What do you think?
Rate this book
In The Fog
Second Edition. Newly revised and edited April 2016.
What was real and what was fantasy?
When Frank and Dora Parker, in their Boston Whaler, are fly-fishing for trout one day in their hometown of Twin Valley, Oregon, ghostly fog begins to roll down from the mountains. With it comes a haunting scenario.
On the lakeshore, a mysterious woman emerges from the forest holding a large knife in her hand. Then a man steps out of the woods dragging, what to Frank Parker appears to be a dead body. However, only he observes this. His wife claims she doesn't see anything except fog and a desolate shoreline. How could that be? How could Frank Parker be witnessing a gruesome murder taking place and his wife, who was there in the boat with him, not see anything?
What was real and what was fantasy?
When Frank and Dora Parker, in their Boston Whaler, are fly-fishing for trout one day in their hometown of Twin Valley, Oregon, ghostly fog begins to roll down from the mountains. With it comes a haunting scenario.
On the lakeshore, a mysterious woman emerges from the forest holding a large knife in her hand. Then a man steps out of the woods dragging, what to Frank Parker appears to be a dead body. However, only he observes this. His wife claims she doesn't see anything except fog and a desolate shoreline. How could that be? How could Frank Parker be witnessing a gruesome murder taking place and his wife, who was there in the boat with him, not see anything?
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2015
858 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
John Meany
50 books14 followersA native of the New York-New Jersey Tri-state area, John has published multiple works of fiction. Most of his books are a distinctive blend of horror, suspense and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 14, 2020
"I don't get it why wont she answer me?" He wondered if, at any moment, other people might pop out of the forest. After all, who went hiking or camping by themselves?
In The Fog by John Meany
This is going to be a tough review to write because I did not like it all that much but I so respect the author's message.
So..in the interest of honesty, I must tell people this is really like two books. On the one hand, it is a mystery. And the premise is outstanding.
One day, out fishing in a boat, with his wife, an elderly man by the name of Frank, sees two people murder someone and dump the body in the water. But his wife, Dora, sitting right next to him, sees nothing. There is fog everywhere, swirling around , making it difficult to see. Did Frank really see what he thought he did? How is it Dora saw nothing? What is happening?
What a hook! I knew I had to have this book after reading the plot description. I started with high hopes.
Now I come to a sensitive subject..I said it was like two books. It is. See, Frank, the main character has Alzheimer's. And that changes the whole tone of the book.
As much as the mystery dominates the book, so too, does the subject of Alzheimer's. And being someone who has had alot of loss these last few years, I..how can I say this..I did not really want to read about illness at this time. I wish I had known BEFORE starting it, that this was to be a main focus of the book..as much as the mystery is.
So if you are someone who does not want to read about this particular illness right now..or does not want to read about anything with the themes of loss and death..you may have a tough time with this. I know I did. It isn't that the writing is bad. It's just that it is a bit of a bait and switch because this starts as a Hitchcock like mystery and delves into very different territory.
I adored Frank. You will too I think if you choose to read this. And maybe the themes that I had a tough time with, will resonate with someone else and make them more likely to read this.
In the fog isn't scary and though it starts off looking like an episode out of The Twilight zone (a good thing) it changes very quickly.
I did not like Frank's wife. I feel she was unduly tough on him. I mean..she really bothered me. She seemed to pick on him for no specific reason.
Alcoholism is also a major theme of the book. As I said, I respect the author's message. It is a bit of
a tearjerker, this book. But I was looking for something different then what I got.
I wish kind of that there had been two books. It was jarring too, the way the conversations were written. As others have mentioned there was way to much detail and so much time devoted to people not believing Frank or thinking he was crazy..it took much of my enjoyment away.
The mystery idea is such a fascinating one that I wish it had stayed an eerie foggy mystery. In spite of that I have to give the writer props for taking on a very difficult subject. So a three star rating it is.
In The Fog by John Meany
This is going to be a tough review to write because I did not like it all that much but I so respect the author's message.
So..in the interest of honesty, I must tell people this is really like two books. On the one hand, it is a mystery. And the premise is outstanding.
One day, out fishing in a boat, with his wife, an elderly man by the name of Frank, sees two people murder someone and dump the body in the water. But his wife, Dora, sitting right next to him, sees nothing. There is fog everywhere, swirling around , making it difficult to see. Did Frank really see what he thought he did? How is it Dora saw nothing? What is happening?
What a hook! I knew I had to have this book after reading the plot description. I started with high hopes.
Now I come to a sensitive subject..I said it was like two books. It is. See, Frank, the main character has Alzheimer's. And that changes the whole tone of the book.
As much as the mystery dominates the book, so too, does the subject of Alzheimer's. And being someone who has had alot of loss these last few years, I..how can I say this..I did not really want to read about illness at this time. I wish I had known BEFORE starting it, that this was to be a main focus of the book..as much as the mystery is.
So if you are someone who does not want to read about this particular illness right now..or does not want to read about anything with the themes of loss and death..you may have a tough time with this. I know I did. It isn't that the writing is bad. It's just that it is a bit of a bait and switch because this starts as a Hitchcock like mystery and delves into very different territory.
I adored Frank. You will too I think if you choose to read this. And maybe the themes that I had a tough time with, will resonate with someone else and make them more likely to read this.
In the fog isn't scary and though it starts off looking like an episode out of The Twilight zone (a good thing) it changes very quickly.
I did not like Frank's wife. I feel she was unduly tough on him. I mean..she really bothered me. She seemed to pick on him for no specific reason.
Alcoholism is also a major theme of the book. As I said, I respect the author's message. It is a bit of
a tearjerker, this book. But I was looking for something different then what I got.
I wish kind of that there had been two books. It was jarring too, the way the conversations were written. As others have mentioned there was way to much detail and so much time devoted to people not believing Frank or thinking he was crazy..it took much of my enjoyment away.
The mystery idea is such a fascinating one that I wish it had stayed an eerie foggy mystery. In spite of that I have to give the writer props for taking on a very difficult subject. So a three star rating it is.
May 27, 2015
One star - for intended message about Alzheimer's and Alcoholism.
This book needs a lot of constructive criticism - and I don't think I'm up to it. One thing, though - Oregon is NOT a pump your own gas state.
Conversations were not natural or logical. Story needs a lot of work to make all the good stuff come together in a much more cohesive way.
Sorry.
This book needs a lot of constructive criticism - and I don't think I'm up to it. One thing, though - Oregon is NOT a pump your own gas state.
Conversations were not natural or logical. Story needs a lot of work to make all the good stuff come together in a much more cohesive way.
Sorry.
November 5, 2017
A must read.
A very well written mystery. This book is hard to put down once you start it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.
A very well written mystery. This book is hard to put down once you start it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.
January 27, 2016
Frank and Dora Parker, a retired, elderly couple was out fishing in the nearby Lake Wakanda, as the fog rolls down from the mountains. On the lakeshore, Frank sees a girl who looks like Cameron Diaz, emerge from the woods. She is soaking wet with a knife in her hand. Frank tries to call her aloud to see if she needs any help but she can’t hear him. A man appears with her who has a mustache like Adolf Hitler and he takes the knife from the girl. He then stabs an unmoving object what appears from afar, to be a body wearing red jogging suit. Together they drag the body, weigh it down with sand bags, flip it into the boat and dump it in the water. Frank keeps telling Dora about what he sees. Dora, struggles to see through the thick fog but even with the help of binoculars, she is unable to see any person around them. She feels Frank’s mind is failing due to Alzheimer’s and wonders if he has once again taken to drinking.
The plot thickens when a dead body is pulled out of the lake by the police.
Read this gripping mystery to find out why only Frank could see through the fog and not Dora.
Complete review on: http://wp.me/p5VOch-cf
This is one solid mystery. The plot is well developed and intriguing. Editing could be better but for a good mystery lover, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It held my interest to the very end of the book.
I highly recommend this heart-wrenching story.
The plot thickens when a dead body is pulled out of the lake by the police.
Read this gripping mystery to find out why only Frank could see through the fog and not Dora.
Complete review on: http://wp.me/p5VOch-cf
This is one solid mystery. The plot is well developed and intriguing. Editing could be better but for a good mystery lover, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It held my interest to the very end of the book.
I highly recommend this heart-wrenching story.
January 9, 2018
The premise of the story is good, a man with dementia sees a murder across a foggy lake.
However, the writing is bad, the sentence structure is disjointed and doesn't flow.
The characters are in the main, caricatures.
The so-called procedures used by the police are laughable, so unbelievable.
If this is the highes rated book by John Meany then I won't bother reading any more
However, the writing is bad, the sentence structure is disjointed and doesn't flow.
The characters are in the main, caricatures.
The so-called procedures used by the police are laughable, so unbelievable.
If this is the highes rated book by John Meany then I won't bother reading any more
August 13, 2019
Poor
This book was so badly written gave up
after a few chapters I would not attempt to read any more by this author
This book was so badly written gave up
after a few chapters I would not attempt to read any more by this author
October 5, 2017
Easy read
This was a very easy comfortable read. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is that I found it quite predictable, and that some chapters were quite un needed for the storyline
This was a very easy comfortable read. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is that I found it quite predictable, and that some chapters were quite un needed for the storyline
August 22, 2015
There is an eerie presence that travels along with the mist as it creeps down the highlands toward the lake where Dora and Frank Parker are situated in their fishing boat. Then something uncanny takes place on the shoreline. Why didn’t Dora notice the woman, knife in hand, standing on the beach as well as the guy who looked like he was pulling a lifeless person along the shore-line? Frank views what looks like a deceased man in a red tracksuit, being flopped into a boat. Then the perpetrator drives the boat to the middle of the lake where he unloads the body. Frank saw it all. Frank can’t understand how his wife couldn’t see this horrible crime that took place. This is an attention-grabbing story―thrilling from its start to its conclusion. It has an inquisitive viewpoint of how, though an individual's thoughts and cognitive capacity could be faulty; it may not mean that they're entirely not there anymore. The title is well suited to this one!
May 19, 2015
Quick summer read
Overall I really enjoyed the story. My only complaint is the number of grammatical errors. Overuse of commas where they weren't needed, missing words and improperly placed periods distracted me for most of the book.
Overall I really enjoyed the story. My only complaint is the number of grammatical errors. Overuse of commas where they weren't needed, missing words and improperly placed periods distracted me for most of the book.
Read
October 17, 2019Mystery
I tend to agree with so many of the other reviews I read, the subject matter
is interesting but it reads like a 5th grade novel .
There really isn't much else I can say.
I tend to agree with so many of the other reviews I read, the subject matter
is interesting but it reads like a 5th grade novel .
There really isn't much else I can say.
November 11, 2019
MIGHT HAVE BEEN...
This is a near miss and a real shame. I gave up reading after the fifth chapter because too many poorly timed descriptions interfered with the flow. The pacing was jerky and there were three two many references to a character looking like Cameron Diaz. It made one feel that the author was more interested in a movie deal than his writing. The two stars were given because the plot seemed like a really good one but the writing threw it off and that's a real shame.
This is a near miss and a real shame. I gave up reading after the fifth chapter because too many poorly timed descriptions interfered with the flow. The pacing was jerky and there were three two many references to a character looking like Cameron Diaz. It made one feel that the author was more interested in a movie deal than his writing. The two stars were given because the plot seemed like a really good one but the writing threw it off and that's a real shame.
February 9, 2020
What to say..
Felt a bit like it was written by a first time author.
I won't go into the plot, the review before purchasing the book does that.
Juvenile bland dialogue,a iffy ploy, and, a Perry Mason like ending
I will not be resting this again . Nor,does it induce me to read more from this author.
I don't recommend this book.
Felt a bit like it was written by a first time author.
I won't go into the plot, the review before purchasing the book does that.
Juvenile bland dialogue,a iffy ploy, and, a Perry Mason like ending
I will not be resting this again . Nor,does it induce me to read more from this author.
I don't recommend this book.
February 23, 2021
Not sure what the point of this story was. Very uninspired writing. The entire structure of the book was odd, as if the writer was trying to prolong the story. I kept waiting for a moment to grab my attention and keep me interested but was left wanting. I don't feel like the was a story that needed to be written. An amateurish effort at best.
April 15, 2021
I can understand some of the negative comments but I found this book o.k. to read. It needs a little more work to bring it up to a more enjoyable level but after reading some really intense and interesting books this was light hearted and easy reading. Wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it's ok.
May 8, 2019
Lucid narration Could be read by very young reader. Easy to follow but does deal with some deep and
complex issues sometimes with subtilty-sometimes not-some of the characters are not likeable but end up more sympathetic=the end is surprisingly poignant.
complex issues sometimes with subtilty-sometimes not-some of the characters are not likeable but end up more sympathetic=the end is surprisingly poignant.
May 10, 2020
A heart rending story
A story of death and intrigue. A lively senior citizen plagued by memory loss and too many concerned relations. It's a good story about a murder and a families loss but it's also a story that falls close to home if you have a relative living with dementia.
A story of death and intrigue. A lively senior citizen plagued by memory loss and too many concerned relations. It's a good story about a murder and a families loss but it's also a story that falls close to home if you have a relative living with dementia.
September 18, 2022
Had to stop soon after starting. The writing structure is fairly poor making it hard to flow along freely. Not enjoyable to read a book such as this.
Premise did sound interesting, hence the extra star.
Premise did sound interesting, hence the extra star.
January 5, 2024
I had high hopes for this book. The storyline sounded very interesting, however, I think I just do not like this author's style of writing. I did read the whole book because I wanted to see how it ended, but it was definitely not my favorite read. Good story line though.
December 1, 2017
Enjoyable
Good short story ,and an insight to what this illness is like ,would definitely recommend this to family and friends
Good short story ,and an insight to what this illness is like ,would definitely recommend this to family and friends
January 2, 2022
Decent concept, poor execution
The idea was sound. The book itself was poorly written. It was an excellent first draft, but the editor and proofreader really let the author down.
The idea was sound. The book itself was poorly written. It was an excellent first draft, but the editor and proofreader really let the author down.
May 1, 2022
Dreadful. If I could give it a zero, I would. Sorely needs editing, the dialogue is incredibly inane.
October 23, 2024
Gripping Story
Great story, simple and full of suspense as to where the story was going and how it was to finish up.
Great story, simple and full of suspense as to where the story was going and how it was to finish up.
November 16, 2025
Good story but poorly written. I won't be reading any other books by this author.
September 2, 2019
Glad it was free
Not a bad book. Interesting storyline but, it was not a real mystery. The characters, other than Frank, were not really likeable or very developed. The conversations were very stilted and abrupt. Who talks like that between parent and child? The wife and kids waffled between being sympathetic to Frank's health issue and treating him like an idiot. The story has so much potential but came up short
Not a bad book. Interesting storyline but, it was not a real mystery. The characters, other than Frank, were not really likeable or very developed. The conversations were very stilted and abrupt. Who talks like that between parent and child? The wife and kids waffled between being sympathetic to Frank's health issue and treating him like an idiot. The story has so much potential but came up short
June 14, 2015
Lovely
Frank the main character has Alzheimer's disease and he witnessed a crime and no one believes him. This book kept you guessing until the end. What I loved about this books was how it could of been depressing but was not. Frank was whole despite his disease. He was a wonderful character. This book was well written and I enjoyed reading it.
Frank the main character has Alzheimer's disease and he witnessed a crime and no one believes him. This book kept you guessing until the end. What I loved about this books was how it could of been depressing but was not. Frank was whole despite his disease. He was a wonderful character. This book was well written and I enjoyed reading it.
March 6, 2021
Entertaining listening
Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me. A will written romantic thriller mystery novel with interesting characters. The story line is fast moving with lots of twist and turns leading to the conclusion. I would recommend this novel to readers of mysteries . Enjoy reading 🔰2021 😢
Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me. A will written romantic thriller mystery novel with interesting characters. The story line is fast moving with lots of twist and turns leading to the conclusion. I would recommend this novel to readers of mysteries . Enjoy reading 🔰2021 😢
June 9, 2015
Interesting
It was a good read, suspenseful to a point.but once you realized what happened, it got a little boring.the ending was okay, but nothing really great. The book needed a little more spice included. All in all, it wasn't too bad.
It was a good read, suspenseful to a point.but once you realized what happened, it got a little boring.the ending was okay, but nothing really great. The book needed a little more spice included. All in all, it wasn't too bad.
November 23, 2015
Very good read. I wasn't expecting the book to delve into this terrible disease Alzheimer's. Thanks s
It was very enlightening and a little window into Alzheimer disease. The murder investigation was a surprise too. Thanks again.
It was very enlightening and a little window into Alzheimer disease. The murder investigation was a surprise too. Thanks again.
May 15, 2016
I was somehow captivated by the character of Frank , suffering from dementia and alcoholism and still wanting to do the right thing, though no one understands him , not even his very loving and supportive family. Well written and certainly a page turner.
August 26, 2016
This was an okay, easy read. The dialogue was a bit wooden but for a freebie Kindle book (free at the time I 'purchased') it was better than other freebies I've read. Easily forgettable but it killed a few hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews