Risen: A Supernatural Thriller [Kindle Edition]

Jan Strnad (Author)

Book Description

Previously published as a Pinnacle Book under the pseudonym J. Knight.

Synopsis: The residents of a small town find that the secret to immortality is murder.

Welcome to Anderson. It's quiet here and that's how we like it. Except....

Madge Duffy sliced her husband's throat last week. Thought she killed him, but then John walked out of the morgue none the worse for wear.

The new preacher's calling it a "miracle," but I don't know. It isn't right.

I think there might be other people coming back, too.

Like Deputy Haws, for one. He's got a bullet hole in his one good shirt and he won't talk about it.

You know Peg Culler down at the diner...the one with the little girl on life support? Well, she's talking about pulling the plug, and nobody ever thought she'd do that, not in a million years. She thinks it might be the only way to get her back.

Then there's that gang of kids that hangs around the reservoir...not one of them can look you in the eye without breaking into a cold sweat. They're keeping a secret, and it's got them all on edge.

Something's going on in this town of ours, something that makes your skin crawl and your teeth grind in the night. I don't know what it is, but I know this:

It scares me.


NOTE: Contains some profanity, violence. No explicit sex.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Small towns, religion, and people coming back from the dead--three things that scare me, all wrapped up in one novel. No zombies, though! These resurrected corpses are more likely to offer you a piece of pie and then strangle you with a telephone cord than try to eat your brain. It's all in a good cause, of course, so quit struggling and give in. You'll thank me for this later.

Risen was originally published by Kensington Publishing under their Pinnacle Books imprint. After going out of print for several years, it's been resurrected as an ebook.

Risen contains a little graphic violence and some adult language where appropriate to the character. It is a full-length novel.

About the Author

Jan Strnad (that last name is pronounced Struh-NOD) contracted the writing bug as an adolescent when he typed out the short story, "The Available Data on the Worp Reaction" by Lion Miller. Looking at the typewritten pages, he thought, "I can do this!" and determined that, when the time came, he would make his living as a writer.

He studied writing in college under Jack Matthews (Hanger Stout, Awake!) and Richard Yates (Revolutionary Road), whom he disappointed greatly by beginning his own professional career by writing comic books. He moved from his home town of Wichita, Kansas to Los Angeles where he became a staff writer for Disney Television Animation. He worked for most of the Hollywood studios, including Sony/Columbia, Warner Bros., Universal, MGM and others before belatedly turning his attention to becoming a novelist.

His first published novel was "Risen," a supernatural thriller, now out of print, which has been resurrected as an ebook. With his second novel, "The Summer We Lost Alice," he went directly to self-publishing through Amazon.

He is a lover of dogs, estimating that a hundred or more dogs have passed through his household, most of them as fosters awaiting adoption. He has an inexplicable fondness for 1950s science fiction movies and is fascinated by the workings and failings of the human brain.

Product Details

• File Size: 525 KB
• Print Length: 356 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003TZLPOI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,445 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written Classic Horror Novel October 12, 2010

By D. Sippel

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

As I continue to swim the seas of horror on kindle, very little really grabs me. Some of the ideas are excellent, but often the skill level of the writing does not match the imagination of the author. I am happy to report that Jan Strnad's "Risen" has both a great idea and the smooth, professional prose to pull off an exciting traditional horror tale that should appeal to the majority of horror readers.

I've read that the concept reminded a reader of the very good film Dead and Buried, or even Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but Strnad takes the idea of not knowing who is 'us' and who is 'them' and fully makes it his own. Rather than push the hardcore gore or sex envelope, "Risen" relies more on action, suspense, and characters you care about to tell a tale that could sit alongside the older work of King or Koontz.

The pacing did seem to slow slightly in the middle, and while mostly satisfying, the ending wasn't much of a surprise, but the storytelling skill evident throughout and a great kindle price (currently $2.39), make this an easy recommendation to all readers looking for a really solid horror/thriller.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Horror Tale is BACK! June 26, 2010

By Keith E. Hammer

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently saw a Kindle novel titled Risen recently and got my hopes up it was the one by Jan Strnad I had read several years ago. It wasn't. And now this morning I see it is available again - and on Kindle. Snagged it right away. It is worth reading again! Excellent Supernatural tale not to be missed. Well written, great cast of characters and very engaging storyline.

Here is a synopsis: Welcome to Anderson. It's pretty quiet here and that's the way we like it. One thing, though. Madge Duffy murdered her husband John last week, or thought she did. She spent the night in jail but then John walked out of the morgue none the worse for wear. And there's a bullet hole in Deputy Haws' shirt that he can't explain. Something's going on in this town of ours. Something that makes your skin crawl and your teeth grind in the night. I don't know what it is, but I'll tell you this: It scares me.

I have been reading horror since the 1970s and like most folks I appreciate an an excellent well-told horror tale, in the vein of the great horror writers of our generation (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Graham Masterton, F. Paul Wilson, James Herbert, etc . . . ), this one ranks with some of their best for pure entertainment.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Zombies According To Seth March 22, 2004

By Joshua Koppel

Format:Paperback

The dead are rising but this is not a typical zombie story. These risen are better than new and go back to their old lives. The phenomenon is also quite local, occurring in the small town of Anderson.

One night an abused wife kills her husband and the deputy is accidentally shot. The woman's husband returns to life and forgives her. The town is aghast. The deputy returns to life but only his accidental killers knew he was dead. Why is he keeping it secret?

We follow a reporter, the woman he is most interested in, and her young son as they all become involved in the strange events going on in the town. They come to suspect that there may be more risen in town than those they know.

The risen return to life, many in secret, and all become devoted to Seth. Seth is the one who led them back to life. Seth has a plan. Seth is in charge and is not questioned as Seth's motives are his own.

This is a very interesting tale. I enjoyed it quite a lot but would have like just a little more information. Maybe a little more about who or what Seth is. Maybe an explanation on why some of the deaths are handled they way they are or why some are left for later. These details could have made a good book into a great book.

If you like creepy horror books where the action keeps escalating and keeps you guessing, then you will probably really enjoy this one. But if you want one that is gorier, you should try The Rising by Brian Keene.