Corpse Rider

by Tim Curran

Christina is young, pretty and very alone. Her relationships seem cursed, each one turning to slow poison. Then one perfectly ordinary day, as an act of kindness, she pulls some weeds from an old derelict grave.

Now she's no longer alone.

For what has laid down in the cold black earth for decades has attached itself to her.

For it, she will be the perfect wife and, God help her, the perfect mother.

Genres: Horror, Supernatural

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2016

About the author

Tim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things.

For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.

Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Christina noticed an untended grave at the cemetery, she felt pity and pulled the weeds. Little did she know what horror would follow her home...

I've been a fan of Tim Curran and his horror novellas for years so I had to snap this up once I whittled the unread pile down a bit.

The Corpse Rider is part psychological suspense, part ghost story, and I'd have to throw body horror into the mix as well. Christina's one act of pity sees her terrorized by a ghost and its even more horrible progeny.

What do you do when a ghost leaves you creepy ass gifts, saying what a good mother you'll make? Freak the shit out, that's what, as Christina understandably does. With her friends Nancy and Office Crews at her side, she tries to get to the bottom of things so she can fight off the thing making her life a living hell or die trying.

I think Curran hit every color in the horror prism in this one. There's a nagging creepiness, suspense, body horror, and some nasty ass shit. Corpse Rider joins Sow as one of the only horror tales to actually make me slightly nauseous.

I really liked the gravedigger and all the background behind the thing stalking Christina. It gave the tale an extra dimension that sent it climbing out of the corpse-haunted grave that spawned it and put it on a pedestal. While not for the squeamish, Corpse Rider isn't one to be missed. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back somewhere in the mists of time, somewhere in the eighties, I recall watching a movie titled "Basket Case". That is what quickly sprang to mind as I was reading "Corpse Rider" by Tim Curran Not that they are in anyway similar except for perhaps one thing. The movie is about this guy seeking revenge for the unwanted surgery that separated him from his deformed conjoined twin brother. There were also two sequels made to the movie.

And the one line that sticks out from the movie is that the question is asked of the guy, "What's in the basket ?", and he answers "My brother". Now, in the scheme of things this was hilarious.

Not wanting for this to be a movie review, let me now categorically state there is no basket in this book anywhere. However there is a jar used as a substitute.

Tim Curran puts his own spin of things without owing anyone anything. No one does dead better that Mr. Corran. He includes his oft used grave worms and their larvae, masses of flies, and situations quickly spinning out of control.

This is a fun read sprinkled with a moderate amount of horror.

Recommended.

This is copy 15 of 100 signed and numbered copies signed by Tim Curran.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the Seventeenth book by Tim I have read. And I have to say I enjoyed reading them all. It started back in 2007 when I bought Dead Sea and I have been buying all his books since. DarkFuse has been publishing most of his books since 2012, about ten of them give or take. The main character in Corpse Rider is a woman named Christina. Whose life has not been going so good. She has fell in love three times in the last four years, all of them had been unfaithful to her. The story starts out with her visiting her mothers grave for the first time in three years. While looking around she seen this gravestone on a weedy plot. On the stone it read Charles David Slick 1907 - 1956 Beloved Son. She decides to clean it up a little by pulling some of the weeds. Then all of a sudden she got this chill like someone was breathing down her neck. She looked around but saw no one. But twenty feet away behind two gravestones hid someone in a woolen overcoat, vine colored scarf and green plaid hat. Now she sees him, he is holding something in the crook of his arm coverd in a blanket. He says to her " what a fine mother you shall be". Then everything started spining on her and she past out in the grass. Later she gets this card with a dirty finger print on it. It read, Dearest Mother from your Devoted One. Then later on she finds this gold necklace with a cameo pendant hanging on her door knob. When she opens it dirt falls out from inside it. Inside it read Mother, Dearly Beloved. Will stop here, If this doesn't peek your interest then somethings wrong. Just like most of his books he has this talent to create this eerie creepy feeling while your reading the book. All his books are well written and have a great storyline. This book was no different. I gave Corpse Rider 4 1/2 stars.


I received an e-arc of this book from DarkFuse in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

CORPSE RIDER, by Tim Curran is yet another example of just how well this author can come up with the most riveting, unnerving, and UNIQUE story lines time and time again. Even when using a variation of a theme that has been done before (and let's face it, there isn't much that hasn't), Curran is able to rise above the bar and make his story stand out among any other. He uses details, expressions, and atmosphere to bend the idea to something that is uniquely his own. This is the reason a new release by Tim Curran is something I've come to greatly anticipate.

We begin our story with Christina, a single, 30 year old woman, visiting her mother's gravesite. Immediately we are shown that she is fresh from another disastrous relationship, and resigned to the fact that she would rather be alone than take another chance on a partnership.
". . . all the trust had been squeezed out of her and what was left behind was cold and lonely and possibly empty, but it was also safe . . . no chance of pain, no flirtation with disaster . . . just the uneasy silence of solitude . . ."

Without even thinking about it, she begins to pull up the weeds from around an untended grave near her. A simple, kind gesture that was not intended to be anything more. . .

But this is a Tim Curran novella, and of course, the worst can--and WILL--happen.

When Christina first glimpses the corpse-man cradling an unnatural, yet live, monstrosity, she assumes she imagined the incident--including the comment about her making a good mother. When the unease and sense of being watched doesn't abate, she confides in her best friend, Nancy. All too soon, she realizes that her friend will not see or feel what is happening, since it is all for Christina, alone to bear.

". . . Christina figured Nancy was not part of it, she had not been invited to the game and she was not allowed to play . . . "

Throughout the course of this novella, Christina delves into the mystery surrounding her. Curran's vivid descriptions leave nothing to the imagination! The horrors that he commits to paper become virtually alive within our minds. The more we learn, the stronger the hold on the reader becomes.

A master storyteller with a new story to tell--you may not want to turn the lights out afterwards.

Highly recommended!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So kind. So caring. What a fine mother you shall be.”

Christina does a good deed. While typically, I am a fan of trying to do good deeds, in this particular case it just didn’t work out for Christina because she just attached herself to something evil that wants to call her Mommy. Damn you, good deeds!

A creepy and uber descriptive ghost story that wastes very little time with fluff and just takes off and steamrolls you to the finish line.

Curran is an absolute master when it comes to gag inducing descriptive prose. The guy is amazing. This passage should be on a Hallmark card. Beware – may be a spoiler, maybe not, but if you haven’t read it yet…be warned. …was living corpse mulch, a writhing, hissing soup of carrion steaming with noisome gases and bubbling with hungry meatflies. She was an eruption of maggots and rivers of yellow pus and puddling black corpse drainage. Her flesh was like dozens of slithering jellyfish intertwining and gushing with putrescence and giving birth to thousands of wiggling graveworms with suckering mouths. And beneath that roiling, repellent decay, she glared out at them with a bulging meat-pink eyeball that was glistening and purple-veined like an unfertilized egg, her mouth a ragged and screaming toothless chasm. She crept. She oozed. She wriggled. F*ck, man. That is awesome. *barfs a little in the mouth*

So, yeah, Curran is a badass. Love his work. There was even stuff in here that I had to go and check out on the internet. Damn you, internet!



Thanks, Tim. Some things you just cannot unsee. Now, you can’t either…

You’re welcome.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago, thanks to the Horror Aficionados group on Goodreads, I discovered a new-to-me author when it was suggested I check out Dead Sea by Tim Curran. I don’t remember which awesome reader suggested it, but I owe that person a huge, hearty thank you. I devoured that book and instantly bought a bunch more of Curran’s titles to add to my TBR, and have been a fan ever since.

His latest, Corpse Rider, is a hearty ghost story that exemplifies the notion that no good deed goes unpunished. While visiting her mother’s grave, Christina picks away the weeds from an older, long-untended headstone. This minor act upends her life, connecting her with the spirit of something hideous. While it’s certainly bad news for Christina, it’s a lot of good for readers.

Curran has remarkable skill at crafting disturbing scenes of grotesqueness and violence, and a few of the visuals he stuck in my head here will be with me for a while. Christina makes for a nicely flawed heroine, and the story surrounding her is rooted in an appropriately creepy historical context. Mostly, though, this is just a cool, gory, little ghost story (it comes in at around a smidge over 100 pages), and if you’re looking for a breezy read to help kick off some October scares leading up to Halloween, this is a great place to start.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christina was visiting her mother's grave when a nearby headstone surrounded by weeds caught her eye. It saddened her that it wasn't taken care of and kept up like all the others. She decided to clear the weeds and tidy it up. It all seemed so innocent. A good deed, really. But there was more to that grave site than the surname of CHARLES SLICK overgrown by foliage. The Slick family isn't known in these parts by many anymore. Except Frank, the cemetary's custodian. He knows about the family and the dirty secrets they harbor, even after all these years. Poor Christina. All she was doing was a good deed for a family she didn't know. Too bad that good deed would unleash the Slick's family secret on her and her life would never be the same.

Corpse Rider is a fun, fast-paced tale that keeps the pages turning at a blinding speed. Curran weaves a bit of gothic horror mixed with 1980's B-horror movie fun. The obvious comparisons to the early 80's movie, Basket Case, permeate the story. However, it is not a soulless derivative. Curran constructs a great story mixed with some memorable characters that breathes new life into an old classic. Very much worth your time.


5 Belials out of 5


You can also follow my reviews at the following links:

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...

[Mommacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title may sound like a western, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

CORPSE RIDER is Tim Curran at his hellish best. He is descriptively gruesome, graphically horrendous and expertly paints nightmarish thoughts for the reader to ponder upon closing your kindle. This is the stuff that screams are made of.

I'll be reading this again. The writing and storyline are excellent. It's easily in my top ten books of the year.

I received my copy from the publisher at Darkfuse. This is a must read for all horror fans.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novella from the publisher. Darkfuse is a publisher of original horror and crime fiction (often noir) and can be counted on for stories that break the mold of popular mainstream fiction.

I have read quite a few of Curran’s other books and I will say he is hit and miss with me. His work is all over the spectrum, from more or less traditional ghost stories that incorporate references and themes from classics, to “B” monster romps, to outright extreme horror. He certainly doesn’t repeat himself. Perhaps his versatility is one reason why his stories are often hit or miss. I would certainly tell you if you don’t like one of his stories, you shouldn’t hesitate to try another.

This one worked for me. Wow, is it dark. Even more dark because some of the medical conditions described are not only real, but much more horrifying than described. The story line is quite original too: a kindly young woman decides to clean up a neglected grave and something awful clings to her and follows her home. Yeah, that got me too---and the story is just as creepy as advertised. Warning, you need a strong stomach and nerve for this one. Fair warning.

4 Stars.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a longtime fan of well known, author Tim Curran. Some of my favorite books or novellas are Sow, Blackout and Doll Face which scared the “Hell “out of me with just endless, unsuspected terror. Lately, haven’t read anything on that level for a while, until now. Well, right from the first few pages he grabs and pulls you into his world with a raw vision that your mind will not be able to process yet. So, I suggest not reading this novella at night because it will have wondering what’s lurking in the shadows or underneath you bed. This story goes way beyond just a simple haunting with cold chills in the room. It’s more of a very terrifying, claustrophobic, stalking and possession that will definitely freak you out. If you believe in the paranormal world, then the plot could be very plausible. Even the “curse” has a well-documented medical history that can be researched. The title and cover of the book fit’s it perfectly, which depicts the monstrous entity, that will dig in its slimy claws and teeth. Then literally suck the life out you until you become one. The ending was a shocking, gross, horrific battle in claiming a new bride. That came with a Wedding Ceremony, Witness and Thank You Gifts for attending. For some it may be an everlasting image.



Christina Fortenay is a very pretty, but lonely girl. With 3 long term, heartbroken relationships behind her she has given up on dating and finding love. That fateful day will have visiting her Mother’s grave site with that longing for the relationship they never had. You see her Mother’s ideology was different from hers and thru the years became estranged. When turns to leave, she is drawn to a poorly attended Gravestone, marked Charles, David Slick, 1907-1956, Beloved Son. Finding it “disgraceful” over the state of being, she bends down to pull some weeds, then leaves her Mother’s Lilies up against the stone. Saying out loud, “Just so you know you’re not forgotten”. This kind gesture will be the beginning of her darkest fears and nightmares. Finally, now she has found love and will always be remembered.



This story is a great way to start off your October, reading. I dare you to open the pages.



I like to Thank Dark Fuse Publishing for the advanced e-copy

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the years Tim Curran has become one of the best horror authors. Corpse Rider is another great read from an author that should be considered in the same light as the top authors in horror. Corpse Rider isn't a new concept, there have been other books with a similar theme but Curran's voice makes it unique.

Corpse Rider by Tim Curran

I love novellas and many people think that it's the perfect form for a horror story. In novella length, the author only needs the most interesting and terrifying pieces and doesn't wander off on multiple subplots. The plot of Corpse Rider works perfectly in novella length and the pacing is great as s result.

The story starts out with Christina ( the protagonist) visiting the grave of her mother when she makes contact with another gravestone and a stranger holding something close in the nook of his arm, “So kind. So caring. What a fine mother you shall be.”. Her life isn't the same after that. Christina's well-meaning friend, Nancy, attempts to help after noticing her strange behavior but the burden is Christina's alone. From that point, the book gets darker and darker and the descriptions more vivid and terrifying. Dark family secrets, strange happenings, and strange people make up the bulk of this great read.

Corpse Rider has a solid modern Lovecraftian bend to it and will not disappoint those that love works of that influence. At this point, I'm still dumbfounded that Curran hasn't won or even been nominated for any major awards (that I'm aware of). Perhaps Corpse Rider will be the first one to get enough attention to garner at least a nomination.

Conclusion

If you don't like creepy little things, dark secrets and vivid prose you should look elsewhere for your thrills. If a Lovecraftian bend on creeping dread turns you on, then Corpse Rider by Tim Curran is the book to buy. Best of all, and with many of the great Dark Fuse titles, you can read this terrifying little ditty for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription or pay a small $2.99 for a big fright.

[Heidi Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I've never read Tim Curran before - Corpse Rider is exactly the kind of horror that would have caused me sleepless nights, which I secretly loved, had I encountered it in my teens. (The Shining's dead lady in the bathtub prevented me from peeing at night for weeks. Good times.) In In this tale about a young woman who attracts the wrong kind of attention in return for a good deed at a cemetery, Curran conjures pure malevolence in a bloated, oozing sac, and it's delightfully sick. Also vividly imagined and colorfully described - his evocation of pure dread is particularly affecting. Not for everybody, but if you like a splattering of gore and rot with your terrifying haints, spend an afternoon with Corpse Rider.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Curran's newest novella is a straightforward story of a woman who is haunted to the point of madness by a malevolent spirit she inadvertently interests. Much of the horror takes place in dreams or in real world situations that seem dreamlike, giving Mr. Curran the opportunity to use his exceptional skills to draw the reader in to a nightmarish world. Honestly I didn't care very much about the character of Christina, so the otherworldly parts were what did it for me in Corpse Rider.

Corpse Rider is a quick read that will appeal to fans of all types of horror. There are some gruesome descriptions but nothing over the top or "extreme." Four stars, recommended.

[Abigail Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don’t have a lot of time, but need a quick scare, Tim Curran’s Corpse Rider is a great read and definitely fits into the horror genre. When I first picked this one up, which I received as a gift, I was a little dismayed at its length: a paltry 108 pages total. Given my reading speed, that’s about two hours of my time and I tend to find that short works leave something to be desired by the time I finish them. In this case, Curran stunned me: he not only brings into existence a creature so disturbing as to give me the willies, but also wraps it up beautifully: there is nothing left to wonder after the story has concluded.

Christina is your average woman, nearing the age of thirty with no husband, no children, and a job that, though boring, pays the bills. Her days are spent at work, spending time with her friend and co-worker, Nancy, and visiting her mother’s grave. One day, while at the cemetery paying her respects, Christina decides that to do something good and selfless: clear the neglected grave of a tombstone that clearly hasn’t received any visitors in years. From there, Christina finds herself caught up in a nightmare that she cannot free herself from.

Charles Slick was, in life, an unfortunate man. Doomed to bear his family’s curse, he gained unsavory attention from those around him. As he descended into his own personal madness, things around him began to go wrong, and in the end, he was never given the eternal rest that we are promised.

Curran visits upon Christina horrors of the worst sort: ones that, as a young woman haunted by what her mother wanted for her, succeeded in making my skin crawl. In this short work, Curran has woven the dark history of a family that is so hauntingly detailed that, if he wanted to, he could easily expand it into something much, much longer. In fact, I’d watch a movie based on Corpse Rider.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ewww! Excellent skin crawler by Tim Curran. A young woman pulls weeds from a grave near her mom's only to be terrorized and romantically pursued by its decaying occupant and the shambling and deformed lump of flesh previously attached twin. Definitely E.C. Comic worthy material. Highly recommended.

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book. not as good of some of his others, but still a really good read.

[Chris Berko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid story from Tim Curran. His stuff never disappoints.

[mel toland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly perfect!

What a treat! This is a nearly perfect little horror gem! Begs to be read in one sitting, and is just the right length. Give yourself a Halloween gift and read this tale!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do like the story, and I'm now certainly willing to see what else the author has written, as others rave about him, I found this story to be all over the place with a somewhat weak ending.

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cemetery, ghouls, and a deranged woman are all tied to this novella. A woman Christina would do anything to avoid a rotting man and his baby.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic grotesque imagery

Curran writes a starkly vivid nightmarish novella, one for the ages. I hate to use the comparison because this novella is original but very Lovecraftian. Highly recommended.

[David Hollen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Halloween horror

This one got under my skin. After reading so much horror, you can get used to all the usual tropes. But Curran picks them up and reshapes them into something fresh, or should I say rotten, fetid, stinking crawling horror. This is scary shit!

[Karren321 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cant believe the high rating of this book

I didnt find it interesting, or scary - just gross

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Christina is young and alone. Her every relationship seems cursed, each one slowly turning to poison. The only one that doesn't seem to have soured is the one with her co-worker.

Christina is also at times kind. When visiting her mother's grave, she notices a nearby grave left derelict. Thinking she is helping, she pulls the weeds growing around and tidies the tombstone up a bit.

Her simple act of kindness causes someone to notice and Christina realizes she is no longer alone. For what was laid to rest beneath that stone has attached itself to her and to it she will be the perfect wife. And, God help her, the perfect mother.

Corpse Rider by Tim Curran is the perfect creepy story to start off the month of October with. It is a short story - more a novella than a novel - and is therefore a fairly quick read.

This is the first book by Curran that I have read, but judging from his titles on GoodReads, he has a flair for the strange. His books run the gambit and it looks like his readers love them.

Corpse Rider is very much a psychological book. Written in a way that makes the reader wonder just how much is real and how much is in Christina's mind. Did she really see a figure in black on that hot, sunny day in the cemetery? Was there really a hearse driven by that same figure at her work a few days later? As Christina is the only one seeing these things, one cannot help but wonder if perhaps she is going insane.

At times, it certainly feels that way. Every one around her is skeptical as there simply isn't any proof. No proof until the very, very end.

I won't go too far in to what happens next because to do so will ruin the ending for any one who decides to read this. Personally, I recommend it to my readers. Especially to those who like a good, creepy read. So grab your favorite hot drink, a warm fuzzy blanket, and curl up with this great thriller.