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Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts

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Teenage machinations reach their devilish, cold and sticky fingers into the present in this terrifying melodrama where a shamed priest is forced to exact revenge after a lifetime of betrayal, and where three women must ultimately face the one lie upon which they have built their lives. Bitter, unsentimental, unforgiving, - and at times devastatingly violent - Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts is a portrait of Roxanne, Del and Alice whose deception is their only real talent. As young and vulnerable girls, all three are immediately in thrall to the handsome Cuban, Father Romero when he arrives to teach at their Catholic school, Our Lady of the Hills. But it is Roxanne who is most determined to act out her sexual fantasies with the attractive priest. When the girls suddenly conspire against him, Father Romero is cast out, forced to live on the fringes of society, consumed by the burdens of his sins. Even as he remains angst-riddled over his fall from grace, he finds comfort in the slave religion of Santeria and its dark rituals of revenge. Yet still Romero remains obsessed with Roxanne, the unleashing of all of the closeted passions late one night transforming his existence forever.

Meanwhile, the girls grow older, becoming successful members of Cincinnati society, but their apparent affluence and success hides a severe dysfunction, in part brought about by the secrets they've kept hidden along with all of the manipulative games they once played at Our Lady of the Hills. For years Alice has been obsessed with having a child with her dentist husband Thad, but Thad is unhappy and has fallen into an affair with his assistant Amber who also happens to be carrying his child. For her part, Roxanne is now an artist specializing in weird sculptures of birds, living on the fringes of the social page society. Work and art are the only things that mean anything to Roxanne. Lost in the past, Roxanne's dilemma is her rapidly fracturing relationship with Alice and her inability to pull Del back from the brink and the darkness she feels is closing in on her.

In the meantime, the poor and dependable Del is always trying just a little too hard as she aches to be the flawless suburban wife and the budding socialite, married to the loving Jock with their perfect little daughter Amber. The decent into madness for all of these characters begins with a sudden suicide. Alice begins to drift into a bizarre self-obsession even as she falls into despair over Thad's relationship with Amber. Thad is slipping away and Alice powerless to do anything about it and she convinced he doesn't love her anymore because of what she couldn't give him. When Amber's no-good brother appears back in town, the drugged-out and tattooed Dillon, it is clear that this group of people will be plagued by unfinished business. It is Dillon's befriending of the cruel Varik, an arrangement based on mutual need, that fuels much of the hatred and vitriol that follows as the narrative accelerates towards an ever-increasing mayhem.

Permeated with the soaring shadows of danger and menace, and also truly nasty characters, the novel is full of avenging angels and demons. Ultimately, Thad and Amber, Del, Alice and Roxanne all become the sad collateral damage of the psychopathic Varik who in turn seems to be the personification of evil and darkness itself. The novel is a devastatingly bleak portrayal of the nature of desire and of the murky world of revenge and the price we pay for believing in "sin" along with the sometimes futile attempts to recapture past pleasures. Ultimately Romero is bought back into the lives of Alice, Del and Roxanne, afflicted with the temptation born of flesh and mind, his soul in such a desperate state while physically he begins to be eaten away by the sins he had once committed as well as the ones now being committed by Varik. The characters all inevitably begin to spiral out of control, culminating in Alice's descent into complete madness, her toughness collapsing into vulnerability, leaving her with nothing to cling to as she begins to take her fury out on Thad and then on Amber. It's indeed a bleak and brutal vision as everyone seems to spiral through a world of naked fantasy, self-delusion and even murder. Meanwhile, Varik is intent to mold Romero's history entirely for his own use. Set in a wintry and bleak Cincinnati, the pages are constantly imbued with an eerily gothic atmosphere, similarly compelling and horrific, the book is absolutely impossible to put down until, in a flurry of anxiety, the final pages are exhaustively turned. Mike Leonard 2008.

I am reluctant to reveal this novel's surprises, but suffice it to say they are just icing on the cake that is Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts, a novel well acquainted not just with good and evil, but also with everything deliciously in between, including the good time evil can be, and the evil that attaches to the practice of goodness.

Novel by novel, Laura Benedict is proving herself the new master of the supernatural thriller, a genre much in need of a new master. I suspect we'll be seeing Mr. Lonely Hearts at the movies before too long, so my recommendation would be you buy your copy now, and enjoy the pleasure of being first to the big time party.

CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS by Laura Benedict is a supernatural suspense, a genre that I only touch lightly here at Fantasy Debut. Usually, I like heroic tales of high adventure, which this book is decidedly not. But I loved it anyway. I couldn't put it down.

CALLING is a complex tale about three women, Alice, Roxanne and Del. Alice is the ultimate follower--she would do anything that her hero, Roxanne, says. Roxanne relishes this power, and like all power, it corrupts her. Del is Roxanne's supportive best friend. And Roxanne is the only thing that keeps the three of them together. The story starts when they are thirteen-year-old girls. Roxanne cooks up a ritual--a spell--that will bring them a boyfriend. Del thinks they're just playing. Alice knows they're not.

Jump ahead about twenty years to a very unpleasant character, a young man named Dillon. Dillon has just had a car accident with a well-dressed man with an unusual name--Verick. It turns out that Dillon's sister is Thad's lover. Who is Thad? Thad is Alice's husband. And Verick has targeted Dillon for a reason. The whole book is like this. All these little connections that don't become obvious until many pages later. It was like trying to trace a spider's web. Not just any spider--a black widow. Which spins a web that looks like nothing more than a tangle of silk.

And then we have Romero, who turns out to be a former priest. Who turns out to have been a teacher where young Alice, Roxanne and Del went to school. And we have the sin that drew them all together years ago. And another sin that brings them together once again, years later.

One thing interesting about the horror genre is that it is not afraid to work with Christian elements. This novel has many Christian elements, unapologetically presented. It also has elements of Santeria, which is a blend of Christian saint worship and West African religious traditions. Satan is a character in this novel, and he is absolutely chilling. CALLING is about a deal with the devil--and not the sort of deal you might suspect. And it doesn't have the sort of punishments you might expect. Not all of the sinners die--and not all of the good characters live.

CALLING is not for the faint of heart. It is not a happy book. I would have preferred that there not be so many deaths at the end, but the author knew when to stop. I expected another death, but he lived. The author may take some heat for underage sex here--underage sex with an adult man--but I think she handled it well. But there is a hero by the end after all-someone I never expected. Bravo for him. It was great.

This is the sort of novel that I like to read again in order to find answers that eluded me the first time. It's one for the keeper shelf.

Some youthful pranks are easily forgiven and forgotten. That was not the case with three friends from childhood, Roxanne, Del and Alice. It no longer becomes a prank when another person's life is unalterably changed, ruined. As adults the girls may well have forgotten the lie they once told but Father Romero cannot ever forget or forgive.

Relating her story between past and present Benedict introduces the trio who are always up for tricks and sometimes cruelty. When young, handsome Father Romero comes to their school, Our Lady of the Hills, he quickly becomes the object of their next escapade, an evil deception. Goaded by Roxanne they tell such a vicious lie about Romero that he is defrocked.

Fast forward to the trio as adults. It's amazing how little some personalities change with supposed maturity. Roxanne, now an artist, is still the leader, often overbearing and manipulative. Alice is married, not at all happily. She cannot have children, and her husband is involved with another woman. Del is happily married to Jock, and the mother of a daughter, Wendy. However, the once grounded Del seems to be losing touch with reality.

Varick, a mysterious stranger, has entered their lives and is destroying each of the women. Where did he come from, why and how is he doing this?

Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts is a noir tale, a blend of suspense and the supernatural given a splendid reading by Emily Durante who easily voices the women as teenagers and as adults. The narrator's voice inflections carry the listener from daylight to dark as the story progresses.

- Gail Cooke

Laura Benedict writes in the manner in which Bryan Ferry sings: there is a light, almost airy touch on the surface of her narrative, one that almost masks the sensuality, decadence and subtle terror of what lies beneath. When you begin reading CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS, Benedict's latest work, I suggest Ferry's "Slave to Love" on repeat as your background music. Not that the novel needs any accompaniment: it's pitch-perfect on its own, an addictive and haunting wonder.

One might think from the title that Benedict has written a chick-lit novel. While it shares some of the elements of that genre --- following bffs from adolescence into adulthood, documenting joy and heartbreak --- it does so only superficially. Instead, this book will scare you, keep you up all night, and set every nerve in your body on edge and on fire. It is as if Benedict set out to complete the job left undone by Stephen King, John Updike, and yes, maybe even Dante Alighieri. There are elements of all three here, yet Benedict's tale remains as unique and original as anything you have read recently.

CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS begins with three friends on the cusp of adolescence: Roxanne is advanced beyond her years, aware of the power of her awakening sexuality; Alice is a needy satellite caught in her orbit; and Del provides an uneasy counterbalance and buffer of relative normality between the two. The girls participate in a ceremony intended to bring to each of them a true and perfect love. Their individual destinies are decided not by this innocent, almost childish ritual (though it has an influence) but rather by an act of seduction involving Father Romero, a young Catholic priest who teaches at a Catholic girls' school and who hides a prior sin under a strong faith but whose passions become put to ill use. Romero's unwilling but ultimately headlong rush into sin leads to a further betrayal and the end of his vocation, a state of affairs for which he is not blameless but rather a victim as much of his own weakness as he is of the girls' guile.

Disgraced, Romero leaves behind the school, the priesthood --- and a situation that he will not learn of for decades. Meanwhile, Del, Roxanne and Alice remain in contact as they attain adulthood, though they lead very different lives. Del is married to a widower with a child and is overwhelmed, if happily so, with the responsibilities. Roxanne is a successful artiste and, while eschewing permanent relationships, has never met a husband she couldn't seduce. Alice is on the cusp of a failed marriage to a successful dentist who is about to leave her for a woman who is pregnant with his child.

Romero, teaching at a faraway community college, meets Varick, an enigmatic creature who is willing to give Romero the revenge he craves against the friends, in return for the ultimate price: his life. Romero, seduced in the present as he was in the past, readily agrees. Varick gradually insinuates himself into the lives of each of the women in very different ways but with increasingly horrific results. It is fascinating to watch Varick work his purposes with the women --- a process that begins quite early in the book --- particularly with Alice, who is all too willing to do Varick's diabolical bidding, even if it means destroying the lives of innocents.

CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS is a reminder that evil rarely needs to rudely intrude into our lives; in most instances, it is invited to enter, even welcomed and embraced, though not always recognized for what it is. Benedict's chilling narrative is by turns subtle, chilling and hauntingly erotic, as it describes events both horrific and surprisingly redemptive. Most importantly, however, from beginning to end it is as irresistible and unforgettable as a gentle, unexpected kiss from a lovely, attractive stranger first spied across a crowded room --- one that will take root in your memory and never leave.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Laura Benedict is a new to me author. Her new book titled: Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts sounded intriguing, so I decided to get it from the library. From the title alone, I had no idea this book would be as creepy as it was.............YIKES!

About the book

After summoning a lover through a ritual part witchcraft, three 13-year-old Lolitas--Roxanne, Del and Alice--believe that their new teacher at Cincinnati's Our Lady of the Hills school, is the angel sent to deflower them. Roxanne successfully schemes to seduce Cuban-born Father Romero, who suffers terrible guilt as a result. When Alice and Del each falsely accuse Romero of acting inappropriately toward them, Romero is defrocked and loses his job. Seventeen years later, Romero returns to town with Varick, a demon disguised as a man, to punish the now adult schoolgirls. The three find themselves at the mercy of the devil and no one around them is safe.

Varick, the devil disguised as an attractive man, was introduced fairly early in the book to work on the women. It is through his character that the narrative became somewhat erotic, but mostly chilling and disturbing. I would have passed on this book had I read some reviews on it beforehand, however, I can see how this book would appeal to people who enjoy books about with an element of horror.

Reader Beware!

This book arrived promptly and in perfect condition. I would buy again from this seller!

3 girls invoke an old ritual, which the dominant one inflicts on the weakest one - to get a perfect lover. Years pass, and careers diverge, but soon a mysterious man starts to dominate each of their lives. It gets quite scary. The characters are depicted well, the story is told well, and the ending is quite appropriate. An enjoyable and chilly book.

In Cincinnati, thirteen year old Roxanne, Delilah and Alice perform a love ritual that is a combination of witchcraft and Santeria. Shortly after completing their spell, a new teacher arrives at their school, Our Lady of the Hills. The three assume he is heavenly sent to take their virginity.

The girls compete to seduce the Cuban-born teacher Father Romero. Roxanne succeeds, but Alice and Del fail because Father Romero is wracked with guilt after his fall from grace. Still the two he rejected accuse him of unsavory behavior; costing him his teaching position as well as defrocking him. He leaves Ohio humiliated.

Seventeen years later, Romero, accompanied by Varick, returns to Cincinnati seeking vengeance on the unholy trio who destroyed him as a Father and as a man. At the encouragement of his companion, who is the devil garbed as a man, Romero begins his quest against the thirty years old former Lolita like trio who seduced him and lied to the church about his transgressions. As the quintet get entangled with one another, the innocent are in trouble as Varick wants to burn more than just four sinners.

This is not an easy book to read as no one is an empathetic character and having young teens as sexy seductresses is difficult to accept. Still the action is fast-paced and the four humans real as their flaws overflow, which enables the devil to expedite his punishment. Targeting a limited audience, fans who enjoy an extremely dark Faustian thriller will want to read CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS.

Harriet Klausner

Once upon a time there were three little angels and they had a boss named Charlie. No-wrong story, but in a departure from her previous novel, Isabella Moon, this one does feature three little Cincinnati girls, friends since childhood: whey-faced, whiny Alice, who is cushioned from reality by her family's money; Roxanne, a precocious, artistic child who comes from a troubled background; and regular old Del, kind-hearted and loyal to a fault. The girls attend Catholic school, indulging in the usual fantasies, even performing a secret ritual in the woods to call forth the man of their dreams, dark-haired, devastatingly attractive, irresistible. But life moves on and years later the three friends have established separate lives, although still close. Unfortunately, Alice's marriage has failed, her husband leaving to settle in with his pregnant office manager. No one is surprised: Alice has become brittle and discontented, even more self-obsessed than she was as a girl. Del has recently married a wealthy widower with a small daughter; and Roxanne, ever independent, enjoys great success as a sculptor, with many male admirers.

Then a stranger comes to town, a handsome, dark-haired man, Varick, with a slight European accent. After a minor accident, Varick befriends the unfortunate who plows into the back of his luxury sedan, nearly totaling the other's far-inferior Ford Escort. The driver of the Escort is a very unsavory young man, Dillon, whose face is marred by metal studs and tattoos. Varick offers Dillon a ride and thus begins a series of events that touch the lives of the three friends in an entirely unpredictable manner as the secrets of the past are revealed, along with the beginnings of a great reckoning. We learn that when the girls were thirteen, their actions brought about a world of trouble for a Cuban priest with a great burden on his soul. Father Romero was an object of their obsession for a time, only to lose his reputation on one fatal afternoon. A haunted, troubled man, Romero sought refuge through the years in depravity, unable to find a place for himself, finally returning to Cincinnati, where it all began.

In some ways, this book reminds me of Stephen King's Christine, although certainly without King's panache and skills. Benedict is no master wordsmith, but she has assembled a grotesque tale of innocence lost and evil resurgent, dipping into the darkest recesses of the human soul, where good and evil battle. Some of the characters- Alice, Dillon, Romero- become caricatures, their bodies and appetites showing the ravages of their struggles. But there is no refuge for the innocent in this story, a redundant eroticism that falls easily into cliché. Even the mysterious Varick, whether real or a creature of the imagination, is straight from the most hellish nightmare of evil incarnate, growing ever more handsome with each new destruction. Benedict does touch on something here, a hidden nerve that triggers the mordant fears that send people running for solace to church, Santeria, some appeasement to evade that furious gaze of judgment. Deeply creepy, jumbled as a Day of the Dead skeleton and a bit too close to that ugliness we all know exists. Luan Gaines/2008.