Those Left Behind

by Tom Deady, Steve Van Samson (Narrator)

On a rainy summer night in 2009, eleven-year-old Danny Beecher’s life changed forever. An intruder killed Danny’s family, along with his best friend, Brian. Danny survived, but at a cost.



Ten years later, Danny is released from The Lodge, a long-term mental health care facility. Against the wishes of his doctor, Danny returns to Millfield, MA. The town hasn’t changed much, but there’s something strange going on in Danny’s childhood home.



Donald Jacobs, former journalist turned true crime blogger, never believed the man convicted of the Beecher murders was guilty. When Jacobs hears of Danny’s return, he renews his commitment to find the real killer.



But there’s more to the Beecher murders than anyone could have guessed. Not all the victims are resting quietly. Is Danny's mental health failing as his doctor warned? Or is someone reaching from beyond the grave to avenge the murders before the killer can strike again?

Genres: Horror

Audible Audio

Published March 14, 2025

About the author

Tom Deady's first novel, HAVEN, won the 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. He has since published several novels and novellas. He has a Master's Degree in English and Creative Writing and is a member of both the Horror Writers Association and the New England Horror Writers Association. He resides in Arizona where he is working on his next novel.
Be sure to follow Tom on BookBub for the latest on sales: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tom-d...

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audible and even though it took me awhile to get through it I enjoyed the book. Definitely was not expecting that ending. We follow Danny through a traumatic incident and his journey, and meet up with some interesting characters.

[Courtney Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first few chapters and even was ok with the paranormal side of things. As the story went on, it just felt so juvenile and I hated the characters. When your favorite characters are dead, that should be a clue the book sucks. I was irritated with the amount of times someone held up their hand and the conversations between characters were awkward and did not flow well. I just ended up skimming the last 70% to see who the killer was. Who honestly could have gotten away with it, cause I don’t remember a damn thing pointing to them.
Big Yikes.

[Jodi Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!!!! Tom Deady is very cool!!

[Donna (BookDragonGirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the first few pages through to the end!!

I’ve never read anything by Deads, but when I saw the cover to this story and read the premise, I thought it sounded like something I need to read. I’M SO GLAD THAT I DID!!!

I bought the kindle and audible so I could whispersync. The narration was fantastic, although being from Massachusetts I swear I never hear actors get the Bostonian accent right, but this was better than most. But he did a great job narrating all the characters!

As for the story, IT IS AWESOME!!! I didn’t expect to pick it up and find it so hard to put down!! This Thriller was creepy and the descriptions mad it creepier. The mystery had me scratching my head trying to figure it out. It starts out really intense and then you’re totally invested!! That pacing keeps up throughout the story and therefore, like I said, you don’t want to put it down!!!

If you like this kind of Thriller, and I mean who doesn’t, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you check it out!!! It’s so AWESOME and I know you won’t regret it!! I definitely found a new author to read!!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Good

Totally unexpected, after his best friend and entire family is murdered...goes into a catonic state for several years. When he awakens, he knows what happened but doesn't remember anything about it. He stays in a psychiatric hospital until he is 21, then returns to his home, and everything begins to come together. By the last half of the book, you can't read fast enough it is so edge of your seat reading.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read

First time reading this author. I really enjoyed the book. Good rich characters and you can identify with each of them to varying degrees. I also like when a personality change occurs, it makes sense rather than one day it just happens. Definitely will look for more by author.

[Lisa Wigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I enjoyed this book because it did not have the usual predictable plots. There were a couple of times that I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong. Full of surprises.

[Barbara A. Micolochick · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best!!

I've read books and seen movies that I have figured out the ending about 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through. But this one was different!! Couldn't put it down! I just had to know who did it and why! If anyone loves a good mystery this is definitely one!!

[Linda Savok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most excellent read

I loved this book! Actually did keep me up, wonder what was going too happen next. I highly recommend reading this book.

[Katiria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toam Deady did it again, another fun thriller with amazing writing and spooky feelings.

[Karen Dandurant · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite type of stories are those involving ghosts. Tom Deady is a master at this genre and this book did not disappoint. He is one of my new favorite authors.

[elizabeth golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

This was a great page turner. Characters you can relate to. Highly recommend this one. Thanks Tom Deady! Best book I've read in awhile.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Mystery with a little ghost story thrown in. “Who done it” wasn’t super obvious and the characters and their struggles were believable and real.

[Chanda Shae Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

This is one of those books that make you forget you have stuff to do.. You will not be able to put this down until the mystery is solved..

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting and kept me reading, a little disappointed in the ending but overall enjoyed it.

[Jessica Wilkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe in ghosts?

The little weird feelings you get...premonitions. the sunlight hitting objects in a strange way? Daja vue. All leading you down a path to the unknown...

[Victorina · Rating 1 out of 5]

The best thing I can say is that the dog lives at the end. This poor attempt at a novel with character development ends in a deus ex machina wrap up that is lame and unfulfilling.

[renee w · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Bradly Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The is a wonderful tale that will keep you on your toes. Intriguing and suspenseful through out. Highly recommended!

[Lynsie Zapatka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. Good plot, decent characters, average ending, and some grammatical/spelling errors but overall really entertaining. Would read more by this author.

[Jerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up - This was a solid read. Written well. Flowed well.

[Tiffany Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I couldn't put it down, read the whole book in a day. Great plot, characters, and descriptive writing. Mystery, thriller and paranormal