What do you think?
Rate this book
Town & Train
In a small Ontario town, seventeen-year-old John Daniel wakes by the railroad tracks with no recollection of how he got there. Something called him from his bed. Officer David Forester, a recent transfer from Toronto, struggles to fit into the local police force, despite resistance from established circles. Both soon suspect a more pervasive and menacing collusion occurring in town when an antique steam train arrives late in the night. At the phantasmal engine, a conductor promises the desperate locals escape from their town dying with so many closed stores and shattered dreams--but there is no denying what the stranger really brings is the stuff of nightmares.
495 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2014
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
James K. Moran
8 books8 followersJames K. Moran’s fiction and poetry have appeared in various Canadian, American and British publications, including Bywords, Glitterwolf: Halloween, Empty Mirror Magazine, Icarus, On Spec, Postscripts to Darkness 3, and The Rolling Darkness Revue. His debut horror novel, Town & Train, is available from Lethe Press. A longtime contributor to Daily Xtra, Moran’s articles and reviews have also appeared in a wide variety of media, including Arc Poetry Magazine, Daily Xtra, Matrix Magazine, the Ottawa Citizen and Rue Morgue. He lives and dreams in Ottawa, Canada.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 2, 2017
A slice of small-town Americana, spliced with horror, is always going to be a satisfying mix. The two seem to compliment each other, as they do here when various characters who want to escape their hum-drum existence, accidentally summon a snorting demon from the gates of Hell.
The author has an interesting style, letting the reader get to know each character in short, sharp well-observed snippets, so you care about them before he starts killing them off. There is David, new-to-the-area cop and closeted bisexual, who is tasked with solving the mystery of the train and the disappearance of various townspeople. He’s seen it, but no-one seems inclined to believe him. And there is teenage dirtbag John, a bullied, wannabe metalhead who refuses to be a victim, courting his chief tormentor’s girlfriend. That tormentor is Cutter, soon-to-be undead metal freak responsible for most of John’s miseries. John wakes up by the rail tracks to see Cutter and his pals being whisked away to undoubtedly certain death.
The real villain of the piece is the titular demonic chuff that turns up at seemingly random times, after the sultry conductor “hears the townspeople’s call.” This was a bit tenuous, to be honest. I didn’t get a sense of rhythm or a build-up to when this would happen. The reason for it to turn up in the first place is also a little thin. After all, surely wanting economic wealth and growth for a town isn’t a bad thing? But doing anything to get it, including protecting odious individuals from just punishment IS a bad thing, which made sense. When people start disappearing, it is obvious that something strange is going on. When one person seems to be alive and normal, but isn’t, that is an idea that could have been expanded further before the confusing finale. Yet the train is genuinely menacing, and there are some great atmospheric scenes that make up for hiccups in the plot.
Which was a little hit and miss. The subplot of Grant and his mistress ended somewhat unsatisfactorily, as most affairs do, and I couldn’t see the tie-in with the main plot. It was all a little too neat. The town pedo also didn’t seem to get the reward he was no doubt entitled to. Interesting that there was some attempt to make him sympathetic, but we make our choices, and for me, that didn’t work. In places, I found the denouement to be a little incoherent, especially towards the end, necessitating a couple of reads to make sure I understood it – I’m still not sure I do. Some major characters just seemed to disappear, without the neat ending. This seems a contradiction, but there are times when tying everything up is okay, and times when it isn’t. In this book, the lines are blurred.
Having said that, I loved the inventiveness of the plot, the building of atmosphere, the genuinely scary moments a la James Herbert or Stephen King. There are Koontz-esque scenes of banal normality set against an increasingly glowering backdrop, and a sense of impending doom as both David and John independently try to figure out how to prove that the town is being haunted by a ghost train from hell. And the characters, apart from the nasty ones, are genuinely likeable. Although David drinks WAY too much and still seems to function perfectly well.
So, a little uneven in places, but with characters to care about, and a genuinely frightening antagonist, set against the backdrop of a dying town overshadowed by a stinking paper mill, this has atmosphere by the bucketload and enough scares to give a late-night shiver.
The author has an interesting style, letting the reader get to know each character in short, sharp well-observed snippets, so you care about them before he starts killing them off. There is David, new-to-the-area cop and closeted bisexual, who is tasked with solving the mystery of the train and the disappearance of various townspeople. He’s seen it, but no-one seems inclined to believe him. And there is teenage dirtbag John, a bullied, wannabe metalhead who refuses to be a victim, courting his chief tormentor’s girlfriend. That tormentor is Cutter, soon-to-be undead metal freak responsible for most of John’s miseries. John wakes up by the rail tracks to see Cutter and his pals being whisked away to undoubtedly certain death.
The real villain of the piece is the titular demonic chuff that turns up at seemingly random times, after the sultry conductor “hears the townspeople’s call.” This was a bit tenuous, to be honest. I didn’t get a sense of rhythm or a build-up to when this would happen. The reason for it to turn up in the first place is also a little thin. After all, surely wanting economic wealth and growth for a town isn’t a bad thing? But doing anything to get it, including protecting odious individuals from just punishment IS a bad thing, which made sense. When people start disappearing, it is obvious that something strange is going on. When one person seems to be alive and normal, but isn’t, that is an idea that could have been expanded further before the confusing finale. Yet the train is genuinely menacing, and there are some great atmospheric scenes that make up for hiccups in the plot.
Which was a little hit and miss. The subplot of Grant and his mistress ended somewhat unsatisfactorily, as most affairs do, and I couldn’t see the tie-in with the main plot. It was all a little too neat. The town pedo also didn’t seem to get the reward he was no doubt entitled to. Interesting that there was some attempt to make him sympathetic, but we make our choices, and for me, that didn’t work. In places, I found the denouement to be a little incoherent, especially towards the end, necessitating a couple of reads to make sure I understood it – I’m still not sure I do. Some major characters just seemed to disappear, without the neat ending. This seems a contradiction, but there are times when tying everything up is okay, and times when it isn’t. In this book, the lines are blurred.
Having said that, I loved the inventiveness of the plot, the building of atmosphere, the genuinely scary moments a la James Herbert or Stephen King. There are Koontz-esque scenes of banal normality set against an increasingly glowering backdrop, and a sense of impending doom as both David and John independently try to figure out how to prove that the town is being haunted by a ghost train from hell. And the characters, apart from the nasty ones, are genuinely likeable. Although David drinks WAY too much and still seems to function perfectly well.
So, a little uneven in places, but with characters to care about, and a genuinely frightening antagonist, set against the backdrop of a dying town overshadowed by a stinking paper mill, this has atmosphere by the bucketload and enough scares to give a late-night shiver.
December 25, 2025
A book for those who dreamed of being more than their small town. Ancient pacts have soured and a phantom train takes its due. Cinematic and emotionally resonant, Town & Train is a beautiful Canadian story.
August 10, 2015
I wish I could give this book a better rating.
I'm a bit confused as to why the author named the town "Brandon" when everything is precisely Cornwall. Anyone who lives there, lived there, or visits on a regular basis can imagine every location Moran has put into this book. I know where the kids were at the track, I know where they bike around. This fictional "Brandon" isn't actually fictional at all, but a real town.
So let me state that if you do know Cornwall, whether you like the town or hate it, you will enjoy this book solely because you'll recognize EVERYTHING. I mean, right down to the corner store/video rental store out past Domtar. That's how spot on Moran visualizes the town.
Moran also depicts the mentality of those who live there, mostly the younger generations. Right down to calling the place a hole. This is precisely how folks feel about Cornwall growing up, and as such, that mentality was a great way to wrap a horror story into.
The plot itself was pretty decent. A very good horror novel with a large cast of interesting characters.
But I DO have issues with it. And my biggest one is that this book DESPERATELY needed an editor and it seems no one bothered to find one. The entire novel is littered with misplaced words, typos, extra words like "to" and reversed words, confusing the reader. It was a big enough problem that I noticed it and commented within the first 15 pages.
For instance, on pg 8: "What it is this place called again, anyway?"
The author also seemed to only vaguely suggest a time frame for when this all took place. And he kept referring to people in their mid 20s as kids, then turning around and referring to other people the same age as adults.
So really, this book gets only 3 stars because it wasn't ready for publication. But if it had been without so many errors, I would have likely given it 4 stars based on originality, plot development, and nostalgia.
I'm a bit confused as to why the author named the town "Brandon" when everything is precisely Cornwall. Anyone who lives there, lived there, or visits on a regular basis can imagine every location Moran has put into this book. I know where the kids were at the track, I know where they bike around. This fictional "Brandon" isn't actually fictional at all, but a real town.
So let me state that if you do know Cornwall, whether you like the town or hate it, you will enjoy this book solely because you'll recognize EVERYTHING. I mean, right down to the corner store/video rental store out past Domtar. That's how spot on Moran visualizes the town.
Moran also depicts the mentality of those who live there, mostly the younger generations. Right down to calling the place a hole. This is precisely how folks feel about Cornwall growing up, and as such, that mentality was a great way to wrap a horror story into.
The plot itself was pretty decent. A very good horror novel with a large cast of interesting characters.
But I DO have issues with it. And my biggest one is that this book DESPERATELY needed an editor and it seems no one bothered to find one. The entire novel is littered with misplaced words, typos, extra words like "to" and reversed words, confusing the reader. It was a big enough problem that I noticed it and commented within the first 15 pages.
For instance, on pg 8: "What it is this place called again, anyway?"
The author also seemed to only vaguely suggest a time frame for when this all took place. And he kept referring to people in their mid 20s as kids, then turning around and referring to other people the same age as adults.
So really, this book gets only 3 stars because it wasn't ready for publication. But if it had been without so many errors, I would have likely given it 4 stars based on originality, plot development, and nostalgia.
January 9, 2017
Again, here’s another book that’s been on my “to review” pile for quite some time. The reason why I’m so late reviewing this has to do with the fact that — full disclosure — Ottawa author James K. Moran is a friend. I guess I kind of envied the fact that a friend had published his first horror novel while my short fiction manuscript has kind of languished unpublished. Professional rivalry, I suppose. The other thing, too, was that I was worried that if I invested time reading the book and didn’t like it, would I be on the hook for calling out a friend? So I kind of left this one on the backburner, and I’m sorry that I did.
Even though James and I are friends — we don’t see each other as much as we should owing to the fact that he has a kid, and I don’t (a scenario that makes it hard to schedule get-togethers) — I want to be clear and say that Town & Train has first novel problems. It is not a perfect book. I’ll delve into that a little later, but I will say that the novel is intriguing. Playing like a cross between Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, and owing more than a little debt to early Joe Hill, Town & Train is a thinly veiled semi-autographical work of fiction, set in the year 1990, that pulls a great deal from the author’s upbringing in Cornwall, Ontario. You see, the book is about a dying town named Brandon that’s basically a stand-in geographically for Cornwall.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
Even though James and I are friends — we don’t see each other as much as we should owing to the fact that he has a kid, and I don’t (a scenario that makes it hard to schedule get-togethers) — I want to be clear and say that Town & Train has first novel problems. It is not a perfect book. I’ll delve into that a little later, but I will say that the novel is intriguing. Playing like a cross between Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, and owing more than a little debt to early Joe Hill, Town & Train is a thinly veiled semi-autographical work of fiction, set in the year 1990, that pulls a great deal from the author’s upbringing in Cornwall, Ontario. You see, the book is about a dying town named Brandon that’s basically a stand-in geographically for Cornwall.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
December 9, 2015
Small towns hold secrets. Because people in small towns tend to have the potential to know everything about their neighbours, secrecy is a big issue in small town life and people in small towns guard their secrets carefully. Small towns are often places of conformity, where being in any way outside the ‘normal’ is seen as a threat, a danger, and a challenge to the status quo.
James K. Moran’s Town & Train explores the rising tide of secrets in small towns and the notion that dirty laundry always eventually gets aired. Town & Train is shaped by an aesthetic of longing, a compounding of desires: the desire to leave the small town of Brandon, Ontario, for better opportunities, the desire for a sense of contact with others, a connection, the desire to keep secrets about the types of connections one is making, the desire to just change something, and the competing desire to just keep things the same and resist changes seen to be dangerous.
To read a longer version of my review, visit my website at http://speculatingcanada.ca/2015/04/0...
James K. Moran’s Town & Train explores the rising tide of secrets in small towns and the notion that dirty laundry always eventually gets aired. Town & Train is shaped by an aesthetic of longing, a compounding of desires: the desire to leave the small town of Brandon, Ontario, for better opportunities, the desire for a sense of contact with others, a connection, the desire to keep secrets about the types of connections one is making, the desire to just change something, and the competing desire to just keep things the same and resist changes seen to be dangerous.
To read a longer version of my review, visit my website at http://speculatingcanada.ca/2015/04/0...
May 16, 2015
I thought James K. Moran's book was a perfect balance of elements, from descriptions to character personalities and development, to more subtle aspects such as plot and narration. The undertone builds slowly and subtly, taking you to a very satisfying end. The style reminds me of earlier Stephen King. All-in-all, a truly satisfying read.
Read
January 22, 2018I read the first 50 pages of this novel and found no interest in finishing it. While the premise is intriguing, the writing has a lot of first-novel problems and could have used significant polish. Aside from the prologue, the first section I read contained a lot of random people whining about the state of their town while a train whistles in the distance. Slice of life, rather than plot. Might appeal to readers more interested in atmospheric books.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews