Reviews
“Kaufmann is in touch with a great tradition of adventure stories. He keeps the energy level high and delivers authentic thrills, all the while staying true to his very human characters.” — David Wellington, author of Monster Island and 13 Bullets
“The plot of General Slocum’s Gold is so smart and wildly original that it crackles, but the real joy of this story is its emotional heart, where one man’s dreams are also his nightmares, and both are gaining fast.” — Sarah Langan, author of The Keeper and The Missing
“General Slocum’s Gold is an enthralling dark adventure yarn full of heart and adrenalin and magic. Kaufmann’s prose has never been better! Lose yourself in this story.” — Brian Keene, author of Ghoul and The Conqueror Worms
“A cool update of the old fashioned yarn/adventure story. Sackett is a jewel thief with magic hands (literally!) and leads the quickly paced plot with a tough-talkin’ first person narrative that’s a lot of fun. Some nice chills, thrills, and twists throughout, and a near pitch-perfect ending to boot. Good stuff. And for eight bucks, nice fictional bang.” –Paul Tremblay, author of Compositions for the Young and Old and editor of Fantasy Magazine
“In the space of roughly thirty-five pages, Kaufmann manages to give us an intriguing pair of plots that converge in a way that is at once inevitable and completely surprising. There’s no doubt, it’s one of the major novellas of the year, and if you don’t own it, you owe it to yourself to snag a copy asap.” — John Langan, author of Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters
“General Slocum’s Gold displays highly polished writing and acute storytelling….crisp, vivid, fresh and polished to a shiny gleam.” — Bev Vincent, author of The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King’s Magnum Opus
“An interesting story with well-built characters that isn’t afraid to go where it should, rather than where you’d like. Without giving anything away, Sackett doesn’t exactly get what he expects at the end, but he’s fulfilled nonetheless and so are you–bravo, Kaufmann!…A smooth voice that was casual enough to call easy reading, but leaves you thinking about the words chosen and the real meaning of what he was saying. Color me hooked. May I have more now? [Five stars out of five]” — Horror Web
“A compelling, exciting adventure….Nicholas Kaufmann’s prose is crisp and clean, and his characters live, breathe and bleed. What could have been a humdrum heist story in the hands of anyone else is turned on its ear and given a fresh perspective. Harkening back to the pulpy men’s adventure stories of the 30’s and 40’s, General Slocum’s Gold is a dark thrill ride that will keep you reading frantically until you reach its exciting climax.” — Horror World
“Sensational….Nicholas Kaufmann is a brilliant story teller who is able to keep the reader on the edge of their seats while taking them through an exciting rollercoaster of a ride.” — Lipstik Indie
“Like a racecar, once you’ve stripped away the roll cage and the safety harness, this story carries very little excess weight; there’s really nothing between you and the speeding asphalt. The author has deftly constructed a tale that is scary without being gory. Not that there’s anything intrinsically wrong with being gory, but so many stories attempt to substitute an avalanche of intestines for any real horror; General Slocum’s Gold is far better than that….Find a copy and read it. It’s good stuff.” — Tangent Online
“A compelling, tense, and wonderfully detailed read. I was pleasantly surprised at how much of the characters shine through. It’s not often that a reader can connect in so few pages….It’s a great read!” — The Literary Word
“Kaufmann tells this tale with authority….Fans of fiction that blends crime and the supernatural (found in the works of such writers as Ed Gorman or Tom Piccirilli or venues such as Tales from the Crypt or ShockSuspense Stories) will find Sackett’s story to be a delightful foray in that vein….[A] fun horror yarn. This reader certainly looks forward to more of Kaufmann’s fiction as well as future releases from Burning Effigy Press.” — Horror Reader
“Kaufmann has a sure hand for plotting and dialogue, and his precise prose keeps the caper moving briskly to its horrific conclusion…The author has tapped into a deep vein of pulp storytelling for his tale.” — Dead Reckonings
“Kaufmann draws you into his spell without gore, without the big scares that other authors rely upon, but with a steady growing dread that marks truly great horror. I strongly recommend General Slocum’s Gold…[He] pulls this off remarkably well.” — Belleville News-Democrat
