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Timmy Quinn #2
The Hides
It's been almost seven years since the events of Myers Pond. Seven years since a child rose from the dead, seeking Timmy Quinn's help in finding a murderer, a search that left more questions than answers in its terrifying wake. But for Timmy, the dead never leave. They're everywhere, reaching out to him, and there is nowhere to hide from their quiet desperation.
Following a nightmarish encounter at home, Timmy's search for peace takes him to his grieving grandmother, and a small harbor town on the South coast of Ireland.
But no peace can exist in a place whose past is colored by hate, betrayal and murder, and it is not long before Timmy realizes his haven has become a cage.
And in the very foundations of an old crumbling factory, the dead are gathering.
Uniting.
To save his life and the lives of those he loves, Timmy Quinn must step behind the Curtain, into the realm of the dead and face something far more terrifying than he has ever encountered before-- a monstrous entity known only as The Hides...
Following a nightmarish encounter at home, Timmy's search for peace takes him to his grieving grandmother, and a small harbor town on the South coast of Ireland.
But no peace can exist in a place whose past is colored by hate, betrayal and murder, and it is not long before Timmy realizes his haven has become a cage.
And in the very foundations of an old crumbling factory, the dead are gathering.
Uniting.
To save his life and the lives of those he loves, Timmy Quinn must step behind the Curtain, into the realm of the dead and face something far more terrifying than he has ever encountered before-- a monstrous entity known only as The Hides...
156 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2005
54 people are currently reading
673 people want to read
About the author
Kealan Patrick Burke
194 books2,326 followersHailed by Booklist as “one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror,” Kealan Patrick Burke was born and raised in Ireland and emigrated to the United States a few weeks before 9/11.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
A five-time nominee, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award in 2005 for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for producer Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
A five-time nominee, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award in 2005 for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for producer Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 9, 2021
I am consistently extremely impressed with Kealan Patrick Burke’s work. With each story, he seems to somehow get stronger and stronger (if that’s even possible!) I am truly in awe of his command over language to create something so horrifying. Each story contains well-rounded and well written characters and the plot always has lots of twists and turns right until the end to keep you hooked. The Hides is no exception. The opening Chapter Zero really grabs you and sets you up for the brilliance there is to come. That alone could work as its own short horror story.
The Hides is set 7 years after the events of The Turtle Boy, and Timmy Quinn’s supernatural ability is in high demand in Delaware. He also has a budding romance there with his young love, Kim.
This is all put to a halt when Timmy’s Dad decides to uproot them back to his home country of Ireland to go and stay with his Mother, Timmy’s Grandmother, Agatha.
But, of course, Timmy’s deathly visions continue whilst they are in the coastal town of Dungarvan. What dark secrets will he unlock there?
It’s a unique take on that old, Sixth Sense, ”I see dead people” trope. The descriptions of Timmy seeing The Dead is vividly described to the reader and will create some horrifying imagery in your mind. Ireland has some really good locations to set some truly scary scenes.
I shall definitely be continuing on with the series in the near future and highly recommend it to all you horror fans. I am beyond excited for the third instalment - Vessels, which Kealan himself has said is one of his favourite stories he’s ever written.
5 gruesome stars.💀
The Hides is set 7 years after the events of The Turtle Boy, and Timmy Quinn’s supernatural ability is in high demand in Delaware. He also has a budding romance there with his young love, Kim.
This is all put to a halt when Timmy’s Dad decides to uproot them back to his home country of Ireland to go and stay with his Mother, Timmy’s Grandmother, Agatha.
But, of course, Timmy’s deathly visions continue whilst they are in the coastal town of Dungarvan. What dark secrets will he unlock there?
It’s a unique take on that old, Sixth Sense, ”I see dead people” trope. The descriptions of Timmy seeing The Dead is vividly described to the reader and will create some horrifying imagery in your mind. Ireland has some really good locations to set some truly scary scenes.
I shall definitely be continuing on with the series in the near future and highly recommend it to all you horror fans. I am beyond excited for the third instalment - Vessels, which Kealan himself has said is one of his favourite stories he’s ever written.
5 gruesome stars.💀
April 29, 2018
Burke further mines his childhood memories to inform The Hides, his follow-up the the Edgar-Award-winning The Turtle Boy. Timmy Quinn is now 17 and no less tormented by the vengeful dead, even when he sojourns with his newly divorced father to Burke's childhood home, Dungarvan, a small port town off the coast of Ireland. Since Ireland is no less rife with unpleasant revenants than the United States, Timmy finds himself coerced into dredging up his grandparents' secrets and those of a sleazy leather factory. Burke uses The Hides to further develop his mythos at play within this series, teasing the reader with an approaching undead Armageddon. While Burke makes spirited use of the novella format, there is too much too quickly for any of its revelations to resonate for a reader, especially since much of the third act is an extended fight with the titular fiend, as inspired a creation as it may be. Though this sequel doesn't live up to its ambition, it isn't guilty of being dull.
March 5, 2021
3.5/5
I don’t think this one worked quite as well as the first one for the format, still a good read though and I’m excited to check out the next one!
I don’t think this one worked quite as well as the first one for the format, still a good read though and I’m excited to check out the next one!
December 9, 2017
He continues to grip me with each of his subsequent stories! Wow this one picked up! It was good and I was enjoying it as it moved along, but when it picked up it picked up in a hurry and as a result my reading pace picks up and I end up zooming through the pages! And, of course, the last bit left me needing to read the next book, so I’ll be jumping right in to Vessels next!
December 29, 2022
As a reminder – I’m reading each of these as part of the collected Timmy Quinn omnibus – Stage Whispers. This is the second novella. To find my review of the first, click here;
https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.co...
Book two. The sequel. Always a worrying time, right? Can the author do the first justice? Will we still feel the same about the main character and his plight?
There’s very few authors out there who you know you don’t need to worry about handling the lofty weight and heavy goals of a sequel and one of them is Kealan Patrick Burke.
Book two is a different beast than book one. Where the first introduces the ‘curse’ Timmy Quinn now endures and carries with him, book two furthers how it has effected his existence, his family and Timmy himself. ‘The Hides’ is also a literal and figurative return home for Kealan, as described in the afterword. It has parts that felt almost lifted (in a good way) from his debut ‘The Master of the Moors,’ but as he mentions, this is set in the small town in Ireland where he grew up and the reader can absolutely feel that with the whimsical and realistic way spots are described.
What I liked: ‘The Hides’ opens with Timmy and family dealing with life after the events from book one. Things are different now. Everyone expects Timmy to bring back the dead and heal their hurting hearts. As his parents marriage crumbles, Timmy follows his father as he heads to Ireland for a new job and return to where he grew up.
Patrick Burke does such a phenomenal job of showcasing characters emotions and often it’s done with simple, minimal phrasing. I feel like if an editor suggested he add in some purple prose he’d react with anger and would spit in their direction. His writing is concise, purposeful and always at a level that makes other writers question what in the hell they think they are doing with their own work.
Unfortunately, this is a Timmy Quinn story, so as soon as boots are on the ground, he begins to sense something and when we find out the horrible truth of his families history there, as well as the real reason for his grandma being so insistent on him joining his father, the reader is left feeling anger and sorrow for Timmy. Sadly, it’s an all-too real occurrence in day to day life, where family members feel they can use their family members to better them, even at the detriment to those they say they love.
The beast that Kealan introduces here is fantastic and one that makes you wonder if anybody will even survive the ending. It works really well to showcase the internal battle Timmy is facing – save himself or save his family – and Kealan doesn’t flinch when deciding for us.
What I didn’t like: So, when I finished this last night, I had to let it stew for a minute. At first I was slightly disappointed in that this went so far away from what I hoped to learn from book one. But, then I shifted my focus and understood that this is a continuation of Timmy’s life, not a straight follow up on the events that happened in book one, which we all too often get with series. If you’re looking for simply more about The Turtle Boy, you’ll be bummed to not find any of that.
Additionally, while the monster was amazing, I do wish we got a bit more of it. A longer battle maybe. Saying that, it does work really well and it didn’t feel like a book where we have 500 pages of hardship to only have the hero kill the big bad guy in a paragraph.
Why you should buy this: Frequently, I see people say they refuse to start a series as they’re afraid it’ll never be finished. Well, no worries here, all five books are done and dusted. Book two is a phenomenal follow up to book one and, Kealan has done a great job of moving Timmy’s life along, dealing with family issues, girlfriend issues and his new reality of seeing between and beyond the veil. This one rolled along really nicely and now I can’t wait to dive into book three.
https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.co...
Book two. The sequel. Always a worrying time, right? Can the author do the first justice? Will we still feel the same about the main character and his plight?
There’s very few authors out there who you know you don’t need to worry about handling the lofty weight and heavy goals of a sequel and one of them is Kealan Patrick Burke.
Book two is a different beast than book one. Where the first introduces the ‘curse’ Timmy Quinn now endures and carries with him, book two furthers how it has effected his existence, his family and Timmy himself. ‘The Hides’ is also a literal and figurative return home for Kealan, as described in the afterword. It has parts that felt almost lifted (in a good way) from his debut ‘The Master of the Moors,’ but as he mentions, this is set in the small town in Ireland where he grew up and the reader can absolutely feel that with the whimsical and realistic way spots are described.
What I liked: ‘The Hides’ opens with Timmy and family dealing with life after the events from book one. Things are different now. Everyone expects Timmy to bring back the dead and heal their hurting hearts. As his parents marriage crumbles, Timmy follows his father as he heads to Ireland for a new job and return to where he grew up.
Patrick Burke does such a phenomenal job of showcasing characters emotions and often it’s done with simple, minimal phrasing. I feel like if an editor suggested he add in some purple prose he’d react with anger and would spit in their direction. His writing is concise, purposeful and always at a level that makes other writers question what in the hell they think they are doing with their own work.
Unfortunately, this is a Timmy Quinn story, so as soon as boots are on the ground, he begins to sense something and when we find out the horrible truth of his families history there, as well as the real reason for his grandma being so insistent on him joining his father, the reader is left feeling anger and sorrow for Timmy. Sadly, it’s an all-too real occurrence in day to day life, where family members feel they can use their family members to better them, even at the detriment to those they say they love.
The beast that Kealan introduces here is fantastic and one that makes you wonder if anybody will even survive the ending. It works really well to showcase the internal battle Timmy is facing – save himself or save his family – and Kealan doesn’t flinch when deciding for us.
What I didn’t like: So, when I finished this last night, I had to let it stew for a minute. At first I was slightly disappointed in that this went so far away from what I hoped to learn from book one. But, then I shifted my focus and understood that this is a continuation of Timmy’s life, not a straight follow up on the events that happened in book one, which we all too often get with series. If you’re looking for simply more about The Turtle Boy, you’ll be bummed to not find any of that.
Additionally, while the monster was amazing, I do wish we got a bit more of it. A longer battle maybe. Saying that, it does work really well and it didn’t feel like a book where we have 500 pages of hardship to only have the hero kill the big bad guy in a paragraph.
Why you should buy this: Frequently, I see people say they refuse to start a series as they’re afraid it’ll never be finished. Well, no worries here, all five books are done and dusted. Book two is a phenomenal follow up to book one and, Kealan has done a great job of moving Timmy’s life along, dealing with family issues, girlfriend issues and his new reality of seeing between and beyond the veil. This one rolled along really nicely and now I can’t wait to dive into book three.
February 21, 2015
This one is a hard one for me. While I truly enjoy Burke's writing style, there were some major plot holes that I had a hard time getting past in this one. The beginning one-third of the story was a head-scratcher as I tried to make sense of what and why they were going to Ireland. The middle third, the story picks up steam as Timmy's Grandma divulges the secrets of her past. The last third, while action packed and climactic, was a muddled mess that left more questions than answers.
So, I've been told through other people and reading an excerpt from Vessels (Timmy Quinn # 3) that more is explained in Vessels and it will all make more sense. My question is - Then why make it so unclear in The Hides? You risk losing the reader for the next saga, Vessels. But, I'm willing to pick up Vessels and see if it makes the frustration The Hides provided for me, all worth while.
3 out of 5 stars
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
So, I've been told through other people and reading an excerpt from Vessels (Timmy Quinn # 3) that more is explained in Vessels and it will all make more sense. My question is - Then why make it so unclear in The Hides? You risk losing the reader for the next saga, Vessels. But, I'm willing to pick up Vessels and see if it makes the frustration The Hides provided for me, all worth while.
3 out of 5 stars
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
May 23, 2014
Kealan Patrick Burke proves once again that he is skilled in the art of atmospheric evocation of sinister and really spooky situations. His descriptions raised the hair on my furry back. :-)
We follow Timmy Quinn in a new horror story where he is now an adolescent boy who is relocated to Ireland to live with his father and his grandmother.
I love the way the author describes the green lusciousness of the Irish countryside and the old buildings and sites in the town of Dungarvan where he was born and grew up. Makes me want to visit but then I would just look like another yank tourist unless I put a Canada flag pin on my shirt. Curiously, you can't zoom in much with Google Earth (maybe some deep dark Irish secrets to hide or the Leprechauns are blurring the photos :-) but there are lots of nice pictures of the place.
Great horror story. A very worthy followup to the great Turtle Boy.
We follow Timmy Quinn in a new horror story where he is now an adolescent boy who is relocated to Ireland to live with his father and his grandmother.
I love the way the author describes the green lusciousness of the Irish countryside and the old buildings and sites in the town of Dungarvan where he was born and grew up. Makes me want to visit but then I would just look like another yank tourist unless I put a Canada flag pin on my shirt. Curiously, you can't zoom in much with Google Earth (maybe some deep dark Irish secrets to hide or the Leprechauns are blurring the photos :-) but there are lots of nice pictures of the place.
Great horror story. A very worthy followup to the great Turtle Boy.
January 18, 2011
A stunning follow-up short novel to The Turtle Boy, The Hides has Timmy Quin visiting Ireland. The descriptions are lush, painting the setting with details that make it feel like you're on your own visit to the emerald isle. The tension builds to a mind-blowing conclusion. I'm hooked. A great first read of 2011!
January 8, 2013
Excellent! Timmy Quinn is growing up and a long way from home. Unfortunately for him, he can't run away from his gift (or curse?) and finds himself instead running straight into old family secrets that just might tear him to shreds! Great installment to the series. Rich and descriptive prose that continues to draw you into the world of Timmy! Highly recommended!
April 16, 2021
Only three stars but since this is less a stand alone story and more of an extended chapter in a far larger story, I'll be reading on to see what happens.
December 11, 2020
A cool story, and one that I enjoyed quite a bit, but not quite as much as the Turtle Boy. The first entry in the series fit the novella format much better. This should have been a novel, plain and simple. There was so much more room to play here, and it wasn’t quite utilized to its full potential. The end product felt like it missed a few opportunities. Nevertheless, there were some genuinely creepy moments in The Hides, and I loved the concept and the Irish setting. The opening was extremely well done, and the conclusion set things up rather nicely for book 3. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives in this entry.
That said, the plot felt a bit rushed at times, which is the only thing keeping it from that 5 star rating. There was a lot of backstory that got sort of glazed over, which is a shame because it sounded quite interesting. Likewise, Timmy’s grandmother didn’t get enough time to shine. I would have liked to have seen her further developed, as her character was complex and interesting. And I really wanted to explore the town more! I felt like Burke barely scratched the surface in that regard.
Overall a fun and worthwhile read, but for me this was a triple that could have been a home run with a harder swing.
That said, the plot felt a bit rushed at times, which is the only thing keeping it from that 5 star rating. There was a lot of backstory that got sort of glazed over, which is a shame because it sounded quite interesting. Likewise, Timmy’s grandmother didn’t get enough time to shine. I would have liked to have seen her further developed, as her character was complex and interesting. And I really wanted to explore the town more! I felt like Burke barely scratched the surface in that regard.
Overall a fun and worthwhile read, but for me this was a triple that could have been a home run with a harder swing.
May 21, 2017
Another solid horror novella by this guy Burke who I had never read before prior to a few weeks ago. The ending of this book in particular left me with some creepy imagery that could lead to nightmares tonight. Highly recommended.
Kealan Patrick Burke is impressing the hell outta me and I plan on stocking my bookshelves with more of his stuff in the near future.
Kealan Patrick Burke is impressing the hell outta me and I plan on stocking my bookshelves with more of his stuff in the near future.
June 7, 2014
I'm feeling more than a little torn about the Timmy Quinn series at this point. The writing style is strong, with plenty of detail given for characters and locations. I like Timmy and I feel sympathy for his unique powers. But, I don't care much for the setup or the conclusion of The Hides.
Let me back up. In The Turtle Boy, we're introduced to Timmy, who has the ability to not only see the dead, but to grant them power in influencing the living. This is a passive ability, not something he can control. At the end of the first story, there was one question lingering that I really wanted an answer for and didn't get. In this second installment, that question remains unaddressed. Instead of picking up right away with his latest dealings with the dead, The Hides fast-forwards a few years to the point when Timmy's parents are getting a divorce and his father Paul pushes Timmy to go to Ireland with him.
This is the problem I have with the premise, because the "chapter zero" establishes that Timmy has a history of seeing and empowering the dead in their quests for revenge against the living. His parents are well aware of his problems, but they decide that he should go to a town in Ireland, Dungarvan, a place likely haunted by at least a few thousand spirits seeking revenge. And why are they making him go? "To get a clean break and start over."
No, it really isn't believable. Maybe it might have been if Timmy had only dealt with that one spirit and the parents thought it was a fluke. But they're established as knowing how his powers work and why. So what they're doing is dooming their child to another traumatic experience because it's convenient for them. Even if I could suspend disbelief and accept their plan, it still makes them look like the worst parents ever. It doesn't help that when Timmy calls home to talk to his mother and tell her he's sensing the dead in much the same way that he'd experienced in the first book, she completely ignores his history and intuitions and tells him "don't worry so much." For someone who was supposedly so concerned for the welfare of her son, this scene rings hollow.
When it finally comes out that Timmy's grandmother Agatha had a specific reason for asking Paul to bring Timmy along, she makes Timmy's mom look semi-decent by comparison. But even knowing this, I keep coming back to the parents. I imagine them sitting at a table talking about a city with a history of violence going back to the world wars, a city where the IRA murdered people many times, and they somehow think taking a child sensitive to the dead to this place will be a positive thing. How does that conversation go down? What kind of fucked up logic made them think this was a good idea? We don't know because the book skips over that part and moves to the point where Timmy and Paul are going to Ireland.
Once there, Paul takes possibly the worst job in the country, and of course the place he's working is haunted by at least a dozen murder victims. And once Timmy's around, the dead get empowered in a predictable fashion. Anyone who read the first book can see this coming, so I have to ask why Timmy's parents didn't.
Anyway, Timmy learns the truth about Agatha, that she isn't such a sweet old lady, and that her recently deceased husband was responsible for the hauntings at the local factory. Timmy races across town to save his dad, and then things just fall apart. A confrontation that should have been tense and nail biting instead runs through a number of required horror cliches without creating any sense of dread or horror. As soon as that one fight is over, half the town shows up in time to see another dead attack. But no one is willing to admit what they saw, so a story is concocted to explain away the fire at the factory and the spectacle that happens immediately thereafter.
Time fast-forwards again for an unspecified amount, and Timmy and Paul are talking about the dead when there's yet another attack. It almost seems like Paul is going to answer that lingering question from book one when the story just ends. Sometimes cliffhangers happen in such a way that I have to get the next book right away. But this is not the way to do it. No, this ending annoys me greatly.
So, here's my dilemma. I like the writing style, and I like Timmy's character. But I find most of the characters in the book hard to believe and hard to like. I also have a hard time buying into the reasons for Timmy being in Ireland. Despite a great build up of tension, the big fight fell flat for me, and that abrupt ending left me feeling cheated and unsatisfied.
In the end I have to give The Hides 2 stars. It's a good idea in theory that gets marred by the setup, and while many books have a strong start and end with a flabby middle, this is a book with a compelling midsection and a weak start and finish. I can't say it's put me off of reading the third book, Vessels, but I don't have any sense of urgency to pick it up, or even to read the preview at the end of the book. Like a Natty Light, it's hard to swallow at first, gets slightly better while I'm consuming it, but doesn't have a smooth finish.
Let me back up. In The Turtle Boy, we're introduced to Timmy, who has the ability to not only see the dead, but to grant them power in influencing the living. This is a passive ability, not something he can control. At the end of the first story, there was one question lingering that I really wanted an answer for and didn't get. In this second installment, that question remains unaddressed. Instead of picking up right away with his latest dealings with the dead, The Hides fast-forwards a few years to the point when Timmy's parents are getting a divorce and his father Paul pushes Timmy to go to Ireland with him.
This is the problem I have with the premise, because the "chapter zero" establishes that Timmy has a history of seeing and empowering the dead in their quests for revenge against the living. His parents are well aware of his problems, but they decide that he should go to a town in Ireland, Dungarvan, a place likely haunted by at least a few thousand spirits seeking revenge. And why are they making him go? "To get a clean break and start over."
No, it really isn't believable. Maybe it might have been if Timmy had only dealt with that one spirit and the parents thought it was a fluke. But they're established as knowing how his powers work and why. So what they're doing is dooming their child to another traumatic experience because it's convenient for them. Even if I could suspend disbelief and accept their plan, it still makes them look like the worst parents ever. It doesn't help that when Timmy calls home to talk to his mother and tell her he's sensing the dead in much the same way that he'd experienced in the first book, she completely ignores his history and intuitions and tells him "don't worry so much." For someone who was supposedly so concerned for the welfare of her son, this scene rings hollow.
When it finally comes out that Timmy's grandmother Agatha had a specific reason for asking Paul to bring Timmy along, she makes Timmy's mom look semi-decent by comparison. But even knowing this, I keep coming back to the parents. I imagine them sitting at a table talking about a city with a history of violence going back to the world wars, a city where the IRA murdered people many times, and they somehow think taking a child sensitive to the dead to this place will be a positive thing. How does that conversation go down? What kind of fucked up logic made them think this was a good idea? We don't know because the book skips over that part and moves to the point where Timmy and Paul are going to Ireland.
Once there, Paul takes possibly the worst job in the country, and of course the place he's working is haunted by at least a dozen murder victims. And once Timmy's around, the dead get empowered in a predictable fashion. Anyone who read the first book can see this coming, so I have to ask why Timmy's parents didn't.
Anyway, Timmy learns the truth about Agatha, that she isn't such a sweet old lady, and that her recently deceased husband was responsible for the hauntings at the local factory. Timmy races across town to save his dad, and then things just fall apart. A confrontation that should have been tense and nail biting instead runs through a number of required horror cliches without creating any sense of dread or horror. As soon as that one fight is over, half the town shows up in time to see another dead attack. But no one is willing to admit what they saw, so a story is concocted to explain away the fire at the factory and the spectacle that happens immediately thereafter.
Time fast-forwards again for an unspecified amount, and Timmy and Paul are talking about the dead when there's yet another attack. It almost seems like Paul is going to answer that lingering question from book one when the story just ends. Sometimes cliffhangers happen in such a way that I have to get the next book right away. But this is not the way to do it. No, this ending annoys me greatly.
So, here's my dilemma. I like the writing style, and I like Timmy's character. But I find most of the characters in the book hard to believe and hard to like. I also have a hard time buying into the reasons for Timmy being in Ireland. Despite a great build up of tension, the big fight fell flat for me, and that abrupt ending left me feeling cheated and unsatisfied.
In the end I have to give The Hides 2 stars. It's a good idea in theory that gets marred by the setup, and while many books have a strong start and end with a flabby middle, this is a book with a compelling midsection and a weak start and finish. I can't say it's put me off of reading the third book, Vessels, but I don't have any sense of urgency to pick it up, or even to read the preview at the end of the book. Like a Natty Light, it's hard to swallow at first, gets slightly better while I'm consuming it, but doesn't have a smooth finish.
January 24, 2018
This book certainly started with a bang. I loved the start with Mr.Knox. I enjoyed how Timmy's character developed and the darkness that was shown with other characters.
Great story kealan never fails to impress me or shock me.
Great story kealan never fails to impress me or shock me.
January 2, 2020
I picked this up immediately following The Turtle Boy so I could continue Timmy’s journey. The Hides is a fabulous follow up to the first story and now I’m about to jump into Vessels.
Burke has done a fabulous job fleshing our characters in such a short amount of time. Timmy feels like a real person to me, as are the people who surround him no matter how briefly we see them. Burke is truly a talented writer! Can’t wait to read more.
Burke has done a fabulous job fleshing our characters in such a short amount of time. Timmy feels like a real person to me, as are the people who surround him no matter how briefly we see them. Burke is truly a talented writer! Can’t wait to read more.
July 20, 2012
In this second book about Timmy Quinn, it has been almost 7 years since the events in his home town of Delaware, Ohio, and Myers Pond. He has a wonderful girlfriend, Kim, and they are happy together. But Timmy is unhappy with his life, and the continuation of what happened so long ago.
His parents are divorcing, the stress has been too much for them, and his Grandmother in Ireland has just lost her husband, and Timmy’s Dad isn’t sure she is coping, as she is very frail and old. So with very little notice to Timmy, he and his Dad leave Delaware, and Kim, and fly across to Ireland. Timmy isn’t sure if he wants to go, but his Dad has pretty much told him he has to.
As 17 year old Timmy and his Dad arrive in Dungarven, Ireland, in the little VW beetle driven by his Grandma, the town seems quaint, very old and Timmy thinks that maybe he can find a sense of peace here. But his hopes are short lived, and when he accompanies his Dad to the factory where he has a job lined up, Timmy is struck immediately by the terrible smell, and a sense of uneasiness hits him straight away.
With Timmy’s curse striking him at every angle, the terrible secrets arising again, the Curtain and the Dead showing themselves, Timmy is in trouble. Can he save those he loves…can he save himself this time?
Extremely well written by Burke, I’ll be getting on to the next one in the series, Vessels, soon!
His parents are divorcing, the stress has been too much for them, and his Grandmother in Ireland has just lost her husband, and Timmy’s Dad isn’t sure she is coping, as she is very frail and old. So with very little notice to Timmy, he and his Dad leave Delaware, and Kim, and fly across to Ireland. Timmy isn’t sure if he wants to go, but his Dad has pretty much told him he has to.
As 17 year old Timmy and his Dad arrive in Dungarven, Ireland, in the little VW beetle driven by his Grandma, the town seems quaint, very old and Timmy thinks that maybe he can find a sense of peace here. But his hopes are short lived, and when he accompanies his Dad to the factory where he has a job lined up, Timmy is struck immediately by the terrible smell, and a sense of uneasiness hits him straight away.
With Timmy’s curse striking him at every angle, the terrible secrets arising again, the Curtain and the Dead showing themselves, Timmy is in trouble. Can he save those he loves…can he save himself this time?
Extremely well written by Burke, I’ll be getting on to the next one in the series, Vessels, soon!
December 9, 2016
I loved The Turtle boy, and once I finished it I started devouring the Timmy Quinn series. Book 2, The Hides, totally lived up to my expectations.
Timmy is older in this story, and weary of the attention that still surrounds him following the murders at Myer's Pond. He reluctantly agrees to move with his father to the small town in Ireland where his Grandmother still lives. As you can imagine, things go terribly wrong, since Timmy can see dead people, and those people are always seeking revenge.
Burke's writing is brilliant. There are so many different parts of this novella that are so creepy and fantastic. Timmy's tour of the leather factory...the man hanging from the window..the scene he witnesses in his Grandmother's parlor. And that ending! So, so good. This is horror writing at its best. Seriously, pick up this series. You will not be disappointed.
Timmy is older in this story, and weary of the attention that still surrounds him following the murders at Myer's Pond. He reluctantly agrees to move with his father to the small town in Ireland where his Grandmother still lives. As you can imagine, things go terribly wrong, since Timmy can see dead people, and those people are always seeking revenge.
Burke's writing is brilliant. There are so many different parts of this novella that are so creepy and fantastic. Timmy's tour of the leather factory...the man hanging from the window..the scene he witnesses in his Grandmother's parlor. And that ending! So, so good. This is horror writing at its best. Seriously, pick up this series. You will not be disappointed.
February 1, 2015
Kealan Patrick Burke is what I would consider "a writer's writer." His use of language is enviable, his writing terse and imaginative and never stale. Love that he brought Timmy Quinn to his own stomping grounds in this story. There were enough surprises and reveals to keep you fully engaged. I haven't been as excited about a series as I am with this one in much too long. Definitely recommend.
November 18, 2012
The Hides steps up Timmy Quinn's tragic struggle to understand the gift or curse of being able to see the dead. In this installment Timmy is unwittingly thrust into harms way just when he thought he'd found solace. Very solid read from an author who knows how to bring the scares.
November 19, 2021
This series is getting better and better!!! Hope at the end of all this, Tim gets a happy ending.
July 6, 2018
Timmy Quinn’s father and mother are getting a divorce. Ever since the incident at Myers Pond, things have been going downhill. Each of them doing their best the last five years to not blame everything on Timmy and his gift (curse, as he sees it). However, whether it’s the stress, Timmy’s abilities, or the people showing up at their door to beg for Timmy’s help, really doesn’t matter their marriage is over.
Timmy and his father move to Ireland hoping for a new start. Timmy yearns, beyond hope, that things will be different. However, the dead have no boundaries; he knows this before they arrive. What he didn’t realize is what secrets lie in the small town of Dungarvan, Ireland or just how involved his family is in The Dead of Dungarvan’s revenge.
It’s rare for the second book in a series out master the first. However, though The Turtle Boy was a good read, in my opinion, Kealan has outdone himself with this second book. The Hides is darkly poetic. Reading it, I could almost smell the salty sea air, hear the waves rushing to the shore, see the unique mingling of the old and the new this coastal town has to offer. This book didn’t just tell me a story—one that sent chills down my spine and made the air on my arms stand straight—it took me thousands of miles away, across the Atlantic to the little harbor town of Dungarvan, if only for a short time.
Timmy and his father move to Ireland hoping for a new start. Timmy yearns, beyond hope, that things will be different. However, the dead have no boundaries; he knows this before they arrive. What he didn’t realize is what secrets lie in the small town of Dungarvan, Ireland or just how involved his family is in The Dead of Dungarvan’s revenge.
It’s rare for the second book in a series out master the first. However, though The Turtle Boy was a good read, in my opinion, Kealan has outdone himself with this second book. The Hides is darkly poetic. Reading it, I could almost smell the salty sea air, hear the waves rushing to the shore, see the unique mingling of the old and the new this coastal town has to offer. This book didn’t just tell me a story—one that sent chills down my spine and made the air on my arms stand straight—it took me thousands of miles away, across the Atlantic to the little harbor town of Dungarvan, if only for a short time.
October 21, 2017
If there was to be a sequel to The Turtle Boy then this was perfect! I don't think The Turtle Boy needed a sequel but because it has been set six years later it's kind of like having a catch up with the Quinn family.
Turns out Timmy is still seeing the occasional dead person, more often than not they are lingering because they died due to bad circumstances. Pretty rough on Timmy and his family huh.
When an opportunity arises for Timmy's Dad to go back to Ireland to look after his elderly Mother, he decides it would be a good idea to take Timmy, maybe escape the ghosts that he keeps seeing.
Well obviously it's not a switch Timmy can just turn off so of course he is going to uncover some secrets. Problem is they are family secrets that might just come back to haunt them all.
I really enjoyed the setting for this book. Kealan finally was able to write a story based in his home town and although I've never been to Ireland, I'll take his word on it that the description is pretty spot on.
Once again the ending was spot on and could be left right where it's at but that the baby Jesus there is more to this series I can get reading straight away! 5 STARS!
Turns out Timmy is still seeing the occasional dead person, more often than not they are lingering because they died due to bad circumstances. Pretty rough on Timmy and his family huh.
When an opportunity arises for Timmy's Dad to go back to Ireland to look after his elderly Mother, he decides it would be a good idea to take Timmy, maybe escape the ghosts that he keeps seeing.
Well obviously it's not a switch Timmy can just turn off so of course he is going to uncover some secrets. Problem is they are family secrets that might just come back to haunt them all.
I really enjoyed the setting for this book. Kealan finally was able to write a story based in his home town and although I've never been to Ireland, I'll take his word on it that the description is pretty spot on.
Once again the ending was spot on and could be left right where it's at but that the baby Jesus there is more to this series I can get reading straight away! 5 STARS!
January 31, 2023
DNF’d at 64%
“His life had become a question of: who's dead, who's alive? And he didn't want to know anymore.”
Timmy Quinn can see the dead. While the concept sounds interesting I somehow was just really bored through the story. I’ve read the first book back in July and remembered enjoying the book so I was excited to pick up the second book in the series but unfortunately I didn’t liked this one.
“His life had become a question of: who's dead, who's alive? And he didn't want to know anymore.”
Timmy Quinn can see the dead. While the concept sounds interesting I somehow was just really bored through the story. I’ve read the first book back in July and remembered enjoying the book so I was excited to pick up the second book in the series but unfortunately I didn’t liked this one.
November 3, 2020
What. The..... what? We’re all moving along here like la la la Timmy sees another dead person and then holy crap. BAM! This poor kid. When this story picked up, it picked up. Heart racing, full sweat, needing to know how this ends. What a great book.
June 22, 2021
The story was excellent, creepy and captivating, but it was really poorly edited.
November 4, 2023
Really loving the author’s style! Now on to the third!
August 6, 2014
I just read this in Stage Whispers: The Collected Timmy Quinn Stories, and after the simple, chilling brilliance of "The Turtle Boy", I have to say that "The Hides" was a humongous disappointment. Whereas I had trouble putting "The Turtle Boy" down, I had trouble getting through "The Hides". Thankfully, it was only a novella or I wouldn't have made it to the end.
To begin with, we start with an incident in Timmy's hometown that is far too reminiscent of "Turtle Boy", before pulling up stakes and heading to Ireland. And guess what? Timmy is NOT HAPPY about moving -- a fact that gets repeated over & over & over again. He also GETS UPSET about his interactions with the Dead. Understandable, but, once again, do we need to hear about it ad infinitum? What's more, he STILL can't figure out his father's connection to anything (which should be pretty damn obvious to anyone who's read the first story), so he comes off as something of a whiny little idiot.
Add to this a story that devolves into a complete mess of *Family Secrets* and pseudo-Lovecraftian silliness. As I plodded through page after page of the BIG confrontation with The Hides, I didn't know whether to laugh or just throw the book against the wall in frustration. I found that whole section to be ridiculously over-wrought, horribly written -- and not the least bit scary.
After "The Turtle Boy", I couldn't wait to read more about Timmy Quinn. "The Hides" seems to have cured me of that desire, at least. I now need to take a break before starting "Vessels". It might be awhile....
To begin with, we start with an incident in Timmy's hometown that is far too reminiscent of "Turtle Boy", before pulling up stakes and heading to Ireland. And guess what? Timmy is NOT HAPPY about moving -- a fact that gets repeated over & over & over again. He also GETS UPSET about his interactions with the Dead. Understandable, but, once again, do we need to hear about it ad infinitum? What's more, he STILL can't figure out his father's connection to anything (which should be pretty damn obvious to anyone who's read the first story), so he comes off as something of a whiny little idiot.
Add to this a story that devolves into a complete mess of *Family Secrets* and pseudo-Lovecraftian silliness. As I plodded through page after page of the BIG confrontation with The Hides, I didn't know whether to laugh or just throw the book against the wall in frustration. I found that whole section to be ridiculously over-wrought, horribly written -- and not the least bit scary.
After "The Turtle Boy", I couldn't wait to read more about Timmy Quinn. "The Hides" seems to have cured me of that desire, at least. I now need to take a break before starting "Vessels". It might be awhile....
November 29, 2012
Review of The Hides
Timmy Quinn #2
5 stars
Those who’ve read and enjoyed the first Timmy Quinn story ,”The Turtle Boy” (a story which I know I will never delete from my imagination), will remember that Timmy was then an eleven-year-old boy living a quiet (or so it appeared on the surface) existence in Delaware, Ohio. That, of course, was prior to Timmy’s discovery of “The Stage,” the means by which the deceased (or some among them) appeared to him, demanding retribution, justice, and revenge.
When this next installment commences, some years have passed, and they have not been happy ones: not for Timmy, either of his parents, the deceased, nor the grieving. Timmy’s parents decide to divorce, and his father returns to his native Ireland, taking Timmy along. Well, the dead are just as present over there as in Ohio (they’ve actually had many centuries more to collect dead) and right away, Timmy encounters them, including unwittingly discovering some of his grandmother’s terrible secrets. A terrifying encounter (it still frightens me!) with an entity called, for no better term, “The Hides,” inside the two-story leather factory where Timmy’s father Paul finds work, may have fatal consequences. (That’s fatal, in addition to terror that will scare the living daylights out of you.)
Timmy never asked to see the dead, but they see him, and they use him as their instrument. What he wants does not seem to matter.
Timmy Quinn #2
5 stars
Those who’ve read and enjoyed the first Timmy Quinn story ,”The Turtle Boy” (a story which I know I will never delete from my imagination), will remember that Timmy was then an eleven-year-old boy living a quiet (or so it appeared on the surface) existence in Delaware, Ohio. That, of course, was prior to Timmy’s discovery of “The Stage,” the means by which the deceased (or some among them) appeared to him, demanding retribution, justice, and revenge.
When this next installment commences, some years have passed, and they have not been happy ones: not for Timmy, either of his parents, the deceased, nor the grieving. Timmy’s parents decide to divorce, and his father returns to his native Ireland, taking Timmy along. Well, the dead are just as present over there as in Ohio (they’ve actually had many centuries more to collect dead) and right away, Timmy encounters them, including unwittingly discovering some of his grandmother’s terrible secrets. A terrifying encounter (it still frightens me!) with an entity called, for no better term, “The Hides,” inside the two-story leather factory where Timmy’s father Paul finds work, may have fatal consequences. (That’s fatal, in addition to terror that will scare the living daylights out of you.)
Timmy never asked to see the dead, but they see him, and they use him as their instrument. What he wants does not seem to matter.
January 21, 2012
I am loving Timmy Quinn, this is the second in the series and a more longer and deeper story that has a similarity to the Odd Thomas character Dean Koontz created. Timmy is older wiser and gifted now, ever since the encounter in first book with the Turtle boy he finds himself haunted from the dead. The evil that mankind done coming back for redemption and Timmy finds himself caught in the web of making things right. Page turning stuff Patrick has way with words that makes the reading darkness joyful. This character he's created really looks promising and I am anticipating with excitement the next Quinn encounter.
" What Timmy could see and had been seeing since eleven years of age were nothing so simple. These things could touch, feel, and manipulate things. They controlled who could see them and used the witnesses for their own ends. These were The Dead, come from beyond a barrier few knew existed. "
" Whenever he was allowed these images, it was for no other reason than to display for him the sins of murderers, a replayed scene from a past that could not be changed by the viewer."
" The knowledge that they existed, those phantoms that forever haunted the corner of the eye, was a form of haunting in itself."
" What Timmy could see and had been seeing since eleven years of age were nothing so simple. These things could touch, feel, and manipulate things. They controlled who could see them and used the witnesses for their own ends. These were The Dead, come from beyond a barrier few knew existed. "
" Whenever he was allowed these images, it was for no other reason than to display for him the sins of murderers, a replayed scene from a past that could not be changed by the viewer."
" The knowledge that they existed, those phantoms that forever haunted the corner of the eye, was a form of haunting in itself."
February 13, 2015
Taking place several years after The Turtle Boy, The Hides is the continuing story of Timmy Quinn. Timmy can see dead people and this has all but destroyed his family's life. After years of being ostracised by the community, Timmy's parent's marriage has fallen apart and Timmy's Dad - Paul - has decided to take Timmy with him and go back home to live with Mom (just like a man right?). I think Paul was hoping also that the move may stop Timmy's ability but this didn't happen. In fact, his ability dug up some nasty family skeletons which almost resulted in the end for Timmy and Paul.
This is a good read for lovers of early Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc. I'd give it a 3.5
This is a good read for lovers of early Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc. I'd give it a 3.5
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