Old Haunts
A review by Aaron Barrocas

Old Haunts, a novel by Mark Towse and Nathan D. Ludwig, is a fast, fun read - a story written by people who love stories for people who love stories. Towse and Ludwig have both launched successful writing careers within the past decade, and their two unique voices combine in the smartest way imaginable in this breezy yet memorable novel.

What’s particularly commendable about this horror-comedy story, from somebody who consumes a good amount of horror material, is that both elements stick the landing. The horror portion works. If you have the imagination to picture some of the godawful creations of Towse and Ludwig’s problematically unhealthy minds, you will be frightened. There are unnerving moments, and you will frequently be very concerned for the well-being of the protagonists. But hell - those protagonists are three rough-around-the-edges, socially questionable ex-cons who are willing to do anything - like for real - anything - for some extra scratch. So being a fly on their wall couldn’t be more entertaining or hilarious.

We’ve got Roy, Bruce, and Ken, creators of “Is it True?”, a YouTube ghost hunting show. However, they’re not the usual tv paranormal investigators, reacting to ordinary house sounds and explainable phenomena with exaggerated histrionics (no offense intended to professional bullshit artists). Rather, they visit very disturbing sites, react with genuine fear, and use their years of street smarts to uncover the real source of each “haunting” - almost Scooby-Doo style. Viewers appreciate their honesty and sincerity, and the trio of former prisoners appreciate earning money honestly while hanging out with their friends - or at least people they know and are kind of comfortable around.

The group’s leader, Roy, a visionary entrepreneurial intellectual with a ruffian’s life, is consistently brilliant:

“Up you go then, Bruce,” Roy says, twisting his face in disgust. “Let’s not keep our audience in suspenders, as it were.”
“What? Why is it always me first?”
“It’s what the viewers want, Brucey. You up front equals ratings. Simple math. Up you go.” Out of camera shot, Roy makes a big deal of rubbing his fingers together. “Besides, it’s just an attic. An extra upstairs. Surplus northage. How many of those have we been in now?”

Of course with this setup, they will inevitably find themselves in over their head with some actual otherworldly ugliness. This comes to them via Sofia and Grace - two creepy psychic sisters with a lifelong link to another dimension - complete with a supernatural stalker they wouldn’t mind seeing gone.

On the promise of a sizable commission, our three doddering death dabblers enter a land of legendary gangsters, three-headed wolf monsters, flying soul-suckers, and zombie henchmen. There are regular surprises, and re-emerging into the dimension of the living is by no means a guarantee.

There’s a lot to love about this story. It’s a buddy comedy where three longtime associates are forced to overcome their differences to - possibly or possibly not - survive the worst that the world has to offer. It takes mercenaries from the underworld of life - prison, strip clubs, YouTube, and places them in the actual underworld - where their survival skills are put to the ultimate test. The chemistry between the three on the page reminds one of Mitch, Phil, and Ed from City Slickers - if Crystal, Kirby, and Stern were playing cigarette smoking, blood-covered, demon-fighting criminals - which I would have watched on a loop until I died happy.

And while nobody would mistake this awesome pile of words for fine literature (mainly due to the fart jokes), it’s far from meritless. Old Haunts is a reflection on the family we create, a story about who can and should be trusted, and a study on the exact moment when our wants lead our instincts astray.

If you enjoy horror enough to be reading articles on Without Your Head, you must be reading independent horror novels and anthologies. If you aren’t, I urge you to learn more about what is available - and this novel is a good start in that direction, along with Nathan D. Ludwig and Mark Towse’s previous works:

Mark Towse

Nathan D. Ludwig

This book is the exact type of escapism we all need right now, and I give it three out of three gnarly wolfman heads.

Aaron Barrocas is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and editor living in Los Angeles. He has spent the past 25 years as an active part of the entertainment industry. AaronBarrocas.com