? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

The Patient by Jasper DeWitt is a horror novel set in modern times that uses several narrative mediums (online blog posts and clinical files) to follow Dr. Parker, a young, idealistic psychiatrist who works in a mental asylum. Parker hears about Joe, a patient who was admitted by his parents at 6 years old because he claims that he was being held by a creature in his room and would not stop screaming in fear. Flash forward 34 years later, and Joe appears to be a patient who has been held in the asylum against his will and would like to assume normal life. But there’s a caveat: Joe is held in a cell by himself, as all his previous cell mates are always found mysteriously dead. To make the matter more concerning, most psychiatrists who have treated him have died or committed suicide. Rather than turn away from this patient, his circumstances allure Parker and he commits himself to treating him. As the novella unfolds, we begin to watch Parker traverse deeper into Joe’s web and we begin to see the horror that unfolds, whether it is Joe’s doing, or not. If you have a panache for the frightening and enjoy a good thrill, this novel is not to be missed.

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