The Deceased

By: Tom Piccirilli

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

Something is calling Jacob Maelstrom back to the isolated home of his childhood - to the scene of a living nightmare that almost cost him his life. Ten years ago his sister slaughtered their brother and parents, locked Jacob in a closet...then committed a hideous suicide. Now, as the anniversary of that dark night approaches, Jacob is drawn back to a house where the line between the living and the dead is constantly shifting.

But there's more than awful memories waiting for Jacob at the Maelstrom mansion. There are depraved secrets, evil legacies, and family ghosts that are all too real. There's the long-dead writer, whose mad fantasies continue to shape reality. And in the woods there are nameless creatures who patiently await the return of their creator.

©2000 Michele Scalise (P)2018 David N. Wilson

Like listening to a text book.

I had a really hard time staying focused on this story. It started out decent enough but before long I was lost and confused. I'm sure this didn't help but I had to take frequent breaks and listen to another book because this just became tedious to try to stay focused. I really felt like I was back in school and being forced to read a text book that made no sense to me.
I enjoyed J. Scott Bennett's narration. I don't fault him at all for me not being able to stay focused. I would like to go back and try to go through this book again and see if I can make heads or tails out of it. Not sure if this is Tom's typical style but if it is I am going to need to stay away.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Nwe take on the Haunted House

I had never heard of Tom Piccirilli, but the premise of this book seemed intriguing. I am a fan of J. Scott Bennett, so this was a double plus for me. I have really come to appreciate Bennett's style and ability, and am constantly amazed at how he takes hold of a story and molds it into something of his own. He does some great work here, and amps up Piccirilli's work to 11.

The story has multiple tiers to it. It is not a simple and straightforward haunted house story. There are also dark themes, such as incest, and other dangers children face that really steer the tale into some troubling waters. It is NOT for people with delicate sensibilities. The character are all, in one way or another, facing demons of their own, and a forced to deal with them as well as what is happening in the house. The only head scratcher is the turtle. Is it just a turtle, or is it something more? I never did figure that one out.

Either way, this is a dark story that makes you think long after you finish it. It kind of sticks to your soul like a stew does your stomach. It nourishes, but at the same time can be a little discomforting.

I did recieve a code for this book in exchange for a review.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Interesting Paranormal Story

As far as haunted house stories go, 'The Deceased' was a fairly unique take on the idea! Plagued by his past, Jacob Maelstrom is drawn back to his home where his family was brutally murdered many years ago. This story vacillates between worlds and points in time, making for an interesting and fun to follow plot that is ever twisting and evolving. It's hard to say much of anything else without giving away spoilers! While it wasn't the best paranormal story I've read, it was certainly fun and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. J. Scott Bennett delivers a wonderful narrative performance.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Twisted, unusual horror story

This is a twisting story that muddies the water between reality, fantasy and insanity. It’s a convoluted plot of horror story authors, twisted characters, axe murders, incest, ghosts and spirits that feed off the living. Throughout a lot of the story I was not sure who was dead and who was alive, who was sane or who was insane, and I still don’t know what the turtle had to do with anything. It’s confusing and yet somewhat captivating at the same time. At times the only thing that kept me going through the flashbacks, the hauntings and the erratic weaving of the story, was the great narration. The narrator was a steady voice that created tension and pulled you through the tumultuous sea of dead and crazy people in this novel. The author’s style of writing seems somewhat structureless and yet you still want to keep going just to see if it all makes sense in the end; with this story, I’m not sure that it did for me.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

INSANE

I have to admit this is not his best book (2.5 actually). I had to repeat sections as seemed confusing so you need to listen to it closely. The author uses a lot of mental illness in his books. In this book Jacob returns to his childhood mansion and this is where horror begins reliving old memories. It contains brutality, incest, spirits and totally insane and several good sections. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The deceased

I did not care for anything about this book aside from the narrator.It was impossible to follow.I wish I'd have given up on it. J Scott Bennett was a great narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

crazy just crazy

**I received this audiobook in exchange for a honest review**

this book is insane. J. Scott Bennett did a fantastic job reading and the recording sounded great!
Jacob Maelstrom seriously has some problems and exist in a dream like state that - to the reader- goes from reality to memories to ..visions? hauntings? in a flash. at times it was hard to follow cause I kept thinking I missed a sentence or paragraph. it was ok, but is all of Tom Piccirilli's books like this or was it just this one? if they are all so scattered, I doubt I'd read another one.

Nonsensical

Saying this book is confusing is giving it too much credit. It jumps around into different situations, including way to much sibling 'intimacy' (that's really gross, dude), that to me, never amounted to anything substantial. When I think back, I'm not sure how I even finished it. I wish I had those hours back. I won't be purchasing anything more from Mr. Piccirilli. Narration was fine.

Hard To Follow

This was a difficult audiobook for me to finish. I usually enjoy a good horror or ghost story so this should have been a slam dunk. However, the writing style was more disjointed than I like which made it difficult to follow and get invested in. There are all the elements of a good horror and ghost story here and it is narrated well, so someone else might enjoy it more.
I received a copy of this audiobook at my request and this is my voluntary review.

Strange and disjointed but excellent narration

I don’t really know where to begin....probably because I didn’t really know what was going on in this book most of the time. It’s just strange. I would finally think I knew what was going on, only for a new chapter to start and leave me wondering what happened to the story I was listening to in the previous chapter. And, what were the turtles about?! On a positive note, the narration was excellent! I received a review copy at my request and voluntarily reviewed.