3.5
Inside the Asylum
By Mary SanGiovanniPublisher Description
From “master of cosmic horror” (Library Journal) Mary SanGiovanni, comes the latest terrifying novel featuring occult specialist Kathy Ryan . . .
A mind is a terrible thing to destroy . . .
Kathy has been hired to assess the threat of patient Henry Banks, an inmate at the
Connecticut-Newlyn Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the same hospital where her brother is housed. Her employers believe that Henry has the ability to open doors to other dimensions with his mind—making him one of the most dangerous men in modern history. Because unbeknownst to Kathy, her clients are affiliated with certain government organizations that investigate people like Henry—and the potential to weaponize such abilities.
What Kathy comes to understand in interviewing Henry, and in her unavoidable run-ins with her brother, is that Henry can indeed use his mind to create “Tulpas”—worlds, people, and creatures so vivid they come to actual life. But now they want life outside of Henry. And they'll stop at nothing to complete their emancipation. It's up to Kathy—with her brother's help—to stop them, and if possible, to save Henry before the Tulpas take him over—and everything else around him.
Praise for the novels of Mary SanGiovanni
“SanGiovanni evokes a Lovecraftian sensibility in this action-filled story. . . . Scary, suspenseful, smart, and gory, the novel is also beautifully set and described.”
—Library Journal on Savage Woods
“A feast of both visceral and existential horror.” —F. Paul Wilson on Thrall
“Filled to the brim with mounting terror.” —Gary A. Braunbeck on The Hollower
“A fast-building, high-tension ride.” —James A. Moore on The Hollower
A mind is a terrible thing to destroy . . .
Kathy has been hired to assess the threat of patient Henry Banks, an inmate at the
Connecticut-Newlyn Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the same hospital where her brother is housed. Her employers believe that Henry has the ability to open doors to other dimensions with his mind—making him one of the most dangerous men in modern history. Because unbeknownst to Kathy, her clients are affiliated with certain government organizations that investigate people like Henry—and the potential to weaponize such abilities.
What Kathy comes to understand in interviewing Henry, and in her unavoidable run-ins with her brother, is that Henry can indeed use his mind to create “Tulpas”—worlds, people, and creatures so vivid they come to actual life. But now they want life outside of Henry. And they'll stop at nothing to complete their emancipation. It's up to Kathy—with her brother's help—to stop them, and if possible, to save Henry before the Tulpas take him over—and everything else around him.
Praise for the novels of Mary SanGiovanni
“SanGiovanni evokes a Lovecraftian sensibility in this action-filled story. . . . Scary, suspenseful, smart, and gory, the novel is also beautifully set and described.”
—Library Journal on Savage Woods
“A feast of both visceral and existential horror.” —F. Paul Wilson on Thrall
“Filled to the brim with mounting terror.” —Gary A. Braunbeck on The Hollower
“A fast-building, high-tension ride.” —James A. Moore on The Hollower
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities3 Reviews
3.5
J koster
Created almost 4 years agoShare
Report
“I was glad this book read as a stand alone instead of a third place novel. Because I am brand spanking new to this series. While starting a series mid point hasn't always deterred me from wanting to review, it can certainly take some of the spark away when you have to pull back from the story to piece things together that would normally just flow.
I loved the idea that imaginary friends were not so nice. So many great horror stories start with the imaginary friends no longer being content to stay in the mind. And this fast paced book definitely held up to that
I love that the villain's where more then the cookie cutter villain's that you always see in the horror genre. These villain's were multi surfaced and real. It would be so easy to fall for their charade and understand why they do the bad things they do. It is also easy to spot them in real life which made the book an even edgier read.”
Melanie pelchat
Created about 4 years agoShare
Report
TheBookBud
Created about 5 years agoShare
Report
“This one was…ok. I don’t think the second book in this series is in danger of be dethroned as a favorite by this one. The characters this time didn’t really pull my interest, nor did the actual plot. The creatures were, again, a little cheesy and overall just not very much of this was enticing enough to be a “thriller.” I would describe this one as flat. That being said however, I do want to note, I went into this one with the highest hopes yet. The way the last book had ended with her brother and the fact that this was solely based in a psychiatric hospital (my personal favorite setting) and the one in which her brother himself is located, I expected a great deal more delving into that. I did like the parts of this that did focus more on the two of them and I can appreciate the actual flow of this particular novel, but overall, just a little let down. Even though it wasn’t the edge sitting, nail biting, plot twisting thriller I was hoping for, it was still enjoyable. I will comment on that fact that SanGiovanni can delve into the human psyche well and I did find those plot points very enjoyable. I don’t think her fear tactics are exactly my style which is why I may find the plot line surrounding her occult details to be a little less enticing. I do think she is a good writer, her plot is clear and she gives us things to dwell on regarding how we act and think, but overall I just don’t find her stories themselves to meet expectations.”
About Mary SanGiovanni
Mary SanGiovanni is the Bram Stoker-nominated author of the Kathy Ryan novels, Savage Woods, Chills, and numerous other novels, novellas and short stories. She also contributed to DC Comics’ House of Horror anthology, alongside comic book legends Howard Chaykin and Keith Giffen. She has been writing fiction for over a decade, has a Master’s in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University, and is a member of The Authors Guild, Penn Writers, and International Thriller Writers. Her website is marysangiovanni.com.
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List