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Tale Half Told
A B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree!
On December 23, 1946, Charles Reynolds murdered his pregnant wife in a houseful of party-goers, then committed suicide. Neither the house nor the powerful Reynolds family have ever recovered.
Twenty-five years later, a car accident forces four friends to take shelter from an approaching storm in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a dangerous battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity.
On December 23, 1946, Charles Reynolds murdered his pregnant wife in a houseful of party-goers, then committed suicide. Neither the house nor the powerful Reynolds family have ever recovered.
Twenty-five years later, a car accident forces four friends to take shelter from an approaching storm in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a dangerous battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2017
39 people are currently reading
494 people want to read
About the author
Killarney Traynor
14 books216 followersKillarney Traynor is a New England-born novelist, writer, actor, bibliophile, martial artist, and history buff. A member of Authors Elite and American Christian Fiction Writers, she is the author of Summer Shadows and Necessary Evil.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 16, 2017
"A Tale Half Told" is a tantalizing mystery told with a dose of horror that will leave readers wanting to finish the book with the lights on.
Read full review in the 2017 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2017 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
December 28, 2017
We are proud to announce that TALE HALF TOLD by Killarney Traynor is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
November 3, 2018
This is a really good ghost story! Creepy elements throughout with a mystery to solve and it just gets better as you go.
April 24, 2019
Amazing
I loved the story, the twists and turns! How every element in the story came together, can't wait for the next book! I would recommend this book if you love hauntings!
I loved the story, the twists and turns! How every element in the story came together, can't wait for the next book! I would recommend this book if you love hauntings!
November 6, 2018
Tale Half Told
Story by Margaret Traynor & Killarney Traynor
Written by Killarney Traynor
Genre - Fiction
Category - Ghost/Haunting/Possession/Suspense/Mystery
Pages - 201
Publication Info - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 15, 2017)
Format - Paperback
Rating - 📙📙📙📙📙
I won a signed copy of Tale Half Told on Goodreads.com last year around this time and finally got around to reading it. I want to just say thank you for a great read ladies.
So, it’s a snowy, stormy December night in northern New England and four young people are traveling to a family vacation home but decided to take a detour to an abandoned old house with a somewhat nefarious history and reputation when their car swerves and wrecks into a snowbank...what could possibly go wrong?
This was such a fun read. Very descriptive and atmospheric. Filled with suspense and mystery. And just enough creep factor to give you a sudden chill down your spine. Fast paced and well written, this was a most enjoyable little ghost story. Where warm clothing, it’s going to get very cold in these pages and watch out for things that go bump in the night. Very much recommend to whet your appetite for the unknown. I look forward to my next read from this talented author.
From the back cover: On December 23, 1946, Charles Reynolds murdered his pregnant wife in a houseful of party-goers, then committed suicide. Neither the house nor the powerful Reynolds family have ever recovered.
Twenty-five years later, a car accident forces four friends to take shelter from an approaching storm in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a dangerous battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity
About the authors: Margaret Traynor and Killarney Traynor are sisters who live in New Hampshire and have way to much time on their hands. Margaret is an EA, travel enthusiast, and coffee fanatic who works in the accounting office during the day and hikes the White Mountains on the weekends. Killarney is an author, actress, and bookworm and generally too busy watching black and white movies to hike. Tale Half Told is their first collaboration.
Also by Killarney Traynor: Summer Shadow, Necessary Evil and Michael Lawrence: The Season of Darkness. For more information on the Traynor sisters visit www.killarneytraynor.com.
Story by Margaret Traynor & Killarney Traynor
Written by Killarney Traynor
Genre - Fiction
Category - Ghost/Haunting/Possession/Suspense/Mystery
Pages - 201
Publication Info - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 15, 2017)
Format - Paperback
Rating - 📙📙📙📙📙
I won a signed copy of Tale Half Told on Goodreads.com last year around this time and finally got around to reading it. I want to just say thank you for a great read ladies.
So, it’s a snowy, stormy December night in northern New England and four young people are traveling to a family vacation home but decided to take a detour to an abandoned old house with a somewhat nefarious history and reputation when their car swerves and wrecks into a snowbank...what could possibly go wrong?
This was such a fun read. Very descriptive and atmospheric. Filled with suspense and mystery. And just enough creep factor to give you a sudden chill down your spine. Fast paced and well written, this was a most enjoyable little ghost story. Where warm clothing, it’s going to get very cold in these pages and watch out for things that go bump in the night. Very much recommend to whet your appetite for the unknown. I look forward to my next read from this talented author.
From the back cover: On December 23, 1946, Charles Reynolds murdered his pregnant wife in a houseful of party-goers, then committed suicide. Neither the house nor the powerful Reynolds family have ever recovered.
Twenty-five years later, a car accident forces four friends to take shelter from an approaching storm in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a dangerous battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity
About the authors: Margaret Traynor and Killarney Traynor are sisters who live in New Hampshire and have way to much time on their hands. Margaret is an EA, travel enthusiast, and coffee fanatic who works in the accounting office during the day and hikes the White Mountains on the weekends. Killarney is an author, actress, and bookworm and generally too busy watching black and white movies to hike. Tale Half Told is their first collaboration.
Also by Killarney Traynor: Summer Shadow, Necessary Evil and Michael Lawrence: The Season of Darkness. For more information on the Traynor sisters visit www.killarneytraynor.com.
February 7, 2018
Thank you to readingdeals.com, Killarney Traynor and Margaret Traynor. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Its Christmas 1971 and Michael Wright has an obsession with his business owned River House, the location of a holiday murder - suicide 25 years prior in 1946. While on a December 23rd trip to a family home with his wife Susan and two of their friends, brother and sister Johnny and Linda, Michael finds himself diverting from the original planned route to stop at the notorious River House. On the cusp of a suspected bad winter storm, Michaels wife and his friends are not keen on the idea of stopping their plans to visit a boarded up vacant and reportedly haunted home, they go along for the ride.
Once they arrive at the home, they find a way inside and begin to look around. Soon after they begin hearing, seeing and feeling things that do not make sense for an vacant home. After urging from the group, Michael decides it may be in their better interest to get back on the road and get ahead of the storm. The storm or forces of the house have different plans in store for them.
While trying to leave, they are involved in a vehicle accident, totaling the car and forcing the foursome to seek refuge in River House. Resigned to their fate, the group attempts to make the best of it and hunkers down to wait out the storm, until either morning or help arrives.
Once semi-settled inside the home, the foursome continues to hear giggling, footfalls and christmas music. The strange noises only get louder and more prevalent, placing the group in a battle of wits against their own sanity.
Three of the four group members are possessed during their stay. Susan was possessed by Helene the murdered homeowner. Johnny was possessed by Charlie, Helenes husband and accused murderer. Linda was possessed by an unknown force, turning her into a party go-er from 1946.
It takes a while but the foursome figures out that the wreck was no accident and they are pulled to the house for a reason. They are being possessed to find out the truth of the murder - suicide.
Its Christmas 1971 and Michael Wright has an obsession with his business owned River House, the location of a holiday murder - suicide 25 years prior in 1946. While on a December 23rd trip to a family home with his wife Susan and two of their friends, brother and sister Johnny and Linda, Michael finds himself diverting from the original planned route to stop at the notorious River House. On the cusp of a suspected bad winter storm, Michaels wife and his friends are not keen on the idea of stopping their plans to visit a boarded up vacant and reportedly haunted home, they go along for the ride.
Once they arrive at the home, they find a way inside and begin to look around. Soon after they begin hearing, seeing and feeling things that do not make sense for an vacant home. After urging from the group, Michael decides it may be in their better interest to get back on the road and get ahead of the storm. The storm or forces of the house have different plans in store for them.
While trying to leave, they are involved in a vehicle accident, totaling the car and forcing the foursome to seek refuge in River House. Resigned to their fate, the group attempts to make the best of it and hunkers down to wait out the storm, until either morning or help arrives.
Once semi-settled inside the home, the foursome continues to hear giggling, footfalls and christmas music. The strange noises only get louder and more prevalent, placing the group in a battle of wits against their own sanity.
Three of the four group members are possessed during their stay. Susan was possessed by Helene the murdered homeowner. Johnny was possessed by Charlie, Helenes husband and accused murderer. Linda was possessed by an unknown force, turning her into a party go-er from 1946.
It takes a while but the foursome figures out that the wreck was no accident and they are pulled to the house for a reason. They are being possessed to find out the truth of the murder - suicide.
February 25, 2018
Ohmygosh. Hitchcock would be proud.
I got this book as a Christmas gift, and - having previously read (and reread) one of the two authors - waited until I had a couple of free days before I started the book. I know how addictive Killarney Traynor's novels are.
Tale Half Told is no exception, but it is a departure on a couple of levels: It's her first collaboration with Margaret Traynor, her sister; more than that, it's a full-on horror story. This novel is page after page of flowing narrative, richly nuanced, with horrifying imagery that stays with you long after you're done reading. (There's a Books Gone Wild scene in the den that made me think of Tippi Hedren, helpless and terrified in the phone booth as the birds swarmed and attacked.) A throwback (a tribute?) to the Grand Master of Suspense himself, the authors expertly build layers of tension that becomes fear that becomes the terror of a sudden darkness - one that is filled with an invisible evil that sees you quite clearly, and knows your deepest fears.
You get pulled in without realizing it, and then there's no exit. You seriously can't put the book down.
This story is uniquely unforgettable. In the hands of less gifted authors, it would have been an average Paranormal Suspense offering - but what we have here will become a classic for fans of the genre.
As I now harbor an irrational fear of the books in my library, I'm sure that Hitchcock is well pleased. And maybe a little envious. Five stars.
I got this book as a Christmas gift, and - having previously read (and reread) one of the two authors - waited until I had a couple of free days before I started the book. I know how addictive Killarney Traynor's novels are.
Tale Half Told is no exception, but it is a departure on a couple of levels: It's her first collaboration with Margaret Traynor, her sister; more than that, it's a full-on horror story. This novel is page after page of flowing narrative, richly nuanced, with horrifying imagery that stays with you long after you're done reading. (There's a Books Gone Wild scene in the den that made me think of Tippi Hedren, helpless and terrified in the phone booth as the birds swarmed and attacked.) A throwback (a tribute?) to the Grand Master of Suspense himself, the authors expertly build layers of tension that becomes fear that becomes the terror of a sudden darkness - one that is filled with an invisible evil that sees you quite clearly, and knows your deepest fears.
You get pulled in without realizing it, and then there's no exit. You seriously can't put the book down.
This story is uniquely unforgettable. In the hands of less gifted authors, it would have been an average Paranormal Suspense offering - but what we have here will become a classic for fans of the genre.
As I now harbor an irrational fear of the books in my library, I'm sure that Hitchcock is well pleased. And maybe a little envious. Five stars.
May 27, 2018
I am not a person who reads ghost stories. I never go to see scary movies and never have.That said, I wanted to read my friend Killarney's book, so I decided to #bebrave and read it anyway.Tale Half Told: A Christmas Ghost Story is a great book! It starts out with a brother and sister, Johnny and Linda, and a husband and wife, Michael and Susan, travelling together when they decide to take a brief detour. It turns into a nightmare. It's a nightmare with a purpose, however. Their current situation parallels a tragic event from the past which somehow begins playing out in unusual ways in their present. The two women, Susan and Linda, are both nurses, so (being a nurse myself) I was immediately interested. The name "Johnny Vincent", Linda's brother, was a perfect choice on so many levels. "Vincent" made me think of Vincent Price. I kept seeing Jack Nicholson's psychotic grin from the move The Shining when I heard that name. [Full disclosure: I was going to put a link to that movie here, but when I went to YouTube and found it, I was too scared]. I also love the idea of how time can fold in on itself which this story illustrates beautifully.
Tale Half Told was scary, but not too scary. So now I will no longer describe myself as a person who does not like ghost stories! Killarney and Margaret Traynor's book has forever changed me!
Tale Half Told was scary, but not too scary. So now I will no longer describe myself as a person who does not like ghost stories! Killarney and Margaret Traynor's book has forever changed me!
December 12, 2017
Synopsis: On December 23, 1946, Charles Reynolds murdered his pregnant wife in a houseful of party-goers, then committed suicide. Neither the house nor the powerful Reynolds family have ever recovered.
Twenty-five years later, a car crash forces four friends to stay overnight in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a deadly battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity.
I made a mistake of starting this book late in the evening and then couldn't go to bed until I was finished and the spookiness I felt was gone, thank God it was almost light out.
This book is great, it had suspense, scary insane parts, thrills, and mystery. I just knew they weren't leaving the house and would have to stay all night. This book was very interesting and glad I was giving a copy for review. It has a great build up of characters from 25 years ago to the present.
Thank you Reading Deals for the opportunity.
Cherie'
Twenty-five years later, a car crash forces four friends to stay overnight in the abandoned Reynolds house. Married couple Michael and Susan Wright, nurse Linda Vincent, and her brother, Vietnam vet and PTSD sufferer Johnny Vincent, are too smart to believe in the supernatural, but they might have a change of mind. The car crash wasn't an accident: Johnny, Linda, Michael, and Susan have been chosen as pawns in a deadly battle of wills.
As the darkness falls, each will be tested - fighting not only for their lives, but for their sanity.
I made a mistake of starting this book late in the evening and then couldn't go to bed until I was finished and the spookiness I felt was gone, thank God it was almost light out.
This book is great, it had suspense, scary insane parts, thrills, and mystery. I just knew they weren't leaving the house and would have to stay all night. This book was very interesting and glad I was giving a copy for review. It has a great build up of characters from 25 years ago to the present.
Thank you Reading Deals for the opportunity.
Cherie'
December 23, 2017
Tale Half Told is a Christmas Ghost Story and a fine one at that. It is the story of Michael Wright's trip home for Christmas with his wife Susan and friends Linda and Johnny Vincent. Although a major storm is forecast it isn't expected to hit for hours. Michael decides to take a side trip to River House owned by his boss's family and slated for demolition soon. Michael is a distant cousin of the family and has become fascinated by the house and the tragedy that occurred there 25 years ago when Charles Reynolds killed his pregnant wife then committed suicide. Of course the storm hits early and they are stranded there. Of course many things like this are predictable as they are in any good ghost story. The fun is in the telling and the development of the mystery surrounding the house. It has all the elements of a good ghost story--spooky old house, no power, a storm, cold air, noises, eerie music. The ghostly scenes were well done and powerful. Was I scared? No not really but I was definitely entertained and would recommend this book. Thanks to the authors for allowing me to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review
December 9, 2017
Excellent ghost/haunted house story. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.. I'm glad I did because it's terrific!
August 22, 2019
I won this book through Goodreads and found it to be a really good spooky read. It was set it the perfect ghostly house and the four main characters were well developed and interesting. Started it and finished it in one setting. Will definitely try more from the author.
January 5, 2020
I read this book in it’s entirety on my 5 1/2 hour flight to Dublin! The trip went by so quickly as I was completely immersed in the creepy mysteries unfolding in this book! I love a good ghost story as well as a good mystery and this had them both. I absolutely loved it.
September 15, 2020
So good! Not what I was expecting but that's the best part!
May 19, 2020
Another great book by this author. I was totally creeped out by the 3rd chapter and couldn't wait to see what happened.
June 13, 2024
A married couple and their two friends (who are brother and sister) get trapped in a snowstorm on their way to a family Christmas and are forced to take refuge in an abandoned house that is the site of a decades-old murder-suicide. The group hunkers down for the night and go exploring while one of the group fills them all in on the Horrible Event that occurred there many years ago, just before Christmas. Cue spooky sounds, visions, rooms where the temperature is much colder, shadows, and some mild possession while the ghosts struggle to either kill the visitors, or force them to find the answers to what really happend that night back in 1946.
I don't know if it's just because the premise of this book has been done SO. MANY. TIMES. Or if it's due to the author's very simplistic writing (or both), but all I could think while reading this book was Cliche. Cliche. Cliche. Not that a cliche can't be made interesting, but in this instance, it definitely did not help.
The writing was so bland and had so little complexity that it felt like a ten-year-old had written it. Or that it was written FOR ten-year-olds. Many of the events were also VERY PREDICTABLE. (See above regarding cliches.) The combination of bland writing and predictability pretty much rendered this book tension-less. No tension. No anticipation. No nothing. The only way I can think of to describe it is to compare it to reading a cake recipie. The ingredients might be strange, and the instructions might not be what you're used to, but there is absolutely no surprise when you get to the end and...there's a cake.
There was also a bit in the story that felt so anachronistic, that I did some research on it because as soon as I read it I was like, That... That does not sound right at all. At a few different points in the story, the author compares Charles (who was a WWII vet) and Johnny (a Vietnam vet) and talks about how both of them returned home with PTSD. There is also discussion about how they both received therapy and medication to treat their mental issues.
'Scuse me, what?
PTSD was not even recognized as a mental health disorder until 1980 (the book takes place in 1971). I did a few google searches, and I could find absolutely nothing that supported the idea that medication and therapy were tools used to treat war veterans in either 1946 OR the 1970's. Medications were sometimes prescribed to help PTSD sufferers sleep, but that was about it.
So, in the end, I found this book boring, predictable, and entirely lacking in any kind of suspense. Also, the inclusion of a treatment protocol for PTSD and mental health issues in a book that takes place a good 30-40 years prior to those treatments even being A Thing, really annoyed me.
I don't know if it's just because the premise of this book has been done SO. MANY. TIMES. Or if it's due to the author's very simplistic writing (or both), but all I could think while reading this book was Cliche. Cliche. Cliche. Not that a cliche can't be made interesting, but in this instance, it definitely did not help.
The writing was so bland and had so little complexity that it felt like a ten-year-old had written it. Or that it was written FOR ten-year-olds. Many of the events were also VERY PREDICTABLE. (See above regarding cliches.) The combination of bland writing and predictability pretty much rendered this book tension-less. No tension. No anticipation. No nothing. The only way I can think of to describe it is to compare it to reading a cake recipie. The ingredients might be strange, and the instructions might not be what you're used to, but there is absolutely no surprise when you get to the end and...there's a cake.
There was also a bit in the story that felt so anachronistic, that I did some research on it because as soon as I read it I was like, That... That does not sound right at all. At a few different points in the story, the author compares Charles (who was a WWII vet) and Johnny (a Vietnam vet) and talks about how both of them returned home with PTSD. There is also discussion about how they both received therapy and medication to treat their mental issues.
'Scuse me, what?
PTSD was not even recognized as a mental health disorder until 1980 (the book takes place in 1971). I did a few google searches, and I could find absolutely nothing that supported the idea that medication and therapy were tools used to treat war veterans in either 1946 OR the 1970's. Medications were sometimes prescribed to help PTSD sufferers sleep, but that was about it.
So, in the end, I found this book boring, predictable, and entirely lacking in any kind of suspense. Also, the inclusion of a treatment protocol for PTSD and mental health issues in a book that takes place a good 30-40 years prior to those treatments even being A Thing, really annoyed me.
September 26, 2020
Masterfully written, a page-turner.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews