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Dead's Haven
A man accompanied by a troublesome orphan and the ghost of his dead wife ventures to the outlaw town of Haven, where he is drawn into a war that could change America, and the world, forever. This direct sequel to Founding Fathers picks up eight years after the events of that novel, in which white supremacists engineered a national uprising against immigration using social media.
354 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 10, 2019
Although you could consider Dead’s Haven from Nicholas Gagnier a stand alone novel, I personally believe reading at least Founding Fathers beforehand is the best way to approach reading Dead’s Haven. Having read Leonard the Liar, Founding Fathers and Mercy Road, the appearance of Alex Halford, Samantha Wallace, Rupert Smith, Olivia, Hale with long hair and rose tinted glasses and the mention of a girl named Grace, all come together in an intricate masterpiece of masterful storytelling and world building.
There is very little I can say which I haven’t said before about Gagnier’s writing. His characters lead and blossom, and his expert handling of multiple narratives in Dead’s Haven is reminiscent of Founding Fathers. The pace is new for Gagnier; it begins in media res, it’s punchy and tense. You follow the quiet, tentative footsteps of the protagonists and hope a twig does not crack beneath your feet either.
There is little I can say without spoiling a story which is the final step before Gagnier’s crescendo; the collision of humanity, morality and the Shroud (what we humans call purgatory, as Olivia tells Tim). All I can say is, Samantha Wallace stuns in this novel, more so than she did in Founding Fathers. In my head, I know what she looks like and who she is. She inspires me despite being paper and words. She finds peace in this story and I was overjoyed. If this is goodbye to her character, Gagnier did her justice. Her arc is brutal but beautiful.
There is little I can say, other than ‘Read it!’
There is very little I can say which I haven’t said before about Gagnier’s writing. His characters lead and blossom, and his expert handling of multiple narratives in Dead’s Haven is reminiscent of Founding Fathers. The pace is new for Gagnier; it begins in media res, it’s punchy and tense. You follow the quiet, tentative footsteps of the protagonists and hope a twig does not crack beneath your feet either.
There is little I can say without spoiling a story which is the final step before Gagnier’s crescendo; the collision of humanity, morality and the Shroud (what we humans call purgatory, as Olivia tells Tim). All I can say is, Samantha Wallace stuns in this novel, more so than she did in Founding Fathers. In my head, I know what she looks like and who she is. She inspires me despite being paper and words. She finds peace in this story and I was overjoyed. If this is goodbye to her character, Gagnier did her justice. Her arc is brutal but beautiful.
There is little I can say, other than ‘Read it!’
February 25, 2019
Dead’s Haven
In this follow up to Founding Fathers, Nicholas Gagnier once again employs his keen insight of humanity and social construct to create a reading experience that feels all too real. And that is the brilliance of Gagnier; he is authentic, and never shies away from the brutal. Dead’s Haven is as poignant as its predecessor, and then some.
As eight fictional years have passed since I first met Samantha, my favorite protagonist, I was particularly interested to find out how the harrowing events in Founding Fathers have resonated in her. I found myself smiling to learn that she had hardened. Good thing, too, because only a real badass could go toe to toe with the new antagonist, Sheriff Campbell Madison.
Dead’s Haven is not only an action packed fiction, but a piercing look at the state of politics. It is about broken down people who are mistreated by those who have the power to make positive changes and choose not to for selfish gain. Does that sound familiar?
If you’ve not read Founding Fathers, please do so, and then read Dead’s Haven. You will not be disappointed.
In this follow up to Founding Fathers, Nicholas Gagnier once again employs his keen insight of humanity and social construct to create a reading experience that feels all too real. And that is the brilliance of Gagnier; he is authentic, and never shies away from the brutal. Dead’s Haven is as poignant as its predecessor, and then some.
As eight fictional years have passed since I first met Samantha, my favorite protagonist, I was particularly interested to find out how the harrowing events in Founding Fathers have resonated in her. I found myself smiling to learn that she had hardened. Good thing, too, because only a real badass could go toe to toe with the new antagonist, Sheriff Campbell Madison.
Dead’s Haven is not only an action packed fiction, but a piercing look at the state of politics. It is about broken down people who are mistreated by those who have the power to make positive changes and choose not to for selfish gain. Does that sound familiar?
If you’ve not read Founding Fathers, please do so, and then read Dead’s Haven. You will not be disappointed.
March 2, 2019
I really enjoyed this story. Really good plot to the story. Very well written. Would highly recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of stories. Can't wait to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 1, 2020
I absolutely loved this story!
December 29, 2019
Welcome to Haven, a town ruled by white supremacists and abandoned by civility, where residents live in fear of their brutal leader, Campbell Madison. Amongst the residents a small group fight for the town’s freedom, striving to rid it of Madison’s scourge. Right from the first page Gagnier’s Dead’s Haven drew me in, despite my reluctance to be absorbed into the brutal, raw world he has crafted. This book got right under my skin; the characters, the sense of hopelessness within the town, the faint promise of redemption . . . Gagnier’s writing is superb. Punchy dialogue and masterful descriptions give the story a cinematic feel. The cast of characters are in your face from the start, so intuitively forming within the plot it’s hard to believe they’re fictional. Dead’s Haven begins as an almost post-apocolyptic tale, the arrival of Tim Hawkins, who speaks to the ghost of his dead wife, just a taste of the paranormal twist to come, while Samantha Wallace shines as the hardened, capable woman determined to end Madison.
This is the first book by Gagnier I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and it won’t be the last. While Dead’s Haven is book 4 in the Olivia & Hale series (which I’ll be adding to my library) it can be read as a standalone. This is a fantastic work of fiction, with an unexpected paranormal twist. Prepare to flip back to the start when you reach the last page just to enjoy it once more.
This is the first book by Gagnier I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and it won’t be the last. While Dead’s Haven is book 4 in the Olivia & Hale series (which I’ll be adding to my library) it can be read as a standalone. This is a fantastic work of fiction, with an unexpected paranormal twist. Prepare to flip back to the start when you reach the last page just to enjoy it once more.
April 5, 2019
Nicholas Gagnier is the first friend I have had who has written an entire WORLD in the collection of his books thus far, and it's a funny feeling knowing him and then reading him, because in a way, the two are synonymous and in a way, they are completely separate. I find myself in awe of anyone capable, especially in this saturated day and age, to come up with a story arc that is truly original and compelling and keep it going beyond a single book with the same fierce passion and intensity. This is exactly what Gagnier has accomplished. If he were not my friend I would be wishing to know him, the mind behind the characters and ask him, how do you bring to life these characters time and time again? How do you keep me guessing and keep me reading? Book after book? I compare that addictive quality to Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City, totally different subject and style but the same 'keep em coming back for more' ability and uncanny awareness of personality in both authors. As far as genres, I think Gagnier has actually created his own, for this is not simply a rock opera of Sci-Fi and End of the World merging together, nor is it purely a psychological thriller. There's so much here, that's why you couldn't get bored of this author if you tried, because he combines all existing genres, and has the alacrity of penmanship with each. I have yet to read a man who is more astute in his rendering of female characters. It is a huge honor to know such a talented human being and I will always support Gagnier's work not because I like him as a human being but because as a writer, I know what it has taken for him to produce this and I'm in awe of it. If you haven't delved into his world yet, just DO SO.
September 11, 2020
A powerful and hard-hitting novel that doesn’t hold back. Haven is a lost town, a broken place that attracts broken people – people like Tim. Recovering from the death of his wife and unborn child, and haunted by an all too real hallucination of her, he comes to Haven looking for salvation. But what he finds is terror and death. A town that has been abandoned by the US government and is the dominium of a power-mad maniac. He also finds Sam. Equally as broken she is determined to fight back and reclaim her town.
The writing in this novel is achingly exquisite. Each word has weight and substance, and the characters are all too familiar because they could be you or me, given the right set of circumstances.
As with all Gagnier’s books, what begins as a shocking but real slice of modern American life, ends in the realms of supernatural, with the reader left questioning what is actual and what is not. This is the third book in this series that I’ve read, and in it, the story arc which was only hinted at in books one and two is revealed more. The backstory of the beings Olivia and Hale is explained, and the story left wide open for the next book to pick up the thread of the tale.
This is not a book for lazy readers. It makes you work hard for the plot, and there can be no complacency whilst reading it. But it is worth it. As the pace increased in the last third of the book, I found myself literally unable to put it down. The ending was upon me before I was ready for it, and the author has left me curious for more – in my opinion always the mark of a truly great novel.
A well-deserved and resounding five stars.
The writing in this novel is achingly exquisite. Each word has weight and substance, and the characters are all too familiar because they could be you or me, given the right set of circumstances.
As with all Gagnier’s books, what begins as a shocking but real slice of modern American life, ends in the realms of supernatural, with the reader left questioning what is actual and what is not. This is the third book in this series that I’ve read, and in it, the story arc which was only hinted at in books one and two is revealed more. The backstory of the beings Olivia and Hale is explained, and the story left wide open for the next book to pick up the thread of the tale.
This is not a book for lazy readers. It makes you work hard for the plot, and there can be no complacency whilst reading it. But it is worth it. As the pace increased in the last third of the book, I found myself literally unable to put it down. The ending was upon me before I was ready for it, and the author has left me curious for more – in my opinion always the mark of a truly great novel.
A well-deserved and resounding five stars.
July 14, 2019
This is another amazing book by Nicholas Gagnier. While it is a sequel to Founding Fathers, it can be read as a standalone. Though the series has paranormal elements, I would highly recommend this entire series as a foreshadowing of what could happen in today's world.
Dead’s Haven starts with the arrival of Tim Hawkins, who travels with an orphan and the ghost of his dead wife. Samantha is the woman determined to remove Campbell Madison, a white supremacist who rules the town of Haven. The descriptions and narratives in this story are superb, the action is fast-paced and brutally real, and the view of politics today is frightening.
This series is well worth reading more than once. You should also tell everyone you know about it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dead’s Haven starts with the arrival of Tim Hawkins, who travels with an orphan and the ghost of his dead wife. Samantha is the woman determined to remove Campbell Madison, a white supremacist who rules the town of Haven. The descriptions and narratives in this story are superb, the action is fast-paced and brutally real, and the view of politics today is frightening.
This series is well worth reading more than once. You should also tell everyone you know about it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 27, 2019
He goes to the town of haven with an orphan and the ghost of his dead wife. Things are not what they appear in town and he may face many different challenges. Find out what is going on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 24, 2019
I cannot say enough good things about this author and his writing. I love the story and was glued to the story throughout. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Keep writing Mr. Gagnier!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews