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Deuce Delaney
1964.
Waterbury, Ohio.
Thirteen-year-old Deuce Delaney sits in his Observatory—the turret on top of his house perched high on Mount Airy—spying through binoculars on the world below.
Deuce is trouble in perpetual motion. He gets in trouble at home, church, school—even with the law.
So when he sneaks out one night and sees this thing with a hideous face disappear up a sewer pipe, no one will believe him. He must investigate the mystery alone.
That’s when things get hairy…
Author's Note: The Teen Edition contains language more suitable for adolescents.
Waterbury, Ohio.
Thirteen-year-old Deuce Delaney sits in his Observatory—the turret on top of his house perched high on Mount Airy—spying through binoculars on the world below.
Deuce is trouble in perpetual motion. He gets in trouble at home, church, school—even with the law.
So when he sneaks out one night and sees this thing with a hideous face disappear up a sewer pipe, no one will believe him. He must investigate the mystery alone.
That’s when things get hairy…
Author's Note: The Teen Edition contains language more suitable for adolescents.
- GenresFiction
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2012
230 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Michael Murray
2 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Michael Murray lives in Mansfield, Ohio. He has a wife, son, daughter, dog, cat, and Nasco-ject preserved rat. He is a lawyer by day, writer by night.
Michael Murray lives in Mansfield, Ohio. He has a wife, son, daughter, dog, cat, and Nasco-ject preserved rat. He is a lawyer by day, writer by night.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 26, 2023
Deuce Delaney
By Michael Murray
I was looking for a horror book when I came upon this book. The book surprised me because I didn't expect the horror to come from where it did.
Deuce is a 13 year old boy in the '60s. Typical pranks that are played now are not tolerated back then. I know! Kids are not listened to. Parents listen to other grown ups and not their own kids. It's a time when kids just need more spankings and discipline when they act up, it's believed. Spankings are common at schools. In real life I saw my fair share, even to second graders. Cops question kids without parents and try to force confessions out of kids. Life was difficult back then for kids.
Deuce is fidgety and impulsive. He does before he thinks but doesn't mean any harm. But in this society, one bad rap and everyone thinks you are a bad kid and everything that happens is your fault. This is Deuce's life. He thinks sees he sees a ghost or monster too. Now he is thought crazy!
The first half of the book is day to day life struggles of Deuce. It is so slow! I am about to give up but I keep thinking there has to be more to this story than following this boy around and watching his life fall apart!
The last part of book finally kicks in! Thank goodness! When it does, it is at jet speed! Terrifying, heart pounding action! Deuce thought his life was bad until it got a whole lot worse! Terrific ending! The last half made up for the slow start. Still wish the first half was condensed.
By Michael Murray
I was looking for a horror book when I came upon this book. The book surprised me because I didn't expect the horror to come from where it did.
Deuce is a 13 year old boy in the '60s. Typical pranks that are played now are not tolerated back then. I know! Kids are not listened to. Parents listen to other grown ups and not their own kids. It's a time when kids just need more spankings and discipline when they act up, it's believed. Spankings are common at schools. In real life I saw my fair share, even to second graders. Cops question kids without parents and try to force confessions out of kids. Life was difficult back then for kids.
Deuce is fidgety and impulsive. He does before he thinks but doesn't mean any harm. But in this society, one bad rap and everyone thinks you are a bad kid and everything that happens is your fault. This is Deuce's life. He thinks sees he sees a ghost or monster too. Now he is thought crazy!
The first half of the book is day to day life struggles of Deuce. It is so slow! I am about to give up but I keep thinking there has to be more to this story than following this boy around and watching his life fall apart!
The last part of book finally kicks in! Thank goodness! When it does, it is at jet speed! Terrifying, heart pounding action! Deuce thought his life was bad until it got a whole lot worse! Terrific ending! The last half made up for the slow start. Still wish the first half was condensed.
October 1, 2022
Not everyone can produce a well written book. This book hits that on so many levels it needs more stars.
I'd loaded this on the e-reader and forgotten it was a horror story. With the name Deuce and the thumbnail size cover photo I thought it was more hijinks than anything. Boy was I wrong. If you were born in the 50s you know these characters by heart. A kid is to be seen but not heard, adults are always-always right. Things that were normal for us then are abusive now. But even back then there was severe abuse.
If you were abused as a child, I can't say if I would recommend this book. The events start with a read like the Wonder Years TV show and slowly escalate. Layer on layer of pranks lead to more extreme events. Parents, Cops, Teachers all follow a strict guideline from how they were raised, and society demanded they react. It was deeply moving leaving me sad, stunned and horrified to remember how that time in life really was.
I'd loaded this on the e-reader and forgotten it was a horror story. With the name Deuce and the thumbnail size cover photo I thought it was more hijinks than anything. Boy was I wrong. If you were born in the 50s you know these characters by heart. A kid is to be seen but not heard, adults are always-always right. Things that were normal for us then are abusive now. But even back then there was severe abuse.
If you were abused as a child, I can't say if I would recommend this book. The events start with a read like the Wonder Years TV show and slowly escalate. Layer on layer of pranks lead to more extreme events. Parents, Cops, Teachers all follow a strict guideline from how they were raised, and society demanded they react. It was deeply moving leaving me sad, stunned and horrified to remember how that time in life really was.
October 9, 2022
WOW! Mind blown!
This is a story that makes you scratch your head wondering how it is all going to play out. Thirteen-year-old Deuce is always in trouble. His antics will make you laugh or frustrate you to no end. You just want him to be a well-behaved boy, but this is a challenge for him. He has lied so much, that when he tells the truth, nobody will believe him.
The ending is absolutely phenomenal!
A beautifully written book that is hard to put down!
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be taken on an entertaining and nail-biting journey. Kudos to you, Michael Murray, for writing an amazing and wonderful book!
This is a story that makes you scratch your head wondering how it is all going to play out. Thirteen-year-old Deuce is always in trouble. His antics will make you laugh or frustrate you to no end. You just want him to be a well-behaved boy, but this is a challenge for him. He has lied so much, that when he tells the truth, nobody will believe him.
The ending is absolutely phenomenal!
A beautifully written book that is hard to put down!
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be taken on an entertaining and nail-biting journey. Kudos to you, Michael Murray, for writing an amazing and wonderful book!
September 13, 2025
Young 12 or 13 yr old boy in the 50s gets into lots of trouble at school. Sees a ghost while in his tree house. He gets mixed up with the wrong group of kids and he gets expelled. His parents want him to go to Millitary School and later on one of the hooligans he is hanging around with gets murdered and dumped in the town pool.
Deuce sees the car that dumped him off and thinks it could be the boys abusive step father. He tracks the car and sneaks into the garage to match up the license plate and the step father of the kid locks Deuce in the garage and in a basement. He runs a hose feom his car into the garage intending to gas him. Duece is handcuffed so he cut off his thumb to get thencuffs off and the "ghost" he saw helps him escape theough underground pipes that lead to the sewer system, altgough Deuce gets shot with buckshot in the butt while trying to get away.
The ghost is a badly disfigured hidden away step kid that the father starved and kept hidden from the world.
Later on all the charges are dropped on Deuce and he gets reinstated back at school and the local writes up the whole story and Deuce is a hero.
Deuce lets the other deformed kid keep the watch he had lost in the pipes the 1st time he encountered him as a thank you for helping him escape.
Deuce sees the car that dumped him off and thinks it could be the boys abusive step father. He tracks the car and sneaks into the garage to match up the license plate and the step father of the kid locks Deuce in the garage and in a basement. He runs a hose feom his car into the garage intending to gas him. Duece is handcuffed so he cut off his thumb to get thencuffs off and the "ghost" he saw helps him escape theough underground pipes that lead to the sewer system, altgough Deuce gets shot with buckshot in the butt while trying to get away.
The ghost is a badly disfigured hidden away step kid that the father starved and kept hidden from the world.
Later on all the charges are dropped on Deuce and he gets reinstated back at school and the local writes up the whole story and Deuce is a hero.
Deuce lets the other deformed kid keep the watch he had lost in the pipes the 1st time he encountered him as a thank you for helping him escape.
November 29, 2022
Really interesting book. Found it while looking for creature feature type books like Bigfoot etc. This is absolutely not that kind of book although the blurb reads that way 😂
It kind of reminds me of Stephen Kings Stand by Me, or Robert R McCammons Boys Life just for reference.
A good story though nonetheless although I wanted to throw my kindle across the room more than once at the unfairness of Deuces parents. They were beyond frustrating for me to read. Deuce cracked me up with his one bad decision after another. A really likable character that I was constantly rooting for though.
It kind of reminds me of Stephen Kings Stand by Me, or Robert R McCammons Boys Life just for reference.
A good story though nonetheless although I wanted to throw my kindle across the room more than once at the unfairness of Deuces parents. They were beyond frustrating for me to read. Deuce cracked me up with his one bad decision after another. A really likable character that I was constantly rooting for though.
August 10, 2025
Deuce is written in first person. He is a 13 year old kid and so that’s where you are-in the mind of a 13 year old. Mysterious things happening, but much of the time you’re just wondering through a middle schoolers life. His decisions are impulsive and often unwise, but he’s a kid. Trouble follows Deuce, but the real problem is lurking in the shadows and waiting for him to stumble into the depths of real trouble.
October 26, 2022
Great time to be a kid!
I really enjoyed this book. It was spot on regarding the time period. The story moved along at a good pace. Deuce is a likable kid with a penchant for getting into trouble, but its never intentional. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read.
I really enjoyed this book. It was spot on regarding the time period. The story moved along at a good pace. Deuce is a likable kid with a penchant for getting into trouble, but its never intentional. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read.
March 3, 2024
Awesome Read
It was a great read from the start reminding me of all the childhood misadventures you could have good and bad. An entertain read throughout. Would be a recommended read.
It was a great read from the start reminding me of all the childhood misadventures you could have good and bad. An entertain read throughout. Would be a recommended read.
September 10, 2022
Deuce Delaney
What a story! There were parts that made me laugh and parts that caused me to chew my fingernails off. That kid was something else!
What a story! There were parts that made me laugh and parts that caused me to chew my fingernails off. That kid was something else!
November 12, 2022
Good story
Sort of coming of age story. Got tedious at times. But good overall story. I would recommend it. Kept my intrest.
Sort of coming of age story. Got tedious at times. But good overall story. I would recommend it. Kept my intrest.
May 2, 2023
Spooky,unbelievable.
I really expected more from reading the reviews before hand.I have to say I was a little disappointed. Maybe the next book will be better.
I really expected more from reading the reviews before hand.I have to say I was a little disappointed. Maybe the next book will be better.
June 19, 2023
Not what I expected
This book was not what I thought it would be after reading the review. My review would be between 2-3 stars based on that.
This book was not what I thought it would be after reading the review. My review would be between 2-3 stars based on that.
May 15, 2024
Strange story
Deuce was indeed a bad boy. Or just a typical boy, looking for adventures and finding himself in trouble but in the end he got more than he bargained for pensive less.
Deuce was indeed a bad boy. Or just a typical boy, looking for adventures and finding himself in trouble but in the end he got more than he bargained for pensive less.
October 4, 2024
Horror and humor
This book captures the loneliness and pitfalls of coming of age in the sixties and early seventies with the horrors of a lurking real-life monster.
This book captures the loneliness and pitfalls of coming of age in the sixties and early seventies with the horrors of a lurking real-life monster.
January 2, 2025
My review
It is hilarious! I recommend it! It's a good story, too. Enjoy. It was free, so I took a chance on it.
It is hilarious! I recommend it! It's a good story, too. Enjoy. It was free, so I took a chance on it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews