Karla's Literary Korner: The Dead Pennies by Robert Ford

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 346

Synopsis:

After leaving an abusive relationship, Abby visits an old friend on her way to her mother’s in Florida. Hayden’s Uncle Jack is renovating a building into high-end apartments in town, and with the lure of living rent-free in a beautiful loft, Abby becomes the caretaker with the entire building all to herself. Abby hears strange sounds in the building. Shadows move as if they’re alive. Led to believe the structure was previously a school, Abby is told by the last living employee of Harper’s Grove that the building used to be a home for the infirm and unwanted children, the Dead Pennies of society, unfit for circulation.

Abby and Hayden search for the cause of the strange events at Harper’s Grove, and find out why the spirits of the dead children won’t sleep until they get vengeance.

But there’s also another evil at play—this one of a human nature. Abby’s ex-boyfriend, Nick, finds out where she has run off to. He won’t stop for anything until she’s back in his clutches, but Nick doesn’t expect to come up against the raging spirits of the Dead Pennies.

Review:

"That's the first and last black eye I ever get because of a man."

Abby has had enough of living in a rough relationship. She makes the decision to leave and head to her mothers house to start a new beginning for herself. But things change on her way there when she reconnects with a longtime friend. Knowing that she really does not want to stay with her mother, she decides to take an offer from her friend to live in a new loft that has been recently renovated. This decision begins a series of events that affect her life and those that also become involved. As the darkness surrounds her, she searches for the reasons behind all the mysterious occurrences. As the unusual noises, dark shadows, and perplexing events continue to disturb, Abby and others' lives are hanging in the balance between life and death.

This book is written in three parts, with the first part introducing us to all the characters and the build to what is to come about in all of their lives. Part two brings us back to the past and reveals to us the reasoning behind the disturbing hauntings. Part three intertwines all the parts together, revealing hidden secrets, and the rage of the vengeful souls.

Creepy and haunting, we are not only given a disturbing and heartbreaking story from the past, but we are given a story that involves abuse in different forms. It haunts the mind and the soul. It lingers and the memories are never forgotten. It's not the person that does not let go of the past, it's the past that does not let go of the person.

"You feel it in these places, feel the sadness, the grief, a sense of mourning, but sometimes, you feel the anger, too. Enough bad things happen in the same spot, and the shadows begin to gather, and sometimes the pain, that...rage, starts up some sort of engine, makes the place itself come alive."

An engaging and haunting story. Robert Ford's writing craft shines through with some wonderful prose and a few plot twists that add elements of surprise and suspense.

A ghost story that may just haunt your dreams, chill your mind, and give you those spine tingling chills!

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Ford/author/

Author Website:

http://robertfordauthor.com/

About the author

Robert Ford has written the novels Burner, The Compound, No Lipstick in Avalon, and Blood Roses, a horror-western. He also has a collection of his short fiction The God Beneath my Garden, a novella collection, Inner Demons, and the novella Larva Me Tender.

He collaborated, with John Boden, on the novellas Rattlesnake Kisses, Cattywampus, and Black Salve, in the Knucklebucket Thang series.

With author Matt Hayward, Robert co-wrote the novel A Penny for Your Thoughts.

Robert lives in Central Pennsylvania, and is usually hard at work on at least two projects at a time.

Publisher Website:

https://www.cemeterydance.com/