Quietus [Hardcover]

Vivian Schilling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 2002

Survivors of a plane crash find their lives strangely haunted.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A plane crash in the White Mountains of New Hampshire sets in motion this ambitious though woefully overlong ghost story by screenwriter/novelist Schilling (Sacred Prey). Interior designer Kylie O'Rourke and her husband, Jack, are among the few survivors of the doomed flight. While still in the air, Kylie glimpses a raven on the wing of the plane, a sight that is followed by a series of ever stranger events. Though rescuers discover the survivors trapped in the wreckage, Kylie recalls wandering the icy mountainside along with other passengers including Jack and her best friend, Amelia after the crash, but they were not alone. Kylie is convinced her memories are real, yet neither Amelia nor Jack share them, and her psychologist attributes the frightening visions to post-traumatic stress and morphine-induced hallucinations. As Kylie tries to resume a normal life in Boston, the tragedy continues to plague her. She keeps seeing a raven with human eyes and she believes she's being followed by the awful presences that she first glimpsed on the mountain. An old murder case and some ancient mythology are thrown in for good measure. To top it off, her relationship with Jack starts faltering, and the people closest to her are dropping dead. Schilling has crafted a complex and creepy thriller, but it contains too many digressions medical, psychological, religious to make it a real page-turner. National print, radio and cable TV advertising; multicity author tour. (Jan. 22)Forecast: The publisher appears willing to put a lot of marketing muscle behind what is basically an Anne Rice novel with fewer goth trappings, so it could find a good-size audience despite its daunting length.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Vivian Schilling's QUIETUS is a great gothic raven perched somewhere between Anne Rice and Iris Murdoch. It's a spooky, sweeping book of death, dreams and psychosexual intrigue. Schilling herself--in her deft melding of mythic animus and modern anxiety--seems like the bastard daughter of Carl Jung and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. QUIETUS should come with a guarantee: Will keep you up at night (either turning pages or jumping at shadows...probably both) or your money back. I loved it. --James Ireland Baker, Time Out New York

" . . . Strange events and mysterious deaths surround her in this remarkable thriller." -- Inside Borders Magazine, An Original Voices Selection

" . . . The intensity of the novel makes an engrossing read from page one. Like a locomotive, it is difficult to stop . . . " -- All About Town, NW Arkansas Monthly

" . . . a complex and creepy thriller . . . an Anne Rice novel without all the goth trappings. Should find a good-sized audience." -- Publisher's Weekly

"A breakout and chilling new thriller based on her own near-death experience." -- Daily Oklahoman

"A powerful new thriller . . . Based on an actual near-death experience, the result is an enlightening and thought-provoking look at what lies beyond our mortal lives." -- Arizona Daily Sun

"A profoundly insightful and engaging thriller." -- The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"A psychological thriller by a novelist and screenwriter who has made quite a splash in this genre . . . " -- Arkansas Times

"Award winning author Vivian Schilling's novel Quietus is a bold and terrifying tale of suspense as survivors of a deadly crash awaken in a hospital with untrustworthy memories and uncertain futures. A tense, involving, complex, deftly written and highly recommended saga about unraveling the defenses of the human mind one by one. Quietus is aptly titled after the moment of release of life, and haunting to the very end." -- Midwest Book Review

"Haunting and passionate . . . A chilling and foreboding tale about fate, death and the afterlife. . . Gripping and thought-provoking . . . Highly recommended." -- Christine Filipak, Dark Realms Magazine

"The initial reading . . . can be disturbing, but the characters, particularly Kylie, will return to haunt readers at unusual times." --Alicia Graybill, Foreword Reviews

A powerful new thriller … Based on an actual near-death experience, the result is an enlightening and thought-provoking look at what lies beyond our mortal lives. --Arizona Daily Sun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Hannover House (January 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963784617
• ISBN-13: 978-0963784612
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,638,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, September 25, 2005

By 

N. Gargano "nokegchris" (Waynesville NC and Bradenton, Fl) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quietus (Paperback)

I could not put this book down, and I cannot stop thinking about it, and the characters, since I have finished it. I thought it was a wonderfully written book, exprssive, complete, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It is a suspenseful, gothic like, ghost story, with characters I fell in love with, and some that really scared me! It wasn't exactly new territory, the premise of the book, but it didn't matter, I was so caught up in it, I had to sit and read it until I was done. I look forward to more work from Ms. Schilling, as a matter of fact, I just ordered her previous book from Amazon. Can't wait until it comes!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Intelligent, August 4, 2003

By 

Pat Rosenthal (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quietus (Hardcover)

After seeing this novel listed on ABC News as a "Recommended Summer Read", I picked up a copy at the airport. Once I started the first page, I couldn't stop reading! My only complaint is that it consumed my entire vacation. I was at first skeptical when I saw the reviews on the cover comparing Ms. Schilling to Iris Murdoch and Mary Shelley Wollenstencraft. Now I'm sold. Schilling's terrifying imagination is underscored with intelligence. My only advice -- don't take it on the plane. It starts off with a nightmarish crash!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller with substance!, April 29, 2002

By 

Carrie Fielding (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quietus (Hardcover)

I absolutely could not put this novel down. I found myself looking forward to my lunch breaks where I could steal a few more minutes of the characters, the plot, the suspense. Quietus is not your run-of-the-mill thriller, but a novel of substance. If you've ever been touched by death, this book will not only entertain you, but make you think. I also very much appreciated Schilling's research. As a Boston resident, I found her portrayal of the city not only extremely accurate, but insightful. A must read for not only lovers of suspense, but those who can appreciate quality literature.