Where They Wait

A Novel

By: Scott Carson

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

“Where They Wait is so readable, you’ll be a couple of hundred pages in before you realize you’re terrified…and then you can’t put it down. Mesmerizing.” (Stephen King)

“Tense and twisty.” (Charlaine Harris, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Vampire Mysteries)

“A taut, creepy techno-chiller that will leave you hearing ghosts.” (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Survivor Song)

A new supernatural novel about a sinister mindfulness app with fatal consequences from the New York Times best-selling author of The Chill.

Recently laid-off from his newspaper and desperate for work, war correspondent Nick Bishop takes a humbling job: writing a profile of a new mindfulness app called Clarity. It’s easy money, and a chance to return to his hometown for the first time in years. The app itself seems like a retread of old ideas — relaxing white noise and guided meditations. But then there are the “Sleep Songs.” A woman’s hauntingly beautiful voice sings a ballad that is anything but soothing — it’s disturbing, and more of a warning than a relaxation — but it works. Deep, refreshing sleep follows.

So do the nightmares. Vivid and chilling, they feature a dead woman who calls Nick by name and whispers guidance — or are they threats? And her voice follows him long after the song is done. As the effects of the nightmares begin to permeate his waking life, Nick makes a terrifying discovery: No one involved with Clarity has any interest in his article. Their interest is in him.

©2021 Scott Carson. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Excellent book

This book kept my interest to the last word.
The performance was top notch and the story was unexpected with twists and turns which I found to be unpredictable.

A Mixed Bag

The narrative performance is superb but the story is a bit weak.

LIGHT SPOILERS...



There is a terrifying idea here involving not being able to trust your own memory. That part is excellent. Unfortunately, the story starts to go off the rails when it tries to be three genres at once: psychological horror, ghost story, evil technology. Focusing on either the first or last would have yielded a much stronger story.

The biggest problems pop up about halfway into the story. You slowly begin to realize that what the author thinks is scary is fairly weak sauce.

And dear God the pacing! At one point the protagonist needs to record something playing on their phone. We then get page after page of him calling a friend for tech support...going to buy speakers...talking with the sales clerk about which speakers to get...and then coming back home to set them up. What was the purpose in telling us all of this?! There are many moments like this which feel like they are padding out the plot.

Without spoiling too much, I'll just say that once it's made clear what is going on I was incredibly disappointed. It was a great premise that unfortunately turned into a predictable ending.

FOR THOSE WHO READ THE BOOK (SPOILER):


Am I the only one who found the concept of the mother's master plan laughably implausible? Her son is a reporter who never once Googled himself or had this major life event come up later in life? It was in the papers!

...

I wasn't really sure what to think of this book at first. The story seemed a little weird. It has little supernatural in it but it fell short for me.

The story is about a man who finds out his mother played with his mind when he was a teen to avoid him feeling the loss of his father. This leads to him being able to deal with tragic events differently. Because of this, he is seeker out to perform a cursed act and basically be the keeper of such curse.

The ending left me wanting. There was more that needed to be done and explained. Plus it gave me nightmares lol.

Loved

Narrator was hit and miss for me. The story was excellent I don't usually reread books but this one I just might.

Eh

The voice actor was amazing don’t get me wrong but the story ehh honestly kinda boring…

A terrific listen! Narrator is perfect!

This is a very different kind of story very original. The narrator has one of the best voices I’ve ever listened to. He pulls you into the story. He doesn’t over do voices like some but yet each character sounds different. I don’t want to give away the story. It’s about a troubled man with a different problem than any I’ve ever read. If you want a mysterious strange read try this. Not so strange that you don’t understand what’s happening though.

Enjoyed this...

A different type of story than I am use to listening too, but really enjoyed it. The narrator did very well with all the characters and made it easy to visualize the story, places and situations. Thank you

for me a strange story

this was not my kind of book at all. it was so way out there. and if it was written like Stephen King does some of his way out there books like green mile I mite have liked it. I will not return this book as I read the whole book so I must have gotten something out of it. my policy is I don't return books if I manage to finish them. and it was entertaining until it got silly.

Surprisingly good

I wouldn't have selected this, from the first listen. I thought Petkoff was a bit flat, but his accents pulled it together. The Story was a slow start, but once it got going, it was really good. Psychological, Suspenseful, good Mystery.

Loved the narrator especially.

Great story with an awesome narrator. I'll be looking into what else this author has done. (as well as the narrator)