Beaufort Falls [Paperback]

Mari Sloan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2007

Secrets of Beaufort Falls are carried to the grave, but the graves don't stay sealed. A tormented spirit returns to avenge her murder and to try to protect her children. Her ex-lover befriends the heads of his victims. A lonely, abused child finds a new life while committed to a children's psychiatric hospital. Nothing is what it seems, in Beaufort Falls.

About The Author: Born into a Georgia family of eccentrics and visionaries, Mari Sloan carries her heritage of storytelling from the Deep South to the hills of Southern California where she shares a home with her writer husband and a black Maine Coon cat. She works locally and is always the one who knows where the bodies are buried. On a good day, she will tell you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born into a Georgia family of eccentrics and visionaries, Mari Sloan carries her heritage of storytelling from the Deep South to the hills of Southern California where she shares a home with her writer husband and a black Maine Coon cat. She works locally and is always the one who knows where the bodies are buried. On a good day, she will tell you. www.beaufortfalls.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: It's ME! Ink Press (October 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979858305
• ISBN-13: 978-0979858307
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,354,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every page will make you wanting more, May 22, 2009

By 

Martha A. Cheves (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beaufort Falls (Paperback)

The characters of Beaufort Falls:

Molly age 8 and Tessie age 5 are the daughters of JD. Both children are well experienced in keeping a spotless house and making dinner for their father. And they both know the consequences that will be paid if it's not done perfectly.

Molly is little Tessie's guardian angel until she is placed in a mental hospital for children after setting a fire at her home. As mysterious things start to happen on her first night in the hospital she quickly becomes an outsider and keeps to herself until she meets Mickey or RatBoy as she fondly calls him.

After Molly is taken away Tessie has to take full responsiblity for the housework and cooking for her father. She knows she must be perfect or her punishment will be severe. But this abuse comes to an end when JD's lady friend Anna, who is also a social worker, sees him beating little Tessie. She's taken away and is placed in the home of Anna who is quite taken with her sweet, loving personality.

JD is a God fearing, ex-circuit preacher/mechanic who rules the girls with strong punishment, preaching and prayers. He also enjoys filing law suits against anyone that crosses him, including the hospital where he is treated after wrecking his truck, being poisoned, bitten by hundreds of baby Black Widow spiders and attacked by Ghost the dog.

Charlie is the ex-lover of JD's deceased wife Eliza who was the only woman he ever really loved. But Charlie has a problem. His hobby is collecting and preserving human heads and calling them his friend.

Verbena is the ex-girlfriend of JD and later Charlie but when she discovers Charlie's hobby she finds herself living in a cave in hopes of not becoming a part of his collection.

Spike and Virgil are 2 hit-men hired to kill JD before he tries to sue the only hospital in town. Their lack of success leaves the hospital director up in air since they were paid before the job was actually done.

Ghost is a mysteriously beautiful white dog that protects Molly and Tessie and loves them both dearly.

Eliza - is JD's late wife and mother of Molly and Tessie. Eliza died when Tessie was 2 but she's not really gone. She watches over Molly and Tessie as they deal with their father and hopes to one day bring the 2 girls back together. She will stop at nothing to protect her children and will use everything within her spiritual powers to bring revenge on anyone that hurts them.

And then there is Mickey (RatBoy). He can't talk but he can read peoples minds and feelings. He can also appear just about anywhere and be seen only when he wants to be seen. He and a group of other boys from the hospital are preparing for the upcoming "Plan" that will save them all. But who is he and why are his feelings for Molly so deep and protective?

Beaufort Falls was one of the most complete books I've ever read. You have the bad guys and good guys but you also have the cluts that give the book humor. This turned out to be a book that I didn't want to put down until I had read every page.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sloan has made this story whimsical, entertaining, and funny when you confront death and the spirit world, December 15, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beaufort Falls (Paperback)

Beaufort Falls is the first published novel written by Mari Sloan. The setting is in a small southern town in Alabama during the 1970's.

"This was the country everybody left to go somewhere else, leaving the town with two filling stations, a school and fourteen churches, but few residents."

The author cleverly keeps you reading while she takes you on a fast-paced paranormal ride and exploits family dysfunction at its worst. Written in a very descriptive style, Mari brings passion and intensity to her characters. Then, you empathize with them.

As the forces of good and evil unravel to expose the secret of Beaufort Falls, you will become fascinated and emotionally affected as this town becomes unhinged.

J. D. Parsons, town mechanic, while raising his two young daughters encounters many mysterious happenings. J D is an evil man who abuses his children; physically and mentally while pretending to be religious. His dead wife, Eliza, returns from her grave to protect her girls from evil and to avenge her murder. While on earth as a spirit she also searches for her lost baby.

J D is stalked by a white furry dog with supernatural powers, deadly spider attacks, and venomous snake bites, but these torments have no effect upon him and so he lives through many attempts at his demise! He also reluctantly relinquishes Molly to a social worker who sends her to a local psychiatric hospital. There, she meets wonderful children who will tear at your heart strings. These lonely youngsters band together for salvation and in unity of purpose they protect Molly.

Eliza haunts her maniacal murderer and influences her demented ex-lover Charlie to avenge her own death. Charlie and Eliza previously had an extra marital relationship which resulted in her giving birth to Charlie's child while married to Parsons.

Vividly shown are the effects of cruelty and neglect upon children. However, Sloan has made this story whimsical, entertaining, and funny when you confront death and the spirit world. This book is in the stylistic nature of becoming a Hollywood movie thriller.

Clark Isaacs
Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars storytelling at it's best, September 4, 2011

By 

Donald L. Trotta "don trotta" (SONOMA CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beaufort Falls (Paperback)

I love this book.It is one of my all time favorites.Brilliant writing and imaginative storyline that draws you in and keeps you in utter suspense.I highly recommend this wonderful work .Many thanks to the author and I anxiously await the sequel.