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Christian H. Smith
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The Black Monkey (Bloody Bakersfield Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Christian H. Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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The children of Bakersfield, Illinois have buried a stuffed monkey in a cornfield every Halloween for decades. The same night that ten-year-old Jess first witnesses the mysterious ritual, his older sister Paula is brutally murdered.

Paula is only the first victim of the “Snowman,” a serial killer stalking the children of Bakersfield. Jess believes the monkey ritual is the key to stopping the murders and uncovers the secrets of the century-old tradition. But the black magic of the monkey might be more evil than the killer he has called it up to stop.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    193 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    June 16, 2015
  5. File size
    5776 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YHJQIT2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Permuted Press (June 16, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 16, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5776 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 193 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the author

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Christian H. Smith

Christian H. Smith

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Christian H. Smith is a novelist and screenwriter living in the dark, corn-fed heart of the Midwest. "The Black Monkey" and "Bloody Bloody Bakersfield" are the first two installments in the future cult classic "Bloody Bakersfield" series. Check out christianhsmith.com for more info!

Christian is also co-writer of the upcoming feature-length horror film, Witch Child. http://witchchildmovie.com/

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

tashabouvier
5.0 out of 5 stars More please!
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
This series was really engaging, thrilling, funny and scary. I’m super impressed and I wish there was a book 4! I will gobble up anything Christian Smith writes from now on!
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D.Q.
5.0 out of 5 stars Original, dark Midwestern tale
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2015
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Really enjoyed this original, dark, Midwestern tale written from the point of view of a young boy. It captures the wonders of childhood while describing chilling crimes of a supernatural nature. I found it suspenseful as I wondered how the kids would seek justice, reminding me of the adults in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Look forward to more from Christian H. Smith!
One person found this helpful
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Breeanya J Hinkel
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative, Creepy Page Turner
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
What a creative, creepy and page turning debut novel. This book was full of interesting character stories as well as the dark, ominous, thrilling part of the grey and black monkey saga. I couldn't put it down once I began and can't wait to read more by this author.
One person found this helpful
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Not Often a Fan of Horror
5.0 out of 5 stars Inventive debut novel.
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
Very inventive plot with good pacing. A real page turner with a touching finale. Looking forward to the second in the series.
One person found this helpful
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Christian H Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
It is such an amazing read! I am looking forward to more books from this author!
2 people found this helpful
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Jason Quigley
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative, well paced and well worth your money and time!
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2018
To keep it nice and simple, I loved it.

Now I’ll ramble for those looking for more. I have always loved to read, but my preferences have traditionally leaned hard towards non-fiction, first and foremost, followed by modern fiction, but not in the horror genre. Before you die hard horror fans write off my opinion, I do want to mention that during my preteen and teen years (starting in early 80’s) I managed to rent and watch nearly every horror film on the video store shelves and was a devoted Fangoria reader. I am not claiming to be an expert but when someone says horror, I got an idea of what they’re talking about.

So back to the matter at hand, I had some time this weekend to dive into Blank Money, which I had bought a few weeks back, and discovered a very well-crafted, well-paced novel that was hard to put down. I don’t force myself to read junk or a book I was inspired to buy, for whatever reason, but that doesn’t catch my attention once I have given it what I consider a fair shot. For me, Black Monkey was sincerely a page turner.

Within the first chapter I was seeing life through the eyes of Mark, the main character. I felt his emotions and became good friend with Jess, Mark’s best friend in the story. The main and secondary characters were well developed in my opinion; the scenes were well set with the right amount of subtle detail, my imagination was steadily sparked, and I felt a part of the story from the first page to the last.

As for being labeled a horror story, Black Monkey delivered. I got anxious at times. I felt worry at peak moments in the story for what was just around the corner, and my adrenaline pumped more than once. Lastly, I appreciate that the story was complex enough I often didn’t know what was coming next.

Black Monkey is worth your money and time, and I look forward to the next read from Christian H. Smith.
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K. A. Y.
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Bloody Bakersfield....
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2015
THE BLACK MONKEY, by Christian Smith is the first book in the “Bloody Bakersfield” series. Normally first person point of view is a hard sell for me. When utilizing this approach where you get narration based on a sole character’s perspective, the author HAS to make the reader become emotionally invested in this person. I am very pleased to say that Christian Smith pulled this off flawlessly, in my own opinion.

Our main character, who is the voice of the entire story, is ten-year-old Mark. We begin when Mark’s best friend, the charismatic Jess, extends his older brother’s invitation that he and Mark may observe the traditional “burying of the gray monkey” ritual on Halloween. Although none of the participants are quite sure of the origin of this rite, it has been done for as long as anyone can remember.

After this year’s observation, however; things immediately begin to go horribly wrong for the residents of Bakersfield.

We learn through Mark, that his best friend Jess is certain that the tragedies befalling the town have to do with the buried monkey somehow.

The pacing of this novel is simply perfect–the fear and action never seem to let up. In between, the characterization is impressively set. Viewed through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, we get to know many of the people, their families, and their own individual problems. I cared for each of these people, and could see them vividly in my mind as I read along.

A horrific tale, involving elements of supernatural horror, mystery, and intrigue, this book will keep your mind racing through each and every part. I particularly enjoyed the author’s conclusion to this novel, and couldn’t envision anything else in its place.

A strong, solid read that will take you away to Bakersfield–whether you want to go or not…

Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

chettsgenie
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Captivating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
'The Black Monkey' is a tale of small town murders and voodoo spells, told through the first person narrative of a ten-year-old boy.

I picked this up because it looked and sounded really cool and different. I expected it to be entertaining, but it was so much more than that. I'm so glad I started reading when I didn't have anything else to do as I got pulled straight into the story and tore through the book within a quick couple of hours, not putting it down until it was finished. I will definitely be reading the next book this author writes, as quickly as I can get my greedy hands on it! I was captivated by the ideas in the story and I felt everything the characters went through as if I was going through it with them. The ending was satisfying and I was left uplifted in spite of the emotional wringer the book put me through.

In short, this was an amazing read I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an excellent, unusual story with a dark subject matter. I was blown away by how good this was. Can't wait for book two!
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