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Thrift Store Puzzles
Ken Allenwood is a man being devoured, from the inside out, one memory at a time. A once famed horror writer who now spends his days in an elder care facility waiting for the breath that will be his last and hoping he'll retain at least some memories from his long and unusual life. Ken is over 130 years old...or is he? Has the unraveling fabric of his mind tangled with the threads of his fictive endeavors?
Elijah is a boy who adores all things spooky, a boy who spends the bulk of his time alone, his single mother juggling jobs to keep a roof overhead and food in their bellies. Eli occupies his days, hanging out at the home across the street with his uncle/pal, Tierny, one of Mr. Allenwood's many carers as well as Allenwood himself. Afternoons filled with cheesy scary movies and the old man's recollective stories (while he is still able to tell them).
Then a change comes to the little town on Cordry. The killings are vicious and devoid of pattern, almost. When Elijah tells Ken about them, the old man grows fearful and decides to use his unreliable windows of focus to help his friends figure out what is going on and who or what is behind the murders.
A monster has come to roost in their midst. A creature that craves blood and possibly much more, inheritance of a sort, acknowledgment. A monster from the very dark recesses of Allenwood's mind, a horror very old and very bitter. The things we create have a tenacity, a stubborn strength and a very vicious bite. And no debt glares harder than one owed the heart.
Elijah is a boy who adores all things spooky, a boy who spends the bulk of his time alone, his single mother juggling jobs to keep a roof overhead and food in their bellies. Eli occupies his days, hanging out at the home across the street with his uncle/pal, Tierny, one of Mr. Allenwood's many carers as well as Allenwood himself. Afternoons filled with cheesy scary movies and the old man's recollective stories (while he is still able to tell them).
Then a change comes to the little town on Cordry. The killings are vicious and devoid of pattern, almost. When Elijah tells Ken about them, the old man grows fearful and decides to use his unreliable windows of focus to help his friends figure out what is going on and who or what is behind the murders.
A monster has come to roost in their midst. A creature that craves blood and possibly much more, inheritance of a sort, acknowledgment. A monster from the very dark recesses of Allenwood's mind, a horror very old and very bitter. The things we create have a tenacity, a stubborn strength and a very vicious bite. And no debt glares harder than one owed the heart.
140 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2025
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408 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 10, 2025
It's a fact that John Boden's work almost always makes me cry and it was no different with this novella, Thrift Store Puzzles.
Young Elijah has a lot of time on his hands, as his single mom is nearly always working. He often kills time by visiting his uncle Tierny who works at the nearby rest home. He also visits a patient there named Ken. Ken is suffering from a form of dementia, but he and Elijah develop a real friendship. As Ken's mind deteriorates, Elijah's uncle Tierny becomes interested in a series of local murders. It becomes a frequent topic of discussion between the three, (when Ken is having a good day), but as the days while away, Ken shares a secret he has kept all his life. A secret that not only affects Ken, but also the world surrounding him, and maybe it involves the murders as well. What was Ken's secret? You'll have to read this to find out!
John Boden's prose is as great as always. He has a way of putting together words that create a clear and vivid scene in the reader's eye. He often writes sentences that are so moving, sometimes it feels like they are piercing your heart. I grew up as an only child, in an area where there were no other children around. When I came across this portion where Ken was talking about his life, it brought back that time in my life.
My loneliness wasn't by choice, but I felt how large solitary can really be.
John Boden's writing is challenging to describe, therefore it is always challenging to me when it comes to reviewing his work. This was a wonderful, yet sad and poignant novella, as is often the case with john. The dichotomy of a young man coming of age and an old man coming to terms with the loss of his mind and the end of his life was stark, yet also somehow beautiful.
Once again, I finished with tears in my eyes. It wasn't an all-out ugly cry, like when I finished his book Snarl, but there were tears, nonetheless. John Boden never fails to move me and I hope that you will give him a chance to move you too.
Highly recommended!
Book source: Purchased
Young Elijah has a lot of time on his hands, as his single mom is nearly always working. He often kills time by visiting his uncle Tierny who works at the nearby rest home. He also visits a patient there named Ken. Ken is suffering from a form of dementia, but he and Elijah develop a real friendship. As Ken's mind deteriorates, Elijah's uncle Tierny becomes interested in a series of local murders. It becomes a frequent topic of discussion between the three, (when Ken is having a good day), but as the days while away, Ken shares a secret he has kept all his life. A secret that not only affects Ken, but also the world surrounding him, and maybe it involves the murders as well. What was Ken's secret? You'll have to read this to find out!
John Boden's prose is as great as always. He has a way of putting together words that create a clear and vivid scene in the reader's eye. He often writes sentences that are so moving, sometimes it feels like they are piercing your heart. I grew up as an only child, in an area where there were no other children around. When I came across this portion where Ken was talking about his life, it brought back that time in my life.
It's been a very long life and the bulk of it, it seems, I've been alone. Mostly by choice, but solitary is a lonely word and a very large place to be.
My loneliness wasn't by choice, but I felt how large solitary can really be.
John Boden's writing is challenging to describe, therefore it is always challenging to me when it comes to reviewing his work. This was a wonderful, yet sad and poignant novella, as is often the case with john. The dichotomy of a young man coming of age and an old man coming to terms with the loss of his mind and the end of his life was stark, yet also somehow beautiful.
Once again, I finished with tears in my eyes. It wasn't an all-out ugly cry, like when I finished his book Snarl, but there were tears, nonetheless. John Boden never fails to move me and I hope that you will give him a chance to move you too.
Highly recommended!
Book source: Purchased
March 11, 2025
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Thank you to the author for approving my request, and netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ken allenwood is an author by profession. What's interesting and something which draws people to him, is the fact that he's super old. Ancient even. He's had dementia, and a rather weird past. And Elijah, a 13 yr who has way too much spare time on his hands, often comes to meet Ken. Spending his time listening to the threads Ken weaves for him, sometimes believing them and sometimes not. Tierney, who's a relative of Elijahs’ ,is a caretaker at the elderly home, where Ken resides. Eventually, Ken's dementia progressing. With gruesome murders taking place, Elijah and Tierney grow curious as well as worried, about to the fact that Ken might have an underlying connection to them. Almost, as if it's a puzzle, they begin to connect the pieces of Ken's rambles to the horrible events that creep closer, adding in their own interpretations.
What I liked:
1. The writing!! The prose was beautiful. I also loved how bible- esque the prose was in the beginning. Authentic.
2. Plot: kept me wondering and deducing all the while I was reading.
3. The length: With the perfect amount of pages, this was binge-able, and a great read to pick up after a bad slump.
4. The horror and the gore were vivid. Loved it.
What I disliked:
1. The last plot twist: My deductions were wrong, and highly off mark, yet, I felt a bit underwhelmed with the ending. But it made sense.
Genuinely good read!
Thank you to the author for approving my request, and netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ken allenwood is an author by profession. What's interesting and something which draws people to him, is the fact that he's super old. Ancient even. He's had dementia, and a rather weird past. And Elijah, a 13 yr who has way too much spare time on his hands, often comes to meet Ken. Spending his time listening to the threads Ken weaves for him, sometimes believing them and sometimes not. Tierney, who's a relative of Elijahs’ ,is a caretaker at the elderly home, where Ken resides. Eventually, Ken's dementia progressing. With gruesome murders taking place, Elijah and Tierney grow curious as well as worried, about to the fact that Ken might have an underlying connection to them. Almost, as if it's a puzzle, they begin to connect the pieces of Ken's rambles to the horrible events that creep closer, adding in their own interpretations.
What I liked:
1. The writing!! The prose was beautiful. I also loved how bible- esque the prose was in the beginning. Authentic.
2. Plot: kept me wondering and deducing all the while I was reading.
3. The length: With the perfect amount of pages, this was binge-able, and a great read to pick up after a bad slump.
4. The horror and the gore were vivid. Loved it.
What I disliked:
1. The last plot twist: My deductions were wrong, and highly off mark, yet, I felt a bit underwhelmed with the ending. But it made sense.
Genuinely good read!
May 15, 2025
John Boden is special. He's often referred to as a 'horror' author. But, in fact, his books are so much more.
March 6, 2025
3.5 stars *This ARC was provided by Netgalley.
The writing of this book was phenomenal. I wanted to highlight every other sentence simply because the prose read so well. The characters were also incredibly fleshed out. The biggest reason for the mid rating was that the ending wasn't what I wanted. There were signs that the story would end one way and it ended a bit more predictably than I'd hoped, but it still read well for a hundred-something-page horror story. I enjoyed reading it, and I would read it again, but I wanted a bit more of a *gasp* plot twist than what I received. Overall, a wonderful story told.
The writing of this book was phenomenal. I wanted to highlight every other sentence simply because the prose read so well. The characters were also incredibly fleshed out. The biggest reason for the mid rating was that the ending wasn't what I wanted. There were signs that the story would end one way and it ended a bit more predictably than I'd hoped, but it still read well for a hundred-something-page horror story. I enjoyed reading it, and I would read it again, but I wanted a bit more of a *gasp* plot twist than what I received. Overall, a wonderful story told.
June 26, 2025
This was fantastic! I was engrossed in this masterfully done story. The pacing is great and I like how it has short chapters. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to John Boden, Dead Sky Publishing and NetGalley and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2025
3.5 stars. An incredibly solid horror story that I found myself reaching for again quickly after each time I had to set it aside. The writing was good, and the characters were great. I loved the horror scenes and their descriptions. Overall, the story reminded me a bit of King’s story “Low Men in Yellow Coats” (which I love) while still managing to feel like it was entirely its own thing.
My only point of criticism is that I think this truly would have been a 4.5 or 5 star tale for me if it had been longer and more fleshed out— I wanted more details and more scenes. It could have been bigger. Now, it didn’t need to be—I still enjoyed it—but I would have loved if it had been.
Final note: the scene where the monster is attacked with a hockey stick felt very reminiscent of Joaquin Phoenix in Signs, a film which I love with my whole heart and will not watch alone. Read this story if you’re a horror fan and want a good, quick weekend read.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital review copy.
My only point of criticism is that I think this truly would have been a 4.5 or 5 star tale for me if it had been longer and more fleshed out— I wanted more details and more scenes. It could have been bigger. Now, it didn’t need to be—I still enjoyed it—but I would have loved if it had been.
Final note: the scene where the monster is attacked with a hockey stick felt very reminiscent of Joaquin Phoenix in Signs, a film which I love with my whole heart and will not watch alone. Read this story if you’re a horror fan and want a good, quick weekend read.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital review copy.
May 24, 2025
This was a book I picked by the cover, being a puzzles aficionado.
It's actually rather clever in its use of the concept and the title, likening it to an old person with fading memory.
But point is, I had no idea what to expect. And, lo and behold, it turned out to be quite decent. If you detect the element of surprise there, you are absolutely right. Indie genre scene usually tends to disappoint, veering much too heavily in cliched, guts-and-gore direction.
Boden, to his credit, not only made a credible effort of doing something new with a staked-to-death vampire theme but also tried to do it in somewhat literary manner.
The author definitely has a style. The best I can describe it as rustic lyricism. Not entirely my thing, but I can appreciate it. Yes, it is at times overdone, but it's unique, and originality (in both plot and style) is certainly more than most current offerings on the scene throw your way. Thanks Netgalley.
It's actually rather clever in its use of the concept and the title, likening it to an old person with fading memory.
But point is, I had no idea what to expect. And, lo and behold, it turned out to be quite decent. If you detect the element of surprise there, you are absolutely right. Indie genre scene usually tends to disappoint, veering much too heavily in cliched, guts-and-gore direction.
Boden, to his credit, not only made a credible effort of doing something new with a staked-to-death vampire theme but also tried to do it in somewhat literary manner.
The author definitely has a style. The best I can describe it as rustic lyricism. Not entirely my thing, but I can appreciate it. Yes, it is at times overdone, but it's unique, and originality (in both plot and style) is certainly more than most current offerings on the scene throw your way. Thanks Netgalley.
May 11, 2025
This was... weird. I enjoy a good piece of descriptive writing and this was certainly vivid, but at times the writing was messy and overdone. The plot was interesting as a look at the affects of dementia and of hiding a truth inside yourself, but it was also a bit heavy-handed. Not for me overall, but not a bad story.
With thanks to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing.
With thanks to NetGalley and Dead Sky Publishing.
December 3, 2025
Monsters come in a variety of forms. In THRIFT STORE PUZZLES we get two for the price of one, and each are as different as the other. Friendships play a roll here too, as well as loss and a heartbreak as brutal as it is quick. It is a testament to Boden’s talent that such a powerful story exists in the amount of pages that it does. Highly recommend.
July 1, 2025
It took a little bit to get started, but I thought the ending was great. It's stuck with me (a month after finishing), very visual and just the right amount of gore. Plus that cover is excellent, happy to have it in my collection.
December 30, 2025
3 and a half stars rounded down. I enjoyed the mystery and atmosphere, but it really just didn’t stick the landing for me. Chapter 30 is in competition for the grossest thing I’ve ever read though, so there’s that!!
March 19, 2025
Review to come...
September 7, 2025
Thrift store puzzles by John boden. This book is so different. It’s dark and sad story about boy visiting an old man with dementia. I enjoyed the book.
February 4, 2026
Dark and beautifully human, Boden wields grief like a scalpel. A different kind of monster, woven into a tale of human connections.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews