14 [Paperback]

Peter Clines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2012

Chosen by Audible.com as the best sci-fi novel of 2012!

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate's new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn't perfect, it's livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don't nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela's apartment. And Tim's. And Veek's.

Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A riveting apocalyptic mystery in the style of LOST." --Craig DiLouie, author of THE INFECTION

"Takes a well thought concept and creatively expands on it to give the readers an excellent mix of The Twilight Zone, LOST & H.P. Lovecraft..." --Fantasy Book Critic

"A novel that should make Peter Clines a household name among not just horror fans, but fans of good stories, expertly told." --The Guilded Earlobe

"If you enjoy strong characterization and a whirlwind of genre-bending mysteries, you'll probably love the hell out of 14." --SFFaudio

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Permuted Press (May 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1618680528
• ISBN-13: 978-1618680525
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (284 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Clines grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, LIZARD MEN FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.

He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen he completed his quadruple-PhD studies in English literature, archaeology, quantum physics, and interpretive dance. In 2008, while surfing Hawaii's Keauwaula Beach, he thought up a viable way to maintain cold fusion that would also solve world hunger, but forgot all about it when he ran into actress Yvonne Strahvorski back on the beach and she offered to buy him a drink. He was the inspiration for both the epic poem "Beowulf" and the motion picture -Raiders of the Lost Ark-, and is single-handedly responsible for repelling the Martian Invasion of 1938 that occurred in Grovers Mills, New Jersey. Eleven sonnets he wrote to impress a girl in high school were all later found and attributed to Shakespeare. He is the author of numerous short stories, EX-HEROES, EX-PATRIOTS, --14--, THE EERIE ADVENTURES OF THE LYCANTHROPE ROBINSON CRUSOE, and an as-yet-undiscovered Dead Sea Scroll.

There is compelling evidence that he is, in fact, the Lindbergh baby.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#61 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#61 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely addictive, completely fun, classic horror from the author of Ex-Heroes June 6, 2012

By Justin G. TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

With 14, author Peter Clines (of Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots (Ex-Heroes Book 2) fame) steps away from the zombie/post-apocalyptic genre and explores the roots of classic horror and mystery stories. The story starts when Nate, a guy with no girl, a lousy job and not much ambition gets a tip on an apartment that seems too good to be true. Before the ink on the lease is dry, Nate starts to notice some strange things about his new home. His new neighbors clue him in to additional oddities, from doors that are permanently locked to hidden messages in the walls to rooms whose tenants all commit suicide. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Nate and his new friends attempt to unlock the deeper secrets of the Kavach building, not knowing that the consequences of their actions could be catastrophic.

14 reads like a modern appreciation of several classic themes and writers, from Stephen King to Richard Matheson to H.P. Lovecraft to, well, Scooby Doo (hey, it works). It starts out like a haunted house/whodunit type story, where you're suspicious of every tenant Nate encounters, but soon takes a turn that brings to mind King's From a Buick 8. After that, things get really interesting! It's a completely captivating story, and not just because of the underlying mystery. Clines demonstrates once again that having well-developed characters can make all the difference, and he's given us a whole building full of them here. Watching Nate deal with his job woes and love life is almost as compelling as watching him discover yet another of the building's secrets.

One other thing that stands out throughout the book is just how well 14 would translate to the big screen. It really plays out like a movie, and it's easy to visualize the characters and especially the building.

If you're a fan of Clines's earlier work, you're definitely going to want to check out 14. Forget about the lack of zombies. It's the story that counts, and Clines delivers big time with this one. If you're new to the author, you're in for a treat. 14 is a great stand-alone novel and just a really fun read overall, and it makes a great introduction to one of the best new authors in modern horror.

Disclosure - I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for reviewing purposes.

58 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A cut above the rest. June 11, 2012

By Brandon L. Foss

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Excellent, excellent, excellent!

I've read several other works by Peter Cline and enjoyed them all, but this book is a giant step up in characterization, story progression, and narration from all his previous works as well as the work of many of his peers. While his previous novels have been great additions to the sci-fi/horror genre, and this book definitely sits in that camp, the sheer skill with which the story's tension builds and progresses makes this a pleasing book for many different readers and surpasses being a mere genre novel. The classic, slow burn ratcheting of tension in the vein of Stephen King, Lovecraft, and Dan Brown is mixed nicely with the modern day handling and development of characters more in line with Brian Keene or Jeremy Robinson.

The story sucked me in with the ease and enjoyment of some of my favorite works by Larry Correia and Patrick Rothfus. I definitely lost some sleep staying up to finish this book. It's rather rare nowadays that I run across a book worth a second go, but I'm looking forward to rereading it in the future. This was one of those rare books that completely enveloped my brain for a few days and blocked everything out while I was reading.

I highly recommend this book for fans of sci-fi, horror, classic "weird fiction", and anyone who would enjoy a well written, excellently pace read.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Ending, But Setup Takes Most Of Book July 4, 2012

By Ursula K. Raphael TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

First of all, don't expect anything like Ex-Heroes, Ex-Patriots or The Junkie Quatrain. Not only is this story zombie-free, but there isn't nearly as much action as Clines usually delivers - at least not in the first two thirds of the novel.

Don't get me wrong, this was a solid effort by Clines, but I was so discouraged by the length of the setup, I would have been tempted to quit the book if it had been written by someone other than Peter Clines. I enjoyed his other novels so much that I was sure if I stuck it out, I could count on a fabulous ending, and I wasn't wrong...but I was literally 64% into the story before the story really grabbed me.

I can't even say that it was necessary for the story to develop at such a slow pace. The main character, Nate, moves into an apartment with rent that is too good to be true. Eventually, he notices some peculiar traits about the building. The problem is that many of the discoveries are made through interactions with his neighbors, which became tedious after the first few encounters, and the odd characteristics of the individual apartments were introduced too far apart to be considered an effective hook. Also, there are brief POVs from some of Nate's neighbors, and I felt the flickering perspectives weakened the storyline, rather than enhancing it.

On the other hand, once I was two-thirds through the book, I had that "Hell, YEAH!" moment, where I realized that 14 wasn't going to be like anything I've ever read before...and that is when Clines' creative flow once again takes his readers on a thrilling ride through bizarre sequence of events that made me think HP Lovecraft would have been right at home in that apartment building.

I think if readers approach this book as a horror-mystery, rather than an action-thriller, they will be find the effort of slogging through Nate's investigation of his apartment building worthwhile. Many of the unfolding details will seem surreal with disturbing moments that will put ice in your veins; in the end, everything you love about horror, mystery and cult fiction will be found in abundance.