Book Reviews of Creepers (Frank Balenger, Bk 1)

A good read, with action that seldom lets up. I saw it as more of a thriller than a horror novel, there are some scary elements - but the psychology involved isn't realistic or frightening so much as designed to hit on a check list of cliches and cinematic pacing elements and settings. You've already seen or read just about everything there is to find in this book, except for the premise of urban exploration.
There is a jarring end to some beautiful build-up about 1/3rd of the way in - and the book never recovers from this shift, even when a positive shift happens a little further in.
In the end - I wish the author had more editorial help to repair his loose threads, incongruous plot elements, and realism.... but the book DOES deserve its good reputation as a page turner and thrill ride.
Think Psycho meets Romancing the Stone, at the hotel from The Shining (sans ghosts).

It typically takes me a while to read a book because I'm usually reading 2 or 3 at a time. I started reading Creepers and just about couldn't put it down. It was finished in 2 days. This is an amazing feat for me! The story is very engaging and had me hooked from the beginning. Lots of atmosphere, action, suspense, and surprises along the way make for a great read!

I've read other books by David Morrell which were excellent so I ordered this one. I kept thinking it would surely get better, but halfway through it didn't, so I stopped reading. I felt like I was reading a Hardy Boys mystery. Adults stumble through an abandoned hotel looking for adventure. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers. This one isn't!!

I have never read a book that held me from the first page--this book was so intense that at times I found myself holding my breath, and had to remind myself to breathe---SERIOUSLY! This book is action and suspense from the get go and this author knows how to write as he held that pace to the very end. I have since ordered ALL of this authors books and they too are just as great. I'm so happy to have found David Morrell---you will be too.

SCARY!!!! Couldn't put it down near the end. Wow!

My first experience with this author. Really took a turn i was NOT expecting! fast paced and really a surprise of a plot.

This is one an amazing and very suspensful book. I highly recommend this book to all.

Highly original thriller. Very atmospheric. I think you will find it to be a real page turner!

Great book. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. When I finally looked up, when I had finished, it was 3 a.m.

A slow starting turned fast paced book with a twisty plotabout a group exploring a supposedly abanded huge Deco Hotel in the shape of a pyramid. A good read.

This book is a page turner. I could hardly put it down. A group of people start exploring an old hotel & find out all is not as it seems to be. This isn't a book for the faint of heart.

I’m not sure where I saw the recommendations for this book, but the premise appealed to me – urban explorers, guys who break into boarded up buildings to explore, not to steal things. So a group of these urban explorers plus a reporter gather to get into the Paragon Hotel, at one time a five-star hotel but now long past glory, and has been scheduled to be torn down in a few days. At least a couple of these folks are not what they advertise themselves to be. At risk of putting in a spoiler, I’ll say that the initial tone of the book was more in line of what I was expecting to read than what transpired later. After it shifted gears, so to speak, I put it down for a couple days but went back to it later. I had to make an effort to put forth my willing suspension of disbelief, but it moves pretty fast, has some scary moments and interesting twists. I won’t keep it, but it was satisfying once I figured out what to expect.

This was the first book I ever read from author David Morrell. I have to say it had me captivated through the whole book. Even though I knew it was fiction, some part of me wished that there was truly a Paragon Hotel that was once a part of the Asbury Park area that history could be searched. The way David Morrell built up the history of the hotel and its eccentric owner all the way to the climactic ending, was pure genius! I have read various accounts of the "urban explorers" stories. They are the people who explore abandoned buildings even though they know it's illegal and very dangerous just to get a sense of the history of these buildings.
David Morrell managed to do one thing that no other author has done to this date: to get me to finish reading his book in a week! If you are a fan of thrillers, constant action, suspense at every turn, then this book is for you!

This was quite exciting! And certainly as creepy as the title suggested! The subject of urban exploration was unique and very interesting. This certainly would make a great movie, in my opinion. The plot had many twists and turns, make it just an adventurous book to read!

Creeping inside an historic building before the wrecking ball destroys it forever. Is Frank Balenger all he seems to be? The thrill of investigating history the way it was. As the gang creeps through the building, who else is there? The twist and turns are not only in the building, but in the story. History and the building come alive. A great thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down for necessary things like food, sleep or bathroom breaks. The ending was a total surprise. The author of Rambo brings us another hit.

I thought that this book was going to be more of a horror type book and scary. It is in no way scary, but it is still a good book and a action packed serial killer type of thriller. The action was constant, the characters were interesting, and the reading was fast paced and enjoyable.

Gripping beginning to end--can't put down until finished!

Breaking into an abandoned building, they get more than they had bargained for. Each person has an agenda unknown to the others. Different from any other read.

Intriguing read about people who illegally explore abandoned buildings in big cities. Murder starts right off the bat as they explore this one. A real page turner. Written by the same author as Rambo, First Blood. Pretty good beach book.

Not my one of my favorite Morrell book but it was a fun one! Five people break into and then creep around an old hotel, first to explore and then unveiling other notorious purposes. If you like the Child/Preston books, you'll like this one!

Very suspenseful, creepy, and good!

Those who explore abandoned buildings are known as creepers. Enter - view - and leave no changes are their motto. A group enters an old hotel and the rules go awry!

One of those books you will find hard to put down.

On a cold October night, five people gather in a run down motel on the Jersey shore and prepare to break into the Paragon Hotel. The once magnificanet structure is now boarded up and marked for demolition. They are "creepers", urban explorers with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings. Reported Frank Balenger joins them to profile this highly illegal activity for the New York Times. Soon after they enter the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, he gets more than he bargained for. Danger, fear, and death await the creepers in a place revaged by time and redolent of evil. This book kept me on edge and reading from the very beginning- very well written, EXCELLENT choice if you want to read a creepy story.

The book is a fast read but with details throught through. Fast action and high suspence.

definitely "creepy" really really really good!

Awesome book. It's creepy and thrilling at the same time. I will never enter an abandoned house that has been boarded up. You never know what you will find.

Excellent story about a world I didn't even know existed out there. D. Morrell is a writer that can make you believe he's lived it and knows the ins and outs. Creepers are people who explore old, abandoned buildings, much as treasure hunters explore old ships. This however allows you into that world along with twisted people that can be in any world. For writing, I give 5 stars. I gave an overall 4 1/2 because some of it was a little too graphic for me. But if that's what you like, this book has it.

This was a new concept to me and I loved the story. "Creepers" are urban explorers who investigate abandoned buildings and their secrets. This group of creepers join together to investigate an abandoned hotel, owned by a very excentric hemopiliac who built the hotel with dozens of hidden passageways so that he could live his life safely by watching others live their lives. Although the group is to explore without altering the site, it soon becomes evident that they are in mortal danger and must do anything they can to survive. The story is a real page turner, moving quickly with losts of suspense.

A thriller written by the guy who wrote Rambo: First Blood. (Which I never even knew was a book before it was a movie!)

Creepers is inspired by the actual urban adventurers who like to explore abandoned or forbidden modern ruins. Of course, here, the adventures are jazzed up considerably to make it a thriller. A professor, his students and a reporter sneak into an abandoned hotel on the Jersey Shore. The hotel was built by an eccentric recluse who liked to spy on his guests - but little do they know where that eccentricity would lead. And it is their bad luck to be followed into the building by some violent thugs.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It has some very effective and believable horrific elements. However, the aforementioned 'violent thugs' were both completely unnecessary, plot-wise, and completely unbelievable as characters. They added a layer to the plot that detracted from the main 'revelation' of the story.

creepy book about creepers

This book hooked me from page 1. The story didn't go where I expected but it made it all the better reading because of that. I've never read Morrell before this book but look forward to reading more.

Quick read.. action packed with lots of twists.

A great read!

This turned out to be a great read.It is about people who explore old abandoned hotels and the creepy things they find in them.

Extremely readable thriller about exploring old vacant houses. Many twists, unexpected ending.

A great read!! Once I started, I stayed up two days to finish it. Creepy.

"Chilling and hypnotically readable" Stephen King

Atmospheric and a lot of fun. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Morell's works.

Loved it. Thought it was great

Kind of creepy.

Not your typical David Morrell book. Definitely different!!