Scatter

By: Mindy Macfarlane

Narrated by: Shawn Compton

"There is a sound that only the dying can hear. Can you hear it yet, Russell?"

After witnessing the aftermath of his wife's untimely death, Russell Clark finds himself hundreds of miles away from home at a casino resort tucked away in an unfamiliar town. While there, he encounters strange situations and stranger people, including a menacing figure that he swears has it out for him.

With every passing night, Russell's sanity spins further out of his control and even in the face of his mounting losses, something sinister keeps pulling him back in. Can he beat the odds and hit it big, or does the house always win?

©2023 Mindy Macfarlane (P)2024 Fright Night Audio

Just wow!

This is a debut book which I feel is an outstanding debut book identifying what one man’s journey of dealing with the grief of losing his wife. The trauma and horror of how he lost wife. This book does need to come with trigger warnings. It’s a great book and a short listen, but could mess up your weekend if you have a weak stomach. The love of what he has lost and what he would do to try and get that love back. The narration of this book was spot on as well. A beautifully written book about loss and love with a twist.

Surreal and Eerie

After the untimely death of his wife, Russell goes on a road trip to get away and process what’s happened. That’s how he finds himself at a casino. But this isn’t just any casino. There’s something strange about it, and whatever it is, it’s got its eye on Russell.

I’ve read so many books that I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting where stories will go. I couldn’t do that with Scatter. The author took this story in ways I couldn’t guess. I would best describe this story as a mix of Needful Things and the backrooms creepypasta. It was a psychological horror that explores the madness of a deteriorating mind.

A short story, but a powerful exploration into addiction, grief, and loss.