Lights Out in the Wilderness and One Very Bad Bargain: This Week's Free Horror

by Charles Welch

Event drops Mike and Hattie into a Colorado mountain cabin weekend that goes sideways fast: a blinding flash, dead vehicles, an empty town, and their daughter missing. One reader compared it to Hunter Shea's Creature, and I can see why, though others called it bleak, so know that going in. I liked that the leads are a still-in-love couple in their 50s, which you don't see enough in creature horror. It sits just under 3.9 with over 300 ratings, which feels fair for a solid, tense read.

“I’ve been reading so many new authors lately and having a blast. This made me reminiscent of Hunter Shea’s Creature (Another great book!), but there was no sasquatch here. No, we got something much, much worse. And on a bigger scale. Oh yeah, you’re curious now. But I ain’t spoiling a thing. Almost...”

by Nora Penn

This was the surprise of the week for me. Last Dispatch is a dinosaur survival thriller about a jungle lab losing power, with a war correspondent, a young soldier and a barefoot tracker trying to reach the last evacuation point in one night. The "don't run, they can feel you running" hook is great, and readers keep praising the characters, which is rare for a monster book. At 4.43 from 93 ratings it's the highest rated of the three, so start here if you only grab one.

“Really, Surprisingly Good! Last Dispatch is a highly enjoyable dinosaur/creature survival thriller about a classified military operation that went horribly awry. The writing is excellent, especially for the genre. The characters are complicated, dynamic and self sacrificing. The plot is well...”

by James Yates

The Consequence of Your Decision is a quieter, stranger pick, a Faustian bargain story that leans on Stepford Wives and Pet Sematary vibes. It's more psychological drama than scares, centered on a couple whose lives start to change. Reactions are split. One reviewer gave it 4.5 stars, another wanted more from the storyline, and it's at 3.6 from 48 ratings. Not for everyone, but it's a quick read if you like a thought experiment with a creepy edge.

“4.5⭐️ I really enjoyed The Consequences of your decision by James Yates. This is a gripping psychological drama centred on a couple whose lives begin to unravel after one life-altering decision changes everything between them. At its core, the story follows a couple in what initially appears to be...”