Tale Half Told

Killarney Traynor,
Margaret Traynor
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller
Four friends are on their way north to celebrate Christmas festivities with family when Michael Wright, one of the friends, insists that they take a detour to see the Reynolds house. His boss owns the home, this site of a tragic murder/suicide. Twenty-five years earlier Charles Reynolds murdered his wife at his own party, then drowned himself in the river.  Michael, his wife Susan and friends Linda and Johnny check out the house but when they try to leave, their car crashes and leaves them stranded for the night. Strange happenings occur that leave them questioning the existence of the supernatural and their own sanity. It becomes an act of survival, with the foursome chosen as pawns in a ghostly battle of wills.

"A Tale Half Told" is a tantalizing mystery told with a dose of horror that will leave readers wanting to finish the book with the lights on. It is terrifying, making for a fun reading experience. Each character brings a different element to the story and helps it progress. For example, Johnny is a Vietnam vet with  PTSD, which adds a realistic and compelling facet to the story. Sadly, the plot is flat in places, the pacing slow to get going, and the character development lacking. The setting, which plays such a big part in a haunted-house story, is a bit flat and stifling. The ending redeems most of the faults of the book, however, making up for what is missing in the beginning. It is worth enduring the slow start to get to the end, which is unique and intriguing!

Jessica Samuelsen