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The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff

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Popular high school senior, Daniel Townsend, is dead – victim of a suspicious car crash. As classmates Marc and Angela begin to investigate, a chance discovery pinpoints Daniel at a crumbling antebellum mansion – the old Jonas Barloff estate.

The house looks uninhabitable. Haunted. Evil.

While inspecting the Barloff family cemetery, Marc notices a towering grave marker with a perplexing inscription. What does the epitaph mean, and who is the old man claiming to be Jonas Barloff?

To solve the mystery, Marc and Angela must comb through a phantom infested antebellum mansion. Witness a sordid grave exhumation. Attend a wicked, hair-raising séance. And learn the true identity of Jonas Barloff.

Will any of these pieces of the puzzle help them lay the mystery of Daniel’s death to rest once and for all? Oh, no! Not hardly! Not until they come face-to-face with an evil no one could possibly imagine. Even if they live to tell the story, no one will believe them. Not in a million years.

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2013

2 people are currently reading
158 people want to read

About the author

Calvin Dean

5 books52 followers
Calvin Dean is the author of two best selling novels: “The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff” and "A Door Unlocked". "Curses", a humorous paranormal mystery, and "Geriatric Delinquents", a cozy southern parody are available on Amazon and other book sellers.

Calvin started working in the creative field at age 15. As a young radio disc jockey he wrote advertising for local retailers -- even won a state-wide award at age 18.

From there he worked for an in-house advertising agency for a large department store, hired by a former copywriter for the famed Macy's in New York.

Next came television promotions and production. Calvin's promotional campaign for the news department took the station's ratings from a poor #2 to #1.

Calvin spent much of his professional career in video production, and was fortunate enough to work with creative types who's resumes include ZZ Top, The Beatles Yellow Submarine animations, and sound engineering for Bob Dylan.

Today, Calvin enjoys spring breaks on the Redneck Riviera, summers on the baseball diamond, and winters sipping a frothy cappuccino. In fact, when Calvin isn't reading or writing, he's behind home plate umpiring USSSA, Perfect Game, or Dizzy Dean baseball. Calvin lives with his family in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee. Follow him on Twitter @jcalvindean, or like him on Facebook at Calvin Dean-Author.

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Rabid Readers Reviews.
546 reviews25 followers
May 31, 2013
It must be said that Deans knows how to set a mood. The creepy settings and spooky goings on are downright ominous and written with an air of urgency. Through the inevitable twists and turns of the story there is a weight of expectation and knowledge that something big is coming and will not disappoint. There is a Civil War history aspect that not only blends well but lends credence to the “anything can happen” feeling one has while reading through the novel.

When Dean killed Daniel off in the first few pages and made clear that Marc would be a main character, the placing seemed implausible. What we know from the first part of the novel is that Marc is annoying and a bit of a know-it-all (he tells an assembled group that he knew what shot Daniel would make is his game-winning basket because that’s his signature shot). Dean develops Marc into an interesting and fully-rounded character that balances well with his fellow sleuth Angela, Daniel’s girlfriend. Juxtaposing a male and female character was an extremely clever play on the part of Deans as it leads the novel to appeal to both girls and boys. I love, as a female, that Angela is a strong character who doesn’t act the wilting flower. When faced with the unknown she is strong and not unrealistically so.

John, Angela’s brother, is the adult investigator on the case on the behalf of the police and really for his sister. He is fully integrated and developed into the story in a way realistic for children and keeping the novel from “The Scooby Gang and the Haunted Mansion” for the adults. There is a respect inherent in the characters that connects them all. When Barloff collapses, Angela is by his side and treating him with concern and interest. Deans has a talent for writing in that he doesn’t bog the reader down with endless exposition but manages to develop both story and character with few words but huge impact.
Profile Image for Michele.
14 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2013
The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff is a novel written by Mississippi author Calvin Dean. It’s is an intriguing story centered around two classmates, Marc Livingston and Angela Chadwell, who investigate mysterious circumstances surrounding the fatal accident of their friend Daniel Townsend. The story features an interesting group of characters and contains an effective transition of modern and historical plot development. It is a tale set in present day, but with ties that span time back to the Battle of Gettysburg. As Marc and Angela explore the area surrounding the scene of Daniel’s accident, they discover an eerie antebellum home, an intriguing epitaph on a grave marker, and a man named Jonas Barloff. As they uncover new facts about each of these strange elements, they must piece together how they are linked to Daniel’s untimely death. This quick-paced adventure lures them into danger and answers to questions they were not anticipating.

The writing is well-paced, filled with intrigue and mystery. The reader becomes engrossed in solving this mystery along with the characters and provides an ending that will leave one turning the pages quickly. It’s an adventure story that, although it takes place in a contemporary setting, offers enough of a historical fiction component to provide an intensely curious and spooky element to the story. Mr. Dean effectively keeps the reader guessing and engaged throughout the book. The storyline and strange turn of events supply an outcome that will satisfy readers and leave them wanting more from this author.

The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff
Calvin Dean
Profile Image for Sheila.
481 reviews4 followers
October 22, 2013
Wow! I could not stop reading I kept turning page after page to find out what was going to happen. It was like an addiction to see Angela and Marc to the end of the story! I loved this book. It makes you realize good vs evil and be careful what you for and the deals you make! Well written and Well done. My teenage gkids enjoyed it as they could relate to Angela and Marc being High School Seniors. Thank You for a good read.
Profile Image for Calvin Dean.
Author 5 books52 followers
March 10, 2013
REVIEW BY DEAN TURNBOW: The story moves quickly. The author's use of elements intrigues and captivates the reader. Don't be fooled by the easy read, the depth of writing combines the spiritual and physical world. The author transports you between life and death up until the final words.

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18...
Profile Image for Joe Hempel.
303 reviews44 followers
May 9, 2013
This review can also be seen at topoftheheapreviews.com

The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff is the freshmen entry from Calvin Dean. It’s a horror story that settles nicely into the Young Adult genre, heavy on mood and creepy locals rather than gore.

Central to the story is the small town of Sycamore Grove, and its inhabitants. Everyone seems to know everyone, and they all take pride in each other. Daniel Townsend especially because he hit the winning shot at a state championship basketball game. With great success there always seems to come a great tragedy as shortly after they find out his father has inoperable lung cancer.

With this news, Daniel does everything he can to prevent his fathers’ death. This includes striking an unsavory deal. The likes of which won’t be revealed until later in the book. The cost? His life.



The book shines starting here. It has creepy cemeteries, abandon mansions, and a couple of Daniel’s friends investigating what really happened. Angela, Daniel’s girlfriend, and Marc, his best friend, dig deep into the history and legend of their little town, Sycamore Grove to uncover a disturbing pattern that has been happening for over 100 years.

It all comes to life through the great use of dialogue to push things forward. You get the feeling that while Marc and Angela are from two different walks of life, that there is some sort of romantic tension that may be there, but is never explored, leading the reader to their own devices on how it could have ended up. In my opinion, this was a very wise choice. The back and forth, tit for tat type of conversations are typical of any teenager and through this you see them grow closer and closer, but never go over the edge.

With any horror book you expect a certain amount of confusion, and even with a YA book that is no exception. You will be transported at times between the now, and to the Civil War, reliving certain things pertaining to Jonas Barloff, and trying to figure out what is going on, right along with Angela and Marc. That’s not to say it wasn’t done properly or that it was hard to read, it was done very well. He gives you just enough along the way to keep you interested and turning the pages.

Probably the best part of this book were the descriptions of the locations, and the mood he is able to set with his use of incredible imagery makes the pages meld into your eyes. Not many authors can really do this on a YA level and keep the creepy factor in-tact, job well done.



Bottom Line: I really can’t believe that this book is Calvin Dean’s first entry into fiction. It’s well written with almost zero typos or grammatical errors, it’s formatted well, the typeset used makes the reading easy on the eyes and the cover isn’t the worst I’ve seen. That all means something to the reader. When you couple the technical aspects with a story that is obviously thought out, has likeable characters, and an intriguing mystery combing the past and present, you have a recipe for success on a larger scale that what he’s seeing now. I don’t think that it will keep any adult up at night, but for his target audience, it’s about as close to perfect as you can come.
Profile Image for Kristi Cramer.
Author 18 books56 followers
June 13, 2013
The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff is a mystery that leads off letting the reader think they know what is going on, then ramps up to a climax that resolves the questions pursued by amateur sleuths Marc and Angela. The detail in the story is thorough and well researched and thought out. The reader is given a good sense of what life is like in small town Sycamore Grove, Mississippi.

I must say that I entered to win this book in a giveaway, and when I didn’t win, yet found the book on sale, I took it up out of curiosity. The premise was interesting to me, even though I don’t read a lot of (any) horror stories, and haven’t read any young adult for many years.

I didn’t find ‘The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff’ to be especially creepy, or horrific; I thought it was more of a mystery with a paranormal slant. I had most of the plot figured out very early on, with one exception—one surprise that saved the story from being totally predictable. In the interest of keeping the surprise, I will not share it here.

I was also surprised by the level of detail on Mr. Townsend’s cancer and treatment. It seemed very involved for a young adult book. I guess I was having a hard time trying to determine the target audience. I think for an audience of teenagers, this was a little more in depth than I would expect. I have heard that if you are targeting a 15 year old, you should write about 18 year olds.... (My grandmother died of cancer when I was 17, and I wasn’t interested/didn’t want to know the details, I just didn't want her to die.) But maybe today’s kids are more savvy about things like that?

All in all, I liked this book by the end. It was a slow start for me, but it did start picking up at around 30%, and I finished the last 20% in one day.
Profile Image for Nikki.
51 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2013
Daniel Townsend’s dad has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. He had received a full athletic scholarship for college and his parents could not be more proud. They give him a car, which in less then twenty-four hours he will be killed in. The car accident is mysterious and suspicious. Where is the other vehicle? What really happened to Daniel? Daniel’s best friend Marc and girlfriend Angela begin working to piece together what is really going on. “The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff” is Calvin Dean’s new young adult mystery/horror novel.

There is definitely something more going on in this small southern town then what meets the eye. Dean does a very respectable job keeping the reader guessing until the end. Some things you can see coming, but there are definite twists and turns that are complete surprises.

For a young adult novel Dean does an incredibly good job with character development. Marc and Angela are both unconditionally human, having personalities that encompass both flaws and virtues. They are easy to relate to and understandably shaken up by everything they find.

This novel has a definite mystery aspect, with a nice splash of horror and intrigue. For a young adult novel it is well written, delving deeper within the characters and storyline then usually seen with your average young adult novel. Dean also does a very nice job with descriptions of the environment and his character’s emotions.

If you’re looking for a great young adult novel full of mystery, suspense, and horror this novel is definitely worth your time.

I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Teri.
Author 8 books177 followers
May 24, 2013
Although one of my favorite genres, I haven't read a horror novel in quite a while, and I don't think I've ever read a YA horror, so I was very excited to receive this book. I wasn't disappointed.

Calvin Dean has a wonderful way with words. His descriptions of the abandoned house, the creepy graveyard, and the eerie surroundings made me feel like I was right there watching his characters. The imagery created was spectacular and the writing flowed so well I'd be caught up in it and then shocked at something I never saw coming. You gotta love that in a book.

The flashbacks to the Civil War added another dimension to this book and also helped to explain things happening in present day. By the time I got to the last thirty or so pages, I couldn't put it down and had to see how it ended, even though my husband was begging me to turn off the light.

The only suggestion I'd make is something that I've struggled with myself. Another author once told me to not get so caught up in 'telling' the story that you forget to 'show' it also.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery with some horror thrown in, definitely check this out.

I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shane O'Neill.
Author 9 books1,498 followers
August 19, 2016
This was a good old-fashioned horror story with a very unexpected twist at the beginning of the book, which set the scene for a dark and suspenseful story. I had this on my kindle for quite some time, but read it in two sittings once I began reading.

I hate to give spoilers of any description, so I won’t talk about the story itself. For me, this book had the same American small town atmosphere as most good Stephen King tomes. I loved the way Dean built the suspense and the story around the old Barloff house. It sounds a little like the old Barlowe house, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most were the segments of the book that took us back to the American Civil War, and the way it tied in with the story in the modern day. This was especially important in taking the story to its crescendo, and that didn’t disappoint. I don’t get through too many books in one day, but I did with this one. It was an excellent story that prompts me to think Calvin Dean should pen more of the same. I hope he does. Pick this one up. It is well worth the money.
Profile Image for Deborah.
359 reviews16 followers
May 28, 2013
This review is from: The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff (Kindle Edition)
I am so thrilled that not only did I get it For less the two dollars but I got a great creepy story.

Daniel is the leading sports champion at his local high school in Sycamore Grove. Although his dad has lung cancer and has numerous medical bills; Daniel's parent are able to give him a car for graduation.Daniel mysteriously dies in a car accident.

At the same two two graves are broken into and only the skulls are removed. Daniel's best friend Marc and Daniel's girlfriend Angela try to solve the mystery of Daniel's death only to stumble across the mystery of the skulls.

There's the old abandoned Mansion with the creepy cemetery and the mystery of what has truly happened. Great young Adult creepy story. I look forward to reading more by Calvin Dean.
Profile Image for Dana.
125 reviews8 followers
April 7, 2013
I would like to thank you for the signed copy of 'The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff'. It kept me reading for a solid 2 days! It was so good I had trouble putting it down. I loved the wit mingling with the suspense. The plot of the story is so well laid that you feel like you are walking through the research with the 2 leading characters, Marc and Angela. The thing that gets me and still has me reeling, is the story ends in a way that you'd never have expected. Overall this read is Amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed.

p.s. Mr. Dean in the signing you wrote "I hope you and your family stick together like the Townsend family in the story", Well, I positively hope NOT! I would hate to think I'd barter with the Devil even to save the life of a loved one! :)
Profile Image for Martha.
1 review2 followers
March 14, 2013
Just finished reading Mississippi Author Calvin Dean's "Epitaph of Jonas Barloff" and I must say it was a fun and slightly spooky journey. Set in a modern day small town in the south, this story of two high school friends who set out to figure out the mysterious circumstances surrounding the untimely accidental death of their friend has just enough historical flashbacks to create an interesting connection between today and generations past. The storyline is fast-paced, the characters well-developed and the descriptive language speaks to the reader in a true southern drawl. An old fashioned ghost story that only Southerners know how to tell. Read with all the lights on! Loved it!
Profile Image for Jenny527.
5 reviews
October 26, 2013
REALLY good! I enjoyed it so much. Couldn't stop reading it!
Profile Image for Richard.
172 reviews3 followers
October 15, 2014
Horror/Suspense.
A great read for October. Refreshingly not filled with sex and bad language, suitable for all readers.
434 reviews7 followers
November 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't drawn out and it had quite a surprising ending. I liked the way Angela and Marc worked together to solve the mystery.
526 reviews
December 25, 2013
Interesting read. I will read more from this author.
Profile Image for Enid.
534 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2013
Very good book. Keeps you guessing then throws you for a loop.
Profile Image for Kevin.
16 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2018
Supernatural fun

Not too complicated, but a very fun read. Calvin Dean, while not a "big name" like a Dean Koontz or Stephen King, never disappoints. His stories are enjoyable, and are laced quite nicely. The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff is no exception.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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