Smolder by Michael R. Goodwin

Eric Roth has lost everything from his marriage to the deam house he worked for years to buy. With only days remaining until his house is foreclosed, Eric is trying to drink away his despair and anger.

Eric decides to take a walk in the woods next to his house to clear his head. It's after dark, he has no cell phone service, and he is very drunk. He is also not alone in the wood. It's definitely not a good combination.

The novella is part cosmic horror and psychological suspense/thriller with an emphasis on horror. I really like the idea of ancient Beings and the vastness of space... the unknown. The subplot of psychological trauma adds another element the story itself. It can be hard to create vivid 3 dimensional characters and set the background in a novella but the author fleshed out the characters and managed to set the scene. I really enjoyed reading the novella. I want to thank Michael R. Goodwin for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars