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The Brambles
Drugs, a defrocked priest, an elderly movie star, a motorcycle gang, a doctor named Honeybear.
Elizabeth Gray is found hanging from a tree. Her town is shocked to learn that Elizabeth had no birth certificate, no social security number, no record of education. Her mother, an independently wealthy woman, refuses to cooperate with authorities.
But Elizabeth is not truly gone: she communicates in spirit with her three childhood playmates, driving them to investigate the true circumstances of her death.
And in doing so, Mack, Lillian, and Vanessa discover the world of The Brambles, a mansion owned by the elderly movie star, Mitch Cooper. They meet John Leary, a defocked priest and Mitch's "caretaker." Drugs, a motorcycle gang, a corrupt medical doctor nicknamed "Honeybear." How are all of these things connected, and what is the secret to Elizabeth's true identity? Only three brave teenagers can find out.
The Brambles is a more than a mystery, but an absorbing exploration of life, death, and how people navigate relationships around them. A book you don't want to put down, and when you do, your thoughts go back to it." — Ross Rojek, San Francisco Book Review
Mature teens to new adults who want a story that begins with a ghostly presence and evolves into a much broader plot will find The Brambles creates a brooding set of circumstances that embrace everything it touches, making for an engrossing story that's thought-provoking and hard to put down. — Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
Elizabeth Gray is found hanging from a tree. Her town is shocked to learn that Elizabeth had no birth certificate, no social security number, no record of education. Her mother, an independently wealthy woman, refuses to cooperate with authorities.
But Elizabeth is not truly gone: she communicates in spirit with her three childhood playmates, driving them to investigate the true circumstances of her death.
And in doing so, Mack, Lillian, and Vanessa discover the world of The Brambles, a mansion owned by the elderly movie star, Mitch Cooper. They meet John Leary, a defocked priest and Mitch's "caretaker." Drugs, a motorcycle gang, a corrupt medical doctor nicknamed "Honeybear." How are all of these things connected, and what is the secret to Elizabeth's true identity? Only three brave teenagers can find out.
The Brambles is a more than a mystery, but an absorbing exploration of life, death, and how people navigate relationships around them. A book you don't want to put down, and when you do, your thoughts go back to it." — Ross Rojek, San Francisco Book Review
Mature teens to new adults who want a story that begins with a ghostly presence and evolves into a much broader plot will find The Brambles creates a brooding set of circumstances that embrace everything it touches, making for an engrossing story that's thought-provoking and hard to put down. — Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
- GenresFictionParanormalMystery
399 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2017
385 people are currently reading
877 people want to read
About the author
Leah Erickson
12 books119 followersLeah Erickson is the author of the novel "The Brambles" (2017) and the upcoming novel "Blythe of the Gates." She is a gold medal winner of the 2018 Independent Press Award, a gold medal winner of the 2018 Independent Book Award, and a silver medal winner of the Readers' Favorite Award. Her short fiction has appeared in many magazines and journals in print and online, including The Fabulist, Pantheon Magazine, The Saint Ann’s Review, Eclectica, The Coachella Review, and many more. She lives near Newport, Rhode Island with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 7, 2018
That was better than I thought it would be. This novel seemed a little packed and overambitious at first glance, but Leah Erickson skillfully guided us through the supernatural labyrinth she built without drawing outside the lines too much.
What makes THE BRAMBLES a successful young adult supernatural mystery where so, SO MANY fail at it is the equal amount of love put in every character. Erickson fleshed them out equally, with quirky, lively details that gave them a personality of their own. This also causes the book's undoing (almost gave it three starts because of that) because every character is treated to his own resolution which causes a ridiculous amount of unnecessary turns in the last half of THE BRAMBLES.
But Leah Erickson is good. She "gets" the tone this kind of novel should have. She doesn't try to go realistic and visceral and gives THE BRAMBLES the mythical space it needs to be successful. I'm not even a fan of the genre and I liked it a lot.
What makes THE BRAMBLES a successful young adult supernatural mystery where so, SO MANY fail at it is the equal amount of love put in every character. Erickson fleshed them out equally, with quirky, lively details that gave them a personality of their own. This also causes the book's undoing (almost gave it three starts because of that) because every character is treated to his own resolution which causes a ridiculous amount of unnecessary turns in the last half of THE BRAMBLES.
But Leah Erickson is good. She "gets" the tone this kind of novel should have. She doesn't try to go realistic and visceral and gives THE BRAMBLES the mythical space it needs to be successful. I'm not even a fan of the genre and I liked it a lot.
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December 20, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (12/20/2018)!💝
Blurb:
Drugs, a defrocked priest, an elderly movie star, a motorcycle gang, a doctor named Honeybear.
Elizabeth Gray is found hanging from a tree. Her town is shocked to learn that Elizabeth had no birth certificate, no social security number, no record of education. Her mother, an independently wealthy woman, refuses to cooperate with authorities.
But Elizabeth is not truly gone: she communicates in spirit with her three childhood playmates, driving them to investigate the true circumstances of her death.
And in doing so, Mack, Lillian, and Vanessa discover the world of The Brambles, a mansion owned by the elderly movie star, Mitch Cooper. They meet John Leary, a defocked priest and Mitch's "caretaker." Drugs, a motorcycle gang, a corrupt medical doctor nicknamed "Honeybear." How are all of these things connected, and what is the secret to Elizabeth's true identity? Only three brave teenagers can find out.
Blurb:
Drugs, a defrocked priest, an elderly movie star, a motorcycle gang, a doctor named Honeybear.
Elizabeth Gray is found hanging from a tree. Her town is shocked to learn that Elizabeth had no birth certificate, no social security number, no record of education. Her mother, an independently wealthy woman, refuses to cooperate with authorities.
But Elizabeth is not truly gone: she communicates in spirit with her three childhood playmates, driving them to investigate the true circumstances of her death.
And in doing so, Mack, Lillian, and Vanessa discover the world of The Brambles, a mansion owned by the elderly movie star, Mitch Cooper. They meet John Leary, a defocked priest and Mitch's "caretaker." Drugs, a motorcycle gang, a corrupt medical doctor nicknamed "Honeybear." How are all of these things connected, and what is the secret to Elizabeth's true identity? Only three brave teenagers can find out.
December 19, 2018
so thrilling, gripping, edge of your seat kind of read. mysteries, crime reads are so awesome to me ... i love not knowing, or maybe having a clue ...but not really!! oh, i could have swore i read something from Leah, but apparently i have ... i am such a new fan. loved this read. and as always ... maybe it is all in my head, i don't know but books with my name in them ... tend to always be a fan in my books ... is that odd?? i am wondering??!?!
January 8, 2019
Elizabeth
This mystery, thriller, and more made my head spin. Each character was very well written. I must admit, there were parts I wanted to read with my eyes closed. It's amazing how well you can know each other and still you don't know the inner person. I guess we all have a secret self.
This mystery, thriller, and more made my head spin. Each character was very well written. I must admit, there were parts I wanted to read with my eyes closed. It's amazing how well you can know each other and still you don't know the inner person. I guess we all have a secret self.
January 4, 2019
The Brambles is part supernatural, part mystery/thriller and goes beyond the boundaries of death to solve a murder.
Elizabeth and her mom Annabel were always considered a little strange. Neither really socialised and nothing much was known about them. When Elizabeth was younger, she had three close friends: Vanessa, Lillian and Mack; but as with kids, they drifted apart as they got older. Elizabeth is found hanging by her neck from a tree, apparently a victim of suicide. As the police look deeper into the case, they find no birth certificate, no education record and no social security number for her.
Each of the childhood friends is dealing with their own issues. Mack has a brother damaged by war, a father who will only focus on the brother and a mother who is too dependent on him. Lillian is overwhelmed by the universe. She feels too much and too deeply and is battling to find her place in it all. Vanessa is very intelligent but feels that no matter what she accomplishes in life is not enough and is constantly looking for more. As Elizabeth starts appearing to them in different ways, they realise she is trying to tell them something. Her clues lead them to The Brambles; a sprawling mansion just round the corner from Elizabeth’s house through the forest where Milton Cooper, a dying film star, has a house filled with vagrants and partygoers looking for a good time. As the kids meet a motorcycle gang, a dodgy doctor and Mitch’s fanatically religious caretaker John, they become sucked into a world they might not be able to handle. Will Elizabeth get the retribution she seeks?
As the book began, I liked the idea of Elizabeth sending clues to her friends to try to hint that her death and indeed her life may not have been as it seemed. As the story continued, however, I felt it became incredibly drawn out. There was so much info given about the kids’ backgrounds and John’s journey and feelings yet not much offered as to why the clues were as “subtle” as they were or how Elizabeth knew of the location or contents of the secret place. While the main idea for the story was interesting, there were just too many holes to be able to pick at and because of the amount of info offered, scenes felt stretched to fit the story. Some characters also did things that didn’t correspond to previous actions or went against their personality traits described before. Yes, the friends wanted to help Elizabeth, but they put themselves in physical danger in situations where it would have been easy for them to be killed or had no problem taking unknown drugs to fit in with the people around them. These are high school kids; not paid private detectives or the cast of Pretty Little Liars.
The writing and editing were very good which did help the story along, but I felt let down that the elements didn’t gel together and the reality segments were far-fetched. The end ties up too neatly and I was left feeling something was missing. I don’t like closing a book and feeling just “meh” about something, but that’s I guess that’s why we all have different tastes!
Elizabeth and her mom Annabel were always considered a little strange. Neither really socialised and nothing much was known about them. When Elizabeth was younger, she had three close friends: Vanessa, Lillian and Mack; but as with kids, they drifted apart as they got older. Elizabeth is found hanging by her neck from a tree, apparently a victim of suicide. As the police look deeper into the case, they find no birth certificate, no education record and no social security number for her.
Each of the childhood friends is dealing with their own issues. Mack has a brother damaged by war, a father who will only focus on the brother and a mother who is too dependent on him. Lillian is overwhelmed by the universe. She feels too much and too deeply and is battling to find her place in it all. Vanessa is very intelligent but feels that no matter what she accomplishes in life is not enough and is constantly looking for more. As Elizabeth starts appearing to them in different ways, they realise she is trying to tell them something. Her clues lead them to The Brambles; a sprawling mansion just round the corner from Elizabeth’s house through the forest where Milton Cooper, a dying film star, has a house filled with vagrants and partygoers looking for a good time. As the kids meet a motorcycle gang, a dodgy doctor and Mitch’s fanatically religious caretaker John, they become sucked into a world they might not be able to handle. Will Elizabeth get the retribution she seeks?
As the book began, I liked the idea of Elizabeth sending clues to her friends to try to hint that her death and indeed her life may not have been as it seemed. As the story continued, however, I felt it became incredibly drawn out. There was so much info given about the kids’ backgrounds and John’s journey and feelings yet not much offered as to why the clues were as “subtle” as they were or how Elizabeth knew of the location or contents of the secret place. While the main idea for the story was interesting, there were just too many holes to be able to pick at and because of the amount of info offered, scenes felt stretched to fit the story. Some characters also did things that didn’t correspond to previous actions or went against their personality traits described before. Yes, the friends wanted to help Elizabeth, but they put themselves in physical danger in situations where it would have been easy for them to be killed or had no problem taking unknown drugs to fit in with the people around them. These are high school kids; not paid private detectives or the cast of Pretty Little Liars.
The writing and editing were very good which did help the story along, but I felt let down that the elements didn’t gel together and the reality segments were far-fetched. The end ties up too neatly and I was left feeling something was missing. I don’t like closing a book and feeling just “meh” about something, but that’s I guess that’s why we all have different tastes!
January 27, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Leah Erickson, likely inspired by lovely bones, created a unique world where evil exists on either plain. The frequent point of view changes with so many thread lot times at different points in history made this almost as confusing as Pulp Fiction because things weren’t linier. Despite that the story was riveting. There were so many sub plots while they were all related to the protagonist I didn’t feel like I was able to give each sub plots the time they deserved. I want to read more because I liked this a lot but I think the author may need to consider sagas and make the books longer to allow for greater sub-plot development or write a series. By the end I still want to know more about each of the sub plots.
Leah Erickson, likely inspired by lovely bones, created a unique world where evil exists on either plain. The frequent point of view changes with so many thread lot times at different points in history made this almost as confusing as Pulp Fiction because things weren’t linier. Despite that the story was riveting. There were so many sub plots while they were all related to the protagonist I didn’t feel like I was able to give each sub plots the time they deserved. I want to read more because I liked this a lot but I think the author may need to consider sagas and make the books longer to allow for greater sub-plot development or write a series. By the end I still want to know more about each of the sub plots.
February 28, 2018
The Brambles is thrilling, gripping and amazing. Leah Erickson has delivered everything you want from a thriller. I was hooked from the prologue and I did not put it down until the last swipe as it totally messed with my head.
As an avid reader who loves to read crime, I was astounded at how much I was shocked by this book. Just as I thought I’d worked things out, a twist would come out of nowhere and as the story unfolded I really couldn’t make my mind up as to who was telling the truth.
The prologue is one of the best suspense ones I’ve read - Leah really plays with your mind in ‘The Bramble' thats the beauty (if you can call it that) of this book... you don’t know what or who to believe.
As an avid reader who loves to read crime, I was astounded at how much I was shocked by this book. Just as I thought I’d worked things out, a twist would come out of nowhere and as the story unfolded I really couldn’t make my mind up as to who was telling the truth.
The prologue is one of the best suspense ones I’ve read - Leah really plays with your mind in ‘The Bramble' thats the beauty (if you can call it that) of this book... you don’t know what or who to believe.
December 20, 2017
Ms. Erickson’s book is a dark, twisting path of mystery and teenage angst. I say that as a compliment. The story unfolds slowly, building suspense, as the three young friends are thrown together after the death of a friend they all slowly grew away from.
Ms. Erickson does a great job making even the protagonists (Mack, Lil, and Vanessa) flawed. They’re teenagers. They’re breaking rules and causing problems even as they try to solve their friend’s murder.
The book has a very ‘Last House on the Left’ feel; haunting, shadowed, nuanced.
If you’re in to dark fiction, you’ll like this!
Ms. Erickson does a great job making even the protagonists (Mack, Lil, and Vanessa) flawed. They’re teenagers. They’re breaking rules and causing problems even as they try to solve their friend’s murder.
The book has a very ‘Last House on the Left’ feel; haunting, shadowed, nuanced.
If you’re in to dark fiction, you’ll like this!
May 10, 2019
This is a well-crafted story, with some complex characters and unique situations.
I just didn't like it.
About 2/3 of the way through, I put it aside for a few weeks, but found myself compelled to find out how it ended. No surprises, of course. Well done.
Still, something about the relationship among the three main characters, while appropriate for childhood friends brought together once again by a single incident, seemed lacking. Perhaps that's the strength of the story - all is not roses and rainbows.
I just didn't like it.
About 2/3 of the way through, I put it aside for a few weeks, but found myself compelled to find out how it ended. No surprises, of course. Well done.
Still, something about the relationship among the three main characters, while appropriate for childhood friends brought together once again by a single incident, seemed lacking. Perhaps that's the strength of the story - all is not roses and rainbows.
October 25, 2020
This is a good story and while it does have a ghost in it, it isn't exactly a ghost story. I think I would have liked it better if there wasn't so much in it. The premise is great with a murder and a group of friends trying to figure out what happened. But do we need a prostitute and drug ring, an aging movie star, a biker gang and all the back story that comes with all of that. It quickly moved the story from spooky ghost to people are the real monsters. So overall a good story but not quite what I was expecting.
February 28, 2018
I wanted to get this review down while it is still fresh in my mind. I started it last night, read it until about 2 AM, woke up at 5 AM thinking about it, and started reading it again.
This story is a very fast paced story and so suspenseful that it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. Every time it looks as if you're able to predict what happens next something unexpectedly happens.
Overall a good read to fill the space.
This story is a very fast paced story and so suspenseful that it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. Every time it looks as if you're able to predict what happens next something unexpectedly happens.
Overall a good read to fill the space.
February 28, 2018
This is my first experience with this author, and it will probably be my last. Enjoyed the plot at first, but then it went downhill. The descriptive language was excessive, so much so that I skipped page after page. The same story could have been told in an interesting, thought-provoking manner using half the words. I felt like I was reading a college essay that had a 500 word requirement, so the student crammed in as many useless and redundant details as possible. I'll keep looking.
April 9, 2018
The best thing about this novel I found is its step by step increment in its mystery and suspense. After each chapter it changes my mind about its conclusion and when I ended up this novel its end was totally out of my expectation.. Wow its just WOW I think Leah Erickson just wrote a master piece in niche of Mystery which will write a new history in this era..... I will read it again till a new book from Leah.
December 10, 2018
Wonderfully unexpected
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. It was dark and light at the same time. You get to experience that time between being a child and an adult through the journey of Mack, Lil, and Viv as they try to do their childhood friend justice and bring her suspicious death closure. Definitely recommend this book. You will not regret the time spent between the pages.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. It was dark and light at the same time. You get to experience that time between being a child and an adult through the journey of Mack, Lil, and Viv as they try to do their childhood friend justice and bring her suspicious death closure. Definitely recommend this book. You will not regret the time spent between the pages.
December 14, 2018
Great Story
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The characters had such depth and the dialogue between characters was truly believable and helped form such a strong storyline. This is one of those books that you hate to see end. This book had everything that I look for. A cast of strong characters, a tight and powerful storyline and an ending that pulls everything together. I would definitely recommend this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The characters had such depth and the dialogue between characters was truly believable and helped form such a strong storyline. This is one of those books that you hate to see end. This book had everything that I look for. A cast of strong characters, a tight and powerful storyline and an ending that pulls everything together. I would definitely recommend this book.
January 8, 2019
When a high school girl is found hanging from a tree, dead, three of her childhood friends become determined to solve the mystery of her apparent suicide. Only it wasn't a suicide and the answer to the mystery lies in a dilapidated old mansion called the Brambles. This was a good story, though a little slow getting going. Once the pace stepped up, the reading was fast and fun. This book isn't anything spectacular, but it certainly wasn't a waste of time, either.
July 20, 2019
Teenage sleuths try to solve their friend's death
The book started slow, but eventually picked up my interest. Three teenagers, upset by the "suicide" hanging of their one-time friend, go to extreme lengths to find out what really happened to her--aided by supernatural hints from the dead girl herself. The e-book was very good, but there were so many grammatical errors that drove me crazy. I don't know if these were just in the e-book or also in the hard copy, but I can't give it a 5-star rating because of the number of errors.
The book started slow, but eventually picked up my interest. Three teenagers, upset by the "suicide" hanging of their one-time friend, go to extreme lengths to find out what really happened to her--aided by supernatural hints from the dead girl herself. The e-book was very good, but there were so many grammatical errors that drove me crazy. I don't know if these were just in the e-book or also in the hard copy, but I can't give it a 5-star rating because of the number of errors.
December 20, 2017
This author was recommended to me, and I'm glad i discovered this book. The characters are very well drawn, and it delves deeply into the mind of a psychological predator, and how one operates. I guess I would describe this as a dark mystery novel? If you like Joyce Carol Oates, this may appeal to you. Might also be good for mature teens and new adults.
December 22, 2017
This was definitely a one of a kind mystery book. Just wow. It starts off with the death of Elizabeth Gray and goes on from there. Then there are unnatural superficial things in addition that come along with her death. I have to say so little because the book is just so good and I don’t wish to spoil. It was a good book and I truly recommend for lovers of these kinds of book.
February 28, 2018
I’m a huge fan of ‘who dun it’ books’ and murder mysteries. This book was pretty good, the main character was really fun to follow. The plot was great. A really good read...the ONLY gripe I had is it took too long to get to the end. I felt some of the content could have been omitted. It kind of dragged on during the middle. But once it started the finale was amazing.
April 9, 2018
I am not that much found of mystery related books or novels but this one really built a unique curiosity inside me when i start its first chapter.. oh man what a start it was "The dead girl haunted the minds of the townspeople like a half-remembered dream........". I think Erickson did a great job to compile whole stuff and in a nut shell now i am in love with Mystery Novels.
April 9, 2018
Well.. After reading so many reviews about this book and the description about the book I think i must read this because now I am excited to start this and hope so will find this book as good as other readers reviewed about it. After reading its intro here on goodreads i think this novel will be as interested as it is described in introduction.
So hope for the best...
So hope for the best...
April 9, 2018
I just started reading this book and ended its first two chapters... What a story it is and Erickson you just beautifully justified each and every character in this novel..... It seems that things are happening in front of my eyes and infact now I am also having dreams of this nove.. :) but beauty of writing a mystery ends here seriously and now i will clear this novel in next couple of days....
March 31, 2019
Not For Everyone
This was a strange story line. Not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I didn't rush to pick the book up, I only read before going to bed at night. But on the other hand, once reading, I didn't want to stop. This is a book you'll want to read and decide for yourself.
This was a strange story line. Not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I didn't rush to pick the book up, I only read before going to bed at night. But on the other hand, once reading, I didn't want to stop. This is a book you'll want to read and decide for yourself.
February 28, 2018
Didn't love it but didn't hate it either...
This book was slow in places and I had to skip parts to get to the meat of each chapter. Lots of extra words that could have been left out.....I am trying to decide if I will continue reading by Leah. Not sure yet.....
This book was slow in places and I had to skip parts to get to the meat of each chapter. Lots of extra words that could have been left out.....I am trying to decide if I will continue reading by Leah. Not sure yet.....
November 25, 2018
I found the topic of the novel very interesting, but the work itself was overly wordy and I found myself tuning out entire paragraphs at a time because the content didn't pertain to the main message.
Erikson has great promise, but she could do with a little more editing.
Erikson has great promise, but she could do with a little more editing.
December 15, 2018
Brambles, hidden motives and loss
An incredible tale of four young people coming of age in a frightening place. One, Elizabeth, is murdered. The three others, her childhood friends, choose to face terror and corrupted adults to find Elizabeth’s killer.
An incredible tale of four young people coming of age in a frightening place. One, Elizabeth, is murdered. The three others, her childhood friends, choose to face terror and corrupted adults to find Elizabeth’s killer.
February 23, 2019
BOOOOOOOOORING.
Ugg. It started out promising and became weird and confusing. I skimmed much of the last half just to find out whodunit. Probably wouldn't read this author again.
Saw comparisons to The Lovely Bones. Not even close. Good thing it was free.
Ugg. It started out promising and became weird and confusing. I skimmed much of the last half just to find out whodunit. Probably wouldn't read this author again.
Saw comparisons to The Lovely Bones. Not even close. Good thing it was free.
December 14, 2018
Three young friends are thrown together after the death of a friend who was hanging from a tree.
January 27, 2019
Awesome!
I couldn't put this book down until the end. I didn't expect John to be what he turned out to be!
I couldn't put this book down until the end. I didn't expect John to be what he turned out to be!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews