Wounded Animals

Whistleblower #1

by Jim Heskett, William Coon (Narrator)

Listening Length: 4 hours and 48 minutes

While nursing some drinks after a terrible day at work, Tucker Candle spits out his rum and coke when a stranger across the bar turns water into wine. But did he? Or was it just an alcohol-induced trick of the light?

This stranger has a warning for Candle: skip your planned business trip tomorrow. If you go, I won’t be able to protect you any longer.

With a clear head the next morning, Candle resumes his normal life, working for a company that’s about to lay him off. That barroom huckster couldn’t have been magical, or prophetic. He was just some washed-up weirdo with a few tricks.

But when Candle comes back from his trip to find his pregnant wife missing and a dead man’s blood seeping into his bathroom floor, the washed-up weirdo’s counsel doesn’t seem so foreign now.

Cops, friends, family… Candle doesn’t trust anyone. As he searches for his wife, people around him keep turning up murdered. If he can’t find her and uncover the mystery driving the chaos, the stranger’s words might come true, after all.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Ebooks, Amazon, Crime

Audible Audio

First published May 7, 2015

About the author

Jim Heskett is a writer of short and long fiction, currently slaving away at a laptop in an undisclosed location in Broomfield, Colorado. Details about previous and future publications can be found at www.jimheskett.com

Reviews

[Stephanie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know on those singing reality shows when the judge says, "This guy could sing the phone book and it would sound great"? Well, that's the phrase that came to mind by the time I had finished the 1st chapter. Historical romance is my genre of choice, but I think this author could write anything in any genre and I'd be completely enthralled...as I was with this book. It was a perfect combination of action and intrigue with careful attention to detail. Blood didn't just splatter across the coffee table. A mist of blood fell across a stack of books on said coffee table, ruining the cover of "Your Baby's First Year for Dummies". Love it! I found our main character completely believable, relatable and easy to root for. He has a certain combination of dry humor and cynicism I really appreciate. I was happy to find an ending that offered some resolution (as opposed to the painful cliffhanger it could have been), yet still left me scrambling to download the next in the series, "The Legend of Kareem". I was 3 chapters into book 2 before I could drag myself away to write this review. Please excuse me as I get my nose back in my book!

[Traci Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part one in what I would describe as an action/suspense trilogy. It is heavy in both action and suspense. I had a hard time putting it down. In fact, I wouldn’t have stopped reading if my schedule had allowed me more freedom. The unbelievably unique and interesting plot and characters grabbed me from the first word.

This is the story: Tucker Candle is a young employee of a tech firm. He meets an unusual man at a bar, Kareem. This unleashes a series of catastrophic events:

His wife, Grace, disappears.

The dark side of his co-workers is revealed.

An acquaintance from his company shows up dead in Candle’s own bathtub.

The reader can’t help but question the meaning and origin of events. Also, we wonder what where everything is leading and how it will end.

Congratulations to Mr. Heskett on his ability to craft a gripping, alternative world to our everyday existence! This is a good choice to read for the sole purpose of entertainment.

[S.J. Hermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment the main character, Tucker Candle, witnesses a man, Kareem, in a Led Zepplin t-shirt turn water into wine, I was hooked. Wounded Animals by Jim Heskett is the first book in a three part series, and let me tell you, after the first chapter you will find it hard to put this book down. After Kareem informs Tucker not to go on business trip, things become interesting and the book takes off. His wife dissapears, and...well, I don't want spoil the entire book. Heskett writes in a way that is easy to read. The flow was continious, and I found myself having a hard time putting the tablet down to get some sleep.
Without a doubt, I will be reading the other two books, and I can't recommend this book enough. Solid writing, interesting plot, well developed characters, all make for one heck of book and one hell of a ride.

[Adri Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Jim Heskett's short story collection, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands onto this new release. Jim did not disappoint!

Continuing in his easy to read style, the first introduction to the Hero, and subsequently a super intriguing character, I was stuck and greedily read the entire book in one go.

I was bound to this book, grumbling and growling along with main man, Candle Tucker, in frustration and confusion - going through the various emotions [and even considered having a drink with the guy!] while trying to put his life back together.

The write-up does not begin to tell you what this book contains by way of entertainment. It is a mystery, a thriller, an emotional rollercoaster with the ever present rooting to have love conquer all!

I don't consider myself a reader of this genre, but I am positively invigorated by Jim's writing skill and story-telling style. I can't wait to read the rest - and while this book ends on a perceived positive note, it leaves you with enough questions to want to hurry the Author along to the next one!

Thank you Jim, for providing a bit of swagger to my reading - almost Bond style!
Adri
xxx

[Sandra Kerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for an action packed, little down time, thriller this book is for you.
Talk about a bad week. Tucker Candle stops to have a drink and unwind thinking that's what he's just experienced. Unfortunately, the previous week had nothing on the one he's about to face. It starts with someone turning water into wine. No, it's not the second coming of Jesus. To be honest, I never quite figure out who the guy is, but he starts Tucker's decent into pain, depression, fear, murder, and so much more as he struggles to save his missing wife.
Heskett does a great job with characterization in this book, even with minor players. You find yourself rooting for characters who are only mentioned once or twice because they are so real in their normalcy. They are people you can relate to as someone you've known, or because your life is so similar.
Wounded Animals is a non-stop, run for your life, thriller.

[Nabaneeta Dangwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tucker Candle, a software trainer, leads a fairly normal life up until he meets the mysterious Kareem at a bar. Candle is intrigued by Kareem's powers - he can turn water into wine and bring dead animals back to life - but is not quite convinced to heed Kareem's warning.

Strange events start soon after and Candle finds himself embroiled in a deep conspiracy. His pregnant wife goes missing, dead bodies turn up around him, strange notes instruct him to do the impossible while kidnappings, murders and accidents become a part of Candle's day. Nothing is what it seems anymore. Will Candle be able to find his missing wife and get his life back together again?

Jim Heskett weaves a superb tale of intrigue in Wounded Animals. The story follows a relaxed pace with adequate attention to detail and yet keeps the interest alive till the last word. No character can be relieved of suspicion. Even as the story ends, it leaves a whole of lot of questions for the sequels- about Kareem, Candle's father and why Candle remains at the heart of the conspiracy that turns his life upside down. The chill factor - it can happen to anyone and every thing that seems normal may not be so, at all.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This can be summed up in one word, and that's excellent!! I pretty much loved everything about it, though thought it could of been longer. That's simply because I didn't want it to end.

Candle is the MC and was such an easy character to like. He was easy to relate to and had a way of making it impossible not to root for him. I loved how cynical he was when he first meets Kareem because I think all of us would be. It made him more believable.

The plot was fast paced and well thought out. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. It's a short enough listen but it's not short on anything else. The attention to detail and the author's style of writing made this amazing and totally captivated me. It's packed with suspense, action, intrigue and was at times emotionally intense. Poor Candle!!!!

In all this is a must read and a series that has the potential to be amazing. I need book 2!!!

William Coon was fantastic. His pacing and tones were perfect. He told the story flawlessly and is definitely a narrator I need to check out.

*This book was given to me in exchange for an unbiased review via audiobookblast dot com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

[Shaheen Darr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tucker Candle meets a stranger called Kareem Haddadi in a bar; he seems to be a magician of sorts, well at least from the miracles he appears to perform. Kareem surprisingly also knows a lot about Tucker’s private life. He warns Tucker about going to Dallas where his boss Alison Roche wants him to provide software training on behalf of IntelliCraft. On his return Tucker’s life is overturned by a series of mysterious events that include a missing wife and a few dead bodies…
The storyline provides plenty of twists and Jim Heskett certainly knows how to rope the reader in and keep him in until the book is finished. I enjoyed the first person narration along with Heskett’s witty and dry sense of humour; it brought the characters and scenes to life. On the whole, it deserved five stars, a brilliant read! Looking forward to reading book number two in the Trilogy

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It definitely kept me reading, but the ending just didn't wrap it up for me which was frustrating.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5/5. Really light, too light, storyline, poor writing, an okay suspense but nothing great and the characters were a bit empty, not deep enough. Really not a memorable read here.

[Eeva Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story began with a mysterious stranger, Kareem, giving Tucker Candle a warning. Who is he? How was he able to bring the dead rat back to life? Ok so that's what got me hooked. It reeked of the supernatural and I love that. When Candle didn't heed the strangers warning, a series of unfortunate and unreasonable events starts happening. Think of Job of the bible and you get the idea. He's helpless to control the downward spiral of his life and he tries to make sense of it.

Wounded Animals is written in the first person so the author was able to convey the main character's frustration more effectively. I so wanted to get to the bottom of the story too, so I read the book in record time... Reminds me of the days when I read nothing but Jeffrey Archer's books. The writing is crisp and high quality... even humorous on some parts. The editing is almost perfect and a reader won't be distracted from the story by technical errors. Highly recommended for lovers of mystery thrillers. A book worth reading.

[Vada Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Tucker Candle finds out his company is moving locations, he decides not to move with them. But there are strong forces of persuasion, and he soon finds himself in a situation where he has no experience. A real page turner, with unexpected turns and twists, that makes for an enjoyable read.

[Alice]

DNF at 33%

[William Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that grab you by the scruff of the neck and force you along a wild action packed reading experience. Wounded Animals by Jim Heskett isn’t that type of book, much to its credit. Instead the reader is drawn into the story by their own accord, through intrigue rather than force. You’re compelled to keep reading out of a desire to discover the truth rather than convenient cliff hangers.

Everything begins as two apparent strangers meet in the bar; Tucker Candle and a mysterious man who may or may not be the second coming. Candle is warned to avoid an upcoming work trip or risk perilous danger to himself and his family. Luckily for us Candle isn’t good at following instructions and a thrilling game of cat and mouse ensues.

I’m usually wary of books written in the first person, as I tend to end up disliking the narrator halfway through and give up. But I can’t imagine Wounded Animals in any other form. Heskett’s writing is lean and efficient, making Candle’s narration natural and completely believable. He’s funny, self-deprecating, and reacts like any ordinary person would in his extreme circumstances. The emotional journey he travels is just as important as the physical one he endures. I only found myself with two issues by the end of the book. The first was the name Tucker Candle itself; it felt like it was taken from one of those name generating apps, but I got over it pretty quickly (creative license the great thing about writing). The second was that I wanted to read more. Thankfully this book is part of a series, so the sequels should satisfy my reading addiction. This was a great book and I highly recommend it.

[Jolie Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever read a book you didn't expect to love, and then reached the end and went, "Holy crap!"? I'm not big on the mystery. Probably because I hate surprises. This one though.... It has a noir feel to it, and, even at the end, you have questions. You and Candle are left in exactly the same place.

That's what it is about this book. This guy, you get trapped in this spiral with him. He's beautifully average. He reacts to each plot movement exactly as we would, not like some Hollywood hero who suddenly becomes good at evasion of the enemy. He just wants his wife back, and the rest of it can go to the devil. At times, he goes home when that's probably the first place they'll look. He bumbles his way through things he doesn't understand until this magical point where he's just had enough. It's an amazing transition.

Though it may seem like a cliffhanger novel, I assure you there is a satisfying ending and plenty of mystery left for the next book. Cliffhangers are not my cup of tea, and there was no cliffhanger here, I can't wait to find out Why in the next book. At the end, you're left wondering where the normal ends and the mystical begins, or if it was ever really there in the first place. Just a great place to end a story. Go get this one.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wounded Animals - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Jim Heskett's amazing first Whistleblower novella, Wounded Animals' title gives away nothing of the story's pivotal plot. It introduces MC Tucker Candle, whose life is falling apart after discovering his employers, tech giants Intellicraft's means of illegal profit-making. After this epiphany, Candle must decide whether to expose his employers and risk his job, or do as they demand and keep quiet.

If only things were that straightforward! Candle arrives home on completion of his final mission, to find a scene of total carnage and a warning, written in blood, above the corpse of one of his colleagues...not only that, but Grace, Candle's pregnant wife is missing!
Secrets, lies, kidnapping, threats and further murders are all possible means of stopping Candle, as he tries desperately to rescue Grace and clear himself of the murder charges that will damn him in the sight of the law.
Why are these events happening to Candle? Who is the stranger in the bar? Does he really want to help Candle - or is he part of the plot to discredit/dispose of Candle and possibly Grace to protect their secrets?
Read Wounded Animals and find out the truth - it's out there if you look hard enough!

[Anchit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished about 90% of this book in one sitting.

pros: fast paced, light story meaning you can speed read and still maintain the required comprehension, thriller - keeps you in suspense which brings me to the Cons.

Cons: The suspense is stretched out way too much. things are tied up in the last chapter but a lot of open ends still remain. plus it feels like there are some wide plot holes. how could someone do x without y happening, how come the main character didn't ever do x? why did the main character do y?

overall I'm glad that I speed read through this. some parts of this book have way too much detail than required for example when the central character visits someone's house there's more than a page of description of the items inside. I couldn't care much about all that.

I'll say this is an average story over all. because the suspense was pulled up so much and the bad guys were so overpoweringly powerful I'm going to skip this series, I don't want to read more about the bad guy winning like that latest batman movie if you've seen it (the one with bane, the overpowering demon).

[Babus Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fast paced mystery suspense novella tells us about Tucker Candle, who works in IT for a company, that is relocating effectively leaving him without a job and health insurance. His wife is pregnant and due in three months. One evening drinking in a dive bar Candle meets Kareem, who warns him not to go to Dallas on a training trip for his employers. However, when Candle is called in by his supervisor and told to go in short notice he is unable to divert the inevitable. Once he returns from Dallas he finds his wife gone and a body in his bathroom. Can Candle unravel the disappearance of his wife and find out why someone is messing with him without the body count getting higher?

I loved the mystery suspense aspect of this novella and was hooked into finding out why these series of events were following Candle. He is a likeable and resilient character without being unbelievable and I am intrigued to read THE LEGEND OF KAREEM, as not all mysteries are revealed in this introductory first book.

A quick but intriguing mystery thriller read.

[Shin The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love about this book is that despite it left me with a lot of questions, this book didn't bore nor frustrated me to make me quit reading. Instead, that's what kept me more interested and glued on this book. The back story of Candle, how his relationship with his wife and how he was as a husband when he found out he was going to be a father made me root for him to get his life back to redeem himself for being not there always and for his lack of support to his pregnant wife. Although I was expecting of that adrenaline rush in a book from those action scenes still, I am looking forward in reading the next book of this series.

The interesting characters, the action-packed scenes and unpredictable turns of events definitely keep the readers in turning the pages and guessing till the last page. This is like a teaser that makes readers want to grab the next book right away.

A worth checking out read for those into action/ suspense genre.

[A.M. Manay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Heskett is very good at what he does. There’s no two ways about it. This novel has so many moving parts, but they all manage to work together harmoniously. The sense of menace is palpable, and you really feel main character Tucker’s pain, frustration, and confusion. What I love about Tucker is that he is so much stronger and more competent than he realizes. What I love about Heskett is that it isn’t just about cheap thrills. He makes you care about the characters. That’s what creates the suspense. Brace yourself for a bit of a cliffhanger, because not all of the mysteries are solved by the last page. It definitely leaves you wanting to know more.

[David Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange but compelling book. There are a few miracles and more blood and guts than you would find in a Spaghetti Western but it is still a reasonable read. The principle character asks lots of questions and in the end, they are all answered, bar one. Why? I am guessing this will be answered in one of the two sequels. I will never know.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super fast and easy to read. Hard to put down. This book literally feels like watching a summer action flick, in more ways than one. There were some plot holes and areas that felt unrealistic/unnatural which slightly bothered me, but overall this book is very enjoyable to read. I recommend it to anyone - Especially anyone familiar with the Denver/Boulder area!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim can get you in the first chapter. The characters are so real and exciting. It's the sort of storyline that you can't wait to get to the next bit, but you don't want it to end either. The sign of a great book...

[Angee Sluder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is insane. It's like The Firm meets Alice In Wonderland meets The Bourne Identity. You're not going to know if you're coming, going, or where you're going. But you'll be turning pages until you get there.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow ! This as a helluva ride ! Couldn't put this one down. Great story line and great characters. This as a blast ! I highly recommend it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tucker Candle's life is headed downhill. With a baby on the way, he worries that his job is about to end. After a lousy day at work, Candle stops at a bar where he meets a strange man. Can the man see the future or is he crazy? Candle isn't sure. After the strange meeting, Candle's life is one crazy event after another, and he doesn't know who to trust. Is the strange man a friend or an enemy? What about his co-workers? Candle doesn't know who to trust.

This is a fast-paced thriller and the first book in a trilogy. The novel is well-written and moves forward at a steady pace, although some of the scenes aren't for the tender-hearted.

Tucker is an average character. The author didn't write much characterization, so it was hard to sympathize with him. Although he was at the brunt of a twisted plot, the reader really doesn't know him well enough to feel sympathy for him.

This is a good novel but could use a little more characterization to elicit more sympathy for the character.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

😊

Miracles and prophecies. A warning to abandon a planned trip gets Candles attention. Huckster or truth teller?
Next day Candle gets on with normal life, if normal is working for a company who wants to sack him. A warning the night before that he doesn't take seriously. Take the trip and there will be no more protection from mysterious stranger.
On his return Candle finds his wife missing and a man dead and bleeding all over his home. Trusting no one he goes on a hunt for his pregnant wife. Anyone and everyone he comes into contact with ends up dead though. But where is his wife and what part in all this door s his neighbour play?

Jim Heskett knows how to keep your attention and how to write an excellent page Turner. Plenty of action and mystery to keep you guessing.

[Linda Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an easy and fun read. The immediate story did end with this book, but it left the ultimate reasons as to why the protagonist was having such problems open ended. Obviously this sets the scene for the next book in the Whistleblower series. I usually avoid books that must be read as a set, but I’m glad I gave this one a chance. I liked the main character, and felt he was well described and fleshed out. However, the other characters were almost more like place settings for the story. There was little characterization and I had trouble with their motivation, since they were obviously playing the villains in the story. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading the book and was caught up with the storyline. That’s worth 5 stars to me.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and I enjoyed it a lot. The initial introduction did not really grab my imterest, but the more that I read, the deeper I was involved.

The trials and tribulations thatTucker was put through really relayed the concern he had for his wife.

I was glad that it worked out well in the end, but it requires reading the next two books in the series to find out what this whole episode was all about.

I look forward to reading more in this series as well as the series related to Layne Parish. I would recommend this book and the series related to Layne Parish as well to anyone.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

an office worker is at a bar , and the stranger next to him turns water into wine, then warns him not to go on the out of town trip his boss will send him on tomorrow.
His boss does send him out of town tomorrow and he actually goes.
He trains three new employees, but when he returns home, his wife has apparently been murdered.
Then one by one, his trainees appear in town, murdered. He has to get to the bottom of this, and he does.