Cairnwood Manor: Keepers of the Dead [Paperback]

Bob Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

From the haunted halls of Cairnwood Manor to the bowels of Rosslyn Chapel, Bob Freeman hurls you into the very heart of the eternal conflict between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. It's fang versus claw, spell versus steel, and love versus death in an epic battle of blood and thunder. When a sinister cabal converges to unleash the ultimate evil against an unsuspecting world, only the combined strength of the Wolves of Cairnwood Manor and the Circle of Nine Skulls offers up a glimmer of hope as werewolves, vampires, witches, immortal warriors, and an army of the undead collide in a battle of epic bloodshed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: KHP Publishers (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979988144
• ISBN-13: 978-0979988141
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,187,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bob Freeman is an author, artist, and paranormal adventurer from rural Indiana, where he lives with his wife Kim and son Connor. He is the founder of the paranormal research group Nightstalkers of Indiana, a member of Indiana Horror Writers, and the Aleister Crowley Society.

Bob has numerous publishing credits to his name, including the Cairnwood Manor novels published by Black Death Books (Shadows Over Somerset and Keepers of the Dead) and the critically acclaimed short story "Mourn Not the Sleepless Children" which appeared in Burning Effigy Press' FRESH BLOOD chapbook anthology.

His occult detective novel, DESCENDANT, was recently published by Belfire Press and is currently available through amazon.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Action Packed -- VERY Acton-Packed..., October 20, 2008

By 

Mark Rainey (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cairnwood Manor: Keepers of the Dead (Paperback)

Bob Freeman's KEEPERS OF THE DEAD continues the saga of Cairnwood Manor and its resident population of werewolves, vampires, zombies, gargoyles, and sorcerers, introduced in his first novel, SHADOWS OVER SOMERSET. Though some prior knowledge doesn't hurt, KEEPERS qualifies as much as a standalone novel as it does a sequel.

Cairnwood Manor, an ancient seat of magical power, and the Cairnwood family, who are charged with preventing that power falling into darker hands than theirs, are under seige by a rival clan -- not to mention those insidious others who would play both sides against the other for their own purposes. Michael Cairnwood, the new lord of the manor, has made a painful return from brink of death and found that circumstances on the homefront are anything but what he might desire, particularly since he and his enemies happen to share a common ancestry.

The first thing I discovered is that KEEPERS, much like its predecessor, is loaded with characters -- almost too many to keep track of -- and they just keep coming over the course of the book. To his credit, Mr. Freeman devotes enough space to the primary players to define and hone their personalities; also to his credit, he renders none of them in pure black and white. It's often difficult to delineate protagonists and antagonists, since all have their unique motivations and none fall easily into the cliched role of hero/villain. It's refreshing to find that the ostensible protagonists are hardly creatures of goodness and light and the antagonists aren't simply wicked because being wicked is just so much damned fun.

The downside of all this is that, particularly in the opening chapters, there's a lot more telling than showing, with characters' personalities and purposes simply described rather than developed naturally. For a time, it's difficult to distinguish who belongs to which clan and whether he or she is going to be important to the plot. Characters come and go, oftentimes killed off before their relevance seems firmly established.

Conversely, once the main characters begin to become real and have evoked some reader sympathy, Freeman pulls no punches and establishes a sense of tragedy when their fates are less than happy. I admire the fact that not everyone who meets a bad end does so because they're just too nasty to live, and a few of these fateful moments prove to be rather poignant.

Make no mistake, there are unhappy ends aplenty. The novel's pace is oftentimes breakneck, and vicious fighting between supernatural beasties abounds. Some of it manages to be exciting, yet it tends to overshadow the plot's more subtle intrigue, which is really what ought to hold this book together. Freeman has a capable hand for suspense, and I would like to have seen more of it, rather than another knock-down-drag-out altercation.

The edition I read was an uncorrected proof copy, and I hope some of the rough edges will be ironed out in the regular edition. A lot of the errors consist of subject-verb tense disagreement, various grammar usage issues, and other such problems, which are at best distracting and at worst exasperating. Writers do need good editors; I trust Black Death Books has one on hand...?

Knowing that Mr. Freeman is more than a little dedicated to his craft, I foresee bigger and better things on the horizon for him.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars electrifying horror thriller, October 28, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cairnwood Manor: Keepers of the Dead (Paperback)

The Circle of Nine Skulls, founded by Garrick Ward, and made up of Immortals, battle the Dark waiting for the final the end of times battle. Garrick believes his warriors and allies are ready, but the insidious Dark is working on defeating those groups before they can come to his aid.

Cairnwood Manor, the home of the Ash Lawn werewolf pack, is allies of the light. Michael has recently taken over as the leader, but everyone is surprised when another werewolf pack attacks them; he is the first casualty falling into a coma. The enemy has come to find the magical artifacts to bring to their master; they will succeed for sure if Michael fails to awaken. Even if he does, his side remains precariously near defeat as he will have to venture to the realm of his long time enemy Malcolm MacGregor the vampire who holds his beloved hostage.

Meanwhile the evil forces gather at Avebury where they use eldritch powers to call up the Old Gods and to raise an army of zombies. Two malevolent vampire hordes vie for supremacy as everyone from the Dark side to Garrick and his allies' heads for a showdown perhaps the final one at Rosslyn Chapel.

Bob Freeman has written an electrifying horror thriller that in some ways is a throwback to the classic Castle horror moves albeit faster paced (some might say frenzied) and bloodier as vampires are villains and werewolves are heroes. Reminiscent also of Stephen King's early works, readers will enjoy the supernatural war. Although the cast of seemingly zillions can become a bit overwhelming, several control the story line bringing focus to the hyper-speeding novel. Michael is the key; as he comes into his own as a leader and warrior but must return to the living if he is to be there for the last battle; without him all is lost while with him all still probably is lost. Vividly described, KEEPERS OF THE DEAD would make an exciting horror movie.

Harriet Klausner