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Crescendo
A man, haunted by a family curse, is taken beyond the limits of his sanity to a realm where he has no control over his actions or his fear. James Adams lived a normal life in a New York suburb before the demons dwelling within him awoke from their slumber to reveal unspeakable horror and prophesize his future — his destiny. Crescendo is a novel about fate and the lengths we will travel to avoid the inevitable. Set in tranquil Rockland County, New York, this tale of suspense and horror will take its reader on an emotional roller coaster of anger, anxiety, compassion, and indelible fear.
- GenresHorror
348 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
7 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
L. Marie Wood
50 books99 followersL. Marie Wood is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is the recipient of the Golden Stake Award for her novel The Promise Keeper, as well as the Harold L. Brown Award for her screenplay Home Party. Her short story, "The Ever After" is part of the Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax's Daughters. Wood was recognized in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 15 and as one of the 100+ Black Women in Horror Fiction. Wood holds an MFA in Speculative Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University and serves as the Director of Curricula for the Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction (DWASF.org). She is also the Director of the horror track for MultiverseCon.
Visit lmariewood.com to learn more.
Visit lmariewood.com to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 9, 2017
https://bryanonion.com/2017/04/10/sum...
L. Marie Wood’s Crescendo: Welcome Home, Death Awaits is a “spiral into insanity” story. Its protagonist James is dealing with an ancestral curse, either paranormal affliction or mental illness (or both). He is wracked with paranoia and instability since the strange death of his best friend Peter’s wife, Susan, with whom he had a longstanding affair. James’ wife, Andrea, is caring but increasingly fearful of James’ volatile behavior. As if this were not enough, after revealing the truth to Peter, who knew all along but kept his feelings under close guard, Peter becomes bitter and vengeful toward James. Soap opera exchanges of allegiances and resentment occur between the three in the novel’s more grounded plotline. Meanwhile, James is experiencing increasingly horrific, gory flashbacks from his father’s past and seeing disturbed visions of what may be an inescapable destiny.
My view of Crescendo is that it is A) well-written insofar as good prose is concerned, but B) could have been about 50 pages long. I had to skim a great deal of this novel simply because very little actually happens for a great deal of it. The story doesn’t so much progress as go back and forth, between those chaotic bloody passages and the soap opera love triangle, and little of substance develops between the two until the very end.
The characters are just flat, which wouldn’t have been a problem if, again, the novel had been significantly shorter. Peter, in particular, has quasi-sympathetic motivations but becomes something of a cartoon villain in his actions. Andrea doesn’t really do much but offer a connection through which the two men tug-o-war, more plot device than character. James has the most backstory, but not much sense of personality. He’s more of an onlooker, someone to whom things happen rather than someone who makes things happen.
I really enjoyed the establishment of the plot in Crescendo. The mystery of what the hell is going on with James is compelling, his visions are creepy, and the suburban erotic problems just enough of a complementary conflict to James’ insanity that it works. I just don’t think it was executed as well as it might have been. The novel just goes on and on without much plot development. Bits and pieces of the secret behind James’ curse-thing are revealed, when they could have been dropped in much more quick succession and gained a lot more plot momentum as a result. It felt like L. Marie Wood was uncertain about how to proceed with the novel, perhaps unconfident in making a huge shift in the story’s rhythm, and so kept things going pretty much on a flat repeat till the finale.
The writing is again quite good, repetitious though it may be. About the first 25-30% of the novel I was wholly absorbed. Shame then that it lost me from there, made it a struggle to proceed. Not enough changed. We started with marital strife and creepy visions and continued to get marital strife and creepy visions. These plotlines didn’t interweave and complicate. Rather, it was James going back and forth between being sympathetic and losing his mind, some show of Andrea being worried, and Peter being broody and violently resentful of James. Too much of the novel just ran with this cycle of moods and thought bubbles with minimal progress toward anything.
I’d love to check out L. Marie Wood’s short fiction (in fact, her piece in the black horror fiction anthology Dark Dreams, edited by Brandon Massey, is fantastic), because when this novel was superb only when it didn’t overstay its welcome. It just didn’t bring enough to keep my attention for a full length novel.
L. Marie Wood’s Crescendo: Welcome Home, Death Awaits is a “spiral into insanity” story. Its protagonist James is dealing with an ancestral curse, either paranormal affliction or mental illness (or both). He is wracked with paranoia and instability since the strange death of his best friend Peter’s wife, Susan, with whom he had a longstanding affair. James’ wife, Andrea, is caring but increasingly fearful of James’ volatile behavior. As if this were not enough, after revealing the truth to Peter, who knew all along but kept his feelings under close guard, Peter becomes bitter and vengeful toward James. Soap opera exchanges of allegiances and resentment occur between the three in the novel’s more grounded plotline. Meanwhile, James is experiencing increasingly horrific, gory flashbacks from his father’s past and seeing disturbed visions of what may be an inescapable destiny.
My view of Crescendo is that it is A) well-written insofar as good prose is concerned, but B) could have been about 50 pages long. I had to skim a great deal of this novel simply because very little actually happens for a great deal of it. The story doesn’t so much progress as go back and forth, between those chaotic bloody passages and the soap opera love triangle, and little of substance develops between the two until the very end.
The characters are just flat, which wouldn’t have been a problem if, again, the novel had been significantly shorter. Peter, in particular, has quasi-sympathetic motivations but becomes something of a cartoon villain in his actions. Andrea doesn’t really do much but offer a connection through which the two men tug-o-war, more plot device than character. James has the most backstory, but not much sense of personality. He’s more of an onlooker, someone to whom things happen rather than someone who makes things happen.
I really enjoyed the establishment of the plot in Crescendo. The mystery of what the hell is going on with James is compelling, his visions are creepy, and the suburban erotic problems just enough of a complementary conflict to James’ insanity that it works. I just don’t think it was executed as well as it might have been. The novel just goes on and on without much plot development. Bits and pieces of the secret behind James’ curse-thing are revealed, when they could have been dropped in much more quick succession and gained a lot more plot momentum as a result. It felt like L. Marie Wood was uncertain about how to proceed with the novel, perhaps unconfident in making a huge shift in the story’s rhythm, and so kept things going pretty much on a flat repeat till the finale.
The writing is again quite good, repetitious though it may be. About the first 25-30% of the novel I was wholly absorbed. Shame then that it lost me from there, made it a struggle to proceed. Not enough changed. We started with marital strife and creepy visions and continued to get marital strife and creepy visions. These plotlines didn’t interweave and complicate. Rather, it was James going back and forth between being sympathetic and losing his mind, some show of Andrea being worried, and Peter being broody and violently resentful of James. Too much of the novel just ran with this cycle of moods and thought bubbles with minimal progress toward anything.
I’d love to check out L. Marie Wood’s short fiction (in fact, her piece in the black horror fiction anthology Dark Dreams, edited by Brandon Massey, is fantastic), because when this novel was superb only when it didn’t overstay its welcome. It just didn’t bring enough to keep my attention for a full length novel.
November 12, 2017
James Adams thought all of his nightmares ended years ago along with his childhood. What a shock when they began again shortly after his lover died a horrible death. These nightmares were unlike any that he had experienced before. James’ father had experienced bad dreams too before he committed suicide. But then his father was crazy. That’s what everyone told him.
James always wondered if his father’s mental illness would reveal itself in him too. He never talked about his father to anyone except his wife, Andrea, and his best friend Peter. Even with them he would say little about the circumstances surrounding his father’s suicide. When his own nightmares began he didn’t know if he was going insane or if his demon tormentors were real. But they couldn’t be real, could they?
Secrets. James, Andrea, Peter and Peter’s wife, Susan, all had secrets. Secrets swirled inside James’ head. Secrets swirled outside, touching each of them and changing things forever.
Ms. Wood takes the reader into the life and mind of a tortured man. Are his demons real or imaginary? Are they just figments of his sick imagination or evil beings that seek to destroy him. She shows us how quickly a comfortable, normal life can be changed into something quite beyond normal.
This is Ms. Wood’s first novel and hopefully, the first of many to come.
James always wondered if his father’s mental illness would reveal itself in him too. He never talked about his father to anyone except his wife, Andrea, and his best friend Peter. Even with them he would say little about the circumstances surrounding his father’s suicide. When his own nightmares began he didn’t know if he was going insane or if his demon tormentors were real. But they couldn’t be real, could they?
Secrets. James, Andrea, Peter and Peter’s wife, Susan, all had secrets. Secrets swirled inside James’ head. Secrets swirled outside, touching each of them and changing things forever.
Ms. Wood takes the reader into the life and mind of a tortured man. Are his demons real or imaginary? Are they just figments of his sick imagination or evil beings that seek to destroy him. She shows us how quickly a comfortable, normal life can be changed into something quite beyond normal.
This is Ms. Wood’s first novel and hopefully, the first of many to come.
February 23, 2021
So happy I found this one!
June 13, 2018
I was looking forward to reading/listening to this book and it started about as weird as I had expected. Then it lost me. I was unable to get into it. I felt that it could have been about half the size and made a greater impact. The narration was a little lackluster for me as well. I tried speeding it up but it didn't help much. I loved the decent into madness and the little twists here and there, but I thought there was too much repetitive filler in between to satisfy me. Don't get me wrong, there were some really interesting parts in there. I loved the "flashbacks" and James chatting it up with his ancestors. The relationships in the book were burdensome, however.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.
January 10, 2023
This was an awesome book. It keeps you guessing. And every time I felt I had a grip on what was going on in this poor man's broken mind, and even more broken life, I would be set back with some new twist or turn. Sometimes I give a higher star rating based on writing quality or uniqueness of concept concept even when I don't personally enjoy it (because let's face it, personally liking a book is subjective), but this one earned 5 stars across the board. It was exactly what I needed to start the new year!
January 23, 2022
This book has it all! Possession across generation with past relatives determining your fate are intermingled with the jealousy of a friend and his love. With an intermixing of horror and failed friendship, prepare for a terrifying tale of the failure of a friend and the takeover of someone's mind and soul. This is a read you won't find very often. Definitely worth the read!
April 10, 2023
The story delves into James's risk of mental illness and follows his fear during his normal routine before he acts upon his nightmares. The narrative is descriptive and not a casual read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 13, 2021
Blech.
July 1, 2018
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This was a surprisingly good listen for me last month. The story was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat for a long time. Its got a creepy factor that doesn't let up. I loved listening to it and was entertained.
What I disliked about the book -
I think the book ran for a tad too long. With slightly better editing, the story could've been told in shorter duration.
Narration -
Narration was done very well by Gary Bennett. His delivery made this already intense book that much more gritty.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This was a surprisingly good listen for me last month. The story was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat for a long time. Its got a creepy factor that doesn't let up. I loved listening to it and was entertained.
What I disliked about the book -
I think the book ran for a tad too long. With slightly better editing, the story could've been told in shorter duration.
Narration -
Narration was done very well by Gary Bennett. His delivery made this already intense book that much more gritty.
May 31, 2018
Riveting!
Crescendo is an “on the edge of your seat” book. The journey of the main character as they fall into insanity kept me wanting more. So much so that I read the book in one sitting. L. Marie Wood’s ability to draw me into the world of the supernatural is what keeps bringing me back and has me checking Amazon in anticipation of her next new book or short story. I highly recommend this book AND this author!
Crescendo is an “on the edge of your seat” book. The journey of the main character as they fall into insanity kept me wanting more. So much so that I read the book in one sitting. L. Marie Wood’s ability to draw me into the world of the supernatural is what keeps bringing me back and has me checking Amazon in anticipation of her next new book or short story. I highly recommend this book AND this author!
July 25, 2018
Audible:This was a really good book!It was full of family angst and ghosts.Gary Bennett was a fine narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews