Echoes

Whisper #2

by Michael Bray

Seven years have passed since the fire at Hope House. Despite surviving, the lives of Steve and Melody Samson have changed for the worse. Steve has become a virtual recluse, while Melody is consumed by guilt, and sees in their son a constant reminder of the man Steve used to be.

The town of Oakwell has become a tourist hotspot for paranormal enthusiasts, eager to learn more about the 'Hope House Haunting', becoming everything the residents of the once sleepy town fought so hard to prevent.

Ambitious town councillor Henry Marshall has an idea to turn the unwanted attention on the town to his own advantage, by building a hotel on the site of Hope House.

As construction begins the evil within Oakwell forest stirs. Influenced by the powerful Gogoku, Marshall becomes consumed with the need to draw Steve & Melody back to Oakwell, no matter the cost…

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Fiction

330 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2014

About the author

Michael Bray is a bestselling author/screenwriter of more than twelve novels and numerous short stories. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Shaun Hutson, James Herbert & Brian Lumley, along with TV shows like Tales from the Crypt & The Twilight Zone, his work touches on the psychological side of horror, teasing the reader’s nerves and willing them to keep turning the pages. Several of his titles have been translated into multiple languages including a major bookstore distribution deal in Japan and his biggest selling title, Whisper, has, on numerous occasions topped the overall horror charts for Amazon titles in both the UK and US with thousands of copies sold.

His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.

A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.

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My IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8960144/?r...

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Where to find Michael Bray online



Official website: www.michaelbrayauthor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelbrayauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelbrayauth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelbrayauthor

Google +: www.plus.google.com/michaelbrayauthor







Where to find my books



Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Bray/...

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Bray/e/...

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To discuss publication or television / movie rights to

any of my work, or for any other queries, please

contact me directly at darkcornersbook@gmail.com

Reviews

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review copy

The story begins with an inside look at a once popular paranormal investigation TV series and how they "enhance" their investigations. If ratings don't improve, it could be the end of the road for the series and it's host, Dane Marshall. This is why the show's producer is big on the idea of having Dane convince his brother Henry to allow an investigation of the grounds at Hope House in the village of Oakwell.

The house, now a burned out shell, and surrounding woods, are purportedly home to spiritual forces which cause those who succumb to their influence to do terrible things.

Michael Bray has done a wonderful job of creating a fresh tale from the ashes of Hope House. I particularly liked the way he crafted this new story in such a way where he did not simply rehash the original book for readers, but instead would drop tidbits from that tale at appropriate times throughout Echoes.

The author deftly uses multiple story lines to tell his tale. There are the 5 teen-aged friends who sneak onto the property in an attempt to scare themselves silly and I got a genuine Richard Layman vibe when they were camping out, getting ready to have a seance on the property. Then there's the angle with the fake paranormal investigator show and the brother who wants to build a hotel on the site of Hope House.

Echoes is genuinely creepy at times, gruesome at others, and always engaging.

While it's not necessary to have read Whisper, book 1 in the trilogy, it's certainly recommended. I also found it refreshing that Echoes is a complete story in it's own right. Although there will be another volume in the series, Echoes does not leave the reader hanging.

From Horrific Tales Publishing. Echoes is available now as a paperback and ebook through Amazon.com.

Totally recommended.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been seven years since the fire that destroyed Hope House. Steve and Melody Samson had just barely escaped with their lives. The town of Oakwell attracted people who wanted to learn more about Hope House. Henry Marshall, a town councilor wanted to have a hotel built right where where Hope House used to stand. Henry calls a meeting of the other council members to discuss the building of the new hotel. Henry has dirt on each member and threatens to use it if they do not see his way. All Henry can think about is how much money he will make on this project. Henry's brother Dane, is an MC on a Paranormal Investigating TV series. Henry wants the show to be shot live on opening night at the new hotel. Henry also wants to drag poor Steve and Melody Samson back to this place of nightmares. While the hotel was being built, human bones were found under the ruins of Hope House. Henry tells the construction workers to rebury the bones in the hotels foundation. Opening night will be something that the town of Oakwell will never forget. Michael Bray really knows how to weave a tale of horror.

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, check the cover art on this one. There's some crazy Clive Barker shit going on there. It's worth downloading just to zoom in.

I enjoyed the novel enough to finish in a couple days and thought it was a real page-turner. I'm a big fan of the first book in this series but when I compare the two this one is lacking. The story itself was very good but some of the dialogue was clunky and the writing as a whole was subpar compared to book 1. I only came across 2 or 3 typos but the prose often struck me as a rough draft. It wasn't done incorrectly but it could have been done better. It seemed rushed and not nearly as polished as the author is capable of delivering.

I didn't explain that very well which is perhaps why I'm not an editor. Story - 4+ stars. Writing - 2.5 stars.

[Angela Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous book!! After reading part one, Whispers, in this trilogy I already knew that Michael Bray was a writer to watch. With Echoes he has been moved into my authors I must read category! Echoes is much spookier than part one in this set. Several times I had to ask myself " WHY!?! WHY ARE THEY GOING BACK!?!? " and when I'm talking to my kindle you just know the book is a good one. I loved this one Mr. Bray, Great job!! A solid 4.5 star read. Grab this set!!

[William Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Mr Bray so perfectly framed in Whisper, the first novel of this series, evil thrives not just in the haunted places of the world, but in the fever dreams of human frailty and folly. In this sequel we return to Hope House, or rather the locale atop its remains we saw burned in the first book. It has been developed as a tourist attraction by exactly the sort that would do such a thing; a duplicitous underhanded type that fills out the shoes vacated by the fiery death of the human villain in the first novel, Donovan. Also drawn back into the cauldron are Steve and Melody Samson, the loving and fated protagonists from the first novel. Joining them are some of the towns folk and the producers of a paranormal investigative reality TV show. Needless to say, agendas abound, and a slippery slope of human backstabbing takes us toward an almost inevitable conclusion of stygian horror.

I loved Whisper, and encourage you to read my review of it as well, but I feel Mr. Bray has outdone Whisper with Echoes. As I said, it's a slippery slope reader tumbles down, but this time he has greased the skids. This is a fast paced book that you won't put down until it's horrifying end.

[John Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superior haunted house horror!

If anything, this sequel was even better than the original story and I can't wait to start the final book in the trilogy. The 'edge of your seat' creepiness combined with page turning anticipation made this story a memorable read. Very highly recommended but, you must read book 1 first.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book,Michael Bray consistently produces horror novels of superb quality. The sequel is eagerly awaited!!

[Tajinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a first reads giveaway.

This book is amazing, it is a lot spookier and darker than the first book in the trilogy.
I cannot wait for the next book.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads"

This book is the second part of a trilogy, but I found that there were enough flash backs to get the idea of what went on in the first book. So this book can easily be read as stand-alone, which is what I did. This book picks up 7 years after the first book "Whispers", where Henry Marshall councillor of Oakwell has decided to build a hotel on the ruins of Hope House. In the hope of pulling in the curious tourists to the town and to also add to his own personnel wealth. Against their better judgement Steve and Melody Samson are forced to return to Hope House, due to the evil workings of Henry Marshall. Without spoiling it for all you future readers, as to be expected things go horribly wrong. I found, that as I read this book I was impressed and totally engrossed in the way that Bray managed to really bring his characters to life, and was also captivated as to how his writing style brought the characters emotions right to the surface. At times I found it to be stomach churning with such intense descriptions that Bray included, that brought me right to the edge of my seat. Which is exactly what I want from a Horror. Incredibly spooky and dark, well worth a read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS HORROR STTORY PICKS UP SEVEN YEARS AFTER STEVE AND MELODY LEAVE THEY ARE FORCED TO COME BACK LEAVING THEIR SON BEHIND THINKING HE WILL BE SAFE A REALTY GOOD EDGD OF YOUR SEAT STORY CANT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL THANKS TO GOODREADS FIRSTREADS FIR THE FREE BOOK

[Toni L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book of the series was good. I think it was better than the first.
Another book coming?

[Ash Hartwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Samsons return to the site of Hope House will they survive the Gogoku a second time or has the rich, manipulative Henry Marshall, set them up for failure. The local kids love a ghost story, but are things getting a little to weird, Alex thinks so and is desperate to save his friends but only Emma listens - and she is struggling with her own personal dramas.
A brilliant follow up to Whispers. You need to read Michael Bray.

[Jason Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the first book, and this one is just as enthralling. I'm loving Michael Bray's style and there's some truly disturbing imagery in this book.
Takes a lot to actually get me to wince - especially from a book - but there were several moments in this that made me let out a mildly (and very manly) shriek.
This was a perfect and very logical continuation of the first book and I look forward to reading the conclusion!

[varena manion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ghost story

I had trouble with some of the grammar but otherwise the book was a good read. Fast paced, well developed plot, interesting characters

[Mrs S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant, couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the third

[William Moses Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an Early Reviewers copy of this book, as part of a giveaway on LibraryThing, in exchange for an honest review.

Short review: Still a bit chilling, and also exciting, but I feel the characters were at places lacking believability.

Long review:
I read the first book in the series and quite enjoyed the chills. I still got quite a few chills while reading this book but less of them. That was probably because we know about the mystery of the trees after the first book. But that's ok. This book made up for it by having more of an exciting story with several narratives running side by side. In the end, everything gets tied together. Not bad for a second book in a horror trilogy.

Bray can write situations and push the plot forward in 3rd person very nicely, but I felt his handling of characters was not quite so good. In several places I would read something being said to a character and in the subsequent pages the way that character handled it when speaking to another character would be really really weird. Case in point, when Emma hears the warning from Alex, she shows skepticism and is still not sure, despite having creepy voices telling her things and showing her things in her head. I mean really, when you feel such a creepy thing, how long will you remain a skeptic. And should I mention, there is a noticeable difference in Alex's behavior, and yet she still wonders if it's a prank. When she's talking to Cody, Scott and Carrie later on, she still sits on this warning. I mean, really? This reminded me of how frustrated I felt when after reading the creepy stuff that happened to Melody in the first book (Donovan's attempted rape + running into the circle), she still tries to explain it away in the bar when talking with Steve. For those who didn't read the previous few lines that contain spoilers, suffice to say, there were several instances when characters reacted to situations (via their conversations with others) in unbelievable ways.

Another thing that was irksome were that grammar issues and missing words. I suppose as this is an Early Reviewers copy, those errors will be edited out eventually, but I still find them irritating. They were also there in the copy of the first book that I received from the author.

Another thing that bugged me is the seemingly arbitrary way in which people are chosen to live. Henry lets Emma go for seemingly no reason. Might I add that he says something to the effect of, "Yes, go and call the police". What? Also, Cody kills many people and the janitor but when he sees Dane and Sean, he doesn't kill them first and think about things later. Nope, he must kill himself. What? If the Gogoku are controlling everyone to do their evil bidding by killing people and keeping things silent, then they sure are doing a bad job of it.

And the question I had from the first book about the relationship between the trees and the circle was still not addressed. Alas, I suppose it's just one of those things that you ignore and move on.

This review may sound like a little bit of a rant, but that's only because the above things detracted from an otherwise good book. I liked the first book and I liked reading this one, even if these issues were irksome.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"They drove down the single track road in silence. Even the radio could no longer help, the signal fading to a static hiss in the bowels of the forest. As much as they didn’t want to, they switched it off, and finally there was just the sound of the trees to accompany them. It was against their every instinct to continue on. Every fiber of their beings told them to turn and get as far away as possible, and yet they knew it wasn’t an option."

I really enjoyed the first book of the Whisper Trilogy and I am really happy to have won the second book, Echoes. The first book was doused in the suspense and mystery of what was in the forest, however, in Echoes we know what is going on and the driving force on the horror spectrum is the question: 'What will happen to Melody and Steve when they return to the Hope House sight?"

Seven years have passed since the horrific events that almost took Steve and Melody's lives. Now they are struggling to pay bills and to live their lives with their young son. The town of Oakwell, the sight of the infamous Hope House, is now a paranormal hot spot, gone are the idealistic mom and pop stores, now McDonalds and ghost hunter shops line the streets. When Melody and Steve are approached to come back to Oakwell to be in a paranormal investigator show to take place in a brand new hotel on the Hope House site, they adamantly refuse. The evil forces on the land won't let them get away that easily, though and soon they are blackmailed into returning to the one place they never wanted to go.

Like Whisper's I enjoyed the blending of the fear from the natural and the supernatural in the book. Even though there is not as much mystery in Echoes, there is plenty of suspense building with new construction on the site and Steve and Melody's return. I was surprised to see the return of Donovan's character, but he did make everything worthwhile. There was plenty of gore and action in the last part of the book that made me keep reading on through.

[Kerri Crites · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway.

This book is the 2nd in a trilogy and I had not read the first book before reading this one. but I didn't feel lost or like I was missing too much of the story-line. There were a lot of flashbacks and characters talking about the horrific events of the first book. I'm a little O.C.D. when it comes to reading a series - I feel like I am missing something when I'm not or want to devour every bit of a series i like so I will most likely go back and read the first one.

This story had a great 'creepy' factor. From the beginning, you feel the horror building in a crescendo of clues and hints - you just know this isn't going to turn out well and, weirdly, you just can't wait for it to all go down.

This is a fun horror-thrill ride and a quick read.

And the book cover is awesomely horrific - love it!

[Jacqueline Alcarese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Michael Bray has done it again! Another great story. Engaging and well written. Kept me on the edge of my seat. After the harrowing experience of Hope House, returning to the site seems ill advised . Having Melody and Steve return there really tore me up. Love the new characters. Henry is another slimy jerk as Donovan was in the first book. Liked Dane as a skeptical paranormal investigator looking for a reason to believe and adored the strength of teenaged Emma. The ending threw me for a loop, a real nailbiter there. Can't wait to read the next part of this trilogy

[Sara Sykora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

I loved that there was never a lack of excitement or terror.

All the characters meshed together so well, even if some were affected by those in the woods or if they were not.

I can't wait to read the third book in the series to find out what happens.

While I never read the first book, it did not affect me reading the second one as a standalone. It gave a good amount of backstory so you wouldn't need to got back and read it.

Another great author in the making for the Horror Genre!

I would definitely read more books from Michael Bray.

[A.M. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! What did I just live through!
This is the 2nd book in the Whisper Trilogy, book 1 blew me away and book 2 has repeated that process!
I found this to be a very well written and fast flowing read, I did not skip one single page.
The characters are very well developed and some are so bloody EVIL..
OMG Henry Marshall, a character I will remember for a long time..
Very vividly described, I had more than a couple of moments where grimaced...
This series has me listening to the trees...nervously!
If you like Horror and I mean REAL horror then do not miss this series!!!

[Doseofbella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echoes
by: Michael Bray
Smashwords pages 206. 2014
Reviewed by: tk
Courtesy of Library Early Review

A haunted woods, ancient secrets,
revenge, possession, murder, and loss.
The list goes on and on. Outstanding
characters, plot twists, and a totally
unpredictable ending.
This story has it all.

Michael Bray is a multi-talented wonder.
Suspense/ horror writers have met an equal,
if not superior in this genre. I have become
one of his fandom in just a few hours.

Enjoy readers!!!

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first book in this series was a fun horror novel. This book holds up well. The first book is necessary to following the story line of this novel. The atmosphere carries over well, and there is plenty to shock and interest you in this book. Flashbacks to previous periods still feature heavily. I'm not really sure where the third book will go, but it will be worth a look.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never ever tire of Michael Brays books. As soon as I pick them up to start reading them I know that im going to be hooked for the next couple of days. This is the second book in the whisper books, and it is just as good and exciting as the first one. Im so glad I found this talented Author. He sets out to write and deliver to the reader and that's exactly what he does. As long as he writes , then I will continue to happily read his books

[Jamie Eastman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As good as the first

As good as the first

I think I may have liked the first one a bit better, but this was decent, I liked that there were different characters and it didn't jump all over the place but had a steady slip into each person, hopefully the next one will be as good.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

When I read whispers I didn't realize it was the beginning of a trilogy. When I found echoes I was ecstatic. This series is everything you could want. Not so much gory but a lot of supernatural horror which I love. The ending I admit did make me tear up a little. I cannot wait to read the third book.

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Echoes, the 2nd in this series, and I have already gone and downloaded book 3 (a big advantage of reading ebooks rather than waiting for a paper copy to come in the mail), cause I want it NOW! This was great, spooky, creepy place, disturbing people, gore, nature, someone to root for....so off I go into a new chapter of this story.
Toodles.

[Carmski Pescod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the trilogy & it's getting better, darker & creepier, I now can't wait for the last book. It's very cleverly written & it grips you from the first book Whispers. A very talented author with one excellent trilogy that is a must read.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from LibraryThing as an Early Reviewer. I really enjoyed this book. It is a very well written horror story. I will be waiting for the next book in this series to come out. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes a good scare.

[Christine Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow

not expecting as good as the first, definitely surprised to find myself just as addicted to get to the ending as I was the first. the story flies by and leaves you wanting more. now to wait for the third book to finish the tale! well done!