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Villa Vista Duology #2
Harbinger
Ten years have passed... since the bombing of Villa Vista High School. Most of the world has moved on. Those who survived the bombing, by not attending the fateful Homecoming dance, face darkness in all directions.
Death has never left them. It seems to haunt the edges of their psyches, aiming to claim those that escaped. Some say it is a curse, that the Harbinger of the original massacre will not be satisfied until every last one of them is dead, by their own hand or another.
With the anniversary growing closer, the survivors must fight to see if they can hold on. The only way for any of them to have a future is to find a way to finally break the curse. Before it's too late...
Death has never left them. It seems to haunt the edges of their psyches, aiming to claim those that escaped. Some say it is a curse, that the Harbinger of the original massacre will not be satisfied until every last one of them is dead, by their own hand or another.
With the anniversary growing closer, the survivors must fight to see if they can hold on. The only way for any of them to have a future is to find a way to finally break the curse. Before it's too late...
545 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Frank Winter
18 books2 followersFrank Winter is a native of Northern California who was born into a wonderful family that supported his passions and aspirations. He grew up loving the performing arts, inspired by the animated musicals of the 1990s. During his university days, he dabbled in local theatre as well as productions put on by his church. At the same time, he expanded his interests to include creative writing. This quickly evolved from lyrics to short stories to long-form fiction.
After graduation he pushed forward in his career as a mechanical engineer while continuing to moonlight in writing and music. Following years of honing his craft, he finally decided to pursue an old story idea, which was released as his debut novel, Homecoming.
He is currently recording the audiobook of Harbinger to complete the Villa Vista Duology on all platforms. His third novel, a new book in a new duology, is currently being written as well.
After graduation he pushed forward in his career as a mechanical engineer while continuing to moonlight in writing and music. Following years of honing his craft, he finally decided to pursue an old story idea, which was released as his debut novel, Homecoming.
He is currently recording the audiobook of Harbinger to complete the Villa Vista Duology on all platforms. His third novel, a new book in a new duology, is currently being written as well.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 26, 2024
Thank you @booktasters_ and frank winter for a copy of this book, the sequel to “Homecoming”
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I didn’t know where it would go, but Frank winter has absolutely outdone himself.
We see the survivors and see how they are all still struggling with the events of 10 years ago. I love how we get to learn more about the characters indebted. We also see how in danger they are, and that maybe someone out there may have murder still on their mind!
A fantastic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, I love his writing he gives me Stephen king vibes!
I would highly recommend!! Especially to fans of Stephen king.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I didn’t know where it would go, but Frank winter has absolutely outdone himself.
We see the survivors and see how they are all still struggling with the events of 10 years ago. I love how we get to learn more about the characters indebted. We also see how in danger they are, and that maybe someone out there may have murder still on their mind!
A fantastic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, I love his writing he gives me Stephen king vibes!
I would highly recommend!! Especially to fans of Stephen king.
March 20, 2023
Harbinger is a sequel of Homecoming.
Here you get to know the survivors of the bombing and see them trying to cope with life ten years after the incident.
Once again you follow several characters and the more their stories evolve the more it's obvious that they all are in danger.
It's very interesting to read how they find out what's behind all the incidents and how some of them work together per chance to solve the big mystery.
The 'big bang' though is told a tiny bit too fast, like short quick glimpses... but as the whole story was more about the survivors of the bombing/their families this is absolutely fine.
Harbinger is a must-read when you've read Homecoming.
And the paranormal approach makes it even better.
A well done Duology.
Here you get to know the survivors of the bombing and see them trying to cope with life ten years after the incident.
Once again you follow several characters and the more their stories evolve the more it's obvious that they all are in danger.
It's very interesting to read how they find out what's behind all the incidents and how some of them work together per chance to solve the big mystery.
The 'big bang' though is told a tiny bit too fast, like short quick glimpses... but as the whole story was more about the survivors of the bombing/their families this is absolutely fine.
Harbinger is a must-read when you've read Homecoming.
And the paranormal approach makes it even better.
A well done Duology.
February 22, 2023
Review posted on my blog The Writer's Library.
Picking up Frank Winter’s Homecoming, I remember being unsure of what to expect. Despite my initial feelings, the story grabbed me relatively quickly and the rest of the narrative was incredibly enjoyable to follow.
I was very excited to continue this story for that reason. And – while I have some issues with this sequel – I see why the story had to go this way. There are issues with it, but it still was an entertaining read and I enjoyed seeing the other side (the living) affected by the bombing.
Anyway, enough with the generalizations. It’s time to dive in.
Let’s get into it!
Summary
It is ten years after the Villa Vista Bombing, and the survivors are going about their lives. However, the surviving families quickly realize that their tragic pasts may be back to haunt them. When an online cult starts betting on when/how they will die (even killing some survivors), the remaining 262 living must work to bring this online community down. Can they catch the perpetrators before every survivor’s life is claimed?
Thoughts
Now, I admit that I didn’t enjoy this follow-up as much but – at the same time – I see how this is the logical conclusion to the original story. I do not believe there was anywhere else for the story to go, and I did enjoy following the living relatives for a change. At the same time, however, the narrative got a little complicated and I had moments of confusion that I can’t ignore.
I think the main issue is that Winter is trying to do a lot here and, because he is trying to balance so many things, it makes the narrative difficult to follow at first. I’ll get more into how it works when discussing the structure. Thankfully, it did start to improve toward the end, which I really appreciated. This story feels like a natural continuation of the narrative started with the bombing in the first book and getting to know the surviving families more intimately as they try to piece together the reason for the events of the first book was awesome!
Speaking of which, let’s get into some of these characters.
Characters
Chris and Tommy Tidwell
It was interesting seeing more of Blaire’s family in the aftermath of the tragedy. Particularly, getting to know her brothers was awesome. Seeing them interact with each other and the world around them, seeing how they are affected by the tragedy, made both individuals incredibly sympathetic.
I like that Chris took on a position as a special agent. It feels like the natural progression after what he’s been through. Given his profession and the Villa Vista situation, I can see why he cares so much about tying up the loose ends of this case, even if it is a decade after the bombing. Those volcanic nightmares he has also add to just how severely affected he is by the disaster at the high school. He struggles throughout the entire narrative with both his grief and trying to solve the case, making it easy to feel for him.
Tommy is also incredibly sympathetic in a similar way. While he doesn’t have those nightmares, he sees Blaire’s spirit throughout many of his sections, showing that he misses her terribly and cares about her. The fact that in a lot of these scenes she is calling him out for the things he does due to his grief suggests to me that there is some guilt he feels over how he treats his entire family in the aftermath, Chris included. Seeing the two brothers frequently at odds shows how they both struggle to cope with where they are now and how to move forward. Seeing Tommy bury himself in his music career has an element of tragedy to it, because it is clear he is in pain throughout the main narrative over what happened.
Nathaniel Maxwell
Moving on to Nathaniel Maxwell, I like his story quite a bit, too. It – again – feels natural where he ends up going in life after losing his sister and I love that he uses his job in congress to introduce legislation to prevent another tragedy. That said, he is also made a target due to his connections to the situation, and this works to drive up the tension significantly.
There is one scene in the story where he goes to see Tommy’s band perform, and he briefly thinks about how certain political figures were murdered in similar settings to where he is. This helps drive home that his profession can put him in vulnerable situations and how he needs to be on guard.
Finally, before I wrap up his section, I want to briefly discuss his relationship with Jesse. I like that he is given a good friend that genuinely cares for him, and I love that both end up in similar dangerous situations due to their connections with Villa Vista. This allows both characters to have someone to relate to, which was nice to see given that neither of them knows the Tunnikovs or Tidwells all that well. I could see Nathaniel being dangerously lonely if it weren’t for his friendship with Jesse, so seeing their interactions is both heartwarming and rounded out each individual.
Katya Tunnikov
Like Chris Tidwell, seeing Katya take on a job in law enforcement was awesome! I liked seeing how the situation at Villa Vista shaped her decisions and where her story went. I liked seeing the obstacles that got in her way and how it created conflict.
One thing I do want to mention with Katya is how she imagines the Villa Vista Bomber, how they appear to her multiple times throughout the narrative. This narrative choice worked wonderfully in driving up tension, much like Chris’s dreams added tension. Seeing the bomber mock her repeatedly works wonders in not only showing how depraved this individual is, but also in showing how angry Katya still is about the entire situation. Showing anger as one of the elements of grief makes the scene even more realistic and understandable.
Structure
Much like the last story, the structure is set up among many differing viewpoints, all of them connected in some way to the bombing.
This time around, I still had some difficulty following every single perspective, and I think I know why. In this case, we are not confined to the school setting, so there is no set cast of individuals, especially toward the end as the plot starts to wrap up. I understand now, but in the moment when all these perspectives were being juggled, it took me some time to get my bearings.
I talked about pacing in the review of the previous installment, so I should touch on it here, too. I think it is because we are no longer dealing with the setting of the high school, but I did notice pacing issues here. Like I mentioned earlier, I do believe this is because Frank Winter is trying to do so much with this conclusion. Yes, we have how the remaining 262 are being targeted, but we’re also dealing with their grief, their everyday lives after the fact, the ten-year anniversary, and (in the case of some characters) growing up and finding their place in the world after the tragedy.
Because there is so much going on here and so much ground to cover, the pacing drags a bit in certain areas of the story.
I think I mainly felt this way when following Tommy. While his seeing Blaire helped show his grief, I still found myself wondering what was going on with the suicides in the back of my head and when that was going to be talked about again. I am wondering if his sections needed to be a bit shorter to improve the pacing of the story. I do not believe he should have been cut out completely – his perspective is important – but perhaps showing his life in shorter pieces would have helped improve the flow of events.
Writing
Much like the last installment, the writing of this story is great! Winter’s prose makes it very easy to imagine a scene – any scene – and he can transport the reader wherever he wants them to be. The dream/hallucination scenes stand out when it comes to how beautiful his writing is. He excels at painting vivid, imaginative scenes that leave you wanting more!
I also think another thing about his writing that is worth noting is that he does well when working with building suspense. This is shown beautifully whenever we see a member of the online cult do something. Because we have no idea who they are beforehand, the scene revealing them must be built up, and the elements present in each of these scenes work wonders to drive up suspense and intrigue.
Conclusion
All in all, I think this ended up being an enjoyable sequel. While I am not a fan of everything in the narrative, I see how this is the natural conclusion the duology has come to. I loved being able to see the rest of the affected families and how the tragedy at the high school impacted them down the road.
I have often heard it said that there is no end to grief, only changes to it as time passes. I feel like this story illustrates exactly where grief leads all these characters and seeing that journey for each major character is a moving experience.
I would recommend this story for anyone who wants to see what happens to the other major players in the Villa Vista narrative, and I would say I’d really recommend the entire duology to someone who wants a thrilling ride. In the end, this story has delivered a dark, exciting journey that I am very glad I got to experience!
Picking up Frank Winter’s Homecoming, I remember being unsure of what to expect. Despite my initial feelings, the story grabbed me relatively quickly and the rest of the narrative was incredibly enjoyable to follow.
I was very excited to continue this story for that reason. And – while I have some issues with this sequel – I see why the story had to go this way. There are issues with it, but it still was an entertaining read and I enjoyed seeing the other side (the living) affected by the bombing.
Anyway, enough with the generalizations. It’s time to dive in.
Let’s get into it!
Summary
It is ten years after the Villa Vista Bombing, and the survivors are going about their lives. However, the surviving families quickly realize that their tragic pasts may be back to haunt them. When an online cult starts betting on when/how they will die (even killing some survivors), the remaining 262 living must work to bring this online community down. Can they catch the perpetrators before every survivor’s life is claimed?
Thoughts
Now, I admit that I didn’t enjoy this follow-up as much but – at the same time – I see how this is the logical conclusion to the original story. I do not believe there was anywhere else for the story to go, and I did enjoy following the living relatives for a change. At the same time, however, the narrative got a little complicated and I had moments of confusion that I can’t ignore.
I think the main issue is that Winter is trying to do a lot here and, because he is trying to balance so many things, it makes the narrative difficult to follow at first. I’ll get more into how it works when discussing the structure. Thankfully, it did start to improve toward the end, which I really appreciated. This story feels like a natural continuation of the narrative started with the bombing in the first book and getting to know the surviving families more intimately as they try to piece together the reason for the events of the first book was awesome!
Speaking of which, let’s get into some of these characters.
Characters
Chris and Tommy Tidwell
It was interesting seeing more of Blaire’s family in the aftermath of the tragedy. Particularly, getting to know her brothers was awesome. Seeing them interact with each other and the world around them, seeing how they are affected by the tragedy, made both individuals incredibly sympathetic.
I like that Chris took on a position as a special agent. It feels like the natural progression after what he’s been through. Given his profession and the Villa Vista situation, I can see why he cares so much about tying up the loose ends of this case, even if it is a decade after the bombing. Those volcanic nightmares he has also add to just how severely affected he is by the disaster at the high school. He struggles throughout the entire narrative with both his grief and trying to solve the case, making it easy to feel for him.
Tommy is also incredibly sympathetic in a similar way. While he doesn’t have those nightmares, he sees Blaire’s spirit throughout many of his sections, showing that he misses her terribly and cares about her. The fact that in a lot of these scenes she is calling him out for the things he does due to his grief suggests to me that there is some guilt he feels over how he treats his entire family in the aftermath, Chris included. Seeing the two brothers frequently at odds shows how they both struggle to cope with where they are now and how to move forward. Seeing Tommy bury himself in his music career has an element of tragedy to it, because it is clear he is in pain throughout the main narrative over what happened.
Nathaniel Maxwell
Moving on to Nathaniel Maxwell, I like his story quite a bit, too. It – again – feels natural where he ends up going in life after losing his sister and I love that he uses his job in congress to introduce legislation to prevent another tragedy. That said, he is also made a target due to his connections to the situation, and this works to drive up the tension significantly.
There is one scene in the story where he goes to see Tommy’s band perform, and he briefly thinks about how certain political figures were murdered in similar settings to where he is. This helps drive home that his profession can put him in vulnerable situations and how he needs to be on guard.
Finally, before I wrap up his section, I want to briefly discuss his relationship with Jesse. I like that he is given a good friend that genuinely cares for him, and I love that both end up in similar dangerous situations due to their connections with Villa Vista. This allows both characters to have someone to relate to, which was nice to see given that neither of them knows the Tunnikovs or Tidwells all that well. I could see Nathaniel being dangerously lonely if it weren’t for his friendship with Jesse, so seeing their interactions is both heartwarming and rounded out each individual.
Katya Tunnikov
Like Chris Tidwell, seeing Katya take on a job in law enforcement was awesome! I liked seeing how the situation at Villa Vista shaped her decisions and where her story went. I liked seeing the obstacles that got in her way and how it created conflict.
One thing I do want to mention with Katya is how she imagines the Villa Vista Bomber, how they appear to her multiple times throughout the narrative. This narrative choice worked wonderfully in driving up tension, much like Chris’s dreams added tension. Seeing the bomber mock her repeatedly works wonders in not only showing how depraved this individual is, but also in showing how angry Katya still is about the entire situation. Showing anger as one of the elements of grief makes the scene even more realistic and understandable.
Structure
Much like the last story, the structure is set up among many differing viewpoints, all of them connected in some way to the bombing.
This time around, I still had some difficulty following every single perspective, and I think I know why. In this case, we are not confined to the school setting, so there is no set cast of individuals, especially toward the end as the plot starts to wrap up. I understand now, but in the moment when all these perspectives were being juggled, it took me some time to get my bearings.
I talked about pacing in the review of the previous installment, so I should touch on it here, too. I think it is because we are no longer dealing with the setting of the high school, but I did notice pacing issues here. Like I mentioned earlier, I do believe this is because Frank Winter is trying to do so much with this conclusion. Yes, we have how the remaining 262 are being targeted, but we’re also dealing with their grief, their everyday lives after the fact, the ten-year anniversary, and (in the case of some characters) growing up and finding their place in the world after the tragedy.
Because there is so much going on here and so much ground to cover, the pacing drags a bit in certain areas of the story.
I think I mainly felt this way when following Tommy. While his seeing Blaire helped show his grief, I still found myself wondering what was going on with the suicides in the back of my head and when that was going to be talked about again. I am wondering if his sections needed to be a bit shorter to improve the pacing of the story. I do not believe he should have been cut out completely – his perspective is important – but perhaps showing his life in shorter pieces would have helped improve the flow of events.
Writing
Much like the last installment, the writing of this story is great! Winter’s prose makes it very easy to imagine a scene – any scene – and he can transport the reader wherever he wants them to be. The dream/hallucination scenes stand out when it comes to how beautiful his writing is. He excels at painting vivid, imaginative scenes that leave you wanting more!
I also think another thing about his writing that is worth noting is that he does well when working with building suspense. This is shown beautifully whenever we see a member of the online cult do something. Because we have no idea who they are beforehand, the scene revealing them must be built up, and the elements present in each of these scenes work wonders to drive up suspense and intrigue.
Conclusion
All in all, I think this ended up being an enjoyable sequel. While I am not a fan of everything in the narrative, I see how this is the natural conclusion the duology has come to. I loved being able to see the rest of the affected families and how the tragedy at the high school impacted them down the road.
I have often heard it said that there is no end to grief, only changes to it as time passes. I feel like this story illustrates exactly where grief leads all these characters and seeing that journey for each major character is a moving experience.
I would recommend this story for anyone who wants to see what happens to the other major players in the Villa Vista narrative, and I would say I’d really recommend the entire duology to someone who wants a thrilling ride. In the end, this story has delivered a dark, exciting journey that I am very glad I got to experience!
October 23, 2022
A worthy sequel
I liked Homecoming and was surprised to learned that a sequel was written. I hoped it would be as good and it definitely was. Harbinger is a great way to wrap up the story started in Homecoming
I liked Homecoming and was surprised to learned that a sequel was written. I hoped it would be as good and it definitely was. Harbinger is a great way to wrap up the story started in Homecoming
April 4, 2024
Frank Winter Enjoys Writing but…
Frank Winter goes on and on and on. He has populated his world with an amazing amount of characters and spun a weird tale, part realistic, part fantasy, about a bombing that has killed over 300 folks at a high school prom. This second volume deals with the aftermath of the tragedy. There are many characters (more than I could keep straight without referring back) and they are secondary targets for the killer(s) who perpetrated the original crime, which apparently was covered in Book I. First I was intrigued, then I was impatient, then I wondered when the book would end, then there was an epilogue… There was a happy ending for a few, if that helps.
I give the book 3 stars because I know that some people love this kind of book and will savor every minute of it. I am amused that I actually made it through to the end, including the epilogue. Frank Winter, you REALLY like to write.
Frank Winter goes on and on and on. He has populated his world with an amazing amount of characters and spun a weird tale, part realistic, part fantasy, about a bombing that has killed over 300 folks at a high school prom. This second volume deals with the aftermath of the tragedy. There are many characters (more than I could keep straight without referring back) and they are secondary targets for the killer(s) who perpetrated the original crime, which apparently was covered in Book I. First I was intrigued, then I was impatient, then I wondered when the book would end, then there was an epilogue… There was a happy ending for a few, if that helps.
I give the book 3 stars because I know that some people love this kind of book and will savor every minute of it. I am amused that I actually made it through to the end, including the epilogue. Frank Winter, you REALLY like to write.
July 15, 2023
So after reading the first book I was unsure if the sequel would be a disappointment but I should not have been worried. This author has an amazing imagination and I have never read anything like this but loved it. This time it appears the curse of the Harbinger may not be over as the family members of the victims are ten years on still struggling with their grief and many of them have since been too overwhelmed with their grief to carry on. However all is not what it seems and it’s a race against time to find out if someone is still out there with murder on their mind. A great thriller and these two books would make a brilliant horror movie.
November 27, 2023
This book was the sequel to a previous book by the same author, titled Homecoming.
Initially when I started reading, I couldn't remember everything that happened in the first book. I also felt like I didn't remember everything about the characters, but the author wrote in a way that made me feel very connected to them.
As I read on, I felt the sense of familiarity, and I enjoyed reading this with the feeling that I had 'met' these characters before, with the knowledge that they had grown older and perhaps wiser, since the last time we met. Although this seemed quite a long read, it didn't drag, and the story progresses at a rate that was comfortable for me.
Initially when I started reading, I couldn't remember everything that happened in the first book. I also felt like I didn't remember everything about the characters, but the author wrote in a way that made me feel very connected to them.
As I read on, I felt the sense of familiarity, and I enjoyed reading this with the feeling that I had 'met' these characters before, with the knowledge that they had grown older and perhaps wiser, since the last time we met. Although this seemed quite a long read, it didn't drag, and the story progresses at a rate that was comfortable for me.
March 15, 2023
Harbinger is a great book. It has a bit of a slow start but it more than makes up for it as the plot thickens. As a sequel, it definitely gets the job done. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters develop post the tragedy in Homecoming. The various personas were vivid and enthralling; the twists and turns had me glued to the pages. I admire how it illustrates important life lessons, and it has helped me understand the things that really matter.
A thrilling novel and a great read.
Worth every star rating
A thrilling novel and a great read.
Worth every star rating
April 10, 2023
Harbinger by Frank Winter is a moving sequel that continues the story of a family affected by a tragic gas explosion. Winter masterfully details the emotional journey of each family member as they grapple with grief and loss. Every character's pain is vividly portrayed.Winter's writing is powerful enough to keep readers engaged and invested in the characters' fates.
The writer's exploration of grief and its aftermath is both thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, and it offers a unique perspective on a topic that is too often overlooked in popular fiction.
The writer's exploration of grief and its aftermath is both thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, and it offers a unique perspective on a topic that is too often overlooked in popular fiction.
July 1, 2024
This book was intriguing but not really my type of book. I really struggled to complete it unfortunately as I found it difficult to actually get into. I wish I could have but struggled with the plot. Although the characters were intriguing
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews