Lakebed by Chris Coppel
We've all visited places and dreamt of moving there. Kris and Ryan don't just settle for the dream. Life has become difficult in Los Angeles. After receiving a surprise invitation to visit an animal sanctuary in Southern Utah, they drive 500 miles and enter an entirely different world surrounded by natural beauty and majestic creatures. They fall in love with the people, the concept and the location. Within three weeks they move to the sanctuary and begin their new, stress-free lives. They are living the dream.
The problem with dreams is that they can so easily turn into unspeakable nightmares.
FIVE STARS: Animal Rescue: The Road To H3ll Is Paved With Good Intentions “This book was a mindbender. The prologue hit hard, afterwards tainting every moment the couple shared, no matter how ordinary, with a sense of dread. Expecting, but not knowing where and when the jump scares were going to appear had me holding my breath. I couldn't help but root for Ryan and Kris. They were nice people and a nice couple. Chris Coppel endowed each with little quirks that humanized them and deepened their characters. The dialogue was good and the world-building was even better. I could see the desolate beauty of the scenery without ever having been there. And I could similarly sense that there was something very wrong with everything about the place, the animals, and their coworkers. I even caught myself yelling warnings to Ryan and Kris, like "No!," "Stop!," and "What are you doing!?" As if I could save them... I read a free advanced readers' copy of Lakebed, courtesy of the author, publisher, and NetGalley, but I don't owe them anything but thanks. My honest opinion is that this is a well-written and unusual book in the horror genre and I recommend it highly!”
FIVE STARS: If you don't adapt up here, the canyon will expel you “The best kind of horror is the bone chilling kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night so you can check the windows and doors…again. Chris Coppel delivers that and more in Lakebed. The invitation comes when Ryan Cooper, an administrator at UCLA, and his wife Kris, a book editor who works from home, are ready to give up on LA. The noise, the traffic and problems with his job have left them frustrated and angry. So when they are invited to visit the For Paws animal sanctuary in a remote part of Utah, they accept. A lucrative job offer for Ryan with the bonus of part time work for Kris follows and within weeks they are living in a rent free home with magnificent views next to friendly neighbors. What comes next will have you turning pages at a breakneck pace, pausing only to check that nothing is behind you. Lakebed is horror fiction at its best! The realistic setting pulls you in, the characters are well described and believable. A fast paced plot moves the story quickly to an exciting conclusion. I’m looking forward to a movie! 5 stars”
FIVE STARS: A Murder at the For Paws Animal Sanctuary in Lakebed Canyon “California author Chris Coppel is the author of many screenplays and has taught advanced screenwriting at UCLA. He is also an accomplished drummer and guitarist. His chosen genre for this novels is horror stories and to date he has published FAR FROM BURDEN DELL, LUCK, THE LODGE, LEGACY, and now LAKEBED. And pay close attention to the art on the book’s cover…
It is refreshing to encounter an author who is able to transport the reader into the realm of terror with the facility that Chris Coppel has achieved. The story he weaves in LAKEBED is as visual and compelling as the experience of sitting in a movie theater during a scary film. The mystery and momentum of the story is suggested in the opening chapter: ‘She didn’t know how to swim yet she knew she had to somehow to stay afloat. The water was freezing cold and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe normally. It felt as if her chest was being compressed by the dark icy fluid. She was able to keep her new baby afloat on h e black water as he was trapped into an interwoven reed carrier. The wood was just buoyant enough to stay on the surface with only an occasional lift from her. She could sense the others surrounding her in the blackness but she could see nothing. None were speaking. They couldn’t. They knew that making any sounds could reveal their position in the lake to the evil ones….’
This strange entre introduces a story that is spellbinding, as the plot summery suggests: ‘We've all visited places and dreamt of moving there. Kris and Ryan don't just settle for the dream. Life has become difficult in Los Angeles. After receiving a surprise invitation to visit an animal sanctuary in Southern Utah, they drive 500 miles and enter an entirely different world surrounded by natural beauty and majestic creatures. They fall in love with the people, the concept and the location. Within three weeks they move to the sanctuary and begin their new, stress-free lives. They are living the dream. The problem with dreams is that they can so easily turn into unspeakable nightmares.’
Fast paced and well sculpted, this is a horror story that rises to the top of the genre. Chris Coppel is an author with the gift! Recommended.”
FIVE STARS: Bone-Chilling Page-Turner “Chris Coppel’s “Lakebed” is a bone-chilling page-turner that finds the prolific author channeling the best elements of his previous work into what just might be his most gripping novel yet.
Desperately in need of a change of pace, couple Ryan and Kris decide to throw caution to the wind when they accept an unexpected invitation to move across the country to a Utah-based animal sanctuary (the cleverly named 'For Paws Animal Society'). Unfortunately, the couple soon realizes that what initially seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime came with strings attached. What follows is a suspense-laden mystery driven by a cast of complicated characters with shrouded intentions—one that finds our protagonists in a fight for their lives.
With a trio of genre-bending thrillers already under his belt (including the mind-blowing “Legacy”), Coppel has clearly refined his voice, imbuing “Lakebed” with a restrained confidence that only serves to underscore the ominous sense of horror permeating this narrative. Keeping in line with the prolific author’s previous work, “Lakebed” pairs an intriguing premise and a ‘simmer-to-a-boil’ pace to great effect. Ryan and Kris, in particular, just might be his most authentic characters yet, providing readers a vicarious glimpse into their horrific circumstances.
Part mystery, part horror, and part tale of survival, “Lakebed” delivers on multiple fronts—highly recommended.”
FIVE STARS: Living the Dream Life Isn't Always What It Seems “Chris Coppel definitely knows how to tell a story. He is also very descriptive in his writing that goes above and beyond bringing a reader into the story for them to see, feel, smell, and even hear what’s going on - like his descriptions of the canyon during a rain storm or the way it looks during the day. I read another book by Coppel, and knew this one would be just as good.
In “Lakebed,” you meet protagonists Kris and Ryan who come from LA city life to work for a non-profit animal sanctuary in the middle of a canyon in Utah. They uprooted their entire life for a good cause and to be one with nature. They thought they were living the dream, but not everything is as it seems.
As I said previously, Coppel has a way with words. The only problem I had with this book was that it had a rather slow start. But all in all, this was a great read, with the ending coming at a fast pace making it hard for me to put down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a good thriller. Can’t wait to read more from this author.”
FIVE STARS: Goosbumps Mystery “Lakebed is a chilly mystery that gives you goosebumps with each page turn. The story revolves around a couple eager to find a decent home within a limited budget. As luck (or unluck) would have it they not only find a beautiful home (although with an eclectic interior) in their neighborhood but also gets an invitation to visit an animal sanctuary in a sleepy little town where they receive both warmth and hostility. Town's strange customs have them bewildered and at the receiving end of unfathomable happenings, only to be confronted by a deadly mystery that changes their lives forever (literally).
The story is fast-paced and engaging and sucks you right into the midst of the action. Some things are predictable while others came as shocks. The author ensured to provide a good closing so that readers like me felt satisfied that all mystery had been adequately addressed.”
FIVE STARS: Read in one sitting because I could not put it down “Lakebed by Chris Coppel mesmerizes readers as Ryan and Kris Cooper decide to leave the crime and traffic of California for a quieter life in Utah. Ryan was notified about a book he wrote from the CEO of For Paws Animal Society, asking him to join his team of animal activists. At first their jobs were ideal and wonderful. Slowly bizarre things begin to happen. A couple times a year you are not allowed out of your house after midnight. Their boss appears psychopathic. People begin to disappear and animals look as if they are diseased. The mood becomes toxic and they begin to feel evil is lurking around the bend. They are unsure if it is malicious devices of men, or the cannon which is haunted. Overall, this is a horror story that is sure to give you chills as you are glued to the pages.”
FIVE STARS: Interesting fast-paced mystery thriller. “When is an opportunity too good to be true? The protagonists find out fast when they accept an offer to go live at an animal sanctuary (of all places) and walk right into the middle of a murder mystery. They soon find themselves in over their heads and fighting to solve this mystery before they become victims themselves. If you are at all familiar with Stephen King, it's like the author took the short story Children of Corn and made a full-length novel for millennials out of it. Making a trope seem fresh and interesting again can be tough but, in the hands of a talented author, can be pulled off and this particular author manages to do it. Sure, it can be a little predictable at times (hey, that's what a trope is), but it does have enough twists to keep the reader interested..”
FIVE STARS: Survival of the fittest - a gripping tale “Lakebed is a spellbinding tale of a couple who decide to move across the country to an animal sanctuary for a change in scenery. What follows is a horrific story of survival. Ryan and Kris are as authentic as characters can get as they deal with mysterious characters amidst gruesome circumstances.
Chris Coppel is an acclaimed writer of the horror genre, but he outdoes himself in Lakebed. Coppel brilliantly intertwines horror with real-life drama. The visually compelling and fast-paced narrative keeps the readers on the edge of their seats. The horror coupled with an intriguing plot makes for a bone-chilling read - much like watching a horror movie in the cinema.”
FIVE STARS: Amazing Read “This novel will definitely get under your skin. When I started it, I couldn't help but feel like it was going to be tame. However, I was quickly put in my place as things began to change and I started to question everything about the world I was introduced to. The author has an incredible way with descriptions, which helps his story really stick with the reader. When I put the book down, I couldn't get it out of my head as I had to know what was going to happen next. I'd love to read it again, so I can pick up any details I may have overlooked, as there are so many amazing aspects to the novel. I highly recommend it.”
FIVE STARS: Great horror story “Lakebed is a fresh millennial iteration of the backwoods horror...you know, the one where those yuppie city slickers find the country home of their dreams...in a landscape of nightmares? The genre is basically an expanded version of the Children of Corn trope (a great short story by Stephen King, later made into a movie). This novel by Chris Coppel had some compelling nightmarish scenes that seemed genuinely scary or at least discomforting. A great telling of the classic tale that speaks to our fear of what lurks in the seemingly blissful boonies. Nice touches of Native American lore as well.”
FOUR STARS: You won't see the ending coming “Avid readers are rarely surprised about the plot of books anymore, almost all are predictable after the first few chapters. Coppel manages to weave an unforgettable narrative though that keeps readers in suspense and the ending is one that is sure to take readers by surprise. The action and horror is a slow build in this story but well worth the investment as readers follow Ryan and Kris to the remote canyons of Utah. Coppel shows real talent at creating enthralling and horrifying novels that continuously keep readers desperate for more.”
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