It Came From The Lake

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Pub Date Jan 17 2024 | Archive Date Mar 28 2024

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Description

"If Stephen King were a splatterpunk--that's Rolfe." - Brian Keene, author of THE RISING

Owens Lake is home to a nasty secret protected by Francis Owens, a Vietnam veteran with close ties to both the lake and its mystery. The enigmatic occupant beneath the lake's surface makes Francis' blood run cold.

When two teens--one running away from her foster home, the other a local boy looking for solitude--wind up too close to this small-town horror, they discover the creature isn't the only danger waiting for them.

IT CAME FROM THE LAKE is a new creature feature from Glenn Rolfe (author of BECOMING and THE BEAST OF BRENTON WOODS)

"If Stephen King were a splatterpunk--that's Rolfe." - Brian Keene, author of THE RISING

Owens Lake is home to a nasty secret protected by Francis Owens, a Vietnam veteran with close ties to both the...


A Note From the Publisher

For fans of the recent Amazon "Creature Feature" series by Joe Hill, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Chandler Baker, Grady Hendrix, and Jason Mott.

Spooky tales to keep you up all night!

For fans of the recent Amazon "Creature Feature" series by Joe Hill, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Chandler Baker, Grady Hendrix, and Jason Mott.

Spooky tales to keep you up all night!


Advance Praise

"If Stephen King were a splatterpunk--That's Rolfe." - Brian Keene, author of THE RISING and GHOUL

"A rising star in the genre!" - Ronald Malfi, author of BLACK MOUTH and COME WITH ME

"Tense, moves at a break-neck speed, and scary!" - Sadie Hartmann, author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You Die on BECOMING 

"An intense tale reminiscent of classic works of Jack Ketchum or Stephen King." - Booklist on AUGUST'S EYES

"If Stephen King were a splatterpunk--That's Rolfe." - Brian Keene, author of THE RISING and GHOUL

"A rising star in the genre!" - Ronald Malfi, author of BLACK MOUTH and COME WITH ME

"Tense, moves at...


Marketing Plan

Creature Feature: Quick Bites with Glenn Rolfe

Two teens in the Maine woods meet a grisly fate in Rolfe’s latest creature feature, It Came from the Lake (Alien Agenda, Jan.).

What inspired this book? 

I love monster stories, and writing these creature features is a blast. A co-worker of mine who reads my stuff asked if I could kill her in a book. I wrote her and her husband into the opening of what would become It Came from the Lake and just kept adding more real-life acquaintances into the story as it evolved. Creating monsters like the one in this book is fun, too. Being a horror writer, I am a fan of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and what I always like to do is just look at something like that monster or story and ask, but how would I do that? Some writers prefer not to tread the beaten paths, but I love it. Your version is always going to be unique because there is no other you. 

One of your characters is a Vietnam veteran. What was the impetus behind that choice?

That character is a guy I know who is a Vietnam vet. My father was a vet of Vietnam, but I never got to talk to him about any of his experiences before he passed away. So, knowing someone now that has some of those horrendous experiences, is as close as I can get to those kinds of moments and conversations I never had with my dad. When someone shares that kind of life history with you, it sticks. I couldn’t not find a way to put that in this book. It just fit perfectly and gave the character depth. 

You’ve spoken about writing people in your life into your stories. Can you say more about that?

Any artist is going to pull from what they know and what they have picked up along the way. It adds an undeniable authenticity to your work when you have real-life experiences, whether yours or someone else's, in your books. My friends always love hearing that they made it in, even if their character doesn't make it out! I pull from my past and present and the anxieties of my future, but everything you’ve come in contact with will eventually bleed onto the page. I’m always wondering when that well is going to run dry, but there are so many untold stories out there. It’s why I love talking to people, or rather, listening to people. 


Creature Feature: Quick Bites with Glenn Rolfe

Two teens in the Maine woods meet a grisly fate in Rolfe’s latest creature feature, It Came from the Lake (Alien Agenda, Jan.).

What inspired this book? 

I...


Available Editions

EDITION Mass Market Paperback
ISBN 9448419460217
PRICE $10.99 (USD)
PAGES 202

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 54 members


Featured Reviews

Excellent atmospheric horror. Kept me guessing and intrigued. Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

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A fun, quick read. Creature features are 1 of my favorite sub genres. This 1 reminded me of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Humanoids from the Deep. Review posted on good reads, which is linked to net galley

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Horror at its best and I am still looking for my head after it dropped off my head when i read the ending !!! Its absolutely brilliant and nearly impossible to put down !!!

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God I love me a creature feature and this one hits perfectly!
It’s quick
It’s gritty
And the ending fits so well for this type of book!

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Glenn Rolfe has done an incredible job with his book "It Came From The Lake", creating a horror story that sucks you in immediately. The plot is frantic, the suspense constant and the narrative is full of thrilling and chilling moments. Rolfe is also able to introduce interesting and poignant characters, each with their own problems and secrets.
It's a short read, but it reads very fast and it's chilling, I really enjoyed it.

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'It Came From The Lake' was full of action and monsters (both aquatic and a couple of human varieties), right from the beginning!

Before I started reading, I wondered, with the book being as short as it is, if the story might feel like it was missing details or incomplete. I shouldn't have worried at all. This was a fast-paced story that tied all of the characters together one chapter at a time and wrapped everything up in a nice neat package by the end. The Lake Monster was described in perfect detail and reminded me of something from The X-Files.

This was a really fun read, I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good monster story that's quick and easy to get through.

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Wow, I loved this creature feature....JUST DON'T GO IN THE WOODS NEAR THAT LAKE!!!! I love that this was an old folktale that is still being told.....Thanks Netgalley for the ARC so I can read this book and rate it!!!! I really enjoyed this!!!!!

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This was a wild ride of wild creature feature gush and gore in 86 page novella! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Absolutely loved the B horror movie feel to it

It has a new type of cryptid, so strap in if you're freaked out by them. Reminded me of the horror books I read as a kid but in adult form. Which is a breath of fresh air for a change. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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“He turned and found himself in the shadow of a grotesque impossibility.”

Glenn Rolfe in his new creature feature, tells the story of a young teenager and a foster child find themselves in the woods next to a lake in Maine. For years a Vietnam vet has been protecting the secrets of this lake and unfortunately for these two they are about to come head to head with these dark secrets.

This is a short but thrilling story. It has all the quirks of a creepy creature feature film. It was as though the reader was there with these kids experiencing the horrors that were awaiting them.

The author does great work in telling the tragic back stories of the characters involved which make the reader empathise with their situation.

Combining this with the terror thats always around the corner, this story was a fun read a lot of people would enjoy.

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This is a fun little book - very Creature from the Black Lagoon-ish.

While the book is short, the author does a good job of building the characters into full and interesting people.

I was very concerned for our two kids and thoroughly enjoyed the read!

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It came from the lake, this is a short story. But it really packed a punch! You got in depth information about characters and a fantastic storyline! I loveeee creature features and this was right up my alley! It gave me gory adult goosebump vibes. I see others have said the same! (I hope the author was going for something like this). This was such an enjoyable read, I’ll definitely check out other titles by this author!

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It Came From The Lake by Glenn Rolfe was a quick read and a book for a windy rainy night whilst snuggled under your quilt or sitting round a camp fire in the woods. It was a creepy and gory read. It was a quick read and once I started it I had to finish.
I really enjoyed it and will not be my last book from this author

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Alien Agenda Publishing for my Arc

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This book turned out to be better than I thought it would be. I got a little confused with the first couple of chapters, but I promise the way it’s set up it does make sense. I honestly thought it was gonna be like a mix of short stories, but somehow it all came together cohesively. I very much enjoyed this book and the twist ending was just perfect!! I would be happy to let everyone know to buy this book, and to buy a copy myself for my physical shelf.

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This was a fast paced and quick read that was so easy to get lost and immersed into. I always love it when short books like these are so fantastically written that it feels like a full novel.

This gave me massive Stephen King vibes, particularly some of his older work and it felt quite nostalgic.

This was my first time reading from this author and I can’t wait to check out more of their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alien Agenda Publishing for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Very atmospheric & dreadful! Love his writing style, he’s so good at setting a scene that it makes you feel present in the story! This is another short fun horrific tale from this author! Definitely I’ll read anything he puts out next!

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This was a new author for me, and I was pleasantly surprised that I finished it quickly during a short flight.
I was a little nervous with the pov changes as they can easily become too much, but found that it really was easy enough to keep everyone straight. Also, you were able to pick up on who was important and who was just adding a bit of action scenes.
I would call this more creature feature, but also I enjoyed the urban legend feel of it.
The gore wasn’t over the top, nor did it feel like it was used for shock factor. It felt like it fit in nicely.
I’d be interested in picking up more from this author.

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Very good writing. I was worried about the introduction of a lot of characters in the beginning but it really worked and it was easy to remember who is who. I loved the twist in the end. I would definitely read more of this authors work! Thanks NetGallery!

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It Came From The Lake is fast paced and very quick read. Don't let the short page number turn you away, because what it lacks in pages the read makes up for in atmosphere and thrills. This one is perfect for all of the fans of the creature features, making sure you never look at a lake the same way ever again. Thank you to NetGalley, Alien Agenda Publishing, and Glenn Rolfe for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This one is available now.

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It Came From the Lake by Glenn Rolfe is a one of those truly fun horror books that simply flies by. Old school horror, brought into a modern age. The cast of characters Rolfe creates is vast, but even so are fun and developed. There’s elements of vintage horror, hard boiled crime, teenage angst and so much more. Felt like I was reading a movie I would have watched on late night Monstervision! The perfect way to jumpstart yourself if you are in a reading slump.

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A quick read about a murderous lake monster. It’s action packed from the first paragraph. A bit of gore, an outrageous monster leading to a fun read.

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