Seth Fowler was near the end of an ordinary day when it all started. There would be no more ordinary days for Seth. When his long time friend and coworker Randy stops by with a 6 pack and a brand new truck that he shouldn't have been able to afford Seth is understandably a little jealous and maybe a little suspicious but he doesn't notice the birds just yet. What he does notice, when Randy goes in the house to use the bathroom.. is the dead body in the back of the truck. When Randy leaves, Seth calls the cops, but soon he is met by Luther, an otherworldly stranger who makes him an offer he can't refuse. Literally, there is no way to refuse Luther, so Seth will do what it takes to protect his girlfriend, his adopted daughter and his elderly father from harm, but the police and his brother-in-law are getting suspicious and meanwhile the bodies are piling up.

I can't tell you this wasn't a bit of a crazy story, or that I wouldn't have liked some sort of explanation of what and why Luther is whatever he is, but damned if I didn't enjoy it anyway. It's suspenseful, and creepy, and Seth is just plain likable. I was rooting for him, I wanted those pesky cops to leave him alone. I wanted his brother-in-law to mind his own business, and now I think the birds are spying on me!


I received a complimentary copy for review. ( )

Review copy

The Boulevard Monster is told in the first person. I mention this because first person storytelling doesn't always work for me me, but here it's use was extremely effective. Seth Fowler swears the story he's putting to paper is the truth. However, he admits...

"Jurors would never see me as an honest, sane, God-fearing man. I get that. I understand. I'm not writing this in the hopes of clearing my name with the authorities or the public. I'm writing it so my wife Brianne and daughter Sera will know my side of the story."

The Boulevard Monster is a tale that actually teared me up on occasion. Seth Fowler seems to be a good man, deep down inside. A man doing his best for his family, while keeping terrible secret. It all begins when he discovers a body in the back of his best friend's pick-up. Later, when he's made a offer he literally can't refuse, he suddenly has all the money he needs, but at what cost?

All-in-all a wonderful "what would you do" kind of story with an element of the unknown in the personage of the mysterious Luther and the blue jays which seem to keep him appraised of Seth's every move.

In the end it's left to the reader to decide if we believe Seth's story or were we seeing into the mind of a man who was slowly losing his hold on reality. It's a story well told and one which will leave you wondering after the final page.

The Boulevard Monster is an emotional read and, ultimately, a sad story that builds to a gritty conclusion. A great first novel and I'm certainly looking forward to his next project.

Recommended.

The Boulevard Monster is published by Bloodshot Books and is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

From the author's bio - Jeremy Hepler is a native of the Texas Panhandle and is a stay-at-home dad who lives with his wife Tricia and son Noah in a small rural community in the Heart of Texas. Other than writing suspense and horror novels, he loves to read, garden, draw, and repurpose old furniture. ( )