It is 1889 in Philadelphia, and detective John Doyle is restless. Along with his miserable partner, Thomas Braham, Doyle pursues mysteries, strange sightings, and other obscurities tossed aside and disregarded by the police. For years, Doyle has taken on these cases in the hopes of discovering something supernatural – something that could upend and dispute his long-standing, debilitating fear that immortal souls do not exist.
Goodreads Synopsis
Doyle’s search for the supernatural remains unsuccessful until he receives a strange letter from an old doctor friend regarding a young woman with a mysterious and rather disturbing illness. When the doctor goes missing in the same town that this young woman resides in, Doyle and Braham decide to take on the case and search for clues regarding their missing friend. In doing so, they discover that there is no longer any suffering young woman, but a dangerous abomination whose origin cannot be explained by science nor modern medicine.
Meanwhile, an unnamed victim has been kidnapped. Trapped in a cell with nothing but a journal to document their experiences, this mysterious Prisoner must undergo terrifying scientific experiments while trying not to lose all hope and sanity.
Inspired by the works of renowned horror and mystery writers like Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prisoner of Fear brilliantly weaves questions of mortality and the human propensity for evil into a truly intriguing, unique, and frightening narrative.
Overall Rating
4/5
Spooky Rating
2/5
Quick Take
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller is a haunting, slow burn horror novel dripping with prose reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe. It is a novel written in diary entries, letters, and other documents that forces the reader to enter the mind of each character and put the pieces together. If you are a fan of eerie horror that slowly gets under your skin, then you simply must make this novel your next read!
Tell Me More
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller follows John Doyle and Thomas Braham, two individuals who investigate obscurities thrown away by the police. Doyle hopes to find evidence of the supernatural, so when an old doctor friend of his sends him a letter about a young woman with a mysterious illness before going missing, he finds himself lost in a case that might just bring him what he is looking for.
I am a great skeptic that ghosts exist, but more than most, I wish for them to be real.
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller is a novel written in diary entries, letters, and other documents. This style created a lot of mystery and gave Miller the upper hand as the author. As the reader, I found that I had to put together the pieces of the story which added to my surprise and my perceived creepiness of the story.
My future is mine to own, and I am driven. I should be proud and I am. I should keep my chin up high, and I will. But not tonight. Tonight, I will continue to shed my tears.
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller
I have to admit that I did judge this book by the cover and assumed that it would be a lot scarier than it was. The story was a slow burn, and the language used was similar to the horror classics, such as works by Edgar Allan Poe. It felt more like reading a mystery novel than horror, but there were a few moments throughout the novel that provided a scare factor. While the scare level was rather low, I did appreciate the eeriness that was consistent throughout the story, and as a fan of classic horror it felt like a very comforting read.
Hope is a tool of torture that the devil wields in the face of his victims. My hope is all but lost. I will stare at these four stained walls until my mind erodes or I succumb to death. I am alone, in shambles. Here I will remain, a prisoner. Here I remain with my fear.
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller
The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller is a novel that reflects classic horror and is a treat for those who appreciate slow burn horror. The story requires the reader to take part in solving the mystery, and I found that it was a very unique read. It is nice to have found a novel that reflects classic horror in such a beautiful way. If you are in the mood for a lighter horror novel, I would highly recommend The Prisoner of Fear.
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The Horror Maven 