What do you think?
Rate this book
Wellspring
Aiden Royce’s journey to an isolated New England hillside raises specters from his past. But a chance encounter alters the course of his future. A future he never dreamt possible.
In the span between the Great War and the Great Depression, Aiden Royce loses both family and fortune. He has nothing left but memories and regrets until a series of letters arrive; incoherent ramblings written by a familiar hand that nevertheless offer Aiden some important clues.
Months later he’s roaming the grounds of the crumbling Cebren Spa, a once posh destination, but now an empty shell of mystery and menace.
One saving grace in this perplexity is the handsome Sebastian Desmond, a descendant of the spa’s founders. He rescues Aiden from a storm, but in doing so opens up a different sort of tempest when secrets unravel and both men’s lives are torn asunder.
Can decades-old questions be answered, and a burgeoning and venturesome relationship prosper in the shadows of a once restorative wellspring?
In the span between the Great War and the Great Depression, Aiden Royce loses both family and fortune. He has nothing left but memories and regrets until a series of letters arrive; incoherent ramblings written by a familiar hand that nevertheless offer Aiden some important clues.
Months later he’s roaming the grounds of the crumbling Cebren Spa, a once posh destination, but now an empty shell of mystery and menace.
One saving grace in this perplexity is the handsome Sebastian Desmond, a descendant of the spa’s founders. He rescues Aiden from a storm, but in doing so opens up a different sort of tempest when secrets unravel and both men’s lives are torn asunder.
Can decades-old questions be answered, and a burgeoning and venturesome relationship prosper in the shadows of a once restorative wellspring?
- GenresHistoricalMystery
252 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
27 people want to read
About the author
Barry Brennessel
32 books42 followersWhen Barry’s first collection of stories was read aloud by his second grade teacher, the author hid. As the years flew by, he wrote more, hid less (not really), and branched out to Super 8 films and cassette tape recorders. Barry’s audience—consisting solely of friends and family—were both amused and bemused.
Since those childhood days, Barry has earned degrees in English and French from the State University of New York College at Brockport, and a Master of Arts in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University.
Tinseltown, a Finalist in the 24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, is Barry’s first novel. His novel The Celestial won the Gold Medal in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards and was a Finalist in the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Reunion, a collection of linked stories, was a Finalist in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards.
His work has appeared in SNReview, Perspectives, Time Pilot, Liquid Ohio, Nocturnal Lyric, Midnight Times, Gival Press’s ArLiJo, and Polari Journal. His stories, novels and teleplays have won awards, including a 2008 Pushcart Prize nomination; 3rd Place in the 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) literary contest and finalist status in the 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013 PNWA contests; 3rd Place in the 79th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and a winning entry in the 2013 WILDSound Screenplay competition.
When not embroiled in his own writing, Barry sips wine, nibbles on chocolate, and watches films and TV—both the classic and the cheesy. (Mmm…cheese!)
http://barrybrennessel.com/
Since those childhood days, Barry has earned degrees in English and French from the State University of New York College at Brockport, and a Master of Arts in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University.
Tinseltown, a Finalist in the 24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, is Barry’s first novel. His novel The Celestial won the Gold Medal in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards and was a Finalist in the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Reunion, a collection of linked stories, was a Finalist in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards.
His work has appeared in SNReview, Perspectives, Time Pilot, Liquid Ohio, Nocturnal Lyric, Midnight Times, Gival Press’s ArLiJo, and Polari Journal. His stories, novels and teleplays have won awards, including a 2008 Pushcart Prize nomination; 3rd Place in the 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) literary contest and finalist status in the 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013 PNWA contests; 3rd Place in the 79th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and a winning entry in the 2013 WILDSound Screenplay competition.
When not embroiled in his own writing, Barry sips wine, nibbles on chocolate, and watches films and TV—both the classic and the cheesy. (Mmm…cheese!)
http://barrybrennessel.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 15, 2014
I really enjoy this historical suspense novel. The plot is intriguing and suspenseful as our hero searched for his long lost brother after receiving a 1918 dated letter in 1933. The setting of the story is most unusual and such vivid descriptions. Imagine an abandoned hill resort with its cabins linked together by underground tunnels fed by a sulphur spring. Tunnels or canals which men can get lost in or used for their own innocent or nefarious ends. The plot is tightly paced with many thrilling scenes as layers of mysteries are peeled away and I thought the flashbacks are well done and interesting as so much of Aiden's tragic family background is revealed. The focus is on the mystery shrouding the ruins and Aiden's missing brother who is somehow ensnarled in it. There is really not much time given to the romance between Aiden and Sebastian which is rather instant. But the lack of romantic development is more than made up by the very original and suspenseful plot. And I really like the feeling of the Great Depression after WWI and the years before WWII in the story. The writer did make up for the lack of romance in the last few chapters after the climax which had me at the edge of my seat. Speaking of the climax I still feel sad by what happened to two of the secondary characters. I wish the writer could have been kinder. On the other hand it is not something I would forget any time soon. As for Aiden and Sebastian they certainly deserve their lives together. Great read.
April 24, 2025
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
This is a book that has a creepingly slow plot and a very clumsy pacing. Much of the book takes place over three days, and then the final ten percent covers a few chapters that jump weeks, months, and years ahead, with the romance between Aiden and Sebastian happening in the final few scenes. This book is almost all telling. Aiden has neither a character arc nor character growth. The romance is paper thin and only in the final chapters — and even then it’s more about proximity than personality — and all in all, I struggled to stay interested.
Read Elizabeth's review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
This is a book that has a creepingly slow plot and a very clumsy pacing. Much of the book takes place over three days, and then the final ten percent covers a few chapters that jump weeks, months, and years ahead, with the romance between Aiden and Sebastian happening in the final few scenes. This book is almost all telling. Aiden has neither a character arc nor character growth. The romance is paper thin and only in the final chapters — and even then it’s more about proximity than personality — and all in all, I struggled to stay interested.
Read Elizabeth's review in its entirety here.
June 7, 2015
4.5 Stars Rounded Up
Review at http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
Review at http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews