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The Hawley Book of the Dead
GREAT CHRYSLER SZARLAN NOVEL
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
102 people are currently reading
2385 people want to read
About the author
Chrysler Szarlan
3 books78 followersI worked with racehorses and as a magician’s assistant before graduating from law school, after which I was a managing attorney with the Connecticut Legal Rights Project. Now I live in western Massachusetts with my family. I work part-time as a bookseller at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and full-time as a writer, at home in my pajamas. I ride my horse in the Hawley Forest whenever possible.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
April 13, 2018
4/13/18 - ON SALE for $1.99:
https://amzn.to/2H3HiCL
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
GAH. This book . . .
This book has the most original premise I’ve come across in a long time. If you don’t listen to anything else I say, listen to this—don’t read the blurb (except for the bolded part, that part’s fine). Learning that Reve Dyer shot her husband, whom she loved, without any context, is the way to go. TRUST ME. It doesn’t take long for it to unfold (I’m talking the first 5ish%), and this is one time my callous disregard for book synopses paid off.
Revelation Dyer is the last in a long line of Revelations. The first immigrated from Ireland to New England 250(ish) years ago, but this is not another Salem witches retelling. The Dyer women are not pagan practitioners, they are merely women with a variety of gifts. Reve’s Nan has an affinity for wild animals, her mother has a talent for healing. A Revelation who could read minds was a spy during the Revolutionary War, and Reve, herself, can vanish into thin air.
How. Cool. Is. That??
Given the nature of her family’s giftedness, it’s no surprise that Reve was raised on the stories of these remarkable women, disguised as folktales and legends of . . . horror.
The Fetch was the monster of Reve’s childhood. It was the story she begged her Nan to tell her over and over again, despite the fear it inspired. I could almost feel it’s singsong quality, almost see little girls with long hair in white dresses as they spun in a circle or jumped rope to a child’s version of the tale. A nursery rhyme meant to minimize the terror. A rhyme about the Fetch, come to steal you in night, and take you back to his master in fairyland.
Or maybe that was just my way of coping . . . I don’t do scary.
But The Hawley Book of the Dead was more Modern Gothic than Horror—imagine an abandoned village in the middle of a protected forest in Massachusetts.
An abandoned village. In the middle of a forest. In Massachusetts.
*goosebumps*
That’s where Reve runs with her daughters after the death of her husband, and that’s where Reve learns there’s more to her gift . . . where does she go when she disappears?
So the story/idea is obviously the high point for me. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of thrillers or suspense novels (again, b/c I don’t do scary), so the middle lagged a bit. It could be argued that this entire book is a thriller, but there was enough lore, enough supernatural goings-on in the earlier parts of the book to keep me distracted. The middle is almost pure mystery. There are still bits and pieces of the paranormal, but a magical book that reveals the mind of a psychopath in real time is basically just a brief POV change. And Reve’s desperation, while completely understandable, temporarily makes her not much more than a shrieking harpy, lashing out at everyone around her. I was also disappointed that Nathan wasn’t more developed. Szarlan laid the foundation for an absolutely spectacular secondary character, and never followed through.
Those few things aside, I thought this an excellent read, and I realize that I’m a minority as far as my dislike of thrillers is concerned, so it’s highly likely you won’t have the same issue I did. There’s also still hope for Nathan b/c this is the first book in what appears to be a quartet. *crosses fingers*
The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan combines stage magic with real magic, performance art with real life, and fantasy with suspense. In short, it was enthralling. I’d recommend this book to lovers of Urban Fantasy-lite and a good mystery. Get in on the ground floor of this exciting new series, people—I don’t want to hear your excuses of too many books in a few years. *lowers voice ominously* You know you are . . .
https://amzn.to/2H3HiCL
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
GAH. This book . . .
This book has the most original premise I’ve come across in a long time. If you don’t listen to anything else I say, listen to this—don’t read the blurb (except for the bolded part, that part’s fine). Learning that Reve Dyer shot her husband, whom she loved, without any context, is the way to go. TRUST ME. It doesn’t take long for it to unfold (I’m talking the first 5ish%), and this is one time my callous disregard for book synopses paid off.
Revelation Dyer is the last in a long line of Revelations. The first immigrated from Ireland to New England 250(ish) years ago, but this is not another Salem witches retelling. The Dyer women are not pagan practitioners, they are merely women with a variety of gifts. Reve’s Nan has an affinity for wild animals, her mother has a talent for healing. A Revelation who could read minds was a spy during the Revolutionary War, and Reve, herself, can vanish into thin air.
How. Cool. Is. That??
Given the nature of her family’s giftedness, it’s no surprise that Reve was raised on the stories of these remarkable women, disguised as folktales and legends of . . . horror.
The Fetch was the monster of Reve’s childhood. It was the story she begged her Nan to tell her over and over again, despite the fear it inspired. I could almost feel it’s singsong quality, almost see little girls with long hair in white dresses as they spun in a circle or jumped rope to a child’s version of the tale. A nursery rhyme meant to minimize the terror. A rhyme about the Fetch, come to steal you in night, and take you back to his master in fairyland.
Or maybe that was just my way of coping . . . I don’t do scary.
But The Hawley Book of the Dead was more Modern Gothic than Horror—imagine an abandoned village in the middle of a protected forest in Massachusetts.
An abandoned village. In the middle of a forest. In Massachusetts.
*goosebumps*
That’s where Reve runs with her daughters after the death of her husband, and that’s where Reve learns there’s more to her gift . . . where does she go when she disappears?
Disappearing isn’t exactly the word for it. It’s as if I walk through a curtain, enter the passageway to another world. I sometimes feel that I could go further in, but I never do.
So the story/idea is obviously the high point for me. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of thrillers or suspense novels (again, b/c I don’t do scary), so the middle lagged a bit. It could be argued that this entire book is a thriller, but there was enough lore, enough supernatural goings-on in the earlier parts of the book to keep me distracted. The middle is almost pure mystery. There are still bits and pieces of the paranormal, but a magical book that reveals the mind of a psychopath in real time is basically just a brief POV change. And Reve’s desperation, while completely understandable, temporarily makes her not much more than a shrieking harpy, lashing out at everyone around her. I was also disappointed that Nathan wasn’t more developed. Szarlan laid the foundation for an absolutely spectacular secondary character, and never followed through.
Those few things aside, I thought this an excellent read, and I realize that I’m a minority as far as my dislike of thrillers is concerned, so it’s highly likely you won’t have the same issue I did. There’s also still hope for Nathan b/c this is the first book in what appears to be a quartet. *crosses fingers*
The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan combines stage magic with real magic, performance art with real life, and fantasy with suspense. In short, it was enthralling. I’d recommend this book to lovers of Urban Fantasy-lite and a good mystery. Get in on the ground floor of this exciting new series, people—I don’t want to hear your excuses of too many books in a few years. *lowers voice ominously* You know you are . . .
November 27, 2014
This book starts off pretty good..The main character and her husband are part of a magic team and I'm not spoiling anything by telling you she ends up killing her husband by accident during their act.
Then we discover that Revelation (the main character) is from a family of magical women..all with the name of Revelation.
Including her daughter who weaves magic with her string.
The book tries to introduce in some spooky aspects to the story-like the "Fetch" that has haunted her families stories for years-they just fell flat to me.
This book takes forever to tell the reader anything.The characters are not fleshed out..the story moves at a snails pace and I had to make myself pick it up to read any of it.
I think there are going to be more books later in this story line but I don't think I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Too many books too little time for stories that make me snooze.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Then we discover that Revelation (the main character) is from a family of magical women..all with the name of Revelation.
Including her daughter who weaves magic with her string.
The book tries to introduce in some spooky aspects to the story-like the "Fetch" that has haunted her families stories for years-they just fell flat to me.
This book takes forever to tell the reader anything.The characters are not fleshed out..the story moves at a snails pace and I had to make myself pick it up to read any of it.
I think there are going to be more books later in this story line but I don't think I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Too many books too little time for stories that make me snooze.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2016
I absolutely love this book - It's just what I was looking to read - it eerie, without being creepy.
In fact, I would love to be one of the female family members!
Following her husband's untimely death (she shot him by mistake during a magic act and conveniently inheritated a lot of money) and to keep away from a dangerous stalker, the main character brings her daughters back to the family's abandoned "village" in New England, which includes a beautiful Victorian mansion with a "widows walk" turret at the top, where she makes her office. Even though the village of Hawley was apparently abandoned in the 1920's, the houses and grounds are surprisingly in good shape, as if they were self sufficient....
She and one of her daughters has dreams about a book titled "The Hawley Book of the Dead", which was a ledger kept by her ancestors regarding the special "gifts" the female family members had.
Hawley is also the name of an actual town in Pennsylvania which is near to where my mother used to live, so that adds a note of personal interest to me. It also was apparently where the ancestors of the characters in the book originally lived before they moved to New England.
Oh, and also, they each have their own beautiful horse and they all like to ride together in the countryside...
You definitely need to suspend your disbelief while reading, but it is such escapist fun!
UDATE: very engaging story, but in the last third of the book, the protagonist seems incredibly dense regarding her family's powers. The reader seems to know more about their magical powers than she does. She keeps insisting on solving a problem in the usual ways - call the police and hope they don't think you are crazy.
I gave it 5 stars for the authors ability to take me away from my surroundings, into a different world for a while, keeping me interested and to care for her characters.
In fact, I would love to be one of the female family members!
Following her husband's untimely death (she shot him by mistake during a magic act and conveniently inheritated a lot of money) and to keep away from a dangerous stalker, the main character brings her daughters back to the family's abandoned "village" in New England, which includes a beautiful Victorian mansion with a "widows walk" turret at the top, where she makes her office. Even though the village of Hawley was apparently abandoned in the 1920's, the houses and grounds are surprisingly in good shape, as if they were self sufficient....
She and one of her daughters has dreams about a book titled "The Hawley Book of the Dead", which was a ledger kept by her ancestors regarding the special "gifts" the female family members had.
Hawley is also the name of an actual town in Pennsylvania which is near to where my mother used to live, so that adds a note of personal interest to me. It also was apparently where the ancestors of the characters in the book originally lived before they moved to New England.
Oh, and also, they each have their own beautiful horse and they all like to ride together in the countryside...
You definitely need to suspend your disbelief while reading, but it is such escapist fun!
UDATE: very engaging story, but in the last third of the book, the protagonist seems incredibly dense regarding her family's powers. The reader seems to know more about their magical powers than she does. She keeps insisting on solving a problem in the usual ways - call the police and hope they don't think you are crazy.
I gave it 5 stars for the authors ability to take me away from my surroundings, into a different world for a while, keeping me interested and to care for her characters.
February 23, 2020
"It wasn't a nightmare, but good dreams can be bad, too. They are almost worse than the nightmares, their fleet moments of hope always shattered by waking."
This spoke to me by itself, but also feels apropos of my mixed feelings about the book, too. Sometimes a story that comes so close to being good is more disappointing than one that completely misses the mark.
I enjoyed the premise: A Las Vegas Magician (who can do a bit of real magic) actually kills her husband during an act, and discovers that such a tragedy can only have occurred due to outside sabotage. She quickly deduces that it must be a childhood boogeyman, a fetch, who did it. She packs up her three daughters and steals away to Hawley Five Corners – an abandoned village near her home town and magical family roots – to try to hide from the fetch.
There are neat bones to this story, but the whole thing felt consistently thin, and translucent without being clarifying. The timing was poorly measured, and there were some huge leaps in the storyline and decision making that were jarring. I found that I wanted to know what the author was telling us, but I wanted to know so many other things that she wasn't.
The whole time-frame could have done with a stretching. Especially the developments with Jolon. Too soon, lady. Too soon.
Trying to marry the elements of plot and mystery with the steps of a stage act was a terrific idea, but I think it limited the author and forced her to resort to cliches and tired literary devices to serve as patter to build anticipation.
Everyone keeps secrets and speaks cryptically, without exception. It is annoying. There are also too many “ I knew what I had to do”'s right before page or paragraph breaks. Not ever being told how people came to their answers was cheap.
If the second book had been/has been written, I'd be happy to read it. There is a sense of wonder in the magic that is the background for this atmosphere, and there is some fantastic world/myth building potential. This wasn't a nightmare...but good books can be bad, too.
September 26, 2014
“On the day I killed my husband, the scent of lilacs startled me awake.”
When someone exchanges the blank in her prop gun for a real bullet, Revelation 'Reve' Dyer unwittingly shoots her beloved husband dead during the final act of their world renowned Las Vegas magic show. Reve is devastated and then terrified when she realises the murderer still has Reve and her three daughters in his sights. To protect her family, Reve flees Nevada and takes refuge at Hawley Five Corners, her family's abandoned estate in the woods of Massachusetts. But Reve has something the killer wants and he won't give up until he gets it.
With its blend of mystery, suspense and the supernatural, The Hawley Book of the Dead offers a complex story about family secrets, magic and revenge.
Told in the first person, it introduces Revelation and her intriguing family history. Reve is the descendant of a line of women who have always wielded great power. Her grandmother can transport people with a thought, her mother is a healer, Reve can disappear by stepping into the veil between worlds, a talent she was born with but has never fully explored, her ten year old daughter Caleigh can weave magic with string, but the abilities of Reve's fifteen year old twins, Faith and Grace, have yet to manifest.
In general, I feel Szarlan created well rounded and interesting characters, I found Reve frustrating a lot of the time though. She has the ability to disappear, her family line is littered with women whom she has accepted have true magical abilities, yet she dismisses most other instances of magic out of hand. This ploy may serve the needs of the plot but I felt it damaged the credibility of her character.
I did enjoy the blend of magic and myth which Szarlan gives her own little twist. The true motivations of the 'Fetch' stalking the family turn out to be quite unique and his relentless pursuit of Reve provides plenty of tension. The romance element, involving childhood sweetheart, now Hawley chief of police, Jolon, is a little awkward though considering Reve's husband has just died.
The setting is great, Szarlan's description of Five Corners and the surrounding woods are evocative and atmospheric. I loved the stories of the vanishing townsfolk and the ghostly cowherd and could easily imagine the abandoned estate and the manor house that is home to Reve and her family.
Not so great is the uneven pacing and the author's attempt to force suspense surrounding the disappearance of the twins when their fate is blindingly obvious.
I really like the concept of Hawley Book of the Dead and there are elements of the story and character I think are creative and well done, and while overall I am not excited by this book, I do think the series has potential.
December 20, 2014
I received a free digital ARC for review.
I just finished the book and I'm trying to decide what is making me feel so ambivalent about this book.
I really enjoyed the feel of the book. I felt the magic of the old theater stage.
I could imagine the suddenly abandoned small town.
I was enthralled by the stories of the family's history and intrigue as well as the mystery of the town.
However, the element of the stalker seemed out of place to me. Perhaps if this element had more of the feel of the rest of the book, it would have fit better.
I was also maddened when the main character kept so easily dismissing the supernatural behind her current mystery when she had grown up with magic. She kept deciding it couldn't be connected. I kept thinking, "Connect the dots, already!"
So I guess I loved portions of it, thought it dragged on a bit too long, and should have had a different sort of stalker (and reason behind his stalking).
Still feeling ambivalent....
I just finished the book and I'm trying to decide what is making me feel so ambivalent about this book.
I really enjoyed the feel of the book. I felt the magic of the old theater stage.
I could imagine the suddenly abandoned small town.
I was enthralled by the stories of the family's history and intrigue as well as the mystery of the town.
However, the element of the stalker seemed out of place to me. Perhaps if this element had more of the feel of the rest of the book, it would have fit better.
I was also maddened when the main character kept so easily dismissing the supernatural behind her current mystery when she had grown up with magic. She kept deciding it couldn't be connected. I kept thinking, "Connect the dots, already!"
So I guess I loved portions of it, thought it dragged on a bit too long, and should have had a different sort of stalker (and reason behind his stalking).
Still feeling ambivalent....
October 6, 2014
Thank you NetGalley for awarding me The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan.
Immediately I was "all in" when I saw Night Circus by and Discovery of Witches and Physick Book of Deliverance Dane were the comparison books mentioned.
I really enjoyed this story of Revelation and the fight to protect her family, her three daughters, from the Fetch that has been following her since he discovered her while she was in college. He already took the love of her life, and framed her for his murder.
The biggest difference between the above mentioned books is there was a growing love story in the other three. Reve loses her husband early in the story and is so fiercely fighting to protect her girls she does not pay much attention to the man who has loved her since they were children.
I understand this is going to be a series, so I am sure the romance will be brought up in the next books. Where she will have issues of her daughters anger at replacing their father, which the other books did not have to deal with.
Nan, Revelation's grandmother was a very interesting character, was too briefly involved, I wanted to know more about her. Hawley's Five Corners was a fascinating place, so much more can be told about it's history.
The development of her youngest daughter's gift (of a magical ability) and the reveal of the older twin's gifts have me curious already.
I will be looking forward to the next books in the series to see where this tale goes.
Immediately I was "all in" when I saw Night Circus by and Discovery of Witches and Physick Book of Deliverance Dane were the comparison books mentioned.
I really enjoyed this story of Revelation and the fight to protect her family, her three daughters, from the Fetch that has been following her since he discovered her while she was in college. He already took the love of her life, and framed her for his murder.
The biggest difference between the above mentioned books is there was a growing love story in the other three. Reve loses her husband early in the story and is so fiercely fighting to protect her girls she does not pay much attention to the man who has loved her since they were children.
I understand this is going to be a series, so I am sure the romance will be brought up in the next books. Where she will have issues of her daughters anger at replacing their father, which the other books did not have to deal with.
Nan, Revelation's grandmother was a very interesting character, was too briefly involved, I wanted to know more about her. Hawley's Five Corners was a fascinating place, so much more can be told about it's history.
The development of her youngest daughter's gift (of a magical ability) and the reveal of the older twin's gifts have me curious already.
I will be looking forward to the next books in the series to see where this tale goes.
July 8, 2015
This sounded great when I originally requested it; I’d forgotten most of that by the time I picked it up, but I was still interested. The set-up is great: the creepy/historic house and village, the magic in the family, the magic tricks on the stage, the mysterious Fetch coming after the family. The setting is great; I could easily picture both the theatre for the performance at the beginning of the story, and the little abandoned town in New England.
But. The family. There were details that seemed meant to be vivid — the black/white clothes of the twins, the red hair, the string Caleigh uses… it felt flat to me, and so did the described emotion. If the numbness after a loss was what I was meant to feel vicariously, then that would have worked, but there was also fear, a desire for vengeance, anger, and those didn’t come across to me.
Perhaps worst of all, this reminded me too much of Joanne Harris’ Chocolat (the woman fleeing bad magic with her children, the magic running in the family), The Night Circus (the magic, but here without the enchantment), and something else I can’t quite put my finger on. It didn’t feel “rich”, as the blurb on Goodreads had it. I can’t say it was terrible, but it was just so… flat.
Originally posted here.
But. The family. There were details that seemed meant to be vivid — the black/white clothes of the twins, the red hair, the string Caleigh uses… it felt flat to me, and so did the described emotion. If the numbness after a loss was what I was meant to feel vicariously, then that would have worked, but there was also fear, a desire for vengeance, anger, and those didn’t come across to me.
Perhaps worst of all, this reminded me too much of Joanne Harris’ Chocolat (the woman fleeing bad magic with her children, the magic running in the family), The Night Circus (the magic, but here without the enchantment), and something else I can’t quite put my finger on. It didn’t feel “rich”, as the blurb on Goodreads had it. I can’t say it was terrible, but it was just so… flat.
Originally posted here.
October 25, 2014
Reve and her husband were Las Vegas magicians. Then during a show a mysterious man known as the Fetch switched the ammunition in a stage gun and her husband was killed. Being pursued by the Fetch she bundles up her children and runs to her childhood home in Massachusetts.
There she discovers things are not as they seem and she must discover the secrets of a grimoire which has been passed down through her family for generations. But the Fetch has found her and is circling.
The Hawley Book of the Dead isn't an easy book. It's quite dense, there is a lot going on, and for the first 40%~50% was quite slow. Then, quite suddenly, the story crashes into you and it honestly becomes a bit of a roller-coaster ride.
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite the slow start. The second half more than made up for that.
Many Thanks to Ballantine Books and Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC.
There she discovers things are not as they seem and she must discover the secrets of a grimoire which has been passed down through her family for generations. But the Fetch has found her and is circling.
The Hawley Book of the Dead isn't an easy book. It's quite dense, there is a lot going on, and for the first 40%~50% was quite slow. Then, quite suddenly, the story crashes into you and it honestly becomes a bit of a roller-coaster ride.
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite the slow start. The second half more than made up for that.
Many Thanks to Ballantine Books and Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC.
September 2, 2014
I had some really high expectations for this book after reading the blurb and looking at the intriguing cover. In some ways I feel those expectations were met, but in others I feel a little let down. Let me explain:
The first few chapters of this book have a lot happening in them, but there wasn't much progression. That might not make a lot of sense, but that was how I felt about it. I was hoping that the book would continue to be very exciting and would hold my attention, but it seems to go through phases. After the leave from Nevada the book gets considerably more magical and exciting, but it does drop off again at different points throughout the story.
What I did like about this story was the original qualities of the magic. The author did a beautiful job crafting her characters. She gave them unique abilities, minds of their own and the emotional maturity that one wants to see in well rounded characters. The back story was handled well and didn't bore me.
This story was beautifully written, although sometimes I felt like the pace just didn't do it justice. I would still recommend this book to those who like mysterious, family based stories. I didn't think it was a bad book and would be happy to check out future work from this author.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The first few chapters of this book have a lot happening in them, but there wasn't much progression. That might not make a lot of sense, but that was how I felt about it. I was hoping that the book would continue to be very exciting and would hold my attention, but it seems to go through phases. After the leave from Nevada the book gets considerably more magical and exciting, but it does drop off again at different points throughout the story.
What I did like about this story was the original qualities of the magic. The author did a beautiful job crafting her characters. She gave them unique abilities, minds of their own and the emotional maturity that one wants to see in well rounded characters. The back story was handled well and didn't bore me.
This story was beautifully written, although sometimes I felt like the pace just didn't do it justice. I would still recommend this book to those who like mysterious, family based stories. I didn't think it was a bad book and would be happy to check out future work from this author.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
October 1, 2014
The blurb of the book sounded very interesting: Reve Dyer moves to an old abandoned house (or rather a village) to protect herself and her children from the creature which just killed her husband. Reve and her husband used to be magicians with their own theater in Las Vegas. But Reve also has real magical abilities: she can dissolve herself into thin air.
All of this made me very curious about the book. But the fact was that The Hawley Book of the Dead really didn’t hold my interest for long periods of time. I often wanted to stop reading it altogether.
First I had problems with the language which was a little too simple for my liking. Then it seemed like nothing was happening. And what bothered me most was that everyone in the village seemed to know what was going on but didn’t give Reeve (who was born and raised in that village) any clues. There were always hints that things were repeating themselves. But Reve was so slow in realizing what is happening, it was just frustrating.
(I received a free digital copy via Netgalley/the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)
All of this made me very curious about the book. But the fact was that The Hawley Book of the Dead really didn’t hold my interest for long periods of time. I often wanted to stop reading it altogether.
First I had problems with the language which was a little too simple for my liking. Then it seemed like nothing was happening. And what bothered me most was that everyone in the village seemed to know what was going on but didn’t give Reeve (who was born and raised in that village) any clues. There were always hints that things were repeating themselves. But Reve was so slow in realizing what is happening, it was just frustrating.
(I received a free digital copy via Netgalley/the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)
May 21, 2015
The Hawley Book of the Dead
3.5 Stars, Borrow it
Self Purchase, Kindle Edition
Decently written and easy to read. I like the characters well enough but they aren’t memorable I’m going to forget them in a day. I like the supernatural abilities the mom and the daughters have. The plot is decent but confusing. At one point this book is very supernatural oriented but by the end of the book it was more a thriller or a Jeffrey Deaver book. Pick one type and stick to it. I found it an odd mixture. Somehow, NPR had this on their best books of the year of 2014. I really can’t understand why. It’s decent, and a good book but I’m not overly enthusiastic about it. It’s average and nothing exceptional. Most of the way through the book I kept thinking this is a 3 star but by the ending I’d nudged it a little because I was interested enough to finish it. And my heart was racing just a little at the end. Also a side note, I know I really like a book when I miss or nearly miss my metro stop (commuting to work). I never missed or almost missed a stop with this.
3.5 Stars, Borrow it
Self Purchase, Kindle Edition
Decently written and easy to read. I like the characters well enough but they aren’t memorable I’m going to forget them in a day. I like the supernatural abilities the mom and the daughters have. The plot is decent but confusing. At one point this book is very supernatural oriented but by the end of the book it was more a thriller or a Jeffrey Deaver book. Pick one type and stick to it. I found it an odd mixture. Somehow, NPR had this on their best books of the year of 2014. I really can’t understand why. It’s decent, and a good book but I’m not overly enthusiastic about it. It’s average and nothing exceptional. Most of the way through the book I kept thinking this is a 3 star but by the ending I’d nudged it a little because I was interested enough to finish it. And my heart was racing just a little at the end. Also a side note, I know I really like a book when I miss or nearly miss my metro stop (commuting to work). I never missed or almost missed a stop with this.
October 1, 2014
Book Review & Giveaway: Sometimes it’s hard to switch gears to scout for scary books for October during the hot summer months, but I was instantly drawn to the book cover for The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan. When I read the publisher’s description, I was hooked. And then I read it; all I can say is “WooHoo!” I’m so happy the publisher has given us a finished hardcover copy to feature in our giveaway! Like magic and illusion? How about family myths of otherworldly events? Or maybe eerie and mysterious tales set in New England? Then have I found the book for you at http://popcornreads.com/?p=7761.
October 9, 2014
Thank god its over
June 13, 2020
I'm glad I went into the library on Valentine's Day. I picked this up from their book-blind-date table. The description was "suspense, love, history & magic." This book definitely contains all of those. When I unwrapped the book, I was a bit hesitant to read it. It's not one I would pick up to read from the title or the cover. I was worried I wouldn't enjoy reading it, which is why it took me so long to start it. I was wrong, though. It is suspenseful and parts are extremely sad—it made me tear up in a few spots. But it had me hooked from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down and couldn't as I got closer to the end. I had to know how the mother's plight to find her two missing daughters and keep her third daughter safe from the man who had caused her husband's death ended, and I had to know the part her magic played. Szarlan did not disappoint. If you enjoy suspense, love, history, and magic, then I highly recommend this book.
October 29, 2014
4.5 stars
This book is the perfect Halloween read! I literally was up into the wee hours of the morning reading it. It was suspenseful and I loved how magic and witches were woven throughout the story.
The book had a distinct air of creepiness that it absolutely perfect for the fall. It’s the kind of book that you want to drink a pumpkin spice latte in front of the fire on a dark and stormy night!
It reminded me a little of the old Bette Davis film Watcher in the Woods. The setting was fitting for a suspenseful, paranormal, witch novel. The dark woods in rural Massachusetts in a deserted town hundreds of years old….I was envisioning Salem, Mass on a dark and stormy night. This book gets an A+ for setting and atmosphere!
As for the characters, Reve had a lot of potential as a strong heroine in future books (it appears she will be writing more on Reve which is such a delight to hear). At times I felt like she was a little wishy-washy, especially after her husband died. I mean she shot and killed him on stage in front of hundreds of people…..she seemed to kind of move on a little too quickly for me. I understand why she had to, and I think that without the shocking murder she would have been perfect. But when it starts out with her killing him, I think that kind of event commands a stronger, more tormented, haunted, main character. Without that she would have been fine.
The overall plot was suspenseful and I was literally up at night wondering what was lurking in the woods behind my house! The angle she presented the story and the background of the plot were interesting and intriguing at the same time. I thought she did a great job getting the audience engaged and excited about how things were going to culminate.
I loved how the sections started, especially the first one that is titled “misdirection”. It created a feeling of unease right from the beginning for the audience. I was instantly on guard and paying attention for things that weren’t quite right.
See my full review here
This book is the perfect Halloween read! I literally was up into the wee hours of the morning reading it. It was suspenseful and I loved how magic and witches were woven throughout the story.
The book had a distinct air of creepiness that it absolutely perfect for the fall. It’s the kind of book that you want to drink a pumpkin spice latte in front of the fire on a dark and stormy night!
It reminded me a little of the old Bette Davis film Watcher in the Woods. The setting was fitting for a suspenseful, paranormal, witch novel. The dark woods in rural Massachusetts in a deserted town hundreds of years old….I was envisioning Salem, Mass on a dark and stormy night. This book gets an A+ for setting and atmosphere!
As for the characters, Reve had a lot of potential as a strong heroine in future books (it appears she will be writing more on Reve which is such a delight to hear). At times I felt like she was a little wishy-washy, especially after her husband died. I mean she shot and killed him on stage in front of hundreds of people…..she seemed to kind of move on a little too quickly for me. I understand why she had to, and I think that without the shocking murder she would have been perfect. But when it starts out with her killing him, I think that kind of event commands a stronger, more tormented, haunted, main character. Without that she would have been fine.
The overall plot was suspenseful and I was literally up at night wondering what was lurking in the woods behind my house! The angle she presented the story and the background of the plot were interesting and intriguing at the same time. I thought she did a great job getting the audience engaged and excited about how things were going to culminate.
I loved how the sections started, especially the first one that is titled “misdirection”. It created a feeling of unease right from the beginning for the audience. I was instantly on guard and paying attention for things that weren’t quite right.
See my full review here
September 13, 2014
If you love 'A Discovery of Witches' like I do you might find yourself tricked into picking up this book thinking you have another great novel on your hands. Whatever you do, don't fall for the hype, The Hawley Book of the Dead can't compare. My biggest issue is the personality of the main character Revelation aka Reve. For a woman who is supposed to be grieving for the husband she accidentally killed she doesn't behave that way. The author failed miserably at making me believe Reve was anything other than a character written in a book. I never felt sorrow for her loss, worry, concern or triumph. Reve comes across as flat, lifeless & unrealistic.
In one part of the book something rather amazing happens with Reve's grandmother. Reve observes it, but never seems overly shocked, amazed or surprised by it. Her expression so to speak never changes. It's like she's an automaton. Even when secrets are finally revealed to Reve, she just listens. Sure she sometimes gets a little upset about it, but it's so flat you never forget your just reading about a character in a book. It is only towards the last 20 pages or so in the book that the woman gets any real spark to her. The other characters in the book have potential but the author doesn't bother to dive too deep into what makes them who they are, leaving many opportunities for story building undone. Reve's two daughters are the most realistically described. Unfortunately this is not enough to improve the book. Last even though things happen like her husband dying, nothing really happens. The whole book is more about anticipating what is likely to happen.
A little bit of the book is about The Hawley Book of the Dead, but mostly it's about Reve. Reve & her Fetch.
In one part of the book something rather amazing happens with Reve's grandmother. Reve observes it, but never seems overly shocked, amazed or surprised by it. Her expression so to speak never changes. It's like she's an automaton. Even when secrets are finally revealed to Reve, she just listens. Sure she sometimes gets a little upset about it, but it's so flat you never forget your just reading about a character in a book. It is only towards the last 20 pages or so in the book that the woman gets any real spark to her. The other characters in the book have potential but the author doesn't bother to dive too deep into what makes them who they are, leaving many opportunities for story building undone. Reve's two daughters are the most realistically described. Unfortunately this is not enough to improve the book. Last even though things happen like her husband dying, nothing really happens. The whole book is more about anticipating what is likely to happen.
A little bit of the book is about The Hawley Book of the Dead, but mostly it's about Reve. Reve & her Fetch.
September 25, 2014
Billed as a cross between The Night Circus and A Discovery of Witches, this is one of those novels whos plot creeps up on you, making you believe in real magic before you can remind yourself that you live in the real world, because it is so firmly set in the real world and peopled with no-nonsense characters who believe in solid things that can be proven. I quickly found myself gripped and had great difficulty putting it down to do things I had to do, such as feed the kids and do the school run – my Kindle was firmly in my hand whenever I got even a single minute to myself to continue reading. It’s nothing short of miraculous, but this novel has really reawakened my inner bookworm, and made me actively make time specifically to read, as well as squeezing in my reading time whenever I could. Szarlan is a writer I shall be searching out in the bookshops, as this is exactly the kind of writing that plunges the reader headlong into the story and will not let go until you have reached the very end. And then you’ll wish there was more. Because it’s that good! Due out nicely in time for Halloween, so you can get your spook on while The Hawley Book of the Dead weaves its spell around you.
October 3, 2014
How anyone could ever compare this book to Harkness' All Souls Trilogy or Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is beyond me! The only thing Szarlan's drivel has in common with either of those works is that it is a book and it contains words. The comparison ends there. This novel (and I use that term loosely) is a stalker story poorly disguised as fantasy. Szarlan does a mediocre job of creating convincing time and space for her characters. The constructs of her magical world are poorly described. Rather than allowing her readers to discover how the magic in her world manifests, behaves and intersects with ours through action, she instead reveals those secrets through long, tedious lectures/diatribes from minor characters aimed at the protagonist. This book is, at best, literary vomit.
March 16, 2015
Several readers recommended this book about a woman magician who, after accidentally killing her husband during a performance, flees to her family in Massachusetts and learns of her real magical origins, or should I say Magickal.
I had high hopes for this book, but it devolved into a regular suspense novel, with serial killers and government bad guys, but also with fantasy elements. The grittier and presumably more realistic plot elements just distracted me from the fantasy and made it impossible for me to suspend my disbelief. Also, the author made the rookie mistake of too much exposition. The titular Book of the Dead was too often just a vehicle for the author to explain stuff she wanted the reader to know. I prefer it when stories grow organically.
The book had some nice inventive touches and the prose wasn't terrible, so possibly it's just not my genre.
I had high hopes for this book, but it devolved into a regular suspense novel, with serial killers and government bad guys, but also with fantasy elements. The grittier and presumably more realistic plot elements just distracted me from the fantasy and made it impossible for me to suspend my disbelief. Also, the author made the rookie mistake of too much exposition. The titular Book of the Dead was too often just a vehicle for the author to explain stuff she wanted the reader to know. I prefer it when stories grow organically.
The book had some nice inventive touches and the prose wasn't terrible, so possibly it's just not my genre.
September 21, 2014
This is a well-written narrative, with a truly haunting and magical flavor. Simplistically, it would at first appear that this book is a straightforward mystery. It takes a talented writer to seamlessly relate a tale that can skillfully combine fantasy in a realistic setting, and Szarlan does an admirable job, crafting a book with a paranormal mystery, thriller elements, hints of mythology and even a touch of romance – very clever.
Full review at:
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
Full review at:
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
November 16, 2014
This book is amazing. I think it will be on my top books of the year list. I love Rev, and her family and the story. I want so much more already. I cant wait to learn more about these interesting and dynamic characters. I loved this book from start to finish!!!
April 21, 2023
Revelation (Reve) is half of a hit magic show in Las Vegas, until the night an act goes horribly wrong and she accidentally shoots her husband. It becomes obvious the prop gun was rigged and she and her three daughters are being watched by the killer. At her grandmother’s insistence, they flee to Hawley, Massachusetts, close to her family home. Hawley is famous for one thing - the entire town disappeared in the 1920s. No one has ever discovered what happened to them, but the little town has been abandoned for decades and made the perfect spot for Reve and her daughters to hide from her stalker, a man she calls their Fetch.
Reve is descended from a long line of powerful women but there’s more to her family than she’s ever been told. As the Fetch comes closer to finding her and Reve’s own past seems to be catching up to her, she finds a mysterious book, the Hawley Book of the Dead, that hints at a magic stronger than anything she’d dreamed of. When her oldest daughters disappear in thin air, Reve must finally face the power that’s threatening her family to gain access to the book, as well as magic she doesn’t yet know how to wield.
This is possibly the first book comped to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane that has come close (in my opinion - that’s a pretty high bar), although I nearly gave up on it. The first part, set in Las Vegas, dragged on and frankly, I was a bit bored. But the story finally came to life once the family resettled in Hawley and in quick succession we have the mystery of the disappearing townspeople, a wonderful setting, and a potential love interest for Reve (first loves always come back it seems). What I particularly liked was the weaving of the witchcraft/magic with a slight twist on the Tuatha de Danann. I love lineage stories and the handing down of the name Revelation was the feather in the cap on this one.
A few things I didn’t particularly care for. Withholding of essential information by an elder is turning into a tired trope. It’s more irritating when it’s a young witch running around with no clue, but just as tedious when the main character is in full possession (so she thinks) of her power. Aside from that, the main story was linked to something that happened to Reve in college, but the connection between the antagonists was weak. Lastly, of Reve’s three daughters, two hadn’t discovered their power yet. Unless I missed it, the book ended without that being revealed. I felt like it was a missed opportunity but ultimately, didn’t really affect the story.
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐+
Reve is descended from a long line of powerful women but there’s more to her family than she’s ever been told. As the Fetch comes closer to finding her and Reve’s own past seems to be catching up to her, she finds a mysterious book, the Hawley Book of the Dead, that hints at a magic stronger than anything she’d dreamed of. When her oldest daughters disappear in thin air, Reve must finally face the power that’s threatening her family to gain access to the book, as well as magic she doesn’t yet know how to wield.
This is possibly the first book comped to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane that has come close (in my opinion - that’s a pretty high bar), although I nearly gave up on it. The first part, set in Las Vegas, dragged on and frankly, I was a bit bored. But the story finally came to life once the family resettled in Hawley and in quick succession we have the mystery of the disappearing townspeople, a wonderful setting, and a potential love interest for Reve (first loves always come back it seems). What I particularly liked was the weaving of the witchcraft/magic with a slight twist on the Tuatha de Danann. I love lineage stories and the handing down of the name Revelation was the feather in the cap on this one.
A few things I didn’t particularly care for. Withholding of essential information by an elder is turning into a tired trope. It’s more irritating when it’s a young witch running around with no clue, but just as tedious when the main character is in full possession (so she thinks) of her power. Aside from that, the main story was linked to something that happened to Reve in college, but the connection between the antagonists was weak. Lastly, of Reve’s three daughters, two hadn’t discovered their power yet. Unless I missed it, the book ended without that being revealed. I felt like it was a missed opportunity but ultimately, didn’t really affect the story.
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐+
October 9, 2021
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. I never really connected to it, so I had a hard time keeping up with the story, for I got distracted easily. I'm not sure if that was the narrator or my mental state or the book, to be honest.
And other than that, I don't know what so say. It wasn't bad, but it didn't pull me in, so it was all just kinda ''meh'' to me.
And other than that, I don't know what so say. It wasn't bad, but it didn't pull me in, so it was all just kinda ''meh'' to me.
June 14, 2023
I enjoyed the premise but there were lots of inconsistencies in the story. For example, someone is unmasked because they don’t appear in any photos but are tracked down because of a photo. Someone else can accept one person can disappear but not others, and no other form of magic. It’s all a bit contrived and very slow to unwind but I did keep turning the pages.
October 21, 2024
I think this is a 3.5 for me but enough goodness to push it up to four. I’ve had this book on my shelf forever, waiting for a good fall to read it, getting in the mood for spooky time.
The magical realism worked for me, and I loved some of the Irish folklore interwoven in the book. The modern mystery element was ok, I did feel like there were a few times the author didn’t quite go into the “what happened” depth I would prefer. Almost felt like it was being set up for another book that never materialized.
The magical realism worked for me, and I loved some of the Irish folklore interwoven in the book. The modern mystery element was ok, I did feel like there were a few times the author didn’t quite go into the “what happened” depth I would prefer. Almost felt like it was being set up for another book that never materialized.
June 23, 2017
This was a very fun modern witchcraft book that managed to tie in a bit of the past as well. Mystery, magic, suspense... Very fun read/listen.
June 2, 2018
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I struggled to finish it. The beginning was good. But towards the middle and end I lost interest. Disappointing!!!
July 4, 2021
Not what I expected at all, but so pleasantly surprised after all!! Lost of folklore, legends and magic 🌟🌟
Read if you like: Irish lore and legends, magical beings and dark woods 🌲🌗
Read if you like: Irish lore and legends, magical beings and dark woods 🌲🌗
September 27, 2014
BOOK REVIEW: 'The Hawley Book of the Dead': Impressive Debut Novel Defies Genres
REVIEWED BY DAVID M. KINCHEN
I've said it before and I'll say it again: labeling a novel as a romance or a mystery or anything is wrong and does a disservice to prospective readers. That said, Chrysler Szarlan's "The Hawley Book of the Dead" (Ballantine Books, 352 pages, $26.00) is an impressive debut novel that combines various genres seamlessly. It's a horror story, a police procedural, a missing persons tale and more with the whole greater than its parts.
It's about magic, with Revelation "Reve" Dyer Maskelyne the assistant and much more of her husband, British-born Las Vegas illusionist Jeremy Maskelyne. Their show is one of the big attractions of the Las Vegas Strip -- until an accident ends Jeremy's life and turns that of Reve and their three daughters upside down.
Revelation “Reve” Dyer grew up with her grandmother’s family stories, stretching back centuries to Reve’s ancestors, who founded the town of Hawley Five Corners, Massachusetts.
Their history is steeped in secrets, for few outsiders know that an ancient magic runs in the Dyer women’s blood, and that Reve is a magician whose powers are all too real. No one more than the Dyers know that too much knowledge is a dangerous thing in a colony -- later a state -- infamous for burning its witches at the stake.
Reve and her husband are world-famous Las Vegas illusionists. They have three lovely young daughters, a beautiful home, and what seems like a charmed life. But Reve’s world is shattered when an intruder alters her trick pistol and she accidentally shoots and kills her beloved husband onstage.
Fearing for her daughters’ lives, Reve flees with them to the place she has always felt safest—an antiquated farmhouse in the forest of Hawley Five Corners in western Massachusetts, where the magic of her ancestors reigns, and her oldest friend -- and first love -- Jolon Adair is the town’s chief of police. Hawley Forest is a real place, a state preserve with horseback riding trails, hiking trails and the ghosts of an abandoned settlement in its cellar holes.
Reve and her twin daughters Grace and Faith -- always called "Fai -- are avid horse people. Daughter Caleigh not so much; she would rather play with her magical string.
As the novel unfolds, we learn that in the late 1980s, when Reve was a student at the private college where her father was a professor, she befriended a fellow student, Maggie Hamilton. Maggie, from an inner city African-American background, is unhappy at the college and transfers to the University of Massachusetts -- Amherst. There she learns about a secret and sinister government experiment underway in the tunnels of the university. She also comes to the attention of FBI agent Rigel Voss, who began to search for Maggie -- and Reve -- after they learned of the secret program.
On her anscestral turf, Reve is drawn deeper into her family’s legends. What she discovers is The Hawley Book of the Dead, an ancient leather-bound journal holding mysterious mythic power. As she pieces together the truth behind the book, Reve will have to shield herself and her daughters against an uncertain, increasingly dangerous fate. For soon it becomes clear that the stranger (could it be the now disgraced Rigel Voss?) who upended Reve’s life in Las Vegas has followed her to Hawley—and that she has something he desperately wants.
REVIEWED BY DAVID M. KINCHEN
I've said it before and I'll say it again: labeling a novel as a romance or a mystery or anything is wrong and does a disservice to prospective readers. That said, Chrysler Szarlan's "The Hawley Book of the Dead" (Ballantine Books, 352 pages, $26.00) is an impressive debut novel that combines various genres seamlessly. It's a horror story, a police procedural, a missing persons tale and more with the whole greater than its parts.
It's about magic, with Revelation "Reve" Dyer Maskelyne the assistant and much more of her husband, British-born Las Vegas illusionist Jeremy Maskelyne. Their show is one of the big attractions of the Las Vegas Strip -- until an accident ends Jeremy's life and turns that of Reve and their three daughters upside down.
Revelation “Reve” Dyer grew up with her grandmother’s family stories, stretching back centuries to Reve’s ancestors, who founded the town of Hawley Five Corners, Massachusetts.
Their history is steeped in secrets, for few outsiders know that an ancient magic runs in the Dyer women’s blood, and that Reve is a magician whose powers are all too real. No one more than the Dyers know that too much knowledge is a dangerous thing in a colony -- later a state -- infamous for burning its witches at the stake.
Reve and her husband are world-famous Las Vegas illusionists. They have three lovely young daughters, a beautiful home, and what seems like a charmed life. But Reve’s world is shattered when an intruder alters her trick pistol and she accidentally shoots and kills her beloved husband onstage.
Fearing for her daughters’ lives, Reve flees with them to the place she has always felt safest—an antiquated farmhouse in the forest of Hawley Five Corners in western Massachusetts, where the magic of her ancestors reigns, and her oldest friend -- and first love -- Jolon Adair is the town’s chief of police. Hawley Forest is a real place, a state preserve with horseback riding trails, hiking trails and the ghosts of an abandoned settlement in its cellar holes.
Reve and her twin daughters Grace and Faith -- always called "Fai -- are avid horse people. Daughter Caleigh not so much; she would rather play with her magical string.
As the novel unfolds, we learn that in the late 1980s, when Reve was a student at the private college where her father was a professor, she befriended a fellow student, Maggie Hamilton. Maggie, from an inner city African-American background, is unhappy at the college and transfers to the University of Massachusetts -- Amherst. There she learns about a secret and sinister government experiment underway in the tunnels of the university. She also comes to the attention of FBI agent Rigel Voss, who began to search for Maggie -- and Reve -- after they learned of the secret program.
On her anscestral turf, Reve is drawn deeper into her family’s legends. What she discovers is The Hawley Book of the Dead, an ancient leather-bound journal holding mysterious mythic power. As she pieces together the truth behind the book, Reve will have to shield herself and her daughters against an uncertain, increasingly dangerous fate. For soon it becomes clear that the stranger (could it be the now disgraced Rigel Voss?) who upended Reve’s life in Las Vegas has followed her to Hawley—and that she has something he desperately wants.
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