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You may know author Ben H. Winters from his over-the-top, underwater parody of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, but if you’re expecting more tongue-in-cheek humor and more men with tentacles for beards from his latest release, Bedbugs, you’ll be in for a terrifying surprise.
When Susan Wendt first discovers the ad for the apartment on Cranberry Street in Brooklyn, it seems too good to be true. It’s the perfect place for her, her husband, Alex, and their little girl, Emma: plenty of room to grow, with a bright little bonus room that Susan can use as a studio. The price, too, is unbelievable. So they jump at the opportunity and start packing their things.
When the Wendts move into their new place, though, they begin to realize that it isn’t entirely perfect. Their landlady, Andrea, is a bit batty—and her handyman, Louis, is just a little bit creepy. But that’s nothing compared to the bugs. Susan starts to feel them at night, crawling across her skin, feeding on her blood—but only she knows that they’re there.
Alex finally gives in and calls an exterminator—but when the exterminator fails to find anything in the apartment, Susan starts to wonder if she’s experiencing something much darker than a simple bedbug infestation.
If you’re not terrified of bedbugs now, you certainly will be after reading Bedbugs. It’s the kind of story that will keep you awake at night, feeling the creeping, crawling little feet of tiny insects that aren’t even there.
Still, it’s not just bugs that make Bedbugs so terrifying—it’s the fact that the things that torment Susan might not be bedbugs after all. It might be something more sinister—or it might be all in her head. The entire story is a downward spiral into madness—and as Susan begins to obsess over what may or may not be there, you’ll find yourself equally caught up in her story, eager to read on—to find out what’s really going on. You’ll question everything, just like Susan does, wondering whether she really is just losing her mind.
As the story continues, it gets darker and more disturbing—and it will sometimes turn your stomach. But it’s expertly written—absolutely gripping and truly haunting, with slowly building suspense that latches on and refuses to let go.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a bright old brownstone in Brooklyn or a new house in the ‘burbs; you’re guaranteed to get the heebie-jeebies from this creepy-crawly thriller. So, before you start reading, be sure to have some bug spray (and the phone number of a reputable exterminator) nearby…just in case.
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