The 13th Floor

Name: The 13th Floor
Price: 17.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781997708131

✍️ Jack Steen

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$17.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A forced visitor meets a killer pastor on a hidden asylum floor.

Steen constructs a narrative where the thirteenth floor operates as a separate realm for the dead. Pastor Cole acts as the central figure, leading a congregation of voices behind the walls. The Matron ensures these sermons continue indefinitely. The protagonist is trapped by circumstance rather than choice, making him a witness to Cole’s twisted theology. The horror stems from the breathing walls and humming lights that signal an active, malevolent presence. This is not a story about escaping a building, but about surviving an idea. The text emphasizes the permanence of Cole’s church and the inevitability of his sermons. Readers will find the tension built through sensory details rather than action sequences.

Key Themes

Pastor Cole thirteenth floor hiding asylum

Literary Context

This work emerges from Deathbed Publishing in 2025. It fits within the American horror tradition of institutional dread and gothic architecture. The setting relies on the classic trope of a haunted building with a secret level. Steen uses the Halloween timeframe to heighten the sense of ritual and inevitable danger for the characters involved.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · H.P. Lovecraft · Thomas Ligotti · Peter Straub

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Deathbed Publishing 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781997708131

📝 Description: The 13th Floor

Jack Steen’s The 13th Floor presents a chilling tale set within an asylum that conceals a hidden level. Every Halloween, the building reveals this thirteenth floor to unsuspecting visitors. The protagonist is forced into this space, where he encounters Pastor Cole, a killer who preaches salvation while smiling as he kills. Cole claims the floor is his church and the voices in the walls are his congregation. The Matron continues to run these sermons long after death. As the lights hum and the walls breathe, the protagonist hears whispers calling his name. He realizes too late that he should not have entered the elevator. Steen draws on gothic horror traditions to explore themes of religious fanaticism and supernatural confinement. The narrative focuses on the psychological terror of a man trapped with a killer who views murder as ministry. The story relies on the atmosphere of the asylum and the eerie presence of the thirteenth floor. It suits readers who enjoy claustrophobic settings and antagonists who blend faith with violence. Those seeking lighthearted tales or clear resolutions may find this unsettling. The book does not offer comfort, only the dread of being watched by the dead.

💎 Our verdict on The 13th Floor

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Steen constructs a narrative where the thirteenth floor operates as a separate realm for the dead, led by Pastor Cole. The horror stems from breathing walls and humming lights rather than action sequences. This approach creates intense psychological terror for readers who enjoy gothic traditions. The Matron’s role in continuing sermons indefinitely adds to the sense of permanence and dread. While not suitable for those seeking lighthearted tales, it rewards fans of atmospheric horror with a deeply unsettling experience. The focus on sensory details effectively builds tension without relying on clear resolutions or comfort.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate claustrophobic settings and antagonists that blend faith with violence will find this book compelling. It suits those interested in the psychological terror of being trapped with a killer who views murder as ministry. The narrative offers a unique exploration of religious fanaticism through the lens of a hidden asylum floor. Those seeking atmospheric tension over plot resolution will gain satisfaction from the sensory details and the inevitability of the protagonist's fate. It provides a chilling examination of how an idea can become more terrifying than physical confinement.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Steen constructs a narrative where the thirteenth floor operates as a separate realm for the dead, led by Pastor Cole. The horror stems from breathing walls and humming lights rather than action sequences. This approach creates intense psychological terror for readers who enjoy gothic traditions. The Matron’s role in continuing sermons indefinitely adds to the sense of permanence and dread. While not suitable for those seeking lighthearted tales, it rewards fans of atmospheric horror with a deeply unsettling experience. The focus on sensory details effectively builds tension without relying on clear resolutions or comfort.