Tranquility

by Tracy S. Morris

Maybe it's a curse left by the ancient Indians who called it their home, or maybe it's just talk to scare off the gold-hunters looking for treasure left behind by the Spanish/Confederates/Outlaws/D.B. Cooper. No one seems to even notice that Tranquility is different.

Not Jake Coltrane, the town's ridiculously lucky policeman, not Rachel Thorne, a vet who can talk to animals, and not Average Jones, the waitress/cellist who knows what everyone feels, and how to fix it. Only David Nye, the town's new doctor seems to notice. But even Tranquility has its problems.

Something out there is mutilating livestock. The only clue is bloody big bird tracks around the carcasses. Jake thinks it's just a prank, but Rachel isn't so sure. And when the glowing red eyes and strange noises at night start, she knows that it's only a matter of time before the “Big Bird” starts working its way up to people.

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Katharine Kimbriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This falls squarely into crazed contemporary fantasy, which is something I love. It's as if there was just the tiniest quirk in the flow of time and place, and suddenly places like TV's Eureka exist in small pockets of the world. Welcome to off-the-main-path Arkansas, where the sheriff has more than an average share of luck, the vet really does understand what animals say, and an empath is hiding out from the greater world. There's cattle mutilations, prehistoric bird tracks, gold hunters, and ancient curses. But the people of Tranquility never notice that their home--and fellow citizens--are just a little bit off plumb.

I don't know whether to compare this to a great Scooby-Doo episode, a quiet take on Tremors, or simply the latest "You have no clue what's really out there in Mid-America" tale. But it's by turns silly, sweet, and laugh-out-loud good, and I look forward to more Tranquility!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tranquility is a short fun read. The characters are great and come with some really fun powers. The mystery seems to be solved. The four main characters get together and there is a lot of room for future stories. If you like paranormal stories set in small towns with quirky characters this one is for you. This is part of a Double Dog #2 book from Yard Dog Press. If any of you remember the old ACE doubly editions this is the same. There are two book and two covers in the volume.

[Caety · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun read with colorful characters, set in a quirky small town. The mystery is who or what is killing the animals.