Creepers Hardcover – September 30, 2005

As members of an urban explorer group infiltrate the abandoned Paragon Hotel, a straightforward crawl turns into a nightmare. The decrepit building isn't the only thing Balenger, Vinnie, Cora, and the rest of the creepers have to worry about. The explorers struggle against old loyalties, traumas, and unforeseen threats until finally, the hotel reveals its most dangerous and horrifying secret.This tightly wound tale by the author of First Blood, the man who practically invented the action thriller, was inspired by his own childhood wandering in abandoned places. You won't be able to put it down.I read this book in one sitting and had a heck of a good time. I hope you do too.

Quick read, and quick paced. Very predictable though. Wanted an adventure and not a standard shoot 'em up. This is that something different. The prose is splendid, as it always is with David Morrell, and the concept is marvelous, again as it always is with David Morrell. The plot, however, just doesn't take off, and the twists...you can see them coming. Without giving too much away, the main character's backstory and it's reveal, is underwhelming, and possibly pointless. (He doesn't need special motivation. It adds nothing to the story.) Similarly, the bad guys, all of them, are stock characters and don't seem plausible.I like Morrell's work - and he's an award winning top seller - but the "take off" being better than the "landing" is something I feel happens several times in his stories.Still, if you haven't read a ton and you want something that's out of a B movie to amuse you on that airplane trip you're taking, then consider this.Best work by David Morrell is "Brotherhood of the Rose" and if you want something that keeps the mind as well as the senses going - for beyond that airplane ride - I'd go with that.

Stephen King, whose endorsement prominently graces the cover of this book, once described himself as a writer of "plain fiction for plain folks, the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and a large fries from McDonalds." I find that quote ironic after re-reading Creepers, as it applies much more aptly to author David Morrell than it does to King himself. Make no mistake -- this is an "airport book". This is something you read waiting on a flight, or in a doctor's office, or really just whenever you have a few hours to kill. The prose is not great - in the last 60 pages especially, Morrell kicks the adjectives into overdrive, clearly powering his way through the conclusion before writer's fatigue sets in. That said, this isn't a BAD book -- it's just a mediocre one. And while I normally would have scored this three stars, it turned out to be an airport book in a very specific time in my life when I needed an airport book badly. So for that lingering nostalgia, Creepers gets an extra star. It's certainly no worse than any other book to grace the New York Times bestseller list, and if you find yourself needing an airport book, you could certainly do worse. Give it a shot if you get the chance.

This is the fourth of five Morrell books I have purchased and read to completion. A fifth was so bad that I stopped 30% into the book. These are books by recipe, and are rarely well-researched or compelling. I recognize that he has made a lot of money with both books and movie deals, but that isn't the only metric I use. I would like my imagination to be tickled, and I don't mind a surprise or two either. He has never delivered for me, and I will leave the remainder of his writings off of my reading list.

This book is somewhat predictable. And there are more than one too many plot twists in the end and quite a few unanswered questions, the characterizations are not terribly deep, but good enough for a plot driven, adventure story.What makes this a four rather than three star read is the evocative description of the setting and the very interesting premise and plot. As a native Philadelphian, the Jersey shore is my second home, and while South Jersey remains a bustling series of resort towns, the abandonment and decay of the legendary Asbury Park is an intriguing setting. An old, fantastically ornate hotel has endless possibilities, some of which are not fully exploited, but others are.I do not as a rule read fiction, but I am fascinated by adventures I will never undertake due to my health, such as investigating old buildings and hiking the Appalachian trail. This book was mentioned in an issue of Weird N.J. and I had to read it simply because the subject was so similar to many of their articles on urban explorations (usually with permission!).I finished it in one day because I had to know how it all turned out, and I was a little frustrated by some unanswered questions about the antagonist, but it was an enjoyable read. I will be reading the sequel because the main character is interesting, although the reviews of Scavenger are not as good as this the reviews of this book.

Starts as a basic novel investigating an abandoned hotel, built by an eccentric hermit, but quickly turns violent. The first murder is startling, but the second is completely out of left field and ultimately introduces the primary villain. I have to scoff at the continuing way the main character keeps changing his story, it was a little trite. And finally I have to say I'd have liked a better explanation for the mutated rats and cat, extra appendages don't just spontaneously occur en masse.

David Morrell is the highly successful action writer who, yet again, delivers a good thriller. Morrell is easy to read and hard to put down.A group of "creepers" get together for their annual exploration into a deserted building, which this time is a hotel that was owned by a rich recluse. But the group get more action than they bargained for.The central charactor is Balenger a journalist who has joined the tight group of urban explorers led by Professor Conklin. As the story unfolds we get to know more about both of them, and more about the building.The adventure is definitely full of unexpected twists and turns which pulls you on through to the very end. A good addition to the Morrell library, but he has produced more pulsating action thrillers.

Bought as a present for father, as he loves reading books by this author. He was very pleased with his gift.

A really spooky and fun read with lots of twists and turns, I highly recommend it if you like a good thriller

It turns out David Morell can write great horror / thriller stories as well as the action espionage stories, he is famous for. A gripping story of survival against the odds in a deserted and dangerously unstable building where a group of explorers find themselves using their wits and determination to stay alive.

A book which transports you into the story. You almost feel you are there. Certainly kept me rivited from start to finish.