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David Morrell
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Creepers Paperback – September 1, 2006

by Perseus (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 539 ratings
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On a cold October night, five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore and prepare to break into the Paragon Hotel. The once-magnificent structure is now boarded up and marked for demolition.They are “creepers”: urban explorers with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. Reporter Frank Balenger joins them to profile this highly illegal activity for the New York Times. But he isn’t looking for just another story, and soon after they enter the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, he gets more than he bargained for. Danger, fear, and death await the creepers in a place ravaged by time and redolent of evil.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    388 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Da Capo Press
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1593153570
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1593153571
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chilling and hypnotically readable!" -- Stephen King

"If you re reading Morrell, you re sitting on the edge of your seat." -- Michael Connelly

"It s been years since I've read a thriller as good as Creepers." -- Douglas Preston, co-author with Lincoln Child of Brimstone and Dance of Death

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 388 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593153570
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593153571
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 539 ratings

About the author

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David Morrell

David Morrell

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David Morrell is the author of FIRST BLOOD, the award-winning novel in which Rambo was created. He holds a Ph. D. in American literature from Penn State and was a professor in the English department at the University of Iowa. His numerous New York Times bestsellers include the classic spy trilogy that begins with THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE, the basis for the only television mini-series to premier after a Super Bowl. The other books in the trilogy are THE FRATERNITY OF THE STONE and THE LEAGUE OF NIGHT AND FOG. An Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity nominee, Morrell is the recipient of three Bram Stoker awards and the prestigious Thriller Master award from the International Thriller Writers organization. His writing book, THE SUCCESSFUL NOVELIST, discusses what he has learned in his four decades as an author. His latest novel is the highly praised Victorian mystery/thriller, MURDER AS A FINE ART.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
539 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

James Heaton
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023
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This book keeps you on edge. Very historical and accurate. Highly recommended! I hope to see this in theaters, thanks to the author for his spectacular work.
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Gary Griffiths
4.0 out of 5 stars "You Can Check Out any Time You Want..."
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2005
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"Creepers" is a thriller with "urban exploring" at its core, the illicit activity of breaking-and-entering abandoned buildings not for plunder, but for historical and cultural entertainment. While illegal, it is mostly harmless, except for the inherent risk to the `creepers" who participate. More to the point, this provides a refreshingly original premise for this good old-fashioned yarn, combining the elements of a spooky gothic mystery and a contemporary thriller.

The target for penetration is the Paragon Hotel, a long abandoned edifice built and owned by a reclusive hemophiliac until his mysterious suicide. Set in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the once grand summer resort of the rich and famous is now just another east coast city time has forgotten, a near ghost town of urban decay. Robert Conklin is a professor of history at Buffalo State University, and also an experienced and principled practitioner of the clandestine sport of "creeping". With a team of former students, Conklin and crew draw up plans to penetrate the seemingly impregnable Paragon to unlock its secrets, including confirming the existence of a vault rumored to have been installed by an infamous New York City mobster. Joining the team is Frank Balenger, supposedly a New York Times Magazine reporter on assignment to document this obscure pastime.

With this compelling backdrop, our explorers set out to enter the hotel from the bottom up through mutant rat-and-cat-infested sewers of Asbury Park. This is not literature as much as a scary story told around the campfire, and Morrell delivers the goods with equal does of suspense and terror. The hulking wreck of the Paramount hides secrets in its seven floors of rooms reminiscent of King's classic "The Shining", while at the same time Morrell spins a yarn that may bring Bruce Willis and "Die Hard" to mind. We soon learn that there is more to the story than an innocent foray into Asbury Park folklore, and that both Conklin and Balenger hide histories of their own. A careful examination of the events may reveal an overly stretched storyline, but why spoil the fun? "Creepers" is to enjoy, not to analyze.

In short, top-notch entertainment by a master storyteller - a book that you may have to finish in one setting, so don't start it if you have pressing plans.
8 people found this helpful
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Alice
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Novel
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2023
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This book sucked me right in and I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. Highly recommend it for a helluva ride.
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Humphrey
3.0 out of 5 stars David Morrell Concept and Execution
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Quick read, and quick paced. Very predictable though. Wanted an adventure and not a standard shoot 'em up. This is that something different. The prose is splendid, as it always is with David Morrell, and the concept is marvelous, again as it always is with David Morrell. The plot, however, just doesn't take off, and the twists...you can see them coming. Without giving too much away, the main character's backstory and it's reveal, is underwhelming, and possibly pointless. (He doesn't need special motivation. It adds nothing to the story.) Similarly, the bad guys, all of them, are stock characters and don't seem plausible.I like Morrell's work - and he's an award winning top seller - but the "take off" being better than the "landing" is something I feel happens several times in his stories.

Still, if you haven't read a ton and you want something that's out of a B movie to amuse you on that airplane trip you're taking, then consider this.

Best work by David Morrell is "Brotherhood of the Rose" and if you want something that keeps the mind as well as the senses going - for beyond that airplane ride - I'd go with that.
3 people found this helpful
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The Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars Multilayered thrills suck you in, grab you, and won't let go
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018
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As members of an urban explorer group infiltrate the abandoned Paragon Hotel, a straightforward crawl turns into a nightmare. The decrepit building isn't the only thing Balenger, Vinnie, Cora, and the rest of the creepers have to worry about. The explorers struggle against old loyalties, traumas, and unforeseen threats until finally, the hotel reveals its most dangerous and horrifying secret.

This tightly wound tale by the author of First Blood, the man who practically invented the action thriller, was inspired by his own childhood wandering in abandoned places. You won't be able to put it down.

I read this book in one sitting and had a heck of a good time. I hope you do too.
2 people found this helpful
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Susanne C.
4.0 out of 5 stars This could have been great, but it is still good enough to read
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
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This book is somewhat predictable. And there are more than one too many plot twists in the end and quite a few unanswered questions, the characterizations are not terribly deep, but good enough for a plot driven, adventure story.
What makes this a four rather than three star read is the evocative description of the setting and the very interesting premise and plot. As a native Philadelphian, the Jersey shore is my second home, and while South Jersey remains a bustling series of resort towns, the abandonment and decay of the legendary Asbury Park is an intriguing setting. An old, fantastically ornate hotel has endless possibilities, some of which are not fully exploited, but others are.
I do not as a rule read fiction, but I am fascinated by adventures I will never undertake due to my health, such as investigating old buildings and hiking the Appalachian trail. This book was mentioned in an issue of Weird N.J. and I had to read it simply because the subject was so similar to many of their articles on urban explorations (usually with permission!).
I finished it in one day because I had to know how it all turned out, and I was a little frustrated by some unanswered questions about the antagonist, but it was an enjoyable read. I will be reading the sequel because the main character is interesting, although the reviews of Scavenger are not as good as this the reviews of this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mr. G. Oldman
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2019
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A book which transports you into the story. You almost feel you are there. Certainly kept me rivited from start to finish.
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olschewski-bi
5.0 out of 5 stars KLAUSTROPHOBISCH UND BEÄNGSTIGEND
Reviewed in Germany on November 20, 2007
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MORELL ruft mit seinem Thriller beim Leser verborgene Ängste vor der Dunkelheit und dem dadurch bedingten Ungewissen hervor, die die teilweise Aussichtslosigkeit seiner Protagonisten einfühlsam nachempfinden lassen.

DIE STORY:

Sie nennen sich CREEPERS und sind sogenannte Infiltratoren, Leute, die nachts in verlassene und heruntergekommene Gebäude eindringen, um in deren Vergangenheit herumzustöbern. Den besonderen Kick macht dabei das Unheimliche und die Gefahr, die von der morschen Substanz ausgeht, aus.

BERENGAR gibt sich als Journalist aus und schließt sich einer CREEPER-Gruppe an, die in das uralte, zum Abbruch bestimmte Paragon-Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, einsteigen will. Das Hotel war 1901 von dem spleenigen Millionär Calisle pyramidenförmig errichtet worden. Er war Bluter und verließ vor Angst, er könne sich verletzen, nie das Gebäude, in dem er selbst das Penthouse bewohnte. Kurioserweise hat er dennoch 1968 das Hotel verlassen, um am Strand Selbstmord zu begehen. Das Hotel hatte er mit zahlreichen Geheimgängen errichten lassen, von denen aus er in einzelne Zimmer spähen konnte um somit den Mikrokosmos in seinem Hotel, als Abbild der großen Welt draußen, heimlich beobachten zu können, ohne das Hotel verlassen zu müssen.

Die CREEPERS verschaffen sich über einen unterirdischen Kanal Zutritt in das völlig verrammelte und finstere Gebäude. Schon bald merken sie, dass sie nicht nur gegen die von der morschen Bausubstanz ausgehenden Gefahren zu kämpfen haben, sondern offensichtlich auch gegen andere Dritte, die sich wohl ebenfalls Zugang zum Gebäude verschafft haben und nicht gerade friedliche Absichten hegen. Auch innerhalb der CREEPERS steigt die Spannung, nachdem sich nach und nach die wahren Identitäten und Motive einiger "Expeditionsmitglieder" entpuppen. Urplötzlich sehen sich alle einer absolut tödlichen Gefahr ausgesetzt. Der Rückzug ist abgeschnitten, ein Entrinnen scheint unmöglich ...

FAZIT:

Hochspannung. Eine absolut packende Geschichte, die sich zurecht "Thriller" nennen darf. MORREL fesselt den Leser von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite. Dieses Buch liest man in einem "Atemzug" durch, so spannend und bedrohlich wirkt alles. Der Schreibstil hat hohes Tempo. Gleichzeitig werden die entscheidenden Charaktere sehr scharf und ausreichend tiefgreifend gezeichnet. Sie sind ausnahmslos überzeugend und glaubwürdig. Auch wenn es sich nicht um einen Katastrophenthriller handelt, erinnerte mich die Story zum Schluß etwas an die "Höllenfahrt der Poseidon", wobei bei CREEPERS in der zweiten Hälfte die immer präsente Bedrohung durch "Dritte" noch hinzukommt. Alles in allem ein fesselndes und kurzweiliges Erlebnis.

Deshalb viel Spaß beim "Nachzittern".
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Dale Zang
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2014
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Good Read.
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Krimisofa
4.0 out of 5 stars Ein Wahnsinn!
Reviewed in Germany on May 21, 2007
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Dieses Buch besticht durch seine Spannung. Man schlägt die erste Seite auf und wird sofort in die Geschichte hineingezogen. Das dumme dabei ist nur: man kommt da nicht mehr raus! Auch wenn die Story gegen Mitte des Buches etwas grotesk wird, die Spannung wird erhalten bis zur letzten Seite.

Wieso dann nur vier Sterne? Weil die Charaktere keine Persönlichkeiten haben - keine Einzige von ihnen. Man könnte eine Figur beschreiben und hätte Alle beschrieben. Selbst das Nachwort von Morrell hat mehr Persönlichkeit als die Protagonisten.

Trotzdem empfehlenswert!
2 people found this helpful
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Mr. Stephen Kennedy
4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping claustrophobic thriller
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2006
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Another gripping thriller from the author of First Blood, this is a great value paperback.
Morrell has always been great at ramping up the tension with concise descriptive prose, writing in such a way with terse sentences and short chapters that the very reading seems to force your breathing and heartbeat to go faster - and this book does not disappoint. The difference here is that his usual setup is a little different - instead of a lone vigilante or assassin (the usual Morrel protagonist), we are in a group of ‘creepers’, the nickname for those who break in to deserted buildings without any intention of damaging or stealing, but merely for curiosity’s sake to see history preserved as it was at the time the building closed. The past time has clearly been well researched by Morrel, making the motives and characters believable. The setting for this particular foray is the fictional Paragon Hotel, an Art Deco sealed building which was the sanctuary of a reclusive millionaire. The book takes place over one night, and I very nearly read the book in real time, as gripping as it was… The team enter the building only to find that all is definitely not as it seems, and a cat and mouse game starts with surprises and revealed identities along the way, with the decaying hotel providing a perfect claustrophobic atmosphere for tension to mount and the hairs on the back of your necks stand up.
While this does not necessarily rise to the heights of Morrel’s best (The Trilogy of ‘Brotherhood of the Rose’, ‘Fraternity of the Stone’ and ‘The League of Night and Fog’ still rate as his best in my opinion), it is frighteningly well written, with hardly a wasted word. The sentences are short and rapid fire, yet nonetheless convey a full picture of both the setting and the characters. You might not have time to become so involved as to feel real loss when something untoward happens to some of them, but you will feel the unbearable tension in the way it unfolds – you won’t look at sealed abandoned buildings the same way again…
10 people found this helpful
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