What do you think?
Rate this book
Tye
From the Award-Winning Author who brought you the best selling, Clifford's War
Darius and Marcus Tye, traumatized by their father, found it difficult to cope with the tragic loss of their mother at his hands Despite efforts to find solace in group homes and foster care, the brothers could not escape the shadows of their troubled past, which led them to a life of crime, employment from a sinister mafia family, and hunted by the authorities for the nefarious bloodshed they left in their wake.
** Contains scenes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and extreme violence. **
Darius and Marcus Tye, traumatized by their father, found it difficult to cope with the tragic loss of their mother at his hands Despite efforts to find solace in group homes and foster care, the brothers could not escape the shadows of their troubled past, which led them to a life of crime, employment from a sinister mafia family, and hunted by the authorities for the nefarious bloodshed they left in their wake.
** Contains scenes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and extreme violence. **
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2024
29 people are currently reading
2861 people want to read
About the author
J. Denison Reed
6 books102 followersJ. Denison Reed, born in New Jersey, currently lives in Virginia with his wife, children, and their cats, Spencer and Guster. As a child, He enjoyed creating short stories and poems. He joined the Army after graduating high school which started his career as a Network Engineer. With story-telling always on his mind, J. Denison would write very short and creative, two-paragraph stories or short poems in station logs, work logs, and trouble tickets purely for other's amusement.
In addition to writing, J. Denison enjoys creative outlets like photography and making candles.
He even co-owns a small candle company with his wife.
In addition to writing, J. Denison enjoys creative outlets like photography and making candles.
He even co-owns a small candle company with his wife.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 16, 2025
TYE
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is an interesting and action packed thriller. There’s a lot of emotion and darkness packed into this book.
The story is about the Tye brothers, Darius and Marcus and their lives. The book goes through events and different traumas that happened to the brothers as children all the way through and into adulthood.
There’s a lot of intense scenes thought this book and the story goes into great detail of how these brothers get into a wild and crazy life of crime.
It’s an entertaining and deep read!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is an interesting and action packed thriller. There’s a lot of emotion and darkness packed into this book.
The story is about the Tye brothers, Darius and Marcus and their lives. The book goes through events and different traumas that happened to the brothers as children all the way through and into adulthood.
There’s a lot of intense scenes thought this book and the story goes into great detail of how these brothers get into a wild and crazy life of crime.
It’s an entertaining and deep read!!
October 2, 2025
Darius and Marcus Tye are two brothers who had a hard start in life. Tragedy strikes, and they end up in the foster care system. Darius, being the older brother, looks out for his very troubled brother, Marcus, and they stick together, embarking on a life of crime and later joining the lower ranks within a mafia family, working their way up as dependable henchmen, or so it seems.
The raw emotions of grief and darker, more violent scenes are depicted well. I really enjoyed the first half of the story. A few areas need to be tightened up a little in the middle, and the ending left me wanting more as it was abrupt, so I will check out the rest of the series.
Overall, I would recommend this book, and I felt the character development was great.
The raw emotions of grief and darker, more violent scenes are depicted well. I really enjoyed the first half of the story. A few areas need to be tightened up a little in the middle, and the ending left me wanting more as it was abrupt, so I will check out the rest of the series.
Overall, I would recommend this book, and I felt the character development was great.
September 26, 2024
Whoa. TYE is a bit darker than J Denison Reed's other works, which I've enjoyed. With that said, I believe this is his best work to date. I found it interesting that he chose to do a prequel on characters that didn't seem to be very important in his debut novel. The Tye Brothers were, in fact, very important, and their story will leave you feeling empathy for them.
This was a quick read and intense at times. The reader may also find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the pages.
I'm not familiar with his co-author, Elliot Emerson, but I hope they create more stories together and I will be on the lookout for anything they write, together or separate.
This was a quick read and intense at times. The reader may also find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the pages.
I'm not familiar with his co-author, Elliot Emerson, but I hope they create more stories together and I will be on the lookout for anything they write, together or separate.
October 12, 2024
Wow!
I couldn't put this book down. Looking forward to reading more about the Tye brothers. Dinner is sandwiches. Lol. I'll be reading
I couldn't put this book down. Looking forward to reading more about the Tye brothers. Dinner is sandwiches. Lol. I'll be reading
September 14, 2024
A raw, highly memorable dark psychological thriller about a pair of killers borne out of domestic abuse. Recommended for fans of Bret Easton Ellis and Jeff Lindsay.
The prequel to J. Denison Reed’s Clifford’s War series details the dark journey of two brothers, Darius and Marcus Tye. Set in 1990s rural Kentucky, the boys’ controlling father, Colby, insists on an unnatural level of respect on the family farm. Sadistic and paranoid, disturbing aggressions abound, such as not giving the kids gloves when doing heavy farm work, or tripping them, presumably to toughen them up.
The boys’ mother, Margaret, attempts to protect the boys while taking the brunt of her husband’s physical and sexual abuse. Colby, meanwhile, fantasizes about beating nearly every woman he meets into his version of acceptable female submission. At home, he realizes those fantasies in the form of raping, choking and whipping his wife. It’s a powder keg that ends one fateful night when the boys realize their father has finally taken things too far.
Despite the eventual intervention of extended family members and foster care, the brothers – now physically and psychologically damaged beyond repair – drift into a life of crime. Reed pulls no punches as he depicts the teenagers’ struggle to survive through gritty, dark circumstances. The struggle becomes especially poignant as the foster system that is intended to help them becomes the enemy, and Reed succeeds wildly as he depicts their plight with both sympathy and horror.
Reed holds the entry of his series hero, private investigator Clifford Dee, until the book’s final 20%. The intrepid PI begins his investigation by following a rumored killer to the edge of the woods before declaring, “I think this is how horror movies start out,” and wisely backing off. After collecting the proof his employer hired him to get, he’s offered a down payment on his next assignment — a truly indecent proposal that will leave readers turning the pages breathlessly until the book’s final shocker.
While TYE shares thematic similarities to both American Psycho and Dexter, Reed’s depictions of domestic violence feel uniquely realistic. Expect Reed’s cinematic depictions of abuse to be seared into your memory longer after turning the last page.
The prequel to J. Denison Reed’s Clifford’s War series details the dark journey of two brothers, Darius and Marcus Tye. Set in 1990s rural Kentucky, the boys’ controlling father, Colby, insists on an unnatural level of respect on the family farm. Sadistic and paranoid, disturbing aggressions abound, such as not giving the kids gloves when doing heavy farm work, or tripping them, presumably to toughen them up.
The boys’ mother, Margaret, attempts to protect the boys while taking the brunt of her husband’s physical and sexual abuse. Colby, meanwhile, fantasizes about beating nearly every woman he meets into his version of acceptable female submission. At home, he realizes those fantasies in the form of raping, choking and whipping his wife. It’s a powder keg that ends one fateful night when the boys realize their father has finally taken things too far.
Despite the eventual intervention of extended family members and foster care, the brothers – now physically and psychologically damaged beyond repair – drift into a life of crime. Reed pulls no punches as he depicts the teenagers’ struggle to survive through gritty, dark circumstances. The struggle becomes especially poignant as the foster system that is intended to help them becomes the enemy, and Reed succeeds wildly as he depicts their plight with both sympathy and horror.
Reed holds the entry of his series hero, private investigator Clifford Dee, until the book’s final 20%. The intrepid PI begins his investigation by following a rumored killer to the edge of the woods before declaring, “I think this is how horror movies start out,” and wisely backing off. After collecting the proof his employer hired him to get, he’s offered a down payment on his next assignment — a truly indecent proposal that will leave readers turning the pages breathlessly until the book’s final shocker.
While TYE shares thematic similarities to both American Psycho and Dexter, Reed’s depictions of domestic violence feel uniquely realistic. Expect Reed’s cinematic depictions of abuse to be seared into your memory longer after turning the last page.
May 4, 2025
Tye is a powerful and emotional prequel to Clifford’s War. It follows the Tye Brothers as they grow up in a violent home, leading them into a life of crime. The story is intense,
showing how early trauma can shape lives in dark and dramatic ways.
Dennison Reed and Elliot Emerson do a great job building strong characters and a believable backstory. The book sets up the world to Clifford’s War introducing main characters
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction, emotional stories, and complex characters.
showing how early trauma can shape lives in dark and dramatic ways.
Dennison Reed and Elliot Emerson do a great job building strong characters and a believable backstory. The book sets up the world to Clifford’s War introducing main characters
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction, emotional stories, and complex characters.
November 7, 2025
Great book from start to finish!
When I started reading this book, I was immediately drawn into the story. Darius and Marcus Tye had a traumatic childhood, first at the hands of their father and then being bounced around in foster care.
Ultimately, the brothers are led to a life of crime and end up working for a mafia family.
This book is well written and will definitely keep your interest. Though it is book 3 in the series, it can be read first, last, or as a standalone.
Highly recommend! I will definitely be reading the other 2 books in the series!
When I started reading this book, I was immediately drawn into the story. Darius and Marcus Tye had a traumatic childhood, first at the hands of their father and then being bounced around in foster care.
Ultimately, the brothers are led to a life of crime and end up working for a mafia family.
This book is well written and will definitely keep your interest. Though it is book 3 in the series, it can be read first, last, or as a standalone.
Highly recommend! I will definitely be reading the other 2 books in the series!
November 11, 2025
TYE By J. Denison Reed! I was swept up from the very beginning as two brothers witness a tragedy!
Trauma and abuse spiral 🌀 into deep emotions and the brothers cling to one another to find peace and solace!
Through group homes and foster care the shadows of the past haunt them, gripping them into a web of inner turmoil, turbulent despair and the desperate need to free themselves and live a better life!
Lose yourself in the chapters!
Fast paced but emotional and deep read that has your heart clinging for the BEST and your mind losing hope and your soul Hits THE ENDING!!
Trauma and abuse spiral 🌀 into deep emotions and the brothers cling to one another to find peace and solace!
Through group homes and foster care the shadows of the past haunt them, gripping them into a web of inner turmoil, turbulent despair and the desperate need to free themselves and live a better life!
Lose yourself in the chapters!
Fast paced but emotional and deep read that has your heart clinging for the BEST and your mind losing hope and your soul Hits THE ENDING!!
February 10, 2025
So close to 5 stars! There were some holes that didn't quite add up or make sense, editing errors (wrong character name in a certain scene, misspelled words, etc.), and the ending was very abrupt and confusing. However, the book was a page turner, and the story was captivating from beginning to end. Not my normal genre or type of book, but I met the author locally and had to give it a try! I'm glad I did.
May 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't decide if I felt bad for the brothers or not. They were a product of their circumstances to a degree. I was continually shocked by this story! Marcus was a piece of work! I'm not sure if he was more damaged by his brain injury or by seeing his mother die. I do feel like, maybe, Darius would have been better off without him. I would love to read more! I will be going back and reading book 1!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2025
This is such a gut wrenching story! Your mind will turn and your heart will break for and with Marcus and Darius Tye. Their tragic childhood shapes the men they become. J Denison and Elliott were able to pull your heart strings and absolutely make your heart race with adrenaline during this. The ending leaves you desperate for book 2.
October 23, 2024
I was a winner of this book through the Goodreads giveaway. This book combined horror, suspense, mafia, child and domestic abuse and a rollercoaster of events. I read this book in one day. I felt like I was watching a movie in my mind.
February 10, 2025
I wasn’t familiar with this storyline or the characters before reading the book. It was an intense illustration of how a troubled childhood can devolve into a deeply troubled, super messed up adulthood.
Thanks goodreads for the giveaway
Thanks goodreads for the giveaway
October 30, 2024
A dark read that keeps you VERY intrigued! Loved it!
November 16, 2024
I was winner of Goodreads give away. Great book- dark psychological with mob, nice boys turned bad as consequences of domestic violence.
December 12, 2024
The first half had me hooked, the second half not so much as they got more involved with "the family". Good book regardless.
February 27, 2025
Dark & Memorable!
Well Done!
Well Done!
October 4, 2025
Cool story about the Tye Brothers.
September 29, 2025
An absolute MUST READ by Reed! 😳
If you’ve read “Brother” by Ania Ahlborn you need to grab this one!
Follow the young Tye brothers as they face tragedy and their ruthless world growing up to young men. Held together by blood and strength to face the life they’ve been given, the only world they know.
Reed depicts exactly how a serial killer is created and the lengths family will go to keep the secret.
The character development is incredible, making you ache for these poor boys who know nothing but corruption and destruction. You’ll find yourself breathless through heartache after heartache. 💔
Do yourself a favor and grab this one but be sure to hold on to the edge of your seat and buckle up for the thrill of your life. 🎢 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’ve read “Brother” by Ania Ahlborn you need to grab this one!
Follow the young Tye brothers as they face tragedy and their ruthless world growing up to young men. Held together by blood and strength to face the life they’ve been given, the only world they know.
Reed depicts exactly how a serial killer is created and the lengths family will go to keep the secret.
The character development is incredible, making you ache for these poor boys who know nothing but corruption and destruction. You’ll find yourself breathless through heartache after heartache. 💔
Do yourself a favor and grab this one but be sure to hold on to the edge of your seat and buckle up for the thrill of your life. 🎢 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 28, 2025
“Tye” by J. Dennison Reed and Elliot J. Emerson is a raw, gut-wrenching read. It follows the heartbreaking descent of two brothers, Darius and Marcus, from abused kids to hardened criminals. The trauma they endure is brutal and unflinching—this isn’t an easy read. I found myself feeling empathy even when I didn’t want to, and that’s the power of this story. Dark, intense, and emotionally heavy—definitely not for the faint of heart, but absolutely gripping.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews