Love, Death, and Madness

A Collection of Three Award-Nominated Novellas

By: Tim Waggoner

Narrated by: Gary Noon

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Available for the first time together, three of Tim Waggoner's award-nominated novellas of horror fiction.

The Winter Box

Winner of the 2017 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

It’s Todd and Heather’s 21st anniversary. A blizzard rages outside their home, but it’s far colder inside. Their marriage is falling apart, the love they once shared gone, in its place only bitter resentment. As the night wears on, strange things start to happen in their house—bad things. If they can work together, they might find a way to survive until morning...but only if they don’t open the Winter Box.

A Kiss of Thrones

Finalist of the 2018 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Lonny lost his beloved sister Delia thirty years ago. Since then, he’s sacrificed many lives in order to return her to the world of the living, but without success.

His next target is Julia, a young women with a unfulfilled marriage and a passion for ’80s horror films. She will soon discover that not only is real life more complicated than the movies, it’s far more terrifying.

The Men Upstairs

Finalist of the 2012 Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novella

He finds her crying in the lobby of a movie theater and takes her home to his apartment, a strange, beautiful woman with no last name, a mysterious past, and a powerful sexual allure. He wants her, and she wants him. There's only one problem: the Men Upstairs. She used to belong to them—and they'll do anything to get her back.

©2018 TIm Waggoner (P)2023 David N. Wilson

Sleek, Subtle, Sophisticated and Unique!

Three very different stories, each uniquely perfect for an evenings entertainment, each masterfully written! The plot and character details flow like bread crusts dropped on a walk through unfamiliar woods, leading the listener on a path that starts out so seemingly innocent, then masterfully, a subtle, slick, sophisticated horror begins to build, luring, enthralling, and ultimately trapping this listener in a web of intrigue that shocked, sometimes titillated, and ultimately horrified me to my very soul! These characters, ALL of these characters, were so completely different from those usually found in the genre, and I’m giving no details so as not to play spoiler! Just know they are brilliant, unique, and so beautifully, so fully explained that picturing them in my mind as I listened was delightfully easy! The dialogue beautifully fit the characters personalities, making the words they spoke convincing and compelling! These stories and characters were made all the more eerily enjoyable by clear, consistent, entertaining narration! I will be looking for more from this author and narrator. Five fantastic stars!

Each Story Offers Something Different

LOVE, DEATH, AND MADNESS was my introduction to Tim Waggoner's work. I've heard a lot about him, but I'd never read any of his books (although I may have read some short stories and have not remembered). So, when I got the opportunity to check this out, I jumped on it. What better way to get introduced to a writer's work than three different tales?

The first story, "The Winter Box", finds Todd and Heather stuck in the house on their 21st anniversary as a horrendous snowstorm rages outside. Hoping to reignite the love in their marriage, Heather gets out their 'winter box', a box that contains items each have put in on their anniversary over the years. However, the box contains darkness that is released.

"A Kiss of Thorns" follows Lonny, a serial killer, as he stalks his next victim, Julia. But things take an unexpected turn, and the tables may be turned.

In "The Men Upstairs", the last tale in the book, an older man finds a young woman crying in the lobby of a theater. He ends up taking her home and eventually falling in love with her. But there's one problem, the strange men upstairs seem to have a history with her. A dark and violent one.

Of the three stories, "The Men Upstairs" is heads and tails above all my favorite. This surprises me because it can fall into the 'erotic horror' subgenre of which I'm not much of a fan. However, Waggoner is so great, he kept me engrossed throughout the piece. These men upstairs are CREEPY, and I would absolutely love to see this as a film.

"A Kiss of Thorns" is my second favorite. Waggoner breaks the tropes of serial killer and victim, and I found myself surprised at some of the places it went. I'm not 100% sold on the ending, but the majority of the story has enough enjoyment I can give it a pass.

I wasn't feeling "The Winter Box". I like the idea of the box and its contents a lot, but not so much the execution. There are great moments for sure, but overall this wasn't one for me.

That said, what's most interesting about all of this is my favorite story can also be considered erotic horror, a subgenre I"m not a fan of. That's a testament to Waggoner's skill. He took a theme I otherwise don't enjoy, and made me enjoy it. That's talent. And it solidifies the fact I will be reading more of his work in the future.

Gary Noon's performance is outstanding. I know this because I'm fairly certain I would not have even finished "The Winter Box" if I were *reading* it. But Noon is so good, he took something I otherwise would not have completed and had me interested until the end. A great performer, and one I will look for in the future.

Three novellas

I have circled around Tim Waggoners work for what seems like decades. Dipping in and out, mostly anthology short stories and always enjoying what I’ve come across.

These three novellas change all that. Waggoner delivers the goods, as it were, here. I found all three stories fantastic in three fantastically different ways.

I look forward to more.

Wonderfully weird

The title says it all really. Each of the three stories deal with love, death and madness and are all fantastically told. A bit stomach churning at times but that just adds to the fun

A triple threat from Tim Waggoner

I read two out of the three novellas before getting the audiobook of this one. I enjoyed listening to all of these. The narrator nailed it. Pacing, tone, cadence were all spot on and couldn’t have fit any better with Tim’s dark stories. Well done all around.

Love,Death and Madness

I enjoyed this 3 book set!Narration by Gary Noon was good. was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.