14

Audie Award Nominee, Science Fiction, 2013

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything....

©2012 Peter Clines and Permuted Press (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A riveting apocalyptic mystery in the style of LOST." (Craig DiLouie, author of The Infection and The Killing Floor)

"A wholly original story that weaves together mystery and the apocalypse like a finely tuned band." (Evan Roy, Bricks of the Dead)

Scooby meets Lovecraft

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend this book to readers who like odd mysteries (think X-Files) and horror stories that contain some HP Lovecraft elements (Lovecraft makes an indirect appearance!).The plot unfolds slowly and keeps the mystery alive right up to the climax. The characters are well-developed and realistic and can be frustratingly realistic (which is good).

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the manner in which the mystery was slowly unravelled by the characters. Each step they took, brought more mystery and unanswered questions. This kept the reader involved and interested. Each time a new clue was found, it was satisfying but each clue lead to new questions which the characters pursued.

Have you listened to any of Ray Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard any other performances by Ray Porter, but I though his narration was excellent. Each character had a unique voice that was natural and believable. His narration added to the story rather than distracting from it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment when the group finally gets the door to Room 14 open was very compelling. There was a lot of tension and drama in this moment and it was very well handled. It was a moment of chaos and terror but the story's narrative was clear and not confusing at all. You very much shared the characters' fear and struggles during this section of the story.

Any additional comments?

It's an interesting book and it is very well written. You have suspicions of different characters as the plot develops and some of those turn out to be true. But there are also surprises and twists - most of them come across as being believable even though the story deals with strange and fantastic elements. If you like horror-mystery stories, this is a good choice.

excellent mystery and intruige

I bought this on sale on a whim as I normally don't read these but just finished Dead Mountaineers Inn and this was recommended.

glad I did. I found it extremely enjoyable. if you like Dead Mountaineers Inn you'll love this I'd wager.

weirdness

Some days the world seems very weird, but for Nate Tucker, it just doesn't stop. Moving into a strange building, inadvertently his curiosity almost destroys the world. A trite ending, but sometimes pseudo endings are the only possible way to stop the strangeness.

Great for Stephen King Fans

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves horror/zombie/survivalist fiction, of course, but I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping, character-driven story. This book won't enlighten or edify, but it's a fine way to spend an afternoon or two.

What other book might you compare 14 to and why?

I loved this book because it reminded me of great Stephen King - a really good story just for the sake of a really good story.

Contrived, but fun (character list)

This was fun but also frustrating. It's a wacky, campy, and VERY contrived sci-fi mystery with a touch of urban fantasy, set in Los Angeles, told in 3rd person.

Ray Porter, narrator, masterfully portrayed a range of characters: male, female, young, old, American, and one woman from India (Veek). The narration is better than the book, in my view. A five-star performance!

Why 3 stars for the book? Even though the whole mystery, history, and horror thing was cool, the chief protagonists were too stupid to live. Every single one of them. Once they began to realize what they were dealing with -- by the middle of the book -- they should have chucked their goofy Scooby-Doo act and put on their "get serious" face complete with "trust no one" shades. (I mean, hello! I could see what was coming with a certain villainous character a mile away.)

One of the characters said it best, "We're like children playing around with a nuclear bomb."

So, the gang got into some trouble in the last quartile of the book, and frankly, they deserved it. But they were only drawn that way, as Clines contrived to drive them ever onward towards illogical responses and reckless behaviors.

Still, I enjoyed it. Kept me guessing. Not that anyone COULD guess what was going on behind that triple pad-locked door, apartment #14. Talk about weird science. I did guess what was hidden behind the panel in Nate's closet. Kudos to me. I also came close to guessing what was behind the locked doors in the cellar, but NEVER could I have predicted what the building was used for. The clues did not add up. No sleuthing your way to success, here. Just wait to be told.

Enjoyed the reference to my favorite science-fiction series, FRINGE and the marvelous Walter Bishop. Far too many references to SCOOBY-DOO. And one clever nod to HP Lovecraft, which is only right. People compare this to the series LOST, but I didn't see a strong resemblance, except for the out-of-the-blue final resolution to the mystery.

One sex scene. Better to have left it out entirely, since it was so juvenile. Then kids could read it, too, or a family could listen on a car trip.

Some loose ends: Why the roaches are green. Why they die at 30 feet from the building. Why there were so many suicides in #16. And ....

What kind of dimwatt dumbo is pulling the strings, leaving the fate of the world to Team Scooby???

Best quote: "He hasn't told us our building is an earthquake-causing apocalypse machine. That makes him a bad guy."

Character List:

Chief protagonist Nate Tucker works in data entry for a small magazine publisher. He plays the role of leader in solving the mystery, and is constantly compared to Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, but he is more sensible than the cartoon figure. Of them all, he was sometimes the most sensible, but that's not saying much at all.

Veek, computer hack (black hat) and Internet provider. Veek -- short for some long Indian name -- is typecast as Velma.
Xela, a blue-haired nudist and frustrated artist. Xela is cast as Daphne.
Roger works in Hollywood as a grip. Roger is Fred Davis, maybe.
Debbie is studying biochemistry at UCLA.
Clive is Debbie's husband, working in construction.
Tim, former military, retired publisher (*wink wink*)
Andrew, a religious zealot.
Mandy, a farm girl.
Mrs. Knight, elderly widow, has lived in the building for 25 years.
Oscar, building manager.
Tina, rental agen / realtor (*wink*)