The Town Where Echoes Linger

The Town That Shouldn't Exist #2

by Boris Bacic

An alternative cover edition can be found here

The blizzard was only the beginning.
As the blizzard finally subsides, the town faces a new a devastating earthquake that splits the earth surrounding the town and bringing with it a wave of nightmares and hallucinations. With tensions already at a boiling point, the town is on the brink of anarchy.

The true terror, however, lies beyond their shattered streets. As the snow recedes, a hidden city emerges in the distance, an ominous specter signaling an inevitable conflict. The survivors must not only wrestle with their own crumbling trust and the town's relentless challenges but also face the threat from the mysterious city, a doom they are hopelessly unprepared to combat.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery

425 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2024

Reviews

[John Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tension has reached boiling point!

Wow, what a fantastic read! Book 2 of the trilogy begins to answer some of my earlier questions. Just what the town's inhabitants are really up against being the most important. They now have allies (of sorts) and have overcome their enemies in a bloody fight that cost many good people their lives. How on earth do they now prepare themselves for what is coming? The townsfolk now find themselves up against a supernatural creature straight out of their worst nightmare. The final book in the trilogy will, hopefully, explain how the people were transported to this 'reality'. Are they suffering a mass delusion, have they already died and this reality is the afterlife, or are they the subject of a cruel hoax? Is time linear or circular in this reality - an important question? This Is a beautifully written, character driven, story that I highly recommend.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a crazy series so far, left on another cliffhanger… the second book gets a lot darker than the first… can’t wait to see what the final book is like.

[Kate | Date With A Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy creepy vibes!!! And religious cult fanatics!!! 🙌

This was the second installment in The Town That Shouldn’t Exist series and picks up where the first book left off. The town is recovering from the devastation after the earthquake and quickly discovers another city, home to a fanatical religious cult! The townspeople also become plagued with similar nightmares that are true nightmare fuel!!!! 🫣🫨

This series has been amazing so far and I can’t wait to check out the third installment in the series next month!!! 🙌

Thank you to Boris Bacic for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️

[🥀 Rose 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes! Love it when the second book in a trilogy is not just a filler but actually moves the story along and this one delivers! A much more layered and more mysterious than the first one.

Now that the town has solved its snow problem and destroyed its entity, they hope to be able to be safe and finding a way out. Nope! Things only get worse! Earthquake, giant crevasses and finding out there is another town out there. Only the town like theirs is worse than what they were dealing with before.

These books are crazy good and I’ll be diving straight into book 3! What an incredible page turner. I’m adding this author to my list of must reads!

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Towns

The snow is finally gone. The townspeople think they can escape. They are wrong. At night, everyone has nightmares. There is another town in the distance. Can they get to it? Things are changing, but is it for the better. Will they escape the town? Pulse pounding tale.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are messed up, but I love them!

[Christina Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Town Where Echoes Linger by, Boris Bacic delivers a haunting blend of psychological horror and supernatural elements. The story revolves around a mysterious town where reality seems warped, and every attempt to escape drags the characters deeper into the town’s dark secrets. Bacic crafts an unsettling atmosphere with vivid descriptions and a creeping sense of dread that grows with every chapter.

The strength of the story lies in its pacing and suspense. It starts with a subtle unease that builds into full-blown terror. Bacic's writing makes you question what's real, mirroring the characters' confusion and fear. The twists are unexpected but not over-the-top, which keeps the narrative grounded while still being terrifying.

It's one of those books where you want to keep turning pages, even when you’re a little scared to find out what happens next. I highly recommend you get book two! 📖

[chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Enjoyed it overall and am continuing to enjoy this series. I really liked the addition of Caleb, and I found his chapters to be the most interesting. I do feel like this book was slightly less cohesive and polished than the first one but I realise there was probably a lot to cram in to set up for book 3. I also think it needs a final editing polish - there were a few times I noticed sentences repeating with almost identical words, and some of the characters’ internal monologues felt unnecessarily long. Other than that though this is a really gripping storyline and I can’t wait to find out how it ends. Onto the next one!

[Paul Flint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Boris Bacic, from his Town series. There's a third one too. Yet to read that one. As a horror enthusiast I appreciate this a lot. Very intense and a scary, exciting read. 5 stars

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book jumped right into the action. The reader is introduced to the members of the other small town in the area. These people have to follow the Prophet. He controls everything in their lives…everything. Including giving them false information about the other town. This town was made out to be horrible sinners. This means the people under the Prophet know nothing of the people except the lies of the Prophet.

What happens next is appalling. It never ceases to amaze me how people are so willing to follow someone with no questions asked. I was part of a cult when I was a child and most of what I remember was how we were going to hell. My parents were required to burn books, albums and anything else that might be ‘of the devil’. This author is spot on with his descriptions of how people in the town behaved. My parents were under complete control of our Preacher. If anyone refused to do what he asked they were asked to leave the church. Then ex members were ostracized within the regular community. When my father began to question things going on…we left and also had to leave the city we lived in. I just remember being a frightened child. I did not view religion as a safe place. So this book struck a nerve and I had flashbacks. I am looking forward to book 3 so that hopefully some questions will be answered. This author’s books are always a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.

[AHZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 for this one. After walking into town with the first book in this series, I was excited to continue with the mysteries. The author writes exceptionally well and knows how to capture a reader. Though this second book didn't disappoint, it took quite a detour from the first book's supernatural elements to explore men's defective character. It was more action-oriented and expanded on the landscape, but it made little progress in unraveling the mystery of the place.

Since most of the action occurs in the book's second half, I believe it could have been shortened in certain areas to remain under 300 pages.

I'll now march on to the third and final book in the series. I hope all the mysteries are answered.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destroying the entity which is holding them captive in the town makes the situation even worse. A disastrous earthquake hits the town with too many deaths. Then to add to the disaster, there is a new threat from a town called Elysian Garden who are cultists brainwashed by Prophet Lucien who orders them to exterminate all the people in the town. How can the townspeople survive this new threat? Are they forever doomed? I was totally captivated by the brilliant plot and the description of the events in the town.

[S K · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect sequel

Would you like to know what comes after the winter madness? The author really kept me on the edge , similar to the acclaimed FROM series( for which I am still waiting for a sequel ), Boris’ eerie atmosphere gave me the chills like in a perfectly scripted James WAN, The conjuring movies! I am sure this trilogy will be a instant success Netflix\Prime\Hulu\HBO success !

[Karen Brooks - TheTxLitChic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Town Where Echoes Linger (The Town That Shouldn't Exist Book 2)
- Boris Bacic

Bacic's The Town Where Echoes Linger continues to be a standout with its blend of paranormal and psychological thriller elements. His engaging writing captivates readers with characters who resonate deeply, especially in the audiobook version, which features outstanding narrators.

The Town Where Echoes Linger is the second installment in a three-part series that plunges readers in a town defying the usual constraints of reality, where the mundane intersects with the extraordinary. Bacic presents a storyline examining how a community might operate beyond conventional limits.

Following a deadly conflict beneath the church that eliminated the entity responsible for the nightly fatalities among the town residents, the blizzards subsided, bringing about changes in temperatures and clearing of the snow. These changes also caused seismic tremors that create vast crevasses surrounding the town. The tension within the town reaches a critical juncture as inhabitants are now plagued by dreadful nightmares each night.

The discovery of another town has ignited a intensity among the residents who are eager to uncover more information. The pressing question remains: will these new threats and enduring tensions serve to unite the community in confronting the unknown?

Bacic includes themes of isolation and identity in his writing, creating an atmosphere that reflects these concepts. His descriptive writing provides detailed images of the town and its residents, building a sense of tension and suspense related to the surrounding mysteries. The pacing includes moments of quiet reflection mixed with periods of intrigue and tension.

The characters' dialogue reveals their vulnerabilities and motivations, making them relatable. Each character adds depth to the story, which spans human experiences from misery to hope, allowing readers to connect with their journey.

The Town Where Echoes Linger continues to feature a narrative that combines basics of horror, drama, and psychological suspense. Readers are swayed to reconsider their perception of reality and engage in theoretical reflections. The series will continue with the next installment, which will explore further developments for the town and its residents.

As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation by the author, present or future, for my review.

Thank you for following my reviews, your support and spreading the word of The Tx Lit Chic!

Karen aka The Tx Lit Chic
www.thetxlitchic.com

[hellblazer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minor spoiler alert.

So a bunch of people are trapped in this town literally in the middle of nowhere, provided with infinite supply of utilities plus reasonable amount of daily food. The drawback is that there are monsters coming to town at night to kill those who happen to be outside. At the end of the first season, residents of the town managed to solve the problem of being slowly but steadily slaughtered, or so they think. As the second season begins, they're hit with a new volley of problems, one of them being that everyone starts to have lucid nightmares, which get worse by the day. Injuries they suffer in these dreams are carried over to reality. Soon enough, people start to die in sleep.

Sounds familiar? I guess fans of the MGM+ show From would be like "Aha!" But no, I'm not talking about the show.

Like I said in the review for the first book in this series (The Town the World Forgot), the general setting and pacing of this story series are very similar to the show From. These similarities are maintained in the second book. Meanwhile, there are fundamental differences, the most prominent being that the centerpiece of The Town Where Echoes Linger is actually about dealing with a dangerous cult. To that end, it's very well written. I'd give this book a 4-star rating if not for the factor that...

The nightmares. I've finished this book and to my understanding, these nightmares serve NO PLOT PURPOSE AT ALL. They came out of nowhere (the reason given in the story is very unconvincing) and went away without anyone doing anything about it. The only reason why they're present in this story at all, I guess, is that the writer seriously wants to pay homage to the show, where the second season is all about people-killing nightmares.

So, final verdict, 3-star. Consider it one of the best 3-star books, though, especially if you've already finished the first book. C'mon, don't just stop there!

[coty ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, that's just... not at all the direction i expected this series to go. not sure if that's a good or a bad thing just yet. some improvements in bacic's approach to women but i think some of the cult aspects needed more polishing/better handling, especially the whole "massacring an entire room of pregnant women" scene, which was extremely harrowing but i don't think the weight of the moment was properly conveyed in the narrative. at least this book isn't afraid to use the word rape. the cult as a whole is definitely the weakest part of the book, though caleb is interesting (but i'm not a fan of how his awakening is just linked to the instalove with heather; could we have gotten more of a focus on the forbidden books he was reading? it didn't seem to ever provide an answer on who was supplying them. i mean i presumed it was father corey but then it?? didn't really seem like it??) overall the characters are VERY consistent throughout this book + book one + there are some definite and really interesting changes to their personalities based on what they experience that i think IS handled very well, and makes up for some of the weaker parts of/gaps in the lore. very interested to see how this manages to wrap up in book 3 (if that's the end?)

[Richard Mendenhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better or not

Upon finishing this book, my initial reaction was that it was pretty good but not as good as the first one. Then I started thinking about that and concluded maybe not. Much like the first book, it seemed like it could have been a little shorter. There seemed to be fewer characters to keep track of and there's an obvious reason for that. Anyway, I had a much better grip on who the characters were and what they were doing in this book. One thing that kind of bugged me was when one particular character was stabbed with a knife and was bleeding profusely then there was no more mention of it. The action was written well and easy to picture. The author was great describing what was going on with the possible exception of the ladders. I had trouble grasping those images. Well, I've read the first two books and have been pleased with both. Time to move on to book three, hoping it's as good as the first two.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the Town That Shouldn't exist trilogy. In this installment, the surviving townspeople we came to know in the first book must gear for battle with the cultists of Elysian Garden, under the sway of Prophet Lucien, while attempting to form a partnership with the inhabitants of the mysterious neighboring town.

Much like the first book, I felt this one could have been slimmed down; too much of the story felt like the book just spinning its wheels. Overall, it felt like what it is, the middle part in a story whose payoff we must wait for. That's not to say there isn't some good stuff here (I especially like getting into cults and people falling under the command of false prophets) , but I felt like it was a step down from the first book.

3.5/5 rounded down to 3/5

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book series so far

In my opinion, this has been the best book series that I have read so far. Book 1 was filled with so many questions and wonder. Book 2 (this book) had many answers but they also led to more questions. Many surprises and sad moments. The writer does a fantastic job of making us feel sorry for certain characters and hates others while loving some and questioning the motives of others. As I said in my review of the 1st book, this story reminds me a lot of the TV series "From" and the mini series of "The Stand". I would love for this to be a mini series. It would be great. Onward to book 3.

[Ebony Irby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was less about the town itself, and more about the elusive cult across the way. I'd say roughly 75% of the book is about them, and they kinda-sorta tie into the town in a obscure kind of way (it gets revealed at the end of the book. But we do get more insight into the group that Maya and Tom discovered. Their leader, Amanda, dropped a Huge bombshell on how they're all connected. How long her group has been there, and WHY Douglas group should just give up hope because they are NEVER leaving!

Hopefully book 3 brings everything together. Tho this book was good, it left more questions than answers.

[Kelsey Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Religious cults and a never-ending abyss? This series just got better.

The snow is gone but massive crevasses have opened up in the Earth making it almost impossible to travel. With the help of John's engineering skills, the residents have managed to make their way to the town out in the distance. What's waiting there is even worse than the blizzard. What's worse, humans or monsters?

Book two was quicker paced and had a lot more action. I'm really interested to see how Caleb intertwines with the town going forward! His storyline was my favorite besides Lorrie.

[AGilden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too much of the first 20% was spent on the consequences of events in the first book in the series. But once it got going on the new challenges the town faced, it was packed with action, violence, gore, and suspense. Throw in a crazy religious cult, a war, a love story, some heartbreak, and some supernatural something that we will probably only meet face-to-face in the final book, and you have an ambitious epic that is a worthy follow-on from the first volume. And the characters were just as engaging as in the first book. 4.5 stars.

[EliMess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Once the action starts it doesnt stop! This series was written really well im impressed and going to look into what else this author has written. First I gotta download the 3rd (and final) "Town" book so I can finish off the series. I like where things are going and am excited to see where everyone ends up. I really like the Tom&Maya duo, I like Nathan and Douglas together too. My fav character is gone now so wonder who will fill their place in the next one!

[Calvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery boxes galore

Apparently there's another town that no one knew about but the other town knew about the main one. This book is filled with more mystery boxes that are never solved. One character is given forbidden books, but it's never revealed who is giving the books. There's some pretty shocking character deaths and the third act is pretty good. But there's still a ton of unanswered questions and it's looking more and more like this series is turning into Lost

[Emziethebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite alot of stuff happening throughout book 2, wasn't expecting half of what a read throughout this one but it definitely had me guessing on every turn.
The characters were all still very good, felt bad for some of them and some I felt they sort of deserved what came to them.
The books plot was still really good too.
Sad that am almost finished this series but will definitely be looking into more from this author.

[Arminion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much better installment than the first book. The things are moving forward, we got some answers and there is a LOT of action, especially in the second half of the book. Also, Bacic isn't afraid to kill his characters which is interesting because it makes the stakes so much higher. The only thing that bothers me is that this whole cult thing seemed more like a side quest, another distraction, instead of actually focusing on getting out of the town. On to the last one.

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased to see this book answered some of the unanswered questions from the first. I enjoyed the addition of Caleb. He soon became one of my favorite characters. This book had some content I found triggering, and it had a lot of death, but I still loved it, and I didn’t waste any time picking up the next one.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first

This is some messed up reality for these poor people. And too find out how long this cyclic evil has been going on is crazy. Definitely some characters you're rooting for.

[Robert Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I was swallowed up by this book. Boris has a great mind. A great story with a great cast of characters. I recommend reading this to all except the young and those with weak stomachs.

[Nazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this one to drag a little compared to the first book. Not sure if it was the whole Elysian Garden part or just the drag of character development but I found I didn't want to pick it up as often as I did with book 1.

Still, I'll be reading book 3 to see how the town fairs next.