Customer Reviews

Bogeyman

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After her spouse John died, writer Blythe Wyndham, accompanied by her four years old daughter Maddie, returns to her hometown of Crenshaw, Alabama to be near her family, especially her grandma Miz Ruth. However, rather than impose on her beloved grandmother, Blythe rents a somewhat isolated small house.

Soon Blythe begins hearing noises at night that frighten her while Maddie suffers from apparent nightmares, something that never happened to her before the move. Blythe begins to wonder if this home could be haunted by Rachel who was murdered there twenty-five years ago. Desperate to know the truth, Blythe asks Sheriff Cade Jackson to investigate while elderly Miz Ruth's long time companion psychic Delores Simmons insists she sees something from the beyond calling to her daughter. Cade agrees though he assumes both ladies are on edge because of the death of the paternal member of the household as much as from the homicide history of their rental. However, before he can dig deep, the house burns down. Though no one is hurt Cade believes a mortal person wanted the past left dead.

BOGEYMAN is an excellent one sitting paranormal romantic suspense thriller in which readers will jump at every noise they hear during the night (and several subsequent evenings afterward). The gripping story line is fast-paced as the audience agrees with Cade that the two female Wyndhams are suffering from grief, but like the sheriff soon change their mind wondering if Delores is right or someone living wants the past buried. Gayle Wilson is at her best with this superior tale that should have cross genre appeal to suspense fans too.

Harriet Klausner

Night terrors have plagued four year old Maddie Wyndham since she and her mom, Blythe, moved to Crenshaw. Initially, Blythe believes Maddie's nightmares are a reaction to the move and her father's death, but she soon begins to suspect otherwise. Is the ghost of a girl murdered 25 years ago haunting Maddie? Or is she being stalked by some other dark force? Blythe turns to Sheriff Cade Jackson, but will he believe in something that he can't physically sense?

Gayle Wilson examines the depths of a mother's fear in BOGEYMAN. Blythe's love for Maddie permeates every page of the story. Her desire to protect Maddie provides a sharp contrast with what Sarah suffered when she was murdered 25 years earlier. This contrast only highlights the horror of what Sarah endured as Ms. Wilson brings much needed attention to issues that unfortunately remain current today. BOGEYMAN is an emotional roller coaster as the reader empathizes with Blythe as she tries to decide just what to do in such a seemingly crazy set of circumstances.

Gayle Wilson takes quite a chance with BOGEYMAN. She explores some very dark and disturbing themes, but in a very sensitive manner. BOGEYMAN is the sort of book that could easily have become quite graphic, but Ms. Wilson instead let the emotional horror speak for itself rather than going into any gruesome details. BOGEYMAN takes readers on a journey that is sometimes painful but comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This is the first book that I have read by Gayle Wilson and found myself captivated by the book. It was creepy but well written. I was impressed with the way all the events unfolded as well as how Maddie, Blythe's daughter, knew what was going on but could not tell things except through the eyes of a little one.

The characters in this book were fantastic. I really felt for Blythe since I am a mom as well. I could understand her need to protect her daughter because I have the same instincts towards my son. Cade came across as very sincere and he truly wanted to see it all end. He was looking out for the community besides trying to help Blythe stay around to find out the truth. He was a sweetheart and I honestly felt compassion for him since he was in a situation that didn't give much information either time.

Thrilling would not quite describe this book because it was more than that. It was suspenseful, full of twists and turns, and the outcome had me completely shocked. I never would have guessed in a million years who the bogeyman was. I was almost appalled by it but then you'll have to read the book. I give it a 4/5 because at times it seemed almost over the top but reality hit home too. I highly recommend this one and can't wait to read more by this author.

I loved this book. I was captivated by the story and was kept guessing who the 'bad guy' was til the end. It is very well written and will creep you out if you let it. A must read for those who love suspense!

The story was excellent right down to the reasoning given to the child's night horrors. Losing a parent can cause trama,although this was not the case with Maddie. I pretty much figured out the killer right off but you hate to believe someone with that kind of authority could be the bogeyman. I read many books per month and I think this author is among the best.

Blythe has returned to her hometown, as small rural community in Southern Alabama, after her husband's death in order to try to get herself back on her feet. Shortly after moving into a small rental house, her daughter Maddie begins to have night terrors and one night, while checking on her, Blythe notices a tapping on the window - where there is nothing that could possibly cause it. When she sets out to investigate if anything odd is associated with the house, she runs across the murder of a little girl that took place 25 years ago and was never solved. Although the child didn't live in the house they are currently in, it belonged to her grandmother, so there is a connection. She decides to go to the sheriff and discovers that he is her pre-pubescent heart throb, a handsome boy who graduated from high school when she was 12 and who has grown into a "devastatingly handsome man." Soon rumors are running through the town that Blythe is investigating this old murder and not long after, her house catches on fire. Sheriff Cade Jackson doesn't believe in coincidences.

That's about all I can tell in a general way without spoiling anything - although the premise is promising, the author bogs down the action with too many details - and this is coming from someone who actually ENJOYS details. However, the detailed description of the Sheriff coming home and taking a shower (solely as an excuse for him to look into the mirror so we would know what he looks like) is just too much - why not have Blythe think about what he looks like now when she sees him for the first time? Other scenes are similarly over-wrought - including the many times that Maddie disappears and we're taken through every step of the search whether we really care at that point or not. Another problem I had with it is the fact that Blythe completely loses any ability for coherent thought any time she even suspects that her daughter is in danger. I don't have a child, so maybe that is typical behavior for a mother - but if so, evolutionarily speaking it is a pretty useless trait for women to become hysterical and run around in circles screaming, sobbing and wringing their hands anytime they perceive their child is in danger. Talk about bringing the wolves right to your door!

I have read books of about this length, when they really captured my attention, within a 3 - 4 hours time span, one sitting. I believe it is telling that it took me the better part of three days to get through this one and several times I considered just packing it in and not finishing. I actually was glad that I finished, because I certainly wasn't expecting the ending, but overall the book is overly-contrived and contains too many extraneous details. I did like the romance aspects, which is unusual for me - but they were subtly done and without the typical "I hate you" "I hate YOU" "no, I hate YOU" etc until they fall into bed, followed the next day by "oh, God, why did I do that, I HATE you" etc and at the end they are madly in love and live happily ever after. Phft. So, at least this one wasn't that bad. And the paranormal aspects were good. Other than that, I don't believe this will be one I will care to re-read and will likely be trading it at my local re-seller for something better.

I am a third of the way through the book and don't know if I can finish it. Her writing is a sad disappointment. She offers far too much information and it is dragging the story down. For example: Excerpts from pages 28, 29 and 30: "With one hand he reached back and gripped the fabric between his shoulders to pull his t-shirt over his head ... He went back into the bathroom, reaching into the shower to turnon the hot water ....He slid back the glass door and stepped in, turning his back to the water ... letting the force of the spray pound the bunched muscles between his shoulders ... He grabbed the towel he had taken from the shelf, using it first to dry his hair and then his body ... Left hand on top of the chest, he fished a pair of clean pajama bottoms out of the second drawer ...." Three pages to describe a man taking a shower and none of the information is crucial or even mildly interesting to the story. And this has been the case since page one! She breaks all the rules that creative writing workshops and courses warn against. The story line sounds interesting but I honestly don't see how she has ever won awards or sold many books if this is an example of all her other work. Sorry, but I am very disappointed and don't plan to spend my money on another Gayle Wilson book.

Only bad part about the book is that I figured out who it was in the middle of the book :( but I still really enjoyed the book and will be looking for more from this author!

Pretty standard storyline, but a nice twist at the end. I actually did not see it coming until it was there. That was good. While it did not have me trembling in my seat, it was chilling enough to raise some gooseflesh from time to time. She knew when to quit, too, which was also good. Not totally memorable, but a pretty good read.

This story is an example of a great romantic suspense novel. It combines realistic romance with a gripping psychological thriller storyline. A real page-turner.