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Eli has enjoyed writing since his high school days, but like many other loves, kept it on the top shelf and out of sight for most of his youth. He published his first book under his given name-Steven G Bassett. The Waning Crescent was listed as a Christian Fiction and dealt with a father losing his son to drowning on a float trip and the demons it brought to him.
His Mason Jar Series deals with a darker subject matter that this crazy world can bring. Mixing mystery, murder, erotica, dysfunction, abuse, love, and even faith making this story an eclectic shocker.
Eli lives in the Ozarks, and while he has wandered off several times in his life, he always finds himself back to Southwest Missouri, where the Ozark Mountains are his neighbors and there are plenty of beautiful twisty and hilly roads he and his wife can enjoy riding their Harley Ultra Limited. He took a solo trip on his bike to Colorado Springs to escape and work on book 3- The Glass House, which is now out. Book 4-The Reclamation is due out November 2, 2021.
Keep informed on what Eli is up to on FaceBook where he has a group chat-The Mason Jar Room and his Author Eli Pope page. He is working on his website, but please excuse its unfinished appearance. So many writing deadlines to meet first. You can visit what's up on it so far at elipope.com
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Judgment Game is a work of fiction in the psychological thriller, crime, and horror subgenres, and was penned by author Eli Pope, with the audiobook version narrated by Paul J McSorley. The first book in the Mason Jar Series, this best suits the mature adult reading audience due to disturbing themes, references to abuse, violence, sexual references, and psychological horror. Our central protagonist is Billy Jay Cader, whose traumatic childhood has created inner demons and shadows of the mind that he cannot escape no matter how far he runs. The story follows this trauma and its effects as Billy Jay grows into a man, has sons of his own, and develops a deeper evil than even he thought possible.
In terms of the story itself, Eli Pope has crafted an incredible work that absorbed me for an entire night as I lost myself totally in the dark development of Billy Jay and his terrifying transformation. I was hooked by every twist and the progression of the story itself, taking us through different phases of Billy Jay’s transformation with an intelligent, empathetic, well-researched sense of human psychology. Although there are plenty of violent and shocking moments on the page, the true horror of the work comes from the terror of the human mind itself, and I really appreciated that.
As an audiobook, The Judgment Game is only enhanced by the incredible narration of Paul J McSorley. He captivates with his accent at once, creating a glorious atmosphere, and then you begin to hang on to every word with his clever sense of timing, knowing when to hold back on the most shocking and revealing moments for just that extra second. The editing was smooth and crisp, with a great variety to the voices of different characters. Overall, I would highly recommend The Judgment Game by Eli Pope, and especially this audiobook version, for readers seeking atmospheric psychological drama with strong horror twists.
