The Judgement Game

The Mason Jar Series, Book 1

By: Eli Pope

Narrated by: Paul J McSorley

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Billy Jay Cader came from an abusive past. Self-preservation forced him to run away at the age of 14. His daddy was full of demons and played a sadistic game in a lottery-type punishment with his boy. When Billy Jay ran from his daddy, he hoped to outrun those demons as well. As time passed, he realized he hadn't been able to flee fast enough to escape them. Now those mental monsters were tightly nestled within. He was the new vessel to carry his daddy's wrath.

This is the story of how that monster from his past propagated into Billy Jay's psyche and took over, compelling him to become the next generation of evil. Billy Jay's young sons, Billy James, and Darrell Lee were now the recipients of his wrath as his hopeless, drunken wife watched from a distance.

The story begins from the early Cader family traditions and the morally depraved control that the game of the Mason Jar truly possesses. The twisted and deranged values of retribution for wrongs committed, through a game of chance. This series is the one to compel you to binge listen and then crave the next allocation to see where the madness takes you. Full of mystery, evil, twisted love, erotica, lies, and murder. Billy Jay Cader is pure evil incarnate, drawing a small forgotten coastal town along the Gulf of Florida, circa the 80s, into the web of a sociopath on a journey to destruction. His own? Or everyone that he encounters?

Buy a ticket and ride a roller-coaster of fear battling faith, the past conquering hope, and the unforgiving allure of a simple game constructed of wood squares and a glass mason jar. A game capable of destroying lives with a simple shake and release of the small wooden punishment tile.

©2020 Steven Gregory Bassett (P)2020 Steven Gregory Bassett

A Story of Horror and Faith

This book is an interesting mixture of disturbing and redemption. It starts out a little slow with a bird’s eye view of the main character’s past, but it does get hard to put down in the middle. The ending seemed a little too easy, but the author uses that to set up nicely for the next book’s conflict. I’d recommend it for someone who wants a story of grace with grit.
The narrator has a nice low voice and seems to get into each character as he reads. The only time I felt jarred out of the story was when he did a particularly whinny version of a woman, but it only lasted for a scene. I thought he made a good narrator for this darker tale.

The Judgement Game

I expected this book to be so much different. And I am totally not sure why it needed to be a serious. It was rough listen to the book but it did have a few moments that would keep you listening. First the book is very drawn out. Just as I would think we were getting to the good part it would be gone. I felt like it was all over the map you go from bums living on the street to child abuse the to religion then to does he or does he not believe. Yes the story was sad but he had an opportunity to change. So he’s pretty unstable. The book is definitely a downer. I would not recommend it. A total waste of time. I thought this was going to be a thriller. The narration is ok.

Book One of the Mason Jar Series...

Billie Jay did not have it easy growing up. After serving some time, he is ready to settle down and be a better man than his father was... but that is not in the cards for Billy Jay or his family, he might just be more sadistic than his own father.
I was warned the first book starts a little slow, and it did. You get a good idea of the history of violence that haunts this family, and by the end, you are ready for the next one! Billy Jay and his family have many deceptions lurking beneath the surface waiting to emerge from the muck. I am ready for more!

Good book with tough subject matter

Themes of this novel are the cycle of abuse from parent to child and redemption through God. Serious stuff! It's a pretty sprawling journey, with twists in unexpected places and moments you have no idea where things are going to go. As always, McSorley does a great job with the narration!

Great to listen to.

loved it, characters were very real. narrator was excellent. great voice. Author has a real gift for a story.

Suprised

I really like the story, surprised by the religious direction, I generally stay away from religion in books but I really enjoyed it. Love the voice deep and rumbly. I also enjoyed the twists and turns when you least expect it.

Grace, mercy and forgiveness...

What is the difference between Grace and Mercy? An age old question that Billy Jay will hopefully discover throughout his life. Escaping from and abusive father and alcoholic mother, to a prison sentence for a crime that he did not commit, Billy Jay becomes jaded. He meets, falls in love and marries a wonderful woman but, over time, turns into the abusive father. Jay meets out punishment to his sons by having them choose a tile from a mason jar. Each tile holds a punishment, except for one that requests Grace. One night his oldest son retaliates and Jay finds himself on the run for years. From the warmth of Florida to the dismal cold of NY, Jay lives the life of the homeless. A loving old lady at a church soup kitchen shares the love and forgiveness of God...but Jay rejects her teaching. A home invasion leads to, no less than, a divine intervention and Jay finally understands the meaning of forgiveness. But will Jay be able to resist the pull of the darkness that resides deep inside every human? Looks as if we will have to wait for the next book to find out! Excellent narration drags you down into the darkness and lifts you up at just the right time!
I accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an hones review.
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Lots of religion...

I would have quit listening if it weren’t for the narration by Paul J McSorley. There is way to much religion and lives get turned around almost instantaneously as soon as Jesus is accepted. This book should have been categorized under religion and spirituality. Yes there is some abuse of women and children but that takes second seat.
McSorley does a great job narrating.
I do not recommend this book.
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