Night Worms were partying in quarantine Michael Clark’s book THE PATIENCE OF A DEAD MAN. Like most book parties, we were all of the board with this one. Some people loved the book, some people didn’t. The one thing we could all agree on is that Clark knows how to promote his book. I love that, after all of the book parties, I know which Night Worm I mostly agree with when I see their reviews. We really have every type of reader in our group.
We have some more amazing book parties coming up, so stay tuned. Until then, here are some blurbs from THE PATIENCE OF A DEAD MAN reviews and some of the photos that turned up on social media.
“Just turned in my review to SCREAM Magazine for THE PATIENCE OF A DEAD MAN by Michael Clark. I had high expectations for this book for a few reasons. One is that it has garnered the adoration of several of my favorite horror-loving friends (see all the 4-5 star reviews!) Two is that Michael made an amazing first impression with the review kit he sent out to reviewers with books 1 and 2. You will have to wait for my full review but I will say that this book scores high on the spooky, eerie, paranormal activity and scores a little low on some technical difficulties. The end result is that I believe in Michael Clark's ability and I'm excited for Book 2, DEAD WOMAN SCORNED.” -@mother.horror
“Everything from the story to the book’s format is unique. The cover, the illustrations, the journal entries, the rich setting, the backstory, and well-written characters make this creepy story so much fun to read. There are a lot of specific details to remember and refer to which can interrupt the pacing a bit so keep that in mind. It’s difficult to come up with something new when it comes to a popular trope like a haunted house story, but Clark manages to do a good job with it.” -@shereadswithcats
“Tense and atmospheric, THE PATIENCE OF A DEAD MAN, had me sitting on the edge of my seat during the final chapters. The ghosts are truly creepy, and the actions of one, in particular, are deeply disturbing. Clark holds nothing back, and in doing so creates a unique character so bent on revenge that all traces of humanity have disappeared. Fans of creepy, haunted farmhouses will thoroughly enjoy this slow-burning start of a trilogy. I know I couldn't put it down.” -@gowsy33
“Ghost stories and haunted houses are two of my absolute favorite tropes in horror fiction, and I started this one very eagerly, hoping to be spooked out of my mind. The story starts off very strong - the end of the first chapter left me wanting more! Unfortunately, the next 200 pages or so were difficult for me to get through, and this resulted in me feeling pretty mixed about my reading experience overall despite enjoying the last 60ish pages of the book.” -@holo.reader
“The story is a slow-burn mystery that lacks the cheap thrills that are not hard to come by in its subgenre. Sure, there are phantom footsteps and objects mysteriously being moved about the home however, we know exactly who/what is responsible, and it is just as, if not more, creepy. Clark does a wonderful job creating the atmosphere in this story.” -@keelyfuse85
“One of my favorites, if not my actual favorite, subgenres of horror, is the haunted house. That being said, you know that I was already primed to like this book. After all, it's about a haunted house. But, let me tell you, I devoured this book. I simply could not stop reading. I found so many things to love about this story.” - @teamredmon
“The Patience of a Dead Man got a rating of 4 / 5 stars from me. Readers searching for a chilling ghost story, look no further. Michael Clark put everything he's got into this trilogy and it shows. There is a bunch of extra material that helps enhance the reading experience to an already tense and suspenseful tale. Be mindful of your surroundings and keep the lights on while you read this one, you never know who or what could be watching… waiting…” -@thebookdad
“This book gets 5 stars from me - I love its Southern Gothic charm and the wit and passion of the characters involved. I loved the budding relationship and the way they both had each other (I am being vague because I want you to enjoy it just as it unfolds as I did). I can't wait to sink my teeth into Clark's sequel, DEAD WOMAN SCORNED.” -@findingmontauk1
“I loved the setting of the story; I grew up in rural New Hampshire in old houses and Michael Clark spends time on his descriptions, really painting a picture where I felt right at home. Then the pace picks up and suddenly things get a whole lot creepier than just a fly-covered lady with a hatchet. Unlike typical haunted house stories, this one is explained in the end (mostly! I need to read book 2 now) and there are lots of drawings to help the reader understand what's happening.” -@readswithdogs
“I just didn't love it as I hoped I might. It did redeem itself and I will give book two a shot. There is definitely a fair share of suspense and creep factor to keep you turning pages. Overall not perfect despite its quest to be such.” -@kamis_korner
“Clark’s foray into familiar genre conventions pays off. This is old-school horror storytelling at its finest. A modern gothic, if you enjoy these sorts of ghost stories you will love it. If you’re not looking for a dense, multilayered narrative, you may want to avoid.” -@thehorrorhypothesis
“I’m tagging Patience of a Dead Man with a personal entertainment value of 3/5, which on my scale is a positive score. I dug it, mostly. It’s a solid narrative with enjoyable characters. There’s a general air of anxiety about the book, a feeling of unease, that fun tingle of the scalp that appears when a book starts striking a nerve.” -@zakk.madness
“Boy oh, boy does this novel exude an eerie atmosphere. The setting is on point as well as the storyline. I loved the gothic tones set throughout. Following Tim and Holly, on their fight against ghosts, is a fun and creepy experience. I really enjoyed it for the most part. My only gripe with this novel is that its dialogue was a bit dull at times. The chemistry between the characters was really lacking, mostly due to the dialogue. With that being said, it wasn’t enough to first, make me stop reading it and second to stop me from enjoying it.” -@marcyreads
“When you get right down to it, Clark’s debut is a good, spooky book. I’d recommend it to fans of haunting tropes and I’m looking forward to picking up the second book in the series in the near future.” -@steelrainreviews
“I enjoyed the story. The micromanaging style of writing paired with unrealistic characterization detracted from the overall story, but the prevalent theme of these books comes through loud and clear. Sometimes a house can be haunted by something far worse than a mere ghost.” -@mrsbeverlygibbs
“I loved that good old classic gothic creepiness. I liked most of the characters and, though I thought the first half of the book dragged on a bit, it did pick up and have an overall fine pace. The number of fine details was just a bit too much for me.
I think that with the right editor, this book could have been amazing. I’m definitely going to check out book two at some point and hope for a little more freedom to interpret the story.” -@pageandparlor
