The Hawley Book of the Dead: A Novel
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The Hawley Book of the Dead: A Novel Hardcover – September 23, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“An informed and assured launch . . . Readers will be thoroughly engaged [by] the literary, magical, horse-loving Reve.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Enthralling . . . a magic-fueled tale of contemporary romantic suspense.”—Booklist (starred review)
“The core narrative is strong [with] a proper hook. . . . The scenes with Reve and her daughters ring true.”—Library Journal
“An impressive debut novel that combines various genres seamlessly.”—Huntington News
“Engrossing . . . a novel well worth discovering . . . In the vein of authors like Deborah Harkness and Katherine Howe, magic and reality are perfectly blended.”—BookPage
“With a rapid pace and exquisite details that clearly set the scene and mood, [Chrysler] Szarlan’s novel is a great read for those who love fantasy and tales of witchcraft.”—Shelf Awareness
“The Hawley Book of the Dead had me completely spellbound from beginning to end. A storytelling virtuosa, Chrysler Szarlan has woven a wondrous, scintillating web of suspense, love, history, and magic that will keep you eagerly turning the pages late into the night. Even readers not normally drawn to the supernatural will be swept away by this book; it has everything a great adventure should have—and so much more.”—Anne Fortier
“A haunting story of love, loss, family secrets, mysteries, and magic . . . one of those books that make you wish your airplane would sit on the tarmac just a little longer.”—Lauren Willig
“You will be hooked on this enthralling tale of magic and witchery from the very first sentence. That’s how quickly The Hawley Book of the Dead weaves the reader into its intricate, suspenseful story. Most important, it is a delicious read.”—Kate Alcott
“Enthralling . . . a magic-fueled tale of contemporary romantic suspense.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Enthralling . . . a magic-fueled tale of contemporary romantic suspense.”—Booklist (starred review)
“The core narrative is strong [with] a proper hook. . . . The scenes with Reve and her daughters ring true.”—Library Journal
“An impressive debut novel that combines various genres seamlessly.”—Huntington News
“Engrossing . . . a novel well worth discovering . . . In the vein of authors like Deborah Harkness and Katherine Howe, magic and reality are perfectly blended.”—BookPage
“With a rapid pace and exquisite details that clearly set the scene and mood, [Chrysler] Szarlan’s novel is a great read for those who love fantasy and tales of witchcraft.”—Shelf Awareness
“The Hawley Book of the Dead had me completely spellbound from beginning to end. A storytelling virtuosa, Chrysler Szarlan has woven a wondrous, scintillating web of suspense, love, history, and magic that will keep you eagerly turning the pages late into the night. Even readers not normally drawn to the supernatural will be swept away by this book; it has everything a great adventure should have—and so much more.”—Anne Fortier
“A haunting story of love, loss, family secrets, mysteries, and magic . . . one of those books that make you wish your airplane would sit on the tarmac just a little longer.”—Lauren Willig
“You will be hooked on this enthralling tale of magic and witchery from the very first sentence. That’s how quickly The Hawley Book of the Dead weaves the reader into its intricate, suspenseful story. Most important, it is a delicious read.”—Kate Alcott
“Enthralling . . . a magic-fueled tale of contemporary romantic suspense.”—Booklist (starred review)
About the Author
Chrysler Szarlan lives in western Massachusetts with her family, works part-time as a bookseller at the Odyssey Bookshop, and rides her horse in the Hawley Forest whenever possible. An alumna of Marlboro College, she jogged racehorses and worked as a magician’s assistant before graduating from law school, after which she worked as a managing attorney with Connecticut Legal Rights Project. She is deep into her next novel of the Revelation Quartet.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By
Kristi Gilleland
TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on August 28, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Loved this book! One of the best I've read in a while. It's got LOADS of story, with solid development, great writing, and even pacing.
The story starts about a woman who's profession is stage magic, and who lives, quite happily, along with her children and husband, who is also her partner.
As the story progresses, she finds her life falling apart, with no safety net to be found, as a dangerous stranger threatens everyone she loves. As it becomes evident he is stalking her children, trying to get to her, she leaves for her childhood home, where her family is, away from Vegas. The next chapter of their life will be set in Five Corners, a ghost of a New England town on the edge of what some say is a haunted wood.
As the story unfolds, we learn that there is more to Revelation's magic than mere stage tricks, and about the nature of how this magic is carried by her and her family. It's woven into the story so gently that it is quite believable, allowing the mystery who-dun-it to lead. The magic really doesn't seem all that supernatural, or unusual, at least until the end, which was an absolute page turner to me, but which thankfully came with a solid, satisfying, and neatly tied up resolution.
The writing was delightful, visual and immersive, never once getting into the way of the story.
The story starts about a woman who's profession is stage magic, and who lives, quite happily, along with her children and husband, who is also her partner.
As the story progresses, she finds her life falling apart, with no safety net to be found, as a dangerous stranger threatens everyone she loves. As it becomes evident he is stalking her children, trying to get to her, she leaves for her childhood home, where her family is, away from Vegas. The next chapter of their life will be set in Five Corners, a ghost of a New England town on the edge of what some say is a haunted wood.
As the story unfolds, we learn that there is more to Revelation's magic than mere stage tricks, and about the nature of how this magic is carried by her and her family. It's woven into the story so gently that it is quite believable, allowing the mystery who-dun-it to lead. The magic really doesn't seem all that supernatural, or unusual, at least until the end, which was an absolute page turner to me, but which thankfully came with a solid, satisfying, and neatly tied up resolution.
The writing was delightful, visual and immersive, never once getting into the way of the story.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By
feemeister
VINE VOICE on August 14, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This book is super. I don't read books in this genre at all, but I totally enjoyed this. My suggestion would be to make this a weekend book! It is REALLY hard to put down! To me, the first couple chapters weren't all that exciting, but after a bit it picked up and it never backed down! I don't think the writeup for the book did it justice at all.
This book was extremely suspenseful; had me on the edge of my seat almost all the time! There were lots of strange elements in it, things I didn't see coming; that were interesting to me. I don't read novels very much anymore, but this one was great as a get-away-from-it-all.
I don't want to give you a blow by blow of everything that happens in the book; just my opinion on whether people would enjoy this or not. I wholeheartedly recommend this for someone looking to get away from it all for a little while!
This book was extremely suspenseful; had me on the edge of my seat almost all the time! There were lots of strange elements in it, things I didn't see coming; that were interesting to me. I don't read novels very much anymore, but this one was great as a get-away-from-it-all.
I don't want to give you a blow by blow of everything that happens in the book; just my opinion on whether people would enjoy this or not. I wholeheartedly recommend this for someone looking to get away from it all for a little while!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
SD
VINE VOICE on August 25, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I pounced on this book as soon as I found out about it. Witches and magic - what's not to like? Szarlan bewitched me from the first haunting page to the last. Reve and her daughters are descended from witches. Each Dyer woman has one special gift. Reve's is the gift of being able to disappear, which she deftly uses in a Las Vegas magic show with her magician husband. Until the tragic day when her husband is murdered. From then on, she and her daughters try to evade the "Fetch", the man who murdered her husband. She runs back to her roots in Hawley Five Corners, a town which had been abandoned by her ancestors. Within the buried secrets of her family's past is the key to her husband's murder.
I absolutely was drawn in by Szarlan's rendering of this richly imaginative world of real magic masquerading as stage magic. Recommended for fans of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.
I absolutely was drawn in by Szarlan's rendering of this richly imaginative world of real magic masquerading as stage magic. Recommended for fans of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By
N. Robinson
on August 21, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This is a really interesting mix of mystery, romance, and magic. Heroine Revelation, an illusionist, accidentally kills her husband during their "Defying the Bullets" act - blanks have been replaced by real bullets. As Reve tries to save her family from a stalker we learn about the magical powers which have been passed down through generations within the family. This is a suspenseful and interesting novel on many levels. I appreciated that it is not just a plot-driven story--instead, the characters and their relationships are painted with surprising depth. A fun and unique novel.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By
Quickbeam
VINE VOICE on July 30, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This is a genre-blending mystery, paranormal thriller and romance, all into one. It is a story well told and nicely paced. The author has a great hand at scene and character; I felt like I knew this family and believed the plot from beginning to end. This is the story of a youngish widow, Reve, trying to determine who killed her husband and why they continued to be after her and the children. The elements of magic, mystical and thriller are well intertwined. The story had elements I have seen before in fiction but everything here felt fresh and vital. I especially liked the depiction of a happy marriage and a mature love that permeated the book. So rarely seen and well done here.
The book isn't perfect; there are a few clunky references to a young daughter's weight (her heavy footfall, her round cheeks, love of food) that seemed one note. You also have to wrap your mind around someone inheriting not just a house but a whole (abandoned) town. 15 year old twins spill food all over the kitchen and there is no mention that perhaps they should clean it up themselves. This family has significant wealth that can seem off-putting in the story.
For me these are minor quibbles in a charming, scary and gripping novel that set quite a standard in my library for a debut. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to more from this author.
The book isn't perfect; there are a few clunky references to a young daughter's weight (her heavy footfall, her round cheeks, love of food) that seemed one note. You also have to wrap your mind around someone inheriting not just a house but a whole (abandoned) town. 15 year old twins spill food all over the kitchen and there is no mention that perhaps they should clean it up themselves. This family has significant wealth that can seem off-putting in the story.
For me these are minor quibbles in a charming, scary and gripping novel that set quite a standard in my library for a debut. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to more from this author.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By
Theresa M. Studer
on August 29, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Oh now here is a fantastic Fall/Halloween Read! The Hawley Book of the Dead will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and the author's style of writting is smooth as silk. The story is very descriptive and you can actually immerse yourself into it and feel like everything is happening right there with you in person. A bit romance, ghost story, mystery, murder, things go bump in the night have you looking over your shoulder at every little noise. Sheesh! Been awhile since I've read a story like this one and wish I had waited til October at least.
This novel is a debut from Chrysler Szarlan and I can assure you that this is one author that we will need to keep tabs on with a book this compelling and emotional and haunting and............! It's totally delicious and scared the pants off me. Still have the Heebie Jeebies. Highly recommend from this avid reader and for those of you that may have read The Discovery Of Witches, well give this one a shot. You won't be sorry!
This novel is a debut from Chrysler Szarlan and I can assure you that this is one author that we will need to keep tabs on with a book this compelling and emotional and haunting and............! It's totally delicious and scared the pants off me. Still have the Heebie Jeebies. Highly recommend from this avid reader and for those of you that may have read The Discovery Of Witches, well give this one a shot. You won't be sorry!
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