Creepers [Import] [Paperback]

David Morrell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing; Export Ed edition (2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755331354
• ISBN-13: 978-0755331352
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,143,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morrell at the top of his game, August 16, 2005

By 

Henry W. Wagner (Rockaway, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creepers (Hardcover)

As you get older, it's reassuring to note that your favorite writers are maintaining the high standards that attracted you to their work in the first place. Writers who fall into this category, folks like Elmore Leonard, Lawrence Block and Donald E. Westlake, continue to produce quality work book after book, story after story. Another member of this elite club is David Morrell, who, with the publication of Creepers, shows that he still has what it takes to satisfy even the most demanding thriller reader.

Morrell's latest chronicles eight hours in the lives of five "creepers", urban explorers who break into abandoned or condemned buildings to experience their historical and architectural delights first hand. This particular group, comprised of Professor Robert Conklin, high school teacher Vincent Vanelli, graduate students Rick and Cora Magill, and reporter Frank Balenger, has chosen the Paragon Hotel in Asbury Park as a target, accessing it via a series of underground tunnels. Once inside, the situation deteriorates rapidly as the group discovers the Paragon is not the abandoned building they thought it was. The perils presented by others in the building, and by the decayed hotel itself, place them all in mortal danger. Before the night is through, some inside the Paragon will discover hidden depths of courage and resourcefulness; some will be revealed as liars and imposters; some will die.

Morrell does an excellent job of accounting for almost every second of the eight hours of his story, as, in fact, it will take most readers about that long to read it. The immediacy of the book is one of its greatest strengths--readers quickly start to feel as if they are looking over the shoulders of the team, almost like a sixth member. Besides its immediacy and intimacy, the book is packed with surprising twists and turns, as the group is forced to think on its feet, reacting to the numerous threats they encounter. And it's not only the dilapidated hotel that yields surprises, as several of Morrell's well-drawn cast of characters harbor their own secrets.

It's difficult to pin any particular label on Creepers. At heart a thriller, it also can be categorized as a gothic, horror, or even a time travel novel. It's not cliché to say that Morrell gives readers one hell of a ride, as it's a perfect description of the feeling this book gives you--exciting, captivating and suspenseful, you'll no doubt find yourself thinking Creepers would easily lend itself to a variety of adaptations, whether it be as an action film, a video game, or virtual reality park attraction. Suffice it to say that the man who has alternately been dubbed the "father of all modern action novels" and "the mild mannered professor with the bloody minded visions" has once again proven his considerable mettle, delivering yet another book sure to satisfy loyal fans and win him some new ones as well.

52 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something's In The Dark!, September 10, 2005

By 

Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creepers (Hardcover)

Frank Balenger claims to be a journalist interested in the urban art of "creepers", people who break-and-enter into old, abandoned buildings to see what they can see. Operating under the same constraints as professional cavers and with much of the same equipment, "creepers" invade an abandoned structure with the intent of taking pictures and leaving only footprints to mark their passage. Only the building Frank and his five new collegues invade is the Paragon Hotel, a luxury experience designed and built by a hemophiliac trapped within his own world that wanted to experience as much of the outside world as he could. Frank's lie about being a journalist is only the first of several that fall apart during the eight hours of hell and horror waiting for the "creepers".

David Morrell is known around the world for creating the character John Rambo. Author of over 30 novels, several of them feature or television movies, Morrell used to be an English professor that turned professional thriller writer. Many claim with his creation of Rambo that he invented the modern male action adventure novel. He writes from experience, from the literary field as well as hands-on training in hostage negotiation, evasive driving, firearms, and combat maneuvers.

The novel is a slam-bang adrenaline rush to the finish line that knocks the reader for a loop every time the plot seems clear. With simple, cutting prose, Morrell introduces readers to the urban art of "creeping", a mysterious millionaire who built a hotel to satisfy his own cravings, and more twists and turns in character relationships than a toboggan ride down an Olympic run. The information comes quickly and sparsely, just sips that go down when needed and never interfere with the ticking clock the author sets up in the first chapter.

Unfortunately, some of the other reviews give too much away. This is simply one of those novels impossible to talk too much about without spoiling so much.

CREEPERS is a white-knuckled adventure of a read. Easily understandable, engrossing, and ennervating, CREEPERS is not written for the reader who simply wants to while away a few minutes there. The plot, the characters, and the breakneck action will nail a reader to a chair until the ride is over and the last surprise is out of the box.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Creep Away From This Book, November 16, 2006

By 

Jon Khoury "The Cranky Critic" (Westchester NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creepers (Mass Market Paperback)

You walk up to the paperback rack, you see a book in paper from an author you've enjoyed, you see a title that catches your interest, a cover that bodes thrills and mystery and maybe a touch of horror, you read the back synopsis, nodding your head like, "I think this sounds REALLY good." You tuck it under your arm while breaking out your Barnes and Noble discount card, looking forward to getting into your comfy chair at home and being engulfed by a great story.

Finally, you arrive at your reading destination and enter the world of Creepers. 40 pages, "Ok, I'm with ya'." 80 pages, "Alright Dave let's get going now." 120 pages, "I don't think I can read another word of this." 160 pages, "I'm out 8 bucks and couldn't care less about any of these people." You shake your head, boot up your computer, head to Amazon and hope you can find something that's actually worth your time. Frankly, this book might qualify as a young adult mystery, but even there, if Creepers were the only option, I'd go buy a new video game for my kids.