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No Such Thing
Newly divorced and ready to relaunch herself, Sydney Powell and her retired K9 move back to the city in which she grew up to write a book about the infamous underworld faction known as The Purple Gang. Having once lived in a house built and used by the Purple Gang to run liquor, Sydney takes the opportunity to rent the place, believing it will help her write the book.
Met with opposition from her psychotic mother and her long brooding brother, Jack, who believe the real story of the house is about ghosts, she begins to dig into the history. Her research yields very little about her intended subject instead pointing to an entirely different history tied to the death of young boy.
Peeling away the layers of legal paper, Sydney and Jack become acutely aware that the house hides secrets linked to not only the gruesome murder that rocked the state, but deeper, more disturbing events. The secrets, held hostage in the walls.
Met with opposition from her psychotic mother and her long brooding brother, Jack, who believe the real story of the house is about ghosts, she begins to dig into the history. Her research yields very little about her intended subject instead pointing to an entirely different history tied to the death of young boy.
Peeling away the layers of legal paper, Sydney and Jack become acutely aware that the house hides secrets linked to not only the gruesome murder that rocked the state, but deeper, more disturbing events. The secrets, held hostage in the walls.
270 pages, ebook
First published November 14, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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April 21, 2013As A Quarter Finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Publisher's Weekly offered the following review:
ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer
Young boys are disappearing in Detroit, boys with no families or homes. Boys like Tim, who skateboards in a store parking lot nearly every day. But one Fall afternoon, this proves to be the wrong choice. The killer is never found, but this novel creates a scenario to explain what might have happened. Sydney, newly divorced, has come home to Detroit to write a book about the Purple Gang, a notorious mob of bootleggers from Detroit’s Prohibition Era. She decides to rent the house where she spent part of her childhood and where her mother went mad; the house where her family stopped being a unit after her mother was committed to a mental institution. Then Sydney begins to hear voices. Are these the very ghosts her mother swore existed? Or is she plagued with her mother’s problem? Part ghost story, part thriller, this book engages from the first paragraph. Set in modern day Detroit, the city becomes a character of the novel. Sydney’s detailed memory provides quite a comparison between the city where she grew up and the Detroit of the present. The plot -- woman goes home to find answers only to find more questions, danger, and murder -- has a fantastic spin with the addition of paranormal activity. The characters Sydney, Tim, Jack -- Sydney’s brother -- and Thor -- Sydney’s dog -- are brilliantly developed with strong individual voices. The points of view of Sydney and Jack reflect the different truths experienced by two children raised under the same roof. The house itself becomes a spirit to be reckoned with. This superb story has many layers and well developed characters and makes for thrilling reading.
ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer
Young boys are disappearing in Detroit, boys with no families or homes. Boys like Tim, who skateboards in a store parking lot nearly every day. But one Fall afternoon, this proves to be the wrong choice. The killer is never found, but this novel creates a scenario to explain what might have happened. Sydney, newly divorced, has come home to Detroit to write a book about the Purple Gang, a notorious mob of bootleggers from Detroit’s Prohibition Era. She decides to rent the house where she spent part of her childhood and where her mother went mad; the house where her family stopped being a unit after her mother was committed to a mental institution. Then Sydney begins to hear voices. Are these the very ghosts her mother swore existed? Or is she plagued with her mother’s problem? Part ghost story, part thriller, this book engages from the first paragraph. Set in modern day Detroit, the city becomes a character of the novel. Sydney’s detailed memory provides quite a comparison between the city where she grew up and the Detroit of the present. The plot -- woman goes home to find answers only to find more questions, danger, and murder -- has a fantastic spin with the addition of paranormal activity. The characters Sydney, Tim, Jack -- Sydney’s brother -- and Thor -- Sydney’s dog -- are brilliantly developed with strong individual voices. The points of view of Sydney and Jack reflect the different truths experienced by two children raised under the same roof. The house itself becomes a spirit to be reckoned with. This superb story has many layers and well developed characters and makes for thrilling reading.
March 16, 2013
A good afternoon read with a touch of supernatural horror.
No Such Thing is loosely based on a real life event that happened in Michigan in the late 70's. Judi Coltman included an afterwards with information on the real event, which made the story I had just finished reading even more chilling.
I enjoyed the particular writing style of this book. Some parts were written from Sydney's perspective, other's from Jack's, still other's were written from people in the past, or a spirit's perspective. It made for an engaging day of reading.
The supernatural aspect was definitely present, but not over powering. At least up until the very end where some more freaky stuff happens.
No Such Thing is loosely based on a real life event that happened in Michigan in the late 70's. Judi Coltman included an afterwards with information on the real event, which made the story I had just finished reading even more chilling.
I enjoyed the particular writing style of this book. Some parts were written from Sydney's perspective, other's from Jack's, still other's were written from people in the past, or a spirit's perspective. It made for an engaging day of reading.
The supernatural aspect was definitely present, but not over powering. At least up until the very end where some more freaky stuff happens.
February 11, 2019
Well written
Not an Easy subject to read about, but but expertly done. I couldn't put the book down until I had read it all.
Not an Easy subject to read about, but but expertly done. I couldn't put the book down until I had read it all.
January 25, 2013
To say that this book was intense is an understatement! When I realized that it was inspired by actual events that occurred during the seventies I anticipated a good read, but was totally blown away with how the story unfolded! The measure of a good book in my eyes is how long I continue to think about the characters after I finish reading the story, and I must say I read this book three weeks ago and still think about the characters in this one.
Sydney Powell and her retired K9 dog Thor move back to Michigan to live in a house that Sydney spent her teen years in. Turns out the house was built by the infamous Purple Gang who ran liquor during prohibition. Sydney just fresh from an amicable divorce decides that she will write a book based on the Purple Gang. Once she moves into the house though she and Thor start to experience some weird happenings, and when she tells her brother Jack he decides to come and stay with her. Little does she know that Jack is haunted by something that he witnessed in the house during his teen years, a story that Sydney comes to realize is much more important than the Purple Gang. Can Sydney, Jack and Thor unlock the secrets that are buried in the house and set the spirits of so many throwaway boys free?
What I thought was going to be a haunted house story turned out to be so much more. The author allowed me to connect with each of the characters in the story, allowing me to feel disgust, and hate toward the vile perpetrators, especially Brother Luke! Along with hate though I found myself feeling extremely sad for the lost souls of the young boys, especially Tim, I shed more than a few tears as I read his story, His longing for his family,and being fooled into thinking he was going home only to have things turn out so much differently was heartbreaking.His wishing for a dog and the way he interacted with Thor was very well done! As an animal lover I really enjoyed the page time that Thor was given in this story. This was a book that I couldn't put down, because I just had to know the ending. If your a fan of suspense/mysteries or enjoy reading true crime stories with a ghostly flavor this is a must read. I highly suggest reading the Afterword with this one because it explains that while "No Such Thing" is a complete work of fiction it was inspired by the abductions and murders of four children in Michigan back during the seventies.
A complimentary e-copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Sydney Powell and her retired K9 dog Thor move back to Michigan to live in a house that Sydney spent her teen years in. Turns out the house was built by the infamous Purple Gang who ran liquor during prohibition. Sydney just fresh from an amicable divorce decides that she will write a book based on the Purple Gang. Once she moves into the house though she and Thor start to experience some weird happenings, and when she tells her brother Jack he decides to come and stay with her. Little does she know that Jack is haunted by something that he witnessed in the house during his teen years, a story that Sydney comes to realize is much more important than the Purple Gang. Can Sydney, Jack and Thor unlock the secrets that are buried in the house and set the spirits of so many throwaway boys free?
What I thought was going to be a haunted house story turned out to be so much more. The author allowed me to connect with each of the characters in the story, allowing me to feel disgust, and hate toward the vile perpetrators, especially Brother Luke! Along with hate though I found myself feeling extremely sad for the lost souls of the young boys, especially Tim, I shed more than a few tears as I read his story, His longing for his family,and being fooled into thinking he was going home only to have things turn out so much differently was heartbreaking.His wishing for a dog and the way he interacted with Thor was very well done! As an animal lover I really enjoyed the page time that Thor was given in this story. This was a book that I couldn't put down, because I just had to know the ending. If your a fan of suspense/mysteries or enjoy reading true crime stories with a ghostly flavor this is a must read. I highly suggest reading the Afterword with this one because it explains that while "No Such Thing" is a complete work of fiction it was inspired by the abductions and murders of four children in Michigan back during the seventies.
A complimentary e-copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2012
I recently received this book from the author for review and the description was so intriguing that I started it pretty quickly. But this was a harder book to read than I anticipated. The writing is very vivid and the content is hard to swallow. It's not that it's even graphically written, I think at some point... it's what the author doesn't say that makes me feel a little ill. I think because it's inspired by true events makes it tougher.
That's not to say it's a bad book, in fact, it's very good. The mystery of it all and the journey we take with the characters is absolute perfection. The author has this way of making the location become a character, a living breathing character almost. We learn so much about the "place" and the people in it that it becomes alive.
... which also makes it hard to read this type of a story.
... which also makes it a really good book because you cannot help but become completely engrossed with the characters and invested in their outcome. You also cannot help but feel like crying for the kids.
Writing was impeccable, the flow was perfect. Absolutely amazingly well done. Her ability to swap time/places was a little off at times, but once I figured out the flow of what she was doing and why I found it interesting.
Very highly recommended for thriller/mystery lovers.
That's not to say it's a bad book, in fact, it's very good. The mystery of it all and the journey we take with the characters is absolute perfection. The author has this way of making the location become a character, a living breathing character almost. We learn so much about the "place" and the people in it that it becomes alive.
... which also makes it hard to read this type of a story.
... which also makes it a really good book because you cannot help but become completely engrossed with the characters and invested in their outcome. You also cannot help but feel like crying for the kids.
Writing was impeccable, the flow was perfect. Absolutely amazingly well done. Her ability to swap time/places was a little off at times, but once I figured out the flow of what she was doing and why I found it interesting.
Very highly recommended for thriller/mystery lovers.
March 23, 2013
By Momma on March 23, 2013
No Such Thing
Truly a thriller with a rough start, I nearly gave up when suddenly it picked up the pace. I was definitely getting frustrated with the laying of groundwork. I really felt like it was overkill, I kept saying to myself “I get it; mom went crazy in the basement, you felt bad because you were rich get on with it”.
But then as if my pleading was heard the story really picked up the pace and ran off like a runaway train! This suspense chiller delivered in spite of the slow start. The horror of the actions taking place in the book really shook me to the bone. Then finding that this book is loosely based on actual events that took place in the seventies made the story even more chilling!
The way the story unfolded was unexpected and I soon learned that this was so much more than your run-of-the-mill ghost story.
If you have the desire to be sucked in completely, biting at your nails and snapping at the dog for wanting to be walked while you are reading – Buy this book!
What does Momma Think?
Momma gives No Such Thing by Judi Coltman 3 cookies.
January 26, 2013
This is a very good book. I didn't want to put it down. Sydney moves back into the house she spent her high school years in to write a book about The Purple Gang, who ran liquor during prohibition. As she starts her research on them though, she runs into several interesting aspects of the house; hippie squatters, a murdered boy found close to the house. The more she researches she realizes her story isn't about The Purple Gang, but about the house itself and that her immediate family could be involved in the mystery. If you enjoy mysteries, suspense then I definately recommend this book for you. I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
December 15, 2012
This is one of those books that is hard to put down once you start it. Even though it is fiction, knowing some of the background behind it, and the sad story that Judi talks about makes it even more riveting.
May 17, 2014
Murder and patanormal
Murder and patanormal
This book was interesting from beginning to end.Based loosely on a true story with a paranormal twist added to it this book was highly entertaining.
Murder and patanormal
This book was interesting from beginning to end.Based loosely on a true story with a paranormal twist added to it this book was highly entertaining.
February 23, 2019
Great read
I really enjoyed this book. I happen to come across it while reading about the Oakland child murders. I like the story the author created to mix with the nonfiction side of the story. I will definitely check out some of HIs other books!
I really enjoyed this book. I happen to come across it while reading about the Oakland child murders. I like the story the author created to mix with the nonfiction side of the story. I will definitely check out some of HIs other books!
September 28, 2014
It was ok
January 16, 2013
Incredible book that really captures the time and place during a dark time for those of us who grew up in SE Michigan in the 70's. It's a page turner and a white knuckle thriller. READ IT!!!
April 22, 2013
Compelling story I could not put down! Based on events from my past in Birmingham Mi.
January 17, 2016
This book will stay with me for a while!! Very good read, dark sinister twists!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews