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Mermaid Cliff #1
Legend of Mermaid Cliff
After his crush’s mysterious death, a teen boy uncovers century-old dark secrets in his small town.
A sinister underworld of demons and angels is revealed in this YA debut.
Sixteen-year-old Mark Parker is devastated when he learns that his high school crush, Veronica McBride, has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff in their small beach town of Rockport. As the last person seen with the ill-fated girl, the town becomes suspicious of Mark and he swears to find the truth—but in doing so, he uncovers unearthly and evil secrets his town has been harboring for a century.
Until Veronica McBride and her family moved to the small beach town of Rockport, its citizens were all from the original bloodlines of the town dating back to it’s founding in 1917—the same year the suicides began and the legend of Mermaid Cliff was born. With a suicide mysteriously happening every twenty-five years, the legend went that a mermaid lured people to the edge of the cliff, and they were in such awe of her that they walked right over the edge, falling to their death. But legends are stuff of lore… or so Mark believed.
Mark thought he walked Veronica home after the big party the night before, but he can’t be sure since he partied a little too much. When snarky classmates accuse Mark of having something to do with Veronica’s death, his best friend Jason assures him that he saw those classmates—whom he calls the Seven—at the entrance of Mermaid Cliff that night as he was driving home. Trouble is, the Seven includes Mark’s older brother, Charles. When the FBI’s Agent Amelia Taylor arrives, it’s confirmed that Veronica’s death was a homicide, and Mark, along with Jason, is determined to find out who’s responsible.
As Mark starts asking around, he’s collecting more questions than answers. His mother claims she was home but wasn’t. Old Man McGinty, who found Veronica’s body on the beach, has piles of newspaper clippings of the legend’s tragedies…along with a charm from Veronica’s bracelet. Even the FBI agent has a strange connection to the town through her own tragic circumstances.
“Don’t believe everything people tell you, boy,” the old man tells Mark. “Everything in this town is connected in a way you or I will never fully understand…”
Jason and Mark come to realize that their town is full of dark secrets, and their poking around is unveiling them one by one. “Loyalty. We may be connected to the rest of this world by land, but we have our own traditions and secrets we keep to ourselves,” his mom said mysteriously. “Some secrets are better kept secret…” Soon, Mark will learn of his own role in his town’s terrifying evils—and his destiny to stop it and put the legend to rest.
The debut book in The Awakening trilogy.
A sinister underworld of demons and angels is revealed in this YA debut.
Sixteen-year-old Mark Parker is devastated when he learns that his high school crush, Veronica McBride, has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff in their small beach town of Rockport. As the last person seen with the ill-fated girl, the town becomes suspicious of Mark and he swears to find the truth—but in doing so, he uncovers unearthly and evil secrets his town has been harboring for a century.
Until Veronica McBride and her family moved to the small beach town of Rockport, its citizens were all from the original bloodlines of the town dating back to it’s founding in 1917—the same year the suicides began and the legend of Mermaid Cliff was born. With a suicide mysteriously happening every twenty-five years, the legend went that a mermaid lured people to the edge of the cliff, and they were in such awe of her that they walked right over the edge, falling to their death. But legends are stuff of lore… or so Mark believed.
Mark thought he walked Veronica home after the big party the night before, but he can’t be sure since he partied a little too much. When snarky classmates accuse Mark of having something to do with Veronica’s death, his best friend Jason assures him that he saw those classmates—whom he calls the Seven—at the entrance of Mermaid Cliff that night as he was driving home. Trouble is, the Seven includes Mark’s older brother, Charles. When the FBI’s Agent Amelia Taylor arrives, it’s confirmed that Veronica’s death was a homicide, and Mark, along with Jason, is determined to find out who’s responsible.
As Mark starts asking around, he’s collecting more questions than answers. His mother claims she was home but wasn’t. Old Man McGinty, who found Veronica’s body on the beach, has piles of newspaper clippings of the legend’s tragedies…along with a charm from Veronica’s bracelet. Even the FBI agent has a strange connection to the town through her own tragic circumstances.
“Don’t believe everything people tell you, boy,” the old man tells Mark. “Everything in this town is connected in a way you or I will never fully understand…”
Jason and Mark come to realize that their town is full of dark secrets, and their poking around is unveiling them one by one. “Loyalty. We may be connected to the rest of this world by land, but we have our own traditions and secrets we keep to ourselves,” his mom said mysteriously. “Some secrets are better kept secret…” Soon, Mark will learn of his own role in his town’s terrifying evils—and his destiny to stop it and put the legend to rest.
The debut book in The Awakening trilogy.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2022
332 people are currently reading
927 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Rohrbaugh
106 books23 followersBrandon Rohrbaugh writes across fantasy, Romance, horror, and children’s books. He’s a dad of four, passionate about stories that challenge fear and spark adventure. Whether you dive into the bold world of A Dance of Thorns & Petals, explore a creepy phobia article, or follow his writing journey, Brandon creates worlds you’ll remember.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 21, 2019
Terrible
I would’ve said this book desperately needed to be edited, but apparently it was...poorly. The story is bizarre, hard to follow in many places, and drags on and on with no real climax. Two dimensional, contrived characters and yet another “teenager saves the day because adults are evil” storyline make the sequels to this book a definite and resounding NO for me.
I would’ve said this book desperately needed to be edited, but apparently it was...poorly. The story is bizarre, hard to follow in many places, and drags on and on with no real climax. Two dimensional, contrived characters and yet another “teenager saves the day because adults are evil” storyline make the sequels to this book a definite and resounding NO for me.
September 30, 2019
Good story line & characters
Really good story with interesting characters but a little redundant in some areas. There was several retelling of the same facts word for word when it really wasn't necessary. The last few chapters were by far the most interesting and I'm glad I didn't give up on the story at the half way point!
Really good story with interesting characters but a little redundant in some areas. There was several retelling of the same facts word for word when it really wasn't necessary. The last few chapters were by far the most interesting and I'm glad I didn't give up on the story at the half way point!
September 16, 2020
Great story idea, bad execution
I'm giving this 3 stars for the idea of the story alone. It would take me all day to mention what's wrong with the writing in this book. It reads like a middle school chapter book until about chapter 30, and even then there is still a hint. I feel like the author at times forgot what was written 3 pages back, there are so many inconsistencies. At first Mark just " kinda knew" Veronica yet two chapters later he was madly in love with her. The reactions of two mothers that had lost their daughters were utterly ridiculous, one was simply out watering flowers while her child was missing and casually mentions that she thinks she's dead....really? Don t even get me started on the fact that every one either shouts, screeches, squeals, laughs or jokes when speaking. My guess is the number of times those particular words are in this book are in the triple digits. The main character Mark is either shaking, nervous, bleeding or hell bent on finding the killer there is simply no in between. And the bullies.... are bullies except when they're not. They are beating someone up on one page and having a civilized conversation with the same person two pages over like they're bffs. The story here is actually quite ingenious however, this author is in dire need of some beta readers and a good editor or maybe just a little more practice. This book could have been an amazing, blow your mind kinda book had it been given the attention it needed. This author has promise, and I may continue on with the story, according to cost. If this book had not been free I would have been mad that I paid $ for it. It was almost a dnf for me but I pushed through and I'm glad I did. I usually try not to give bad reviews, just because I don't like it doesnt mean someone else won't love it, but I felt others should be warned about the problems before they start, especially if it's something you pay for
I'm giving this 3 stars for the idea of the story alone. It would take me all day to mention what's wrong with the writing in this book. It reads like a middle school chapter book until about chapter 30, and even then there is still a hint. I feel like the author at times forgot what was written 3 pages back, there are so many inconsistencies. At first Mark just " kinda knew" Veronica yet two chapters later he was madly in love with her. The reactions of two mothers that had lost their daughters were utterly ridiculous, one was simply out watering flowers while her child was missing and casually mentions that she thinks she's dead....really? Don t even get me started on the fact that every one either shouts, screeches, squeals, laughs or jokes when speaking. My guess is the number of times those particular words are in this book are in the triple digits. The main character Mark is either shaking, nervous, bleeding or hell bent on finding the killer there is simply no in between. And the bullies.... are bullies except when they're not. They are beating someone up on one page and having a civilized conversation with the same person two pages over like they're bffs. The story here is actually quite ingenious however, this author is in dire need of some beta readers and a good editor or maybe just a little more practice. This book could have been an amazing, blow your mind kinda book had it been given the attention it needed. This author has promise, and I may continue on with the story, according to cost. If this book had not been free I would have been mad that I paid $ for it. It was almost a dnf for me but I pushed through and I'm glad I did. I usually try not to give bad reviews, just because I don't like it doesnt mean someone else won't love it, but I felt others should be warned about the problems before they start, especially if it's something you pay for
May 28, 2019
A great story
This book kept me guessing and I was blown away at the end! I am glad it continues because at first I thought it was going one way then it completely surprised me..
This book kept me guessing and I was blown away at the end! I am glad it continues because at first I thought it was going one way then it completely surprised me..
April 25, 2019
Wow!
I won this book from Goodreads Firstreads. I loved it! I can't wait to see what happens to our hero next.
I won this book from Goodreads Firstreads. I loved it! I can't wait to see what happens to our hero next.
October 6, 2019
'Mermaid Cliff' was an interesting read, but not in a really good way. The story line started out good, other than the grammatical errors. The whole story revolves around teenagers and how they are going to solve murders. It seemed a bit far fetched that the FBI would request help and back-up from a teenager was shake-my-head worthy. Then the story line took on a paranormal vibe, which could have been awesome, cept it wasn't. I almost stopped reading a couple of times, but I had already invested quite a few hours in. I guess if you are looking to read a YA mystery/paranormal this might be up your alley.
April 4, 2020
I thought the story was great but I didn't like reading it in the dark. Daytime, great reading. Yes, there are some editing issues but the more you get into the story, the less it bothers you. So don't stop reading just because of that. The teens get in to some creepy situations after a friend is murdered and no one in town is pursuing what and how she was murdered. So many uncomfortable, curious answers to seemingly straight forward questions... I wondered how I would ever get to sleep. The 2nd book was not free, but I ordered it right after finishing the first book.
July 1, 2020
Mermaid Cliff is a decent story, I honestly wouldn't mind reading the rest of the series.
There are very many grammatical errors, which I really don't enjoy. They distract me from the story.
There's also a lot of repetition. And the bit where they read a "diary entry" from the 1500's was just terrible. There was zero effort to even make it seem authentic.
This is not the best book I've ever read, but it's also not the worst.
There are very many grammatical errors, which I really don't enjoy. They distract me from the story.
There's also a lot of repetition. And the bit where they read a "diary entry" from the 1500's was just terrible. There was zero effort to even make it seem authentic.
This is not the best book I've ever read, but it's also not the worst.
October 29, 2020
This is the first book in : The Mermaid Cliff series
I have to say that I was truly blown away when I first got this book is was intrigued by it's premise I was eager to find out how this Author going to bring his story to life . Lucky for me I can honestly say this book was brilliantly done from the characters to the world building and the lore the story line was not only amazing but emotional as well . I'm looking forward too the next book in this series .
I have to say that I was truly blown away when I first got this book is was intrigued by it's premise I was eager to find out how this Author going to bring his story to life . Lucky for me I can honestly say this book was brilliantly done from the characters to the world building and the lore the story line was not only amazing but emotional as well . I'm looking forward too the next book in this series .
April 25, 2021
Interesting plot for a story, very outre, but the writing was so stiff it was hard to get into it. The teenagers sounded like college-educated very polite adults, and I never warmed up to Mark, the main character. Strange family dynamics all over the place, not to mention what on earth is going on in this town? I gave it 5 stars for effort, but it was an effort to read. And there's a sequel. Whew!
August 24, 2019
This book really kept you guessing and wondering until towards the end when some rather odd stuff crept in. I guess I am a purist; what I thought was going to be a who dunnit mystery did not turn out to be that in a 'normal' way. Was rather disappointed in the turn the book took but then that just may be my point of view.
September 12, 2019
Mermaid cliff by Rohrbaugh is a YA story involving teenagers. Bodies have been found at the bottom of Mermaid Cliff but there is a dark secret. They may not all be suicides but murder at the hands of a dark group amongst the elders. Will the teenagers discover the secret before they too are murdered?
September 8, 2022
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway program in return for an honest review.
Mermaid Cliff by Brandon Rohrbaugh has a good story and I started out really liking it but the grammatical errors, misspellings, and redundant text made it very difficult to stay with the story. The author should have had better editors if he had any at all.
Mermaid Cliff by Brandon Rohrbaugh has a good story and I started out really liking it but the grammatical errors, misspellings, and redundant text made it very difficult to stay with the story. The author should have had better editors if he had any at all.
August 30, 2019
Good murder mystery
Hard to put this book down
The suspense as the story unfolds and Mark's life unravels when he tries to solve his friend's murder grabs you and pulls you into the story. Would like to read more Mermaid Cliff mysteries
Hard to put this book down
The suspense as the story unfolds and Mark's life unravels when he tries to solve his friend's murder grabs you and pulls you into the story. Would like to read more Mermaid Cliff mysteries
November 14, 2019
Everything seemed normal
Great Story! Strong details to keep me invested. Everything seemed normal Then the story goes somewhere totally different . Excited to jump into book 2 and see how the story continues.
Great Story! Strong details to keep me invested. Everything seemed normal Then the story goes somewhere totally different . Excited to jump into book 2 and see how the story continues.
September 3, 2020
I agree with others who reviewed this book. It has a good story line but too many grammatical errors. Use of words like screamed, shrieked etc. when the story indicated a need for quiet. Tended to be repetitive. I hope the author continues to write and to improve his skill.
August 20, 2019
Lots of grammatical errors
The story was great...very suspenseful and kept me interested. But there are a LOT of grammatical errors that bugged me the entire time.
The story was great...very suspenseful and kept me interested. But there are a LOT of grammatical errors that bugged me the entire time.
August 29, 2019
Entertaining
The book was seemingly geared to a juvenile audience, probably about the age of the characters. I feel it would be entertaining for that age group.
The book was seemingly geared to a juvenile audience, probably about the age of the characters. I feel it would be entertaining for that age group.
September 8, 2019
Mermaid Cliff
Entertaining and interesting story about murder and evil in a seemingly peaceful small town and one teenager's crusade to uncover the truth.
Entertaining and interesting story about murder and evil in a seemingly peaceful small town and one teenager's crusade to uncover the truth.
July 2, 2020
Is there something fishy here?
Great writing that keeps the reader not wanting to put the book down. Multiple characters to choose from. Surprise ending.
Great writing that keeps the reader not wanting to put the book down. Multiple characters to choose from. Surprise ending.
February 10, 2024
In a small town, the main character's crush is found dead; people are now investigating who did it.
This was completely on me because I had not researched this book before I started it. I love mysteries, so when I read the summary, I immediately started reading it. I did not realize this was a fantasy/supernatural book (It was also unnoticeable until the end), so the end threw me off and was disappointing.
I have to say, I did enjoy the plot twist to Veronica’s death. After that, it all just got weird and was too much.
This wasn't for me, but I think it would be enjoyable for those who like supernatural mysteries.
This was completely on me because I had not researched this book before I started it. I love mysteries, so when I read the summary, I immediately started reading it. I did not realize this was a fantasy/supernatural book (It was also unnoticeable until the end), so the end threw me off and was disappointing.
I have to say, I did enjoy the plot twist to Veronica’s death. After that, it all just got weird and was too much.
This wasn't for me, but I think it would be enjoyable for those who like supernatural mysteries.
November 30, 2019
Interesting read
This book gives a different reading experience to me. It talks about feeling felt by teenagers when their friends disappeared one by one.
A bit unconventional in terms of the story line too. The trial, for example is being included in details, which I find amusing but a bit distracting from the main story.
Still, I like the style and will read the author's other books.
This book gives a different reading experience to me. It talks about feeling felt by teenagers when their friends disappeared one by one.
A bit unconventional in terms of the story line too. The trial, for example is being included in details, which I find amusing but a bit distracting from the main story.
Still, I like the style and will read the author's other books.
August 5, 2022
very interesting.
Very interesting. I started to think it would end badly, but I’m glad I kept reading because it was a great read. If you like fantasy mixed with real life I highly recommend this. I look forward to reading the second book.
Very interesting. I started to think it would end badly, but I’m glad I kept reading because it was a great read. If you like fantasy mixed with real life I highly recommend this. I look forward to reading the second book.
January 14, 2023
Good vs Evil-An ancient struggle
A interesting spin on a never ending subject. Presenting the prime character as an unsuspecting youth adds angles and twists that pull you in.
Dramatic moments with intense action lead to heart pounding experiences.
A interesting spin on a never ending subject. Presenting the prime character as an unsuspecting youth adds angles and twists that pull you in.
Dramatic moments with intense action lead to heart pounding experiences.
April 27, 2024
One day you're a high-school just living your life. The next you're searching for clues to a death in a town that does not want to give answers.
I enjoyed this little mystery/supernatural story of good vs evil.
I enjoyed this little mystery/supernatural story of good vs evil.
May 28, 2022
Fascinating!
This story will keep your interest to the very end. It is well written and has twists and turns that have you wanting more.
This story will keep your interest to the very end. It is well written and has twists and turns that have you wanting more.
June 2, 2022
A bit Lovecraftian, ideal childhood becomes a tragic horror story with devils and fear behind a community of apparent bliss.
February 4, 2023
A great book to get lost in.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews