A Dry Spell

by Susie Moloney

A woman haunted by fear. A town gripped by terror. A man with the power to set them both free. Karen Grange came to Goodlands, North Dakota, to start her life over.Instead, she watches a once-thriving town die before her eyes. Four years without rain has struck Goodlands like a curse, withering crops and darkening the air with dust. In its wake, a sudden wave of strange, twisted crimes has shattered families and lives. Desperate, Karen reaches out to the only man who can help-a man who offers a miracle…and promises to heal her wounded heart. His name is Tom Keatley. A drifter, an outsider like Karen, Tom is a rainmaker, the stuff of myth. But to Karen, he is her last hope. Now, as Tom struggles to pull rain from the sky, something unexpected happens that changes both of their lives forever. For beneath the hard, cracked earth, a shattering secret is about to explode-a secret whose chilling repercussions will challenge a man's courage, a woman's desire…and the soul of an angry, embittered town.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Roman, Supernatural, Fantasy, Adult, Canada

Paperback

First published November 3, 2015

Reviews

[Cedric Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I want to say that I read this book while I was locked up in a prison down in Mexico. I had been starved, abused, and I nearly died. I finally managed to get word out through an inmate, and was saved by that. They don't let you die if someone knows you are in there!
Now, there were missionaries and do-gooders who would bring books to that foul prison, and they mostly ended up being used as toilet paper by the poorer inmates. Once I had been taken to a hospital, and treated for illness and a myriad of other issues caused by the mistreatment, I found myself in need of an escape.
Enter the books. I managed to get to the old chapel where the books were deposited one time before the tp-seekers, and one of the books I scored was A Dry Spell.
This book is very well written, and it took me on a journey that gave me a much needed escape from the horrors of that prison. The violence, drug use, and danger just kind of faded away while reading this story. I saw through Tom's eyes as he sought to save that town from the curse of a dark secret which was keeping all rain at bay, and slowly killing the town.
ABSOLUTELY awesome book, and I thank this author for crafting the exact tale I needed to escape a terrible time. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a great story.

[Rocio Voncina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titulo: El Hechizo
Autor: Susie Moloney
Motivo de lectura: #buzzwordathon
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 2.5/5

La premisa de este libro era interesante, por ende senti que era una lectura que podia prometer mucho, pero el gran potencial que tenia se perdio en la trama.

El primer problema que le encuentro a este libro es el exceso de personajes. Esta historia podia ser contada con la mitad de los personajes e igualmente podria haber funcionado. Por momentos se les da un peso en la trama a ciertos personajes que luego quedan perdidos y no se entiende muy bien porque le dan ese protagonismo en primer lugar.
Otra cosa que encuentro desagradable es como se plantea el romance, sobre todo la posicion de la protagonista, la cual es retratada como una mujer desesperada, quien no puede creer que un hombre se acueste con ella (?). Susie Moloney tiene la idea que una mujer enamorada es alguien sin dignidad, desesperada, quien no duda en arrojarse a los pies de un hombre y adorarlo como si fuera un Dios.

La trama juega entre lo supernatural con tintes de thriller y romance. Y aunque en un principio la trama esta muy bien presentada y te mantiene en vilo con ganas de saber que ocurrira, llega un punto donde Susie Moloney alarga la trama de manera tan innecesaria que la historia cae en una especie de pozo y se vuelve aburrida e incoherente.

El epilogo es una gran tomada de pelo, como si no fueran suficientes suman mas personajes, y ademas quedan varios cabos sueltos y muchas cuestiones que no se resuelven.
Lamentablemente Susie Moloney se perdio en su propia trama, haciendo que a este libro le sobren como 100 paginas.

[Hugo Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm sub-par I'd say. Wouldn't recommend...but I guess reading something is better than reading nothing

[Teeliles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, but recently pulled it out of the bookshelf when my kindle -- gasp! -- went on the fritz. A very enjoyable book, a little mysticism, a little romance, well-written, with appealing characters. I've always loved the Rainmaker myth as well, so there was a good reason this novel remained on my bookshelves after years of regular purging!

[What Angie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman haunted by fear. A town gripped by terror. A man with the power to set them both free.

Karen Grange came to Goodlands, North Dakota, to start her life over.Instead, she watches a once-thriving town die before her eyes. Four years without rain has struck Goodlands like a curse, withering crops and darkening the air with dust. In its wake, a sudden wave of strange, twisted crimes has shattered families and lives. Desperate, Karen reaches out to the only man who can help-a man who offers a miracle…and promises to heal her wounded heart.

His name is Tom Keatley. A drifter, an outsider like Karen, Tom is a rainmaker, the stuff of myth. But to Karen, he is her last hope.

Now, as Tom struggles to pull rain from the sky, something unexpected happens that changes both of their lives forever. For beneath the hard, cracked earth, a shattering secret is about to explode-a secret whose chilling repercussions will challenge a man's courage, a woman's desire…and the soul of an angry, embittered town.

I’ve always been a fan of Susie Moloney, ever since I picked up The Dwelling . She used to live near my home town, and we would chat often in person. Now being facebook friends, I feel like I'm friends with Stephen King!

The Dry spell is like no other book you will read! It is unique and remarkable. You will feel like you are inside the character's heads. It's in a small town and you feel like you are too.

I love the characters. This is a movie waiting to be made!

[Kristal Stidham · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a pretty boring, drawn-out book with only a little bit of intrigue for me. I listened to it on audiotape while travelling and want to blame Karen Allen's breathy reading of it, but I'm afraid it's actually the author's fault. The story had potential, but it was unrealized. My lone joy was imagining Viggo Mortensen as the rainmaker.

[Prapti · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good until the conclusion came along. Merely disappointing :/

[Suzan Lemont · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read some reviews about 1/3 of the way in to this novel, out of curiosity. I was really enjoying it at that point: the characterizations were pretty good, the story was keeping me engaged and curious. I loved the backstory of the author (go single mom writers!). Moloney obviously has some talent/is a decent writer.

But the last 50-100 pages something happened that tainted the rest of the story: she did indeed fail to explain the whole lynchpin mystery that had been driving the story. It gets very sloppy at the end and i have to wonder what happened and where the editor was, because this would have been a better book if this one central thing had been explained satisfactorily. Up until then I was ready to give it 4 stars, and I would now give it 2 1/2 if Goodreads offered partial stars like Story Graph does (eye rolling icon here) because I don't want to discount the first 2/3 or more that I found quite enjoyable and compelled me to keep reading. I got it secondhand for a euro or so, so I'm not bothered by that but I wish the 3 hours I spent yesterday morning plowing through the last bit had felt a little more rewarding. The love story is sweet; the ending is really fine. Just this glaring gap in the resolution puts a dull patina on the whole thing.

[Bronwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really surprised me! It's a very strong three stars. The comparisons to early Stephen King aren't too off the mark. Moloney has created a fast-paced book with compelling characters and a great mix of horror, suspense and romance. She also does small town life very well, though since she's from Winnipeg I like to think her inspiration was Canadian! The plot doesn't entirely hang together but I was willing to suspend my belief because I was so invested in the plot. Moloney is a master at drawing the sinister out of the everyday. Though there are some pretty fantastical elements at work they don't get in the way of the dread Moloney impresses upon a small town struggling to get by. This is commercial fiction at its best.

[R.G. Evans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bring me the head of the reviewer who compared this book to early Stephen King. This is the only time I can remember the reading material I took along for my holiday trip to the in-laws being worse than the visit itself. A Dry Spell didn't just drag--it WAS a drag. When your monster--referred to till the very bitter end here as "the entity"--takes 50 pages to cross the street to kill its nemesis only to be distracted ADHD-style and wander away into town, you know you're not reading Salem's Lot. On a "those who can't do" note: I have a failed novel of my own mouldering in a bookcase upstairs that's better than A Dry Spell. Publishers, see me if interested.

[Oscar_LRB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues me esperaba menos de esta novela...
La he perseguido durante años y finalmente llegó a mis manos.

Me ha recordado mucho a lo que sentí con algunaas novelas de Stepehn King.
La peculiar habilidad del protagonista me ha parecido muy curiosa.

Si no le he dado más "stars", es porque llegado a este punto muchas de las escenas me recordaban a "historias ya vividas", y estoy seguro que de haberlo cogido al poco de su publicación, lo habría disfrutado más.

En todo caso, me ha gustado y no he sentido la necesidad de abandonarlo.

[Holly Booms Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The farming town of Goodlands, North Dakota, has suffered through four years of drought, with one farm after another falling to the auctioneer's gavel. The local bank manager takes a chance on a man who claims to be a rainmaker. His arrival in town dredges up old dark secrets and there is a price to be paid before rain can be made to fall. This book is part supernaturl, part thriller, and part romance. Not bad, sort of like a Stephen King novel that's not quite on his best game.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at the used book store in the horror section. I feel like that was a very loose categorization. Though there are a couple of supernatural elements which could be considered frightening, it's mostly a love story.

A banker in a small town plagued by an unnatural drought, calls a rainmaker for help. But something in the town is keeping his powers from working.

I do like how the story shifts between characters.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago. It was a so-so read, but for some reason I am thinking back to this book. The portrayal of the residents in Goodland, ND as they suffered the drought and how it affected their dispositions is filtering forward in my mind. Not only due to this summers hot dry conditions, but with the conditions in my own life.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best book I've read in a long time. I can't remember the last time I read a book that I wasn't able to predict what was going to happen. If you read often and are tired of books being predictable then give this one a try. It might throw you a little off your game.

[Taija]

Rutiköyhän miehen Stephen Kingiä. Paha sanoa, kun en lukenut edes puoleen väliin, mutta joku tässä tökki tosi pahasti. Jostain luin suosituksen kingimäisyydestä ja sopivasta yliluonnollisuudesta, mutta vähän liian viihteellinen ja kuiva (heh).

[Shay · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was alright up until the ending. It left some things unanswered. Very disappointed about that.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely plotted 'horror-thriller' using some very familiar tropes...small town, good and bad people...drought...mixed motivations...drifter...you know the drill but this is nicely told.

[LocoErasmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro entretenido, rápido de leer. Para pasar un buen momento.

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a cute love story but this book did not have to be 400 pages… i almost put it down so many times lol

[Ali Amaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a bummer that such a good premise was so poorly executed. This book reads like the first half was edited heavily while the second half was left as a first draft. As if the punctuation and grammar errors weren't enough, the last 150 pages were so rushed that I actually was offended on behalf of the characters. The prologue started off so strong, introducing the infamous Slaughter Slide with two young men who are killed while speeding down the tight turns of this canyon road. We transition to Tom, the rainmaker, walking that haunted road before we witness how his powers work. The how is fascinating, but we never get a why. His backstory and emotional baggage is well thought out and well-rounded, but we never find out exactly why he is able to make it rain. There were many ideas that were introduced but never touched back on, and Tom's rain powers is the most glaring frustration left unanswered. Another though, is the haunted Slaughter Slide. The morbid crash and death of the two young boys are addressed in the prologue and never brought up again until the end. There was so much potential! Even though it's the woman under the gazebo that's causing the drought: why?? Was she killed by the Slaughter Slide boys? Was she there first? Are they haunting each other? There was an abundance of ways that they could have been tied together, but instead they were two independent entities that were both left ambiguous.
What I thought was going to be the big climax of the book left me on an insane edge and SOO unsatisfied. Tom is finally about to make it rain. Karen's house is ransacked by a possessed Vida. Carl the conspiracy theorist is gathering a town mob to storm the castle which is about to put a wrench in Sheriff's plans of peaceful confrontation. What perfect groundwork layed for Karen to try and protect Tom in his trance, desperately trying to convince everyone that he's there to help them, not to hurt them. Will they be able to get over their fear and skepticism to let him? But no. Vida rushes to town, despite Tom being so close in range to stop. Instead, she uses her newfound telepathy to cause a riot in the townspeople, which distracts them all from going to confront Tom. It rains, and they all celebrate as a whole, their random fistfights forgotten, and the woman possessing Vida forces her to kill herself by blunt force head trauma. All for what?? To use the last hundred pages for Karen's sexual dry spell to also come to an end, a freak dust storm, and an exorcism triggered by even more rain. Huh?? Did I read that right?? Unfortunately, yes.
Susie Maloney's writing felt reminiscent of early Stephen King or James Patterson, but not in a good way. Ruining a good concept with a rushed finish, a million and one loose ends, and a total disregard for the female characters honestly felt disrespectful to the reader. I'm actually shocked that a woman wrote such flat women. I had a hard time liking or even sympathizing with Karen because of her woe-is-me martyrdom, her see-through night gowns, and her shopping problem. And don't even get me started about Vida. Susie did that poor girl so filthy. I don't think she speaks out loud the entirety of the whole book. Her death felt unwarranted, unnecessary, and cruel. She was possessed pretty much for nothing, and all the havoc she wreaked didn't impact the story in the slightest. She wasn't able to stop Tom, and so the ghost then moves on to possess Karen, but since Karen and Tom have been screwing, she's allowed to live even though she wasn't able to stop him either. The only sort of tie-in that Susie gave us is the local newscasters trying to cover the haunting of Arbor Road only to stumble across the freak dust storm that the ghost is causing. Literally, not even the characters could make sense of anything. It would be laughable if I didn't put so much effort into finishing the damn thing. And why didn't we just have different POV's for each chapter? Switching perspective after a paragraph break was insane, and it felt like there was no rules or thought put behind who got to tell their story. It was literally a free for all, and extremely disorienting. The only saving grace, I guess, is that Tom was so baffled by the nonsense that occurred in Goodlands that he had to leave to try and figure it out for his own sanity. He promised to be back but Karen still waves her metaphorical white handkerchief and expects to never see him again.
Susie Moloney should be very frustrated with her agent, editors, publishers, and whoever else let her release this book in this state. Even still. 2 stars because at least Tom was funny.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out about a town in North Dakota, Goodlands, that hadn't had rain in four years. People are losing their farms, and Karen Grange, who runs the Commercial Farm Credit bureau in Goodlands is the person who has to do the foreclosing. When Karen, in an attempt to save Goodlands, hires a rainmaker, unbeknownst to the townspeople. Tom Keatley is a quiet man who doesn't have much to say but Karen had seen him on TV when he had made it rain in another town. Tom begins to walk around the boundaries of the town and he gets a bad feeling from the ground. Then things get weird as unexplained things happen and a young girl is possessed by someone. Because of the supernatural things that go on I was not a fan of this book thus a three rating.

[Brooksie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm coming down hard on this one.

It's easily the worst book I've read in years. Bloated, meandering, disjointed, repetitive, ridiculous. There is an interesting idea buried deep within this terribly-written mess, and in more adept hands it may have worked. At times I laughed at the truly awful writing ("He ran stumblingly" comes to mind right now), but mostly just rolled my eyes and kept going to see how Moloney would wrap it all up: unconvincingly and with no explanation for all the weirdness that befell Goodlands.

Back to the second-hand bookstore with you, Dry Spell.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the town setting of Susie Moloney's novel. I also loved the sense of foreboding and the feeling that something sinister was about to happen. This novel had good pacing, and good characters. I did have trouble keeping all the characters apart, but that is probably my own fault, and not the writers. I also expected things to get scarier, but in truth, the story was more mysterious and never fully explained.

[K.S. Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susie Moloney reminds me so much of John Saul. Really knows how to draw you into a ghostly tale and keep you turning the pages. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. I wanted to know more about what was behind the drought. There's a really interesting story there that remains untold.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mielenkiintoinen aihe, mutta aivan turhan pitkä tarina. Juoni junnasi aivan turhaan paikallaan monessa kohdassa joten kirjaa olisi voinut lyhentää reilusti. Imelää kliseista romantiikkaa, yliluonnollinen kauhuosuus oli paljon kiinnostavampi.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cards of this deck - main ideas, etc - were good, but poorly played.

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't won't to read.

[Kirsten M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spell-binding - couldn’t let it go. Great characters and great storytelling

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, first one I’ve read by this author. Pleasantly surprised that she is from my hometown.