Joe Hempel

Gollitok by Andrew Najberg, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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Andrew Najberg’s Gollitok brings to mind the work of Soviet and Russian post-apocalyptic authors like Dmitry Glukhovsky or Arkady and Boris Srugatsky. It’s refreshing to come across a title today with the same dystopian feel that one otherwise only sees in Cold War or post-Cold War literature. What begins as a bit of a mystery in which none of the characters trust–or can trust–one another while exploring and struggling to survive the isolation and potential contagion of the Gollitok prison colony quickly transforms into a masterpiece of body horror and the dangers associated with being on the wrong side of a fascist government.

As abbreviated as the story actually is, the characters are still well-drawn and the environment feels uncomfortably real. It’s hard to talk about the book without giving too much away. It’s clear that Najberg put a great deal of thought into both the environment and the social dynamics that underlie the narrative he’s crafted…but it’s something you’ll really have to experience for yourself. I suggest you do precisely that.

Joe Hempel’s narration is absolutely spot-on, capturing the nuances of characters, the various accents, and the tension the narrative builds within the reader/listener.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Gollitok-Audiobook/B0CX2LTZDF?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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Ronald Malfi excels in telling tales that center around mistakes we make as children coming back to haunt us, whether it’s a manifestation of our own guilt, someone exacting their revenge, a supernatural force, or a combination of those things. One of the most thrilling aspects of Malfi’s storytelling is that we’re often left to wonder which scenario(s) we’ll encounter in the story we’re reading. Small Town Horror is just such a story.

When a successful attorney, Andrew Larimer, receives an unexpected phone call from a childhood friend and agrees to return to the hometown he left in the rearview 20 years earlier, it sets him down a path of deception, mystery, and horror. Reuniting with former friends he hasn’t seen in decades, Andrew quickly learns that he might have been better off staying home than involving himself in the nightmare unfolding in Kingsport. As the shadow of an unspeakable event from the shared past of these five friends looms over their lives, they will find themselves tested and pushed to their limits.

Though it takes a while to discover the dark secret they’ve carried with them all these years, it’s fairly easy to figure out the broad strokes as the story unfolds. And while the revelations may not be a shock or surprise, I don’t think that was the point. It was the journey there that Malfi seemed to be focused on, building the tension as we wondered what would come next and who would suffer. We’re forced to wonder what might have happened if they’d only made different choices. Would honesty and accountability have produced a different outcome? I can only imagine that would be the case. That is, after all, the overarching theme–the danger of deception, and especially self-deception.

Even knowing the likely outcome, the conclusion hits like a punch to the gut. That is, after all, another of Malfi’s skills.

Joe Hempel, as always, brings the story to life as only the hardest-working audiobook narrator in the world (I can only assume) can manage.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Small-Town-Horror-Audiobook/B0D1RKVRJL?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Infinite: Ghostland Trilogy Book 3 by Duncan Ralston, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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Duncan Ralston brings his Ghostland trilogy to a superbly fitting conclusion with Infinite. He takes us back and forth in time, as the mystery surrounding Rex Garrote’s plan is revealed, and the truth is more horrifying than anything Ben Laramie and his friends could have imagined. The stakes are higher, and the enemies are far more numerous than solely Garrote and the forces he’s aligned beside him, but Ben is not one to give up. As Ralston races us toward a final confrontation that threatens existence, we’re forced to wonder how Ben and his allies fight an enemy who seems to know what’s coming, and who seemingly orchestrated every step they’ve taken to reach this point?

It was a treat, getting this deeper glimpse into Garrote’s life and personal history, the relationship between Garrote and Hedgewood, and the previously unexpected nature of Garrote House. Similarly, getting a deeper investment in Ben and Lilian’s families was an excellent experience, as the horrors of the Dark Rift loom ahead of our heroes.

As with the previous two installments of the Ghostland trilogy, the cast of characters is fantastic and each one is well-drawn and believable in their motivations and attitudes. The action is fast-paced and exciting, even as Ralston succeeds in giving us numerous breathers as he unveils the history that set the stage for the events we’re bearing witness to.

Joe Hempel’s narration is–as always–spectacular. There seem to be few narrators as prolific or in such high demand, and for good reason.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Infinite-Audiobook/B0B2FHQGFM?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Inside the Devil’s Nest by John Durgin, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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Anthony Graham is a successful real estate agent. That success is due–in no small part–to a deal he made with the devil, in the form of an agreement made with a mob boss who wants to use vacant properties for a variety of purposes, no questions asked. When Anthony stumbles upon one of his properties being used in an entirely predictable way–though one he never expected–it all comes crashing down around him in a barrage of sudden violence. On the run with his family, knowing he’s only postponing the inevitable, Anthony heads for a former campground he’s been unable to sell–hoping it’ll buy him some time to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, for Anthony and his family, this campground holds dark secrets far worse–and more dangerous–than the men hunting them down.

John Durgin paints us a portrait of a family struggling to hold it together despite years of acrimony, strain, and secrets…and then he thrusts that family into a situation sure to unravel the worn threads that hold them together. Before they arrive at the campground the family is already falling apart, and it only gets worse from there. Good intentions spectacularly pave the way to Hell as two broken families with secrets buried deep come together, and Anthony learns first-hand why he’s never been able to sell the property.

We’re forced to witness as six people find themselves caught between two evils that mean nothing but harm, and we’re left wondering which of those two evils will exact their toll first as we descend toward a conclusion that can be nothing but violent and cruel. We may want to look away, but there’s some part of us that keeps us watching as everything approaches perhaps the only ending there could be.

Joe Hempel’s narration of the tale brings it to terrifying life and gives each character their own place in the listener’s imagination while we join them on their journey to the depths.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Inside-the-Devils-Nest-Audiobook/B0C4BK3D1T?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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One part Cube, one part Saw, one part The Ninth Gate, and a dash of House On Haunted Hill, Duncan Ralston’s Puzzle House is an excellent book for fans of those movies. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys escape rooms, puzzles, and character studies–you’re in for one hell of a treat. When a mysterious puzzle master dies, his will brings together an assortment of strangers (all but his ex-wife, unfamiliar with the deceased as well)…but that is only the beginning of the mystery.

These people find themselves called to a house that has become something far more sinister, a series of escape rooms with a hefty toll to be paid and life-or-death consequences riding on the solutions. As they struggle to survive the sadistic gauntlet from which the only way out is through, secrets are revealed that connect these apparent strangers in ways that can’t be a coincidence. Somewhere at the core of it all is a mysterious organization with occult origins, and the rats in this maze are battling not only the clock but their own preconceived notions of what is–or can be–real. But will they be able to solve the puzzles that await them, and who will survive the journey into the Puzzle House? And is everyone who they seem to be? You’ll have to dare entry on your own to find out.

This one has one hell of an ending, and it leaves you wishing that you could stay with the story just a little bit longer–to find out what happens next. Ralston does a great job of leaving you hanging but feeling satisfied just the same–forced to decide how you, as the reader, might proceed.

Joe Hempel’s narration of the audiobook is spectacular as always…which should go without saying. He successfully brings the characters to life and pulls the story from the page, leaving the listener immersed in the nightmare environment.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Puzzle-House-Audiobook/B0CGXWP9WN?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Afterlife: Ghostland Trilogy Book 2 By Duncan Ralston, Narrated By Joe Hempel

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Months have passed since the dramatic cataclysm at Ghostland, and the world has not yet come to an end…but the once tranquil life for people living in Duck Falls is over, as the town becomes a beacon for both activists and curiosity-seeking tourists. Ben Laramie has become a hero following the sacrifice of his life to get his best friend, Lilian Roth, to safety…and to keep Rex Garrote and the monstrous etherials he commands trapped within the confines of the former amusement park.

While Ben may have died, that hasn’t stopped him from striving to fulfill his mission to stop Garrote, as he and Lilian work alongside Ghosts Are People Too in order to assemble an army capable of fighting Garrote when the inevitable war arrives. With each day that passes, fewer people believe in Ben’s prediction of a coming battle or the danger Garrote still poses…but nothing will sway him from the mission at hand, not betrayal, torture, or even the convincing manipulation of Rex Garrote himself, as he shows Ben they may have a common enemy in Garrote’s former benefactor.

When a ghost-hunting reality television crew ventures into Ghostland, the true danger of the place becomes painfully obvious to people everywhere. Events are set in motion that could bring Garrote closer to achieving his ultimate outcome, but if Ben can’t find trustworthy allies, the war may be lost before it begins.

Taking the story out of the amusement park was a bold and necessary move. Ralston introduces us to a whole new cast of compelling characters while we follow Ben and Lilian in their quest to save the world from a threat it refuses to acknowledge exists. The frustration is palpable, and the stakes feel higher. Ralston guides us through a narrative replete with twists and turns, stumbling blocks, and dead ends…making it feel as if the haunted house aspect has simply grown to encompass the surrounding environment. In all ways, this is an excellent follow-up to the fantastic tale the author brought us with Ghostland.

As always, Joe Hempel provides excellent narration, a voice with richness and tone that brings the story to life for the listener.

Ghostland by Duncan Ralston, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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Duncan Ralston’s Ghostland seamlessly blends elements of 13 Ghosts (or the more high-tech remake, Thirteen Ghosts), Jurassic Park, and The Matrix into a thrill ride of a story. Thankfully, it’s marginally less exciting than the Ghostland attraction itself. Otherwise, Ralston would be responsible for a lot of carnage.
Something Ben Laramie catches a glimpse of when he witnesses his favorite author’s house inexplicably transported through town is enough to stop the young boy’s heart. It can’t possibly be Rex Garrote standing in the window and seemingly staring back at him because Rex Garrote has been dead longer than Ben’s been alive. But as the world will learn over the following years, death isn’t quite the conclusion most people believe.
On the opening day of the Ghostland theme park, Ben manages to recruit his former best friend Lillian and her therapist to join him as he enters the park on a mission they know nothing of. Since his heart attack, Ben has set his sights on one objective, and it’s one he’s willing to sacrifice himself to accomplish.
What starts as a coming-of-age reflection on mortality rapidly transforms into a harrowing and violent struggle for survival amid the exploration of the most haunted places in the world all in one place. Ralston paces everything perfectly, never wasting a beat as he drags us along with Ben and Lillian through a gauntlet that only the luckiest can hope to escape. As he leads us to a conclusion that is both satisfying and open-ended for the sequels, the author displays keen storytelling instincts that should impress anyone daring enough to enter Ghostland.
Joe Hempel is always a thoroughly competent and capable narrator, and his performance for the Ghostland audiobook is no exception.

Come With Me by Ronald Malfi, Narrated by Joe Hempel

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When Allison Decker is shot and killed in a senseless act of violence, her husband’s life is irrevocably changed. But the true extent of his life’s transformations doesn’t begin until he discovers something seemingly innocuous in a box of his wife’s belongings from work. A receipt from a motel in a small town he’d never heard of, from a trip he didn’t know Allison had taken, is all it takes to send Aaron down a path he’d never have imagined possible.
Worried that his wife might have been cheating on him, Aaron begins unraveling the threads of a double-life Allison was leading, and infidelity might have been a relief. Instead, Aaron finds himself stumbling along in the footsteps of the woman he’d married but hardly knew. The truth of Allison’s activities will uncover lies and horrors Aaron could never be prepared to face as he stubbornly and desperately struggles to understand the woman he loved and lost. In the end, we’re forced–along with Aaron–to acknowledge that we might indeed be guilty of haunting ourselves.
Malfi crafts a well-orchestrated mystery that leaves the reader guessing right up until the conclusion. As we join Aaron Decker on his journey of discovery, we’re left reeling with each new revelation alongside the protagonist, forced to question how well we ever know someone and how dark the depths of one’s character might be.
Joe Hempel’s narration of the audiobook is superb, and he captures the confusion, fear, and frustration Aaron feels as he persists in his fool’s quest to solve a mystery Allison may have already solved before she was tragically unable to fulfill her life’s mission.

Eight Cylinders by Jason Parent, narrated by Joe Hempel

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Jason Parent’s Eight Cylinders captures a sort of grindhouse action/horror vibe that I appreciated a great deal. We’ve got a story about crime, cars, creatures, confusion, and condemnation in the middle of the desert…and if that doesn’t appeal to you at least a little bit, there’s probably something wrong with you.
Comparing it to movies and other visual mediums, as I usually do, it’s a little bit Tremors, a touch of From Dusk Till Dawn, a good bit The Road Warrior, and a dash of the old show The Prisoner (or maybe, for those who never watched that one, Lost). If you were to toss all of that into a blender and add a splash of cosmic horror, you’d end up with something along the lines of Eight Cylinders.
This story had me invested as soon as Seb began using a novelty Magic Eight Ball glass eye to make his decisions for him as he sped away from Vegas after a deal gone exceedingly bad. Criminal and “bad guy” that he might be, Seb is particularly relatable as a protagonist, and you can’t help but cheer him on as he races through the desert multiple times throughout this short tale. The attention to detail concerning cars, trucks, and ATVs through the narrative gives one the impression that Parent is a bit of a gearhead at heart, or certainly one who spent some quality time researching this tale with gearheads…and that comes through clearly with Seb’s absolute love for his Dodge Charger and his appreciation of other vehicles in the narrative.
Joe Hempel’s narration is excellent, and I’ll surely be watching for other titles he’s provided his voice talents to.
My sole complaint about this story is that it felt a little rushed at times like we were racing from one point to another without getting enough time to really experience where we were.