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3.5 

The Clear Lake Killer 1974

By Sean Malia Thompson
The Clear Lake Killer 1974 by Sean Malia Thompson digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

For fans of Seven, LongLegs, and True Detective.

It's 1974, and women are being murdered in San Francisco. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea need to crack the case before more people end up dead. All the while a cult called The Church of the Dark Light looms in the background. But even they are not as terrifying as the nameless stranger in the jean jacket that is stalking the night.

"Sean Malia Thompson has delivered a tightly coiled crime horror narrative in the form of The Clear Lake Killer 1974. Occult vibes, gritty cops, hair-raising tension, sharp dialogue, and plenty of bite."
—Grant Wamack, author of Bullet Tooth

"Grit, grime, and gruesome discoveries abound in this haunting foray into the howling darkness of 1970s San Francisco. Sean Malia Thompson offers a thrilling new crime horror novella that compels as it terrifies."
—Tiffany Morris, author of Green Fuse Burning

"The Clear Lake Killer is a taut psychological thriller that grabs you from the start and never lets go. Diving into San Francisco's seedy 70s underbelly, this story follows killers and cults as murder grips the city, while a pair of sleuths race against time to bring the carnage to an end."
—Pedro Iniguez, author of Synthetic Dawns & Crimson Dusks

"Thompson gives us a sex-fueled 70s flashback the color of blood and shadows. We get a slasher, cultists, fucked-up cops, and just enough dark humor to keep us from pulling that old hunting knife out of the closet."
—Patrick Shawn Bagley, author of Bitter Water Blues

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The Clear Lake Killer 1974 Reviews

3.5
“The Clear Lake Killer 1974 – by Sean Malia Thompson A very gritty and visceral read. Detectives Cassano and Mitrea are on the hunt for a killer targeting prostitutes in 1970’s San Francisco. Woven into all of this is the cult called The Church of the Dark Light. The killers anger is palpable as he dismembers his victims…and spreads their rib cages open with his bare hands to steal their hearts for his “ritual”. Can the detectives stop him before any more lives are lost? I also appreciated the detectives banter back and forth, their backstories, and especially Cassano’s wardrobe choices! My thanks to the author for the digital copy. Definitely a killer book!”
“This is an entertaining short story. I enjoyed the premise of the story, but I feel like it was rushed. If it was longer, several parts of the story could possibly be explained better and dig deeper into each person and the crazy situations going on. (Such as the Cult.) There also weren’t defined separate chapters, so sometimes I was a bit confused with who was talking and what was going on. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the intense thrills! It’s a fast and fun read!”
“I honestly don't know what to say about this one. It was a short read about a guy murdering prostitutes and being groomed to join a creepy cult. I found the writing style really choppy, with short sharp sentences throughout, giving it a stop/start feeling rather than a nice flow. There were no chapters, just two halves of the book; the part that takes place in San Francisco and the part that takes place in Clear Lake. Each paragraph seemed to jump from one part of the story to the next and from the POV of one character to another. I really wish I enjoyed this one, but unfortunately the writing style really made it difficult. The story itself, though, seemed great. I just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little.”

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