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Judge Stone #2
The Smalls
If you crave more like Stephen King’s early books, the really scary ones, or Dean Koontz’s initial twisted tales, you will devour this new supernatural suspense thriller from author David Edward.
The old gods have awakened. At first, it was hard to tell if the evil followed the season or the man.
Whichever it was, it was here now, stalking the restless humid nights of 1919’s Florida City—forcing parents to keep their children in, to close their windows in the sweltering heat, to keep the lights low so as not to attract its interest. But while the New Evil and Old Ed arrive simultaneously, Ed is heralded as their savior. A small man with big connections.
After a mysterious stranger arrives on Ed’s return at the height of the long hot summer of horror, the townspeople must make a choice. Are a few missing teenagers really such a high price to pay for their ambitions? Is it so strange that Ed is building a giant megalithic Coral Castle at night, all by himself? Are the mysterious strangers’ self-righteous drunken ramblings about law and justice preferable to Ed Leeds’s confident assurances?
Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop until all the horrifying secrets are revealed!
The old gods have awakened. At first, it was hard to tell if the evil followed the season or the man.
Whichever it was, it was here now, stalking the restless humid nights of 1919’s Florida City—forcing parents to keep their children in, to close their windows in the sweltering heat, to keep the lights low so as not to attract its interest. But while the New Evil and Old Ed arrive simultaneously, Ed is heralded as their savior. A small man with big connections.
After a mysterious stranger arrives on Ed’s return at the height of the long hot summer of horror, the townspeople must make a choice. Are a few missing teenagers really such a high price to pay for their ambitions? Is it so strange that Ed is building a giant megalithic Coral Castle at night, all by himself? Are the mysterious strangers’ self-righteous drunken ramblings about law and justice preferable to Ed Leeds’s confident assurances?
Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop until all the horrifying secrets are revealed!
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2021
11 people are currently reading
1555 people want to read
About the author
David Edward
44 books114 followersD. Edward served as a Special Agent in the US Army in the 1980's and 1990's and is a veteran of multiple overseas combat tours. He was the Special Agent in Charge of the 1990 Panama Canal counter-terrorism threat assessment report to the US Congress.
Edward is a graduate of the United States Army Intelligence School where he studied advanced HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and battlefield counterintelligence; also completing training at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama, Central America. He holds advanced degrees in engineering including a Ph.D. from NCU, three related M.Sc. degrees (MBA, MSIT, MSIM), and has an undergraduate degree in business (BSBA).
His books typically reach the Amazon Kindle top 10 upon release in their genre. 'End of Reason' was his first work to reach #1 on Amazon in its category, on June 22, 2021. 'Unreasonable' reached #1 as a pre-order and held the spot for over a month upon release.
You can follow his publication schedule here: https://d-edward.com or email him at his first name, the at sign, the first three letters of the word Florida, a dot, and the word cloud.
He did have a twitter account but then he thought it was stupid so he canceled it.
Edward is a graduate of the United States Army Intelligence School where he studied advanced HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and battlefield counterintelligence; also completing training at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama, Central America. He holds advanced degrees in engineering including a Ph.D. from NCU, three related M.Sc. degrees (MBA, MSIT, MSIM), and has an undergraduate degree in business (BSBA).
His books typically reach the Amazon Kindle top 10 upon release in their genre. 'End of Reason' was his first work to reach #1 on Amazon in its category, on June 22, 2021. 'Unreasonable' reached #1 as a pre-order and held the spot for over a month upon release.
You can follow his publication schedule here: https://d-edward.com or email him at his first name, the at sign, the first three letters of the word Florida, a dot, and the word cloud.
He did have a twitter account but then he thought it was stupid so he canceled it.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 23, 2022
Surprisingly emotional
I got this book from the Goodreads giveaways!
This was a fun and sometimes intense little story! The emotion really ramps up towards the end. The main characters were really likeable. I enjoyed the horror elements of the story and some parts were quite graphic. This book is part of a series which I wasn't aware of before I started reading it. I was still able to follow the story easily. There wasn't a whole lot of detail in the story but I felt like the descriptions were still vivid. The author did a good job at getting me to want to read the other books in the series. I look forward to eventually reading them!
I got this book from the Goodreads giveaways!
This was a fun and sometimes intense little story! The emotion really ramps up towards the end. The main characters were really likeable. I enjoyed the horror elements of the story and some parts were quite graphic. This book is part of a series which I wasn't aware of before I started reading it. I was still able to follow the story easily. There wasn't a whole lot of detail in the story but I felt like the descriptions were still vivid. The author did a good job at getting me to want to read the other books in the series. I look forward to eventually reading them!
December 7, 2021
This was a book received via a Goodreads Giveaway.
The Smalls was an interesting read to be sure. Paranormal and thrilling, it navigated the world during 1919, a small fact that I kept forgetting when I read it, only to be reminded each time the main character was impressed by his new car that he had to crank the front of!
I did enjoy this tale, the old gods trying to find their way back, the one talking to Ed who has him convinced she's pleasant is actually murdering people, using her followers to help her gain strength. I have always found enjoyment in reading books regarding the 'old' Gods.
The only thing I didn't really like is that the characters seemed all too accepting of the supernatural world. Judge as he's called is partnered with a Medicine Woman who accepts that he can see spirits without any issue. And they all accept that Ed can hear the voice of an old god without thinking he's crazy. This easy acceptance just left me feeling like it was rushed in getting to both the end as well as the more actionable parts.
All in all I'll give it 4 stars. The concept was good, the means the old gods will go to to regain power. The story was only a bit rushed, and of course a few spelling errors, but those didn't really take away from the story in my opinion.
The Smalls was an interesting read to be sure. Paranormal and thrilling, it navigated the world during 1919, a small fact that I kept forgetting when I read it, only to be reminded each time the main character was impressed by his new car that he had to crank the front of!
I did enjoy this tale, the old gods trying to find their way back, the one talking to Ed who has him convinced she's pleasant is actually murdering people, using her followers to help her gain strength. I have always found enjoyment in reading books regarding the 'old' Gods.
The only thing I didn't really like is that the characters seemed all too accepting of the supernatural world. Judge as he's called is partnered with a Medicine Woman who accepts that he can see spirits without any issue. And they all accept that Ed can hear the voice of an old god without thinking he's crazy. This easy acceptance just left me feeling like it was rushed in getting to both the end as well as the more actionable parts.
All in all I'll give it 4 stars. The concept was good, the means the old gods will go to to regain power. The story was only a bit rushed, and of course a few spelling errors, but those didn't really take away from the story in my opinion.
September 25, 2022
I was told that the Purgatory Oaths books did not have to be read in order, that each book was a stand-alone story. The Smalls is the only book I have read in the Purgatory Oaths series. I was left wondering who Jack was, and why all the references to ancient Indian folklore. I stumbled through it and was relieved when it was over. Not a gripping tale of horror, not even close. I felt like the book was written more for kids ages 10-14, rather than intelligent adults.
December 26, 2021
I received a Kindle edition as part of a Goodreads giveaway. The description had me interested. I'm not a fan of Koontz (mostly because I just haven't read anything by him, period); but I love King.
The book is actually not much like the description at all, as many of the elements mentioned don't come into play until quite a way through the story. However...I was not disappointed.
The story was quite interesting and I thought it was unique. We initially follow Ed, an air conditioning salesman whose sales path has taken him to Florida in the last days of his job, before he retires. Ed is a small, extremely frugal man who has a voice in his head that he can't get rid of...but he has grand plans to do so. He ends his sales trip in a small FL town that he's stopped through many times and has built some relationships in, and he's there to buy some perfect land to build a castle on.
We also mainly follow Stone, a county sheriff who is has been 35 for 50+ years and a knack for guiding sprits of dead people to the right place. He's an alcoholic when we meet him, and seems to be guy that a lot of people pity, a "you should have seen him in his prime, but look at him now" kind of guy.
Throw in a grisly murder at an archeological dig at an ancient Native American site, an obsession with Egyptian pyramids, a land deal that is going sideways, and some Seminole medicine women and you've got an intriguing supernatural murder mystery on your hands. We learn why Ed needs the land, who that voice in his head is, who killed the kid at the archeological dig, and why Stone is kind of an odd guy -- with a little philosophy of how the whole world works thrown in.
I really enjoyed it, and the book is a short read. Longer than a novella, but not a hefty novel itself. I read it in maybe 4 hours total. It's weird, it's mysterious, it's a little gory, and it left me interested in the larger universe this work is set in. I wouldn't call it quite horror, but certainly suspense with some horror elements. And while it's not quite a thriller, the ending really ramps up in action, with all the parts coming together at once.
The book is actually not much like the description at all, as many of the elements mentioned don't come into play until quite a way through the story. However...I was not disappointed.
The story was quite interesting and I thought it was unique. We initially follow Ed, an air conditioning salesman whose sales path has taken him to Florida in the last days of his job, before he retires. Ed is a small, extremely frugal man who has a voice in his head that he can't get rid of...but he has grand plans to do so. He ends his sales trip in a small FL town that he's stopped through many times and has built some relationships in, and he's there to buy some perfect land to build a castle on.
We also mainly follow Stone, a county sheriff who is has been 35 for 50+ years and a knack for guiding sprits of dead people to the right place. He's an alcoholic when we meet him, and seems to be guy that a lot of people pity, a "you should have seen him in his prime, but look at him now" kind of guy.
Throw in a grisly murder at an archeological dig at an ancient Native American site, an obsession with Egyptian pyramids, a land deal that is going sideways, and some Seminole medicine women and you've got an intriguing supernatural murder mystery on your hands. We learn why Ed needs the land, who that voice in his head is, who killed the kid at the archeological dig, and why Stone is kind of an odd guy -- with a little philosophy of how the whole world works thrown in.
I really enjoyed it, and the book is a short read. Longer than a novella, but not a hefty novel itself. I read it in maybe 4 hours total. It's weird, it's mysterious, it's a little gory, and it left me interested in the larger universe this work is set in. I wouldn't call it quite horror, but certainly suspense with some horror elements. And while it's not quite a thriller, the ending really ramps up in action, with all the parts coming together at once.
September 15, 2022
I got this book, kindle edition, through a giveaway.
The old gods are coming back. Getting their power through their followers belief in them.
Ed hears a voice. A voice of an old god. Trying to get Ed to help get followers.
Follow Ed as he tries to out an end to the voice that is making him crazy. With help from his new found friends Judge and Martha as they try and put an end to the craziness.
Judge who has made a deal with the spirit world to help guide spirits to the afterlife.
Martha an Indian who helps Judge with his quote/unquote powers.
They have to work together to stop the old gods before the world loses to their power.
This book was surprisingly good. I am excited to carry on with the series.
Little light on information on what I felt was a pretty compelling part of the story. Judge being able to communicate with spirits, and actually guides them was kinda just mentioned as an “oh yeah, I made a deal I can do this thing, but I don’t know why” wish the author set that up better, or took more time to explore judge.
You are lead to believe that Ed is going to be a bigger part then he ends up really being. Judge seems to be the more important focus, but the author doesn’t seem to really focus on either entirely.
That being said, the book was still pretty exciting and well written.
But hopefully in the next couple books that’s explored/explained better.
I would recommend if you like thillery, spooky, supernatural stories.
The old gods are coming back. Getting their power through their followers belief in them.
Ed hears a voice. A voice of an old god. Trying to get Ed to help get followers.
Follow Ed as he tries to out an end to the voice that is making him crazy. With help from his new found friends Judge and Martha as they try and put an end to the craziness.
Judge who has made a deal with the spirit world to help guide spirits to the afterlife.
Martha an Indian who helps Judge with his quote/unquote powers.
They have to work together to stop the old gods before the world loses to their power.
This book was surprisingly good. I am excited to carry on with the series.
Little light on information on what I felt was a pretty compelling part of the story. Judge being able to communicate with spirits, and actually guides them was kinda just mentioned as an “oh yeah, I made a deal I can do this thing, but I don’t know why” wish the author set that up better, or took more time to explore judge.
You are lead to believe that Ed is going to be a bigger part then he ends up really being. Judge seems to be the more important focus, but the author doesn’t seem to really focus on either entirely.
That being said, the book was still pretty exciting and well written.
But hopefully in the next couple books that’s explored/explained better.
I would recommend if you like thillery, spooky, supernatural stories.
December 29, 2021
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook.
This reads as a stand alone book. I understand that it is part of a larger horror universe, but it is not necessary to have read any other of Edward's work to enjoy this story.
It was set in 1919 Florida, but had a feel for a later decade. Not that the technology was not available, but just how common would it have been in use at that time? Just because it was available, did not mean one could afford to actually use it. So this set me off with a heavy layer of skepticism that I had a hard time getting over.
The horror element just did not creep me out. That should be the main goal of a horror story. Perhaps I was still hung up on the time period setting.
And I was not sold on the interracial couple introduced into the storyline. Just another element that did not register as true to 1919 Florida. I feel that 1919 was mandated to make the Coca-Cola company work into the storyline.
Have a GoodReads.
This reads as a stand alone book. I understand that it is part of a larger horror universe, but it is not necessary to have read any other of Edward's work to enjoy this story.
It was set in 1919 Florida, but had a feel for a later decade. Not that the technology was not available, but just how common would it have been in use at that time? Just because it was available, did not mean one could afford to actually use it. So this set me off with a heavy layer of skepticism that I had a hard time getting over.
The horror element just did not creep me out. That should be the main goal of a horror story. Perhaps I was still hung up on the time period setting.
And I was not sold on the interracial couple introduced into the storyline. Just another element that did not register as true to 1919 Florida. I feel that 1919 was mandated to make the Coca-Cola company work into the storyline.
Have a GoodReads.
October 3, 2022
2.5 / 5 Stars
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a somewhat interesting premise with a meh execution. If the book had been any longer, I very well might not have finished it.
I was not attached to any of the characters, could not have cared less about the romance, and the plot was weirdly predictable with a very unclimactic climax. Some of the philosophical ideas were interesting, but the premise of the afterlife was laid out in the ultimate mansplaining rant and it lost all its flavor.
I definitely don't feel the need to continue the series or look up any more of the author's work.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a somewhat interesting premise with a meh execution. If the book had been any longer, I very well might not have finished it.
I was not attached to any of the characters, could not have cared less about the romance, and the plot was weirdly predictable with a very unclimactic climax. Some of the philosophical ideas were interesting, but the premise of the afterlife was laid out in the ultimate mansplaining rant and it lost all its flavor.
I definitely don't feel the need to continue the series or look up any more of the author's work.
November 8, 2021
I loved this book, it might be the most successful case study in overcoming your fears and becoming a better person that I have read in a very long time. I would call it 'lite' horror, more spooky suspense thriller. I also feel like I learned a lot about 1919 Florida, the setting. The whole thing is just so well done!
November 19, 2021
Interesting read
This isn’t my typical book choice but I did enjoy it quite a bit! I wasn’t sure what to expect but the more I read, the harder it was to put down. I felt it was a mix of supernatural and horror, it got confusing at times but I feel it was well written. I did receive this book in a giveaway and felt I should post my honest opinion!
This isn’t my typical book choice but I did enjoy it quite a bit! I wasn’t sure what to expect but the more I read, the harder it was to put down. I felt it was a mix of supernatural and horror, it got confusing at times but I feel it was well written. I did receive this book in a giveaway and felt I should post my honest opinion!
November 30, 2021
So I found the book slow at first, it did pick up speed and I liked the characters. I liked the ending hence my title. Like always, life has a way of coming back around and snaking you, poor Ed.
Not sure how scary it was to read, but it held my interest and it did have good plot twists. Over all it was a great read, I enjoyed it.
November 17, 2021
Scary novel
For the love of horror and suspense like type of movie this will take you to that level. Find it well written with episode placed systematically.cover page scary as the book it self.
For the love of horror and suspense like type of movie this will take you to that level. Find it well written with episode placed systematically.cover page scary as the book it self.
December 2, 2021
I won this book on Goodreads and liked it. It is partly horror, partly history and partly science fiction. It is set in Florida in 1919 and has some interesting history and an unusual story line. I liked it.
October 21, 2022
Having read another book by this author, I found this to be quite a letdown. It was tough to plow through the author's philosophical reasoning and really, the story was just silly. Not much excitement in a mystery/thriller when the premise is so far-fetched.
November 15, 2021
My favorite author has done it again, and in an exemplary fashion. This well written and imaginative unique story was a joy to read. Don't put it down, the ending will surprise you.
January 1, 2022
This was a short, light read. I can't say that it really spoke to me, but it held my attention throughout.
January 25, 2022
Great book
This book started off a bit slow and seemingly disjointed, but it picks itself up and shows you all the plot points and follows through.
This book started off a bit slow and seemingly disjointed, but it picks itself up and shows you all the plot points and follows through.
August 11, 2022
Very interesting story. Did not quite follow everything that was going on and some fell short of relevance to story. Overall, it was still good. Very creepy and a bit gory. Kept me turning the pages.
July 17, 2023
Very Unusual Read
Creative …yet unusual. I must say I never read anything like it. Will have to check out some of his other works.
Creative …yet unusual. I must say I never read anything like it. Will have to check out some of his other works.
July 11, 2022
I thought that this book started out a little slow but once it picked up speed, I found it hard to put down. It was unlike anything I've read before and I look forward to reading more from David Edward.
July 7, 2022
While there are some interesting elements to this book and the author certainly did do some research, I'm not sure it holds together in this draft. While the book is mostly set in 1919 and many of the details are period accurate, others are not and the book reads more as if it were set in the fifties or as if it were from the fifties and set in the twenties. There are a lot of paranormal elements but they are both under and somehow over explained (there is a large metaphysical info dump towards the end that does little to clear anything up).
The fact that it's based off a real individual, and indeed acts as something of an origin story, makes it the most niche fan fiction I have ever read.
Perhaps the largest issue though is that I just didn't find it scary.
The fact that it's based off a real individual, and indeed acts as something of an origin story, makes it the most niche fan fiction I have ever read.
Perhaps the largest issue though is that I just didn't find it scary.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews