🩸 Horror Fiction

Rotten Tommy

✍️ David Sodergren
Reader Score
4.4
(1 review)
$14.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A woman finds tapes that summon a bloodthirsty creature to solve her mother's disappearance.

Becky Sharp’s quiet life fractures when she uncovers three hidden videotapes in her old house. These tapes hold clues to her mother’s vanishing forty years prior. Watching them activates Rotten Tommy, a nightmare creature with insatiable bloodlust. The entity endangers everyone nearby, forcing Becky into a desperate fight for sanity and survival. Sodergren uses this premise to explore themes of legacy and hidden horror within the home.

Key Themes
hidden videotapes vanished mother Rotten Tommy
Literary Context

This 2025 release from Paperbacks and Pugs fits into contemporary American horror fiction. It utilizes the trope of domestic spaces hiding dark secrets, appealing to readers who appreciate supernatural threats emerging from personal history and family trauma.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
Simon Clark · Joe Hill · Thomas Ligotti
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Paperbacks and Pugs 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781068546341

📝 Description: Rotten Tommy

David Sodergren presents a narrative centered on Becky Sharp, whose life is upended by the discovery of three unmarked videotapes hidden within the walls of her childhood home. These recordings offer a potential key to solving the disappearance of her mother, an event that occurred forty years ago and left Becky with little hope for answers. As she views the tapes, Becky becomes entangled in a mystery far larger than her initial search suggested. The viewing process inadvertently summons a long-forgotten nightmare known as Rotten Tommy, a creature driven by diabolical bloodlust. This entity threatens the lives and sanity of everyone around Becky, pulling her into a horrific struggle for survival. The story draws on supernatural fiction traditions where past traumas manifest as present dangers. Sodergren structures the plot around this slow-burn revelation, moving from domestic discovery to supernatural horror. Readers who enjoy tales of hidden secrets and vengeful spirits will find this work appealing. Those seeking lighthearted entertainment or non-fiction accounts should look elsewhere. The narrative focuses on the psychological toll of uncovering buried truths and the physical danger posed by ancient evils. It is a tale of consequence, where past actions echo loudly in the present.

💎 Our verdict on Rotten Tommy

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Sodergren effectively constructs a narrative where the mundane act of watching old tapes escalates into a nightmare scenario. The premise of a creature summoned by curiosity is handled with a sense of dread that grows as Becky’s reality fractures. The focus on the psychological weight of her mother's disappearance adds depth to the standard horror beats, making the threat feel personal rather than abstract. While the plot relies on familiar tropes of hidden recordings and bloodthirsty entities, the execution maintains tension through its emphasis on sanity and survival. It is a solid entry for enthusiasts of dark fantasy and cosmic horror who value atmospheric buildup over rapid action.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the intersection of domestic mystery and visceral supernatural terror will find this narrative compelling. It appeals to those fascinated by the psychological toll of uncovering buried family truths and the physical dangers posed by ancient evils. The book offers a slow-burn revelation that transitions from quiet discovery to intense survival horror, satisfying fans of stories where past traumas manifest as present threats. Those who enjoy tales of hidden secrets within the home and vengeful spirits will gain satisfaction from the thematic exploration of legacy and consequence.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Sodergren effectively constructs a narrative where the mundane act of watching old tapes escalates into a nightmare scenario. The premise of a creature summoned by curiosity is handled with a sense of dread that grows as Becky’s reality fractures. The focus on the psychological weight of her mother's disappearance adds depth to the standard horror beats, making the threat feel personal rather than abstract. While the plot relies on familiar tropes of hidden recordings and bloodthirsty entities, the execution maintains tension through its emphasis on sanity and survival. It is a solid entry for enthusiasts of dark fantasy and cosmic horror who value atmospheric buildup over rapid action.

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