Last Stop, Ground Floor is a psychological horror-thriller novel about a young man who learns that spending eternity in the place of eternal punishment for the crimes he committed during his lifetime wasn’t what he expected, nor what he could have imagined. It didn’t surprise Nick that he ended up in hell for what he’d done, but he wasn’t prepared to follow the rules.
Following his execution, Nick is escorted through the caverns of the underworld by Jeffrey, his host, who will introduce the young man to others that have arrived before him. Jeffrey will attempt to teach Nick that there are rules to the underworld that must be followed, the same as there were basic rules in life that Nick always chose to ignore.
Nick will be shown the horrors of what others now endure as a result of their poor life choices. He will also be shown how those horrors can grow far worse if he doesn’t play by the master’s rules.
The question is, will Nick pay attention? Will he heed the hints and warnings that his mentor is providing? Will he recognize in himself, or through others, just why it was that he was sent to hell? Or, will Nick ignore what everyone is attempting to show him and try to play by his own rules for the rest of his eternity?
Reader Reviews
Wow. Just, wow! I, 'unfortunately', finished "Last Stop, Ground Floor." I absolutely LOVED it. It's been a while since I literally could not put down the book, let alone stop thinking about it, as I've done with yours the last 24 hours. The preface was such a great introduction to the story; it's an opinion I share as well. I really just don't know where to begin!
I loved the reveal of "Jeffrey" in both chapter 3 and the ending. Both are amazing twists I can't believe I didn't see coming! I also loved all the references to actual historical figures and events. The way you explained how and why certain people end up in Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory was so thought-provoking, and really so well done throughout the story.
There were times it was hard to read, which really is saying a lot. I've been an avid fan of all thing horror since I was a child and very few books/movies do that to me anymore. I also grinned a few times at Jeffrey's mocking of Nick throughout the journey, especially about 'time' lol.
I'm just a stay-at-home mom now, and I never actually post or respond to posts off Facebook, just look around for entertainment and keep to myself. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed your work, and I have read daily since I was a child, anything horror that I can get my hands on. You have definitely found your writing genre!!
I genuinely did not want this book to end and still want more lol! It's better than most on the market in this genre. Thank you again for letting me read your novel! I can't wait to get a physical copy when it comes out and add it to my personal library!
Everything read so smoothly, with no plot holes or unanswered questions, and had me hooked from the preface. Really so, so well done!! Looking forward to future works, hopefully of this nature!
P.S. This novel would make a killer movie as well! Not much like it out there.
- Jade Mason,
Avid Horror Reader/Reviewer
Mr. Wilson was extremely kind to send me a copy for a honest review, David Wilson, compose such a tremendous and captivated story that leaves you thinking about it even after you’re done reading.
It’s been a long time where I am unable to put down the book with such a mind-boggling experience!
Do yourself a favor and pick up ‘Last Stop,Ground Floor’
-Chris Arteaga
Avid Horror Reader/Reviewer
Just finished this gem!! It was very intriguing! You will notice several famous names and references to historic events. Upon finishing this book, I was so thankful to serve a Lord who is forgiving because this book certainly helps you understand what could happen after death. I highly recommend this book! 4.5/5
- Kaitlyn
Avid Horror Reader/Reviewer
Books of Horror Freview by Kelly McDonough
Last Stop, Ground Floor by David Wilson
Book provided for an honest review.
What if Dante’s Inferno was updated to today’s crimes?
That is exactly what “Last Stop, Ground Floor” answers. We have different crimes today because we have different problems. School shooters, internet predators, among others, are fairly new issues. Definitely a change since Dante’s time.
“Last Stop” spends a lot of time contemplating what is evil in the world now. I’m sure not everyone will agree with every conclusion, but Wilson does a good job arguing the points.
The book makes specific statements about the social issues of today. As you can infer from the fact this is a trip through Hell, the emphasis is on punishment. Purgatory also comes into play, and once again puts the emphasis on taking ownership of one’s bad deeds.
The main character Nick is not someone you will feel sympathy for. Just like Dante, he is being led through the corridors to test his own awareness of his sins. A conclusion he falls short of many times. His snarky attitude and refusal to admit what he did was wrong make him a very unlikable character.
Of course, there are cameos by other famous killers/criminals. And we get to see the torture they are subjected to. Many medieval methods, but with some additional updates. I suppose the Middle Ages really had torture devices and methods down.
I wish I could say more about how well Wilson chose the famous names who are included in the book, but I do not want to spoil it. Let’s just say I was impressed with the choices. Each one is a lesson in itself. Their inclusion also brings a true crime element to the story, which I greatly enjoyed.
I also enjoyed the subtle references to Alice in Wonderland. Just like Alice meets the white rabbit first, Nick meets his escort Jeffrey right away. Both lead their main characters through a new and different world. Also, both the white rabbit and Jeffrey have a preoccupation with time and continue to hurry on the way. Some scholars consider the white rabbit’s purpose to be one of “finding yourself in the middle of an extraordinary situation." This situation often challenges your beliefs and changes your life” (Voa*). That certainly applies here. Only Nick’s life can no longer be changed, but his attitude in the afterlife can.
I admit, I am a sucker for a book about Hell, so I jumped on the chance to preview this book. I am so glad I did. I was not disappointed and could not put it down. This is also I book I would read again. 4.5 Stars.
*References: Matteo, Anna. “Expressions from Alice in Wonderland.” VOA, 4 Apr. 2016
Indie Horror Reviews
LAST STOP, GROUND FLOOR just released by David Wilson
This horror/thriller starts out with Nicholas stepping off an elevator into an unknown place with no idea where he is. We quickly gather that Nick was executed for a mass murder school shooting he committed.
The plot focuses on Nick being shown around Hell by a famous serial killer who attempts to explain to him the 'rules' he must now abide by for entirenty, what punishment he will face and more importantly what life decisions and lessons he failed to make or learn from which caused him to end up there to suffer unimaginable pain forever.
As Nick and his mentor walk around the isolated dungeon setting of Hell we learn more about Nick's personality, his crimes and motivations. The dialogue back and forth between the pair is engaging and thought provoking as the mentor attempts to get Nick to see where he failed in life or on topics like why some end up in Hell whilst others don't. Is there a difference between murder during war or murder for pleasure ect.
Along the way we are introduced to a wide range of celebrity worst of the worst criminals all over history such as Hitler, cult leaders and serial killers and what punishments they endure. Each person's punishment is different and downright cruel, unusual and horrific. Nick is forced to listen too and watch these tortures knowing his punishment he will receive will be just as painful. The author has a stylistic writing style with violence which allowed me to visualise the torment and utter hopelessness of the situation they were in.
For the authors first foray into the horror genre it's a solid novel however the majority of the book is spent on the concept of good vs evil, crime vs punishment and if one can be rehabilitated or should even be given a chance to do so more than the horror elements related to the gore and torture of the residents of Hell.
If you are after a social commentary on what's wrong with the current judicial system and crime and punishment in general then splattered with some graphic gore and torture from time to time I suggest giving it a go.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 19, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the moment I started. The characters really draw you in. It makes one question what really happens to you after your dead. Are you a good person are you evil? How will your afterlife be spent? This was my first book from Mr. Wilson but it will not be my last.
-Amazon Review
Paranormal & Dark Fantasy Writers and Readers
Hailey Mason · ·
“LAST STOP, GROUND FLOOR”
I received an ARC copy for an honest review.
Heaven or Hell? Is it ever really a choice….
This is how we are brought into the story of Nick arriving in Hell. One reason or another he is awaiting his stay of eternal damnation. As he is guided through the corridors of Hell, we are shown many notorious killers, cult leaders, and criminals that have been sent to Hell along with the specially curated punishments they must endure for all of eternity.
We learn very quickly that Nick feels no remorse for the crimes he committed and that he doesn’t play by the rules. This causes him many issues throughout the story.
It is quite apparent from the prologue the views the author has on the world, justice system, and criminals. The book continues to argue his points smoothly through the storyline of Nick and his guide as they travel through the halls of Hell.
I have come to understand that this author has never dipped a toe in the horror genre but I thought this was a well rounded quick read! loved his descriptions as well as his comedic quips throughout the story. This is a story that will stick with me.
This is now available on Amazon!
Thank you so much!! David Wilson
June 26, 2023 - osanna -
Last Stop, Ground Floor is a horror novel that focuses on good versus evil, crime and punishment, and the importance of having a moral compass.
Nick, 25, descends to the ground floor on an elevator. He has no idea where he is, why he's there— or why there's a prim and proper, tall blond man named Jeffrey who's arrived to guide him down eerie, dark hallways that seem to have no beginning nor end.
We quickly discover that the ground floor is a metaphor for Hell, and that Nick is a school shooter damned to an afterlife of pain and suffering (I believe he is based off of the Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz).
But first! An eternal stay in the hot house calls for some sort of tour, of course. In this case, Nick's Hell Host is an infamous serial killer. The perfect representative to discuss the underworld, if you ask me. There's even an entire wing carved out for the active shooters, so Nick should really feel right at home.
On this guided tour, Nick learns of the rules from Jeffrey and all of the guidelines he must follow to make his stay on the ground floor as bearable?? as possible. I mean, Nick's eternal damnation will be full of torture, but apparently the Boss can make that torture worse based on a set of rules. Break the rules? Your torture gradually worsens. It takes Nick most of the book to understand this.
Jeffrey and Nick travel the confined halls of the netherworld while touching on topics such as morality, good and evil, and the variety of crimes that damn people to the dark place. Along the way, there are mentions and hints about infamous villains— cult leaders, serial killers, active shooters, tyrants, and more. Nick sometimes even gets a sneak peak at the torture methods they endure. This is an all-inclusive tour, with a front and center view on what's to come.
I really enjoy books about Hell. Typically, because I love the many perspectives of the underworld from various writers. This particular depiction is one absent from religion— solely focused on morality. Here, you're not damned to Hell due to religious views. You're damned for being a disgusting human being. This perspective may sit well with many nonreligious readers.
My only gripe with this novella is that at times it felt slightly preachy, and there were a couple of times I did not agree with the views mentioned. Jeffrey's character, though a monster himself, does seem to be the character who reflects the views of the author. Jeffrey is there to educate Nick on the confines of Hell and the people within it, and ultimately, why they ended up there. I did read in the author's notes that the author himself was involved in the police force and was an investigator, too. I'm sure being in these roles heavily shaped his worldview, which is expected. But there were a couple things I just could not stand behind or agree with. I do highly respect that in his notes, he mentions how this book is not meant to change the views of the reader, but to enlighten one on his own perspective.
Regardless, this book is pretty damn powerful, and a bit intense. Though there are a few graphic scenes of torture, that's not at all what makes this book horrifying. The horrifying elements are all in the way one human being can treat another. The way many human beings do treat one another.
This was a well-written, eye opening read. The writing style was clean and informative. I felt like I was reading a horror/philosophy piece— something like Dante's Inferno or Crime and Punishment. I'm giving this book a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 star rating, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy books that talk about morality and the underworld.
August 7, 2023 - Colleen Parkinson, Author
A
This novel will appeal to those fans of horror who like the extreme in this genre. I say "extreme" as a reference to the brutal punishments doled out by Satan to the protagonist in this story. I, as a sometime reader of horror, was actually nauseated by the descriptions of Satan's punishments. It was a bit too much for me, but if you love this sort of thing, this one is for YOU!
LAST STOP, GROUND FLOOR is a guided tour of Hell sprinkled with the guide's philosophy about the human condition and what the worst residents deserve during their eternal stay there. In this respect, the author gives the reader a lot to think about, and that is a sign of really good writing!
I am giving it four stars for the writing, suspense, imagination, and twist ending.
It lost one star with me only because author Wilson's premise about his past employment in law enforcement and his opinions about criminals and sentencing give the impression that (after reading the book through to its grisly conclusion) he would be perfectly okay that those deserving Hell should suffer such extreme torment. Although his understandable frustration with the light sentences applied to too many perpetrators of hideous crimes inspired this story of how the Devil would have handled these perps (such as Hitler, for example), Wilson's first attempt here writing in the horror genre would have stood on its own without the premise. But that's my opinion, and you as the reader may well disagree.
All in all, I recommend LAST STOP, GROUND FLOOR as a worthy read for aficionados of the genre.
Lisa Slojewski · August 18, 2023 ·
I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
This is a guided tour of Hell for newly executed Nick after his arrival on the elevator down to Hell. He is guided by a famous serial killer who tries to teach him where he went wrong in life and how he must endure his time for eternity in Hell and how it all works. He is introduced nnto many famous evil humans from history and shown some of the punishments, so he has an idea of what he will face forever more.
Nick is not a relatable character and he has a bad attitude, he will not listen to any warnings from his host.
The punishments are very graphic and did make me squirm. If you are squeamish beware.
It is written very conversationally between Nick and his host as they walk the corridors to Nicks space where he is to spendceternity. I really enjoyed this book. There is a very good twist at the end which was quite unexpected.
Michal Charles - 5.0 out of 5 stars Cleverly written!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2023
This book has the propensity to get inside your head and fester. The various forms of torture paint quite the mental picture. Really entertaining story!
Danica Taylor
January 11, 2024
I so loved this book! The way it was written was fantastic. Nick gets a tour of Hell to get an idea of what will be in store for him. He learns of other people who are down there and sees some of them facing their punishments. He learns he's truly the only one to blame for his actions and why he ended up there. It had me so hooked I read it in one day and it's definitely one of my first favorite reads of 2024!
P.R. Infidel
February 4, 2024
WARNING; SMALL SPOILER AHEAD:
As a woman of faith, I've always believed that we are all on our way to somewhere. Thus, it's important to choose the right path, lest we end up where we don't want to be. David Wilson's Last Stop, Ground Floor is an evocative reminder of this fact, and the literary world could truly use more books like this. For those who relish horror it definitely ticks all the right boxes, providing ample suspense and gore, but its message goes beyond that. The journey through hell also ruminates over modern themes such as school shootings, murder, and a sociopath's effects on society at large.
Satan himself is an eloquent and well-spoken guide. Deceptive and even somewhat charming, he manages to portray unspeakable situations with the sophistication of an aristocrat, and his unrepentant inductee is every bit the deranged and shallow stooge one would expect of a school shooter. Reading this, I couldn't help but be reminded of Dante's Inferno, or rather a modern-day version of it.
Well done, Mr. Wilson!
Sammi Dyer
February 14, 2024
David Wilson’s “Last Stop, Ground Floor” is one hell of a story of torture, punishment and brutality. Where we get a glimpse into the dark afterlife of the iniquitousness. As we travel along side a heinous murderer of indifference through the bowels of hell. Where we get to see what is in store for him and other notorious murderers and infamous cult leaders that have ended up here in the bowels of hell as well.
Susan Smith
February 27, 2024
David Wilson’s “Last Stop, Ground Floor”
Wilson writes about the plights of the guilty souls who have found themselves in the worst place to be after death. I expected to be scared or grossed out, but instead I was amused and intrigued - well, at least until halfway through. The punishments were so ghastly as to feel unreal and absurd, but even to imagine them made my skin burn a little. Yes, you could say it’s a horror story but, in my mind, more of a philosophical treatise on the possibilities in regard to Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. The question comes up as to whether we would commit the same crimes and sins if we had a second chance, or if we could clearly see the results of our sins, and maybe feel some remorse.
The punishments that Wilson has thought up for such criminals as “Sam” and “Manson” are certainly created to fit the crime, and to make us think. Is Judgment real, and is Karma real?
I learned the names and deeds of some of the world’s greatest criminals of all time, many whom I have never heard of before. And, although I’m not really in agreement with the decisions made about the appropriateness of the punishments - as sarcasm, it works. For example, are mentally ill people responsible for what they do?
There’s a strong feeling that deep within all of us is a perhaps unrecognized desire to get revenge on those who have wronged us, and perhaps we even think up things to do to them that may give us some satisfaction to visualize.
Wilson’s creative mind is far beyond what I might think of….or admit I would. There could possibly be one politician who I could think up an unhappy ending for, although I wouldn’t say it or write it.
All of the scenery in the setting of the book is skillfully described and reminded me of some kind of carnival horror house maze which went on forever and made me a little claustrophobic. Even so, knowing I could put the book down at any moment, I did not. I had to see what else was ahead. If ever there was a book that you don’t want to put down, this is it, but sadly I had no choice but to leave it and come back to it, as I have a lot to do on a daily basis.
I’m glad that I continued to the end through the cruel and unusual punishments inflicted on the evil ones, The ending was not what I expected, but quite fitting with the rest of the book. I was left with a lot to think about.
March 24, 2024
Last Stop, Ground Floor by David Wilson
This story is about a man who is executed for unspeakable crimes committed against the innocent. He finds that he must face the reality of spending eternity in hell for his actions. And that in hell everyone is equal and there are no superstars.
I literally went into this book blind. Once I got an understanding of what I was in for I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was not at all what I was expecting it to be like. It’s different from anything I’ve seen before. Not your typical bad person goes to hell to be punished and suffer story. There was a lot of thought, planning and research that went into this tale of eternal damnation that makes it unique and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I know it’s one of those rare books that I will NEVER FORGET! And I highly recommend it!!