A Review for The Tale of the Black Casket

Product Description:
In the tradition of Edgar Allen Poe comes The Tale of the Black Casket, a spooky tale of supernatural retribution for a man’s greed.
Dave only wanted to borrow a little bit of money from the company coffers to pay back his gambling debts, but his partner, Stan, refused, thinking he would learn a lesson and invent his money more wisely. In a fit of rage, Dave concocted an evil plan to get rid of Stan and pin the embezzlement on him, figuring he would also benefit by taking on the task of comforting Stan’s beautiful girlfriend, Lisa.
However he suddenly finds himself in the midst of eerie happenings, haunted by his own conscience and a supernatural foe who relentlessly stalks him no matter where he goes. Could it be Stan, come back form the grave? Or is it something even more powerful, determined to exact revenge for his remorseless greed?
Don’t start this one at night, or in the dark, or if you’re alone – you’ll never survive the stunning climax.



MY TAKE:  This is a short novella about two friends David Fine and Stan Well. The premise of the story is that these two have been best friends forever and now are running a business together. When David Fine finds himself in trouble and needing money he thinks he should just be able to take it from the company,but when he asks his friend Stan he is turned down flat. David decides that he will do whatever it takes to get the money even murdering his best friend and then burying him several miles away in a black casket.
Once the deed is done David starts getting phone calls, regardless of where he is or whether there is a working phone, and those calls start freaking him out. Unfortunately the author starts telling us about David's womanizing ways as well. In the span of the 38 pages of this book he tries to seduce 3 women and is successful in one instance. The one bright spot to the book was the ending, which takes us back to the days of Bobby Ewing in Dallas.
I think this book could have used more editing and less womanizing. The story really reminds me of something you might hear around a campfire minus the seduction of women of course.
Thanks to Dorrance Publishing for furnishing a copy of this book for me to review.