Twisted Branch: A Novel of the Abbadon Inn [Paperback]

Chris Blaine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2005 | Series: Novel of the Abbadon Inn

With a sordid history, the Abbadon Inn sits on a quiet street in the charming Victorian town of Cape May, New Jersey. Abandoned and vacant for years, it's ready for renovation. But as a new generation is about to discover, the Abbadon Inn has never really been empty at all.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042520524X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425205242
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please Visit the Abbadon Inn!, July 28, 2006

By 

Avid Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Branch: A Novel of the Abbadon Inn (Paperback)

When I first saw the first two of the three "Novels of the Abbadon Inn" appear one at a time on the shelves at my local bookstore starting in the fall of 2005, I wondered who this "Chris Blaine" was. The books appeared in the stores a month apart and this prolific author seemed to really be on a roll.

The first, Twisted Branch, which I review here, immediately embraces you with the setting, the history, and the tastes and smells of late 70's Cape May and the very haunted and very creepy Abbadon Inn, an entity itself. The publishers of this series even saw fit to include an illustration of some "artifacts" from the history of the Abbadon Inn in the frontispiece of the books. This creates an instant, authentic "backstory" and sets the chains to rattling even before the first chapter is encountered. A very nice touch, and unusual for a paperback.

There are no spoilers here, and I won't get into a blow-by-blow accounting of why this book, and indeed the series thus far, makes an excellent addition to your shelves, but I'll just try to communicate a bit of the ambience of this wonderful book.

The author's weaves a subtle, ever-building web of tension, and apprehension, building into some very literal spine tinglers punctuated by some genuine shocks as we're ushered into the Abbadon Inn along with the main character Sam, whose motivations, background and intelligence make him a very sympathetic and appropriate hero for this book. It's my opinion that the realism of his character development is enhanced by the brief, sensual encounter with his girlfriend, Dani, and that it adds to his eventual heartache and loneliness. It helps us empathize more deeply with Sam and the scene is handled expertly.

Not only are the local sounds, aromas and sights of Cape May made very palpable by the author but those emanating from within the Abbadon Inn have very precise and specific origins as the careful reader will discover. The author uses all five senses (even including the sixth sense) to tell this tale and to frighten us. Why this first book was so good...I found out soon after.

Addendum:

In the fall of 2005, I was alerted by a friend in New Jersey that there was to be a special Halloween presentation in Cape May at the Queen's Hotel for the Abbadon Inn series. The third book of the series was to be available hot off the presses. Making the pilgrimage to the scene of this scary series on this particular weekend was a rare treat, and upon meeting "Chris Blaine" at this intimate book signing and presentation, I was delighted to discover that "Chris" was actually five people. Ginjer Buchanan of Berkley Books was the creator of the concept and three authors, Elizabeth Massie, Craig Shaw Gardner and Matthew Costello wrote these first three books. A fifth "Chris" was Cortney Skinner, the person who designed the physical layout of the Abbadon Inn in order to create consistent setting for the three writers. He also created the frontispiece for the books. The attendees were treated to period Victorian refreshments and readings by the authors as well as a museum-like display of "actual artifacts from this fictional haunted inn" as a poster announced.

"Twisted Branch" was authored by none other than two-time Bram Stoker award winner Elizabeth Massie. No wonder this book had such richness...I immediately went to her website to search out her other works..I highly recommend that you do to.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved This Book!, July 28, 2006

By 

Ellen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Branch: A Novel of the Abbadon Inn (Paperback)

Twisted Branch was scary, well-written, and engaging from beginning to end. Sam was a character who I really cared about! This is a must read! I loved this story of the Abbadon Inn.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I am changing occupations..., February 3, 2006

By 

Barnes and Noble Junkie (Barnes And Noble, Midlothian, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Branch: A Novel of the Abbadon Inn (Paperback)

After reading this book, I have decided to start a career in writing horror books..

Start with a house, add a person with a troubled hidden past, throw in a few ghosts, make up neat ways for people to die, leave a lot of things unexplained, have some sort of campy ending, and viola' you have a horror novel..

This particular book is written pretty well.. The dialogue is pretty realistic and there is plenty of action.. The main 'theme' of the book, slavery and the underground railway, is one you wouldn't expect in a horror book, unless....

However there are some obvious flaws.. First, when trying to add that gratuitous sex part that every book needs, the author writes "Heat moved through Sam's groin as Dani moved her thumbs up and down his shaft through the thick denim jeans. His thoughts began to soften".. Get it.. Please....

Then there are all of the sounds and smells coming from all over the house, most of which are never really explained, except that the ghosts are trying to tell Sam something......

There is the part where Sam look's at the house and sees all of these ghosts in all of the windows... I guess the writer figured that they would be adressed in later books, because she only alludes to 3 or 4 of them in this book. The ending, which has a slight twist to it, is not too obvious, but if you thik real hard you can pretty much realize where the book is heading...

So while this book wasn't a complete waste of time, it definately won't make you lose any sleep...