Book Scene: Leeds’s deliver a chilling thrill in ‘Schrader’s Chord’ | Explore Yakima

When it comes to reading stories, stories about monsters and anything that happens in the night have always caught my attention. Growing up in the Yakima Valley and Pacific Northwest, I heard ghost stories about Shorty, the Capitol Theater’s resident ghost, and Jake the Alligator Man in Long Beach, Washington. Fortunately, I’ve never had any personal experience with anything like ghosts or zombie outbreaks, but I know I can always find a good book to add a little thrill to my life.

“Schrader’s Chord” by talented author Scott Leeds is a horror movie lover’s cup of tea. I found this book while scrolling through Goodreads and automatically placed an order to get my hands on it.

The story takes place in Seattle, where Raymond Remick died a mysterious death. His son Charlie comes home to take care of the family business and learns that he has inherited his father’s record store and four records that supposedly open the gates to the land of the dead. Once he and his friends play these records, the dead begin to rise, and it’s up to Charlie’s gang to bring them all back to their final resting places.

“Schrader’s Chord” is Leeds’ debut novel, and he’s been a lifelong fan of horror and music. I read an interview of his on Horrortree.com where he talked about where the inspiration for “Schader’s Chord” came from. He talked about working at a Toys ‘R’ Us and listening to a four-disc album by The Flaming Lips, and that’s where he got the idea for the four damn discs.

I find it funny to think about how, as a kid, I wasn’t one for anything scary. I remember one time my parents took me to the Seattle Zoo and I was afraid to go see the bears swimming because it was in a dark area and I was afraid something would come out and rip me off. Today, I’ll read anything about being ripped off by something scary in the middle of the night.

“Schrader’s Chord” has easily become one of my favorite books and had me on the edge of my seat for a long time during the witching hour. Leeds is an amazing author and I look forward to any other work he publishes in the future.

• Nikki Maples is a bookseller at Inklings Bookshop. She and other Inklings staff review the books in this space every week.