I love weird novels and Tim Waggoner has written a weird one, folks. I really enjoyed this novel and finished it in record time. His novels don't have traditional happy endings and that's ok.
And it's part of his mythos. Highly, highly recommended.

Waggoner's imagination is horrifying. YOU TURN TO SUFFER continues the tradition of macabre twists the author is well known for. If you love Waggoner, this book will not disappoint.!

A secretive organization called The Cabal believe that Lorelai "Lori" Palumbo has committed unspeakable crimes in the past and now she must pay. To that end, The Cabal slowly rips apart Lori's safe, organized life. The Cabal ruins Lori's job, her health, everything and everyone she loves. And Lori has no idea what The Cabal thinks she's done to deserve this punishment.
After being pushed to the brink, Lori has nothing left to lose and she decides to take her questions (and her anger) directly to the Cabal. But they are not exactly easy to find, either. Lori's direct approach takes her into a mind-spinning world where anything can (and often does) happen.

Your Turn to Suffer is more than just horror fiction, it is weird horror fiction.

I've been a fan of author Tim Waggoner's work since reading his Shadow Watch novels back in 2014/2015 (you want weird horror ... it doesn't get much stranger than those!). His work is fresh (with a strong scent of decay), highly original, gruesome and dark, and often bitingly humorous.

Your Turn to Suffer seems an apt title as nearly everyone here does, indeed, suffer. And suffering in a Waggoner novel is usually pretty gruesome. I mean ... really gruesome. If you can't handle some putrefaction and a side of gangrene, then this is definitely not the book for you. But if you don't mind a little flesh-ripping in your horror, then you really need to check this out.

Lori starts out being a bit of an unreliable character. She doesn't know what's going on and she's lost and afraid, and yet she's clearly our main focus. Her character grows as the story grows. But it's the Cabal who are the true mystery here. What ... or who ... are the Cabal? (Is the Cabal?) Not quite human? More than human? And what is their problem with Lori? The answer lies somewhere beyond reality.

This is a fun and fast read, but I don't want to undersell how gruesome and gross it can be. Waggoner doesn't pull any punches or hide his fangs.

My only real complaint with the book is the humor. Generally humor in a book like this is a relief. Sometimes it's the focus. In the case of the other Waggoner books I mentioned earlier, it's totally appropriate for a character to crack wise. Here I felt the humor - the jokes and wise cracks - were a tad forced. It didn't flow naturally from the characters.

Looking for a good book? If you are ready for a dark, twisted, flesh-peeling horror book, then pick up Tim Waggoner's Your Turn to Suffer.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book was a interesting horror book. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page trying to figure out what is about to happen. It is very descriptive. This book is in stores for CA$39.95 (CAD).

Tim Waggoner is a wonderful writer and I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great horror novel, it kept me invested when reading this and I finished it really quickly.

This book isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s brutal, graphic & no one is safe. If you like dark horror then you’ll enjoy this one.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m not a big fan of comparing writers to other writers, because I believe each of them strives to develop their own unique style, but this novel reminded me a lot of Clive Barker, and there’s nothing bad about that. Just like with Barker, I felt like I was looking at something utterly disturbing, but at the same time so captivating, that I just couldn’t look away and had to keep reading. For this brief review, I’ll aim to steer away from comparing Waggoner to either Barker or King or other possible influences (or their tentacled lovechild with a bald, scaly head), and instead talk about what I got from this novel, and from this novel alone.

It’s good to pick up a book once in a while in which the author pulls out all the stops, lets their imagination run wild, and doesn’t shy away from the weirdness. At the same time, there is a clear, coherent narrative and there are rules to the world, even if they may not be known to everyone. This may sound like I’m just describing the recipe for horror in general, but I maintain that not all writers who aspire to write horror care about those things. As a horror fan, I appreciate those who do all the more! So, like Lori, the reader becomes desperate to learn the rules and understand what’s going on.

One of the strengths of Waggoner’s writing is the ability to describe a scene in such detail that it seems to carve itself into the reader’s memory. It’s a rare gift to be able to burn an image onto another person’s retina without them even having seen it, except constructed from words. This surgical, photorealistic precision combines well with the knack for creating tension and an air of mystery. The part I enjoyed the most was not knowing when the Cabal or the Shadowkin would appear and crash an otherwise completely realistic scene, turning it into something completely unsettling and at times downright terrifying. I think Lori could relate to that feeling of uncertainty! I find this kind of horror very appealing because you get a detailed description of the world outside, and something happens and there’s a pinhole through which the strange starts to enter and infest the normality. The hole increases as dark forces begin to pump terror into everything, and works like that delight me to no end.

I have to be honest about this one. I’ve been holding off leaving feedback because I didn’t know what to say but times time to just get it out.
I really couldn’t get along with this book. I am a horror fan, but this seemed garish and uncomfortable to me. I couldn’t enjoy it. I felt awkward reading it. I almost didn’t finish it.

Crazy, much!! What an interesting premise for the need to atone for your wrongs and certainly makes you think about what one little moment can trigger a wave of consequences. We meet Lorelei who makes one mistake and is now made to suffer from a group called the Cabal. Their message " "Confess and atone--or suffer." and they are serious about it. They won't tell her what she needs to confess to so she has to figure it out herself. They get immediately to the suffering, both mentally and physically. Great disturbing imagery, characters going nuts, and circumstances out of control. Definitely a fun yet disturbing read! I will never see goats the same way again (you'll see) It has a strong horror element for those horror fans.

Lori suffers from stress-induced migraines. She is enjoying a pain-free day shopping for groceries when she is approached by a woman crowding her personal space. Lori notices the woman has peculiar eyes… a slit instead of a round pupil.

“Confess and atone-or suffer.”

This confrontation marks the beginning of Lori’s bizarre involvement with The Cabal. Each encounter grows in intensity as The Cabal invades Lori’s life and sense of security. Tim Waggoner is skilled at immersing the reader in Lori’s experience. It’s terrifying to consider that someone could become targeted by a dangerous cult with no real explanation why and no way to call them off. What would you do?

There is a nagging feeling of doubt and suspicion as the reader wrestles with sorting out what’s real and what is perceived reality. It was always in the back of my mind that the first thing we learned about our protagonist is that she suffers from migraines. Especially when Lori begins to see “shadow people.”

The most compelling thing about Your Turn to Suffer is that there is no way a reader would ever be able to predict where it is going to go. There are moments where my jaw dropped open in shock. Waggoner blindsides his audience several times introducing genre-bending facets to the plot suddenly and without warning. Having read a few of Waggoner’s stories before, I thought I had pretty decent expectations going in, but I was wrong! This book descends into full-on madness: explicit sex acts, graphic violence, and a healthy dose of bloody gore.

Something I struggle with in storytelling narratives is a dream-like or a drug-induced state of mind. I don’t like feeling disoriented for long periods of time where I start to lose my footing in the story and I can’t tell what’s real and what is just happening in a character’s mind. This happens a few times and I felt a little confused. Also, bizzaro or cosmic horror both have a tendency to lean too far into the weird for my tastes. I do enjoy experimental or speculative fiction but there are times where it can test my patience and I’m unable to suspend disbelief or sometimes; stay invested.

Fortunately, Your Turn to Suffer doesn’t rely too heavily upon those tropes, slipping into it occasionally but not heavily. There were times where I felt challenged but I can report I was able to track all the way through to the end — and what an ending!

Waggoner is literally the blueprint for horror writers. He’s had a long successful career and I’m eager to keep reading his new and older titles. I’m a fan.

In this story we follow Lorelai Palumbo. Her life is turned upside down when a sinister group called the Cabal begin to harass her constantly. The Cabal accuse her of committing unspeakable crimes in the past which she now has to pay for but the only thing is, she doesn’t know what she is supposed to have done.
I found the story and the writing style particularly weird and our story keeps taking some wild turns. The more nightmarish bizarre parts of the story were my favorite ones.
My biggest issue with the book was the pacing. The book starts slowly building the story but we are already introduced to many fantastical horror elements. Unfortunately even at 40% into the book I did not care for the characters and what could happen to them. When I feel such a disconnection with the characters it is hard for me to really be invested in the story.
Perhaps it was in general too weird for me and even though I like to see some disturbing scenes and some gore, that this book definitely had to offer, it did not captivate me.

There were too many dream like sequences and it was at times just too much for me. This style of weird fiction I know appeals to many people but perhaps it is just not for me.

This is one of those cases of "I really want to like this book, I really should like this book, but...I just can't like this book." I think it all comes down to preference, as book ratings often do. So, here were my issues with "Your Turn to Suffer".

The writing style felt forced to me. While the book was finished it didn't feel polished, making for a bit of a clunky read. I know that a lot of people who read this type of book don't mind this style, so if that's you, go for it. I also don't like dream sequences, and there were a lot of scenes in this that weren't quite dream sequences but still had the feel of a dream sequence. I didn't mind these as much when I was younger, but I've definitely grown out of them. So, if you like a good dream sequence (especially ones with a dose of the macabre) this could be the book for you. Probably my biggest problem was the main character. For a good portion of the book, it felt like she was just along for the ride. In fact, most of the best scenes in this book didn't include her. Now, I'm not gonna lie, if a bunch of the crazy stuff that happens in this book happened to me I don't know what I'd do. Then again, nobody is reading about me. Lastly, even with all the crazy stuff that happens in this book, it did start to feel repetitive. I think this was mostly due to the weak main character.

I have to add that I love Flame Tree Press and that was my main reason for requesting this book from Netgalley. They publish a lot of great horror. Also, this book has a definite 80's horror type vibe: from the cover, to the description, to the actual book itself, and I'm there for that. It just didn't hit the type of 80's horror I was looking for.

**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Lorelai encounters a strange group calling themselves The Cabal, not-quite-human characters who, for some reason, have taken an interest in her. And they have an important message: “Confess and atone – or suffer.” The only problem is, Lori doesn’t know what she’s done, and as The Cabal start targeting her co-workers, friends and family, she is in a race against time to discover the dark secret hiding in her past.

I admit, sometimes I am nervous opening a book written by a man with a female protagonist. Let’s face it, half the time they don’t do it well, and certain themes are touched on in an indelicate way. With Your Turn to Suffer – the first novel I’ve read by Tim Waggoner – I’ve now placed him firmly on the ‘male writers I trust’ list.

Lori is a fleshed out female character, with a full life around her and very real strengths and weaknesses. All Lori knows is that she has done something The Cabal believe she must atone for, but what it is, she doesn’t know. The reader is given clues and hints, as Lori pieces things together and we get glimpses into the minds of other characters. Waggoner has surrounded Lori with really unique challenges and obstacles, and there were a number of moments in the book I was truly surprised by.

This is one of those stories where you keep thinking what’s just happened couldn’t possibly happen, and surprised me often. Waggoner makes you feel exactly what he wants you to feel with each character, and even the minor ones are brought to life, and you can’t help but keep hoping throughout for everything to please, please just turn out okay.

One element I love about horror is you never know what kind of ending you’re going to get. A good book leads you right up to the end of the path, the vision slightly obscured by hedges, and lets you take a peek, before shoving you through and to the other side. In horror, sometimes the ending is ‘and everything turned out fine’. Other times its more subtle, leaving the hero in a much changed state. Here, Waggoner absolutely nails the ending. It packs a punch, and shows his talent as a storyteller.

Overall a really solid book from Waggoner, and if you like your novels brutal, hard-hitting and sometimes not the easiest to stomach, definitely check out Your Turn to Suffer.

Publisher's Blurb: Lorelei Palumbo is harassed by a sinister group calling themselves The Cabal. They accuse her of having committed unspeakable crimes in the past, and now she must pay. The Cabal begins taking her life apart one piece at a time – her job, her health, the people she loves – and she must try to figure out what The Cabal thinks she’s done if she’s to have any hope of answering their charges and salvaging her life.

This book reminded me of the horror movies I was forbidden to watch when I was younger. The ones full of immense amounts of blood and gore. There was a scene with Lorelei's co-worker where I was left completely horrified. There were many other scenes like that but that one in particular stood out for me.

The author did an excellent job of character development. Lorelei came across as a really great person stuck in an awful nightmare. I found myself praying that she would figure out what she needed to atone for before being hurt too much.

This book had some really dark humor within its pages. I actually found myself chuckling out loud a few times while reading this story. There was one scene in particular (you'd know it if you read it) where I felt horrible after laughing.

My only issue was with the Shadowkins. These dark beings attacked in various ways and in my opinion, I would have preferred if they had one specific way to attack. It would have been more realistic.

This was a great book. I definitely would love to try more books by this author.

This book has some truly horrific scenes so it should only be read by adults and even then only if you have a very strong stomach.

Repulsive, gruesome, and totally addictive. Another Tim Waggoner masterpiece. Didn't sleep at all last night.

4 Stars!

Tim Waggoner is a horror writer. That can be said about a lot of people, but it is especially true of Waggoner. Every book I have read by him has been a frightening trip into darkness that has left a small piece of the dark with me. Your Turn to Suffer had a sufficiently creepy title and I had high hopes when I opened the book.



Lorelei Palumbo did not lead a perfect life but she never thought of herself as a bad person. There were certainly things that she wished she had done differently but she was not intentionally cruel. She never thought that anyone would ever single her out for one of her past deeds. She had done nothing to merit such notice from anyone. Then along came a mysterious group called the Cabal who had her firmly in their sights, intent on revenge for something from her past. The only problem was the Lorelei had no idea what the strange group wanted from her.



The Cabal seems to want to destroy her life and it starts slowly at first. She is made to question her sanity, her relationship, and even her status at her job before things become even stranger and more dangerous. Soon, the Cabal has established a foothold in her life and lets all Hell loose. This is not just a threat to her but to the very world as Lorelei soon learns that she has been singled out due to something she did in the past that left someone seeking revenge on her. Because of this deed, the entire world may be consumed by darkness. Hellish monsters are unleashed on the world in a rampage of death and destruction and only Lorelei can stop them. The only problem is that she has no idea why anyone would want to get revenge on her. That is a question that she must answer before time runs out.



Tim Waggoner has never been one to shy away from the darkest of horror and Your Turn to Suffer is no exception to this. This is a very dark book that has some passages of extreme horror that may make it difficult for some readers. There is some very violent passages in the novel that push the envelope a bit so readers need to prepare to be a bit shocked at times. That being said, though, Waggoner is a master as walking the line between extreme and gratuitous and there is nothing that his longtime readers will be surprised by. This is just a very dark novel that is well-written and meant to shock the reader while making the reader think.



Your Turn to Suffer is, quite simply, a very good horror novel. There is a lot of violence and terror but there is also an underlying heart to the story that makes it human. Some Lovecraftian elements mixed in with and otherworldly dimension also give a dark fantasy element that reminded me a lot of The Talisman by Stephen Kind and Peter Straub. All in all, Your Turn to Suffer is full of twists that will keep the reader guessing and violence and action to keep the reader jumping. There really is not a dull moment in this novel after the initial set up as Waggoner puts his foot on the pedal and does not let up until the last word has been read. With its sometimes-strong violence, this novel may not be for the faint of heart but anyone who likes their horror exciting and blood-soaked, “Your Turn to suffer is sure to thrill.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Your Turn to Suffer is available now.

This is my first of Tim Waggoner's work, and I am hooked. The story didn't go like I was expecting from the description. It was extremely creative. There was gore and horror elements, both of which I enjoy. The descriptions were vivid. Driving home from work at night I imagined I was on the Nightway, very creepy. I will be reading more from Tim Waggoner again.

Thank you to Flame Tree Publishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Your Turn To Suffer by Tim Waggoner is a horror story published by one of my favourite publishing houses, Flame Tree Press. As soon as I saw we had a Tim Waggoner book tour, I jumped at the chance. I have read another of Tim's books and thoroughly enjoyed that one so knew I needed to be a part of this tour.
We are introduced to Lori she works as a physical therapist and lives her life as everyone else does. Then the day comes when she meets a woman with weird goat-like eyes. She tells Lori to confess and atone - or suffer. Lori has no clue why she needs to be confessing to or even atoning for, before she even realises it her suffering has started.
Lori is then feeling like she is living a nightmare, first attacked by shadowy clawed creatures then tortured by members of a group called The Cabal. Could it get any worse? Well, yes...next her friends, family and even work colleagues are all hurt, attacked and accosted. Tortured to ensure Lori confesses and atones. Lori still has no idea what she has supposedly done, and these horrible things will not stop until she finds out...if she can.
I thought the mystery of what Lori had done and the fact she had to attempt to work it out for the nightmare to end really had me. I wondered what the heck was it she had done to cause all her suffering and everyone elses as well? The Cabal's pure rage really had me scared for everyone connected to Lori and Lori herself. In fact who were these Cabal people? Are they devils? Are they even real? I was so interested and curious to know what was coming. I was hoping at some point Lori would remember what she had done and soon!
I read this book in about a day and a half if that. I raced through it, the creepiness of the story giving me goosebumps and sometimes even almost freaking me out! 'Your Turn To Suffer' really gave me the chills and even brought the gore too. An entertaining and deliciously horrifying at times too. If you are a horror fan this is worth adding to your to be read pile.
Thank you to Random Things Tours, Flame Tree Press, NetGalley and Tim Waggoner for my copy of the book.

Your Turn to Suffer is an altogether weird slice of horror that takes a few sharp turns in the telling, but which is at its best when indulging in the bizarre.

The opening chapter is creepy, but deceptively so, stoking our interest in Lori's suffering, yet holding back on the true horror, even as it misleads us into expecting something safe and familiar. "Confess and atone - or suffer" is such a great line, but it really only scratches the surface of what's involved here.

Where the story takes its first sharp turn is in the fifth chapter, where what we expect to be a cruel reprimand from the boss turns into a giddy threat to "Tear off one of your tits with my teeth" (and worse!), and where instead of blaming Lori for her bad day, a coworker's sob story ends with the disgusting offer to share in eating a bloody, half-eaten cat. Yeah, suddenly, this just got interesting!

The mythology of the tale is a little shaky, with the rules seeming to change to suit the story but, in all fairness, even the monsters admit they're making it up as they go. The human-looking monsters are the scariest, perhaps because they are more relatable, but the ways in which the monstrous Shadowkin can corrupt those around us is horribly fascinating. There's a scene involving a young mail carrier and a busty housewife twice his age that grossed me out and made me squirm in ways few horror novels have ever managed.

Without betraying any surprises, the most significant sharp turns comes in the latter chapters, where what seemed to be a lazy motive is (thankfully) revealed to be a red herring, and where the driving force behind the horror is simpler than we can imagine, and yet carries far more serious consequences than we feared. A lot of people get to suffer in Your Turn to Suffer, and when it goes batshit off-the-rails crazy, that's where the story finds its dark, bloody, shadowy heart.

I’ve read some of the author’s fiction but many, many years ago and barely remember anything I read so reading this book was like discovering a new author. I’m a fan of horror fiction and have been most of my life and have been impressed by other titles from the publisher. I had high hopes for Your Turn to Suffer. I liked a lot about the book and some aspects didn’t fully gel for me. I loved the premise, the horror and fear created by being targeted by a sinister organisation whose intentions are not good but you know you’re innocent yet there’s little you can do to prove it or get them to leave you alone. The book has folk horror elements which I really enjoyed. There is a lot of darkness in the book but the style is very 80’s slasher horror which had a few cheesy moments that lightened the mood a little. I though the book was overly violent and gory at times but a solid read otherwise.