Jack Castle's novel BEDLAM LOST is about… Exactly! The first thing you notice when trying to explain Castle’s novel is that it’s hard to pigeonhole. Publisher EDGE lists the genre as: Fantasy, Paranormal, Thriller & Suspense and Action & Adventure. Sounds like they can’t decide, right? And to tell you the truth they’re right on all four categories. I might even throw in a few more like: Horror, Psychological Thriller and Theological Phantasm. Is that last one a thing? The novel is so hard to pin down because the narrative has a dream-like quality that really draws you in. It felt like one of Kurt Vonnegut's better works. Every time you think you have a handle on it, Castle’s narrative takes a hard left turn for somewhere else.

The protagonists are New York City ballet dancer Emma Hudson and Deputy Hank McCarthy. Castle draws us into their stories through their actions, which are immediately engrossing. Hank’s tale starts off like it might be a standard new-sheriff-in-town story, but then things get pretty crazy pretty quick. Emma, on the other hand, pegs the weird-o-meter right off the bat. They both end up in a remote Alaskan town called HavenPort where their narratives intersect. By the time things really come unglued, we’ve been immersed within both Emma and Hank long enough to be fully in their corners. Castle does a great job bringing both protagonists to life. As to the surrounding characters Emma and Hank meet in HavenPort, what a weird and wonderful menagerie! The main antagonist is a particularly worthy nightmare, but I won’t go into detail; this character really must be discovered without preconceived notions.

You won’t be disappointed if you pick up BEDLAM LOST. Jack Castle is a writer worth keeping an eye on. ( )

I received an advanced review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.....

BAM! I love books that grab you from the first page. Fast paced through the entire journey, one of those books you want to devour in one evening!
Thanks for the book! ( )

I received an advanced review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.....

Bedlam Lost is a fantastic supernatural thriller. The story wastes no time getting started, and it keeps up unrelentingly until the end. What I loved most is that this novel does not have a "dead zone". Most novels pull the reader in with a thrilling intro, then wrap up with an exciting conclusion, but tend to be rather flat in the middle. This story, however, keeps coming at you, chapter after chapter. The plot is exciting and keeps you socket by each new development, the characters are believable and the wiring is simple and straightforward. I highly recommend this one, and i believe I will give the authors first novel, Europa Journal, a try as well! ( )

I received a copy of Bedlam Lost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

First off, this is my first experience with the author, Jack Castle, but I would put this book up there with books by my favorite authors: Stephen King and Dean Koontz. The writing style flows very nicely, and I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. The best things about this book for me is the fact that I didn't entirely figure out what was happening in it until close to the end of the book, and I tend to figure out a lot of mystery type novels early on. I was impressed with how the story went by, and found it incredibly engaging. The characters are quite interesting as well, and I found myself easily rooting for the main characters throughout the story.

If you're a fan of either Stephen King or Dean Koontz, or just like a good mysterious type of story, I definitely recommend you give Bedlam Lost a shot. This is definitely an author you should keep an eye out for. ( )

What a creepy, freaky, scary book! Exactly what I needed right now to get my mind off life! The author gave huge hints throughout as to what was really happening so it was no surprise, until the end . . . I'm really looking forward to a sequel. But maybe could that one end happily ever after? CAN horror books end happily ever after? Probably not. Either way, I'd read it. Yes, there was blood and gore. I actually jumped a couple times and lost my place in the book, which is really kinda funny, especially when you are reading in a doctor's waiting room! I liked that the main character stayed true to himself and didn't go all wonky crazy like many of the others. That gave the book stability. I can't really say anymore without ruining it for you, so read it! ( )