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Bentley Little
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The Consultant Kindle Edition

by Bentley Little (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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CompWare is in serious trouble after a promised merger falls through, so they do what other businesses have done to bolster their public image: they hire a consulting firm to review and streamline their business practices.

But there's something strange about the firm they hire--more specifically, the quirky gentleman who arrives to supervise the project: Mr. Patoff, tall and thin and wearing a bow tie, and with an odd smile that never quite reaches his eyes.

In his first interactions, the consultant asks a few inappropriate questions, and generally seems a nuisance. Over time, Patoff gains more power, to the point where he seems to be running the whole company. He enacts arbitrary and invasive changes to office protocol. He places cameras all over the building, making workers paranoid; he calls employees at all hours of the night, visits some of their homes and menaces their families.

People who defy the consultant get fired… or worse.

They soon realize they're not just fighting for their jobs: They're fighting for their lives.

The Consultant is a biting workplace satire, with the horrific touches only Bentley Little could provide.
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  1. Print length
    381 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    September 23, 2016
  5. File size
    981 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

''The horror poet laureate.'' --Stephen King, praise for the author

''If there's a better horror novelist working today, I don't know who it is.'' --Los Angeles Times, praise for the author

About the Author

Bentley Little is the author of numerous novels, short stories, articles, essays, and reviews. After earning a BA in communications and an MA in English, Little sold his soul and abandoned all artistic integrity, working for eight years as a bureaucrat for a midsized city in Orange County, California. His first novel, The Revelation, won the 1990 Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award for best first novel. A Luddite with no access to the Internet, Little still listens to vinyl records and does not own a cell phone, an iPod, an MP3 player, or a Blackberry. He has one wife and one son.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LXB1PUG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cemetery Dance Publications (September 23, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 23, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 981 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 381 pages
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Bentley Little

Bentley Little

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
658 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style great and the protagonist strong. They also describe the characters as unique. However, some find the story difficult and lacking explanation at the end. Opinions are mixed on the plot, with some finding it interesting and disturbing, while others say it's predictable and boring.

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Writing styleCharactersPlotDifficultyContent
7 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style great, talented, and horrifying. They also say the story moves along with a strong protagonist.

"...The writing was top notch with solid third-person and no noticeable head-hopping...." Read more

"...He has written some of the most horrifying, disturbing and core shaking literature I have ever experienced. "..." Read more

"...The story moved along with a strong protagonist...." Read more

"...that demonstrates that Bentley Little is one of today's most talented horror authors." Read more

4 customers mention "Characters"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book unique, charming, and great storytellers. They also mention that the book seems reminiscent of The Store, The Mailman, or The Association.

"...It seemed very reminiscent of The Store, The Mailman, or The Association, some of his best works in my opinion...." Read more

"...His 'everyday people getting into extraordinary situations' is charming, and he's a great storyteller...." Read more

"...Bentley Little is unique. I loved this story!! Thank you Mr. Little." Read more

"Back to great rare form!..." Read more

23 customers mention "Plot"10 positive13 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find the story interesting and a nice mixture of old-school horror with present-day ideas, while others say it's too tame and predictable. They also mention that the ending is boring and the story lacks imagination.

"...His stories are usually very original and a pleasure to read. It seems now, that he just plagiarizing his own material...." Read more

"...The ending was pretty weird also. In a way, it left me kind of flat, but at the same time, seemed to fit with the rest of the story...." Read more

"...He has written some of the most horrifying, disturbing and core shaking literature I have ever experienced. "..." Read more

"..."moral" of the story is supposed to be, but by that point the whole story is so bloody and gory you've mostly lost the thread...." Read more

4 customers mention "Difficulty"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book difficult and tedious. They also say the story is too much not explained at the end.

"...the banal writing with no sense of style, flat dialogue and plodding descriptions and for this reader, it was a chore to reach the disappointing end...." Read more

"...But so many questions are left unanswered and cliche / predictable outcomes. It left a very unsatisfying feeling after reading this horror novel." Read more

"The characters are interesting. The story also. Just too much not explained at the end. It felt like a "part one"...." Read more

"...entertaining moments but just found it to be a bit long winded and tedious...." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the content boring, lazy, and unrealistic. They also say Bentley Little is a hack.

"...Reading the book was distracting, as I felt I have read it all before, but in a different context...." Read more

"The story started out really interesting and then became ridiculous, boring, and completely predictable...." Read more

"Boring, lazy and unrealistic. Bentley Little is a hack. It's like watching the same skit over and over. Just dumb" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Fred Rayworth
5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy And Frustrating But Rewarding
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
I’ve been a big fan of Bentley Little since I first read him and The Consultant did nothing to change that. In many ways, it was back to the old Bentley, as I’ve heard others have said. By some fluke, when I bought a batch of icky bug novels off Amazon (because I couldn’t buy them locally through the regular bookstores), I happened to get a signed copy! I got #48 out of 750 which is pretty cool. I would’ve preferred a more personalized copy, but I’ll take what I can get.

With this being the last of the batch of icky bug books, I wanted to savor the known quantity for the last big bang. Though I read some great stuff before this one, I wasn’t disappointed with The Consultant.

This book reminded me of a cross between Lemmings, Lord Of The Flies and The Store. It had elements of all three in there, plus a huge dose of me wanting to slap some of those characters up the side of the head more times than I can count. The ending was pretty weird also. In a way, it left me kind of flat, but at the same time, seemed to fit with the rest of the story. The end kind of put a sarcastic period on the whole idea. In that respect, it fit, though I can see where plenty of people will not be happy.

The writing was top notch with solid third-person and no noticeable head-hopping. Bentley knows his stuff and must have a very good editing staff backing him up. The narrative was brisk and the pace fast and to-the-point.

My final thoughts were on the creep factor. This story is full of it and throughout, I kept getting this helpless feeling, especially seeing parallels to so many things in real life. You have to read it to see what I mean. His insights could be taken many ways, but if they came from exaggerated real life situations he experienced, I’d dread working where he does!

I had a great time reading The Consultant and highly recommend it.
22 people found this helpful
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SignoftheTimes
4.0 out of 5 stars Creepy as heck!
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
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Boy oh boy, I don't know how the author does it, but he is really good at taking everyday situations and really giving it a high creep factor! This book made me glad that I don't have to go into a work environment anymore!

It starts off with a Compuware company that decides to hire a marketing consultant to find ways to make it work better. Coming in with the highest recommendation, the CEO decides to bring in the consultant BFG, with the ultimate, deranged sociopath (imo), Regus Patoff. But, he isn't just a regular, normal consultant and the strategies he implements will have you running to the nearest closet and hide like a blubbering idiot. He is truly something to experience and I am going to just leave it there. You'll just have to read the book to find out what I mean.

I've always been a fan of this author and was glad to see this new release. I grabbed it as soon as I saw it and I was not disappointed. 4 stars and definitely recommended to horror fans. Just be careful when you go to work...you never know who might be watching.
10 people found this helpful
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Glove666
3.0 out of 5 stars Disapoited!
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2015
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I am A big Bentley Little fan and have read everything he has published. Having said that, "The consultant" is nothing new for Bentley.
I fear he has lost his imagination. If You are a fan, "The Consultant" is nothing you have not already read by him!

Reading the book was distracting, as I felt I have read it all before, but in a different context. "the Store", "The Resort", "Dispatch" "The Policy"
If you read those titles, you won't be too impressed by "The Consultant" You will left with a sense of not knowing anything of "REAL" significance as to who, or what the consultant really is. BFG, what does it stand for? I don't think even Bentley knows.

He IS a good writer and most of his books are my favorite ones. He just does not seem to have the foresight as how to tie everything up at the end of this book. (And a few other of his ) Too much is left to your imagination and the rest, well, just leaves you wondering period. I hope Bentley can go back to his hungry years and come up with something more thought out and out of the box. His stories are usually very original and a pleasure to read. It seems now, that he just plagiarizing his own material.

If you are new to Bentley little, by all means read! If you are a fan, you might not be too thrilled when you close the book upon finishing it.
476 pages was bit too long for what could have been edited to 300 and have covered everything. Considering that SO MUCH is left uncovered in the ebd!
13 people found this helpful
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Joshua Hair
5.0 out of 5 stars This the the return of the old Bentley Little.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2015
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I feel I should begin by saying that I've been a huge fan of Bentley Little for quite awhile now. That said, as is the case with most of his fans, I have often found myself reading his books in a formulaic sort of way: the beginning catches me with its brash and intriguing opening scenes, I get swept through the middle very quickly by the swiftly moving, often zany action that progresses into such a crazy crescendo of violence and unique horror that I've read it before I realize it's over, and the ending...ultimately disappoints. Truly, this seems to be a staple of many of Mr. Little's works; he simply can't seem to come up with a decent ending. The buildup through the book nearly never pays off as well in the end, yet it's always an entertaining read.

That said, there are a select few titles that I actually really enjoyed from start to finish, ending included. This was one of them. In fact, I'd argue against some of the (upsettingly) few reviews here and say it's one of Mr. Little's best endings to date.

Moreso, I found it to be a return to the Bentley Little I fell in love with so long ago. It seemed very reminiscent of The Store, The Mailman, or The Association, some of his best works in my opinion. I had it preordered well before it was out and ate through it in a single read. This is the Bentley Little I've been waiting to see more from. I won't bother going into detail about the story, as Mr. Louis V. Proud seems to have done an exceedingly commendable job of that already. I will, however, say that if you are a fan of Little's older work then you're in for a treat.
29 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Reviewed in Canada on May 7, 2023
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A great book!
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luis carlos cruz torrero
5.0 out of 5 stars misterio,horror, sobrenatural
Reviewed in Mexico on April 25, 2023
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Novela que te atrapa desde el primer momento y muestra que la filmación inspirada en su contenido no logra todo el impacto del texto.
Misterios, claves y desesperación se mezclan de forma genial.
Muy recomendable
2 people found this helpful
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Lysanne Cameron
4.0 out of 5 stars an entertaining read
Reviewed in Australia on August 28, 2023
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A little too close to reality sometimes when you consider the rise of the consultant industry in contemporary business management.
I liked it better than the Netflix series.
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ARKA CHOWDHURY
5.0 out of 5 stars Bentley Little, my new favourite.
Reviewed in India on June 22, 2017
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Excellent book. First one I have read any of Bentley Little's work and I am sure it's not going to be my last one.
One person found this helpful
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peter mckay
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written book from an author who has no doubt ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2017
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Well written book from an author who has no doubt drawn on his own background to provide us with the insites to the politics and scheming that possibly goes on within the consulting environment. Well worth a read and <I look forward to more books from this author
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