Tim Waggoner is easily one of my favorites for a good horror read! After reading “They Kill” and “The Mouth of the Dark,” “Your Turn to Suffer” did not disappoint.

What I love about the author’s style is how he gets his characters to step away from their element. You think you know the characters well, but then they get possessed to do all sorts of unspeakable things. This book had many such moments when Lori encounters Melinda, Katie, and Brian. Brian is someone who terrified me towards the end. I did not expect him to become prominent of all the characters, but it worked so well.

Similarly, the woman with the goat eyes and the shadowy man is terrifying, and the story gave me the creeps. Moreover, while I initially did not concern about Larry and Justin, my heart went out to them later. While this is primarily a horror novel, I did go through various emotions. I also loved Edgar! Although he appears briefly, he was memorable!

Furthermore, the author also keeps the story fresh, and there is never a dull moment. The story starts with a bang as Lori witnesses the car crash with Neil from the getgo. From then on, the author maintains the momentum as Lori journeys into The Nightway and meets spine-tingling characters like Driver, Rauch, and Haruspex. Also, one of the terrifying moments of the story is when Rauch brainwashes Maureen into doing the horrific act. I don’t think I will forget that scene ever!

Overall, “Your Turn to Suffer” is probably my favorite from all of his works, and I hope he continues to write many more!

Your Turn to Suffer
Author: Tim Waggoner
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Page count: 264pp
Release date: 23rd March 2021

Lorelai Palumbo (Lori) is heading to the pharmacist to pick up her migraine meds after a stressful day when she literally bumps into an unusual man; white mustache, brown fedora and suit, garish yellow tie.  And a haunted look in his eyes.
Then a week later, there’s the woman in the supermarket, with black goat-like eyes and doughy sockets.
And something else, hunting her. They tell her to ‘confess’, atone or suffer for her sins.
Very soon she finds out she is being Hunter by the ‘The Cabal’, and being dragged into a nightmare world where she is tortured until she is willing to confess, but she has no idea what she should be confessing.
And every time she tries to recall, she is crushed with a splintering headache.
There are monstrous creatures in this other place with the Vermilion Tower and along The Nightway; the entire realm like the lovechild of Lucio Fulci, Hieronymus Bosch and Clive Barker. There are lush descriptions of bizzare, sensual terrors and things waiting in the dark, and gut-wrenching visceral horror.
Amidst the splatterpunk and pain on display there are also some darkly comedic moments that are spot on, reminding me why Waggoner is one of my favourite horror writers. 
Yet the most compelling aspect of the book is Lori herself. What has she done? What are the blocked memories buried deep in the recesses of her brain and why are they hidden?
Exploring trauma, PTSD, the search for healing through Lori’s physical therapy and the need for redemption, this book hit me ‘in the feels’ as well as being thoroughly gruesome and entertaining. A character we meet within it, Edgar, deserves his own story and given the nature of the novel I think it’s a story Waggoner could easily pull off.
There was so much to enjoy here. If you’re squeamish you’ll struggle, but if you love balls out crazy narrative, quirky humour and graphic horror, this is absolutely the book to read.
And strangely, I was left impacted most of all with a sense of emotional resonance and poignancy above all.
Simply terrific.

With a title like Your Turn To Suffer, I expected dark, but that isn’t a good descriptor because this gets very dark.

The plot of this story is horrific. I cannot even imagine going through what this character is pit through. It is almost surreal, but it feels like it could easily happen, which is what makes it terrifying.

I would say, if you’re not into horrific, bloody, dark, and heartbreaking, I would stay away from this. However, it’s right up my alley, so I recommend it!

Rating:

4/5☆

*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours to review honestly on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

There was a lot going on in this story and most of it didn't connect clearly. I felt like the author was trying to put so many different monsters and evil into this story, it just didn't work.

Lori Palumbo is a dedicated and very busy physical therapist on her way home from work and feeling a severe migraine working it's way in her temples when an old man stop her and says "Can I ask you a question?"and since she is irritable with pain she curly responds " No". This is unusual behavior for her but at the moment she can't be bothered with others even though she does turn and sees the man's sad and crestfallen face, she tells herself let someone else ansewer his question today. Lori still has to pick up something for dinner so while she's in the grocery store a strange woman with unusual eyes and one red painted pinky nail approaches her and says "Confess, Atone - or Suffer". Lori doesn't know what to make of this person so she hurries across the parking lot and sees a dark form slithering between cars and suddenly out of nowhere a car veers out of control and comes speeding towards her and she knows if she doesn't move fast she will be killed along with the driver. Completely shaken Lori finally gets home where she tries to forget the events of the day and just try to get rid of her headache. Later that night Lori's living nightmare relentlessly begins leaving her wondering if she is losing her mind or could this be her newfound reality.

This was quite a horror story mixed with weird fiction and psychological suspense and paranoia? A non-stop gory thrill ride into the unknown where unearthly people, creatures and places come into play and seem to only enjoy a blood fest (literally). Tim Waggoner has quite the imagination for extreme horror so keep this in mind when you pick this book up. The phrase (Confess, Atone or Suffer) are the key words throughout the story and Lori had no idea what to make of it and until she experiences every horror you can imagine or not imagine that takes place. This truly is a book for horror fans only and not for those who don't enjoy a cup of blood instead of their morning coffee.

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this story a rating of 3 1/2 Gore-Filled 🌟🌟🌟🌠 Stars!!

Lorelai Palumbo is having a bad week. To start, her migraines are off the charts, causing her to be short and snippy with strangers, her boss is on her case about her treatment methods for her physical therapy clients, and a crazy lady with frightening eyes accosts her in the grocery store and says, “Confess and atone—or suffer.” If that were not enough to shake her up, a few minutes after the grocery store encounter, she is nearly killed by a driver who loses control of his car in the parking lot. But when she sees the bizarre lady with the frightening eyes lurking nearby and watching her, mouthing “confess and atone— or suffer,” she realizes this accident is no coincidence.
Lori arrives home after the incident at the grocery store shaken and on edge. Her roommate/ex-boyfriend is out for the evening, and her current boyfriend is working late, leaving her nothing more to do than go to bed. Not long after falling asleep, Lori is plagued by what she believes to be a nightmare from a memory of a life-changing injury she incurred as a teenager, to being in the car of an eyeless man who is driving her along a dark path called The Nightway to the Vermilion Tower, where unthinkable pain awaits.
When she awakens, Lori finds that her nightmare is just beginning. Being hunted by beings known as Shadowkins sent from The Vermilion Tower, every facet of Lori’s life is falling apart-her health is deteriorating, her relationships are faltering, her work is suffering, the world around her is being destroyed, her family is changed forever, and her nightmares are pulling her out of real life and depositing her in The Vermilion Tower where she is being tortured by the Cabal. If Lori wants all the torture to stop and for her sense of normalcy to return, she must figure out the sin for which she needs to confess and atone for before it is too late.
I greatly enjoyed Your Turn to Suffer. I have read Tim Waggoner’s work before, but only in novella form, so getting to read a longer piece of fiction written by him is a treat. I love the multi-layered world he built in the novel, using both Lori’s real-life world and The Nightway to great effect in propelling the story and creating characters in both realms that you grow to care about. You will feel empathy for Lori, you will want her to remember the grave injustice she committed just so she gets her life back to normal, you will feel her need to protect her family and friends, and you will feel her fear when the Cabal tortures her.
There are some graphic, disturbing events in this story that will be difficult for some readers. It is a gory, wild, and unpredictable ride from beginning to end. Speaking from personal experience, some are pure nightmare fuel that you will not soon forget. I know that I have not forgotten yet and have been checking pinky nails for red nail polish every since I finished the book.
Your Turn to Suffer will make you consider the power of your words, and to think of the consequences of your actions in your everyday life. It will make you consider how you interact with others, question the choices you make, and ponder whether the mistakes you make will have ripple effects on the world.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #YourTurntoSuffer #NetGalley

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and Net Galley for this ARC.

Confess and atone - or suffer.

If you had to isolate the worst thing you've done in your life, would you know what is was? What if the fate of the world and everyone you loved relied on your ability to do so?

When an exhausted Lori is confronted in the grocery store by a woman with the eyes of a goat, she's told "Confess and atone - or suffer." She tries to shrug it off as a random unsettling event, but it's just the beginning of a hellish couple of days that test her understanding of reality.

What did she do? How much is she willing to suffer?

While having some grisly splatterpunk elements this novel maybe leans more into weird fiction, and reminds me of classic 80s horror (think Nightmare on Elm Street or Hellraiser.) It was a lot of fun.

Thank you NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I still wasn't too sure what to expect after reading the blurt / summary of the book.. but I was going into this with high hopes. I love the horror genre, but man, this book just wasn't all I had hoped.
I found it difficult to get through the chapters, but still kept trying.
somethihng just felt completely off.... or somethihng was missing.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't a great read.

I really wanted to like this one but maybe this authors writing is just a bit to out there for me and weirder than I prefer or my taste in books is changing.

It starts off with a stranger wanting to ask Lori a question but she ignores him and goes on about her business, soon weird things start happening. A strange woman tells her she needs to confess and atone or suffer and she has absolutely no clue what she is talking about.

As more strange things happen from having dreams that seem very real she learns about the Cabal which is supposed to be some sort of strange between worlds occult like group that is seeks out balance and order and it seems that Lori has done something that has upset this balance.

When Lori was younger she can only remember a few things about what happened after she has an accident on the soccer field that ruined her sports career. Something bad happened afterwards that she can’t remember so she thinks that maybe it has something to do with that but she isn’t sure. Meanwhile, more strange things are happening like shadow creatures trying to come get her more people telling her to confess and atone or suffer and more frightening dreams, then one day she accidently gets herself onto this thing called the Nightway, and meets Edgar the bug man and learns more about the Cabal.

While she is there though the shadow people are wreaking havoc on her town and killing people, bad things are happening to people she knows and loves and she has no clue it’s happening while she is in the Nightway trying to figure out what she done wrong. The reveal of what it actually was sort of made me roll my eyes!!

There was so much going on in this book with what was happening in her home town while she had no clue, and I am talking weird stuff, some of her coworkers become like cat people and where eating people!!! Just weird weird stuff not to mention the shadow things just killing people left and right and I just felt like it was a bit much and made no sense. I kept thinking that if I keep going soon things will make sense and well they did a bit but by that time I was so tired of being confused that I didn’t care anymore.

I really didn’t care for any of the characters and the one character that I did like was creepy! Lori was not a great person and I didn’t like her nor care if she ever figured things out but I did like Edgar the bug man. I call him that because he can kill people with bugs, they come out his mouth and it’s just super creepy! Any of her other friends in the real world where not that great and I just didn’t care for them or what happened to them.

It has a lot of positive ratings on Goodreads so that is why I am just thinking that maybe this is a case of it was just not a book for me or my taste in horror is changing because I was bored out of my mind and almost DNFed it but at the same time I was curious to see what happened so I kept going but at times I wish I didn’t.

So I can’t recommend it but if it sounds like you might enjoy it then try it for yourself.

This horror novel imagines the hysteria, confusion, and danger of being targeted without understanding why. Your Turn to Suffer, at least in the beginning, tackles what appears to be the horror of senseless and seemingly random violence and misfortune, only to eventually localize the conflict in a cult horror story. This novel flatly wasn’t for me and I didn’t expect it to be. I’m not a fan of overly violent horror and I have very little taste for descriptions of gore. The later turn in the horror, which becomes somewhat more ‘cosmic’ in nature, still fell flat for me- simply, I think, because none of these forms of horror appeal to me. While the protagonist is well developed, the antagonists could’ve benefited from the same degree of deep, profound, and complex character rendering. Again, not necessarily a text for me but perhaps a good read for those who like the cult horror, slasher films, and gaudy cult classics of the 80’s, where the filth and grotesque was the point. Just don’t expect this novel to take itself too seriously.

Lorelei's life is changed when she is pursued by an otherworldly cult called The Cabal. They say she has to "Confess and atone--or suffer." She has to endure unspeakable horrors as she tries to figure out how she should accomplish that before it is to late.

From this synopsis you may think this will be a typical evil cult book, but that only touches the surface of what the book is about. Readers will find that this will be a strange read almost right away even though the setting seems to be in our world. Your Turn to Suffer delves into some very dark subject matter. We are talking the darkest of the dark. This book is full of imaginative yet morbid fantastical elements. These elements create vivid images in the mind.

Lorelei's character is really well developed. We are given a full picture of her personality and the people in her life. This is a character that you can root for and want to succeed in her quest to make things right. There are many other well developed wonderful characters waiting within these pages as well.

At first the bizarre events did not make sense. About half-way through there are some explanations given that made the plot a lot more enjoyable.

This is a brutal, gory book that will not be for everyone. This one is for horror fans that don't mind weird fiction and a lot of graphic content. If you don't mind this content I would recommend this book.

BOOK REVIEW – YOUR TURN TO SUFFER by Tim Waggoner – Horror

Whoa! I just finished this one. For the last quarter of the story, I felt like I was caught underneath a freight train going one hundred miles an hour! My mouth was so dry I needed to get a drink, but I couldn't put the book down. I had goosebumps, and I needed a sweater—but I couldn’t stop reading. The ending was that intense! Whew.

Your Turn to Suffer by Tim Waggoner opens with a young woman, Lori, being called to task in the Oakmont grocery by a strange goat-eyed old woman who tells her she must confess and atone, or both Lori and everyone she loves will suffer.

Lori doesn’t know what she did wrong–much like when we get that worm in our conscience, that feeling of guilt, and we can’t put our finger on what we’ve done–that was poor Lori—or was it: Had she buried the memory of her awful deed so deep in her mind that she didn’t remember it?

That night Lori wakes to someone, or some Thing, in her apartment. Scary, yeah – and it only gets worse and weirder. And more violent. Although there was both violence and gore, I felt it was handled well; I didn't feel it was gratuitous or 'in your face.'

As we draw closer to unraveling the mystery of Lori’s dark deed, Tim Waggoner weaves excellent characters into a layered, macabre world that becomes vividly cinematic as a variety of supernatural beings, including swift shadows that race through Oakmont, leaving grisly deaths behind.

Bring on the sequel!

Thanks to FlameTreePress, #NetGalley, and the author of #YourTurntoSuffer for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback, this is it!

One thing this author is not short on is imagination. I didn't know what to expect but there was more going on than I could have wished for and. I found the book to be quite trippy ,as well as quite horrifying.it was very different I like writers who think outside the box, and I don't think this guy had a box in the first place. If you are looking for a different and creepy book that is well written, pull up a chair and start reading.

Tim Waggoner's Your Turn To Suffer is one hell of an experience. The story that unfolds on these pages is reminiscent of Clive Barker at his horror and fantasy weaving best, while still feeling original and authentic as a Waggoner novel. Blending horrors both supernatural/unnatural and psychological, Your Turn To Suffer draws you in and refuses to let go.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a random encounter on the street, followed a week later by an even more surreal and disturbing one in a grocery store sends Lori's life spinning out of control. From an admittedly disorganized life as a physical therapist with a complicated living arrangement with her slob of an ex, her world becomes something unrecognizable as familiar places become unsafe and the people in her life are transformed into horrifying, monstrous strangers.
Lori is forced to come to terms with her past as she struggles desperately to discover what she needs to confess to and atone for.
This story reads like one of those nightmares you wake up from only to learn you're still sleeping and experiencing a nightmare...except that it just continues like a Russian nesting doll of nightmares within nightmares. The narrative paints a distorted and dreamlike allegory, showcasing how guilt, even (or especially) when associated with long-forgotten--or suppressed--memories can weigh heavily on us.
Once you're on the Nightway and heading toward the Vermillion Tower, it's already too late. The Cabal has you. You will suffer.

Rating: 7/10

Your turn to suffer is the kind of book some people will hate, and others will love. As a reviewer, I go beyond just the overall story; I look at structure, characters, style and the overall plot. If you enjoy Clive Barker-Neil Gaiman’s styles, you’ll love this book. It’s a horror novel peppered with the weirdness of a Lovecraftian tale — sometimes called weird fiction. The overall story wasn’t my typical go-to genre, however I loved everything else about it.

In horror, many authors speak of the terror to horror to disgust elements in this genre. If you’re not familiar with these terms, basically terror is when you have a sense of dread. You’re afraid a monster is lurking in the shadows, but you don’t know what it is or where it is — fear incarnated. Horror is when an event shocks you, makes you angry or yelling out loud “Nooooo”. For example: your favorite aunty committed suicide while being the happiest human being you know. And finally disgust is when it almost feels like you’re going to throw up in your mouth, while reading a specific section of the book. Well, Your Turn to Suffer sits in between horror and disgust, and spends a good portion of the book in the disgust genre, sprinkled with unexpected horrific events waiting at the curve.

The story starts a bit slow, but eventually picks up speed as Lori, the principal character, tries to figure out — like us — what really is happening. There were a few areas in the book I’d structured a bit differently, such as the big reveal in the end where it feels a bit out of place or less than credible as we had gotten very little setup prior. Also, there was a big event with the shadowkin mid-book, like it was the end, and then we went back to the story as if nothing had happened. It felt misplaced. Also, as a comment probably to the publisher, I’d change the cover. It feels a bit dated and really not representative of the story.

In this third chapter in a trifecta of articles (see links on the other articles below) I wrote around Tim Waggoner, my expectations around this book were high and met in certain areas, especially where characters were involved. Tim spends a good amount of time building humanized characters we can root for (or hate), even when a truly horrific event occurs to them not long after. I also liked the constant sense of ignorance on what exactly brought such darkness around Lori, and as far as I was concerned, didn’t know where the story was going next, which is where you want your readers to be.

I also really enjoyed Tim’s style, where he inserted a few lines here and there to lighten the mood of the book and gave me a few laughs. Which is so important when you dabble in dreadful and shocking events throughout a story. Strike a good balance. In the end, the overall package that is Tim’s Your Turn To Suffer is a book I’d recommend to fans of the genre, especially those who truly enjoy tales of the weird and disturbing.

YOUR TURN TO SUFFER BY: TIM WAGGONER 🙌🏾


Let me start by saying, “woah, what a ride”.

Lori works as a physical therapist and lives a typical ordinary life, besides the fact that she suffers from super severe migraines. The book starts with Lori at the grocery store shopping for dinner when an odd, strange and smelly woman approaches her abruptly, telling her she must “confess and atone or suffer”. This starts the book off to a worldwind of creepy and disturbing events that are not for the faint of heart.

Lori has managed to get the attention of a weird cult group called “The Cabal” who have dark sinister powers that stretch so far as to having control of Lori‘s dreams as well as the minds and actions of the people in her life.

The Cabal soon makes her life a living hell and Lori is desperate to understand what sin she committed that has put her in this terrifying situation. whatever it is she must fix it and FAST....

Your Turn to Suffer begins great immediately. I felt instantly engaged. Certain parts such as the apartment break in, The weird goat lady...really drew me in. This book has scenes that will keep you up at night as well as make your stomach queasy (imagine reading about someone eating a cat like a steak..)

I definitely enjoyed Lori as a character. She started as a runaway yet she began to actually face her sins, making her a more likable character for me.

I would definitely put this book in the category of weird and gory horror and I absolutely recommend it to you if you’re into that kind of thing.

I’ll be looking for more books by Tim Waggoner.


Thanks 1 million to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for gifting me a
e-ARC of Your Turn to Suffer in exchange for an honest review 🩸

This book will be released March 23, 2021.

Your Turn to Suffer by Tim Waggoner was such a fun horror story. It tells the tale of Lori, a physical therapist who lives a rather quiet and ordinary life. , . Until she encounters a woman with goat eyes while shopping at the grocery store. This woman tells Lori that she needed to confess, atone, or suffer. This begins a horrible adventure story where Lori must figure out what her supposed transgression was or she, as well as her friends and family, will suffer at the hands of sinister beings.
Overall, this story was exciting from start to finish. Waggoner managed to tell a story which avoided the usual tropes found in most horror stories. I’ve read a lot of horror and there were a couple of times where I genuinely was creeped out. That’s no small feat! I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone who loves a quick adventurous horror tale.

Lorelai is a physical therapist in small town, Ohio and suffers from pretty severe migraines, but otherwise lives a pretty normal life. One day, at the grocery store, she's confronted by a strange looking woman with the eyes of a goat who demands that she "confess and atone, or suffer." She has somehow caught the attention of a very strange cult known as The Cabal, which has supernatural powers and the ability to invade her dreams and the minds of her friends, coworkers and family. The task of evading The Cabal quickly takes over her life. Lori takes the readers along as she scrambles to figure out what crime she has committed against them and how she can rectify it.



This book comes out of the gate very strong - the author Tim Waggoner immediately sets up some very scary scenarios for the protagonist, Lori. The smelly goat-eyed lady at the grocery store to start. Then her apartment is broken into that night - the tension in that scene is palpable - I was pulling the covers up around my neck as I read it. I can absolutely relate to that awful feeling when you wake up from a dead sleep - you don't hear or see anything amiss, but your senses are on high alert because you know something woke you up. The fear goes up another notch as Lori notices that the blinds are moving in the breeze - telling her that to door must be open. Up another notch as she catches her first glimpse of a Shadowkin. I don't want to give too much away, but the tension level and my fear went off the charts from there. Unfortunately, I didn't think the second half of the book lived up to the first half. The second half veered into what might be called "weird fiction" or maybe "cosmic horror." It was solid and pretty good, but didn't blow me away like the beginning did. It was so far out there that I could no longer put myself in Lori's shoes and feel her terror. I didn't dislike it, it was just less satisfying than I expected it to be. It was weird in a way that just didn't add up for me. And there were some things relating to the creatures in the story and the final resolution that left me a bit puzzled.


Lori was a great character I really liked and related to. She developed and grew emotionally through the course of the book. She had spent her life up until now running away from and avoiding a mistake she had made in her past. She acknowledges and confronts the mistake and makes her peace with it. She concludes the book in emotional place that's completely opposite from where she started - she is now running towards trying to confront and correct her past downfalls, rather than running away. I liked Tim Waggoner's characters and writing style, and I'll absolutely look for more books from him in the future. This one just didn't quite line up with my tastes. I would absolutely recommend this book if you're into "weird fiction."



Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

“The woman leaned closer to Lori, and although it wasn’t, couldn’t be possible, her rectangular pupils rotated in opposite directions.”
Lori is having a bad day. Headaches have been driving her crazy and now an old lady with goat eyes confronts her in the store giving her a warning “Confess and atone -or suffer.”
Things go from bad to worse to outlandish. Weird cosmic inter dimensional things keep happening to Lori, her friends and her town.
Lori needs to find out what she did wrong and make up for it or else her entire world could be overrun.
Not the type of story I was expecting at all. It was interesting, compelling and there definitely was a lot of suffering but not the kind I thought there would be. The story was odd and you never knew what to expect.

2.5/5.0 Stars

‘Lorelai 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.’

I would describe YOUR TURN TO SUFFER as a weird, Dark Fantasy, Occult Horror novel that borders on the bizarre—the imagery and corresponding dialogue Waggoner conjures up in certain scenes is ‘Chef’s Kiss’ perfection.

Before reading this book, I don’t recall having ever seen goat eyes before, so I made the mistake of Googling images of the aforementioned eyes. Let me tell you, Dear Readers, that imagery added a whole other layer of creepy to my reading experience.

I have to admit that though I stopped reading this book at a little over sixty percent of the way in, I have an almost desperate need to know how the story ends, so a may return to this book at a later date.

The main issue I had when reading was the inability to stay submerged within the narrative–scenes that, to me, felt over-explained or repetitive to the point I was skimming through some of the pages.

The tease of the main character Lori’s past related to her present-day circumstance is palpable on the pages, so perhaps, my need for answers bypassed my patience in a race to the reveal by way of the conclusion. So, again, I will be revisiting this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press, for loaning me an eGalley of YOUR TURN TO SUFFER in the request of an honest review.

Scheduled For Release – March 23, 2021 (Subject To Change)