Title: Worms

Author: James R. Montague

Book Length: 186 pages

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Gothic

Read Start Date: June 23, 2023

Read Finish Date: July 7, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: 

My Review: I found this book at the local library. I had never heard of this book before, but it seemed like something that was right up my alley. I usually love horror novels from the 1970s and 80s (Worms was first published in 1979). I was expecting a creature feature similar in style to Jaws by Peter Benchley. However, Worms was more of a thriller with a flavor of worms.

James Hildebrand is not a good guy. In fact, he’s a murderer. Retiring to the Norfolk coast, he seeks peace and quiet, and for no one to suspect him of fowl play in the untimely death of his wife. Invasive in his daily life are the worms, and at first we do not know whether the worms are figurative — a metaphor for the guilt festering in his mind — or whether they are real.

As he begins to suspect that someone knows his secret, the infestation intensifies, leading to an expected conclusion.

I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. I’ve thought about it a lot and I do not know why this book didn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, and I’m glad I picked it off the shelf, but I also could have lived without ever reading this book. It was good, but not life altering.

Stats: As of August 29, 2023: 3.6 stars on Goodreads from 145 reviews.

Recommended? Yes, but I wouldn’t add it at the top of your list.