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Torn
How do you go on when something like that happens to your child?Bill Cranston is a family man, whose marriage is falling apart, eroding under his wife's constant bitterness and her retreat into alcohol and drugs. He is also the sheriff of Luther's Bend, a generally quiet town. When a little girl is abducted from a local park and carried into the woods, Bill leads a desperate search to find the child. But the little girl is only bait, and something vicious waits in the woods for her rescuers.I am me. Can't you see? I am me and he is he. When he is he, I can't be me.Douglas Sykes is insane. He sits in Bill Cranston's cell, speaking in rhymes and riddles. Though a stranger to Luther's Bend, Sykes seems to know a lot about Sheriff Cranston. Through his ramblings he reveals secrets about Bill, and secrets about himself. Sykes claims to be a mythological creature – a monster – and a handful of his victims have finally tracked him down, victims who now share Sykes' affliction.A pack is descending on Luther's Bend. They are hunting Sykes, and they will not stop until everyone near him is left broken, bleeding, and torn.
- GenresHorror
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Lee Thomas
166 books87 followersLEE THOMAS is the Bram Stoker Award and the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of
STAINED
,
ASH STREET
,
THE DUST OF WONDERLAND
, and
THE GERMAN
. Recent and forthcoming titles include
LIKE LIGHT FOR FLIES
, and
BUTCHER’S ROAD
. Forthcoming titles include DOWN ON YOUR KNEES (Oct 2016), and DISTORTION (May 2017).
ADDITIONAL TITLES:
TORN
IN THE CLOSET, UNDER THE BED
FOCUS
THE BLACK SUN SET
CRISIS
PARISH DAMNED
ADDITIONAL TITLES:
TORN
IN THE CLOSET, UNDER THE BED
FOCUS
THE BLACK SUN SET
CRISIS
PARISH DAMNED
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 27, 2014
Just when you think you've seen everything that can be done with werewolves, along comes this tightly written, thrilling, and thematically surprising novella. In the guise of a siege novel, in which a small town jail is under attack from once-human monsters, Thomas explores what it means to have a secret life, to have to keep your urges hidden from everyone but yourself, and to face what's inside that you don't want others to see. This is a remarkably thoughtful and mature novella, one it would be a mistake to write off as just another werewolf story. Thomas brings his A-game to everything he writes and always manages to coax something deeper out of the material. TORN is a perfect example of this, and a great place to start if you're unfamiliar with his work.
Want to read
July 6, 2015This is copy 28 of 750 signed and numbered copies.
August 31, 2012
I've only read one book by Lee Thomas, his novel The German. Since that turned out to be one of my favorite novels last year, I could not wait to read Torn. I was not disappointed.
"How do you go on when something like that happens to your child?"
That's how Lee Thomas' horror tale Torn begins, and with that one sentence you know it's going to be a chilling tale. What begins with Maggie Mayflower's disappearance and a desperate search through the woods surrounding Luther's Bend by Sheriff Bill Cranston, his men and neighbors, ends in a chilling and unexpected scene when as Maggie is found they realize she has been used as bait, and a horrifying act takes place right in front of the Sheriff and a few of his men. Bill quickly finds Douglas Sykes, the insane man who kidnapped Maggie, and immediately concludes that Sykes is more than insane and dangerous, he's not quite human, and that having Sykes in Luther's Bend might just destroy the whole town.
In Torn, Thomas weaves a tale of horror with characters that quickly become important to the reader, from Bill and his family to his men, so that from the beginning the reader becomes invested in their well-being. Douglas Sykes' character on the other hand gave me the creeps, and that was his job in this story. His nightmarish singsong, rhyming, creepy dialog alone gave me goosebumps.
I am me. Can’t you see? I am me and he is he. When he is he, I can’t be me."
Oh, lord... [shudder]
However as I found in The German, there's another story being told in this book that is tightly bound to that of the creepy characters and monsters. The title Torn refers to more than the graphic violence you might expect in a story where evil beast meets human. There's a dual meaning to the title, as a matter of fact "duality" is a word that also applies in more ways than one in this short story -- it is apparent in the monster that dwells within Sykes, as well as in the secrets that Bill keeps from the world.
Torn is a fast-paced novella packed with suspense, horror, and bite-your-nails action from beginning to end. I read it in one sitting and was breathless when done. I highly recommend it to lovers of horror or speculative fiction horror. This is another winner by Lee Thomas.
NOTE: I splurged on a signed special edition, hard cover copy of this novella. Even though the cover is really kind of scary, the book is actually beautiful with three illustrations inside the book by Vincent Chong that really capture the scenes described in the story.
"How do you go on when something like that happens to your child?"
That's how Lee Thomas' horror tale Torn begins, and with that one sentence you know it's going to be a chilling tale. What begins with Maggie Mayflower's disappearance and a desperate search through the woods surrounding Luther's Bend by Sheriff Bill Cranston, his men and neighbors, ends in a chilling and unexpected scene when as Maggie is found they realize she has been used as bait, and a horrifying act takes place right in front of the Sheriff and a few of his men. Bill quickly finds Douglas Sykes, the insane man who kidnapped Maggie, and immediately concludes that Sykes is more than insane and dangerous, he's not quite human, and that having Sykes in Luther's Bend might just destroy the whole town.
In Torn, Thomas weaves a tale of horror with characters that quickly become important to the reader, from Bill and his family to his men, so that from the beginning the reader becomes invested in their well-being. Douglas Sykes' character on the other hand gave me the creeps, and that was his job in this story. His nightmarish singsong, rhyming, creepy dialog alone gave me goosebumps.
I am me. Can’t you see? I am me and he is he. When he is he, I can’t be me."
Oh, lord... [shudder]
However as I found in The German, there's another story being told in this book that is tightly bound to that of the creepy characters and monsters. The title Torn refers to more than the graphic violence you might expect in a story where evil beast meets human. There's a dual meaning to the title, as a matter of fact "duality" is a word that also applies in more ways than one in this short story -- it is apparent in the monster that dwells within Sykes, as well as in the secrets that Bill keeps from the world.
Torn is a fast-paced novella packed with suspense, horror, and bite-your-nails action from beginning to end. I read it in one sitting and was breathless when done. I highly recommend it to lovers of horror or speculative fiction horror. This is another winner by Lee Thomas.
NOTE: I splurged on a signed special edition, hard cover copy of this novella. Even though the cover is really kind of scary, the book is actually beautiful with three illustrations inside the book by Vincent Chong that really capture the scenes described in the story.
April 1, 2020
An absolute surprise. I hate to admit that I judge books by their covers, but we all do to some extent. This one looked like yet another cheap, poorly designed, Photoshop-reliant shlockfest. And yet... inside is an absolute gem in terms of quick, brutally effective prose telling a new spin on an old tale. The fresh takes on some often stale stories, especially at the climax, are very well-done and only has its power hamstrung by one chapter too many. There is a perfect ending there, an emotionally impactful moment the likes of which seldom occur, that sadly is NOT the ending. Yes, the final pages have some important emotional truths for the protagonist, but I feel like they could have been edited in a bit earlier and not have undercut what should have been the final moment. If not for that, this would have been a 5 star review.
May 19, 2012
Torn, by award winning author Lee Thomas, is a suspenseful thriller using established horror tropes to give form to our darkest fears. There's plenty of "horror" action here, but it's strengthened by a wrenching emotional subtext that's perhaps darker than any kind of violence, making Torn everything horror fiction should be.
When a little girl is abducted in the small town of Luther's Bend, Sheriff Bill Cranston prepares for the worst. Horrible thoughts of innocence defiled rise unbidden as he and his deputies and other townspeople search through the surrounding forest to find the missing girl, hopefully before irreparable harm is done to her.
What they find instead is a monster. A howling thing straight from nightmare. One of Sheriff Cranston's friends is mauled to death, this thing escapes into the shadows...
And even though young Maggie Mayflower is rescued from the crime scene unharmed, nothing is the same. Because the next day, Douglas Sykes is arrested trying to break into a parked car, naked. Sykes claims to be more than he is, a creature of folklore and legend, of night and shadow. And not only are there others like him on the way...they want him dead.
And they won't let anything get in their way.
Worse, Sykes is getting into Sheriff Cranston's head. Taunting him. Pulling strings thought deeply buried, strings that tug on secrets. Secrets that the insane Sykes claims he can smell coming off Sheriff Cranston. As to why his marriage is crumbling and why his wife Lisa has been descending deeper and deeper into an alcoholic oblivion.
A war is brewing. One, for Luther's Bend. The other? Sheriff Cranston's very being. The essence of who he is.
In many was, Torn is a perfect allegory of the "divided self." Presented to us in the trappings of a classic horror trope, it's not only entertaining, but thought provoking, also. And disturbing, too. Because who is more the monster? The one who has accepted who and what they are, the consequences to others be damned? Or the one who hides in the shadows, refusing to come out into the light of day?
When a little girl is abducted in the small town of Luther's Bend, Sheriff Bill Cranston prepares for the worst. Horrible thoughts of innocence defiled rise unbidden as he and his deputies and other townspeople search through the surrounding forest to find the missing girl, hopefully before irreparable harm is done to her.
What they find instead is a monster. A howling thing straight from nightmare. One of Sheriff Cranston's friends is mauled to death, this thing escapes into the shadows...
And even though young Maggie Mayflower is rescued from the crime scene unharmed, nothing is the same. Because the next day, Douglas Sykes is arrested trying to break into a parked car, naked. Sykes claims to be more than he is, a creature of folklore and legend, of night and shadow. And not only are there others like him on the way...they want him dead.
And they won't let anything get in their way.
Worse, Sykes is getting into Sheriff Cranston's head. Taunting him. Pulling strings thought deeply buried, strings that tug on secrets. Secrets that the insane Sykes claims he can smell coming off Sheriff Cranston. As to why his marriage is crumbling and why his wife Lisa has been descending deeper and deeper into an alcoholic oblivion.
A war is brewing. One, for Luther's Bend. The other? Sheriff Cranston's very being. The essence of who he is.
In many was, Torn is a perfect allegory of the "divided self." Presented to us in the trappings of a classic horror trope, it's not only entertaining, but thought provoking, also. And disturbing, too. Because who is more the monster? The one who has accepted who and what they are, the consequences to others be damned? Or the one who hides in the shadows, refusing to come out into the light of day?
December 18, 2023
A little girl missing, panic in a small town, the search party out in the dark woods she is found bound and tied. One of the searchers will be taken by a large, powerful figure into the dark woods. The figure naked, gray skin. A wolf-like figure will be seen biting into the torso, red smeared teeth, feasting on the flesh. A suspect will be taken to the local police station. He is sickly looking, skin sagging like he had lost 100 pounds, talking in riddles. A pack of werewolves will come to the small town to find the captured man. They will tear, bite, rip, feed, slay, wet sounds of eating flesh. Werewolves slayed, man slayed the sheriff's daughter taken by the leader. The leader changing back to human where a Brad Pitt Seven moment of his face being battered, beaten, smashed, crushed, squashed, flatten, nothing left that is recognisable. The sheriff suffering now complete, reflection of his past sins. Signed 617/750.
May 23, 2013
Warning...upcoming pun. Reviewing Torn, I couldn't help but be torn between the ratings, but ultimately I don't think I liked it better than ok. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous as well it should be for $30 (I got my copy at the library, but someone surely busy these). Most impressive stunningly detailed artwork in and out. The story was less impressive. Sort of a mix of every parent's worst nightmare with a spin on a popular horror monster with just a hint of Seven & a certain oscar nominated Heath Ledger film, all dealt by a small town sheriff who knows a thing or two about secrets. There was quite a bit of action, but in the end it sort of came across as a heavy handed morality tale via a metaphor. Not particulary sympathetic characters and the writing was just ok, but the pacing was pretty good, so it was a decent way to pass a couple of hours.
August 10, 2016
After the abduction of a young girl, the small town of Luther’s Bend is about to get an unwanted visitor that is being hunted by it’s own. It will be up to the local Sherriff and his small staff to guard the town against the beasts that are hungry to find salvation, thru bloodshed.
This one is part of the Cemetery Dance signed signature novella series and Lee Thomas puts together a quick and entertaining monster romp. I really enjoyed the way the story didn’t get bogged down with unnecessary bull and just got straight to the story and took off from there. Very well written with a brisk pacing and good characterization.
This one is part of the Cemetery Dance signed signature novella series and Lee Thomas puts together a quick and entertaining monster romp. I really enjoyed the way the story didn’t get bogged down with unnecessary bull and just got straight to the story and took off from there. Very well written with a brisk pacing and good characterization.
October 6, 2019
A good horror story can give you a healthy dose of blood, violence, monsters and death or leave your insides feeling cold due to some emotionally gritty content that punches you straight in the psyche. Great horror stories can do both. Lee Thomas' Torn belongs to the second group. Thomas, whose 2011 novel
The German
made my top-ten list and recently received the 2012 Lambda Literary Award (his second), has left behind the abundance of blurbs stating he has what it takes to emerge as an important author; the man is now one of the leading voices in contemporary horror.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here
June 22, 2011
This is part of the Cemetery Dance Early Readers Club 3.0 and will be number 23 in their Novella Series.
I like plausibility in my reading, particularly when it comes to old horror tropes. In Torn, Lee Thomas sets up a sequence of events that is very easy to swallow and the tale is well written. I mean, at one point I was thinking the characters should lock themselves in one of the cells, and soon that's what they were doing. Nice tension, nice build.
Werewolves. Don't cringe. Silver bullets aren't required to kill them. This pack is on a focused hunt and there is a good amount of peripheral splatter. But the gore isn't overwhelming or unnecessary. And there's enough here to make you wonder if there are more.
There are several art pages done by Vincent Chong which added to the experience. They are well drawn and pretty cool.
I like plausibility in my reading, particularly when it comes to old horror tropes. In Torn, Lee Thomas sets up a sequence of events that is very easy to swallow and the tale is well written. I mean, at one point I was thinking the characters should lock themselves in one of the cells, and soon that's what they were doing. Nice tension, nice build.
Werewolves. Don't cringe. Silver bullets aren't required to kill them. This pack is on a focused hunt and there is a good amount of peripheral splatter. But the gore isn't overwhelming or unnecessary. And there's enough here to make you wonder if there are more.
There are several art pages done by Vincent Chong which added to the experience. They are well drawn and pretty cool.
December 31, 2012
I was totally blown away by this book. It had me racing through the pages, completely hooked to its original story. Completely unpredictable, I absolutely loved it. Author Lee Thomas has an amazing economy of words, giving you just enough description without overdoing it. Chock full of shocks, deep emotions, and real human pain, Torn is, for me, as good as horror gets. Each scene is so well constructed and plotted, I was in awe. I was also glad not to have known anything about the story before reading it, for I think that really added to my enjoyment. Needless to say, I will be rabidly seeking out this author's other work. This is an outstanding effort and one I will not forget for a long time.
October 13, 2012
This was an excellent short Novella by Lee Thomas. This is my first experience reading Lee and I can't wait to read more. WIll be picking up the highly recommended The German next. This is what characterization is about. Lee does an amazing job creating Bill Cranston. I was completely enthralled by the story and was completely wrapped in to what happen to Sheriff Cranston and his family. Excellent new take on an old mythology. I love the fact that Lee doesn't feel the need to explain what and where the creature come from. The pace of the story is perfect as it never lets up once it begins.
December 15, 2013
This story is about a small town cop who gets a call from his best friend. His friends daughter has disappeared. The circumstances behind the disappearance lead a search team into the local woods to chase a suspected sexual predator. What they find is beyond their imagination.
From this point the story takes a downhill turn. The middle section seemed slow and boring. I was more interested in the cop's personal life than I was in the killer. Little did I know the author was setting up for an excellent finale.
The ending is excellent and somewhat unpredictable. A worthwhile read, even if it is a little long.
From this point the story takes a downhill turn. The middle section seemed slow and boring. I was more interested in the cop's personal life than I was in the killer. Little did I know the author was setting up for an excellent finale.
The ending is excellent and somewhat unpredictable. A worthwhile read, even if it is a little long.
August 31, 2012
Dynamic examination of loss of family, of self, and the vigorous struggle to gain an understanding of one's place in this world amongst the evil, deeper levels of torment.
The story really cooks in the second half when our narrator takes on mutants. The writing is fast, furious, and builds tension throughout, particularly during the attempt to eradicate the monstrous and benevolent enemy.
September 21, 2015
With Torn, Lee Thomas has succeeded in writing another excellent novella. A child goes missing, taken by a stranger from the local park, and this leads the small town of Luther's Bend, and its sheriff, into a nightmare world of rampaging beasts and exposed lies. Thomas does a wonderful job of showing how the keeping of toxic secrets can lead to a harmful duality that is just as corrosive and potentially deadly as lycanthropy. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2013
Again, Cemetery Dance comes through with a fantastic short novel.
Torn is a fast paced, easy to read book. The characters are well thought up, and the story line flows along smoothly and quickly.
There is one interesting twist to the story, which I won't post, as that is up to the reader to discover.
Torn is a fast paced, easy to read book. The characters are well thought up, and the story line flows along smoothly and quickly.
There is one interesting twist to the story, which I won't post, as that is up to the reader to discover.
September 21, 2013
Short and fairly predictable horror yarn with a "werewolf" theme. A Sheriff following leads on a child abduction comes face to face with a man like beast that is in the process of devouring one of his deputies. The story then goes awry from there. Some good thrills but the big payoff fell flat for me.
May 15, 2014
Serviceable novella about a pack of werewolves who descend upon a small rural town in search of one of their own. It begins with a child abduction and ends with a showdown and the revealing of secrets. It's not worthy of a limited edition or a $30 price tag; I'm glad I got it on clearance, at least.
July 30, 2015
This novella was pretty interesting yet also rather predictable. Overall it was serviceable at best yet it did have some fresh ideas on the werewolf mythology. I really don't understand all of the 5 star reviews. I would recommend The German or Butcher's Road as they are far superior books by Lee Thomas.
April 5, 2013
Great book for quick read. Was pleasantly surprised by this book.
March 2, 2014
Exciting from beginning to end. Mysterious and terrifying. This short story packs a lot!
September 23, 2012
Super fast read, really enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews