Vanity Kills

By: Erica Summers

Narrated by: Jake Blagburn

Haunted by his tragic past, Jack LeBlanc, a heavily scarred introvert, finds himself volunteering for the clinical trial of a miraculous new tissue-regeneration drug nicknamed Obsidian. Jack and the other test subjects soon discover that the medication is not what was promised. They’re about to find out the hard way that the pills have nightmarish consequences and that Jack’s pained conscience isn’t the only thing with teeth.

With every pill taken, one thing becomes more clear: the path to perfection will be paved with gore. From the author behind Bad God's Tower, Writhe, and Mantis comes a truly unsettling, Cronenberg-style body horror novel that will make your skin crawl and have you questioning every pill you take.

©2023 Erica Summers (P)2024 Erica Summers

Critic reviews

"Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!" - Justin Boote, author of They Are All Monsters

"Summers drops you right into the story and refuses to let you look away." - Mia Coppola Faller, author of Buried Women Speak

"Vanity Kills is creative, terrifying, and beautifully written." - Nat Whiston, author of Feel Her Pain.

Vanity Kills

Story was good, a little slow to start but got interesting pretty fast. Didn't care for the narrorator at first but he grew on me as the story went on.

Drug trials can change your life

The author is a good storyteller. I was able to picture each scene with ease. This thriller had me cringing in several spots. I was kept guessing until the end. If you love horror books, then this is a wonderful thriller to read or listen to. Jack lost his wife in a horrific car accident when he swerved so he would not hit a dog and hit a tree. His wife was killed on impact, and he was trapped in the car on fire. He had multiple third degree burns and masses scars. He is entered into a drug trial for a medication that can reverse damage to the body, including burn scars. This drug trial will change everyone's life. The only question is, will the participants make it out alive. After listening to this story it made me look at drug trials differently.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Medical Marvel?

The book was amazing. A little pill can do almost anything thanks due to modern science. A new pill on the market is to get rid of scars. Well, be careful the remedy is not worse than the original affliction. Excellent job writing the story. Excellent narration. I would love to read more by this author. I received a free copy of the audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Slow start turned into a sizzle!

This took me awhile to get into but once I did I couldn’t stop listening. Really colorful descriptions and skillful writing. Interesting plot line about a drug study.
The voice actor did a great job distinguishing each of the characters and the female voices don’t sound annoying (like can sometimes sound when they try to do the opposite sex.).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

vanity

Loved the narration of Jake Blagburn, who brings out suspense and thrills

Jack is suffering from flashbacks from a accident four years earlier. The accident left him severely disfigured. Jack is struggling with the way he looks. He is was once a handsome, popular and confident man. When offered a chance with a clinical trial for a new drug, he grabs it with eager hands.
At the trail he meets Iris a kindred spirit in Iris. They become close.
When Jack meets the Doctor in charge of the trials for the first time, he knows the familiar face, his guilt and the thought of truly being cured, makes him stay and continue on.

Mick is part of the trial, he's wheelchair bound and also hoping to be healed. He is also Jack's friend. Mick believes some people are being given a placebo. So he decides to take matters into his own hands, the pills get into the wrong hands.
Everyone seems to be healing though, Jack seems to be getting worse. His nightmares are getting worse too, more real.

This book will have on your toes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.