Day Zero: Creedmoor

Name: Day Zero: Creedmoor
Price: 17.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780991470242

✍️ Judith Swain

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$17.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A former sniper hunts a target in a haunted asylum while fighting his own changing nature.

The plot hinges on a desperate race against time at Creedmoor Psychiatric Institution. John, once a Marine Corps sniper, now struggles with his altered state of being. He is coerced by the Man in the Black Suit to retrieve a valuable target from the asylum grounds. The antagonist uses hostages and a ticking bomb to force compliance. John must rely on an unexpected ally, a woman from his past thought dead, to succeed. The setting provides a claustrophobic atmosphere as they move through dozens of buildings. The conflict raises questions about loyalty and self-preservation in the face of supernatural threats.

Key Themes

supernatural transformation psychiatric institution horror forced cooperation

Literary Context

Published by Charles Ingersoll in 2018, this work sits within the modern horror genre. It utilizes the classic American gothic trope of the abandoned mental hospital. The narrative blends military thriller elements with supernatural fiction, reflecting contemporary interests in identity crisis and institutional decay.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Stephen King · Joe Hill · Clive Barker · Thomas Harris

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Charles Ingersoll 📅 2018 📖 404 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780991470242

📝 Description: Day Zero: Creedmoor

Judith Swain’s Day Zero: Creedmoor follows John, a former Marine Corps sniper who has become something less than human after shadowy events beyond his control. The narrative centers on his forced cooperation with the Man in the Black Suit to secure John’s participation in one final mission. This task involves locating and extracting a new human target from the sprawling, crumbling complex of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Institution. The stakes are immediate and lethal, as the antagonist holds John’s people hostage and injects another with a capsule-sized bomb set to detonate within forty-eight hours. Swain structures this thriller around the tension between survival and identity. John must team up with a woman from his past whom he believed was long dead to traverse the hundreds of acres of the Roanoke & Raleigh museum’s pursuit. The story draws on the gothic tradition of the haunted asylum, using the decaying mental hospital as a labyrinth for psychological and physical horror. It blends military precision with supernatural uncertainty, asking if John can recover his loved ones before losing himself entirely. This book suits readers who enjoy gritty urban fantasy mixed with institutional horror. It appeals to those interested in character-driven narratives where the protagonist’s humanity is in question. Readers seeking lighthearted adventure or traditional historical fiction may find the tone too dark and the premise too focused on supernatural dread.

💎 Our verdict on Day Zero: Creedmoor

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Swain successfully constructs a tense thriller around the crumbling complex of Creedmoor Psychiatric Institution, leveraging its gothic reputation for psychological and physical horror. The narrative effectively balances military precision with supernatural uncertainty, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that keeps readers engaged. By focusing on John’s struggle to maintain his identity while forced into cooperation, the story offers a nuanced exploration of loyalty and self-preservation. The unexpected alliance with a figure from his past adds emotional weight to the high-stakes race against time. This approach suits readers who prefer character-driven horror over pure gore. The blend of urban fantasy and institutional dread provides a fresh take on the haunted asylum trope, making it a compelling choice for those seeking intensity and psychological depth.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate gritty urban fantasy blended with institutional horror will find significant value in this narrative. The book appeals to those interested in character-driven stories where the protagonist’s humanity is constantly under threat. It offers a claustrophobic atmosphere that heightens the tension between survival and identity, making it ideal for fans of psychological horror. Those who enjoy military precision clashing with supernatural uncertainty will also gain from the exploration of loyalty and self-preservation. The story provides a compelling look at a protagonist struggling with an altered state of being, offering depth beyond simple action. It suits audiences seeking intense, high-stakes scenarios set against decaying, labyrinthine backdrops.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Swain successfully constructs a tense thriller around the crumbling complex of Creedmoor Psychiatric Institution, leveraging its gothic reputation for psychological and physical horror. The narrative effectively balances military precision with supernatural uncertainty, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that keeps readers engaged. By focusing on John’s struggle to maintain his identity while forced into cooperation, the story offers a nuanced exploration of loyalty and self-preservation. The unexpected alliance with a figure from his past adds emotional weight to the high-stakes race against time. This approach suits readers who prefer character-driven horror over pure gore. The blend of urban fantasy and institutional dread provides a fresh take on the haunted asylum trope, making it a compelling choice for those seeking intensity and psychological depth.