🩸 Horror Fiction

Between the Lines

✍️ Randy Tatum
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$12.00
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A man wakes from a coma to find his reality unraveling through hallucinations and doubt.

Ronald Whitfield struggles to adjust to life following a prolonged coma. Tatum illustrates both the physical decay and emotional stress involved in regaining trust. During therapy, outside influences amplify Ronald's anxieties about his spouse's loyalty. A mysterious figure appearing in his visions changes the focus from personal healing to supernatural discovery. This entity helps Ronald reveal secrets about his true nature and his marriage. The story highlights the mental terror of doubting one's own mind while recovering.

Key Themes
coma recovery marital doubt hallucination guide
Literary Context

Randy Tatum is a Mississippi author who published this debut novel in 2009. The work sits within the tradition of psychological horror and supernatural fiction, focusing on the internal terror of reintegration into society after trauma.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Shirley Jackson · H.P. Lovecraft · Stephen King · Daphne du Maurier
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 📅 2009 📖 132 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781442145672

📝 Description: Between the Lines

Ronald Whitfield regains consciousness after a coma, only to discover his muscles have wasted away. His primary objective becomes saving his marriage to his devoted spouse. Randy Tatum, writing from Mississippi, explores the terrifying difficulty of reintegrating into society after being unconscious for so long. The plot tracks Ronald's painful physical rehabilitation, during which his therapist inadvertently fosters suspicion about his wife's faithfulness. Fear soon overtakes relief. Ronald suffers severe migraines and sees a ghostly elder who wanders through his healing process. This spectral mentor eventually reveals a shocking secret concerning his spouse and his very reality. The tale transitions from the quiet loneliness of sleep to a nightmarish state filled with unexpected revelations. Fans of psychological terror and supernatural tales featuring unreliable perspectives will enjoy this work. It might disappoint readers who prefer realistic medical stories or definitive endings. The book depends on internal anxiety rather than visible threats, highlighting the confusion of healing and how easily confidence can break.

💎 Our verdict on Between the Lines

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Tatum effectively crafts an atmosphere of claustrophobic anxiety, focusing on the terrifying ambiguity of recovery rather than external threats. The narrative succeeds in portraying the isolation of rehabilitation, making the protagonist's doubt feel palpable and real. While it may frustrate readers seeking medical realism or clear resolutions, it thrives on its unreliable perspective. The transition from personal grief to supernatural horror is handled with a chilling subtlety, emphasizing how easily confidence breaks under pressure. This work best suits those who prefer psychological depth and atmospheric dread over conventional plot structures.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers intrigued by the intersection of psychological terror and supernatural mystery will find this narrative compelling. It appeals to those who enjoy exploring the disorienting experience of an unraveling mind, where physical decay mirrors emotional stress. Fans of cosmic horror appreciate how personal anxieties are amplified into spectral discoveries, offering a deep dive into the fear of doubting one's own sanity. The book is ideal for audiences seeking atmospheric tension over visceral gore, valuing the slow build of internal dread and the unsettling revelation of hidden truths within familiar relationships.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
H
Horror Reads editorial team

Tatum effectively crafts an atmosphere of claustrophobic anxiety, focusing on the terrifying ambiguity of recovery rather than external threats. The narrative succeeds in portraying the isolation of rehabilitation, making the protagonist's doubt feel palpable and real. While it may frustrate readers seeking medical realism or clear resolutions, it thrives on its unreliable perspective. The transition from personal grief to supernatural horror is handled with a chilling subtlety, emphasizing how easily confidence breaks under pressure. This work best suits those who prefer psychological depth and atmospheric dread over conventional plot structures.

🏛 Books from this publisher Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Memento Mori
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Paul Holbrook
Memento Mori
$13.94
78
Read →
Mona Livelong: Paranormal Detective II: The Case of The Powerless Witch
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Quinton Veal
Mona Livelong: Paranormal Detective II: The Case of The Powerless Witch
$12.00
78
Read →
The Manitou
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Jessie Cox
The Manitou
$10.50
78
Read →
The Phantom of the Opera
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Alexander Teixeira De Mattos
The Phantom of the Opera
$17.00
81
Read →
The Trial
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
David Wyllie
The Trial
$10.25
81
Read →
Prey Until Dawn
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Daryn Guarino
Prey Until Dawn
$50.00
78
Read →

You might also like

See more →
The Blue Demon
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Youssef Alaoui Fdili
The Blue Demon
$12.00
86
Read →
Candle Cove and Other Stories
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Kris Straub
Candle Cove and Other Stories
$12.00
86
Read →
Kongen i Gult
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Dennis Iversen
Kongen i Gult
$12.00
86
Read →
The murders in the rue morgue and other tales -42%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Edgar Allan Poe
The murders in the rue morgue and other tales
$12.00 $21.00
86
Read →
The King in Yellow
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Robert W Chambers
The King in Yellow
$12.00
86
Read →
Relatos de Sangre y Muerte Volumen IV
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Javier Haro Herraiz
Relatos de Sangre y Muerte Volumen IV
$12.00
86
Read →

Have a question about this item?

Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.

Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist