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SENTINEL: A Thrilling Supernatural Horror Novel (The Bensalem Files Book 1) by [Drew Starling, Eerie River Publishing]

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Drew Starling

Eerie River Publishing

SENTINEL: A Thrilling Supernatural Horror Novel (The Bensalem Files Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Drew Starling (Author), Eerie River Publishing (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

137 ratings

Book 1 of 2: The Bensalem Files

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A monster. A missing boy. And nowhere to run.

Something is lurking in the woods just beyond Aaron and Ellen Dreyer's new country home, and an evil that has been hiding in plain sight is about to emerge. A neighbor is brutally murdered, their 4-year old son goes missing in broad daylight, and the local town of Bensalem devolves into a cesspool of finger-pointing and chaos. With nowhere left to turn, Aaron and Ellen are forced to venture into the woods to find their son... and the truth. But in the process, they uncover a force larger and more sinister than they ever could have imagined.

Praise for Sentinel...
"He's making waves! Horror fans, Drew Starling should be at the top of your author-to-watch list."
~ Daniel Willcocks, Best-Selling Horror Author

"What instantly stands out in Sentinel is the author's ability to take the reader on a journey. He masterfully evokes emotions through beautifully penned characters and scene building. This is a dark, unsettling story that the author successfully sprinkles with generous doses of mystery and creepy scenes, enough to keep you glued to your reading spot until the very end. Well written, beautiful and haunting."
~ PAN's Book Reviews

"Starling shows off his chops at writing horror, with scenes that are disturbing, yet necessary. With this debut, Starling has singled himself out as an author to watch in the horror genre. I give this 5 out of 5 stars."
~ Holley Cornetto from Horror Tree

What readers are saying...
★★★★★ "One of the best horror stories I have ever read, and I went through it quickly because I couldn't put it down."

★★★★★ "Wow! From start to finish this book offers everything you need to get you on the edge of your seat, hiding behind the sofa, and shaking under your duvet."

★★★★★ "This book will keep you up reading it, but be sure to keep the lights on as the creep factor is there."

★★★★★ "I have been a fan of Drew Starling's horror shorts for some time so I was excited to see what he could do with a full length novel. He did NOT disappoint!"

★★★★★ "Even though I sat in the sun on my deck, I was pulled into a dark world. Whisked away into a horror that played out in my head like a movie, which this would make a great one!"

★★★★★ "There are more twists and turns in the characters than I’ve read about in books in a long time. The ending is a total surprise."

Print length

282 pages
Language

English
Publication date

May 14, 2021
File size

1018 KB
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Book 1

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Books In This Series (2 Books)

Complete Series

The Bensalem Files

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1
SENTINEL: A Thrilling Supernatural Horror Novel (The Bensalem Files Book 1)
Drew Starling

(137)

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2
NOTHUS (The Bensalem Files Book 2)
Drew Starling

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Drew Starling
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J R RICE
643
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Steve Stred
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Mike Salt
221
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William Meikle
141
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Freddy Myers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Starling shows off his chops at writing horror, with scenes that are disturbing, yet necessary. With this debut, Starling has singled himself out as an author to watch in the horror genre. I give this 5 out of 5 stars." ~Horror Tree

"What instantly stands out in Sentinel is the author's ability to take the reader on a journey. He masterfully evokes emotions through beautifully penned characters and scene building. This is a dark, unsettling story that the author successfully sprinkles with generous doses of mystery and creepy scenes, enough to keep you glued to your reading spot until the very end. Well written, beautiful and haunting." ~PAN's Book Reviews

"Drew shows a great understanding of pace and flow, this was a breeze to read, so I can say that it feels very comfortable, and Drew has a really good understanding of both his characters and his audience - Female representation is outstanding, and honestly, is one of the forces that drive this book." ~Austrian Spencer

"He's making waves! Horror fans, Drew Starling should be at the top of your author-to-watch list." ~Daniel Willcocks, Best-Selling Horror Author

About the Author

An Amazon bestselling author of horror and dark fiction, Drew Starling is a husband and dog dad who loves strong female leads, martial arts, and long walks in the woods with canine companions. He would like to think his plots are better than his prose, but strives to make his words sound both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He listens to Beethoven, Megadeth, and Enya when he writes, and he'd be absolutely delighted if you'd consider joining his mailing list at drewstarling.com. You'll receive THREE free short stories when you sign up! His only rule of writing: the dog never dies. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08YN39V14
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Eerie River Publishing (May 14, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 14, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1018 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #675,619 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,492 in Occult Suspense
- #1,882 in U.S. Horror Fiction
- #2,351 in Horror Suspense

Customer Reviews:
137 ratings

About the authors

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Drew Starling
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An Amazon bestselling author of horror and dark fiction, Drew Starling is a husband and dog dad who loves strong female leads, martial arts, and long walks in the woods with canine companions. He would like to think his plots are better than his prose, but strives to make his words sound both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He listens to Beethoven, Megadeth, and Enya when he writes, and all of his work can be found at drewstarling.com. His only rule of writing: the dog never dies.
See more on the author's page
Eerie River Publishing
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We are a small independent publishing house based out of Ontario, Canada.
Founded in 2019, Eerie River has focused on releasing high-quality works in both horror and dark fantasy by indie authors from around the world.
Our flagship horror series "It Calls From" has delighted readers far and wide, and we are thrilled to keep the anthology series going strong into 2021 with the release of "It Calls From the Sea" and "It Calls From the Doors"
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

5 star		63%
4 star		26%
3 star		6%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Julie Blaskie

what is that lurking in the woods???

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021

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This was definitely a great story to read! While at first we aren't exactly sure what is happening, we are drawn in by the town... the characters... and the writing. The family dog Cooper goes into a frenzy one night, and Aaron just HAD to look and see what it was... that's when the trouble begins.

Drew Starling has done a wonderful job of creating a creepy town with its atmosphere. We feel we are there with Aaron, Ellen, Caleb, Cooper as they realize things are not as they seem. The characters are very well developed where you care about them and the sense of dread surrounding them. The Sentinel is described in such a way that we can see it in our mind's eye! Ugh!

The author weaves a tale where you must keep reading until the very last page! Oh, the suspense!!! I can't wait to read the NEXT story in the series!

If you are looking for a different kind of story, then this is it. You will be drawn in and be held captive until the very end. There are many elements at play here, and they gel together to create a memorable story.

While I had been given an ARC, I am freely sharing my enjoyment of this story. I have enjpyed t so much that I purchased a copy to support the author. Thank you, Mr Starling! More, please!

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tammy May

Highly recommended, scary!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

The Dreyer family (Aaron, Ellen and their 4-year old son Caleb) moved to a rural home near a small town. They thought life was going to slow down and be quiet, a good place to raise their son. In short time, things started getting creepy. Soon, Caleb disappeared and a hunt ensued.

This was a scary read. I was completely captivated by the characters and the events going on around them, events dragging them in and under. I felt the characters were well developed. The scenes were described with wonderful detail. I was truly drawn into the story, not quite able to put it down.

I would highly recommend this book and am definitely looking forward to see what Drew Starling comes up with next.

3 people found this helpful

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Guy

A wonderful debut novel by Drew Starling

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021

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Drew Starling has become one of my favorite authors of short stories from my introduction to his work in Night Dive (in Night Terrors Volume 2). SENTINEL, his debut novel, didn't disappoint.

SENTINEL is set in a small town complete with its local secrets and legends, drying communities and old cults. When the small Dreyer family moves in to a large old house on a somewhat deserted road and befriend's their only neighbor things start to go wrong. When the neighbor makes dinner plans with Aaron Dreyer to privately discuss things of the area perhaps the dinner should have been planned a day earlier.

If you are a visual reader this is a good novel for you. It's hard to put down once starting it. It's a good scare but not so much to make me not want to move to a small rural community (Monsters don't scare me. Monsters are no more scary to me than sharks, bears, and lions. People scare me.).

I am left with 2 questions though (1. What does India have to do with anything? And 2. What of the gate?). Perhaps the answers were given but I read the novel over the weekend so could have missed it in the wee hours I should have been sleeping.

Though I believe SENTINEL is a stand-alone novel I am looking forward to the sequel NOTHUS.

One person found this helpful

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taug

It’s Just Vol 1!

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021

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There were some good passages, occasionally even poetic ones, but I found myself mentally rewriting sentences/phrases every other page: verbs or adjectives poorly chosen, word order sometimes confused, or problematic syntax. Basically, careful editing would have been really helpful.
On Amazon, this book was NOT described as Volume 1—as in “the first book in a series/set.” We find that out at the end. So, no plot resolution in the final pages. Sadly, I’ll never know.
One positive: the Sentinel is a good, scary monster, like it appears on the cover.
It is, however, a PROtagonist. Too bad.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

T. Townsend

Starling creatively composes work of beauty

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

Book 1 starts count science fictiony- not usually reviewers style-but through perfect imagery, which is current throughout book, author won reviewer over.
Book begins with “grand elder” discussing things with a minion. Then quickly adverts to Aaron, main character, whose family is likable throughout book.
Aarons son gets kidnapped. And the outcome of his life hangs in the balance as Aaron , his wife, and members of law enforcement scrapple with figuring out who and why someone would kidnap little Caleb,
The answers are shocking but well worth the read.
Reviewer recommends book to adults

One person found this helpful

Helpful

pennyg

Wow - what a story!

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

For this author’s first novel - it was fabulous. One of the best horror stories I have ever read, and I went through it quickly because I couldn’t put it down. I felt that I was part of this family - felt their fear and horror, and loved their dog. Im waiting for the next one to continue their story. I rarely buy books due to budget, but am so glad I got this ine.

Helpful

grace m skowronski

STOP ORDERING VIA THE REVIEWS

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

I DID IT AGAIN I ORDERED BY THE REVIEWS....NO NO NO IT IS NOT A NAIL BITTER. I READ UP TO 240 PG. IT IS NOT SUSPENSE, THRILLER IT IS- DULL AND BORING WAITING FOR SOMETHING EXCITING!

One person found this helpful

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Jessica Black

An Old School Horror Story

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2021

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Horror is one of my favorite genres and has been since I was probably a bit too young for it. This story returned me to the vibe of older, more paced horror stories where the characters make sense and the situation hits you hard. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this read and cannot wait to see what Starling comes out with next!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Mr MarMar

Fabulous debut.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this horror novel. I hadn't read any horror for sometime and I'm glad I took a chance on this after reading so many great reviews. Those reviews are deserved I think.
While this is horror it also is quite beautifully written with scenes of nature and parenthood and family also being prevalent. I really liked the characters here too especially Deputy Cheryl McNamara who has family issues as well as work ones which I felt added to the story.
A fairly short and easy to read novel with punchy chapters and dialogue I would say this is overall a traditional and old fashioned hometown horror and is certainly no worse of for that.
I read in the back of my copy that there will be book 2 in 2022 which I will definately be spending my hard earned cash on and not regretting it for a second.

9 people found this helpful

Alan O'Donovan

A chilling tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

“But it wasn’t the thing’s size,metallic smell, or even the three yellow eyes that scared Aaron. Rather, it was its unsightly collection of long, tentacle-like fingers.”

Aaron and Ellen live in Bensalem with their son Caleb. After a bout of jet lag messes up his sleep pattern, Aaron sees a Lovecraftian monster casually going for a stroll through the meadow opposite his house. A huge beast, at least 20 feet tall, with three yellow eyes. From there things take a downward spiral for Aaron and Ellen, as their neighbour is eviscerated and Caleb taken from them.

This book is a slow burner, with a lot going on. The writing is wonderfully descriptive and a joy to read. The story runs over 6 days and nights in the lives of the characters and there’s a lot packed in and you really feel for Aaron and Ellen as they search for their missing son.There are some gory scenes, but not too many.

It’s the first book in a series so as expected not everything is resolved at the end. I’m completely fascinated by “The Order of the Old Roses'', a mysterious order that seems to be protecting the town. But in this book, at least, it seems to be the cause of everything that goes wrong. I’m also looking forward to seeing what happens to Cheryl McNamara, a local deputy, in the next book. Her daughter is having issues and she’s come into possession of a large grimoire that belonged to the local chapter of the order. The only problem I have is that book 2 isn’t coming until 2022, so I’ll have to wait.

Overall I really liked this book. The story is chilling and immersive, and I can heartily recommend it.

Adam

An excellent, well paced, character driven horror/thriller.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a great debut novel from author, Drew Starling.

Sentinel immerses you in eerie, small-town-with-a-secret isolation. The tension builds and the horror unfolds as we experience the horrific events of the awakening of something ancient lurking in the woods.

The story is well written and well paced and the characters strong and engaging. Outstanding work.

I look forward to more from author Drew Starling in the future.

One person found this helpful

Stuart

An absolute monster of a book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2021

Verified Purchase

What can I say? The story, pace and prose are fantastic, the characters, monsters and scenes of horror sublime. I couldn't put it down.

Neen Cohen

What could go wrong

Reviewed in Australia on June 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

A young family move to Bensalem, a small town with the beauty of nature surrounding them, what could possibly go wrong. Sentinel is a slow build up as we learn about the townspeople of this small sleepy town, which is not nearly as sleepy as first impressions give. Once the story speeds up, it drags you along, heart kicking and screaming. An ensemble cast, there were definitely some characters I felt a deeper connection to then others, but I cannot wait to see what they have in store for them in the next installment.

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