the devil gets rabies, or a small, charming New England town is possessed by fill in the blank, etc. Horror generally isn't my cup of tea, partly because it is often so relentlessly formulaic, and partly because it stretches credulity to the point of absurdity for me, as someone with no belief in the supernatural.
I'm not sure I even understand your prejudice against Wisconsin as a setting, Jon.

But isn't it nice we live in a country where such a wide variety of entertainment options are available?
I could see it easily as a setting for a mystery, but not so much for a horror novel. We're not known for being spooky out here.
Well sure, in real life--there were also the Vang deer-hunting killings a couple of years ago, and that crazy guy who opened fire in the church service, and the rookie cop who shot up the party at his ex's house--it goes on and on. But the idea of some eerie supernatural something going on in Wisconsin seems laughable somehow. Maine, yes. New Orleans? Sure. Rural Wisconsin? Not so much.
Hey now, Jon. Wisconsin is the home of not only Jeffrey Dahmer, but also Ed Gein, who lived in rural Packerland. Ol' Geinster has been used as the inspiration for a number of horror movies. When "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" said it was based on a "true story," it was referring to Ed Gein. TCM is an essential horror movie.

Wisconsin is a terrific setting for a horror novel. As someone who forwent work for the DMV today in order to get Wisconsin plates on his Honda, I can attest to this.

The Brewers are pretty horrific, too. I'm a Minnesota Twins guy. When football season comes around, however, it's on with the green and gold.
Interesting, I.J.

Do Koontz and Crichton tend to give you "the giggles" as well?

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