Red Fox: An Experiment in Terror Novel (Experiment in Terror, #2)

by Karina Halle

In the forgotten town of Red Fox, New Mexico, a Navajo couple is tortured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild animals slink through their house in the dark, a barrage of stones pound their roof nightly, and mutilated sheep carcasses are turning up on their prop erty. Armed with a cam era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the desolate locale, hoping to film the supernatural occurrences and add credibility to their flailing webcast. Only their show has a lot more working against them than just growing pains. Tested by dubious ranch hands, a ghost from Dex's past, and shapeshifting deception, the amateur ghost-hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths...or die trying.

• ISBN10: 1463576641
• ISBN13: 9781463576646
• Publish Date: 24 March 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 324
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

This was definitely creepier than the first book! And I've already grown to love the characters so I was more invested and worried about their safety. My one comfort is that I know there are several more books in the series, so they MUST survive.

Red Fox takes place in New Mexico, Perry and Dex are investigating a series of strange occurrences on a farm. The tension is pretty much immediate, for numerous reasons and in a variety of ways.

First of all, it's Perry and Dex's relationship. He has a girlfriend, but Perry is falling in love with him and now, because of the Christian beliefs of the couple who own the farm, Perry and Dex are pretending to be a married couple, sharing a room and everything. So yeah, tension! I find the potential for cheating problematic here and while they aren't married, I still wish he would end things with his girlfriend or stop flirting with Perry.

Secondly, that couple? Well the wife is a bitch. Not going to sugar coat it, she's a bitch and everyone - even her husband - knows it. So why do they put up with her? Well, she's blind and maybe that gets her some sympathy? Anyway, their conversations and interactions are just creepy and tense.

Thirdly, the whole reason they're investigating this case is an old band friend of Dex's called him up. Turns out, they have a complicated and tense history. And, oh, Perry find him very attractive and Dex is taken so... flirting ensues there a bit too. Again, tension.

Finally, the actual case. HOLY SHIT things get creepy here. I don't want to spoil, but there's some scary moments, there's some skinwalker action, and even an attempted rape (so trigger warning!). There's this one scene that my skin literally crawled with goosebumps.

I should note, I am a horror WHIMP and some of y'all may laugh at the moments that freaked me out. But nothing has gotten too ghoulish or gross for me. And Karina Halle is just a really great author, so I decided to give this series a chance in light of the season. And now I'm hooked.

Also, I was on the fence about Jo Raylan's narration of the first book. After listening to this one I think it's fair to say it was me, not her, on that first book. I do still have to listen more carefully than I do other books, but that would be my only complaint.

Qualifies for COYER Scavenger Hunt item #45 - Step outside your comfort zone and read a book in a genre you have read less than 3 times this year. I've read Horror only 2 other times this year.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The tale opens with Perry and her family watching the first episode of Perry and Dex's ghostly adventures at the Lighthouse. Despite her parent's skepticism folks seem to like it, and soon Dex is calling with an assignment for their next case. The two travel separately to Red Fox, Mexico where a Navajo couple is tortured by unseen entities. Get ready because Halle delivers one creepy tale that mixed ancient myth and supernatural events that will have you canceling that vacation you scheduled to Mexico.

This time the duo is a little more prepared and Perry does some investigative work at the library regarding poltergeists. The two meet at the airport in Mexico, armed with their luggage and a handheld camera they travel to Red Fox. Before they even reach their destination, Halle will have you shivering as they encounter something strange on the outskirts of town.

They stay at the farm where these occurrences are reportedly happening and circumstances have them sharing a bedroom. Halle has created some really quirky characters. Dex while smexy and confident in his ventures is also aloof and tends to get inside his own head. Perry, on the other hand, is young, and the running commentary in her head can sometimes take the form of mental diarrhea. But there is something about the two of them together that I like even as I scratch my head. It will be fun seeing them learn to trust each other and listen to their instincts.

While the two of them are floundering at documenting some of the most crucial aspects of the case they do get into the thick of it. Perry is observant and I am beginning to see some serious potential in her. Halle had the hairs on my arm standing up. She mixed ancient myth and deception together to create a creepy tale about shape-shifting.  It is one that nearly gets our investigators killed. While nothing is overly gory, the suspense, creepy crawlies and characters kept me on edge. The story was tight and held an air of believability.

The town immediately made me uneasy. You can taste evil and good lord the farm they are staying on..I would not have lasted through dinner. Nope. I have seen that movie, I am checking out! There is some strange shit happening at Red Fox. Rocks fall from the sky, people go missing, weird animals with almost human eyes, and please don't ever, EVER ask me about the cows.

Surrounding the supernatural scenes are a unique, if not creepy, cast of secondary characters.  An old nemesis from Dex's past, a witch doctor, and a blind woman who will have you squirming in your chair uncomfortably. All of them helped further the story, cast doubt and creep me the hell out!

There is a subtle romantic thread and we even see a little movement but I am still trying to figure out if these two are just plain crazy. My momma would say they were touched.

Jo Raylan does a wonderful job narrating the series. She captures the quirkiness that is Dex and Perry. She also helped set the tone and created provided an atmospheric listen.

Audio provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Amanda]

3.5

It’s rare for me to get scared while reading. I don’t know if I just don’t scare easily while reading, or if the authors I’m reading never quite push me over the edge. Either way, Red Fox was scary. There’s something about this story that makes you want to run away screaming in fear because shit gets real, people/things keep trying to kill Perry and Dex, and no one knows why. In a way, this book replicates a lot of the feelings that I love about a good mystery thriller, except with the supernatural.

Though sometimes there are certain aspects that are way, way too easy to guess or make connections, (Really, Perry? The hairbrush? I saw that one coming a mile away even if you didn’t), there was certainly enough left unanswered to keep me reading to find out what happened, and, you know, to make sure that Perry and Dex don’t die. Despite their flaws, I like both of them. I struggle with Dex a bit, but I’m a person who thrives on lack of ambiguity, and Dex happens to be one very confusing person. Just when you think you’ve finally figured him out, he does a 180. And this drives me crazy. But I definitely liked Red Fox Dex better than Darkhouse Dex.

In fact, this second installment in the Experiment in Terror series is even better than the first. That’s the mark of a good series, in my opinion, and I am looking forward to continuing (also, thank you, Kelly, for telling me to download The Benson; you were right: I wanted it once I finished Red Fox). If you need a good, scary book for this Halloween–or for any time, really–I’d recommend this series. After all, if it can scare me, it’ll probably scare you, too.

Red Fox was a free Kindle book I downloaded on May 11, 2012 for the Why Buy the Cow? reading challenge.

[littleread1]

Even better the second time around!