The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake, a rural cabin community in western Pennsylvania, for an idyllic weekend getaway. Some fishing, some barbecue, some games...

The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games - though not necessarily the type of games the Lamberts had in mind.

But it doesn't matter. The Lamberts are going to play whether they like it or not.

An intense psychological thriller, Bad Games has the dark, mind-bending terror of Cape Fear combined with the fish-out-of-water dread and suspense of Deliverance.

So let Jeff Menapace's best-selling thriller keep you up all night as it delves into the mystery of nature versus nurture when comprehending the evil in man, along with the will and determination an innocent family must summon to fight back against horrific odds.

Bonus! Includes the first chapter of the pulse-pounding sequel, Vengeful Games.

Listening Length

8 hours and 4 minutes
Author

Jeff Menapace
Narrator

Gary Tiedemann
Audible release date

March 27, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Mind Mess Press
ASIN

B00VBO9I3O
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 4 minutes
Author	Jeff Menapace
Narrator	Gary Tiedemann
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	March 27, 2015
Publisher	Mind Mess Press
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00VBO9I3O
Best Sellers Rank	#149,977 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #4,409 in Horror Fiction #4,808 in Crime Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #10,439 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

2,851 global ratings

5 star		59%
4 star		23%
3 star		10%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Joyce Bresler

Just WOW

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book had my heart in distress less than half way through! I almost stopped reading and removed it from my library. Was holding my breathe thru the whole book! WOW, what would possess an author to write such a twisted and inhumane story? Gouging eyes out... really? My kind of twisted read!!! I'm hooked on this author!!!

Helpful

sue bright

Bad Games

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 3, 2023

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OMG. Couldn't put the book down. Really scary just think like that happens in real life. How that one guy lived I will never know reading his next book for sure

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It's Good to Be Bad

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

Reading Jeff Menapace's "Bad Games" will bring back a lot of memories for horror fans, as he employes a lot of familiar memes from other horror works, right down to a rustic cabin-in-the-woods setting that's a universal harbinger of bad tidings for the residents. But, although the setting and a number of the tropes are familiar, Menapace mixes them up in an innovative manner, turning a seemingly familiar story of terrorizing psychos into, well, a bad game that winds up being played out between two very different families.

The first family in “Bad Games” are the Lamberts, a typically 30-something suburban couple, Patrick and Amy, who, with their two children go off to their cabin on Crescent Lake for a weekend in the country. Unfortunately, they attract the attention of a pair of psychotic brothers, Arty and Jim Fanelli, who enjoy preying on similar families. As the weekend progresses, the Fanellis go through their usual ritual of gradually terrorizing their victims as part of a “game” they have played for years. But while the Fanellis do a very good job of unsettling Patrick and Amy, they do so in a manner that never quite crosses the line into provable criminality, thus making the Lamberts more and more frustrated and on edge. Then, eventually, the game begins in earnest as the Lamberts fight for their lives.

Menapace’s book is laid out as carefully as the Fanellis’ scheme. The author shifts between the points of view of the two families, making readers aware that the early events in the book aren’t just coincidence and establishing just how twisted and dangerous the Fanellis are. By contrast, the Lamberts have somewhat of a steep learning curve in finally accepting what’s going on and then, worse, getting the local law enforcement authorities to take them seriously. Even by the usual standards of books like this, the local sheriff seems incredibly obtuse (and, one wonders how the Fanellis could have avoided having anyone notice the mounting body count over the years during their games).

Minor plot quibbles aside, however, once the action begins in earnest in the second half of “Bad Games,” the author really delivers. The face-to-face showdown between the families is handled quite well, mixing suspense (thanks to a couple of young children being in danger yet unaware of their peril) with some brutal action. I should note that there is, as you might expect, a good deal of violence in this book, some of it quite brutal, as well as very young children in danger. Readers who are sensitive about such matters might want to look elsewhere. As one who enjoys hardcore grindhouse thrills, however, I found the book’s climactic encounter quite satisfying.

“Bad Games” could have used a bit tighter editing, as the last few chapters are somewhat unfocused, as if the author wasn’t sure how to end the book (there is a very good final chapter though). In addition, a couple of chapters about the childhood of the Fanellis (no spoiler, they had been bad for a very long time) is more distracting than illuminating. When the author keeps his focus on the four main combatants, however, the book is quite exciting and rather suspenseful.

As a longtime B-movie buff, I spotted a number of similarities between “Bad Games” and other works, including “Last House on the Left,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” and the rather similarly themed and named “Funny Games.” But Menapace’s style, sense of timing, and attention to detail make this book a very good example of the genre. Few villainous schemes in books like this are quite as detailed and twisted. The author also manages to make the Lamberts good, well developed protagonists instead of mere faceless victims-to-be, as often occurs in this genre. As a result, what plays out seems like an actual battle between real characters rather than the rather cartoonish excesses of many similar works. “Bad Games” definitely makes for good reading for horror and suspense fans.

8 people found this helpful

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Karen Kish

bad games

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 6, 2023

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Great book. Hard to put down but you have to sleep sometimes. Will read the next one for sure! Sneaky ending.

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Pattie Gaudreau

Wild ride

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2023

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I wondered how they were going to survive those 2 sociopaths, especially with no help from the sheriff.
Excellent story,a definite nightmare creator.

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Brice D. Holley

A damn good read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 16, 2022

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I enjoyed this story, after a lot of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Not your everyday horror/suspence story. Grabs you and doesn't let go! And pay attention to the son, Jeff makes another story later!!!

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Kathy King

could see it happening in today’s world

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 20, 2022

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Never read this author before this book. Throughout my readings I could see this going on in the world today. I have down loaded the next book to see how things go out of curiosity

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Jennifer Ball-Lindsey

Gritty

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2022

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Gripping and graphic, not for the faint of heart. I'd have put it down, but I needed an ending. Yikes!

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Top reviews from other countries

salemskye.com

Bad Games by Jeff Menapace

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

Usually I stay away from any books promoted on Facebook or Twitter (or any other social media) as they are usually self-published, with comments controlled by the author. But for some reason my attention was thin and I impulsively bought Bad Games by Jeff Menapace. It has "hundreds of five star reviews" on Amazon, most of which are by reviewers who have either reviewed one book or lots of unrelated products.

Anyway, Amy and Patrick and their 2 children are travelling to Crescent Lake for a holiday when they meet an odd man on the way. And so begins a game of hunter and hunted. The man, is one of two brothers, Arty and Jim, who like to torture families for fun and the Lamberts are their new target. Initially I was reminded of the film(s) Funny Games by Michael Haneke where well-to-do families are tortured by two brothers which is genuinely disturbing. The only real differences Menapace brings to the plot here is that he gives the brothers motive and that the brothers remove the game to their own home.

You know, this book does have it problems. It relies too heavily on gratuitous violence to set itself apart from similiar plots. The dialogue between Patrick and Amy is a little trite. It doesn't appear to have been proofread (have a look at the first four lines of chapter 27). There's about 5 too many chapters at the end. The title is truly simple and uninspiring. And yet despite this, it's an exciting read. I did want to keep reading to find out how the plot played out and I quite liked the finale. This is the kind of book you read on the beach and throw away at the end of your holiday. Apparently it's part of a trilogy, but my game ends here.

32 people found this helpful

Debbie Binnersley

Excellent Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 22, 2017

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Also published on My Eclectic Reads

Bad Games was my first encounter with Jeff Menapace and it won't be my last, of that I'm sure.

The overall story is quite different from anything I have read for a long time and it was suspenseful and a little graphic. After realising the book was described as a horror I wasn’t sure how far I would get (horror stories aren’t my thing). Luckily what I did find was a brilliantly written psychological thriller about nature versus nurture and just how far mum and dad would go to save their children.

The book started off a little slow to begin and I nearly stopped reading. However, I don’t like quitting with books and told myself just one more chapter. I’m so glad I did as things escalated pretty quickly soon after.

The story follows Patrick and Amy Lambert and their two children, Carrie and Caleb. They are on their way to the family lakehouse in the woods when they have a bizarre encounter at the gas station. Several further strange occurrences leave Patrick and Amy feeling spooked and vulnerable. They try to put the unusual happenings behind them and continue with their vacation. However, things soon take a more sinister turn when the Fannelli brothers put their sick and twisted plan into action, leaving a trail of death as the go.

The characters were developed perfectly and I connected instantly with the Lamberts. I thought the scenes between Patrick and Amy worked well to establish their personas. However, there were a couple of times when I did think that their actions were a little questionable. I was forced to wonder if they didn’t deserve what was about to rain down on them due to what, Patrick in particular, was willing to overlook.

The Fannelli brothers were clever and evil in equal measures. They are testing the theory that genetics and environment having nothing to do with their sadistic tendencies and enjoying every minute of it.

One thing that left me a little perplexed was the cliffhanger at the end. I was anticipating it by the final couple of chapters but wasn’t really sure what it achieved. I would maybe like to see this explored a little more.

I love a book that makes me think, and this one did. As I was reading I was asking myself what would I do in the same situation? Would I be able to do what Amy did? At the end I was left with the big question: are serial killers the product of nature v nurture?

Overall Bad Games is a good read for anyone who likes dark, disturbing novels full of suspense. I will definitely be adding the second book, Vengeful Games, to my TBR list as soon as I have some space.

10 people found this helpful

K. A. Norman

Creepy unnerving but sadly lacking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying how much I loved the first 1/3 of this book,the way this family ‘bump’ into these two guys ‘randomly’ and the impact the smallest things they do have on them. The planning and build up is exciting and thrilling and I was already preparing myself for the worst,yet couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately (and I know it sounds sadistic) but I thought the worst and kept expecting the ‘games’ to begin but it really didn’t. I liked the ending but there was a bit right at the end that was super predictable. Don’t get me wrong,I enjoyed it,I just think it needed some more ‘nasty’ to go with all the planning the bad guys made. Other than that,can’t wait to read the others.

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Brutal

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

Two stars because it's just not to my taste. Very very violent with far too much lingering on the details of how two murderous psychopaths torment and torture a family. This brutality sits oddly with the soppy dialogue between husband and wife. I think the idea is to contrast their humanity with the brutality of their torturers. However, the dreary chat goes on far too long and I ended up skipping a lot of it.
Overall the writing isn't bad for a free book - I just wouldn't want to read another like it.

7 people found this helpful

Mr. S. R. Jones

A disturbed book, but not necessarily a 'bad' book...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Well, this is a little bit darker than what I normally choose to read. I admit I am a horror fan, but the lack of anything supernatural in this book (not much of a spoiler, I promise!) leads it to be a lot more disturbing than it might otherwise be. Not that that is a bad thing, exactly, just that I wouldn't recommend this book for people who find human cruelty to be upsetting in fiction. And let's be clear here: this IS fiction, and I don't agree with a couple of reviews here that are suggesting that the author is insane or unhinged. If anything, that reaction is a credit to their writing: they have put out a book about very unhinged and unpleasant villains, and it has disturbed people. I am sure that this was the intended reaction.

Having said that, I didn't find the main characters in this quite right for me. I didn't 'bond' with them the way one needs to really get involved with a story. I found the male lead corny and uninteresting, and his wife was ok but somehow a bit flat. It did not make the book unreadable, just that it took a certain something out of it for me. I was more interested in finding out what would eventually happen to the baddies than in rooting for the goodies, so to speak!

I would recommend this book, but only for those who are not squeamish or offended by violence. This is a story about dangerous psychopaths on a spree- so you have to be prepared for that. If that's not your thing, I would suggest finding another book. ;)

4 people found this helpful

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