Customer Reviews

Evil Whispers

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you enjoy a fun, fast-paced "beach read", and you like something suspenseful and scary, then the latest book by award-winning horror novelist Owl Goingback is a terror-rific choice for you! Like the author's previous novels, EVIL WHISPERS doesn't waste any time jumping into the action. Set in a Central Florida "fish camp" near Orlando, the Patterson family from Missouri decides a nice, quiet backwoods vacation is what they need. But what they don't know is there's an evil force lurking in the swamp, waiting... And when young Krissy Patterson wanders into the woods one day, she starts to hear something unseen whispering to her. Written in straightforward prose with no "hit-you-over-the-head" paragraph-long descriptions, EVIL WHISPERS is easy, enjoyable reading and hard to put down. As is the author's signature, the book has one Native American character and is filled with some Indian mysticism, but nothing that gets in the way of the plot. And although some think this type of story is a bit cliche, this reviewer has one last comment: Who better to tell a horror story filled with some elements of Indian mysticism than someone who is one!

I climbed aboard the Evil Whispers express at 1:00AM on a Friday night, thinking I'd just read for an hour or so. No way! Finally, at 4:00AM, I had to force myself to go to bed and get some sleep. The next morning I jumped right back on and kept going until I finished it. Wow! What a thrilling, fast-paced, non-stop ride! American Indian lore, voodoo, a villain that totally creeped me out...and plenty of horrifying, suspenseful scenes that really gave me the shivers. A very scary, extremely entertaining book - don't start it too late at night.

This book is what good horror is all about. Its the story of a family who takes a vacation down in Florida. What should have been a relaxing time for the Pattersons soon turns to a nightmare as the spirit of an evil voodoo sorcerer begins to call out to their young daughter. Sometimes less prose is more as is the case with this novel. It doesn't rely on unnecessary descriptions to make it a great novel rather its the author's ability to keep you turning pages until the very end.

I think he captures the swamps and the frightening spirit extremely well and does it in a way that makes you look over your shoulder as you read this late at night. This one has all the elements of a great horror novel with some added aspects of Indian lore that gives this writer his own special touch.

If you like a gripping read, get this one. I found myself reading the entire thing in one day which is very rare for me. Owl Goingback has all the makings to become one of the most popular names in horror. I hope he comes out with another book very soon. A great novel!

Owl Goingback follows his Bram Stoker Award-winning novel "Crota" and Stoker nominee, "Darker Than Night" with "Evil Whispers", a thriller set in the backwoods of Central Florida.

All that the Patterson family was looking for was a little peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the Orlando area as they tried to spend a little quality time together. What they ended up with was a terrifying situation that every parent could identify with - the possible abduction of their child. Little Krissy Patterson has come up missing and the trail may lead to a long-departed demon known as Mansa Du Paul who's looking for a "vessel" that could bring him back to the real world. That vessel could be Krissy.

As the Patterson and the local townsfolk frantically search for Krissy, they encounter a misplaced Seminole, Jimmy Cypress, who becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of the little girl. What the Pattersons don't realize is that it's Cypress who holds the key to the safe reunion of Krissy with her parents.

Goingback (a Native-American of Choctaw-Cherokee descent) uses his considerable knowledge of Indian lore and mysticism to weave a dandy of a plot. As Mansa creeps closer to reanimation, Goingback really turns up the jets and the gory and gruesome plot picks up speed. The word pictures are vivid and, as he has done in his earlier novels, Goingback creates very believeable characters.

While the ending is generally satisfying, I must admit that I was less than enamored with the explanation that Goingback used to wrap up the loose ends at the end of the book. It was almost as if he realized that he had gone too far beyond belief and couldn't get it back. Don't let that deter you from enjoying this finely-crafted novel of horror and suspense. I look forward to reading the other two books that Goingback has written, especially the well-received, "Breed".

RECOMMENDED

I'd heard Evil Whispers was a really good read, but I disagree--it's terrific! I never felt bored with any part of it.

The action begins right away, as we learn about Mansa Du Paul, who uses his gifts for evil, sacrificing children to his dark gods. Mansa gets his comeuppance, but it's only a temporary setback, as he's much too powerful to be kept silent.

Many years later, a Native American guards the area where Mansa is buried, but the evil escapes and possesses a little girl. Her parents and the Native American (I've forgotten his name, but "Jimmy" keeps coming to mind) have only a short time to save the girl.

This is a real page-turner, and well worth the money.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The writing was great, and the plot was interesting, but the character of 'Krissy' was not to my liking.
The Patterson family goes on vacation in rural, swampy, Florida to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When their daughter, Krissy, disappears the action of the book picks up.
It seems Krissy is the naive participant in the resurrection of an ancient voodoo priest who died in the swamp 200 years ago. The evil spirit of the voodoo priest, known only to Krissy and a Seminole Indian by the name of Jimmy Cypress, has been waiting patiently for his bones to be discovered, so that he can become flesh and continue his reign of terror.
I would have really liked this book, except for Krissy. I found her character to be tedious and exhausting. At times I was actually hoping that the voodoo priest would win the battle.
I will however read another of Mr.Goingback's books.

Loved it. For a horror book, it was actually almost believable. The child involved acts her age. You can almost see yourself at her age doing the exact same things. I do wish there was more emphasis on the ancient legends. It would have made the book a much more fascinating read.

If you want to be kept awake with nightmares - this is NOT the book. It is really quite tame for its genre. Still, a very good book.

EVIL WHISPERS reminds me of many 1970's horror films. Not the classics like THE EXORCIST, more like the fun drive-in movies of the period: PROPHECY, NIGHTWING, BEYOND THE DOOR. It takes the subject matter seriously enough to be entertaining, unlike the self referential horror-comedies of today.

Owl Goingback writes smooth, simple prose that makes for a lightning fast read. He is at his finest with action scenes and visual description. The inner dialog of the characters, however, is often cliche ridden, but if you can get past that you'll have a great time.

The plot concerns a voodoo sorcerer whose spirt inhabits a small lagoon in Northern Florida. In order to become resurrected he must possess a child. If you enjoy books by Graham Masterton, Richard Laymon, or John Saul then you'll enjoy taking this trip.

While the story of and voodoo sorcerer coming back to life in the backwoods of Florida with only a Seminole Indian to oppose him certainly makes for an interesting plot, in Goingback's hands it is nothing short of amateurish. First of all, the writting style is appropriate for a 12-year old. Take for example, this line describing Florida and its tourists "Most never make it beyond the boundaries of what many locals call the Kingdom of the Rat: the theme parks, hotels, and restaurants ruled by a giant mouse in white gloves, named Mickey." This sentence alone illustrates what is essentially lacking in Goingback's writing style. While I loved the idea of a giant mouse ruling a Kingdom of a Rat, to be told that it was Mickey Mouse extinguishes all delight in this interesting analogy. Goingback doesn't give enough credit to his readers and feels the need to explain everything...down to the reason a jacket is left in a car (weather was too warm) or why someone might comment "Mmmm...that smells good" (something smelled pleasant). He also gets bogged down in meaningless details (what they ordered for drinks..."What would you like to drink?" "Two teas, a sprite." "I'll be right back with your drinks." Sometime later..."Where are our drinks?") Secondly, the characters are neat little cardboard characters: the concerned, no-nonsense mother, the funny, indulgent father, the cute but lacking-in-common-sense little girl. I wasn't able to read the whole book through, in fact I skipped over the middle half and was still able to completely and totally comprehend the story. Good for bathroom reading.

Owl Goingback doesn't have very many books to his credit, but already he has won a Bram Stoker Award for his novel "Crota." I have only read two of his books, but I must say I like his voice. Owl is a Choctaw/Cherokee Indian, a background that sets him apart from the mass of writers who usually pen horror novels. Ever since I read "Ghost Singer" by Anna Lee Walters, I have wondered why more Indians aren't writing horror books. Nearly every Indian tribe has a distinct set of religious rituals and stories, and many of these tales recognize the evil side of the natural world as often as they encompass the good aspects of life. In "Breed," Goingback wrote about an otherworldly creature called a Shiru set loose in a modern city. "Evil Whispers" tells about a visit to this world by another evil spirit, this one by a deceased voodoo practitioner named Mansa Du Paul.

"Evil Whispers" begins with a description of the demise of Mansa Du Paul, a man who built a village of ex-slaves out in the Florida boonies in the early part of the 19th century. Du Paul's appetite for warped rituals involving children leads him to kidnapping white and Indian youngsters in the area. The local band of Seminoles quickly tires of Du Paul's activities, and after the disappearance of the local chief's child the Indians launch a raid on the evil settlement. Du Paul's followers, those not killed outright, flee forever into the surrounding area. The Seminole warriors capture and execute Du Paul in a particularly painful way, then scatter his remains in an attempt to dissipate his power in the spirit world. Moreover, the Indians forever after post a man trained in the ways of medicine in the area as a sentinel against the return of this powerful voodoo priest.

Flash forward to the present day. The region once inhabited by Du Paul and his followers now houses a resort serving tourists and local fishermen. Robert and Janet Patterson, with daughter Krissy in tow, decide to stop off at the small resort in order to take in some of the local wildlife. The proprietors of the motel are friendly, river trips in canoes are fun, and with the exception of warnings about a bellicose Indian named Jimmy Cypress living in the area, it seems like a few days in the wild will do the family good before they set out for Disney World. It isn't long before Robert has a run in with Jimmy, who wants to keep people away from the site of Mansa Du Paul's old village. Then Krissy mysteriously disappears, sparking a huge manhunt and an increasingly dangerous series of encounters between this world and the realm of the spirits. Fortunately for the horror fan, bloody carnage ensues as Jimmy and Robert join forces in a race against time and a powerful evil spirit.

The standout scene in "Evil Whispers" isn't the background concerning Mansa Du Paul, or the disappearance of Krissy, or even the eventual emergence of the evil voodoo priest. The best sequence in this novel is the lengthy and enormously bloody massacre in the local tavern. Goingback strings this incident out for dozens of pages, and its great fun for gorehounds. One by one, bodies hit the floor as Du Paul wreaks havoc amongst the local population. There's a reason why so many minor characters die in this event, but it still seems delightfully gratuitous. This section of the novel must have been enormously fun to write, which probably explains why Goingback spends so much time wallowing in excess here. Ultimately, "Evil Whispers" is all done in good fun. It's not high literature by any means, just a good way to spend a few hours.