Bad Man

A Novel

By: Dathan Auerbach

Narrated by: Lincoln Hoppe

Reddit horror sensation Dathan Auerbach delivers a devilishly dark novel about a young boy who goes missing, and the brother who won't stop looking for him.

Eric disappeared when he was three years old. Ben looked away for only a second at the grocery store, but that was all it took. His brother was gone. Vanished right into the sticky air of the Florida Panhandle.

They say you've got only a couple days to find a missing person. Forty-eight hours to conduct searches, knock on doors, and talk to witnesses. Two days to tear the world apart if there's any chance of putting yours back together. That's your window.

That window closed five years ago, leaving Ben's life in ruins. He still looks for his brother. Still searches, while his stepmother sits and waits and whispers for Eric, refusing to leave the house that Ben's father can no longer afford. Now twenty and desperate for work, Ben takes a night stock job at the only place that will have him: the store that blinked Eric out of existence.

Ben can feel that there's something wrong there. With the people. With his boss. With the graffitied baler that shudders and moans and beckons. There's something wrong with the air itself. He knows he's in the right place now. That the store has much to tell him. So he keeps searching. Keeps looking for his baby brother, while missing the most important message of all.

That he should have stopped looking.

the best kind of heartbreak

this story will stay with me awhile, just like penpal did, I love what this guy has written so far, and i'm anticipating the future

I really like this book. It drew me in .

Really like this book. It drew me in and kept me wondering what would happen next. Surprise ending. Epilogue almost made me cry.

Gut wrenching

Ben might be one of the most sympathetic main characters I’ve read in the story. All the characters are excellent and incredibly easy to visualize, and (in the best way) the vagueness of the features of the setting leave it relatable to anyone who’s driven through a sleepy, no-name town.

Not terrible, not great

It wasn't terrible, and there were a lot of interesting ideas, but they never really went anywhere. I would struggle to recommend it to anyone. Very long, and I just don't like the ending after all the time I put into it.

The Author's Imagination Has My Full Attention

This kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. If you love a good twist in a story, something that keeps you engaged, anxious to know the result yet not wanting it to end all at the same time, this author will not disappoint. Unsatisfactory reviews on this book have me perplexed. I loved Pen Pal, it was amazing, and infiltrated my dreams at night. Bad Man is every Mother's worst nightmare and will leave traces of its existence in my mind forever. Thank you for sharing this true gem Dathan, and don't stop writing. Your imagination is truly special and I look forward to the next adventure you share!