A story of first love that catapults to a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Hannah Priestly is an obsessive-compulsive California girl attending an English boarding school with the usual teen problems. She doesn't fit in at school and is falling in love with her best friend. But when she wakes up knowing the name of a notorious serial killer at large, Norman Biggs, her life goes from complicated to scary, and her visions only grow darker. Rory Veer is Hannah's easy-going, romantically challenged friend, and school crush. When Norman Biggs unexpectedly appears in Rory's reality, terror is set in motion. It is Rory who must acknowledge a past he has denied if the mystery is to be unraveled. Thrust into a terrifying future, they must find a way to change fate before it catches up with them.
R.J. Garcia is a wife, proud mom, and writer. Her first two novels, Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced and Call of Death, were Amazon and Kobo best sellers. She writes dark and twisty tales with heart. If you would like to learn more about R.J.'s novels, go to: https://www.facebook.com/writerr.j.ga...
This is the second book I’ve read by Garcia and it was wonderfully written with mystery and romance and both were done amazing well! It also has a character driven plot and you’ll definitely fall in love with these characters! Even after finishing it, I just keep thinking about the story!
What a fabulous fantasy/mystery! R.J. Garcia’s THE CALL OF DEATH tells fourteen-year-old Hannah’s story as she struggles to unravel dark visions, as her future nightmares become a reality and the boy she has a crush on becomes the pivotal point in solving a crime that has not been committed yet.
The ultimate California teen, Hannah finds herself currently enrolled in an English boarding school where those she meets can be best friend material or outright evil as she unravels time itself to stop an infamous serial killer.
Great characters, a young romance with growing pains and an incredibly clever plot that has more twists than a corkscrew, a brilliant rollercoaster ride filled with danger, and imagination.
I received a complimentary copy from R.J. Garcia! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher: The Parliament House; PublishDrive edition (November 5, 2019) Publication Date: November 5, 2019 Genre: YA Paranormal Suspense Print Length: 268 pages Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Visions, dreams of future events, four good friends, romance, suspense and twist/turns of a thriller. What a ride!!!
Garcia’s writing is incredible!! You are grabbed right from the first page and taken for a thrill of a rollercoaster ride!! The characters are endearing, frustrating and some are plain evil. Hannah and Rory start off as best friends and crushing on each other. As the story progresses they grow up and begin to realize their feelings are becoming more than a crush. I loved watching their relationship blossom. But also the group of four friends become more like family to each other. So much happens, but they stick together and look out for each other. The paranormal/suspense/thriller aspect of it has you on the edge of your seat at times, turning the pages to find out what is going to happen!!
Don’t miss this thrilling, suspenseful, paranormal, coming of age story!! It is a wonderful genre bender!!
Imagine waking up in a hospital room in the future, knowing the name of a serial killer who has killed those close to you. Then waking up to find that your dreams might help you change the fate of you, your friends and the killer.
Sounds wickedly scary.
This is the basis of The Call of Death. Hannah is a rich American going to school in England. She’s had trouble fitting in, but has gained a few good friends. As the dreams become more and more vivid, Hannah and her friends must face a nightmare killer that seems to escape any trap.
I enjoyed the suspense and danger throughout the story. The story flies off the pages but you need to know one thing before beginning this crazy-ass story. Make sure you turn on all the lights in your home. And lock the door.
Garcia's writing is beautiful! It dragged me in on page one and kept me reading until the end. The plot is expertly written and the characters jump off the page. If you're looking for a book full of suspense with romance, this is it!
I was fortunate to be able to read an early copy of this! As with R.J. Garcia’s previous story Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced, this was a well plotted story with unique young characters who take it upon themselves to change their futures. The weaving of plot lines was fantastic!
Hannah’s home is in California but she attends school in England because her celebrity mom thinks it’s the best idea for her. She just wants to get through school like anyone else, while being an outsider far from home, dealing with crushes and friends and typical teenage life. Except she has an unexpected complication no one else seems to have: visions. But not pleasant visions, more like dark, foreboding scenes that propel her to investigate a shady character named Norman.
Spread out over changing seasons and school breaks, Hannah’s visions won’t leave her alone. She must convince her best friends that what she sees is true, so they can stop a murderer and save others, and themselves, from becoming victims before it’s too late.
The mystery of it pulls you along, with Garcia’s vivid descriptions painting each scene. The nail-biting climax and the conclusion are believable and satisfying. Recommended for readers who love murder mysteries and teenagers escaping death!
This book was a great thriller and definitely an interesting plot! I liked how it was young adult kids experiencing hard things. When Hannah starts having visions of things that then come true, her and her 3 guy friends are on a journey to hunt down a killer. I liked the fast pace of this book and how it was pretty easy to connect with the characters. I got slightly confused in the beginning but was able to figure out that she was having these dreams of things that would happen. A fun read for Halloween and spooky season ☺️ I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Hazel’s Book Tours in exchange for a read and review. All opinions are my own.
I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to The Parliament House and R. J. Garcia for giving me access.
Visions, young love, the four Musketeer’s of sorts, a haunting mystery. Oh my!
WOW! This was a rollercoaster of a story! The Call of Death constantly had me sitting on the edge of my seat! You are immediately pulled in, just to find out that this isn’t the story. WHAT?!
While the ending was perfect, I was left wanting more. More of Garcia’s writing. More of Hannah’s story. Just, more. —Please give us MORE!
This is a perfect read for those that are a fan on Leigh Bardugo’s, Ninth House and are in need a paranormal hangover cure….or want another read to have a paranormal hangover on.
THE CALL OF DEATH is paranormal mystery at its finest. We follow Hanna’s journey in the present and other discontinuous timelines–near future, distant, and far. A thing I loved, because all these disparate dreams or premonitions or whatever they are, tie together to build an extremely creepy reality, a reality Hanna knows will happen. Meaning, Hanna must convince her friends help her figure out a way to stop the psychopath at hand.
The writing shines, characterization is extremely strong, and the plot will make you guess all the time.
The Call of Death was paranormal YA, part horror, part romance and suspense. It revolved around Hanna and her psychic ability. The book was about friendship, romance, doing right thing, using gift to help others, bravery, and good vs evil.
Writing was gripping, thrilling and captivating. Characters and events were well described. It was first person narrative from Hanna and Rory’s perspective.
Book started with Hanna’s nightmare from future where she found herself in hospital, brutally injured with name of attacker, Norman Biggs- a serial killer who was following her since she was fourteen studying in London. Normally we ignore this kind of dream saying it is just aftereffect of horror movie or novel but what if it turns out true? With Hanna it came true! She and her friends tried to change the future and other innocent people… and so their horrifying journey started along with confusing feelings of love and friendship.
Hanna was 14-yrs-old American, studying in London. She was smart, brave and caring. Her reaction to her dreams and feelings were realistic. She wasn’t afraid of being labelled crazy or losing friends because of her visions. She trusted her friends and even told her mother and brother about it. She tried to fit in but at the same time she mostly didn’t care what people were thinking about her. I liked how she developed as the horrors of her vision came to reality. She was real hero of the story.
Hanna’s gift was quiet interesting. It created suspense, made me think from the very beginning, how they were going to change future or stop Norman. As they changed the course of future her dreams changed that added more uncertainty. They were terrifying. At first she was clueless how she could help, tried to take police’s help but it didn’t work. When Rory somehow came in center of the horror, she did all she could to save her only love.
In 3 years Hanna had 3 male best friends- Rory, Christian, and Paul. They were that school gang that you always see together, help each other in all situation. They even gave Hanna’s nightmare benefit of doubt and saw truth in it eventually. Their friendship was brilliant throughout the book. Paul and Christian both liked Hanna. But once they knew she liked Rory, they respected it. They supported them and helped them all the time.
Rory was in love with Hanna for long time but he worried Hanna wouldn’t reciprocate his love and moreover he didn’t know how to be boyfriend that messed his relationship with Hanna and hurt her more than once. I agree with Hanna, he was smart and genius but when it came to relationship he was stupid. He didn’t fully believe Hanna’s visions until he came face to face with it. I liked how Hanna brought him to his senses both with their relationship and his life after tragedy. He wasn’t the hero you would expect in romance but he was brave.
Hanna and Rory’s relationship was slow and to be honest bit frustrating in the beginning. Hanna was clear with her feelings but Rory was confused and he didn’t know how to be boyfriend or take first step. If I was Hanna I would have moved on. That on and off thing in relationship are quiet tiring but I guess young love are like that. I’m sure I was like that. I enjoyed how all of their mixed feeling caused confusion and added bit drama that gave otherwise dark story a light touch.
Both friendship and romance was important part of this psychic mystery. There was other school dramas and underlying it all, abusive relationship and childhood. How some monsters create evil and foster it. It made me think why some will live in abusive relationship and even produce babies with those monsters called husband.
Climax was both tense and thrilling. I’m glad at least one of two people acted calmly and took right decision at right time. They all showed tremendous bravery even though none of them were fighter. I liked how it ended and how this horrifying events developed them into strong and brave characters.
Overall, it was interesting, thrilling and wonderfully written paranormal YA romance. I recommend it to fans of this genre.
*** Note: I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. ***
This is my second book by Garcia and I was not disappointed. Echoes of the supernatural holds the hand of mystery and suspense well in this read. Together they trot down the plot line weaving a story of young love, premonition and murder.
Hannah, Rory, Paul and Christian are the prevalent characters in the book though Hannah and Rory share the main character title. When Hannah is shipped off to a boarding school she becomes close friends with this crew. As young love blossoms between her and Rory so do her increasing nightmares of a local serial killer on the loose. Whatever has opened the veil to make her susceptible to these premonitions and ghostly encounters takes her and her friends on a journey to stop the killer and save each other from their own disturbing futures.
I'm still amazed how well I can connect with younger MCs in novels. In this novel I could tell these were younger teens by the banter and middle school antics and it reminded me of the gang from Stephen King's IT. Though I wasn't able to get into the growing romance between Rory and Hannah I did find myself chuckling at some of their misguided actions with each other. Young love is too cute.
There is a slow start to the real action and a good bit of buildup that introduces you to the characters but the plot and climatic atmosphere do pick up. For me there was almost too much buildup but it laid good groundwork for character development. I personally would've enjoyed less of the romantic side of the characters and more of a look into her gift or even a look into the killer's POV. That's strictly reader preference though.
Overall, a supernatural coming of age where one girl has to come to grips with her awakening psychic gift and save her friends and town from a sadistic killer.
Thank you to the author for providing this novel in exchange for an honest an unbiased review.
This novel blends teenage drama, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. The story revolves around Hannah Priestly, a 14 year old California who finds herself far from home, enrolled in an English boarding school.
Hannah is the typical teenager; she’s experiencing the challenge of fitting in and her blossoming romantic feelings for her best friend. But everything takes a sinister turn when Hannah wakes up with a revelation: she knows the name of a notorious serial killer. This revelation transforms her life into something terrifying, as her visions become more dark and haunting.
I loved the exploration of fate and the power of choice to prevent her nightmares from becoming a reality.
The pacing of the story is great and the writing style is engaging and easy to follow.
I had the privilege of receiving a complimentary copy from R.J. Garcia, and I can honestly say that this book is a must-read. This review is entirely voluntary, and I absolutely recommend 'Call of Death' to anyone who enjoys a well crafted story filled with mystery and fantasy.
I really enjoyed the combination of well-crafted characters and creepy circumstances in this book. My favorite was Rory, the often underrepresented non-heartthrob love interest. Both he and Hannah had a lot of depth, and it was nice to watch them evolve as people throughout the book. The side characters tugged at my heart as well. Love you, Paul! This book sucked me in and kept me glued to see what would happen next. It opens with a bang, and I kept reading to see how the mystery would unfold. A fun combination of action, intense creepiness, lighter moments, and awkward teenagers.
Hannah, Rory, Christian and Paul, are four best friends attending Allston, a boarding school in England.
Hannah, the heroine of the story and her friends, is no ordinary fourteen-year-old. An American girl, she is sent to the school by her actress mother, where she becomes haunted by horrific dreams and visions that take her on an unwelcome journey into the life of a renowned serial killer called, The Creeper. Through her dreams, she becomes aware of his true identity, bringing the foursome even closer to the dangerous killer.
I really loved this book! The four main characters, who at first seem like your every day, average teenagers dealing with typical teenage problems—crushes, jealousies, parental interference and the anxieties involved with falling in love for the first time, are soon thrust into a situation that is anything but normal! Along with Hannah, they are swept into what becomes a paranormal suspense thriller guaranteed to keep the reader on edge with every new flip of the page.
As Hannah’s nightmares unfold, we learn that one of The Creeper’s intended victims is Rory, unless the four friends can work together to unravel the mystery and save one another from the terror of becoming the next victims.
Garcia is an exceptional and masterful storyteller, as I found to be true in her first novel, Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced. Her vast knowledge of teenagers, along with an uncanny aptitude for weaving smaller plots inside the main plot, give her characters a true sense of realism and her books the perplexity needed to please the reader.
This is a wonderful coming of age novel, peppered with mystery, suspense and an ending I truthfully never saw coming. BRAVO! I can happily recommend R. J. Garcia’s The Call of Death to readers of all ages, so what are you waiting for? Pick up a copy today.
I loved this book! R.J. Garcia brings us another incredible, intense read. This paranormal thriller has you hooked from the first chapter to its intense finale. Hannah's dark gift sets her and her friends on a path so terrifying they may not make it out alive.
Its Switches between Hannahs POV and her friends Rory's POV. It gives you a insight into both sides of the outcome of Hannahs gift. As the story ramps up there are twists and turns that they must overcome. Every choice they make alters their future for good and bad.
Plan to sleep with your light on, as you may fear your own dreams after reading this. Fans of butterfly effect, ghost whisperer, & Down a dark hall will love this novel.
An e-copy of the book has been provided by the author, R.J. Garcia, in exchange for an honest review.
What would you have done if bestowed upon you is the dream to see a glimpse of the future? A fascinating faculty to use for the betterment of the world, or a curse to haunt your conscience?
For Hannah Priestly, it was both. Her rather peculiar ability stroke her conscience. Although young, naive, and powerless, Hannah decided to act upon these dreams to save people from a frightening serial killer.
The only issue that I remember finding in this book are: (1) the sectioning of the chapter. I find that it would have been a better reading experience if the chapters were parted in a way that the present and future would not be in one. A chapter being either the future or the present, then transitioning into the other in a new chapter; and (2) the lack of parental guidance, I find that there are little to no “older” people here aside from the librarian who was ticked off by our characters.
Nevertheless, I absolutely devoured this book. Never have I thought of having the chance to do a one-sitting read any time soon, but this book refused to say otherwise. Garcia’s writing is always so easy to take a hold on. It drags you deep into a drunken stupor. Thus, you end up by the end of the book unnoticed. Additionally, I love how she has given each of the main characters (inclusive of the antagonist, of course) a background. It made them real, and really relatable at that.
Empathizing with the antagonist is one of my greatest pride and I must say, I really felt for the villain of this book. It always is in my mind not to judge quick (although it really is not inevitable to do something so easy), and true to that, the villain did had a rather bleak and exorbitantly dismal past. Though it may not be a good enough reason to do such morbid things, it still is something to hold on to. It tells that not all started from cruelty.
Overall, despite being a mixture of praise and blatant criticism, I had fun reading this book. Suffice to say, I read it in a day. R.J. Garcia is really something else entirely. Should you look for a thriller/suspense novel that is also a light-read, look no further for this book (including Garcia’s first novel) is just that. I look forward to reading more of her work.
This is a fourteen-year-old romance that mostly takes place in a British boarding school, but look out young love, there’s a killer on the loose! The author has uncanny insight into the innocent, curious minds of youngsters. The kids are obsessed with kissing and exchanging looks, sparks fly and jealousy comes yipping at their heels. “I tried to calm myself. Sure, I disliked him at that moment, but I also loved him. Most of all, I didn’t want him to get killed.”
They search for proof of love, and fear giving themselves away. “I died a little inside. It was as if I was given a choice between the electric chair and death by hanging.” They play games and make chess moves, feel guilt and regret from mistakes and missteps, wasted opportunities.
“There would always be darkness in the world, but there was light, too.” And ghosts. Nightmares masquerade as coincidence or possibly premonitions of murder. “I was either crazy or psychic, neither of which was very appealing.”
Humor keeps bringing us back: “I’m hoping there’s a support group for psychics with PTSD.”
Clues unravel from two points of view and there are surprising leaps in time, secrets buried between spaces. Puzzle pieces fall together as they tilt ever closer to universal truths: “For a moment, it seemed utterly impossible. It was like I picked up a snake and was shocked when it bit me, but it bit me, alright.”
I was feeling like a fangirl when I requested an early copy, but couldn't wait! It starts when Hannah Priestly has a terrible dream after she and her three male friends walked near a river where a serial killer had struck. They were joking around but something seemed to follow Hannah home, and even weirder visions were to come. Great characters, visceral details, and the building and releasing of tension make this book a great read. Toward the end of the book when nervous, by the book, Hannah talks her friends into going to Norman's, a serial killer's house, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
The love story is really the heart of The Call of Death. I didn't even realize how invested I was until I devoured it in its entirety. Hannah and Rory had a beautiful relationship. I love this book!
This book was a constant thrill that had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves suspense, amazing characters, and realistic teenage romance... and murder. There's some of that. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
What a thrilling ride! In The Call of Death, R.J. Garcia combines a charming coming of age story with a suspenseful plot involving murder, courage, and selfless heroism. This is a page-turner with a plot littered with tension, emotion, and supernatural undertones that work really well together. I highly recommend!
The Call of Death made me smile, cry and hold my breath at times. The romance was as frustrating as it was entertaining and beautiful. I rooted for Rory and Hannah so hard. The darker, Norman Biggs moments laced throughout made it so you never knew what was coming around the corner. I was oddly protective of Hannah and her friends. I'm still thinking about these characters.
I want to write a love letter to The Call of Death. It is everything I Iike in a book. Mystery, romance with paranormal elements and characters that I won’t forget for a long time. A sequel, please.
This is the first book that I've read from this author and wow! what a great first impression.
This had so many of the elements that I love in a great book and the mix of genres worked brilliantly.
I think that I was expecting a standard thriller - but there was also romance, coming of age, friendship, found family and paranormal in there too.
I was completely hooked from the start and couldn't put this down as I just needed to know where things would lead.
The main characters were adorable.....although I have to admit a little frustrating at times. I loved the way they started off as a sweet crush and as they grew, that realisation that they were feeling more threw them both. Their friendship group was also great to watch as it developed and they all fought for each other.
The writing style had me racing through this - I was on edge and a little creeped out through some moments and the twists just kept on coming. A real page-turner.
A really enjoyable read and I can't wait to explore more from this author
"Call of Death" by R.J. Garcia is a riveting fusion of first love and suspense that follows Hannah Priestly, an obsessive-compulsive Californian, as she navigates the challenges of an English boarding school. When she wakes up with knowledge of a notorious serial killer, Norman Biggs, the narrative takes a chilling turn. Rory Veer, Hannah's romantically challenged friend, becomes central to unraveling the mystery as terror is set in motion. The story expertly weaves teenage relationships with suspense, creating a narrative that is both heartwarming and terrifying. Garcia's storytelling prowess, well thought out characters, and the perfect blend of romance and suspense make "Call of Death" a captivating and five-star-worthy read. Highly recommended for those seeking an enthralling blend of genres. I love the way that Garcia writes this amazing book and the storytelling in it.
The nightmares that Hannah has are deeply unsettling (in the best way) as she dreams of a serial killer. As a concept, I was intrigued immediately upon picking up this novel. The story that unfolds is of a mix of a true crime and a teen boarding school drama and Hannah’s visions - which grow increasingly more alarming - feel even more terrifying because of the time I’d been lulled into forgetting this novel wasn’t really a coming-of-age school story. I liked the way the suspense was built, there were some serious moments of danger where I really did not know who would make it out alive!
If you like a good slasher story with a twist, or an extra dark school story with teens trying to catch a killer check out this chilling, fast-paced read.
I LOVED this book! A young teenager starts having dreams, but they seem so real... and they start becoming real... like the serial killer she sees over and over again. Thankfully she has an amazing support group of guy friends who are all half in love with her to have her back. I loved the jump from LA to England and back, I loved the character development and relationships between the friends, other schoolmates, and families. It was realistic with the little bit of dream visions that I believe are possible but unfortunately aren't scientifically proven lol. If you're looking for a dramatic and spellbinding tale that's ya and entertaining, look no further!!!
Call of Death is a coming of age story about a teenage psychic trying to navigate her visions of future events. These visions help her and her four friends to track down a killer. Call of Death takes place at a boarding school and also includes young love and navigating relationships. This book was fantastic! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and invested in the story throughout its’ entirety. I don’t usually read romantic suspense/thrillers but this one made me want to give this genre a try! Some parts were confusing because of the chapters jumping from reality to her visions, but I adjusted to the writing and this one easily became one of my favorites.
I had the privilege of receiving a complimentary copy of Call of Death from R.J. Garcia and Hazel’s Book Tours in exchange for a read and review. All opinions are my own.
Genres: •Coming of Age •Teenage Psychic •Paranormal •Romantic Suspense •Thriller
A book full of mystery; I was eager to discover the outcome.
Hannah Priestly is a teenager who, although she apparently has a normal life, has visions that begin to gradually take away her peace of mind. She will have to find a way to stop them while at the same time investigating Norman Biggs' life. The level of intrigue I felt with this book was so high that I read it in almost 5 days. The story and especially the ending are something that you do not expect and that will blow your mind. if you love suspense stories, this book is for you. This is a total 5/5 recommendation to me.
Fourteen year old Hannah struggles with her daily reality alongside having visions of a killer and her future. She confides in her friends, Rory, Paul and Christian who are always at her side because she is away at boarding school and together, they solve the riddles of her visions and dreams to figure out who the killer is, why she's targeted, and try to stop him before it's too late.
This book was a rollercoaster that kept me guessing what was coming next!