Webster - (Smithy) by Amanda Desiree (Paperback)

About the Book

"In the summer of 1974, in a derelict Rhode Island mansion called Trevor Hall, a team of scientists taught American Sign Language to a chimpanzee. They affectionately christened their subject "Smithy." His official name was Webster. The Smithy Project ended in tragedy, some believing that a dark presence inside Trevor Hall had been disturbed. Webster was acquired by CSAM, a research lab in California run by the iron-fisted Manfried Teague. CSAM had a reputation for sullen staff, gloomy conditions, and cruel experiments. Despite this, two of Webster's original researchers, Jeff Dalton and Ruby Cardini, followed him west, determined to look after their friend. But another entity followed the chimp as well, and in the waning years of the 1970s, "Webster" became synonymous with a menagerie of inexplicable events, strange social movements, curious legal cases, and chilling courtroom testimonies. All were haunted by the question left unanswered at Trevor Hall: Had Webster not only bridged the gap between man and animal, but between this world and the next?"--

Book Synopsis

"Desiree has elevated the documentary-style ghost-story genre to unique heights." -Booklist

In the summer of 1974, in a derelict Rhode Island mansion called Trevor Hall, a team of scientists taught American Sign Language to a chimpanzee. They affectionately christened their subject "Smithy." His official name was Webster.

The Smithy Project ended in tragedy, some believing that a dark presence inside Trevor Hall had been disturbed. Webster was acquired by CSAM, a research lab in California run by the iron-fisted Manfred Teague. CSAM had a reputation for sullen staff, gloomy conditions, and cruel experiments. Despite this, two of Webster's original researchers, Jeff Dalton and Ruby Cardini, followed him west, determined to look after their friend.

But another entity followed the chimp as well, and in the waning years of the 1970s, "Webster" became synonymous with a menagerie of inexplicable events, strange social movements, curious legal cases, and chilling courtroom testimonies. All were haunted by the question left unanswered at Trevor Hall: Had Webster not only bridged the gap between man and animal, but between this world and the next?

Review Quotes

Praise for Smithy:

"This original haunted house tale, with a unique plot and compellingly vivid characters, moves from uneasy to creepy to all-out 'keep the lights on' terror."―Library Journal, starred review

"A heartbreaking, terrifying experiment in slow-burn horror. You will believe in Smithy."―Scott Thomas, author of Kill Creek

"Smithy is a compelling freezer burn of a book I'm still thinking about days later." ―Kaaron Warren, author of Tide of Stone and Slights

"Inventively told and utterly original, Smithy is a startlingly good debut and one that announces the arrival of a serious horror talent. Keep an eye on Amanda Desiree. She's a major rising star." ―Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and The Invention of Ghosts