- Paperback: 274 pages
- Publisher: lulu.com (November 5, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1300337478
- ISBN-13: 978-1300337478
This book is also available as an e-book.
Release date: November 5, 2012
Newly divorced and ready to recreate herself, Sydney Powell and her retired K9 move back to the city in which she grew up to write a book about the infamous underworld faction known as The Purple Gang. Having once lived in a house built and used by the Purple Gang to run liquor, Sydney takes the opportunity to rent the place, believing it will help her write the book.
Met with opposition from her psychotic mother and her long brooding brother, Jack who believe the real story of the house is about ghosts, she begins to dig into the history. Her research yields very little about her intended subject instead pointing to an entirely different history tied to the death of young boy.
Peeling away the layers of legal paper, Sydney and Jack become acutely aware that the house hides secrets linked to not only the gruesome murder that rocked the state, but deeper, more disturbing events. The secrets, held hostage in the walls.
My take on this book:
To say that this book was intense is an understatement! When I realized that it was inspired by actual events that occurred during the seventies I anticipated a good read, but was totally blown away with how the story unfolded! The measure of a good book in my eyes is how long I continue to think about the characters after I finish reading the story, and I must say I read this book three weeks ago and still think about the characters in this one.
Sydney Powell and her retired K9 dog Thor move back to Michigan to live in a house that Sydney spent her teen years in. Turns out the house was built by the infamous Purple Gang who ran liquor during prohibition. Sydney just fresh from an amicable divorce decides that she will write a book based on the Purple Gang. Once she moves into the house though she and Thor start to experience some weird happenings, and when she tells her brother Jack he decides to come and stay with her. Little does she know that Jack is haunted by something that he witnessed in the house during his teen years, a story that Sydney comes to realize is much more important than the Purple Gang. Can Sydney, Jack and Thor unlock the secrets that are buried in the house and set the spirits of so many throwaway boys free?
What I thought was going to be a haunted house story turned out to be so much more. The author allowed me to connect with each of the characters in the story, allowing me to feel disgust, and hate toward the vile perpetrators, especially Brother Luke! Along with hate though I found myself feeling extremely sad for the lost souls of the young boys, especially Tim, I shed more than a few tears as I read his story, His longing for his family,and being fooled into thinking he was going home only to have things turn out so much differently was heartbreaking.His wishing for a dog and the way he interacted with Thor was very well done! As an animal lover I really enjoyed the page time that Thor was given in this story. This was a book that I couldn't put down, because I just had to know the ending. If your a fan of suspense/mysteries or enjoy reading true crime stories with a ghostly flavor this is a must read. I highly suggest reading the Afterword with this one because it explains that while "No Such Thing" is a complete work of fiction it was inspired by the abductions and murders of four children in Michigan back during the seventies.
A complimentary e-copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
About the author:
Raised in an affluent suburb of Detroit, Judi Coltman grew up in a female heavy household with an urban sense of "normal." Coltman attended Michigan State University, majoring in Journalism until a professor requested she switch majors - "Apparently making a story better with added features isn't acceptable in the news world," Coltman laments. With a BA in English from Northern Illinois University, Coltman has written for local, regional and national publications.
Most recently, Coltman has been focusing on her true passion, delving into the realm or fiction. In The Name Of The Father is Coltman's first novel, a suspense/thriller. Currently working on her next novel, Coltman is still writing a blog called, "My Life in a Nutshell," from where her humorous book material was born. Often compared to Erma Bombeck, Coltman sees the humor in the absurdity of everyday life and then tells anyone who will listen.
Judi Coltman and her husband split their time between northern Illinois and the California desert. Sometimes they even pass each other at the airport.
Heroines With Heart is a massive blog tour that runs throughout 2013, that features books with strong female protagonists. We have authors from several different genres, including young adult, mystery/thriller/suspense, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and Christian fiction. We are also giving away fun digital prizes and sharing new and noteworthy books throughout the year. Want updates?
- For readers: http://heroineswithheart.com/attendees/
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This sounds eerie. Gonna have to read it!
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