Sow and You Shall Reap

by B.P. Smythe

"How cruelty, sexual abuse and greed created this monster of a former care home Matron and the haunted hotel that hid her evil secret.
Just released from prison after their care home atrocities, former Matron, Elizabeth Waverly, and her accomplice, Norman Christie, team up and see an opportunity to inherit two million pounds. But first they have to kill the main beneficiary, Elizabeth Carragher, with Elizabeth Waverly taking on her identity. At the reading of the will they see their plans back fire when a second will is found and a long lost brother, Victor Carragher, turns up and claims it all.
Salvaging what they can, they plan to kidnap the brother’s young precocious daughter, Helen, for half the inheritance.
Before the kidnap can be arranged, Victor Carragher, a hotel manager, very quickly fulfils a life long ambition and moves to Majorca with his daughter, and new found wealth, to buy his own hotel. The killing couple follow him with Elizabeth Waverly still in disguise helping Victor run the hotel. But unbeknown to them the hotel he purchases is haunted.
What follows is a series of terrifying events including flashbacks of the main characters, the breakdown of their early family lives and how cruelty, abuse and greed, installed with a liberally wielded trouser belt, can manifest itself later like a cancer on their morals. "

Genres: Horror

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2011

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about this novel. B.P. Smythe knows how to tell an exciting story and proves more than willing to unleash the most horrible and disturbing events upon any and all of his characters. More than once I was compelled to look up from the pages of the book to wonder what could possibly happen next in the dark and forbidding world of the author's imagination. The buildup to the story's conclusion was especially gripping. One thing is for sure - if B.P. Smythe ever puts on or sponsors a magic show, I will not be there because I don't think my heart and mind could endure it - not after experiencing the perfect storm of macabre humor and gleefully dark mayhem that punctuates the performance near the end of this novel. Those pages alone make Sow and You Shall Reap worth reading, in my opinion, as they are jam packed with suspense and surprises. The whole book is a thrill ride through a land of pervasive evil where really bad things happen to almost everyone, from the most sadistic of criminals to the most innocent of all human beings. As pervasive as it is, though, the horror isn't as simple and direct as the cover image might lead you to believe.

After serving time for abusing the elderly that were under her care at Gossmoor Park Care Home, Elizabeth Waverly is determined to exact her revenge on the woman she blames for her arrest: Elizabeth Carragher, the cook at Gossmoor. Not only does she, with the help of Norman, her erstwhile partner in crime, murder Carragher and her mother, she then assumes Carragher's identity in order to collect the substantial inheritance coming her way. The plan goes awry, however, when a half-brother turns up out of nowhere and inherits everything himself. Ever the resourceful ones, Elizabeth and Norman make plans to kidnap Victor's young daughter and, by way of insurance, implicate Victor in the real Elizabeth Carragher's murder. Then Victor suddenly buys a restaurant and moves to Majorca - but he doesn't forget his "sister," offering her a job helping him run the place. Majorca will be no island paradise for anyone once Elizabeth arrives, as a string of disappearances and violent deaths will follow in her wake.

Smythe goes to great lengths to explore the backgrounds of a number of his characters - even a few who aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things. At times, I felt like this disrupted the flow of the story away from the main characters, particularly Elizabeth. As for Elizabeth's own hardships in the past, I must say that they may help explain why she is the way she is, but they do nothing to inspire compassion in the reader, as this woman is just plain evil. The horror doesn't begin and end with Elizabeth, either, as a couple of the most tragic circumstances play out wholly independent of her evil machinations. Smythe is more than capable of sucker punching the reader in the gut when he/she least suspects it - and he has even more surprises in store for the last few chapters.

There are a number of minor mistakes in these pages, but don't let that dissuade you from picking the book up, as you can quickly adapt to Smythe's writing style and lose yourself in what is truly an action-packed series of events. I do think the book should have ended one chapter sooner than it did, but I'm telling you that the buildup to this novel's conclusion offers up some of the most intense and absorbing story-telling I've come across in a long time.

[Red Lace Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are currently two women named Elizabeth working at Gossmoor Park Care home. Elizabeth Carragher is a normal enough individual, whereas Elizabeth Waverly has some serious issues. Being the care home matron, Waverly and her lover Norman Christie abuse their power over the elderly. While blaming it on the innocent cook, Carragher, Waverly and Christie finally get what they deserve- jail. But they certainly do not forget Elizabeth Carragher and the knowledge of her mother’s will when they are released. Planning to take all the inheritance for themselves by Waverly posing as Carragher, things don’t work out like they would have hoped. What will happen to this killing pair? Will they get the money after all, or will they have to resort to more evil deeds?

(I received this book as a complimentary reading copy from the author and I’m very glad I did. So, thank you again B.P. Smythe! Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)

A book like this has to be very special for me to enjoy it. I usually dislike the constant shifting between the many characters that have been introduced; however, the author of this book does it extremely well. Each character is interesting and the flashbacks of their past serves as entertaining material and not just boring filler scenes that divert from the main plot for no reason. We get to see the skeletons in their closets, which makes the reader connect more to them on some level.

Elizabeth and Norman were fantastic baddies, but Elizabeth was definitely the top evil bitch. Considering her childhood, it wasn’t surprising the way she turned out. She got what she wanted because she would do anything to get it. She was also a very smart cookie. If only I could say that about Norman.

The book was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Some shocked me and some made me quite disappointed. No character was safe, even the ones I favoured, but it just added to the excitement.

I would class this more as a thriller than a horror, as the haunted part took a while to kick in. Or perhaps a horror thriller? Nevertheless, it was quite creepy at times, yet it didn’t go over the top to the point of being silly. Sometimes subtlety is best.

The problem that knocked off that last star was the constant spelling and grammatical errors. It riddled this book and to me, being somewhat of a perfectionist, it was annoying. Where there was ‘to’, it should have been ‘too’. Where there was ‘there’, it should have been ‘they’re’. Also the question marks that were found at the end of sentences that weren’t actually questions at all. And yes, the blurb does give away almost the whole story, but if you look past all that, the book is definitely worth reading.

“All author royalties and profits from Sow and You Shall Reap will be donated to Cancer Research UK.” This is such an honourable and generous thing to do.

I wish B.P. Smythe the best of luck with his work.

© Red Lace 2011

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was sent to me by the author and when I opened the package I nearly fell of my chair in fright. The front cover is certainly something that does not depict the sort of book this is. I read the back of the book and to be perfectly frank, wondered why the synopsis gave away so much of the story. Not letting that put me off, I settled down and made a start. The first thing that struck me is the sheer evil of these characters. Barry has absolutely no problem translating this evil from pen to paper. Elizabeth Waverly is truly a despicable character. The first few chapters give us the evidence of their cruelty whilst at the care home although it doesn’t take long before we see their capture and prison term handed down.

Pretty soon the story changes pace and we move onto their next plan to swindle an inheritance from Victor Carragher. The story is set in the UK and then swiftly moves to the island of Majorca. The body count is particularly high and its no holds barred for the descriptive deaths of some of the characters. I found that as the story moved along we were give short glimpses into Elizabeth Waverly’s upbringing and this only added to the tension of the story. There are lots of characters involved in this plot, maybe at times one too many but Barry has managed to juggle this well, leaving the reader wondering where all these intricate plot threads will lead. Initially this was described to me as a horror, but to be honest it was more of a thriller with and element of horror to it. I am certainly not a horror reader, but thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Towards the end of the book, the horror element does pick up, but to be honest it was done in a good way and I could see where the story was going. I thought that the story was well done and it was overall a really enjoyable read. That said, I think the synopsis and front cover made it not quite a perfect debut. Overall, who can criticise a man who has published his own book, and is donating all the profits to Cancer Research? I would say that next time round Barry should definitely choose a different front cover as I am pretty sure the current one would put people off. Secondly, I would say that the synopsis should give readers the taster, but not the whole meal. I personally, will look forward to seeing where his next books take him as he certainly has a talent for writing. I think that this book was a brilliant debut and I look forward to the next one!

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

All is not well at Gossmoor Park Care Home. Too many residents are dying and Matron Elizabeth Waverly, along with her lover, Norman, who works as a nurse, have a brutal grip on the frail people in their care. Some of the other staff are growing increasingly concerned – but who will stand up to the menacing couple?
And that – or something similar – is what should be on the back cover. Instead, the two short paragraphs contain enough spoilers that give away a good third of the plot – so my first piece of advice is do NOT read the back. Fortunately, as I’ve read far too many blurting blurbs I skipped it till the end, but I have to say I think this example is one of the worst – which is a real shame. Because one of Smythe’s strengths as a writer is his ability to weave a convincing plot with plenty of pace – along with some twists I didn’t see coming, but are posted all too clearly on the back of the book.
Smythe’s evil protagonists are a product of their own miserable, abusive childhoods and he manages to make us aware of their vulnerabilities, so that although we may not like them we do understand what drives them. The uncertain start rapidly picks up pace and confidence as we learn about Norman’s childhood. While this is definitely a horror tale with a steadily growing body count, there are flashes of humour that at times approach farce, particularly near the end of the book during the Halloween celebrations. Smythe is an entertaining writer with an inbuilt sense of when to pick up the pace and when he needs to slow it down. In a book where events – along with the body count - start accelerating, it would have been all too easy to lose control of the plotline and characters. But Smythe kept firm control of his wicked protagonists, which had me turning the pages wondering what could possibly happen next.
That said, I would recommend that Smythe gets a good editor for his next book. There are some places where the writing is a bit uneven and there are too many typos – complement instead of compliment, for instance, and a scattering of oddly placed question marks. On the plus side, the book is well produced to a high quality and as I’ve mentioned, the cover is outstanding.
But, once a train of events is unleashed in this genre and starts gathering momentum, the biggie has to be – does the ending pack a sufficient punch to make the investment of time and effort in reading the book worth it? Apart from being rather too squeamish, this is one of the reasons why this isn’t my favourite genre – too many times all the tension and fear fizzles out… Or turns into something so preposterously grotesque, there is no sense of horror left. To be genuinely chilling, there has to be a sense of everyday as the action descends into ever greater chaos – something that Smythe has understood. The ending was completely satisfying, while leaving the reader slightly off balance. This interesting debut novel definitely marks Smythe as one to watch.
7/10

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was received as a free Advanced Reader's Copy*

I actually don't read thrillers and murder mysteries too much. But when approached about this book I thought I'd give it a try. There certainly was a lot of excitement in this book, and plenty of intrigue to keep things interesting.

Elizabeth Waverly has been in prison before, mainly for abusing those under her care at a nursing home. She and her partner Norman Christie have bigger fish to fry now, however. A person who was responsible for sending them to prison, and who shares the same first name with Elizabeth is first in line for a very generous will should her mother die. Elizabeth and Norman help this along, and take care of the other Elizabeth for good measure and then Elizabeth Waverly assumes her identity. But before they can make out with the money, a new will is found and a brother enters the picture. He buys some property in Majorca and makes Elizabeth and Norman's plans much more difficult. Many more people will die and strange happenings start as a result and it is only a little more time before things just aren't what they seem.

Elizabeth and Norman are decidedly deliciously evil bad guys. Especially Elizabeth, the trauma of her past mixed with the ruthlessness of her future ensure that she is a force to be reckoned with. Norman too is a pitiable yet hate-able character. The other characters, Victor, Helen, and the rest have some important roles, yet I felt that I would have liked to have more information about them. There are a couple of scenes that describe Victor further which was helpful, but not so much background on Helen except through her father. I did like some of the side characters and their different stories. Here the author gave some background on their personalities through use of flashbacks and it helped explain their actions in the future.

For a plot this one definitely had a lot of murder and intrigue. In fact, I wondered what lurked around the corner at every page because I was never quite sure what was going to happen. A complaint I would have though is that towards the end it seemed rushed and actually kind of confusing. I had to reread the last three chapters a couple times before I finally understood what happened even though I couldn't quite understand how it happened (my imagination filled in that for me). I liked the touch of supernatural the book had as well, but it almost seemed an afterthought and I would have liked to see it incorporated sooner into the novel. Still, it was spooky and I liked the author's descriptions on some of the horrors that were beginning to move around. The writing itself was very direct and easy to read; I can see people of all types enjoying the tone of the novel.

Not a bad book, while there were a few flaws I largely enjoyed it. Definitely worthy of 3 1/2 stars to even 4. If you like thrilling tales of murder and the supernatural, this might be right up your alley.

Sow and You Shall Reap
Copyright 2011
347 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com .

[Nina (Death, Books, and Tea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

this the a story of Elizabeth Waverly and Norman. They’ve been released from prison after killing residents at a care home. And they see a way of inheriting two million pounds. To do this, they kill Elizabeth Carragher and Elizabeth W (hereafter known as Liz W) takes Carragher’s place. Liz W turns up at the will reading, and finds a long lost brother, Victor Carragher, has inherited all the stuff. determined to inherit everything, Liz W and Norman hatch a plan that will take them to Majorca, hauntings and a lot of twists and turns.
The blurb I’ve given you is blocked out (N/A if you’re reading this on goodreads or Amazon---If on the blog, you can highlight the block to read the full thing) for a good reason. The blurb off goodreads gives away so much.
I wasn’t really a fan of the start. It dragged on a fair bit and the fact there were two Elizabeths was really confusing. However, once it got started, it really did get going properly.
Liz W and Norman, while I never really liked them, I understood their motives and characters perfectly. As more people are killed off, the pace really gets going, but I never lost control of where I was in terms of who was alive and who was dead. The little minor characters got a lot of backstory, a nice touch.
I definitely recognised the Stephen King references. Somebody’s mother in particular was essentially Margaret White, I think the name was (Carrie’s mother) and I’m sure there were many more.
The ending was great. it’s a Halloween party and an illusion involving a guillotine and I just kept wanting to read on and on by then.
The plot twists were really good, unexpected and really good fun. The ending was generally satisfying and I can’t wait for Smythe’s next novel-a more indepth look at Liz W’s history.
Overall: Strength 3 tea to a good book that, once it’s pulled you in after 50 pages or so, keeps you there.

[Ann Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows in the Stephen King tradition of characters living ordinary lives unaware of evil in their midst. The evil in ‘Sow and You Shall Reap’ takes the form of one-eyed Elizabeth Waverly, a care home matron, and her side-kick, the scarred (both emotionally and physically) Norman Christie. At the beginning of the book they are busy abusing the vulnerable elderly people in their care. Suspicious of their antics is the cook, Elizabeth Carragher, and she helps to ensure the wrong-doers are sent to prison. It is when the evil pair are released that their evil plan takes shape. Motivated by greed and the wish for revenge on the cook and her family, there are a series of fast-paced events that kept me enthralled.
Elizabeth Waverly is evil to the core and soon begins disposing of anyone who gets in her way. There is also a supernatural element that adds to the horror in the book. Having said that, I didn’t see this as a ‘horror’ story; it is firstly a thriller full of action which includes murder, gory accounts of unexpected deaths, strange noises in a bathroom, the power and destruction of fires, the use of a guillotine and the antics of the wonderful Majorca Presa Canario dogs.
Barry Smythe has done an excellent job in producing well-formed characters who can either earn our loathing or sympathy through their actions but, also through learning about their earlier experiences, we can understand what makes them tick. Even though we can understand, there is no way we would ever forgive Elizabeth Waverly as she is a calculating killer.
I was really entertained by this story. There is suspense, surprises, and shocking moments but there is also a lot of humour that made me laugh and a sense that the reader is close to the action. Just don’t expect all the characters to come out of meeting Elizabeth Waverly unscathed.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

One-eyed Liz, who takes out the glass one to apply mascara and Nasty Norman, a burns victim are two of the most unsavoury villains to appear in fiction for a very long time though the author of “Reap what you sow”, Barry Smythe does beg for some understanding by painting the origins of this villainy in the upbringings of the pair skilfully grafted into flashbacks as the dreadful duo progress from one awful murder or dodgy deed to another.



Moving from cruelties perpetrated at a nursing for the elderly (Mr Smythe’s original inspiration for the novel) to the haunted Hanukkah Hotel in Majorca the journey of our evil pair is so full of incident they could have filled several books.

Alluding to a couple of Stephen King’s novels notably Carrie and The Shining Barry Smythe has however made this book entirely his own ~ he credits these influences in his introduction.



There are so many wonderful sections especially in the latter part of the book with a Halloween party and a sadistic illusionist will have any reader on the edge of their seat.



The message however is simple as intended in the book’s title that no sin will go unpunished ~ or will it? The book will keep you guessing, literally, up to the very last sentence.



A great reading experience with more twists and turns than Hampton Court Maze, it is virtually uncategorisable as there is just so much story going on, just when you think “Oh it’s that kind of novel” it leaps at you with a whole new bunch of surprises. For a first book this is an amazing achievement and it looks as if we may find out more about One-eyed Liz’s early days in a follow up book….. can’t wait

[Lindis Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well written, beautifully descriptive, teasing all of your senses with many complex characters. Two, I loved to hate. But, I did feel bad for them, only for a couple minutes when I read about their past and learned why they ended up as evil as they did. Then there are so many colorful characters that, for the most part, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their lives were being completely wrecked as they got tangled up in the sick life of Elizabeth. My heart ached for the victims of the story. I found myself rooting for them to realize what Elizabeth really was, and for their survival! I experienced so many emotions while reading this book, from pity to hate, excitement and shock, and even a little bit of fear. I even shocked myself by shouting "WTF?!" and saying, "Whoa, that was cool." I especially enjoyed the last few chapters of the book. The tension started when Lynn, a guest at a haunted hotel starts experiencing horrible “visions.” From then on, the story kept me guessing and surprised me. And the last chapter left you wondering (in a good way) what really happened. This is a good read for anyone who likes a little scare and wonder, where every time you turned a corner, something that you didn't think was possible, happens. Thank you Mr. Smythe for giving me the opportunity to read your story, I completely enjoyed it!

[Sherri Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent this novel by the author to read and review. An honor I never take lightly, and am proud to do for any author.
With that said, I believe this is a good break-out novel.
Nothing spectacular, though. As scary as the cover is, I really wanted to be dazzled by the horror elements the premise promised.
The characters are a bit contrived, and their past histories (often told in flashbacks) do get a bit weary, after a time.
Yes, the story is about two people who have been previously abused as children, and their own torrid spiral into committing abuse and crime as adults. However, it didn't need to be re-hashed so much.
I would've liked this novel more if it had given us the background once and moved on to tell the story in a more progressive linear way.
The haunted hotel is what pulled me toward wanting to read this novel, but unfortunately it wasn't the main star.
As a side note, I applaud Mr. Smythe for giving the proceeds of his novel to Cancer Research in the UK.

[wally · Rating 2 out of 5]

this will be the 1st smythe for me, kindle, and no, that's not a linebacker for the bears...a skull...looks to be bound.

starts off:

'now open your mouth, you stupid old cow, or i'll ram it down your throat.' norman was pissed off. he'd had a bellyful this afternoon as two earlier residents had annoyed him and now he had to deal with this old hag. elderly care home resident, edith cravitch, shook her head from side to side. she wasn't going to play ball.

sets the mood right off, hey? onward and upward...let's see what happens to edith, and if norman...

Characters

Norman Christie, the only male care assistant, 40
Edith Cravitch, elderly patient
Brenda, member of the care staff
Elizabeth Waverly, matron,38,friends say she looked like Pam Shriver
Elizabeth Carragher, head cook, 35
Joyce, member of the staff,45
Doris Cicely Carragher, Carragher’s mother in sanatorium in Braintree,70, 82
Lynn Whatts & Margaret, best friends of E. Carragher’s
Ethel Brunswick, patient who dies
Tom Christie, Norman’s father, who raised him in Rainham, Essex
Rupert, Norman’s friend, a rubber snake, (as a child)
Tom’s sister, Maureen
Doreen, lady Tom meets, marries
Mrs. Crackston, mid-70s
Two policewomen
Winifred Mannsfield, Ethel Brunswick, Edith Cravitch
Vera, Waverly’s dead mother
Nigerian day shift carer at sanatorium in Braintree
Reginald Carragher, Doris’s husband who ran off
Victor Donald Carragher, Elizabeth Carragher’s brother,Victor is a dead ringer for Dean Martin, or Victor Mature
Francis Morton, solicitor, Morton & Wilding
Helen, Victor’s 11-yr-old daughter, born at 145 am, Halloween, 31 Oct…
Nurses named her Helenween
Jenny, Victor’s partner, mother of Helen, not married
Dr. Farrington, a psychiatrist that Victor visited
Eric, hotel reception manager where Victor works
Jenny’s parents
Taxi drivers, a barman (bartender), receptionists, nurses
Mr. Morton, reads will
Mr. Humphries…Morton’s next customer
Justice Anthony Farquarson QC
Mrs. Ramirez, a housekeeper
Jonathan Throp, Elizabeth's solicitor
Lionel Cravich, son of Edith
Dr. Thomas Soames, Chairman for the Care Home Brd of Trustees
Reporters:
Michael Bloom
John Symes
Inspector Trevino
Two medics, one, Tony by name
Reuben Segura, Victor purchases a villa from him
Eduardo
Bianca, classmate of Helen's
Rabbi Samuel Friberg
Mayor of Calla Ratjada
an overweight lady wearing a skull cap, a large black man wearing a chef's hat, a local newspaper reporter, a photographer
Sarah, Rachel sisters to Reuben, and his mother
"Alfonso"...a name Norman uses
Albert Mendoza, a gardener Reuben employs
Leonard Carpenter, a boy Elizabeth knew
Ralph, Elizabeth's step-father (Vera's 1st husband, Arthur died in factory accident)
Frieda Kaufmann
Lee, Lynn's son
Gerald, Frieda's new flame
Sergeant Valenti, works w/Trevino
Major Aubrey Lawson, (D.S.M.), Honorary Secretary of the Surrey Kingswood Racquets Club
Madam Guillotine
Gonzo, stage magician





Places
Gossmoor Park Care Home, in Essex, just outside Basildon
Stayton Farm Sanatorium in Braintree
Dino’s café….where Norman and Elizabeth meet
Brentwood General, hospital where Helen was born
Ridgemount in Bayswater, hotel where Victor directs
Grosvenor House, Park Lane, where awards were given
The Cabin Boy, a pub off Brentwood High Street
Finsbury Park, a ground floor flat
Cala Ratjada, east side of Mjorca
Earls Court, Elizabeth & Norman rent a flat here
Victor's 4-br villa in Font de Sa Cala
Kent
Hotel Hanukkah, or as the Spanish tabloids call it, The Hell-Hanukkah
hospital de Manacor, Majorca

Time
Story opens in 1988
Flashback to @1958 and earlier, Norman’s youth (at 7% mark)
1999/2000, after release from prison (by the 16% mark)
1966, flashback of Elizabeth's, when she was 16
2001/Majorca


British…?
crunched out the roll up behind his back.
…thumb on the button the shutter clunked its way up…
…car boot…
…only weighed six stone…
…looking daggers…
…she took a charring job…
…wanted sixpence an hour over the standard rate….
…dipped her ginger nuts…
…had done a runner…
…old fashioned looking ‘Jack-the-lad’ spiv type…
…trying to sell a banger…
…everybody else could go and hang themselves…
…one room bedsit…
…grassing him up…having a fag.
…parade…(as in public square? Or row of shops?)
…the staff did lay on socials…
…don’t want to look a right berk….
…drop in for nibbles…
…valet/valeted…(to clean a vehicle)
…miss clever clogs…
…prat…(derogatory term)
...the noise of clubbers...
...windscreen...
...topped up...
...had a few bob...
...caravan(s)...meaning some sort of trailer, rv


Cats & Dogs
Pickles, black cat
Bootsie, one of 7 cats lost in 5 years at Gossmoor
Winnie, Mrs. Crackston’s yappy cocker spaniel
Tufty, resident cat at Gossmoor
Tabitha, hotel cat
Barney, neighbor cat of Victor’s
Peppy, Bianca's new puppy
Zita, Helen's new puppy, a Spanish terrier

Yeow! Metaphor! Simile!
…eating with their mouths open, their food, like clothes, revolving inside a washing machine.
…a bit like examining Norman’s scruples; you could read a newspaper through them!

Estate worth 2,827,000 pounds

update: i'm at the 52% mark, kindle, as i said. good story...there has been a time or three when i had to draw back and read again, as in, what happened? the 1st was w/rupert, the rubber snake...the snake explanation coming later...

and perhaps the scene at the passover festival...when the gasoline is used...the reaction came, but perhaps it would have been an improvement to have included a line or two of reaction as norman was burning....as that description went on for a time....and i was waiting for crowd reaction...and for it not to be displayed, simultaneously, as he was suffering...seemed a bit off....cold....though it did come after the fact...

what is it w/everyone killed animals?

update: finished, thursday morn...911 am...912...est.
all-in-all a good story...though to be perfectly honest, i considered setting it aside--this before the 50%-mark. why? i think it had to to w/what another reviewer said--and he said that he loved to hate a couple characters. perhaps there was not enough "good" to offset all the evil, all the bad, all the wrong.

the narrative moves along, the story is presented from the viewpoint of any number of the characters above and it was interesting toward the end of the story to come upon entirely new characters...as in, what's this?....attention-grabbing.

many characters drop the f-bomb...and in many cases, sure, that character would not say anything but that at that point. however, when the young girl uses the word it turned me off....later...or around the same time, when the maid, whose native language is not english, uses the word the effect is comedic...perhaps how she used it?

there were a few moments of...say like my 'willing suspension of disbelief' took a bump on the nose...i was thrown off my feed...times when elizabeth goes batty...yet, i could accept those. one, at least, harder to bypass, was the struggle of lynn/elizabeth...i would have thought lynn would not have set still to have the weight pressing on her, would have rolled away, something, rather to lie there ineffectively grappling w/the other....

around that same time...a character "whines"...or makes some sort of noise indicating fear. but it isn't placed in dialogue-marks...i enjoy how stephen king uses at times, italicized words, words that are not words, like eee! or some variation thereof...

there was one moment of action when a character, evil, takes the time to explain to a victim exactly why and how something is going to happen. mystery/thriller writers must learn that this--how to convey an event and the reason for it (i suspect jonathan kellerman created a character, a foil, for that purpose)...--so in this case it was another time when the flow was interrupted.

smythe certainly nailed the gross-out....heh! there's several instances where what is described is likely to curdle your milk.

the british words are interesting...think of it. say like someone writing in russian, romanian, whatever, the translation arrives at english words, but since this is english, w/the variations and whatnot...i dunno...interesting reading most of them...a few interrupt the flow of the story.

anyway, good read....

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reviewing “and then there were none” I realised that this was the only one that I hadn’t read so I quickly published it. I enjoyed the story but was surprised that it included some of short stories included in the more recent books.
Therefore my question is which idea came first the short stories? Or the full novel ? And how many stories are included?

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, when I first started reading this book, I kind of had a false start. I began reading something else and forgot that I intended to read this for a while (sorry about that).

I did find this book a little difficult to get into, partly because so many of the characters had very few redeeming qualities. I developed a strong dislike for Norman and Elizabeth (the matron) and unfortunately, even finding out what happened in their past couldn't make me think anything other than, 'That's awful... but I still really dislike them'. I think it might have worked better to have the stories of their past at the beginning, which might have made them come across as a little more sympathetic. I don't often read books with no good characters in.

Having said that, I did find the book extremely well-written. It held my interest enough that, on the second attempt at reading it, I got through it fairly quickly. It especially began picking up about halfway through, with Lynn and Margaret. I liked them both as characters and their banter was enjoyable to read.

One thing that did lower the amount of stars I gave this book was how things were wrapped up. In books, films, tv series, etc. I like neat endings where everything makes sense and is explained. Most of it was explained, but the ending was more than a little confusing and I'm not sure if the impression I got from it was correct or not.

Still, I definitely wouldn't say I wasted my time with this book and I'm very glad that I gave it a chance.