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Mercy
In 1865 Louisiana, Captain Robert Cooper from the Freedman's Bureau is sent to investigate a rash of strange murders and disappearances. His unexpected arrival in Williamstown is met with a mix of anger and suspicion. With gangs of demobilized Confederate soldiers roaming the woods, Cooper is quick to realize that his job may be harder than first expected. Yet, the terror that plagues the farms and plantations around Williamstown cannot be easily explained away. Something in the woods is waiting for night to fall and the truth may be more terrifying than can be imagined.
245 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2016
161 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Richard Turner
34 books120 followersRichard Turner proudly served in the Armed Forces for more than thirty years. He considers himself fortunate to have had numerous overseas deployments that took him to many varied locations throughout the world, including: Germany, Cyprus, Croatia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Egypt, Israel and finally two tours of Afghanistan. Wanting to try something new, he now spends his time writing.
Some of Richard's favourite authors include: James Rollins, Andy McDermmott and the many novels of Clive Cussler.
http://richardturnerauthor.blogspot.ca
Some of Richard's favourite authors include: James Rollins, Andy McDermmott and the many novels of Clive Cussler.
http://richardturnerauthor.blogspot.ca
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 13, 2018
Oh I know surprisingly decent isn’t exactly a high praise, but considering how many reservations I had going in (unknown author, unknown publisher, Southern setting) it really is pretty good. The writing was competent, the editing had only minor glitches, the pacing was very nice. But of course the main thing is the plot and this story of a small town in Louisiana haunted by homicidal…something with all the added racial and social difficulties 1865 South might offer, particularly to the two soldiers of the North sent to investigate. So who’s killing the locals? Is it a swamp creature? A gang of wild rebels? Or something even more sinister? Supernatural or merely unnatural? Read and find out. It won’t take up a lot of your time and is plenty entertaining. Nice find for a once upon a time random Kindle freebie.
April 25, 2017
I picked this one up a month or so ago because it was free on Kindle and the premise was interesting. I love a good ghost story, which is what this seemed like it might be. And it is... sort of.
I think there was a lot of promise in the book: spooky Cajun legends, racial tension, post civil war, Louisiana bayou/plantation setting. Unfortunately it read like the script of Anaconda. Don't get me wrong- I have nothing but unconditional love for bad monster movies, but they aren't as much fun to read.
The dialogue felt stiff and mechanical a lot of the time. Nothing that was said in the first two thirds of the book wasn't predictable or utterly generic. The characters are kind of like those card board cutouts Kevin McAllister used to fool the bad guys into thinking there was a party happening in his house in Home Alone. Puppets on strings and tiny motorized trains.
Though I picked this book next specifically because it was short (I was trying to catch up to my precious 2 books a week pace) I think it would have benefitted from more pages. Hawkins was an interesting guy. Escaped slave, fought for the union, grew up in Louisiana, and now returns after the slaves have been freed. There was so much that could have been done with his character and I think the story would have benefitted if it had been told solely from his point of view. Instead we get Cooper, who was estranged from his father and sent to the US from Scotland. He has a couple Scottish points early in the story, saying things like "lad", "lass" and "wee" then the author sort of forgot it after the first few chapters and nothing else pointed to his heritage. He wasn't flawed enough I suppose. I sort of wish he had been the raging alcoholic he was accused of being in the beginning. At least it would have given him some substance.
The story itself was not bad. The twist was okay (if disgusting). But a lot of the time it kind of felt like everyone was just going through the motions. Bad sheriff wants in on investigation. Cooper doles out commands to his lynch mob. They are lost in a swamp. Racist gang hangs "colored" folk for no reason. It's all there- and you know it's all coming. I don't know. I wish there had been more leading up to the supernatural elements of the story. Let a few more people go missing- let the protagonist do some more investigating. He never even wonders at the possibility of monsters which made the whole thing feel like it was just backdrop for something else and the paranormal element lost its sparkle.
The beauty and the eeriness of the setting was totally lost for want of a few descriptive terms. The sense of suspense is also lost for this reason. It was kind of like "hey guys! Two more people went missing right under our noses! Okay what do we do Sarge? We look for them for a minute and push on!" And then you get one line about people being uneasy later and hairs standing on end and that's it.
This is by absolutely no means the worst self published book I've ever read- but I really think the book would have benefitted from some solid beta readers and an editor. There were a couple editing mistakes- not enough to make you want to whip out the proverbial red pen, but they were in there and glaringly obvious. The bones are all there for a good story, but it needs some more time to build the suspense and convey the feeling of mystery and being trapped in the bayou.
I think there was a lot of promise in the book: spooky Cajun legends, racial tension, post civil war, Louisiana bayou/plantation setting. Unfortunately it read like the script of Anaconda. Don't get me wrong- I have nothing but unconditional love for bad monster movies, but they aren't as much fun to read.
The dialogue felt stiff and mechanical a lot of the time. Nothing that was said in the first two thirds of the book wasn't predictable or utterly generic. The characters are kind of like those card board cutouts Kevin McAllister used to fool the bad guys into thinking there was a party happening in his house in Home Alone. Puppets on strings and tiny motorized trains.
Though I picked this book next specifically because it was short (I was trying to catch up to my precious 2 books a week pace) I think it would have benefitted from more pages. Hawkins was an interesting guy. Escaped slave, fought for the union, grew up in Louisiana, and now returns after the slaves have been freed. There was so much that could have been done with his character and I think the story would have benefitted if it had been told solely from his point of view. Instead we get Cooper, who was estranged from his father and sent to the US from Scotland. He has a couple Scottish points early in the story, saying things like "lad", "lass" and "wee" then the author sort of forgot it after the first few chapters and nothing else pointed to his heritage. He wasn't flawed enough I suppose. I sort of wish he had been the raging alcoholic he was accused of being in the beginning. At least it would have given him some substance.
The story itself was not bad. The twist was okay (if disgusting). But a lot of the time it kind of felt like everyone was just going through the motions. Bad sheriff wants in on investigation. Cooper doles out commands to his lynch mob. They are lost in a swamp. Racist gang hangs "colored" folk for no reason. It's all there- and you know it's all coming. I don't know. I wish there had been more leading up to the supernatural elements of the story. Let a few more people go missing- let the protagonist do some more investigating. He never even wonders at the possibility of monsters which made the whole thing feel like it was just backdrop for something else and the paranormal element lost its sparkle.
The beauty and the eeriness of the setting was totally lost for want of a few descriptive terms. The sense of suspense is also lost for this reason. It was kind of like "hey guys! Two more people went missing right under our noses! Okay what do we do Sarge? We look for them for a minute and push on!" And then you get one line about people being uneasy later and hairs standing on end and that's it.
This is by absolutely no means the worst self published book I've ever read- but I really think the book would have benefitted from some solid beta readers and an editor. There were a couple editing mistakes- not enough to make you want to whip out the proverbial red pen, but they were in there and glaringly obvious. The bones are all there for a good story, but it needs some more time to build the suspense and convey the feeling of mystery and being trapped in the bayou.
July 15, 2019
This was a fun summer read. Set in Louisiana after the civil war, with a group of people trying to navigate the creole folk lore surrounding a series of grisly murders. The two leads are Union officers, one a white and the other a former slave. The author did a great job of portraying the racial dynamics as whites and former slaves attempt to solve the mystery and how both the leads feel about and handle the various encounters.
The writing isn't mind-blowing, but the character development is still pretty good and the premise interesting with a good pace that doesn't feel slow and picks up speed as the intensity increases. There wasn't anything that I felt should have been cut, which I tend to think about "summer reads". There were a few words thrown in that seemed unusually big (like, hit up the dictionary), which I found odd. Wish I could remember a few of them to share.
The writing isn't mind-blowing, but the character development is still pretty good and the premise interesting with a good pace that doesn't feel slow and picks up speed as the intensity increases. There wasn't anything that I felt should have been cut, which I tend to think about "summer reads". There were a few words thrown in that seemed unusually big (like, hit up the dictionary), which I found odd. Wish I could remember a few of them to share.
October 18, 2022
A very interesting premise, but it fell flat for me. There didn't seem to be any real purpose to the characters. They fit into expected groups but I just couldn't get on board with any of them. There was plenty of the age-old action trope that the bad guys can't fight or shoot straight and the underdog good guys prevail against all odds. The actual reveal toward the end was a big let down for me. Overall a swing and a miss.
October 8, 2023
I didn’t really enjoy this. It was okay, but nothing special. I didn’t care if any of the characters survived, and there were too many scenes I’d seen in films. Also, there were too many mistakes in the text. The wrong names used, or where it was clear a sentence had been changed but they hadn’t deleted all the extra words. It was like a first draft from a first time writer. Honestly, I just wanted it to be over.
June 16, 2017
Scarry#
This book became a page Turner after the first chapter! I had to give it only four stars for poor research or just laziness. People have accents! But not in this book. They are all written to sound the same. Every slave and poorly educated white trash have good grammar and excellent diction.
But the story itself was well written.
This book became a page Turner after the first chapter! I had to give it only four stars for poor research or just laziness. People have accents! But not in this book. They are all written to sound the same. Every slave and poorly educated white trash have good grammar and excellent diction.
But the story itself was well written.
March 27, 2018
Mercy
Well written period novel revealing the challenges facing the reconstruction of the south after losing the Civil war. Get up close and personal with two Army Soldiers who follow orders to clean up the troubles facing a small Louisiana bayou parish. I didn't want to put it down!
Well written period novel revealing the challenges facing the reconstruction of the south after losing the Civil war. Get up close and personal with two Army Soldiers who follow orders to clean up the troubles facing a small Louisiana bayou parish. I didn't want to put it down!
August 19, 2017
Exciting tale
This story takes place in farm and bayou country of Louisiana after the Civil War. Black farm workers and some whites have gone missing, and people suspect it is half human, half animal monsters responsible. Two former Union soldiers are dispatched to help solve the mystery. This was quite well written and enjoyable.
This story takes place in farm and bayou country of Louisiana after the Civil War. Black farm workers and some whites have gone missing, and people suspect it is half human, half animal monsters responsible. Two former Union soldiers are dispatched to help solve the mystery. This was quite well written and enjoyable.
October 11, 2017
An overall good story, with interesting and well-developed characters.
Cooper and Hawkins, the central characters present as two Union army members sent to investigate murders in a small Louisiana town.
The narrative is a bit slow at times, especially during the bayou sequences. But before and after that, it develops and moves well.
Cooper and Hawkins, the central characters present as two Union army members sent to investigate murders in a small Louisiana town.
The narrative is a bit slow at times, especially during the bayou sequences. But before and after that, it develops and moves well.
January 21, 2019
This story isn't exactly what I was expecting; however, when I figured out the direction things were going, I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would when I downloaded the book. Richard Turner did a masterful job of interweaving historical fiction and myths of the area with suspense and mystery. The characters seemed very real. With a little editing, this book would rate 5 stars.
May 19, 2017
Great Read!
Richard Turner can write! This book had me from hello and there was no stopping until it was finished. I loved it and I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work.
Richard Turner can write! This book had me from hello and there was no stopping until it was finished. I loved it and I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work.
July 27, 2017
Pretty good story.....
This was a pretty good read, but at times I was forcing myself to finish it, because it was on the fence as far as being well written and boring at the same time. Overall a pretty good story.
This was a pretty good read, but at times I was forcing myself to finish it, because it was on the fence as far as being well written and boring at the same time. Overall a pretty good story.
July 29, 2017
Monsters
I very much enjoyed reading this book. At first I thought I would have to put it down, but it started getting interesting, and I kept going. I'm glad I did I, thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a good story/mystery.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. At first I thought I would have to put it down, but it started getting interesting, and I kept going. I'm glad I did I, thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a good story/mystery.
August 3, 2017
Historical fiction.
After the war, Cooper and Hawkins were sent to a small town to investigate the killing and disappearance of a dozen locals, mostly former slaves. Very strange tracks were the only clue.
After the war, Cooper and Hawkins were sent to a small town to investigate the killing and disappearance of a dozen locals, mostly former slaves. Very strange tracks were the only clue.
August 15, 2017
Historical fiction that is a tad unbelievable
This book starts out seeming like one thing and ends as something completely different. Its too bad that it sets itself in a historic time because that seems to just confuse things. It wasn't bad.
This book starts out seeming like one thing and ends as something completely different. Its too bad that it sets itself in a historic time because that seems to just confuse things. It wasn't bad.
September 10, 2017
Cannibals and Confederates
Could have been developed more. Essentially this is a cop - buddy story. Characters haven't been developed enough to care about. Freed slaves are all cardboard figures.
Could have been developed more. Essentially this is a cop - buddy story. Characters haven't been developed enough to care about. Freed slaves are all cardboard figures.
December 10, 2019
A U.S. Civil War Tale of Horror
Set in Louisiana after the civil war. A legendary swamp monster murders the inhabitants of a remote parish. What's behind the gruesome acts. Great story. Interesting to the end.
Set in Louisiana after the civil war. A legendary swamp monster murders the inhabitants of a remote parish. What's behind the gruesome acts. Great story. Interesting to the end.
May 6, 2017
Not at all what I actually expected, but a lovely surprise that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Never a dull moment, fast-paced, and the characters believable for the time period the story was written about. A true who-done-it with a twist. I would recommend it.
May 10, 2017
Awesome !!!
This was a real page turner . Couldn't put it down til I finished it. Can't wait to try another book by this author.
This was a real page turner . Couldn't put it down til I finished it. Can't wait to try another book by this author.
July 8, 2017
Creepy good.
Mercy is the first horror book I have read in s long time. Suspense, action & creepiness what more could you ask for.
Mercy is the first horror book I have read in s long time. Suspense, action & creepiness what more could you ask for.
July 21, 2017
Good book
Easy to read. Mixes legends with horrors of civil war, and how it affectef some of the men returning home
Easy to read. Mixes legends with horrors of civil war, and how it affectef some of the men returning home
July 28, 2017
Excellent
This story will have you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. I had to read it all in one sitting.
This story will have you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. I had to read it all in one sitting.
July 29, 2017
Great story, truly a good read. Really well done.
July 29, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. However, I just can't bring myself to give 5 stars to any book with a lot of spelling errors and syntax mistakes.
August 12, 2017
Good read
Action packed from start to finish. I enjoyed it.
Truly well written and captivating. Good author and I'm sure I will enjoy more of his books.
Action packed from start to finish. I enjoyed it.
Truly well written and captivating. Good author and I'm sure I will enjoy more of his books.
August 31, 2017
Very well written
This book was very well written and engaging, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
This book was very well written and engaging, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
September 6, 2017
Interesting mystery.
Mystery with a twist. At first I thought this novel was a mystery then a horror story. Enjoyable read. Not what I was expecting.
Mystery with a twist. At first I thought this novel was a mystery then a horror story. Enjoyable read. Not what I was expecting.
October 3, 2018
Good
The story didn't go as I suspected but I liked the story and the characters. A little bit of history gave it credibility.
The story didn't go as I suspected but I liked the story and the characters. A little bit of history gave it credibility.
November 21, 2018
Great story
The story started off good and just kept getting better. You could not wait to turn the page. It was to short for a book this good!
The story started off good and just kept getting better. You could not wait to turn the page. It was to short for a book this good!
December 11, 2019
Review
I have now read the book twice within five years. It was full of suspenseful about the unknown and a bit scary.
I have now read the book twice within five years. It was full of suspenseful about the unknown and a bit scary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews