This one kind of lost me about halfway through. I didn’t feel like I was pulled into the story enough. I felt like there was a lot going on and it distracted me. I did enjoy the ending, but getting there was the tough part.

I loved this audio book. It was creepy, it was well written, and it was well performed. Overall I felt a little distubed and intrigued all at once.

This book took a turn that I'm not sure I enjoyed. I love a good horror story, but this wasn't a horror book, it was just grotesque. It lost me when it turned into cannibalism. I also struggled when they alluded that they raped a girl. None of this is in my wheelhouse. I can do scary, but this was not the case, it was just kind of gross. Maybe if I knew that was what this book was going to be about, I probably wouldn't have chosen it.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 3.5 felt super long and not really my type of book (too sci-fi?) But worth the read if you like that kind of book

In many ways, this book reads more like fantasy than traditional horror (e.g., the idea of an isolated town ruled by an unknown and all-powerful ruler, names like The Mayor and High Servants, etc). Because of that, I found myself impatiently waiting for more world-building that never really came. I was able to continue enjoying the story by leaning in to the idea that perhaps the story was *supposed* to feel disorienting and frustratingly mysterious. I imagine this is how the people of Harlow felt throughout their lives—forever forced to live in uncertainty and surrealism.

I did find it difficult to truly connect to any of the characters or have a strong emotional investment in their fates (with the exception of Marcus, who I would have loved to spend more time with). I felt as if they were there to advance the plot, rather than the other way around. However, I appreciated that this story kept me guessing right up until the very end, as opposed to the many horror novels that feel contrived and predictable. If you’re not one to shy away from some beautifully (but heartbreakingly) executed gore, slow burns, and endings that aren’t wrapped up nicely in a bow, I’d recommend giving this book a try.

The Dust You Shall Return is a creepy town that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

Wow wow wow, this book blew me away honestly. I was not expecting the brutality and gore that we get in this book and I loved every minute of it. I think it’s best to go into this story knowing absolutely nothing and hanging on for the wild ride.

I highly suggest checking out this one!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Quickie Review!

To Dust You Shall Return is a brooding and gritty story, full of vivid characters, and and a highly engaging plot. I had not head of it before I saw it on Netgalley, but I am so glad that I decided to request it!

Initially, as this story unfolded, I wasn't certain if I would like this book and storyline, however after a few chapters the story was enveloping, interesting and the characters made one felt invested in their well-being and journey. This was not the type of book I ordinarily read, but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. The narrator was not ideal, however, the storyline trumped the narration. Thank you for the ARC of this book. #netgalley, #ToDustYouShallReturn,#dreamscapemedia.

No one is allowed to leave Harlow. To leave means you will be chased down, dragged back to Harlow, and subject to cruel punishments from "the Mayor" and his disciples. The Mayor rules with a sinister, terrifying hand, and those that cross him are lucky to come away with their lives.

When Curtis Quinn, a Chicago mob affiliate, loses the woman he loves, his quest to find her leads him straight to Harlow. Once in Harlow, his path crosses with Beth Jarvis, a teenager trying to uncover the secrets of her hometown and her sister, Kate's successful escape from Harlow years ago. Curtis discovers that the woman he loves is none other than Kate, and that she is running from something far more evil than he expected.

Guys, I went into this book essentially knowing nothing and not sure what to expect...and then I TORE through this one!!! The cult-like atmosphere of Harlow enveloped me and I was rooting for Curtis and Beth to take the Mayor down and break the other townspeople of their devotion to him. The character development in TDYSR is fantastic. I hated the Mayor, but I LOVEDDD him as a character- such a perfectly fleshed out villain!!! I love a book with well placed gore, and this one certainly delivered in that aspect as well. Gross, bloody, stabby-- all the right things for a horror/thriller read. The story itself is full of darkness and twists, and the interjection of a snarky remark or something that induces a little chuckle kept it super enjoyable and unique.

To Dust You Shall Return has a cover, title, and description that don't quite do the story justice and is a hard book to review. It's a punch to the gut, on the edge of your seat, cover your eyes story.

First of all, I was not prepared for the gnarliness within this story. Be warned, there is a significant amount of cannibalism and gore. Had I known that, it's likely I would have bypassed this story, though ultimately since I toughed it out, I'm glad to have read this. But especially as an audiobook, you can't skip over that stuff so a warning would have been fair.

But dang, this story is intense and epic! I actually thought at one point that it was wrapping up, only to see I was only 50% through! It's a fully fleshed out story that leaves no stone unturned.

It's well written. I liked the characters, and I think I felt what the author wanted me to feel: there's a handful of characters that were so hard to be sure about but Venturini tugs your emotions just right. The setting is good, just enough atmosphere to feel immersed but not distracted. Being a small town cult novel, he definitely nailed the hopeless claustrophobia one would feel. Some of the dialogue is too tidy.

With that said, there's a paranormal element that I'm not sure I loved. I think this could have been written solely as a cult horror and still been wildly successful. Not that the paranormal part didn't work, but at points it felt silly and out of place, I didn't fully follow how it worked and had to suspend my disbelief. It made a few different relationships overly complicated. But it certainly is a super creative twist to a cult thriller.

This is super specific, but I've recently learned that I am a sucker for the "retired" or disgraced mercenary/solider/assassin trope, especially via audiobook with a good male narrator. Yeah, I know, very specific, but this book totally did it for me. I really liked the narration and would definitely search out more that he's done. He was easy to listen to at high speeds and did the female voices well.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio copy to review!

To Dust You Shall Return by Fred Venturini is absorbing. The book centers around the town of Harlow and the secrets it possesses. The town is overseen by a mysterious man, only known as "The Mayor," no one is allowed to leave, if you do, you're hunted down and subjected to The Mayor's sadistic brand of torture. When Curtis Quinn (notorious Mobster) encounters Beth Jarvis (a local teen) on his hunt for his missing girlfriend, the two are sent on a path to uncover the truth. It turns out that Curtis's lover and girlfriend Kate is also Beth's sister. The two decide to figure out exactly who and what Kate is running from.

This story was, as Grey's Anatomy puts it, "dark and twisty." The characters fall in line with your typical anti-heroes, which I found extremely refreshing. Even Beth, who is the most morally upright of the bunch, still has her moments where she makes decisions that are not "good." The Mayor was such a creepy antagonist that I couldn't help but jump at every noise in my house for at least a day after I finished listening to this book. Even though his character could have used a little more explanation, what readers get is enough to creep them out. The narrator did an excellent job of conveying the story, but I wish there had been just a tad more variance in his vocals for the different characters. Overall, it was a really well-written book that will probably haunt me for years to come. This book is not for the faint of heart. I, myself, (self-proclaimed Halloween-lover and horror movie fanatic) almost was not able to finish listening.
Some trigger warnings to be aware of are gore, bodily horror, death, torture, blood, suicide, suicidal ideation, and more.

Overall rating: 3/5

To Dust You Shall Return is available for purchase now. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Fred Venturini’s website!
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Curtis Quinn's world is shook when his future wife is found dead. Her body is found in such a state that it leads him to a mysterious town looking for answers. There he is treated as an outsider, one who isn't welcome. Beth, a young girl from this town dreams of nothing more than leaving and never looking back. This town can keep it's secrets as long as it doesn't keep her, even though her sister Kate disappeared years ago only to be brought back in a body bag. These two characters paths are forced together when it is revealed that Kate was Quinn's love who had gone by another name. Will Beth be able to leave the town alive? And what horrors await Quinn as he digs up the towns ancient secrets?

This book was twisted and gory, perfect for horror lovers. The story followed an amazing pace that kept you hooked and coming back for more. The gore was just enough to make you cringe but not turn you off from the story. Both Beth's and Quinn's points of view were critical to make this story what it becomes. Their experiences and losses really shape the plot into something unique. My one complaint about this audiobook was the way the narrator read the story. There was something so off-putting about his accent and the pace he read the story in. It took you out of the magic at times, but this story was such top shelf material that you weren't lost for long.

Overall, I recommend this for horror fans 18+ as the gore is extreme, but masterfully done. I will definitely be looking for this author's work in the future. Don't let this great story pass you by and grab a copy today!

Content Warning for Graphic Depictions of Canabilisim, Torture, Violence, and Suicide. Along with depictions of sexual assault.
(This list is by no means inclusive since I hadn't thought I'd need to make one going into this)

I made it through the first half of this book relatively fine, like a train wreck. As long as I was observing and not processing it, I was fine. But when I stopped reading and stepped back, the thought of returning to Harlow held no interest to me. If anything, the idea disgusted me.

This book is a perfect example of the Hero's Journey, meaning instead of getting the resolution that feels appropriate after roughly 6 hours. We are just finding the abyss, and the next 6 hours are more brutal than the first 6. Except their character growth doesn't happen with Quinn, and not enough time is spent with Beth to make it worth it.
And Quinn sure as hell hadn't done the work to deserve "the Goddess's Gift" at the end.

While this book is listed as a horror, it is honestly where I found it lacking the most. It is a horror in the same way that slasher movies are a horror. The horror aspect of this almost entirely sits in the grotesque use of violence.

When I requested this book, I knew it was listed as horror which is typically not up my alley so I am not the best target for this book. Admittedly, there were several parts that really grossed me out, disturbed me, and scared the shit out of me. That being said, horror is still not my genre but I could get past the gross parts to find parts of this to enjoy. I thought the narration was pretty well done, though it could have used a bit more inflection and emotion. Both of the main characters, Curtis Quinn & Beth Jarvis were very compelling and interesting characters with strong determination and will to live. Neither of them were perfect characters which made their actions much more believable in the midst of a very unbelievable plot. The storyline was incredibly unique and kept my interest, but I certainly could have done without the gruesome scenes. The ending was surprising and weird and I didn't love it but didn't hate it either. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book sucked me in really quickly. I was intrigued by the dichotomy of the former mobster and the opressed teenage girl in a strange little town. Crazy events ensued while each of them grew and found themselves. There was tons of action and insanity. I listened to the audiobook and I could barely get myself to stop listening to do anything, including spend time with my family. I just wanted to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the narrator.

Listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was pretty good but I was frustrated at the lack of pauses between paragraph breaks. The story would often switch between main characters and because the narrator didn't pause, I would have no idea I was listening to a different character until a name was said. The story was moderately interesting, I found some details were left out and the story just skipped ahead or plot points were glossed over, but overall not a bad horror-like novel. For the wary reader, there were definitely some gruesome sections.

This is not the kind of book to listen to while you're doing something else. I found myself stopping what I was doing to fully listen to the audiobook. From chapter one I was completely sucked into this world, and the secrets of the small town of Harlow.

The writing style is amazing. The story itself is so dark and gritty but it never feels heavy. Fred Venturini keeps things light with just the right amount of humor and sarcasm from the characters.

Speaking of characters, everyone was fully developed and unique in their own way. Curtis Quinn is completely unlike any other "hero" I've ever read before, he felt human. He was more than just the person who's supposed to save the town of Harlow, and I admired and appreciated that so much.

To Dust You Shall Return also has a lot of dark elements, like descriptive gore, and cannibalism which are two things I look for in books, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Overall, I loved this book, it has become one of my new favorites, and I will most definitely be buying it in print as soon as I get the chance!

This one was kinda scary. I wouldn’t listen to it at night but it was very good. I liked the twists and turns and the characters. I wish it gave me a little more but overall a good one

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an early audiobook copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Fred Venturini's "To Dust You Shall Return" in an audiobook was engaging and a delight to listen to. The narrator, Pete Cross, does a really good job setting the tone with his voice. I kind of wished that the audiobook had more sound effects, especially for the more graphic parts of the book because I think that would have elevated the horror aspects of the narrative. That said, Cross does a really good job selling the story and engaging the listener.

Story-wise the narrative felt very uneven for me. I felt that other than the gruesome and at times, graphic, depictions of violence and horror, the novel itself didn't come across as horror or even scary to me. I love horror literature and just enjoy horror as a genre so I was quite disappointed that for the most part, the horror in this novel came from gross depictions rather than horrific events or characters. The "big bad guy" and the Harlow I think could have been scarier in my opinion but I did find the characters to be engaging and interesting to follow.

Aside from the uneven depictions of physical horror, this is a quick listen for something spooky during the summer evenings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook version of this book in exchange for my honest review. I completely missed that horror was listed in the genre description for this book, and I am not a good target audience for the genre. I was just under halfway through the book when I realized what I was listening to and there were portions of this book that disgusted me completely and made me want to stop reading, but I stuck with it in order to give my review. I liked the narrator and felt he did a very good job.

The book started out strong and I really liked Curtis Quinn's character. I am a big fan of Jack Reacher and he felt very much like a Jack Reacher character to me - a man that will do what is right even if it is the hard thing to do. This is very much who Curtis Quinn is, even if he battles many of his own demons in the process. He meets up with strong oppositions in his quest for the truth about his wife and he continues onward at all costs to find answers and do the right thing. Beth Jarvis is young in age, but an intelligent young woman unafraid to stand up and fight for what is right, no matter the pain or road blocks.. I liked the strength of character in both Curtis and Beth. Neither were perfect, and therefore they were believable.

While the storyline of this book was not my favorite, it did keep my interest, I was shocked when I learned the who the bad guy was, and the solution to beating the bad guy pleasantly surprised me. I could tell you so much more, but I'm not a fan of spoilers and I would like all who are very interested in the horror genre to read this one and be surprised the same way I was.