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Sow and You Shall Reap

by B.P. Smythe (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 22 ratings · 14 reviews

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How cruelty, sexual abuse and greed created this monster of a former care home

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Paperback, 356 pages

Published May 6th 2011 by Authorhouse

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Jun 19, 2012 Best Crime Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was sent to me by the author and when I opened the package I nearly fell of my chair in fright. The front cover is certainly something that does not depict the sort of book this is. I read the back of the book and to be perfectly frank, wondered why the synopsis gave away so much of the story. Not letting that put me off, I settled down and made a start. The first thing that struck me is the sheer evil of these characters. Barry has absolutely no problem translating this evil from pen...more This book was sent to me by the author and when I opened the package I nearly fell of my chair in fright. The front cover is certainly something that does not depict the sort of book this is. I read the back of the book and to be perfectly frank, wondered why the synopsis gave away so much of the story. Not letting that put me off, I settled down and made a start. The first thing that struck me is the sheer evil of these characters. Barry has absolutely no problem translating this evil from pen to paper. Elizabeth Waverly is truly a despicable character. The first few chapters give us the evidence of their cruelty whilst at the care home although it doesn’t take long before we see their capture and prison term handed down.

Pretty soon the story changes pace and we move onto their next plan to swindle an inheritance from Victor Carragher. The story is set in the UK and then swiftly moves to the island of Majorca. The body count is particularly high and its no holds barred for the descriptive deaths of some of the characters. I found that as the story moved along we were give short glimpses into Elizabeth Waverly’s upbringing and this only added to the tension of the story. There are lots of characters involved in this plot, maybe at times one too many but Barry has managed to juggle this well, leaving the reader wondering where all these intricate plot threads will lead. Initially this was described to me as a horror, but to be honest it was more of a thriller with and element of horror to it. I am certainly not a horror reader, but thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Towards the end of the book, the horror element does pick up, but to be honest it was done in a good way and I could see where the story was going. I thought that the story was well done and it was overall a really enjoyable read. That said, I think the synopsis and front cover made it not quite a perfect debut. Overall, who can criticise a man who has published his own book, and is donating all the profits to Cancer Research? I would say that next time round Barry should definitely choose a different front cover as I am pretty sure the current one would put people off. Secondly, I would say that the synopsis should give readers the taster, but not the whole meal. I personally, will look forward to seeing where his next books take him as he certainly has a talent for writing. I think that this book was a brilliant debut and I look forward to the next one!
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Jan 15, 2012 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fast paced horror thriller in the Gragnd Guignol theatre of the macabre tradition.

At it's core are Elizabeth Waverly and Norman Christie, the former a care home matron and Norman her employee and accomplice. Both are abuse survivors and hideously damaged individuals, and it is the acting out of that damage in evil and destructive ways that is at the centre of the book.

The blurb makes much of the abuse survivors becoming perpatrators thesis, but this is not a serious and measured reflec...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Ann Richards rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book follows in the Stephen King tradition of characters living ordinary lives unaware of evil in their midst. The evil in ‘Sow and You Shall Reap’ takes the form of one-eyed Elizabeth Waverly, a care home matron, and her side-kick, the scarred (both emotionally and physically) Norman Christie. At the beginning of the book they are busy abusing the vulnerable elderly people in their care. Suspicious of their antics is the cook, Elizabeth Carragher, and she helps to ensure the wrong-doers ar...more

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Sep 15, 2011 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

One-eyed Liz, who takes out the glass one to apply mascara and Nasty Norman, a burns victim are two of the most unsavoury villains to appear in fiction for a very long time though the author of “Reap what you sow”, Barry Smythe does beg for some understanding by painting the origins of this villainy in the upbringings of the pair skilfully grafted into flashbacks as the dreadful duo progress from one awful murder or dodgy deed to another.

Moving from cruelties perpetrated at a nursing for the eld...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Sjhigbee rated it 3 of 5 stars

All is not well at Gossmoor Park Care Home. Too many residents are dying and Matron Elizabeth Waverly, along with her lover, Norman, who works as a nurse, have a brutal grip on the frail people in their care. Some of the other staff are growing increasingly concerned – but who will stand up to the menacing couple?
And that – or something similar – is what should be on the back cover. Instead, the two short paragraphs contain enough spoilers that give away a good third of the plot – so my first...more All is not well at Gossmoor Park Care Home. Too many residents are dying and Matron Elizabeth Waverly, along with her lover, Norman, who works as a nurse, have a brutal grip on the frail people in their care. Some of the other staff are growing increasingly concerned – but who will stand up to the menacing couple?
And that – or something similar – is what should be on the back cover. Instead, the two short paragraphs contain enough spoilers that give away a good third of the plot – so my first piece of advice is do NOT read the back. Fortunately, as I’ve read far too many blurting blurbs I skipped it till the end, but I have to say I think this example is one of the worst – which is a real shame. Because one of Smythe’s strengths as a writer is his ability to weave a convincing plot with plenty of pace – along with some twists I didn’t see coming, but are posted all too clearly on the back of the book.
Smythe’s evil protagonists are a product of their own miserable, abusive childhoods and he manages to make us aware of their vulnerabilities, so that although we may not like them we do understand what drives them. The uncertain start rapidly picks up pace and confidence as we learn about Norman’s childhood. While this is definitely a horror tale with a steadily growing body count, there are flashes of humour that at times approach farce, particularly near the end of the book during the Halloween celebrations. Smythe is an entertaining writer with an inbuilt sense of when to pick up the pace and when he needs to slow it down. In a book where events – along with the body count - start accelerating, it would have been all too easy to lose control of the plotline and characters. But Smythe kept firm control of his wicked protagonists, which had me turning the pages wondering what could possibly happen next.
That said, I would recommend that Smythe gets a good editor for his next book. There are some places where the writing is a bit uneven and there are too many typos – complement instead of compliment, for instance, and a scattering of oddly placed question marks. On the plus side, the book is well produced to a high quality and as I’ve mentioned, the cover is outstanding.
But, once a train of events is unleashed in this genre and starts gathering momentum, the biggie has to be – does the ending pack a sufficient punch to make the investment of time and effort in reading the book worth it? Apart from being rather too squeamish, this is one of the reasons why this isn’t my favourite genre – too many times all the tension and fear fizzles out… Or turns into something so preposterously grotesque, there is no sense of horror left. To be genuinely chilling, there has to be a sense of everyday as the action descends into ever greater chaos – something that Smythe has understood. The ending was completely satisfying, while leaving the reader slightly off balance. This interesting debut novel definitely marks Smythe as one to watch.
7/10

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Aug 01, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, when I first started reading this book, I kind of had a false start. I began reading something else and forgot that I intended to read this for a while (sorry about that).

I did find this book a little difficult to get into, partly because so many of the characters had very few redeeming qualities. I developed a strong dislike for Norman and Elizabeth (the matron) and unfortunately, even finding out what happened in their past couldn't make me think anything other than, 'That's awful... but I...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is a lot to like about this novel. B.P. Smythe knows how to tell an exciting story and proves more than willing to unleash the most horrible and disturbing events upon any and all of his characters. More than once I was compelled to look up from the pages of the book to wonder what could possibly happen next in the dark and forbidding world of the author's imagination. The buildup to the story's conclusion was especially gripping. One thing is for sure - if B.P. Smythe ever puts on or spon...more There is a lot to like about this novel. B.P. Smythe knows how to tell an exciting story and proves more than willing to unleash the most horrible and disturbing events upon any and all of his characters. More than once I was compelled to look up from the pages of the book to wonder what could possibly happen next in the dark and forbidding world of the author's imagination. The buildup to the story's conclusion was especially gripping. One thing is for sure - if B.P. Smythe ever puts on or sponsors a magic show, I will not be there because I don't think my heart and mind could endure it - not after experiencing the perfect storm of macabre humor and gleefully dark mayhem that punctuates the performance near the end of this novel. Those pages alone make Sow and You Shall Reap worth reading, in my opinion, as they are jam packed with suspense and surprises. The whole book is a thrill ride through a land of pervasive evil where really bad things happen to almost everyone, from the most sadistic of criminals to the most innocent of all human beings. As pervasive as it is, though, the horror isn't as simple and direct as the cover image might lead you to believe.

After serving time for abusing the elderly that were under her care at Gossmoor Park Care Home, Elizabeth Waverly is determined to exact her revenge on the woman she blames for her arrest: Elizabeth Carragher, the cook at Gossmoor. Not only does she, with the help of Norman, her erstwhile partner in crime, murder Carragher and her mother, she then assumes Carragher's identity in order to collect the substantial inheritance coming her way. The plan goes awry, however, when a half-brother turns up out of nowhere and inherits everything himself. Ever the resourceful ones, Elizabeth and Norman make plans to kidnap Victor's young daughter and, by way of insurance, implicate Victor in the real Elizabeth Carragher's murder. Then Victor suddenly buys a restaurant and moves to Majorca - but he doesn't forget his "sister," offering her a job helping him run the place. Majorca will be no island paradise for anyone once Elizabeth arrives, as a string of disappearances and violent deaths will follow in her wake.

Smythe goes to great lengths to explore the backgrounds of a number of his characters - even a few who aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things. At times, I felt like this disrupted the flow of the story away from the main characters, particularly Elizabeth. As for Elizabeth's own hardships in the past, I must say that they may help explain why she is the way she is, but they do nothing to inspire compassion in the reader, as this woman is just plain evil. The horror doesn't begin and end with Elizabeth, either, as a couple of the most tragic circumstances play out wholly independent of her evil machinations. Smythe is more than capable of sucker punching the reader in the gut when he/she least suspects it - and he has even more surprises in store for the last few chapters.

There are a number of minor mistakes in these pages, but don't let that dissuade you from picking the book up, as you can quickly adapt to Smythe's writing style and lose yourself in what is truly an action-packed series of events. I do think the book should have ended one chapter sooner than it did, but I'm telling you that the buildup to this novel's conclusion offers up some of the most intense and absorbing story-telling I've come across in a long time. (less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, advanced-readers-copy

*This book was received as a free Advanced Reader's Copy*

I actually don't read thrillers and murder mysteries too much. But when approached about this book I thought I'd give it a try. There certainly was a lot of excitement in this book, and plenty of intrigue to keep things interesting.

Elizabeth Waverly has been in prison before, mainly for abusing those under her care at a nursing home. She and her partner Norman Christie have bigger fish to fry now, however. A person who was responsible for...more *This book was received as a free Advanced Reader's Copy*

I actually don't read thrillers and murder mysteries too much. But when approached about this book I thought I'd give it a try. There certainly was a lot of excitement in this book, and plenty of intrigue to keep things interesting.

Elizabeth Waverly has been in prison before, mainly for abusing those under her care at a nursing home. She and her partner Norman Christie have bigger fish to fry now, however. A person who was responsible for sending them to prison, and who shares the same first name with Elizabeth is first in line for a very generous will should her mother die. Elizabeth and Norman help this along, and take care of the other Elizabeth for good measure and then Elizabeth Waverly assumes her identity. But before they can make out with the money, a new will is found and a brother enters the picture. He buys some property in Majorca and makes Elizabeth and Norman's plans much more difficult. Many more people will die and strange happenings start as a result and it is only a little more time before things just aren't what they seem.

Elizabeth and Norman are decidedly deliciously evil bad guys. Especially Elizabeth, the trauma of her past mixed with the ruthlessness of her future ensure that she is a force to be reckoned with. Norman too is a pitiable yet hate-able character. The other characters, Victor, Helen, and the rest have some important roles, yet I felt that I would have liked to have more information about them. There are a couple of scenes that describe Victor further which was helpful, but not so much background on Helen except through her father. I did like some of the side characters and their different stories. Here the author gave some background on their personalities through use of flashbacks and it helped explain their actions in the future.

For a plot this one definitely had a lot of murder and intrigue. In fact, I wondered what lurked around the corner at every page because I was never quite sure what was going to happen. A complaint I would have though is that towards the end it seemed rushed and actually kind of confusing. I had to reread the last three chapters a couple times before I finally understood what happened even though I couldn't quite understand how it happened (my imagination filled in that for me). I liked the touch of supernatural the book had as well, but it almost seemed an afterthought and I would have liked to see it incorporated sooner into the novel. Still, it was spooky and I liked the author's descriptions on some of the horrors that were beginning to move around. The writing itself was very direct and easy to read; I can see people of all types enjoying the tone of the novel.

Not a bad book, while there were a few flaws I largely enjoyed it. Definitely worthy of 3 1/2 stars to even 4. If you like thrilling tales of murder and the supernatural, this might be right up your alley.

Sow and You Shall Reap
Copyright 2011
347 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com .(less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Catherine Forbes rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: horror thriller fans

Recommended to Catherine by: B.P. Smythe

Shelves: recieved-for-review, b-p-smythe, horror, ghosts

There are currently two women named Elizabeth working at Gossmoor Park Care home. Elizabeth Carragher is a normal enough individual, whereas Elizabeth Waverly has some serious issues. Being the care home matron, Waverly and her lover Norman Christie abuse their power over the elderly. While blaming it on the innocent cook, Carragher, Waverly and Christie finally get what they deserve- jail. But they certainly do not forget Elizabeth Carragher and the knowledge of her mother’s will when they are...more There are currently two women named Elizabeth working at Gossmoor Park Care home. Elizabeth Carragher is a normal enough individual, whereas Elizabeth Waverly has some serious issues. Being the care home matron, Waverly and her lover Norman Christie abuse their power over the elderly. While blaming it on the innocent cook, Carragher, Waverly and Christie finally get what they deserve- jail. But they certainly do not forget Elizabeth Carragher and the knowledge of her mother’s will when they are released. Planning to take all the inheritance for themselves by Waverly posing as Carragher, things don’t work out like they would have hoped. What will happen to this killing pair? Will they get the money after all, or will they have to resort to more evil deeds?

I received this book as a complimentary reading copy from the author and I’m very glad I did. So, thank you again B.P. Smythe!

A book like this has to be very special for me to enjoy it. I usually dislike the constant shifting between the many characters that have been introduced; however, the author of this book does it extremely well. Each character is interesting and the flashbacks of their past serves as entertaining material and not just boring filler scenes that divert from the main plot for no reason. We get to see the skeletons in their closets, which makes the reader connect more to them on some level.

Elizabeth and Norman were fantastic baddies, but Elizabeth was definitely the top evil bitch. Considering her childhood, it wasn’t surprising the way she turned out. She got what she wanted because she would do anything to get it. She was also a very smart cookie. If only I could say that about Norman.

The book was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Some shocked me and some made me quite disappointed. No character was safe, even the ones I favoured, but it just added to the excitement.

I would class this more as a thriller than a horror, as the haunted part took a while to kick in. Or perhaps a horror thriller? Nevertheless, it was quite creepy at times, yet it didn’t go over the top to the point of being silly. Sometimes subtlety is best.

The problem that knocked off that last star was the constant spelling and grammatical errors. It riddled this book and to me, being somewhat of a perfectionist, it was annoying. Where there was ‘to’, it should have been ‘too’. Where there was ‘there’, it should have been ‘they’re’. Also the question marks that were found at the end of sentences that weren’t actually questions at all. And yes, the blurb does give away almost the whole story, but if you look past all that, the book is definitely worth reading.

“All author royalties and profits from Sow and You Shall Reap will be donated to Cancer Research UK.” This is such an honourable and generous thing to do.

I wish B.P. Smythe the best of luck with his work.

© Catherine Forbes 2011
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Jan 26, 2012 wally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: smythe

this will be the 1st smythe for me, kindle, and no, that's not a linebacker for the bears...a skull...looks to be bound.

starts off:

'now open your mouth, you stupid old cow, or i'll ram it down your throat.' norman was pissed off. he'd had a bellyful this afternoon as two earlier residents had annoyed him and now he had to deal with this old hag. elderly care home resident, edith cravitch, shook her head from side to side. she wasn't going to play ball.

sets the mood right off, hey? onward and up...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Lindis Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was very well written, beautifully descriptive, teasing all of your senses with many complex characters. Two, I loved to hate. But, I did feel bad for them, only for a couple minutes when I read about their past and learned why they ended up as evil as they did. Then there are so many colorful characters that, for the most part, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their lives were being completely wrecked as they got tangled up in the sick life of Elizabeth. My heart ached...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Nina at Death Books and Tea rated it 3 of 5 stars

this the a story of Elizabeth Waverly and Norman. They’ve been released from prison after killing residents at a care home. And they see a way of inheriting two million pounds. To do this, they kill Elizabeth Carragher and Elizabeth W (hereafter known as Liz W) takes Carragher’s place. Liz W turns up at the will reading, and finds a long lost brother, Victor Carragher, has inherited all the stuff. determined to inherit everything, Liz W and Norman hatch a plan that will take them to Majorca, ha...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Sherri Dub rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this novel by the author to read and review. An honor I never take lightly, and am proud to do for any author.
With that said, I believe this is a good break-out novel.
Nothing spectacular, though. As scary as the cover is, I really wanted to be dazzled by the horror elements the premise promised.
The characters are a bit contrived, and their past histories (often told in flashbacks) do get a bit weary, after a time.
Yes, the story is about two people who have been previously abused as c...more

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'SOW AND YOU SHALL REAP' by Barry Smythe (Kindle Edition - 11 Dec 2011) - Kindle eBook
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