Definitely one of the most discomforting, eerie, and sexually-driven novels I’ve read in a long, long time.

It’s difficult for me to exactly pinpoint the highlights and letdowns of this novel (not that there are any I could find in the latter), but if I have to start somewhere it has to be with the one image the author has ingrained into my mind that will take some time to forget.

And that’s the one scene which I’m so happy the publishers decided to keep because, trust me, if this particular scene was scrapped the entire vibe of THE MOUTH OF THE DARK would have lost it’s exceptionally well-written plot. Naturally, you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out what I’m going on about and, this is not my intention to create false climaxes, there is a hint in the pun.

You’ll thank me later.

Waggoner’s latest novel digs deep into the occult, into our carnal indulgences, into all the gritty, dirty, and manic things you would never find by happenstance or blindly stumble into. An eclectic assembly of everything macabre and terrifying, THE MOUTH OF THE DARK is a riveting read you’ll keep reading long after the sun has gone down.

Seeped with dodgy oddities and unexpected moments of betrayal and allies, this great work of fiction has left me breathless in a way having run a marathon would or if you’ve been binge-reading George R.R Martin’s WILDCARDS series.

If you want to forget about the real world and peek into the darker side of things which can be just as double-edged as they are intriguing, grab your copy, highlight your favorite scenes, and try to ignore the things which go bump in the dark.

No one will dare to bump back.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Tim Waggoner for this ARC of The Mouth of the Dark.

The Mouth of the Dark is a horror book that enveloped me in a darkness that just seemed to get stranger with every new page! When I first began to read, I thought for sure it was a book on alien abduction, but I was very wrong! There are many different horror elements in this book and the descriptions are nightmare inducing. The plot gets more twisted with each chapter, so buckle up and enjoy the very strange and deranged ride of this horror story!

Jayce is looking around town for his missing daughter, Emory. The cops don't take him seriously so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He prints up flyers and heads to the Cannery, where his daughter lives. As soon as Jayce enters the CrazyQwik (a place his daughter worked) his world will never be the same. The darkness and strangeness of this town only grows more macabre and a strange cast of characters is thrown into this mix; most notably Nicola and 'Ohio Pig'.

The Mouth of the Dark is definitely worth a read if you love the strange and very dark side of horror!

Let's cut right to the quick - The Mouth of the Dark is weird. Seriously weird. Like bug-fuck, batshit crazy weird. Tim Waggoner revels in weirdness here, revealing new layers of oddities and arcane horrors on nearly every page. Yes, it keeps the book moving, which is exactly what you want in a narrative whose timespan is so firmly compressed (the events of The Mouth of the Dark take place within about 24-48 hours or so), but hot damn is it ever weird.

Weird isn't a bad thing, though, and it's one of the central selling points behind The Mouth of the Dark. On its surface, it's about a man searching for his missing daughter. As these types of stories often require, the father takes a trip down a wickedly dark rabbit hole and uncovers a secret world, in this case Shadow. Existing alongside our own daily rigamarole, only a certain special few can see Shadow and the peculiar life lurking within. There's green-gloved men who eat paper covered in hot sauce, couples who eat dogs, and a horrifying entity called The Harvest Man. The Harvest Man has breath that can kill - breathe out, and a black cloud envelops his victim. Breathe back in, and the victim turns to ash. He's like a wickedly fucked up Lamaze teacher with a case of halitosis cranked to 11. Oh, and there's also killer sex toys that sprout tentacles to help users rub one out while asphyxiating them.

Jayce discovers all these things in pretty short order, and Waggoner continually assaults him and us readers with new information and odd-ball scenarios on the regular. Discovery is the name of the game here, and in searching for the absent Emory, Jayce keeps finding more and more dark corners to peek into and only barely survive. Some of these corners involve the secrets of Shadow, while others pertain to his own buried and forgotten past, and nearly every single one of them posits some intriguing bit of fantastical horror. Others are a bit more personal, and frankly Jayce is kind of a creeper when all is said and done, what with his strangely frequent musings on his daughter's sex life and what potential kinks she may get off on. This struck an odd, disquieting note with me. Although Jayce isn't incestuous, he simply seems to let his mind wander down some off-beat tracks and Waggoner is content to let it flow, eschewing any darker aspects between father and daughter, thank goodness.

The Mouth of the Dark largely succeeds on the merits of its strangeness. I will admit I'm not a fan of fantasy lit, and by extension a lot of urban fantasy, which runs wild here in more horrifying and perverse forms. Waggoner throws readers directly into the deep-end, right alongside Jayce, and it takes some time to get oriented to the parallel Shadow reality running alongside our own. Frankly, I struggled quite a bit to suspend my disbelief early on, but as I wised up to Waggoner's game I was better able to appreciate the story. It didn't quite satisfy me, particularly the resolution, which felt like a rush to the exit, but it didn't disappoint either. Waggoner has one hell of an imagination, and at times The Mouth of the Dark feels like an episode of Fringe if Clive Barker had gotten his hands on the screenplay. I definitely can't complain about that, and any story that features homicidal sex toys will always be worth a read as far as I'm concerned.

[Note: I received an advance reading copy of The Mouth of the Dark from the publisher, Flame Tree Press.]

I am a huge fan of horror and now a huge fan of Tim Waggoner. After reading the prologue you know it is not going to be a “normal” scary story. Then we go to a father who is trying to find his lost daughter. At first I wonder3 what some of the relationships of the characters were meant to show the read because one were not very bright. However, the writer lets you the story early on and keeps you gripped within. I actually had nightmar s and wanted to sleep with the light on like I used to when I was a younger child. As the other reader have stated this is one you need to read if you love horror stories that keep you drawn into the action.


I give this one a 5 out of 5

Weird.

Surreal.

And very, very extreme!

In The Mouth of the Dark, Tim Waggoner brings us into an urban landscape full of monsters, debaucheries, and things that don’t just go bump in the night – they’ll tear off your head in broad daylight.

As we join Jayce in his search for his missing daughter, we learn that, sometimes, shadows are better left unexplored.

Expect to be shocked, horrified, and heartbroken.

And expect that you’ll think twice when something just a little bit odd catches your eye.

An excellent, fast-paced, and terrifying read.

Stop right here. If you're into horror, you'll want to buy this book now. Here's why.

I've always liked Tim Waggoner's writing, but THE MOUTH OF THE DARK exceeded all of my expectations and is one of my favorite books of the year. I'm trying to figure out where it places in my all time favorites. I'll work on that. I know it's very high up there.

This is a horrifying tale of a father's love for his missing adult daughter. The occult elements are downright terrifying and heartstopping. The horror is nonstop for two-thirds of the novel before Waggoner releases you from his grip for some welcome comic relief, then some graphic sexual scenes.
The ending left no stone unturned and was completely satisfying for this reader.

My only complaint was that I couldn't read it in one sitting (damn life and its interfering!) so my suggestion to you is carve out a few hours of "me" time and most imortant of all shut the world out and find a quiet place to curl up and actually be scared again by a true master of horror.

Need I say highly recommended?