When The Tik-Tik Sings

by Doug Lamoreux

In a sleepy historical Iowa town, on the banks of the Mississippi River, tourist season is in full swing, and the strangest serial killer the world has ever known is roaming at will.

It begins with a mysterious house explosion, a severely burned man, and an unidentified female body. More victims follow, each killed under the oddest circumstances, each bearing an identical but unidentified wound, each attack accompanied by the most eerie, musical ticking. When the lead homicide investigator goes missing, Police Sergeant Erin Vanderjagt is forced into the fray and into a personal hell she never imagined.

Who or what could be behind the bizarre deaths, and why is Erin's boyfriend suddenly acting crazy? Why has her idyllic world suddenly fallen apart? And – as the murders continue – what can Erin do, where can she go, how can she fight the horror... When the Tik-Tik Sings?

Genres: Horror

475 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Doug is a writer, actor, and horror film historian. His newest novel, 'Saucy Jacky: The Whitechapel Murders as told by Jack the Ripper' is now available on Amazon from Creativia Publishing.

The first-ever Igor Award winner from The Horror Society, a former Pushcart Prize and Rondo Award nominee, Doug is the author of When the Tik-Tik Sings, the Amazon #1 best selling Apparition Lake, Obsidian Tears, The Devil's Bed, the Amazon #1 best selling Dracula's Demeter (2012 Lord Ruthven Award nominee), The Melting Dead, the Amazon #1 best selling Corpses Say the Darndest Things: A Nod Blake Mystery, Red Herrings Can't Swim: A Nod Blake Mystery, and Seven for the Slab: A Horror Portmanteau. He contributed to the Rondo nominee Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies, the Rondo winning follow-up Hidden Horror, Animals Attack, and the up-coming Vampires Suck.

He appeared in the horror films The Thirsting (aka Lilith) with Mickey Rooney and Tina Krause, and Hag with Ari Lehman. He starred in Peter O'Keefe's film, Infidel. His novel, Dracula's Demeter is being adapted as a feature by ThunderBall Films.

Doug drinks too much coffee. Come and tell him so on Facebook and Twitter!

Reviews

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but bad editing hurts it (Lost a full star for bad editing)“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”― William Shakespeare, MacbethOn the banks of the Mississippi, the tiny town of Duncan, Iowa seems so very quiet. Historical Duncan, an oddball blend of shabby industrial plants and quirky, charming historical districts. But Duncan will never be the same. For in the darkness, the Tik-Tik bird sings.Tik-tik, Tik-tik, tik, tik, tik . . .The sweet birdsong of Hell.It begins in the silence of the dawn, above the river, where Police Sergeant Erin Vanderjagt ends her early morning run. Tik-Tik. Tik-Tik. The flap of leathery wings, a monstrous shadow. And then, silence. Silence filled with terror. With pain. And with the cold assurance that nothing will ever be the same – in the worst, most horrific ways imaginable.A house explodes, taking a neighborhood with it. Bodies begin to fall. And the only person who may hold all the answers is badly burned, locked in a hospital isolation ward – and apparently doesn’t even speak an understandable language. Aswan! Mennon! Gal! Tick tick! Tick tick!When the Tik-Tik Sings is one of the more creative horror stories I have read. The story is chilling in its very inanity at points – simple sounds, shadows in the night. The beat of wings and the simple Tik-tik from the dark.A police sergeant. A fireman. A simple man with the mentality of a seven-year-old and a gentle heart. And, an undying monster. Will it end? Or can it?A story for campfires and dark nights, When the Tik-Tik Sings is the perfect shivery, bump in the night tale.This is the first Doug Lamoreaux book I have read, and as much as I loved the story, I admit to being disturbed at how a book by an author nominated for the Rondo, Lord Ruthven, and Pushcart prizes, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Horror Society’s Igor Award for fiction, could feel comfortable publishing a book with the number of editorial errors I found doing a simple read, not even looking for them. It was disappointing.“Edit your manuscript until your fingers bleed and you have memorized every last word. Then, when you are certain you are on the verge of insanity…edit one more time!”― C.K. Webb

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When The Tik Tik Sings

A masterfully told tale of fantasy and horror. I loved every word of it. A sure must read for anyone.

[Patti C · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's your sign!

In the beginning, this story seems so innocent and tranquil; even though the very first sentence sets the mood in a nightmare. Erin is a cop, as well as wearing a few other hats. Running, in the wee hours before her duty, was a natural phenomenon. Then there's that sound, Tik-tik, Tik-tik, tik, tik, tik.. And a sudden sweep of darkness!

Doug describes the surroundings In a way that makes your skin chill and your body duck for cover. Immediately, I was making assumptions of what this bird might look like.

Before Erin's day officially begins as an officer, she is forced to take action. Erin continually has to justify her actions to her fellow community personnel! From her secret lover, Ben, who is a paramedic, to the husband of her best friend, who becomes a victim. As the plot is established, that sound continues and each time is followed by a creepy, bone-chilling event. With the thought that this 'thing' will be captured, each progression gets creepier. The Tik-tik doesn't stop anytime soon.

Doug's writing is so thorough, each description puts the reader right into the plot and you just have to keep reading until it's over!

[Donna Ayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scary thriller

This is one of those books you just don't want to put down until the end. It pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go. It would be a good tv series or movie. I will be reading more by this author.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the first twenty pages, I struggled badly. The writing of this novel is very detailed and is full of terms specific to law enforcement / fire fighters. Not to mention the very descriptive writing that sometimes felt a little.. too much and unnecessary. The latter is present throughout the entire book and definitely took some getting used to on my part.

There are also a whole lot of characters mentioned without giving anyone a very decent introduction whatsoever. That made the biggest part of this novel very confusing. Even more so since I couldn't really read more than a couple of pages at the time - thanks baby Jamie, haha.

I also didn't really feel.. the creepy vibe I was expecting? Sure, there were events where I felt like I needed to read in to find out what was going to happen, but that feeling didn't stick with me during the entire thing and I was kind of hoping for that to happen?

I did like how the author came with little twists that made the story that bit less predictable, although there definitely were some things I saw coming a mile off.

All in all a decent read, but I wouldn't say it's more than an "okay" for me.

3 / 5

[J. McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one kept me up. Don't want to give anything away but... creepy.

[Janet Matlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vee

Very good could not put it down. Had mystery and excitement. I like this kind of story. It made you feel like you were there.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Selina Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good!

I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited because I was very intrigued by the strange and cool looking cover and I loved the title, but I really was not expecting much. Boy, was I surprised! In addition to being very funny, very, very funny actually, it is a really creepy monster story that is unique and original. I got a little bored towards the end of the book with a detailed boat scene, only because I don’t know a lot about boats(I think), but then the story picked up again and kept my interest through to the end.

[Randee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a slow boat to China, I took forever finishing this story. Obviously, I was not so engaged that I couldn't tear myself away. I probably read 20+ other books between starting and finishing this. It's not terrible...some like their waters shallow, I like mine deep. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters in a meaningful way. Complex characters with complex emotions are essential for a story to grab me. You won't find that here, but you will find a rather unique 'villain.'

[Janice E. Ryberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilling!

I should probably wait until I catch my breath before I write this review, but I am too wound up to wait. The ending is so exciting, I am still panting! This is an amazing story and I don't want you to miss it. Please treat yourself to a real horror story...Enjoy!

[Sandra Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spine tingling

Wow another spellbinding story, creatures of the unknown. We cannot phantom what other cultures believe but this author can. Characters believable, story chilling. Who knows what lurks outside of our own realm this author conjure up the unbelievable read it

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folkloric horror done well!

Interesting premise and intriguing! I learned a few new things, it was humorous, scary, detailed. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Rene Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary

I like something different and this did not disappoint. All I can tell you is it isn't what it seems.

[Melissa Hedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary!!

I'm dead. I don't know if this is based on lore or if the author made it up, but I loved it! Could not put it down!!

[Fee Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

When The Tik-Tik Sings by Doug Lamoreux starts off with the sound of tik, tik, tik, tik., and then the horror begins.

The author sets up the first scene perfectly. It caught my attention and had me hooked. But somewhere along the line the author lost me. The fact that the main character, Erin Vanderjagt, is not the kind of character that I envision when I envision a female cop. With all the witnesses, her 'boyfriend,' and others telling her what's going on, she still has no clue. I felt as though her character was a bit of a bitch, and a bitch does not a strong woman make.

[CONSTANCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very gripping story. However, it gets a little wierd towards the end. Scary if you want scary!! Don't read if you're prone to nightmares!

Love the creativity of the descriptions of the tik tik creature. Thinking about calling my friend from the Philippines to see if it's true. We better hope not!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book that won an award, this book was only ok. i waited to read it during Halloween and i was never scared nor was interested in the first few pages. i had to force myself to get thru the first 100 pages (it is only 262 pages long).

[Tammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

This was very different from other books in this genre. I enjoyed how the characters interacted, and was frustrated when they didn't cooperate with each other. Not scary, but suspenseul.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It had a few editing mistakes but not enough to distract from the story. I definitely recommend you read it for yourselves.

[Lori Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost interest toward the end. Probably would not read it if I had a do over.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author sets the tone early in the book. A quiet Iowa town and it’s residents go about life as usual. Then the singing begins. Tik tik. Tik tik. And hell comes calling.

Got to hand it to the author. He gave me a new monster. And it has a friend. They don’t waste any time wreaking havoc. By the time you hear the singing, it’s already too late.

In the beginning, I could understand how some of the characters reacted. Later on, when they knew they were dealing with something otherworldly, I questioned their actions. While you have to suspend your belief in order to enjoy a good horror story, I do feel these characters should have got their acts together sooner. But, what’s a good monster story without some sacrificial lambs.

You won’t hear me complaining about the monster. It was bizarre. And the ending. It was a crazy showdown.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to give an author points for coming up with a new monster. This author gives us two! We find the heroes, a woman cop/detective and a fireman/paramedic in an epic struggle against two Philippine demons. Just how or why these foreign demons decided to attack a sleepy little town on the Mississippi River is a little vague to me, but it doesn't really matter. If you buy that the thing exists, you should buy that it can be anywhere. Anyway, they're pretty good monsters, though why there are two of them to me seems like over-kill. One would have been sufficient. So the monsters are very very bad and the good guys are very very dumb sometimes, but they somehow manage to make it to the end of the book. And so did I, so I guess it was a pretty good read.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it

In places the writing was stilted, almost as if translated. I skipped through parts and couldn't tell. That gives you an idea.
OK concept, but the authors habit of speaking a line to the reader every several chapters jerked me out if whatever world I was trying to enter.

[Susan W Hutchison · Rating 3 out of 5]

EXCITING

It's not a Stephen King but not bad. Setting up the characters was rather boring but it got intense in the end. It was a fun read.

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story alright but at times I became a little confused about the plot line and the characters in general. I see great potential in Lamoreux's writing I just got a little lost with this one.

[Paula Sahraoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Another great book from Douglas Lamoreux! I love the Apparition Lake series and wanted to give this a shot. It deals with a very creepy mythical creature from the Philippines. The aswang. The storyline is tense the writing is tight and the creature nightmarish. All in that makes for a great read! Give this one a shot. Give this author a shot. Thank me later!