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McFall
This book is a Kindle Serial. Kindle Serials are stories published in episodes, with future episodes delivered at no additional cost. This serial currently contains one episode out of an estimated six total episodes, and new episodes will be delivered every two weeks.
"If Evil had fortified secret strongholds across the globe, the red church was certainly one of them."
Award-winning author Scott Nicholson returns to the Blue Ridge Mountain legends and setting of his bestselling thrillers, The Red Church and Drummer Boy.
When wealthy developer Larkin McFall moves to the small Appalachian Mountain community of Barkersville, generations-old tales of supernatural phenomena, sudden deaths, and odd disappearances resurface. Larkin laughs off the stories as superstition, while promising to bring a bright new future to the dying town.
Sheriff Frank Littlefield senses a diabolical motive in McFall’s good intentions. High school friends Bobby Eldreth and Ronnie Day also suspect that an evil menace has invaded Barkersville, but both soon fall under McFall’s spell. Has the sinister presence that once infiltrated the abandoned—perhaps haunted—red church spread to the community as McFall turns the family property into a luxurious subdivision?
When those who oppose Larkin McFall’s ambitions begin to die horrifically—or even worse, become the man’s biggest supporters—Sheriff Littlefield’s investigation uncovers a man with no past and no fingerprints.
A man who destroys people by giving them exactly what they want.
"If Evil had fortified secret strongholds across the globe, the red church was certainly one of them."
Award-winning author Scott Nicholson returns to the Blue Ridge Mountain legends and setting of his bestselling thrillers, The Red Church and Drummer Boy.
When wealthy developer Larkin McFall moves to the small Appalachian Mountain community of Barkersville, generations-old tales of supernatural phenomena, sudden deaths, and odd disappearances resurface. Larkin laughs off the stories as superstition, while promising to bring a bright new future to the dying town.
Sheriff Frank Littlefield senses a diabolical motive in McFall’s good intentions. High school friends Bobby Eldreth and Ronnie Day also suspect that an evil menace has invaded Barkersville, but both soon fall under McFall’s spell. Has the sinister presence that once infiltrated the abandoned—perhaps haunted—red church spread to the community as McFall turns the family property into a luxurious subdivision?
When those who oppose Larkin McFall’s ambitions begin to die horrifically—or even worse, become the man’s biggest supporters—Sheriff Littlefield’s investigation uncovers a man with no past and no fingerprints.
A man who destroys people by giving them exactly what they want.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
158 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
About the author
Scott Nicholson
211 books768 followersWith more than 800,000 books sold worldwide, Scott Nicholson is an international bestselling thriller writer. He won the Writers of the Future Award in 1999 and was a Stoker Award finalist in 2003. His Fear series was published by Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint and 47North released the supernatural thriller McFALL.
He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.
He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 7, 2017
When I started this one, I didn't realize it was part of a series. However, it worked as a standalone as enough was hinted about events in the past that it added some ambiance to the story rather than becoming confusing.
I was reminded of both Needful Things by Stephen King as well as The Pine Deep trilogy from Jonathan Maberry as I read this. A small town is "invaded" by a powerful man with sinister secrets. The setting was great, there were plenty of spooky moments, and I thought the characters were well developed...except for the main villain. I don't know if it's something from past books in the series or what but I never could figure him out. Vampire? Werewolf? Ghost? Something in between? No clue. It was cool throughout the story, but there was never any kind of payoff.
This was a solid 5 star read...up until the ending. The ending just was too unsatisfying for me. The ending made the entire book come across as a set up to the sequel (which I don't think has been written?) and this was just too long for a set up. It was still a good read, and I really liked this one. I just wish the ending had been a true conclusion rather than an abrupt stop.
I was reminded of both Needful Things by Stephen King as well as The Pine Deep trilogy from Jonathan Maberry as I read this. A small town is "invaded" by a powerful man with sinister secrets. The setting was great, there were plenty of spooky moments, and I thought the characters were well developed...except for the main villain. I don't know if it's something from past books in the series or what but I never could figure him out. Vampire? Werewolf? Ghost? Something in between? No clue. It was cool throughout the story, but there was never any kind of payoff.
This was a solid 5 star read...up until the ending. The ending just was too unsatisfying for me. The ending made the entire book come across as a set up to the sequel (which I don't think has been written?) and this was just too long for a set up. It was still a good read, and I really liked this one. I just wish the ending had been a true conclusion rather than an abrupt stop.
December 1, 2013
In the Appalachian town of Barkersville, a mysterious man with red eyes shows up. A town where the dead don't always stay dead, the community has barely gotten over the horrific events the McFall family brought upon them five years ago. McFall is a not so classic tale of good versus evil. Larkin McFall wants to give the people what they want, but at what expense? What's the going rate for a soul nowadays?
McFall was my first peek into Nicholson's work. I was apprehensive at having not read The Red Church or Drummer Boy prior to McFall. However, my only disappointment was that I read them out of sequence. McFall was a great standalone read, and while his previous works have definitely made it to my future list of reads, I didn't feel it was necessary to read them in order to understand this one.
Outside of my normal genre, McFall had me intrigued and wanting more in the first few pages. Originally released as a Kindle serial, the book is now complete and available as a whole. Nicholson uses a good portion of the book to build believable characters and settings. Usually, I would balk at the lack of action but he did such a fantastic job of setting the stage. My only wish is that Nicholson would have given us more details about McFall; what he was, what led him to town, his ultimate end-game. With all the time devoted to character development, Larkin McFall felt underdeveloped. Of course, this could have been intentional to leave readers continually questioning his motives.
Ronnie Day, now eighteen was the standout character for me. Clearly damaged from his past, he battles inwardly to maintain his faith and be the "good" that stands up to evil as the townsfolk give into temptation one by one. This poor kid always seemed to be in the wrong place at all the wrong times.
I remain on the fence about the choice of titling the book McFall. Being my first foray into the series, I originally thought it was going to be the name of a town. The focus seems to be less about McFall and more about other characters and Barkersville itself. That being said, I enjoyed the book. While it wasn't non-stop action, the mystery of it all kept me interested from start to finish and I'm hoping to see more of these characters in the future. I definitely recommend McFall to readers who enjoy Stephen Kings eerie work, and appreciate Nicholson finding The Bookie Monster and sharing this great read with me.
McFall was my first peek into Nicholson's work. I was apprehensive at having not read The Red Church or Drummer Boy prior to McFall. However, my only disappointment was that I read them out of sequence. McFall was a great standalone read, and while his previous works have definitely made it to my future list of reads, I didn't feel it was necessary to read them in order to understand this one.
Outside of my normal genre, McFall had me intrigued and wanting more in the first few pages. Originally released as a Kindle serial, the book is now complete and available as a whole. Nicholson uses a good portion of the book to build believable characters and settings. Usually, I would balk at the lack of action but he did such a fantastic job of setting the stage. My only wish is that Nicholson would have given us more details about McFall; what he was, what led him to town, his ultimate end-game. With all the time devoted to character development, Larkin McFall felt underdeveloped. Of course, this could have been intentional to leave readers continually questioning his motives.
Ronnie Day, now eighteen was the standout character for me. Clearly damaged from his past, he battles inwardly to maintain his faith and be the "good" that stands up to evil as the townsfolk give into temptation one by one. This poor kid always seemed to be in the wrong place at all the wrong times.
I remain on the fence about the choice of titling the book McFall. Being my first foray into the series, I originally thought it was going to be the name of a town. The focus seems to be less about McFall and more about other characters and Barkersville itself. That being said, I enjoyed the book. While it wasn't non-stop action, the mystery of it all kept me interested from start to finish and I'm hoping to see more of these characters in the future. I definitely recommend McFall to readers who enjoy Stephen Kings eerie work, and appreciate Nicholson finding The Bookie Monster and sharing this great read with me.
November 14, 2013
Intriguing characters, enthralling story, and poetic writing… Oh, my!
There are great stories, and there are well told stories. Two different things. The magic happens when an author can bring both to the table, and Scott Nicholson has in McFall. This might be his best work. The word tangible comes to mind. I could see, hear and feel the mountain river running under the bridge, and the horrors it held. It is like the words and story flowed onto the pages just like the river it centers around. Watching Larkin McFall, now one of my favorite antagonists, play the towns people of Barkersville was a page turning thrill. Every character in this story had depth and felt real.
McFall takes place many years after the events in The Red Church and Drummer Boy, but you don’t have to read them to appreciate this story. All relevant information is provided.
This is an evil vs good story with a blurry line between the two. Ghost stories often come off as hokey to me because writers use tired, eye rolling horror clichés. There aren't any in McFall. There also isn't any gore used to shock the reader. This is the subtle horror of how easy it is to control human nature and base instincts by giving someone what they want the most.
This is a damned great read for all fans of speculative fiction.
~~~~~~
McFall is an amazon serial novel
I will take a moment to explain what a serial novel is. A book is published in episodes. Like a TV series. When you buy the book you pay the one price. All the episodes that have been published up to that point will be sent to your kindle, and you will receive all subsequent episodes as they are published at no extra cost. After all the episodes are published, the complete book will then be available for purchase as a whole book, but I am not sure if it will be at the same bargain price. McFall is a 6 episode book. If you look at the amazon page for McFall all this is explained with green text in the book description section so you know what you are getting.
~~~~~~
5 “game within the game playing” Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/2013/11/sh...
There are great stories, and there are well told stories. Two different things. The magic happens when an author can bring both to the table, and Scott Nicholson has in McFall. This might be his best work. The word tangible comes to mind. I could see, hear and feel the mountain river running under the bridge, and the horrors it held. It is like the words and story flowed onto the pages just like the river it centers around. Watching Larkin McFall, now one of my favorite antagonists, play the towns people of Barkersville was a page turning thrill. Every character in this story had depth and felt real.
McFall takes place many years after the events in The Red Church and Drummer Boy, but you don’t have to read them to appreciate this story. All relevant information is provided.
This is an evil vs good story with a blurry line between the two. Ghost stories often come off as hokey to me because writers use tired, eye rolling horror clichés. There aren't any in McFall. There also isn't any gore used to shock the reader. This is the subtle horror of how easy it is to control human nature and base instincts by giving someone what they want the most.
This is a damned great read for all fans of speculative fiction.
~~~~~~
McFall is an amazon serial novel
I will take a moment to explain what a serial novel is. A book is published in episodes. Like a TV series. When you buy the book you pay the one price. All the episodes that have been published up to that point will be sent to your kindle, and you will receive all subsequent episodes as they are published at no extra cost. After all the episodes are published, the complete book will then be available for purchase as a whole book, but I am not sure if it will be at the same bargain price. McFall is a 6 episode book. If you look at the amazon page for McFall all this is explained with green text in the book description section so you know what you are getting.
~~~~~~
5 “game within the game playing” Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/2013/11/sh...
November 26, 2013
I love Scott Nicholson's works The Red Church and Drummer Boy, and with McFall tying those two stories, I knew this would be interesting. I have only read the 1st episode so far, but I was definitely not disappointed. It was great. Ronnie and his family from The Red Church, Bobby from Drummer Boy, and poor Sheriff Littlefield, on the verge of retirement, just can not catch a break with a body being found already at the start of the episode. Add a new McFall in the mix, with plans for building a new subdivision on the ill-fated McFall property, and trouble begins to brew for the small Appalachian Mountain community of Barkersville. Can not wait to see what else is in store for this new Kindle Serial. Great beginning!!
December 27, 2013
I don’t care to read serial novels and instead prefer to wait until the author finishes all of the episodes. I had been eagerly awaiting the publishing of McFall and as it was released in series I bit my nails and forced myself not to start. When I read I develop a momentum and read to the end.
Waiting for the completed work did not disappoint me. I really liked the previous novels THE RED CHURCH and LITTLE DRUMMER BOY and had high expectations for the last (?) in this series of novels. That usually sets the poor author up for failure, but not this time. Nicholson pulls from his earlier novels and really fleshes out the characters and motivations. The pacing and plot are superbly done.
There is no requirement to read the earlier books as this one stands alone quite well, but I highly recommend that you do. Sheriff Littleton, Ronnie and David are back as well as the ghosts that haunt Pickett County in the NC Appalachians. There is something about Larkin McFall that seems evil, and I say ‘seems’ because there are scenes that will have you wondering, for example, his wish for children. A mystery to say the least. The McFalls have a very bad reputation in Pickett County going back to the ‘hanged preacher’ and a preacher who was most certainly evil. But McFall is a tempter, looking for what each person in the county most wants and somehow seeing to it that it comes to fruition. Something Ronnie battles throughout the book.
It is quite evident that Nicholson’s prose has been well honed. I zoomed through this book stopping only for the necessities and finished by morning. I was thinking ‘this is awesome!’ and then I hit the ending…and the reason I have held off writing this review, and after a week, I *still* don’t know whether I liked or hated it. At first I hated it then the more I thought about it I began to warm up to it. Your mileage may vary. Personally, I’ve got my fingers crossed that there will be more to come.
This is an excellent read and I give it 5-stars. I really hate giving 5-stars but I’ve read some really good books lately, McFALL being one of them, and I always rate what they deserve.
Waiting for the completed work did not disappoint me. I really liked the previous novels THE RED CHURCH and LITTLE DRUMMER BOY and had high expectations for the last (?) in this series of novels. That usually sets the poor author up for failure, but not this time. Nicholson pulls from his earlier novels and really fleshes out the characters and motivations. The pacing and plot are superbly done.
There is no requirement to read the earlier books as this one stands alone quite well, but I highly recommend that you do. Sheriff Littleton, Ronnie and David are back as well as the ghosts that haunt Pickett County in the NC Appalachians. There is something about Larkin McFall that seems evil, and I say ‘seems’ because there are scenes that will have you wondering, for example, his wish for children. A mystery to say the least. The McFalls have a very bad reputation in Pickett County going back to the ‘hanged preacher’ and a preacher who was most certainly evil. But McFall is a tempter, looking for what each person in the county most wants and somehow seeing to it that it comes to fruition. Something Ronnie battles throughout the book.
It is quite evident that Nicholson’s prose has been well honed. I zoomed through this book stopping only for the necessities and finished by morning. I was thinking ‘this is awesome!’ and then I hit the ending…and the reason I have held off writing this review, and after a week, I *still* don’t know whether I liked or hated it. At first I hated it then the more I thought about it I began to warm up to it. Your mileage may vary. Personally, I’ve got my fingers crossed that there will be more to come.
This is an excellent read and I give it 5-stars. I really hate giving 5-stars but I’ve read some really good books lately, McFALL being one of them, and I always rate what they deserve.
October 2, 2024
McFall has a lot of the same characters who appeared in The Red Church and Drummer Boy. A new McFall arrives in the town of Bakersville. Larkin McFall plans on building McFall Meadows on the McFall property and any other property he can acquirer. McFall hires all local people to build his housing complex. People trust McFall. The McFall family has always meant trouble for the town of Bakersville. Larkin McFall is a distant cousin of the preacher Archer. Sheriff Littlefield does not trust McFall. Sheriff Littlefield is on the verge of retirement and wants to leave without any problems hanging over his head. Dead bodies are being found by Ronnie Day. Ronnie has the nickname of Death Boy. McFall has a magical spell over the people of Bakersville. If you like The Red Church and Drummer Boy, you will enjoy this book also.
November 26, 2013
Loved this book. I read it as a Kindle Serial and each episode left me wanting more.
June 21, 2019
I really like Scott Nicholson's style. McFall is an easy read, but not simplistic at all; a very casual storytelling style from a natural born storyteller. It has a very homespun feel I like in my writers. You can breeze through the story, and the plot is complex without being convoluted. The protagonist, Ronnie, is a very real feeling character that you can easily empathize with and care for, while the evil McFall, eerily reminiscent of the Leland Gaunt character from Stephen King’s Needful Things, plays at pulling his (and everyone else’s) strings to give in to his desires. McFall promises the world, but Ronnie is doubtful. Can he remain strong and faithful enough to resist?
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
February 10, 2018
Accidentally read this out of order, but am pleased with the story. There's a clear set of boundaries between good and evil. I am fascinated by the villain, a seemingly unstoppable force against mere mortals. He has an anti-christ vibe and it's easy to see why the town falls sway. While it looked like one character would rise as opposition to the town's true nemesis, I was surprised at how the book played out. Loved the imagery, especially the bridge and creepy ghosts. Well done!
June 21, 2017
Another great book by Scott Nicholson set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Trouble always seems to follow the McFall family so when Larkin McFall shows up Sheriff Littlefield suspects trouble to start. Then the dead bodies start to pile up. This is a great good versus evil book with a supernatural twist including ghosts. The dead don't seem to stay dead.
July 17, 2021
DNFed
Despite being the final book in a series that I haven't read McFall had me hooked right away with its small town horror set up. Sadly those feelings only held out for the first 70 pages. After that point I couldn't ignore my disinterest in the characters and the elements Nicholson opted to focus on.
Despite being the final book in a series that I haven't read McFall had me hooked right away with its small town horror set up. Sadly those feelings only held out for the first 70 pages. After that point I couldn't ignore my disinterest in the characters and the elements Nicholson opted to focus on.
August 15, 2018
From almost the first page, this novel has a deeply disturbing / creepy / spooky / weird vibe. Not like Stephen King (nobody else's brain is THAT seriously twisted!), more like Straub's Ghost Story or something that Ted Dekker would write.
May 5, 2017
Gave up reading it.
June 12, 2017
Great book
Really good book. Good end to the mini series. Make sure you read the other two first unlike I did. Lol.
Really good book. Good end to the mini series. Make sure you read the other two first unlike I did. Lol.
July 5, 2017
The River
Great suspense mystery. Good versus evil in every chapter. Unable to predict the ending which keeps your attention every chapter.
Great suspense mystery. Good versus evil in every chapter. Unable to predict the ending which keeps your attention every chapter.
January 3, 2019
Suicidal
Too many sad people. No closure. Sick ending. A lot of talk about the lands not enough explaining the people and the real cause or reason for the whole mess.
Too many sad people. No closure. Sick ending. A lot of talk about the lands not enough explaining the people and the real cause or reason for the whole mess.
May 23, 2017
It was an easy read and while it kept my interest it did not capture my imagination and keep me glued to the story. The characters were interesting but there were so many that there was no time in the story to really develop and relate to the sub plots.
I will read the other books in the series though
I will read the other books in the series though
September 11, 2014
I was almost tempted to give McFall four stars, but the more I look back on this book, the more I realize that I absolutely loved it.
McFall is a more direct sequel to Nicholson's earlier book The Red Church, while also tying into the loose sequel Drummer Boy. While I have not read Drummer Boy yet (it's on my list), I did read The Red Church, and enjoyed the heck out of it. It should be noted that to fully enjoy McFall, one should read The Red Church before checking this one out (and probably Drummer Boy, as the plot of that book does have an impact on this one, although not to the same degree as The Red Church.)
Normally this is the point where I would describe the plot, but to be honest... there isn't much of one to speak of. Larkin McFall, a relative to the crazed preacher Archer McFall, shows up with big plans for his clan's home town, and for the people living in it. Especially the old families. That about sums up the plot of the book. Sure, things happen, and there is plenty of ghostly action, and a few nasty (but not overly gory) deaths.
The main draw of this book is the characters. Sheriff Littlefield and Ronny Day return from the Red Church, and are joined by a fairly large, and interesting cast. The characters are flawed, doubt themselves, fail (a lot), but in the end were a joy to spend time with. The core cast (Littlefield, Ronny, Bobby and Larkin) are characters that I didn't want to leave when the book ended.
Speaking of the ending, I can guess that it was very frustrating for some people. The book doesn't have a clear cut win or loss, but instead levels the playing field for a battle that lies in the distance, a battle that the surviving characters know is coming. Sure, it is clear that Nicholson is leaving things open for another book, but it still felt right. No one, not one single character, is in a place that one could describe as settled. Everyone is battle worn and beat up, but they know that rushing into a fight, a fight that neither side is ready for, is not the answer.
Nicholson has crafted a book that is haunting and interesting. While his story is not packed with wall to wall gore and constant thrills, it is filled with atmosphere, strong characters, strong writing and some truly chilling (and occasionally heart breaking) moments.
McFall is a stellar read, and one that has added Nicholson to my list of reliable, go-to horror writers.
(As a side note, there are a few continuity errors between The Red Church and McFall, specifically regarding the original families that owned land in Bakersfield County, as well as one character being changed completely. While it is nothing that distracted me from my enjoyment of the book, it does make me think that Nicholson might want to look over his older books before starting on another McFall/Littlefield/Day book).
McFall is a more direct sequel to Nicholson's earlier book The Red Church, while also tying into the loose sequel Drummer Boy. While I have not read Drummer Boy yet (it's on my list), I did read The Red Church, and enjoyed the heck out of it. It should be noted that to fully enjoy McFall, one should read The Red Church before checking this one out (and probably Drummer Boy, as the plot of that book does have an impact on this one, although not to the same degree as The Red Church.)
Normally this is the point where I would describe the plot, but to be honest... there isn't much of one to speak of. Larkin McFall, a relative to the crazed preacher Archer McFall, shows up with big plans for his clan's home town, and for the people living in it. Especially the old families. That about sums up the plot of the book. Sure, things happen, and there is plenty of ghostly action, and a few nasty (but not overly gory) deaths.
The main draw of this book is the characters. Sheriff Littlefield and Ronny Day return from the Red Church, and are joined by a fairly large, and interesting cast. The characters are flawed, doubt themselves, fail (a lot), but in the end were a joy to spend time with. The core cast (Littlefield, Ronny, Bobby and Larkin) are characters that I didn't want to leave when the book ended.
Speaking of the ending, I can guess that it was very frustrating for some people. The book doesn't have a clear cut win or loss, but instead levels the playing field for a battle that lies in the distance, a battle that the surviving characters know is coming. Sure, it is clear that Nicholson is leaving things open for another book, but it still felt right. No one, not one single character, is in a place that one could describe as settled. Everyone is battle worn and beat up, but they know that rushing into a fight, a fight that neither side is ready for, is not the answer.
Nicholson has crafted a book that is haunting and interesting. While his story is not packed with wall to wall gore and constant thrills, it is filled with atmosphere, strong characters, strong writing and some truly chilling (and occasionally heart breaking) moments.
McFall is a stellar read, and one that has added Nicholson to my list of reliable, go-to horror writers.
(As a side note, there are a few continuity errors between The Red Church and McFall, specifically regarding the original families that owned land in Bakersfield County, as well as one character being changed completely. While it is nothing that distracted me from my enjoyment of the book, it does make me think that Nicholson might want to look over his older books before starting on another McFall/Littlefield/Day book).
June 24, 2017
With an opening chapter which captured my attention instantly, the book gradually kept slipping away, losing itself in its own large set of characters and its multiple sub-plots. By the time I reached half-way, it had reached rock bottom, or so I felt until I reached the end which was worse than any other section in the book. The only reason I do not give the lowest rating to McFall is because the story, no matter how poorly conceived, has been written with earnestness by Scott Nicholson. The writing style is fairly solid, not at all repulsive. And so I could endure.
McFall is the story of too many people in a small town which has been haunted by the crazy doings of folks from the "McFall" lineage. When a new McFall arrives, it marks the beginning of another set of weirdness and wickedness. That I believe was meant to be the central theme. But the story becomes a confused mess when the writer, to build strong character arcs, tells us about a young guy who loves being a drummer more than a pitcher, his friend who loves the same girl as he does, his father who wants him to be nothing else but a pitcher, a sheriff who is looking forward to his retirement, a journalist out for a good story, some folks who want to burn down a church, a deranged fellow who talks about coyotes etc etc. The characters still appear as cardboard cutouts, despite Nicholson's efforts to give them stronger personalities, and all the sub-plots appear to lead nowhere. McFall is part of a Kindle series, with two stories written prior to this one. And if there has been anything written afterwards, I do not have the strength to find that out...
McFall is the story of too many people in a small town which has been haunted by the crazy doings of folks from the "McFall" lineage. When a new McFall arrives, it marks the beginning of another set of weirdness and wickedness. That I believe was meant to be the central theme. But the story becomes a confused mess when the writer, to build strong character arcs, tells us about a young guy who loves being a drummer more than a pitcher, his friend who loves the same girl as he does, his father who wants him to be nothing else but a pitcher, a sheriff who is looking forward to his retirement, a journalist out for a good story, some folks who want to burn down a church, a deranged fellow who talks about coyotes etc etc. The characters still appear as cardboard cutouts, despite Nicholson's efforts to give them stronger personalities, and all the sub-plots appear to lead nowhere. McFall is part of a Kindle series, with two stories written prior to this one. And if there has been anything written afterwards, I do not have the strength to find that out...
November 4, 2013
I really enjoyed that this book combined characters from different stories. I loved the characters in their original stories and its great to see them interacting. Scott Nicholson's books are full of such detailed imagery that its hard not to put yourself in the story and this book doesn't disappoint at all. If you like a well-told, engrossing story you will love this one. This was my first serial book purchase and it was definitely worth it. It has taught me patience as I have to wait until the next part comes out to continue the story but it is worth it and the build up gives me something great to look forward to.
March 14, 2014
I won this book in the Goodreads First Reads contest. It is the third in the series by the author. The book was reminiscent of Dean Koontz, although on a more believable, everyday way. The book did have some horror and spirits that accounted for many of the bizarre happenings and crimes. However, there were weak links to these events. This could be due to my not having read the previous books or that the author was just not very descriptive in linking a comprehensive lead up to the event. The book flowed well and was very easy to read. I will need to read the first book at the very least to decide about the author's style and my recommendation of the book.
May 30, 2014
Different. Very different. This book, originally published as an eBook Serial, certainly has a Stephen King TV Miniseries feel to it. Didn't exactly know where the ending was headed and it turns out...it's complicated. The ending isn't clear cut or black and white. If you place yourself into this small town, much like the one I grew up in, you can really see the whole story is in the gray area. Obviously there are protagonists and antagonists but even though this story will scare you at times it also makes you think once you've reached the end.
February 22, 2014
I loved the character development and the sense of pure evil coming from the Red Church. There was just enough creepiness to satisfy the horror-fan in me, without the gore. I read the first two books in the series and must say I'm very impressed with this author's ability to kidnap your imagination and make you want more. The ending was a little bit of a let down...(only) because I wanted more, so much more. Mr. Nicholson has made it to my must read list.
August 2, 2014
I liked McFall as a fun read, entertaining, well enough done, but not o4*. It was a free Kindle First book -- a beach read. I noticed that the author has a few other books tied to the same story line. I think he's a good story teller that does a decent job developing the characters though I didn't find myself taken in by any of them which is my bell-weather for better fiction.
October 4, 2013
This book appears to be the third book in a series. Neither Amazon or Goodreads lists it as such. After 6ish chapters this became clear to me and I dropped it.
The writing wasn't bad or anything but I one star all books I start but do not finish.
The writing wasn't bad or anything but I one star all books I start but do not finish.
February 17, 2015
Almost there
So this is supposed to be a fantasy, ghosts and magic story but it seems to me it doesn't achieve any of that completely. The end is way too simple trying to sell a cliffhanger that isn't really necessary.
So this is supposed to be a fantasy, ghosts and magic story but it seems to me it doesn't achieve any of that completely. The end is way too simple trying to sell a cliffhanger that isn't really necessary.
March 27, 2016
The story was interesting but I could never really get into the characters. They were okay and had some interesting qualities but overall it just felt flat and I never felt very invested in anything that happened.
December 18, 2014
Review coming soon.
September 29, 2013
I enjoyed this. It is a continuance of The Red Church and Drummer Boy. It has characters from both books interacting. I have read the three episodes and can't wait for the rest. Good job!
November 24, 2013
This is a serial. The episodes came every couple of weeks. It definitely helped build up the suspense. I love this book. And he left it wide open for more story.
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