Radio Tower

Horror in Small Towns #1

by Boris Bacic

No one ever leaves Woodberry…

Chris Townsend is a software engineer who has trouble dealing with his past. When his company assigns him to a new project situated in a small town in Oregon, he initially refuses the offer, until he realizes that this change may be exactly what he needs to come to terms with his problems.

While the town of Woodberry is perfect at first glance and his neighbors friendly, this quickly changes when Chris starts asking about the radio tower perched on top of the highest hill in the town. He is warned not to talk about the tower and soon becomes increasingly aware that he is closely watched. To make things worse, each time the tower lights start blinking, the townsfolk go into a hypnotic trance and their behavior turns hostile.

Chris’ new life quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival, as he realizes that he’s not the first victim to become trapped in the town.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Adult, Horror Thriller

438 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2020

About the author

"Boris is my favorite author on Nosleep, he's always killing it with his stories!"
"The security guard series is the best one ever!!"
"I love the subtle connection between each story."
"Like R.L. Stine, but better."
"I want to see this book as a Netflix mini-series!"
"No one can scare me like Boris."

Both traditionally and self-published, Boris is a prolific writer whose horror novels often find themselves on the #1 bestselling ranks. With the books he has published, he is quickly becoming a big name in the horror community.

His stories have been narrated by famous YouTube and podcast narrators, including MrCreepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, DrCreepen, etc. His book, Tales of a Security Guard, is currently in the works to become a short film.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Townsend is transferred to the small, charming town of Woodberry. First off, if you read/watch horror, you should know any town named Woodberry or Woodburry is never a delightful place to be. Upon arriving, Chris notices the huge radio tower in the woods outside of town. When asking about it, the residents are shifty and claim to know nothing. One night he notices the tower red light blinking and his neighbors stop as if in a trance. Something sinister is afoot in Woodberry.

I liked the plot and characters. It was a good read, however I found it basic horror. Nothing really sticks out to give it that extra push. Didn't love, but didn't hate it. So I will give it 3 finger guns, champ.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per usual Bacic delivers the goods. The story starts rather slowly but it's a steady gain of momentum towards the end where it's all rather fevered. I liked the characters but I wasn't fan of one specific element which just seemed forced and this is the main reason this one is a 4 stars instead of a 5.

[Michael Erickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I have to ask myself if I actually like horror books, or if I just like the premises. Too often I'm really drawn in by a book's blurb and/or the first third of it, only to be let down by an ending that can't deliver on expectations I unfairly placed on it. But unfortunately, I can't even say that for this story because things started going off the rails from the start.

The prose is simple and reads like something at maybe a high school reading level, to the point that I had to check if it was marketed as YA. Our protagonist, Chris, also has an inconsistently short temper for no reason I could discern, and he's the victim of several recurring nightmares (I'm never a fan of dream sequences in fiction) that I found to be largely unnecessary. Then we've got the forced romance with the obvious love interest and the big hero moment with a fake-deep message at the climax, an uninspired ~reason~ for all the strange goings-on around town, and a series of other tropes that felt like a list was being checked off.

"The small town that seems a little too perfect" is a wonderful starting point for any creepy story, but I was left more frustrated than unnerved while reading this one, and it's also hard to get into this kind of story when you've already seen it done better. It'd be difficult for me to recommend this one.

[Mr. Coffinbox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, right up to the couple last chapters then it just felt rushed and sloppy

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the get-go Radio Tower conveys an ominous feeling. You get Stepford Wives vibes throughout and things quickly escalate for our poor narrator Chris.

This was another awesome Bacic story and one you’ll want to add to your shelves!

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one incredible book I enjoyed immensely. I am quite proud of myself for discovering this author (although it was by accident) as he wrote a book that made me get lost and drown in, and for the fist time in a long time, a book I literally inhaled. I started reading it and I didn’t stop until I was finished and then I started another one of his books because I couldn’t get enough. Fortunately, the author is quite prolific so there is abundance to choose from.

The characters are well developed and the world gradually built and expanded. It was beautiful. The interactions between and among the characters was so well done and believable. And the plot, oh the plot, brilliant! I had chills. There is a point at the end of the book where the author finished a book with such a shocking statement I nearly screamed. This was overall, one of my favourite books so far and I have a feeling I’ll be loving this author more and more with each book.

The author has an amazing engaging writing style and a great skill in weaving a mystery/horror/thriller. This story had a slow build up and kept me on edge all the way through. “No one ever leaves Woodberry…” indeed. Fantastic job! Thank you for this story!

[Paul Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book I've read by Boris Bacic and it's a good read. A bit short, but packing punches. I loved the characters especially Chris who takes centre stage here. I don't want to spoil too much, but beware of the radio towers.... I will certainly read more of his books. Highly recommended.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved every one of his books I've read so far. Reminiscent of a young Bentley Little but without the crudeness.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Townsend has been having a rough time of it lately, so when his boss asks him to transfer across the country to work on a project, he decides he doesn't have much holding him back. When he arrives in the idyllic town of Woodberry, he is assured that he will never want to leave. Little does he know that those are prophetic words. "No one ever leaves Woodberry."

Chris starts to ask questions about the mysterious radio tower located on the hill, but every time he broaches the subject, he is quickly shut down and told not to ask. Later, he finds out that the house he has rented was once occupied by a young woman named Jennifer who mysteriously disappeared.

The longer Chris is in Woodberry, the more uneasy he feels. When he notices a strange red light emanating from the tower, he also notices that the townspeople seem to go into a strange trance at the same time. Everybody in town seems to be just a little too happy and Chris decides that he has to leave. However, that is easier said than done.

This was a great book and a very fast read. The development of the story was just what you would expect from the sci-fi/horror genre. I am a big fan of 1950's sci-fi movies like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and the old "Twilight Zone" TV series. This book reminded me of those classics and I got the same creepy vibes from this book.

The ending was also just what a fan of this genre would expect and wrapped up the whole thing perfectly. I look forward to reading more books by the author. I was given the chance to read this book by the author, but all opinions are my own.

[John Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Entertaining!

I found this sci-fi thriller to be a compulsive read, a roller coaster of tension and thrills throughout the book. It reminded me of the 1960s British sci-fi thriller "The Prisoner", starring Patrick McGoohan. A real ageless cult series that stood the test of time. All in all, an excellent read.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense mystery!

Wow! The intense suspense and mystery in this one really had me hooked! Its a cross between Twilight Zone and Stephen King. I knew there was weird stuff going on involving that radio tower but was unsure exactly what or why. The story didn't disappoint at all. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Shelly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It was something unnatural. Something that logic couldn't explain. it was all wrong, and he had to get out of here as soon as possible."

This is my third read in this author's Horror in Small Towns series, and I have loved each one! This one makes me a little scared of the tower at the end of my road. Is the tower to blame for all those times I walk in to a room and can't remember why? For all the times I'm looking for my glasses when they're on top of my head? Or, for the times I'm watching TV and all of the sudden realize I don't recall the last few minutes of the show? Yikes!!

So, in this book we meet Chris. He's fallen behind at work but put in the extra hours to finally get caught up, when his boss reassigns him to a project in Woodberry. He really doesn't want to go but he is not given a choice. Once there, he finds the neighbors are overly welcoming, almost to a fault, but they seem nice enough, so he shrugs off the uneasiness he's feeling. But, no one will talk about the radio tower, or about the woman that lived in his house before him that disappeared. That's not even the strangest thing about the townsfolk. Not. Even. Close.

The tag line reads: "No one ever leaves Woodberry". Well, there's a reason for that, and it's not because they love it so much.

If you love creepy, small-town horror, this series is for you. The books in the series are all stand-alone stories so you can read them in any order. It won't matter which one you pick to start with, you'll be hooked! Definitely check it out!

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Radio Tower (Horror in Small Towns) By Boris Bacic. I have been fortunate enough to read several of Bacic’s novels and each gets better than the last! He's an author who constructs compelling narratives and plots that will keep you at the edge of your seat. From the first page to the last you will not be able to set this novel down. Radio Tower is about a software engineer who is having a difficult time recovering from his past. His company assigns him to a new project in small town in Oregon. He is not so sure but decides that this might just be the answer to his problems. But this might not be the answer that he is seeking. There is a demonic presense that seems to eminate from the Radio Tower on the hill whenever the light starts blinking. Chris finds that he is fighting for his survival! Great novel! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.

[Richard Mendenhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next time, eat the darn cookies.

I did enjoy this book, but found that I was picking out the good guys from the bad guys with ridiculous ease. I pretty much guessed who was doing what, why and what was going to happen to each of the characters. A lot of things were telegraphed. That said the characters seemed well developed and believable. The final resolution seemed a bit too convenient. What Chris had was a computer problem, and how did our hero handle the misbehaving computer? Well, he handled it much liked I've been tempted to react to my computer at times. Good book. Kept my interest and really no slow parts. One thing I didn't care for, though, was the epilogue. Maybe there's a sequel planned. Maybe not, but the ending was just fine without the epilogue. I would definitely read more by this author.

[William (Mr. Bill) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Radio Tower --- you won't change the station

Author Boris Bacic does it again. Radio Tower is a book about a phenomenon in a small town where unsuspecting citizens begin to behave in abnormal ways. It is a good Twilight Zone type story that I enjoyed.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.

I enjoyed this book I was excited to see where it'd head next. The premise is pretty solid. However, there were a few issues with it that bothered me while reading.

First of all, the writing isn't great. There were quite a few grammatical errors and typos in the copy, but the main issue was that the storytelling just wasn't polished.

For example:

* When Chris visits the grocery store, the author feels it necessary to explain: "Chris put everything he wanted to buy in his cart and waited in line for the cashier to check everything at the counter." Yeah, that's literally what grocery shopping is...

* When Chris is headed to his neighbour's house for a game night, it's pointed out that the lights are on in Jim's house. Unless they were expected to play games in the dark, that kinda goes without saying, right?

The main issue is that Chris is kinda dumb. There are many signs, some very obvious and disturbing, that indicate something is seriously wrong in this town, yet he dismisses it with the flimsiest excuses. He also doesn't ask questions that I think anyone would've asked in his situation and it's only later on that someone offers him the information to start piecing things together.

The ending was far too convenient in many ways and there were plot points that directly contradicted each other.

That said, I did enjoy this book. I can actually see it working really well as a film, too. I would also read other works by Bacic.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always found the "something bad is happening in this small town" trope an interesting one. Maybe it's because I live in a small town, but it's always fun trying to figure out what horrible thing is happening and why.

There were some small things, though, that did make it hard for me to fully enjoy this book. One thing was the way that Chris interacted with his boss. That level of disrespect, especially with the outright yelling and cursing, would definitely not be tolerated by a boss in most places.

I thought Chris himself was a bit eh for a main character; definitely gave off side character vibes. He's got a weirdly hair-trigger temper that appears to go off randomly. He's also a bit slow on the uptake and takes a long time to figure certain things out; never mind that he does the exact things that he's been clearly warned against doing.

The last few chapters felt a bit contrived; like they were only there to conveniently wrap up the plot but not give actual substance to the story. The ending felt rushed, like maybe the author just wanted to get the story over with.

I did enjoy the concept of the story, though! While it didn't fall short a little in execution for me, I'm still planning on reading more by this author.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, 'perfect town but off somehow' type premise but it could use a lot of editing. It might seem nit-picky but there were enough noticeable tense changes, the occasional misspelling, and repetitive words/phrases that I kept getting pulled out of the story which ended up being frustrating. The plot itself is perfectly passable, not too twisty but still held my attention and I like the general idea of it.

Other than the editing my main complaint is that Chris, our lead, sucks. He gets irrationally angry plenty and acts out on it which makes him come across as entitled and annoying at points. He doesn't figure anything out until very late and honestly how he handled things just wasn't relatable. His backstory, if you can call it that, is a bit weak and comes too late to make him sympathetic. Other than Chris though the rest of the characters we meet are, as with the plot, perfectly passable and I don't have much else to say on them.

Ultimately this wasn't a bad read, it just could be a lot better with some more thought put in and a general tightening up. For free though, definitely not bad.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading (and loving) this authors zombie series I thought for sure anything else by him would be great as well.
While this had a good premise… I don’t know. The MC Chris made certain judgment errors I just don’t think anyone would make.
In the beginning of the book you’re made aware that Chris isn’t doing so hot at work.
He is told that he has to relocate for a year to a small town in Oregon. He lives in Atlanta.
Chris has anger issues. If the book wasn’t about him being sent to this town intentionally? The way he cursed at his boss? Wasn’t realistic.
He gets to the town and while everything seems pretty great at first, the cracks start to show. The residents are weird.
He’s told repeatedly to not talk about certain things or ask a bunch of questions.
So what does he do? Talk about certain things and ask questions. Even while knowing it could put him in danger.
It was an OK read. I wanted to know what was going on. Not sure I would recommend.
2.5-3 stars

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third book by this author that I've read recently and my least favorite. The story was predictable and the main character was really not a pleasant person, or even that interesting, to spend the whole book with. There were multiple pages of a recurring dream that never really seemed to tie in with the story.

One thing I noticed across the books, especially this one, is the odd word usage. People 'saunter' to the door instead of just walking, they "glare" at each other instead of looking, they "recite" instead of saying. The use of "rictus" to describe someone just smiling or grinning normally is really distracting. It feels like either the writer or editor uses a thesaurus way too much; the word use is jarring at times.

That said, this author can definitely write good stories and I will move on to one of his other stories for sure!

[Matthew Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from Boris Bacic, and I really enjoyed his writing style. I felt like he made us relate to our main character Chris pretty well because the things he did throughout, I felt like I would do. Even leading up to getting to the town of Woodberry. He was pissed he’d have to go and didn’t have a choice, but then checking the town out, it looked great with cheap housing and very “Pleasantvilley”. After getting there though, things begin to feel just a taaaad off. So when Chris decided to try to get out of town and can’t, I began to question why not just do this?! And the author actually answered my question(s) in his writing.

Radio Tower definitely had more of an uneasy suspenseful feeling for me than anything else which I really enjoyed.

I’m curious if the other books in this series of Horror in Small Towns are linked at all so I’m definitely reading The Corruption next.

[joshua penrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

No stranger to a good pod people/mind control story, this one does a solid job as a page turner. For those of you who have ever felt like peoples niceties had malicious undertones or maybe you just think your neighbor is up to no good, this book will keep you entertained.

Pros:
+ fairly relatable main character (disgruntled with work and life)
+ fun setting of a small town we’ll described
+ subtle creepy neighbors were well done

Cons:
- the dream sequences I understand but they felt out of place at times
- was the ending too abrupt… I’m not sure. I feel like I enjoyed it and maybe still wanted more. I’d have to think about that.

Overall this book was quite enjoyable. I loved the play on fearing people who are overly nice. If you enjoy a good pod people sci-fi story you might enjoy this one.

[Doug Bolden · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, Bacic's novel is an intriguing take on small-town horror with plenty of mystery and good build-up of tension and weirdness. I enjoyed almost every aspect of this half of the novel (even the parts that were "obvious"). Horror does not have to be innovative to be entertaining, sometimes it just takes a good grasp of a certain trope or mechanism and bringing us along for the ride. Bacic does this well.

On the other hand, Bacic generally stumbles writing consistently good dialogue (and the main character suffers the most in this regard). A lot of the "tell-not-show and then show how you told it" approach to expressing character emotions fails to connect the reader to anything going on in world, meaning that there's a constant disjoint between the reader and the plot unless you happen to be a reader that jives with a main protag being irritated about being shafted at work (and, honestly, man...aren't we all) and then getting really, really frustrated at mint chocolate chip cookies (this is a plot point on more than one occasion).

Still, I feel the horror elements outweighs the bad characterization elements, and I enjoyed myself. Enough to read some more by Bacic.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a tale!

I loved it! Very creative and suspenseful with interesting characters as well. It reminded me of Steven King, who I love. My only complaint, way too many typos! I almost put the book aside because of it. But I went back to it and was glad I did. But the typos continued. Not sure how it works with the proofing of published literature. But just as in a play when that 4th wall is broken and an actor talks to the audience, a typo in literature has the same effect on me. The illusion of being in another world is temporarily shattered. I doubt it’s the author’s fault. And I would definitely still read more of his works, hoping that the typo situation isn’t like that with all his books.

[Kathy Wortham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just, creepy, you'll think about this one afterwards. At first you aren't sure what is going on with Chris, an introverted programmer, or if you even like him. Depressed, short tempered when drinking, aggressive if he feels threatened, a few times you just go Whoa Buddy! But by the end you actually may like him. Because of his mental state his company transfers him to another town. In a weird, updated, Stepford Wives way, the town is perfect, too perfect and it doesn't escape him. Soon he's trying to escape, with deadly results. Like a good slap in the face he's forced out of his funk. But most of all, he'll thank goodness for Marcie, "dearie".

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been stories about mind control for a long time. This book told the story of mind control in a very creative way. A radio tower just shows up one day and soon,people are no longer feeling anything but good feelings. When Chris is sent to the town of Woodberry, he finds things going well. Then he begins to notice something is off. Once again, the author of this book creates a world that one soon discovers things are not right in the small town. The author creates such a creepy atmosphere that the reader begins to experience their own sense of paranoia. Another good book by Boris Bacic.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was a good idea. There was something about it I didn’t like and can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it went in a little too long. Obviously Jim was creepy AF and I didn’t like him and I spent most of the story trying to figure out wtf was up with the mint lol. I was kinda over the book by the time we got inside the radio tower. But over all it was cool. It gave me Vivarium vibes from Netflix.
I don’t know if this was a kindle issue but I was constantly kicked out of the book and getting a notification of “thank you for finishing…” when I was just trying to turn the page. Or the entire thing would freeze when trying to change pages as well.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up after a third. Just…bad writing. I remember enjoying Retown. Even that wasn’t anything to write home about. But I was compelled and entertained. I had to force myself to read this. Not a good sign.

When I say bad writing, I mean: have you ever had someone tell you a story? Surface details only. No effective imagery or emotion. Just a rehashing of facts. Radio Tower reads almost exactly this way. Tell tell tell. And, at a third in and nothing remotely interesting or horrifying had happened. No hook. Not even a ho.

Also didn’t make sense to me why the guy took a sudden interest (obsession?) with a damn radio tower. If he mentioned it one more time…

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Подобно на Феликс Блекуъл, чиито роман Stolen Tongues представихме наскоро в Цитаделата, сръбският писател Борис Бачич също пробива във форумите за крийпипасти, преди да стане издаван автор и макар поне в тази книга да не е толкова добър, показва талант, който показва, че от тези онлайн общности наистина изскачат големи таланти. Историята на Radio Tower е интересно разказана и мистерията е изградена така, че макар действието да тече бавничко, не можеш да оставиш книгата, а и стилът на автора е много увлекателен.
Прочетете цялото ми ревю в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/radio-tower/

[Johann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy

Chris is being relocated to a little town called Woodbury by his job
Chris kind of wanted to start over anyway so he made the transition. A few weird things seem to raise some red flags for him when he got there.
Everyone...is very friendly...not your normal friendly either but beyond Mayberry friendly.
And then there's the radio tower that nobody wants to talk about and seems even defensive about it.
Will Chris survive this town or will he become a citizen that's too willing.