The Lodge

Whoa. This book has it all. Creative horror. Perfect length - grabs you, keeps you, freaks you out, the epilogue - Firelight Inncin the Colorado Rockies -- chills. Done.
Now I'm looking around my house for what can get me.
A hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands has recently opened and is hosting a classic Scottish Highland Christmas for their guests. Alan dies first- choking on a quail bone. But he hadn't eaten his quail.
Andrew recently graduated from police training and requests an assignment in the Highlands. He receives the call as an epic snow storm is about to start. Andrew, the guests and lodge owners are all stuck until the weather clears.
The animals start getting restless. And by animals - I mean the taxidermy animals, the kill trophies decorating the lodge.
I had with Elena, the young woman who assisted the owners. Yeah.
Great story. Great suspense and horror.

Interesting and unusual idea,that the hunted animals attack back.
Gory in parts,but also very light hearted.. so not sure what tone it was trying to set.
Short fun read,but I couldn't take it seriously.

A fast paced thriller reminiscent of early 80s stephen king. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down and found myself needing to finish it right away. Awesome read!

Thank you netgalley for this arc

Amazing thriller that rivals the Most Dangerous Game. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the last. I highly recommend this book.

152 pages

3 and 1 / 2 stars

What a fun book. (Its purpose might not have been for me to have a good time with it, but the animals getting back their own was a treat.)

Constable Andrew, fresh out of the academy just seven months earlier, requests an isolated post in the Scottish Highlands. He is not at all sure why; he hates the cold and snow. It is close to Christmas when he gets a call out to a lodge of a death. He drives to the lodge in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.

One of the hunters has died after choking on a quail bone. But he never touched his quail. What is going on? More strange things begin to happen. How will this whole situation turn out?

The book is fairly well written and the plotting is very good. I liked Andrew, in spite of how things turned out. I liked Elena, but was disturbed at what happened to her. The end of the book was simply delicious.

I want to thank NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd. for forwarding to me a copy of this fun book to me to read, enjoy and review.

All I can say is wow! First of all this book appealed to me because I love Scotland so I naturally gravitate to books that are set there. Horror novels can be a little hit or miss. Sometimes they are just a little too extra. But The Lodge hit all the right notes. Gruesome death, a little humor, excellent setting, and an unusual antagonist. The twists toward the end were amazing. I feel like I can't say enough good things about this novel.

I never would have thought I could label a book 'cozy horror', but this one fits the description quite well. The setting, ambience and slight romance build an ideal stage for a cozy mystery, while the gruesome murders and the unnatural nature of the murderers put the story into full horror mode. I loved the idea of animals getting back to their human hunters. Intertwined with this intriguing idea was another story altogether, where a man sought questionable justice for some past stroke of fate. However, I could have done without that additional story-line and would have rather enjoyed some straightforward 'animals fight back' splatter horror. Together with the alternating chapters which presented retrospects of the involved people's backgrounds to explain what caused the whole intrigue it could have easily created an interesting book of its own. I enjoyed reading this surprising and original book.

Wow this book is something else, but I really liked it! There is a lot of story in this little book. The characters al get a backstory and it al makes (kinda) sense in the end. I'm a vegetarian and happy they were included in this story.

Decent story, easy enough to follow. I would read more books by this author. Overall, I liked the characters, the plot, the dialogue, and the wrap up.

3/5 Stars

When I started this book, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I knew it was about a cop at a hunting lodge, some characters died, and I saw someone make a comparison to an Agatha Christie novel. I was hooked for the ride, even if I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen.

This is the story of Andrew, a cop with a dark backstory that gets revealed over the course of the novel. Our story begins in the Scottish highlands. Orphaned as a young child by a fateful car wreck with a truck transporting animals, Andrew doesn’t know why a dark cloud seemingly hangs over him. On Christmas eve, he receives a call while on duty from a remote hunting lodge that offers all-inclusive stays to their guests. A guest ended up dead, so Andrew goes to investigate.

There he finds the knew owners and Elena, the daughter of the previous owners, who explain what happened. They were eating dinner together and the man suddenly collapsed, choking. The death is considered a tragedy with no foul play. Andrew begins interviewing the witnesses as to the events leading up to the death. The whole time a nasty snow storm is brewing outside. Andrew discovers by talking to Elena that the man had choked on a bone, however he wasn’t eating any meat at the time. Andrew thinks it odd, but not terribly suspicious.

That is until everyone gets snowed in at the lodge and the body goes missing. At this point, Andrew understands there is more to the story than everyone is letting on. Then the mysterious events start happening. One of the owners gets surrounded in the basement by taxidermied animals that attack him. The Christmas tree keeps growing, rather aggressively and wounding people. The Christmas geese come to life. And the body appears again surrounded by animals.

It is then revealed that the dead animals don’t like those who kill and eat them. As it turns out, the guests at the lodge all have some connection to Andrew. One guest is a surgeon who killed his high school girlfriend through negligence. Another man covered it up. The last man was the owner of the trucking company that was responsible for the negligent driving conditions that lead to the car accident that killed his parents. And it’s revealed that Andrew led them all there by claiming they’d won the trip as a prize.

In another twist, Andrew once went to a safari themed hotel where everyone ended up dying as well. He allegedly didn’t put the connection together until the events of our story unfolding. However, he was hoping for some revenge on these people who he sees as ruining his life. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the animals kill everyone accept Andrew (even poor Elena who was a vegetarian, thanks to Andrew feeding her meat “accidentally”).

The novel ends once the cops get there, at which point, the lodge explodes. In the epilogue, there is a different hunting lodge, this time in Colorado. They have a similar all-inclusive hunting package for Thanksgiving. At the end, it is revealed that Andrew has signed up for the holiday, thus imply the events will happen again.

All in all, I liked this book. It was a fun and engaging read. While suspenseful at times, the book was not scary. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes murder mysteries, especially classic mysteries like those written by Agatha Christie. I thought the author did a good job of keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. I was consistently excited to see what would happen next and be revealed about a character’s back story. It was a fun and suspenseful book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A quick read that captured you as you flipped the page. I was impressed by the concept as well. I haven’t personally read anything surrounding the concept of animals hunting back.

Good pieces of horror/thriller literatures. I personally enjoy the setting a lot. The general plot might not have been perfect, some minor flaws here and there, but totally enjoyable le and worth reading! I would recommend it!

The premise of this book and description is one that I have not heard of before and stood out. The author has something original with this story line and it has paid off. The story does get gory at times and has a thriller you need for a horror story. The book did drag I some places and it was hard to keep interested once over the premise of the book. I would recommend and suggest to others.

The stag on the cover promised a story set at a Scottish Lodge and from reading the blurb, I expected a police procedural. I liked the structure the author chose, which alternated between the main story and the back story of the various characters. In particular, Andrew's back story was well written and would have made a great short story in itself. In the first section of the novel, I felt there was a lot of telling, where it could have been shown through scenes/dialogue. Elena kissing Andrew on the first night felt a bit premature for me.
As the story unfolded, it became clear that there was another level to the narrative. The awful, gory deaths were being executed by animals- both stuffed and real. It was clear that this is where the author's skill lies. The elaborate descriptions brought the story to life and I found the remainder of the book engaging and fast paced. The story came together very well at the end.
Although this wasn't my usual genre, I did enjoy this read . It would make a great horror movie/tv series.

Beware All You Meat Lovers!

The story takes place in the remote Scottish Highlands while a blizzard is happening during the Christmas holidays. Andrew, a young constable is called to the scene of an accidental death at an exclusive lodge twenty miles away from the village. The lodge is filled with merriment with Christmas lights everywhere and the largest Christmas tree Andrew has ever seen but somehow the scene doesn't appear quite right and not because there's a dead body in the dining room. A hunting lodge with animal heads decorating the walls and chandeliers made of deer antlers and other unusual and disturbing pieces of animal furnishings that were quite odd. Naturally there isn't any mobile service available and the land lines are down because of the storm, so young Andrew will be stuck at the lodge for a day or two until the weather subsides and he begins to think it might be quite nice not to have to spend the holidays alone as originally planned until he notices some subtle changes in the lodge that has him questioning his imagination and as time goes on even his sanity!

This was a deliciously, devilish and quite imaginative horror story where I was squirming and shivering at many of the details of this book. The writing and storytelling were wonderful and I could feel the bitter cold and almost hear the creepy sounds that were prevalent throughout. The story was told with a lightness at times but it failed to shed light on much of the horror that took place which really made it very scary at times and I would be holding my breath at what would occur next. I highly recommend this delectable story to all horror readers and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I want to thank the publisher "Troubadour Publishing Ltd. / Matador" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this marvelously, creepy book and any thoughts and opinions are completely unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this very creepy story a rating of 4 Horrific and Hunted 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

Horror / Mystery
A well told story , which keeps your attention.
Andrew's back story holds you, as real time events take bizarre turns.
would recommend

Spoilers!

I enjoyed the premise of the book and the main character! The way the author carved in the character back stories was helpful and flowed nicely between the chapters. However, the ending didn’t do it for me. It was predictable and killing off Elena seemed unnecessary to me. Also, the book was a weird length to me. Either it needed to be condensed to just the basic plot or lengthened to give more character development. Additionally, I wish the author gave more character development to the other guests! I had no feeling during the attacks because I had no emotional investment in those characters. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and it kept me entertained!

Nice, quick read! I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a bit of House on Haunted Hill. It was a bit too predictable to give it a 4 star rating for me, but still enjoyable.

Hunting, vacation in the Scottish Highlands, all inclusive B&B...what could go wrong...until someone dies. When the police are called, Andrew heads up to the lodge and then gets snowed in with the other guests. Then some interesting things start to happen....the animals start fighting back.

I really enjoyed this concept for a story. Some things that happened were a little too far fetched but all in all and enjoyable read. I loved the backstories and surprising twist in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the premise of this book, the “food” fights back. What a terrifying thought!
The story was great but I don’t think I needed all the backstory on the characters as much, at least it could have been shortened.
I didn’t find any character particularly likeable which usually makes me dislike the book but I was actually still intrigued to see what happens and keep reading.
The relationship between Andrew and Elena was a bit weird, it progressed so fast that I didn’t feel any realness to it.
I wish the book would have stuck to the plot of the animals fighting back, it went a bit of a different way and then came back at one point. I was a bit confused of is this the animals doing, the characters doing, or something else all together.

I enjoyed this thriller. It was a unique twist on the hunter becoming the hunted. I felt like it was a little too long. It dragged towards the end. But all in all, a decent thriller.

This was definitely an unexpected read. It wasn't at all what I thought was going to happen after the first two chapters. It was good though and kept you wanting to read to find out whats going to happen.

The idea and storyline of this book is really unique and I was drawn to it because who doesn’t love a book set in their home country! It is a horror, it is a bit gory, but it is also quite lighthearted and humorous in areas, with a little bit of romance chucked in for good measure.

I struggled with the believability of some of the characters actions (rather than any paranormal activity) particularly around the romance part, it just didn’t seem particularly believable and it was very quick, though it is a shorter book. I didn’t really feel much towards the guests, I’d have liked to have found out a bit more about them and their backstories a little earlier on, even to see their view on things that happened.

It’s also quite a short book, but the perfect length to keep you reading and interested throughout, whilst also being able to tell the story. I do, however, think that the ending seemed a little rushed and there wasn’t any pausing or thinking time for the characters, they just automatically knew what was happening...

I’d recommend this as a shorter read though I have been a little scared to eat meat since reading this!

Brilliant thriller. Loved that you felt like you were in Scotland. Twists and turns with every turn of a page. Cant wait to read more by this author

Thank you to @troubador_publishing and @netgalley for this copy of The Lodge. This book was extremely unique. Set in the highlands of Scotland in a remote B&B, the guests are snowed in, the phone lines are down and the guests are dropping like flies. What began as a Christmas hunting trip sees the hunted animals become the hunters and no one is safe....unless you're a veggie😂
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This was a really unique concept. To begin with I assumed it would be the classic remote b&b, dead guest, whodunnit? Format until the animals began taking their revenge. At times this read like an 80s horror movie and bordered on ridiculous but it was a fun read and I really enjoyed how each of the guests stories were linked 👌
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#troubadorpublishing #matadorbooks #netgalley #netgalleyuk #thelodge #chriscoppel #creepyreads #goodreadschallenge #readingislife

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2021
I think this has to be the first vegetarian horror book I have ever read. Set in the Scottish Highlands during Christmas, a young constable is called to a new lodge to investigate the death of one of its guests.
Within hours, the snow sets in, trapping the young constable, owners and the hunting parties for who the lodge is specifically aimed at. Now confined amongst the numerous hunting trophies decorating the interior and the freshly killed animals waiting to be devoured, the body of the first victim disappears without leaving a trace.
It is a gory, fun book that does not take itself too seriously and eventually throws everything at the reader as the pace starts to step up a gear. This is a book you could read in one sitting and if you do not want every facet explained to you and accept you are being taken along for the ride this is a hugely enjoyable book.

What could be cozier than Christmas in a hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands? For newbie constable Andrew, the inn owners, and a handful of well-paying guests, the tables turn when the hunted animals take revenge.

The Lodge by Chris Coppel is a bullet of a book: fast, compact, and impactful. It's a short revenge tale that teeters on the edge of splatterpunk. There's plenty of creative gore and atmosphere, but not a lot of creepiness. The lodge and the surrounding countryside are as beautifully visual as the deaths are gruesome. If you're in the mood for something quick and grisly in an idyllic landscape, The Lodge is for you.

It reminds me a bit of a 90's whodunit: a big spooky house, a locked-in atmosphere, and plenty of mysterious bumps in the night. Every now and then, a character would hear a shout from another room, rush in, and immediately ask what happened. Oh dear, it was the deer!

Like any good horror story, The Lodge doesn't take itself too seriously. The bizarre reanimated animals are nightmarishly weird and creative in their retribution. Even the Christmas tree gets in on the action! And the human characters are good for a laugh: desperate for a positive Yelp review, the owners do their darndest to metaphorically sweep the deaths under the zebra-skin rug. The reader enjoys plenty of that "I know something you don't know" feeling when the characters find themselves in a pickle.

I think it would have benefitted from being either a little bit shorter or a little bit longer. There were some gaps in the backstories and I think they all could have been either fleshed out or summed up. However, I did enjoy knowing the backstories and after learning the guests' histories, I'll admit it sparked a bit of a grinchy smile when karma caught up with them. Once everything started to make sense (sort of) it did feel a bit rushed and too tidy. A bit over the top, but what else would you expect from a story like this?

I can't quite decide which genre The Lodge belongs in. The cover says it's a thriller, it reads like horror, but it's more of a vegan revenge tale with gore in it. The spook-factor is a little low, so there's not a lot of dread, but plenty of revulsion. The reader can see everything coming from a mile away. In a vengeance tale, I consider this a good thing.

Whatever it is, The Lodge is just a lot of fun! Probably not so entertaining if you're an avid hunter, but if you're in the mood for a jolt of gross-out horror, this is just the ticket.

I read this book during a blizzard. And yes, I did make a vegan dish for dinner.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Lodge is an inventive horror story depicting what happens when the hunters become the hunted. This novel has stunning imagery and paints the picture of isolation vividly.

First of all just wanted to say wow this book was not what I expected.. The murder s where very brutal. This story is about a lodge in Scotland round Christmas time. Guests go to the hotel and events happen and a police man went up to investigate but the snow was thick and he had to stay there with them until the snow went.
This is horror story and the things that happened I did not see coming. I was shocked what happened to a few of the characters in the book who I liked.
I think this book could been a bit shorter and I liked how you got to find out background on the four characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Chris Coppel for letting me read this book.

What an unusual slightly strange story, but that is no complaint

I was intrigued with the storyline right from the beginning, and just had to find out what was going to happen

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for Arc

I love a good horror, especially a strange one. This was a both gory and funny. It's a good intro to horror book for people looking to step into the genre. It was super entertaining, and I loved the plot. It was really easy to follow and I read it in day.

Ekkk I am telling y'all I was so excited for the ending of this book because I had no idea what was going to happen! Chris Coppel did an excellent job writing this one. His storyline was awesome and really made the pages come to life. Go and read this one!

The devil is always in the details and The Lodge dishes them out like a nice steak dinner…ahem, perhaps the wrong pun. Life is a revolving door and Coppel manages to intermingle different plot lines that unravel when you least expect it. He is masterfully adept at weaving societal and conscientious topics that not only question your way of life but have you examining the lasting impact of said choices. If you’re a fan of the closed-door mystery with a large helping of horror, then you are going to want to pick this up immediately.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up The Lodge, but my expectations were soon realized. The reader is immediately thrown onto a dark, cold and mysterious path. Get the hat and gloves out because the sinister narrative will seep into your very core. My blood began to run cold, as I imagined the wind biting at my exposed flesh as if I were transported to the highlands. The plot is so raw and gritty which translates into a fully immersive reading experience. A few words were all it took to be sitting in The Lodge fearing for my life.

Andrew is a fascinating character. He’s had a hellish life and his life experiences have catapulted him towards a career in the police force. A graduate in the police force hungers for action in the big cities but Andrew is content with the quiet, his first posting being in a rural station in Kingussie. He lost his parents when he was twelve in a horrific road traffic accident. They were hit by an animal carrier, the devastation and destruction wrought on his family is absolute.

The Lodge is bleeding in its authenticity. Past wrongs implicate and really come back to bite you on the ass. The animals are fighting back. Helen and Leon have organized an inclusive Christmas package at the newly refurbished Lodge. No expense spared and the guests are all hunters, expecting well, to hunt. Little did they expect to become the hunted. A gory tale of revenge and grief, the story developed a life of its own and grabbed me by the throat. It wasn’t just the death and bloodshed that had me hooked – it was the exploration of Andrews mind that gave it greater depth.

The Lodge reminded me of an Agatha Christie type of closed-door mystery and teamed with the horror and gore left me salivating. It ended up being a Tour-de-force, an imaginative blend of suspense and grit.

I liked this book and I didn't. It had some really great elements, some great tension building thriller moments. However, some parts of this book seem to drag and I feel a lot could have been cut out and it would have been more enjoyable.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

The Lodge is a fast paced quick read with a really interesting original plot and one I very much enjoyed.
I found it creepy at times especially when reading it late at night.
The characters are easy to follow, although there are a few of them and at times I had to stop and think about who was who.
Overall this was a book I enjoyed and after a few chapters found myself whizzing through.

I love "when animals attack" eco-horror. It's one of those genres that I do tend to get a bit giddy about simply because I enjoy the concept of animals taking their revenge. The Lodge essentially follows that pattern. A guest at a hunting lodge in the remote Scottish Highlands experiences a harsh end, choking during dinner. Andrew, the constable sent to make sure there was no foul play at hand, then gets snowed in at the lodge with its owners and guests.

There's no wait to get into the action as the guest dies in the first few pages. It's not long after that the weird stuff starts happening and there is plenty of weird. Eco-horror either plays itself completely straight or on the campy side. The Lodge is a strange mix of the two. On one hand, you have a horde of intelligent rats dismantling the vehicles so there is no escape and on the other, you have some Evil Dead taxidermy waling on the wall. There's absolutely some great imagery here though.

The Lodge has a lot of flashback-style, character backstories, which honestly, didn't really further the book for me and distracted me from the here and now. Taking the reader out of the story to a backstory blocked the flow of the novel as the back stories didn't always feel like they were organic. While show vs. tell has always been a debated writing tool, the info dump chosen often here instead made them feel flat.

I grew up in a hunting family and my husband hunts. None of my family, even the most enthusiastic of hunters, were ever like the ridiculous caricatures of hunters that are in the book. There are probably hunters out there like this, but I've not met them. On top of that, the actions of the characters just didn't make sense. They all seemed to be stereotypical ideals of what they should be, even the vegans.

The Lodge seemed to have the perfect formula for a great read. There were multiple storylines that converged in the end, but there really weren't any surprises. It was intriguing enough to be a fast read but the plot seemed to get more convoluted as it went. I liked the idea but found the execution bland.

Freaked me out. Totally freaked. At times i put it aside because i was home alone an sc my only thankfully thing is i have two dogs with perfect hearing because everything i heard freaked me and i could only rely on my dogs ears pricking up. If this author intended to give me nightmares they succeeded!!

In the Scottish Highlands, policeman Andrew is called to examine a dead body at a newly ripened hunting lodge. And then the body disappears. As the guests and proprietors are snowed in with Andrew, they all slowly begin to disappear, and Andrew must figure out what's happening.

This wasn't amazing. The prose was serviceable, and the characters not incredibly Wells drawn. But it is a fun enough, quick enough read with some requisite tragic back stories. I'm always a sucker for winter isolation horror with strange disappearances.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This book was not for me. It was too weird and I couldn't finish it. I was mistaken by the cover, and the description did seem interesting, although a bit far-fetched.

A super quick read that I'm not entirely sure how to feel about. It was gory, terrifying, and unsettling, though I think what didn't land well for me was the bits of humor throughout - I wasn't sure how to reconcile the horror with the humor. I think this is just me, though, and horror fans may enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Lodge by Chris Coppel. Well, this is a real different book. It has all the parts and pieces of a scary as hell book. A mansion, an oncoming snow storm, a strange group of guests, and stuffed animals. But these are not your nice cuddly stuffed animals,,,no they have been stuffed by those who hunted them. I think there is some resentment there...
Quick read - fun and very gory.
3 stars.

YEeessSS I love this soo much and will be buying a physical copy to share with my mom and sister. Page turner and did not dissapoint. Very good read for the winter storm I am trapped in right now!

For me The Lodge was a four star read.... now, who the hell do I recommend this grotesque book to?! 😂
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If you are squeamish - stay away from this book. If you are afraid of animals, don’t like graphic violence, or the horror genre - stay the hell away from this book!
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BUT! If you are weird like me and WANT a little fright in your life... then give this book a shot.

I need to preface this review by stating that from looking at the cover and reading the blurb, that I had expected this to be a spooky supernatural thriller with a serious tone. What the book delivered was far from that: campy Christmas horror and vengeful furniture. The set-up was pretty good, a mysterious death occurs in a forboding-looking hunting lodge filled to the brim with disgusting trophies and animal furniture.

I’m glad that I could be eased away from my expectation of a serious book from the earliest chapters. The protagonist was a seemingly bumbling constable that doesn’t seem all that fit for the force and the pages are filled with flirting with one of the hunting lodge employees who is openly vegan.

The story tries to misdirect the reader but it all was pretty predictable from start to finish. The first half of the book, unfortunately, drifts randomly into the backstories of the four main characters, most of which don’t have anything to do with the plot. It seemed to be an attempt to make the reader care about the characters while also providing a distraction from the one backstory that matters, which again was not really needed because it was already kind of obvious.

There was some decent creature horror and at times a creepy atmosphere, but it was sparse compared to the romance and comedy. I also dislike when books have to explain exactly what is causing the supernatural phenomena. The explanation made me roll my eyes and the epilogue was entirely unnecessary.

When I finished I felt really conflicted about what to think about the book. This was one of the rare cases where I thought that the story was so utterly ridiculous it bordered on being bad, but the creative creature horror and well-placed jokes made for a somewhat enjoyable experience. It was the type of campy B-movie horror that will delight the right kind of reader. This book was a swing and a miss for me, but I can appreciate what the author was trying to do.

4 Stars!

“The hunters become the hunted” is what is promised on the cover of The Lodge by Chris Coppel along with the skull and antlers of a deer. Not knowing anything about the story or the author, this was enough to lure me into the novel so I decided that I just had to give it a read.



It is Christmas in the Scottish Highlands when a blizzard begins to set in and one of the guests at a hunting lodge suddenly dies at the dinner table. Andrew, a young constable, is called out to the remote lodge only to find himself stranded there as the blizzard takes hold and cuts the lodge off from the rest of the world. The lodge is festively decorated for the holiday with lights and ornaments adorning its hallways in stark contrast to the dead body in the dining room. The animal heads and various hunting trophies that are on display throughout also seem to bring an element of death to what should be a time of pure celebration that Andrew finds odd. Upon the surface, the death of the guest seems like an accident. Then things begin to get strange.



First the body goes missing. Then, if that is not strange enough, there are a couple events that almost make it seem like the hunting trophies may have a hideous second life of their own. Things seem to move around on their own and the guests seem to have what seem like frightening hallucinations except for the fact that they get scratched and bruised in the process. No one is sure what is happening in the lodge but it is clear that the humans are not welcome there and may not be allowed to leave. It almost seems as if Mother Nature is aiming for revenge on those who hunt her innocent children and these hunters are in her sights. It is time for the hunters to become the hunted, but who or what exactly is controlling the predators?



I would like to first say that The Lodge is just a lot of fun to read. I had never read anything by Chris Coppel before but I am sure that this will not be the last book I read by the author. I was drawn into the story fairly quickly and the action amped up quickly as the lodge got cut off from the outside world. The pacing was intense but never strayed from the central narrative and did not seem rushed at all. The reader is pulled along through the story but there was enough detail to flesh the story out so that it never felt rushed or incomplete. Coppel uses a deft hand with the pacing of the novel so that it was fast without become too fast. Details were streamlined but not still strong enough to keep the story feeling real. Sometimes a fast-paced horror novel can feel like watching a TV show: a fast entertainment method with little substance. The Lodge moved quickly without losing its intensity and kept me feeling invested in the story throughout. This was just a fast-paced and fun book to read overall.



If I want to be critical of the novel, I would point out that I thought the transitions back and forth between the past and present were a bit less than stellar. They did break up the story a little bit in the second half of the novel and I thought that they gave away the ending a little too soon but maybe that is just my critical mind at play. In fact, I think that some readers may find the slower-paced flashbacks as a sort of resting spot to take a breather before jumping back in. I did not find a critical error in this, but I did think that it broke up the flow a little and the story would have been better serviced to have more of these in the first half of the book with only the end of it toward the conclusion of the novel. I could quibble a bit with the explanation of what was happening as well because it just does not sit quite right with me, but that is more of a personal preference thing and I get it so I think it is good in the grand scheme of things. Overall, The Lodge is just a fun and quick read for the horror fan looking to kill a little bit of time. I really enjoyed the book overall and would recommend it to fans of horror similar to Dean Koontz’s old novels but with maybe just a bit more of an edge. I look forward to reading more from Coppel in the future.



I would like to thank Troubador Publishing/Matador and NetGalley for this review copy. The Lodge is available now.

Andrew Whiting is a brand new constable in tiny Kingussie, in the Highlands of Scotland. He is called to a lush and remote hunting lodge to investigate an accidental death during a blizzard on Christmas Eve. The lodge has recently opened and is hosting an extravagant, all-inclusive traditional Scottish holiday for a handful of privileged guests. Once Andrew arrives at the lodge, it quickly becomes clear that he won't be able to leave for at least a day or two due to the storm. The storm has also knocked out cell and land line service, so the isolation is complete. It might be nice to spend the holiday at the cozy lodge, until some events start to unfold that suggest there may be foul play involved in the case of the dead guest.

I liked this book. It was fun to read, and to follow the story as it unfolded. It was dark and it was fast pacedIt kept me guessing throughout the entire book and kept me turning the pages. There were some good scares, some really creepy imagery and some very solid gore. I really enjoyed the setting - a lush hunting lodge in the Highlands of Scotland on Christmas. Beautiful wilderness scenery, lots of leather and tartan plaids. And lots and lots of taxidermized animal trophies. I give the plot high points for creativity, and I really enjoyed the life that the author brought to the characters. There were some that I really loved, and some I really loved to hate. I liked jumping into each person's back story and learning how they come to be who they were at present. I was a little puzzled by the tone of the book - it was really very light and playful. Some of the dialogue read almost like a rom-com, and it was a bit jarring compared to the stark gore that was piling up as more guests were lost. I don't know if the mis-match was intended as a way to throw the reader off balance, but it struck me as odd and a little confusing. Overall, it was fun and creative and I think any horror lover would enjoy reading it. Thank you to Netgalley and Matador for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

I honestly picked this story up because I love a good horror story set in an isolated area with bad weather keeping people at the mercy of whatever sinister force is against them.
This definitely isn’t your average story and I liked that it did have some surprises for the typical trope. However, I felt like the writing was a bit choppy in the beginning. It felt very odd and some of the dialogue came off very unnatural. The conversations between some of the characters came off very forced and strange, almost like they didn’t know how to actually talk to other people.
I also felt like some things didn’t make sense to the story, kinda like it was filler and not actually important to the story.
The story was a pretty fast read, but I do feel like it could have been even shorter and maybe eliminated some of the bits that weren’t too important to the story.
I did start enjoying it more about halfway through and I really liked the plot twist at the end. It was probably my favorite part of the story and redeemed it overall for me. I would be interested in reading more in the future from this author.

The Lodge, what can I say but yet another winner from this fresh talent of horror thriller writer Chris Coppel. Taking a genre and keeping it fresh and finding a new way to thrill, chill and keep the reader fully invested.

The Lodge starts out in the Scotland and may I add that I do not know much about the author but writing and able to capture his environment such as The States in Lucky and now Scotland in this book, he really knows how to capture his places. Excellent job. We start out with a new policeman on a snowy evening being called out over the accidental death of a hunting resort which all seems quite normal. This takes a drastic turn starting with his car journey to the Lodge and we are now in the capable hands of our author. We find ourselves in the depths of a Agatha Christie meets Patricia Highsmith animal shorts and we are all along for the ride.

The characters are strong and again Coppel has managed to mix dark humour with social commentary very well. He has an interesting way of drawing out the characters and when you have a large cast, it is very easy to have some get lost in the shuffle which Coppel avoids. Every character stamps their impression onto the readers subconscious long after their demise.

The plot is very intricately written using a whodunit, mystery, suspense, thriller and horror genres and mixing these to a very unique experience. Coppel has fun with his plots twists and turns but keeps everything in the realistic department with a supernatural bent. This means that he keeps everything real within the confines of his story and doesn’t pigeonhole plot devices to make it work. These are all done naturally.

This is another thrill ride and social commentary from Coppel who is fast becoming a true favourite of mine. I can’t wait to read what he comes out with next but I am going to be there devouring his next great work. Thought provoking, thrilling, horrific, darkly funny and downright entertaining. This is a well worthwhile binge read and one that never disappointments. Highly recommended.

Animals take revenge against their hunters in this short horror story set in the Scottish Highlands in the week between Christmas and New Year., Chris Coppel’s ‘The Lodge’ opens with a young officer (Andrew) receiving a phone call from a hunting Air B&B about a sudden death. Andrew drives up the mountain to the remote Inn with a snow storm starting and then is forced to stay with Helen, Leon and Elena, the Lodge Managers and wait out the snow. While investigating the choking death of Alan Hutchinson, he realizes all is not right in this bed & breakfast. As the bodies pile up and he still can't get back down the mountain, Andrew begins to fear for his own life.

Chris Coppel writes this book with the creepiness of 'Pet Sematary' blended with some dark humor and a lot of blood and gore. The characters are hilarious caricatures of the rich and wealthy who soon becoming the hunted. While a succinct Novella, this book is certainly a juicy page turner. The suspense, witty banter and great characters make this a superb read.

The Lodge is a wild thriller with fun kills and a bonkers villain. Coppel does an amazing job of crafting the narrative to create a slow burning suspense that leads to an eruptive climax. The story centers around a snowbound hunter’s lodge in the Highlands where a group of couples plan to enjoy Christmas. After the death of one of the patrons, a young constable, Andrew, braves the storm to investigate. Soon, he and the others are trapped as they realize they are now the hunted.

Readers will cheer for Andrew as his backstory weaves through the plot. At first, the background interruptions feel heavy handed, but as they continue to pepper the story and readers learn more about the characters, the tension and stakes are raised, and the interruptions are welcome. While most of the characters jumped off the page, one felt a bit too stiff and unrealistic. Elena, a vegan who works at the Lodge, came across a little silly at times as she repeatedly grabbed Andrew’s hand to show him around, even though they had just met, and also seemed a little too childlike in her attempts to flirt with him. However, the other guests and owners of the Lodge brought the story to life.

There are plenty of surprises in this quick paced read sure to win over horror and thriller enthusiasts. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously while dealing with serious themes of grief and anger. Readers will find themselves quickly sucked into the drama unfolding at the Lodge.

I normally don't read very many horror books but the synopsis of The Lodge really drew me in. I thought it was very well written, I couldn't put it down! I loved the way the author drew me in and held my attention throughout. I thought there were some nice twists that I wasn't expecting. I'll definitely look for more books from Chris Coppel in the future.

After a call comes in about an accidental death, Constable Andrew is dispatched to a remote hunting Lodge in the Scottish Highlands. He fights a growing blizzard to get to the Lodge and ends up being snowed in with the owners and guests. Horrifying events take place over the next few days, the hunted animals are starting to fight back.



WOW! I absolutely loved this book; it was wild. The whole time, I got Stephen King vibes; it’s dark, morbid, and terrifying. For me, I felt like this was a perfect horror book, with a very unique/imaginative plot that was executed so well. The banter between Andrew and Elena gave us a comedic break, their banter was great. The Lodge is a fast paced page turner, I highly recommend!

The story itself is gory, but the cover doesn’t over exaggerate the blood. The Hunters become the Hunted.
The synopsis is short, only a few lines, but that’s all it needs to get you to read this story.
Coppel made the error of not capitalizing letters after ending the dialogue with an exclamation mark or question mark. I’ve seen this with a lot of independent authors, though, so it didn’t stick out as much as I suppose it should have.
Within the first few pages, I was hooked.

This book is an unusual Christmas story; in fact, I would call it “horror Christmas story”. A man has died from choking on a quail bone at a hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands just before Christmas and Andrew, a constable from the nearest town travels out to the remote lodge to check to ensure that it was an accidental death. It is snowing when he arrives and by the time he is ready to leave, it has snowed so much that he is snowbound with the rest of the guests and the owners of the lodge. The lodge is full of hunting trophies and animal products such as taxidermy (deer heads, elephant feet, leather chairs, etc.) and they start to fight back at people who are meat eaters. Slowly, one by one, the guests are killed as the hunted animals fight back.

This was quite a short novel coming in at just over 200 pages and was a quick read. While I didn’t find the book scary, I certainly found sections that made me squirm because it just grossed me out. I thought the author did a really good job of setting the atmosphere by describing the remoteness of the lodge, along with the bitter cold and snow. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads and I can say that if you read this book, you’ll never look at your leather sofa the same way again!

Thank you to Netgalley and Matador for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now for purchase.

Ended up liking this one a good deal! True, it sort of reads like vegan propaganda, but the secluded snowed-in atmosphere adds some much-appreciated chill. Plus, when it hits it REALLY hits....

Bonus for some Evil Dead 2 vibes, too. Recommended!

THE LODGE is a compelling and engrossing Horror Suspense tale with a cozy overtone [amazing because of the Horror elements and body toll] from Chris Coppel . A family of three emigrate from Maryland to the Scottish Highlands to renovate an abandoned, isolated, manor farm into a Mindfulness Vegan retreat. In that region, it's a no-go; but the young adult daughter hires on with the subsequent buyers, who go all out to offer a hunting/fishing lodge [at exorbitant prices, targeting the wealthy upper class]. The first Christmas season goes well--until the deaths start--and Supernatural elements intervene.

This story is tautly plotted and never telegraphs its revelations. We learn about the characters gradually, as the real truths unfold, keeping suspense tension high, and the denouement and aftermath are startling but ultimately satisfying, as after consuming a finely-crafted meal, one experiences the sensation of fulfillment and satiation.

Scotland? At Christmas? That's where you sold me. This was a heart-pumping edge-of-your-seat thriller that really delivered!

An enjoyable shortish read. Wasn’t expecting the storyline to go where it went but still managed to hold my attention. Thanks for the opportunity to read