| Title | : | 3:33 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1959778064 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781959778066 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 108 |
| Publication | : | Published December 2, 2022 |
Invitation only, and by rather unorthodox methods.
How will you know? You’ll know.
No cash or credit card required.
Leave your sanity at the door.
3:33 Reviews
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Full review available at The Mort Report:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...
Mark Towse is a cheeky fella – an Englishman who lives down-under, and who would love to write full time.
I will be the first to admit that the cover got my attention immediately, and as I tend to do a lot these days, I decided to go into this one blind. Not that the blurb gave too much away, in hindsight. Because this is a story about a very exclusive club, where you can only go by invitation and don’t need any money.
That’s right – total fiction for me. I don’t get invited anywhere, because I am totally awkward and anti-social. It is not a complaint – please don’t get me wrong – I might actually be bragging a bit. It saves so much time having to come up with a plausible excuse not to go, you know?
And when I was into the story a little, I thought to myself that this will be story I have read before. While the details might differ, the main idea would be the same.
And then Towse wagged his imaginary finger at me and said tsk, tsk, tsk…
I love this author’s humor (for the Americans), and humour (for the others), and his writing is half decent, too. So, yes, this one is well worth the read for any horror fan.
Oh yes, there might be a bonus short at the end…
5 STARS! -
Aging can be rough. Depending on the perspective one views in thier life. Looks change, relationships change, children grow up and often drift, and sometimes it becomes too much to accept.
This is Frank. He isn't happy with his looks, his wife lives in her own world of vanity, and his children are teens too cool to want to spend time with dad.
Frank is given an offer to a members only club. One that makes many promises, but at a cost, and a signed contract. He can only receive if he at first promises to give in return. Even though it is a high price to pay, Frank agrees hoping for a better life to look forward to but eventually learns that the price he has paid slips him into his own persanal hell.
"When time splits the Devil in two. When time splits the Devil in two. 666—3.33!"
With mind bending horror and feels of going down a hallucinogenic "Alice in Wonderland" rabbit hole of fever dreams, erotic encounters, and offers of sinful pleasures too hard to refuse, you may just be more thankful for your own life and appreciate what you have. You certainly would never want to experience anything that happens in this story. It's freaky, bizarre, and creepy! There is nothing as it seems, a dream, within a dream, within a....nightmare!!
Bonus short story: Last Train
★★★★☆ -
Horror Bookworm Reviews
3:33 by Mark Towse
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Frank is beginning to show signs of aging. Loss of hair, an extended belly and sunken eyes are the unavoidable signs of getting old. Relationships with his wife and teenage kids are steadily deteriorating into non-existent. One evening he stumbles upon a mysterious exclusive members only club. Agreeing to a one-time opportunity, he believes his life is finally changing for the better. However, there is a price to be paid for this signed contract of promises.
Mark Towse brings his imaginary gift to a literary hallucinatory manifestation of wicked weirdness to his book 3:33. Invoked by colorful potions and multicolored pills, Towse leads the reader down a psychedelic rabbit hole of ecstasy and intoxicating sinfulness. This adult-rated bizarre playground of pleasurable patrons plays on emotions of vanity, self-pity and insecurities that one might possess. Invitees are expected to compensate for the entrance fee and their running tab of depraved decadence.
Towse cleverly exposes the sinful side of humanity and the lure of temptation as he gives the reader a taste of Heaven but not without serving up a heaping spoonful of Hell. Merging illusions into reality with sinister serums and nocturnal fantasies, this tale of luminescent splendor exploits pleasure, depravity and bizarre behavior all rolled into one macabre mindf**k. I mean for Christ’s sake, the bartender’s name is Lloyd. Gotta love that!
If there were ever a soundtrack for 3:33 it would be Hotel California. I strongly endorse this feel good story of the year…just be sure to stay away from the Golden Door. One last notation, an extra feature entitled Last Train is also included. A story of anticipated fear as a man’s train ride leaves in thirty minutes. Seems simple enough doesn’t it? Well, with Mark Towse as the conductor of this Hell ride anything can happen. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation. -
I enjoyed everything about this story, I can't think of a single thing I would "fix".
The main character was relatable and engaging, his relationship with his teenage children seemed almost too real. His kids are at that soul crushing age where everything their parent does is the epitome of cringe and they want nothing to do with them but also not really, and as a parent you just wonder how to connect with them. His life is a bore, when he gets a glimpse of temporary escape and of a potential new lease on life, he can't help but to go for it and we can understand him, escape comes at a cost though... The story is skillfully written and it makes for a quick and hard to put down read, trust me, go in as blind as possible, you'll thank me later.
For personal reasons I will not accept any criticism of this novella. Thank you. -
What will it cost, Lloyd? Towse opens the doors for the reader to enter a world that will give you everything, if you are willing to pay the price. This one was a page turner, great story telling!
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Mark Towse is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. His books are weird, wonderful and very memorable. This book in particular was a wild ride. It was quirky, unique and the reminder of it makes me panic everytime I wake up at 3am! 😂
Highly recommend to those that love a short and intense thriller! 😈 -
Great book about an Englishman who has it all but isn't happy. He joins a club that has a high price, but is it worth it? Creepy and entertaining, and the bonus short story at the end is creepy as hell.
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This went in a direction I did not expect, and I'm glad it did! I can't elaborate because it's best that the reader goes in blind. So settle in and hang on for a surreal WILD ride! My first by this author and I will definitely read his other works.
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"I'm drowning, but nobody's patrolling the beach."
Such is the lament of our Narrator, an unreliable and seriously depressed forty-eight-year-old male, crushed by overwhelming and ever-intensifying financial pressures, emotionally estranged from spouse and children although still physically present, despairing of an unexamined, never-worth-living, lifetime.
This is a Bizarro novella, most cleverly "out of this world" (in so many ways!). I appreciated the premise, the settings, and the plotting. I just couldn't get behind the [not-feckless just-foolish] Main Character! Okay, I can empathize with his aging, his serious depression, his hopelessness and despair; but come on, there were repeated times when he could have stood up for himself, with his spouse, children, boss, in "the very exclusive club," in the pub, near the rural train station [and the isolated rural scenes comprising the conclusion, ESPECIALLY involving the Train Station, are PURE Ramsey Campbell to me, and yes, that is HIGH praise]. So yes, Ralph is Drowning, and nobody knows, but he knows, AND STILL DOESN'T ACT!!!
In the end, Ralph has summed his failure up himself:
" I deserve this. I deserve this. The mantra of the lifelong loser."
Ralph: I despair of you. -
This book definitely hit home for me. I admit that growing old is one of my all-time fears. Mark took that fear and amplified it like no other. One thing I love about Mark's writing is how he pulls you in with just a taste of what the book will bring, and you are immediately hooked.
In 3:33, we meet Frank. Like many people, he is aging and isn't happy about that. On the other hand, his wife Vanessa is as fake as can be. She refuses to age and makes sure to avoid it at any cost. Having teenage kids doesn't help the situation either. They don't want anything to do with Frank and ignore him constantly. On one of his late night drives, Frank stumbles on a very exclusive nightclub. It promises to make all his dreams come true. The question is, will it be worth the price you're willing to pay? This novella had major The Shinning vibes, and I couldn't get enough of it. -
A very exclusive club.
Invitation only, and by rather unorthodox methods.
How will you know? You’ll know.
No cash or credit card required.
Leave your sanity at the door.
Charlie Kaufman is my favorite mind. Fortunately, he’s a screenwriter, so we get to see his thoughts come to life. Not just on the page. My favorite film of his is Adaptation starring Nicolas Cage. 3:33 by Mark Towse is so Kaufman-esque (and I mean that in the most positive way) that my internal voice as I read was Nicolas Cage’s and I finished Towse’s novella wanting to see it come to life. I’m looking at you Netflix. Help a brother out. 3:33 would drop a few jaws. Until then, read the book. You won’t be disappointed. -
4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5
This story is a creepy, anxiety ridden, sinful good time! -
If you hated your life would you give up years to feel happy again?
Overall, I found this novella a quick, easy read. It gave me anxiety, it made me feel for Frank, who just wanted to do shit with his family and be noticed by them but they were too self-absorbed to notice his struggles and suffering. But, in a way I don’t feel bad for him because he could have left his selfish wife and none of the shit to follow would have happened. 🤷♀️
I thought this novella was well written, the detail never had me questioning anything. The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this novella was the animals and sex scenes. But that’s just me! -
Growing old is not for the weak. Frank is slowly losing his youthful appearance and ambition, and his wife is fighting the aging process with every penny. This makes him a perfect guest for the halcyon club.
This short story invites us along for a trip to hell with several stops along the way filled with human depravity. I went into this book blind, and I suggest you do too, as every twist and turn will shock you and have you compulsively turning the pages for more. If you are ready for a no limit experience, check out this gem!
I recieved a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
A vivid, gripping, terrifying descent into madness!
3:33 follows the plight of poor Frank. He's hopeless, he's self-destructive, yet, as a reader I completely loved Frank. I wanted things to work out for him eventhough it was obvious that it was too late.
When the same night terror grips him over and over, Frank finds himself driving through the night over the same stretch of road again and again. Until a strange crackling over the radio takes him down an unexpected path.
The world that opens up for him is beyond words. The author supremely paints vivid pictures in the mind of the reader, filling them with intrigue and chills of terror.
As Frank continues to make choices, however bad or good, I was with him till the bitter end. The things happening to him are over the top imaginative and frightening.
The story took me so deep into another place that it could have stood on its own as complete book.
I highly recommend this for the lover of weird, creepy, and gut wrenching scary! -
‘A very exclusive club.
Invitation only, and by rather unorthodox methods.
How will you know? You’ll know.
No cash or credit card required.
Leave your sanity at the door.’
Such an interesting book, just completely different from anything I’ve read before. Frank isn’t aging well in his mind, he’s balding, over weight and disconnected from his family. With debt mounting up he’s looking to end it all when his car radio leads him to exclusive club, where his wildest dreams are available, the ultimate cure for a midlife crisis but at what cost?
I really enjoyed 3:33, it was so weird but I struggled to put it down, to the point where I was fight sleep just to read a bit more. There are a couple of great nods to The Shining in there as well which is always appreciated.
I enjoyed the time spent with Frank and his family, the dynamics of their fractured relationships really played into Frank looking for something else out of life, and it pushes him towards a whirlwind experience and questionable choices.
Mark got in touch to other me a free copy of 3:33 but I knew nothing about the story beforehand and it is one of those that definitely helped...going in blind enhanced this wonderfully weird experience. I don’t want to go into too much of what happened in the novella as I don’t want to rob anyone of the opportunity of discovering this with a fresh mind.
The main bulk of this novella is 3:33 but there is also a short story, Last Train which is a great addition. From the opening paragraph there is just a sense that this isn’t going to end well.
Ralph has hooked up with someone out of his league and is heading to an isolated pub, it’s very quickly apparent that Ralph has messed up and his only hope is the Last Train.
Big thank you to Mark for this copy of 3:33, I’ve had some of his books on a must buy list so it was great when he reached out!
I definitely recommend this, it’s a quick read and just a weird and wonderful look at someone looking for an escape from their life. -
You've been invited to a very special club. An extremely exclusive club. You will get an invitation in a rather unusual way. No uninvited guests allowed.
Cash or card won't be needed.
3:33 grabbed my attention immediately. I related to the protagonist, Frank, and his pre teen daughter brought back so many memories.
Mark has purposely been very vague in describing this novella and I'm thankful to have gone in blind.
The characters are very well fleshed out, although some are left mysterious to fit the story. I loved the family dynamic, it felt realistic and relatable.
The best part for me was Frank thinking of The Shining and repeatedly using that name. It felt so off the cuff but flowed perfectly.
I have read some of Mark's other work and his style of dark humour makes for a delightful read but I do believe this may be his best book yet.
I could rave more about this novella but I don't want to give hints to the story away too much!
I highly recommend you jump on Amazon and get yourself a copy!! -
3:33 is a fast paced, surprisingly funny and also creepy novella! I really enjoyed a lot of the running themes in this book as well as the references made. This read felt like a fever dream filled with horror and mystery! There is also another short story at the end, Last Train, that I really enjoyed.
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A very exclusive club. No cash or credit card required. Leave your sanity at the door.
Like other reviewers mentioned, you should absolutely go into 3:33 blind as a bat. I mean, it’s not like Mark gives you much to dig for. Any information on this novella is vague, but I guess that makes sense because well, it’s exclusive. Only those who actually get through this book can truly understand and become an active member.
Frank just wants love. He wants his family back. He’s in his mid-forties facing a lot of debts and dealing with a lot of bull. He can’t even “get it up” anymore in the bedroom with Vee without his little blue pills. He feels worthless. You feel for him when you read this book and honestly, he kinda deserves to be apart of the exclusive club, right? Right.
Until that exclusive club is absolutely nuts. But why would I tell you what goes on inside? You have to crack open this one on your own to find out.
This novella was silly, weird, a bit thrilling, and do I say… kind of cosmic? I often felt a lot of curiosity while reading this, probably the same way Frank does inside his own story. Frank and I both didn’t understand just what in the hell was going on. And I find that element of curiosity and questioning as a big part of what deems something as cosmic.
The writing was also excellent. Very descriptive and thorough. I enjoyed Mark’s writing style quite a bit and will look into other works of his. Definitely a good book! I will also make sure that my eyes are always open at 3:33AM so that I can avoid slipping into the club and selling my soul. -
3:33 will be the most special, deranged, weird but awesome novella you’ll ever read. I promise you that. I won’t tell much about it cause it’s better if ( like me) you dive in without knowing anything about the story !
A very exclusive club, where you don’t pay with money, but with time. Frank is offered a membership, he isn’t happy with the life he has now. And finds happiness at the club, at first…
This was a great story, I finished it in one sitting. It was weird but I loved it ! -
If you enjoy weird cults, middle age crisis’, and erotic scenes that will also frighten you then you’ll enjoy this hellish book! The bonus story “The Last Train” at the end is also a scary good time!
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Great story. Really enjoyed it. I want to read more by Mark Towse
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Frank has been invited to an exclusive night club, so exclusive you need to be invited through a dream. Animals masks are mandatory and the high end drinks come at a great price, it’s a magical adult paradise where ecstasy awaits, what is there to lose? …
As soon as I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down. The premise is unique and very compelling, the idea of a night club that only appears at 3:33am is what lured me in. I needed to know what it was all about and what surprises awaited inside this mysterious kinky nightclub. There’s a very bizarre aspect in the story that was completely unexpected but I ended up really enjoying the weird and gross visual it gave me, who knew hair growth could be so creepy?! You’ll need to read this to find out what I’m talking about.
I thought of this little novella as “fun” horror touching on bizarro. While it contains some bloody and suspenseful scenes it wasn’t as mean-spirited as other books in the genre. Theres also a bonus short story in the end titled “Last Train” that was a delightful little horror tale that will please “creature-feature” loving horror fans.
Overall, this was totally wild and entertaining, Towse really has fantastic ideas and the books I’ve read by him so far have never let me down. I highly recommend checking out 3:33! But make sure to be there particularly when time splits the Devil in two 😉
𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 -
When you receive an invitation to a very exclusive club you join, right? This was a great opportunity, or so Frank thought. No money is needed to enjoy the luxuries this club offers. When time splits the Devil in two, put your mask on and see what awaits you.
Towse has become one of my favorite authors. You are always in for a treat when it comes to his writing. 3:33 has some great offerings. I loved the vague blurb. It really leaves things open, so you have no expectations going in. It’s an exclusive club, after all. Once you’re in, be prepared for a wild and intense ride full of twists and thrills. Some of the story elements had me thinking of The Shining and Squid Games. A great balance of crazy, horror and mystery. Read it for yourself and find out. I’ll say no more because what happens in the club stays in the club. -
This was my second novella by Towse and it was brilliant! 3:33 was such a unique experience. The premise was so different and so bizarre.
Once I started this one I could not put it down. I love stories that put us right inside the characters mind. Stories where we get to follow along as they battle with themselves, trying to make the right decisions.
In this case we get to follow alongside Frank - invited to a very exclusive club, in the most unusual way.
I would recommend going into this one blind and knowing as little as possible (also why this review is so short and not telling at all, sorry). I think that’s how the author wanted us to go into this one with his own description of the book being so vague. -
𝟯:𝟯𝟯 by 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙨𝙚
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Novella - 108 pages
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Thank you to @ for the review copy of his book. This was the first I had read from Mark Towse it sounded intriguing from the minimal description and it turned out to be a wild ride that I wasn’t expecting.
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𝙰 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚋.
𝙸𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚞𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚡 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚜.
𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠? 𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠.
𝙽𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚑 𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍.
𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚘𝚛
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It follows Frank, a middle aged man with a wife and two teenagers. Struggling under a mountain of debt and feeling disconnected from his family, one could say he’s experiencing a mid life crisis. He takes to driving around aimlessly in the middle of the night until one night he’s lead to a secret exclusive nightclub where all kinds of mysterious debauchery ensues.
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Overall I really enjoyed the writing and it was a truly unique story. If anyone has read Wicked,(the book the musical was based off of and is very dark -nothing like the family friendly musical version),the club scenes in 3:33 remind me a bit of a couple scenes in Wicked with a tiger and a raunchy stage show of sorts - if you know, you know. It’s probably an obscure reference.
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I should have been able to finish this in one sitting but for some reason I had a hard time connecting to the main character at first. There were parts of him I really related to and then parts of him I just wanted to slap, (his wife even more so 😂). This made me take longer to read it. The last 1/2 I finished in one sitting though. I don’t want to give too much away but it was a nice twisted read with a bit of a reminder to be careful what you wish for. For mature readers only!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Wonderfully descriptive, & setting the tone of the book instantly, this starts off with a bang. Mark Towse wasn’t exaggerating when he described this as a coming of middle age fever dream. I really appreciate the nod to The Shining. The book is much different, but you can definitely feel the influence for sure. Maybe even a touch of Eyes Wide Shut.
As much as I hate to admit this, the day time chapters are all too relatable. The “exclusive club” parts were so fascinating and dark and exciting. This is definitely NOT a novella to sleep on. Coming in at 119 pages, it was fully developed and felt like a full length novel. I absolutely love the ending.
Side note, I dont think I’ve ever highlighted so many passages in all of my reading life. And also, that cover art 😍 fits the story perfectly! -
Since 2020,
Mark Towse has authored a host of novellas and been featured in numerous short story anthologies, and if his other work hits the same heights as 3:33, I will certainly be checking him out again soon. I found this to be a short, punchy, and often very funny read which does not take itself too seriously with a central character who goes through the worst possible mid-life crisis. Frank might have been unlikable, but at the same time, one can not help feeling sorry for the poor sucker, as not all of us age gracefully!
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by
clicking here. -
First of all, shout out to this author for sending me his novella and being so damn patient in that it has taken be way too long to read it! However, let me tell you it was totally worth the wait. This dark horror novella had everything I ever wanted in a horror story. Here’s a middle aged father who has lost his kids to their selfish teen angst, his wife to her materialistic needs which are draining them financially, and he’s feeling every bit his middle age and more. On the brink of suicide, he is mysteriously invited to membership into a very exclusive club where payment is not monetary but in exchange for time from his life. I absolutely loved the reference to the Shining with the bartender named Lloyd, and I totally pictured Lloyd from the movie every single time. The humor and brilliant demeanor of the employees with their total politeness only fueled the ominous backdrop of the story and was so entertaining. This also included a little short story at the end called The Train. If you love horror, and you are looking for a short read – this is a MUST!
