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When The Stranger Came
One night in a small rural town in upstate New York, fifteen-year-old Dylan Hellenbrand, who is home alone, hears the doorbell ring. Upon inspecting the peephole, the wary teenager decides not to answer. The person standing on the porch is wearing a dark jacket with a hood. Something about the mysterious unexpected visitor doesn’t feel right.
A minute later as Dylan tries to pretend that no one is home, he hears, in the backyard, his German shepherd Murray barking and growling fiercely. Then to the adolescent’s horror, he hears the sound of a loud boom, reminiscent of a firecracker exploding. Suddenly the dog squeals like a stuck pig.
Oh no! What just happened? What was Dylan suppose to do now?
Hide!
Yes! Hide. That was about all he could do. Especially since Dylan had forgotten to lock the back door.
A minute later as Dylan tries to pretend that no one is home, he hears, in the backyard, his German shepherd Murray barking and growling fiercely. Then to the adolescent’s horror, he hears the sound of a loud boom, reminiscent of a firecracker exploding. Suddenly the dog squeals like a stuck pig.
Oh no! What just happened? What was Dylan suppose to do now?
Hide!
Yes! Hide. That was about all he could do. Especially since Dylan had forgotten to lock the back door.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2014
287 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
John Meany
50 books14 followersA native of the New York-New Jersey Tri-state area, John has published multiple works of fiction. Most of his books are a distinctive blend of horror, suspense and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 12, 2019
This engrossing story truly had me on the edge of my seat. I instantly bonded with the boy and his dog.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
December 29, 2015
Ultimately not impressed
One thing I enjoyed about this book was the utter truth of the unconditional love that was illustrated by the dog defending his family. But for me that was where the enjoyment started and ended. The book just seemed like it went extremely slow and I had anticipated more of a story of young boy and dog home alone versus the "stranger". Maybe I wanted too much. The characters lacked any real depth. I had hopes for more, but the dog had the largest amount of development in this short story. I really wanted to care for the boy, but, alas, no can do. The perspective for me just seemed off in this story. Maybe it was the jumping around that didn't sit well with me and that just killed it from the beginning. At least the dog lived, and for that the book squeaks out 3 stars from me.
One thing I enjoyed about this book was the utter truth of the unconditional love that was illustrated by the dog defending his family. But for me that was where the enjoyment started and ended. The book just seemed like it went extremely slow and I had anticipated more of a story of young boy and dog home alone versus the "stranger". Maybe I wanted too much. The characters lacked any real depth. I had hopes for more, but the dog had the largest amount of development in this short story. I really wanted to care for the boy, but, alas, no can do. The perspective for me just seemed off in this story. Maybe it was the jumping around that didn't sit well with me and that just killed it from the beginning. At least the dog lived, and for that the book squeaks out 3 stars from me.
July 5, 2019
Rating: 3.5/5.0
This short story is about a man's best friend. A dog (German Shepherd) called Murray & his friendship with a kid called Dylan. The story is told from two perspectives, the boy's & the dog's.
The major part of the story takes place in one day when an intruder comes inside the house of Dylan's parents when they are both at work. Nobody is home except for Dylan & his dog Murray.
As a short story, this was interesting especially as the dog is another main character here. It has some kind of suspense but I wouldn't go to name the story as one. It was an enjoyable reading.
This short story is about a man's best friend. A dog (German Shepherd) called Murray & his friendship with a kid called Dylan. The story is told from two perspectives, the boy's & the dog's.
The major part of the story takes place in one day when an intruder comes inside the house of Dylan's parents when they are both at work. Nobody is home except for Dylan & his dog Murray.
As a short story, this was interesting especially as the dog is another main character here. It has some kind of suspense but I wouldn't go to name the story as one. It was an enjoyable reading.
September 4, 2014
When a stranger comes to the door, and the teenager’s home alone with the dog, and the back door’s open because the dog’s outside, life goes terribly wrong. The dog is Dylan’s security, his only friend in life. And the only others he might turn to for help are his parents, late coming home from work, and God, in prayer. Meanwhile the stranger talks to his cell-phone, and the dog wonders why human beings insist on talking to people who aren’t there.
Author John Meany projects his reader’s convincingly into the thoughts of a loyal best friend as this story progresses. Meanwhile he channels the voice of a shy 15-year-old equally convincingly, making this novella read almost like talking to a boy and his dog. It’s a truly scary tale, set in a convincingly real suburbia, with some great twists and food for thought.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to find it when it was free.
Author John Meany projects his reader’s convincingly into the thoughts of a loyal best friend as this story progresses. Meanwhile he channels the voice of a shy 15-year-old equally convincingly, making this novella read almost like talking to a boy and his dog. It’s a truly scary tale, set in a convincingly real suburbia, with some great twists and food for thought.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to find it when it was free.
April 23, 2019
NY. Dylan Hellenbrand (15) told Carol (wife/mother) & Ben (husband/father, CIS mgr.) he really loved Murray (German shepherd).
Murry smelled his own blood. He had been injured. The dog was stuck outside.
The intruder was looking for Dylan.
Ben had just arrived home.
The burglar was talking to him
He was about to shoot him so Dylan came out of his hiding place.
He demanded Ben call Carol & make something up why she should not come home yet.
The thief told them there’s been a change of plans.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookSends; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Murry smelled his own blood. He had been injured. The dog was stuck outside.
The intruder was looking for Dylan.
Ben had just arrived home.
The burglar was talking to him
He was about to shoot him so Dylan came out of his hiding place.
He demanded Ben call Carol & make something up why she should not come home yet.
The thief told them there’s been a change of plans.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookSends; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
May 29, 2020
WOW, A SPECTACULAR STORY ABOUT LOVE 💘!
BUY THIS BOOK NOW!😍. HERE IS A BOOK, THAT THE CHARACTERS AND THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THE DEPTH OF EMOTIONS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. REMINDING US THAT LOVE IS A MIRACLE, TO NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!
BUY THIS BOOK NOW!😍. HERE IS A BOOK, THAT THE CHARACTERS AND THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THE DEPTH OF EMOTIONS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. REMINDING US THAT LOVE IS A MIRACLE, TO NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!
July 23, 2018
Touching
This book will grip you from the first to the last page.
Dylan was a lonely boy and was bullied at school. The to his astonishment his parents bought him a German Shepherd puppy which he names Murray. Read this book to find out how much Dylan and Murray needed and loved each other! Some parts of it will make you tear up!
This book will grip you from the first to the last page.
Dylan was a lonely boy and was bullied at school. The to his astonishment his parents bought him a German Shepherd puppy which he names Murray. Read this book to find out how much Dylan and Murray needed and loved each other! Some parts of it will make you tear up!
July 29, 2018
Man's best friend comes through again
This was a nice short read about a boy and his dog. And how quickly things go bad. Life and death really are sort of arbitrary but those we're born to love and those we choose to love are what makes it special. Special props to our fur-family.
This was a nice short read about a boy and his dog. And how quickly things go bad. Life and death really are sort of arbitrary but those we're born to love and those we choose to love are what makes it special. Special props to our fur-family.
July 22, 2018
Dogs point of view
This was A scary story, well developed, with a sweet ending. The robbery scene seemed very realistic. What stood out for me were the portions written from Murray's point of view.
This was A scary story, well developed, with a sweet ending. The robbery scene seemed very realistic. What stood out for me were the portions written from Murray's point of view.
July 23, 2018
The Day the Thief Came To The House
It was a cute story about a dog who saved a family from danger by a robber to getting seriously hurt in the process. This was not a book I would normally read.
It was a cute story about a dog who saved a family from danger by a robber to getting seriously hurt in the process. This was not a book I would normally read.
August 14, 2019
This short story took so long to read as I had to keep pushing through and trying again. There was nothing unique with the story, I was in hopes there would be a twist of some sort, it was very predictable and didn’t keep me interested.
June 19, 2020
Wonderful!
What a heartwarming story. You are pulling for Murray and Dylan the whole time You are so hoping Murray pulls through. I believe his master’s voice helped give him the will to live
What a heartwarming story. You are pulling for Murray and Dylan the whole time You are so hoping Murray pulls through. I believe his master’s voice helped give him the will to live
June 8, 2022
Good story for a middle school reader
This story would be more appropriate for middle school readers rather than adults. The story was interesting. Having chapters that represent the dog is also an interesting approach.
This story would be more appropriate for middle school readers rather than adults. The story was interesting. Having chapters that represent the dog is also an interesting approach.
Read
January 8, 2023This bokwas the hardest I've read in a very long time maybe I could have gotten more into it had I known it was a true story. Just hard to believe there are people that cruel even harder anyone would tolerate that bullshit.
February 18, 2018
Interesting
Good story with a nice twist for the dog's outlook . An everyday story of how the average kid gets on in school when the so called cool kids decide to pick on them
Good story with a nice twist for the dog's outlook . An everyday story of how the average kid gets on in school when the so called cool kids decide to pick on them
July 31, 2018
It was a decent but simple story, and I did enjoy it, but ... the ebook itself ... did the author read it before he published it? Or even just look at the pages? It was horribly formatted - almost illegible.
As I wrote, the story was good, however the writing was amateurish. It needed quite a bit of polish and finesse. That, coupled with the poor formatting took off at least one star rating.
As I wrote, the story was good, however the writing was amateurish. It needed quite a bit of polish and finesse. That, coupled with the poor formatting took off at least one star rating.
March 3, 2019
I don't understand why anybody has come up with writing this book. A story that can be written on a one page extended to a 1 hour-reading story. Waste of time
March 18, 2019
very good book. If you loves animals you will enjoy this book. As you read the book it becomes very tense with a good ending.
May 11, 2019
Man and Dog
Great story about the love between man and pets. One event can give you a new outlook on life. Nicely written
Great story about the love between man and pets. One event can give you a new outlook on life. Nicely written
Read
December 28, 2023free ebook
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2019
Enchanting
Couldn't put this down the story from the boy and his dogs perspective was truly inspiring .Loved this book .More like this please.
Couldn't put this down the story from the boy and his dogs perspective was truly inspiring .Loved this book .More like this please.
January 17, 2016
Just okay
This felt more like a love story between a boy and his dog than a suspense thriller. It was really short for a suspense story too. There are no paragraph indents which is a personal turn off for me. This was written blog style. I also didn't like how the story was in first person POV and the main character was a fifteen year old boy who narrated as a much older person. The writing wasn't bad though. There was some good imagery and descriptions and I could tell how the author had a dog that he loved too.
This felt more like a love story between a boy and his dog than a suspense thriller. It was really short for a suspense story too. There are no paragraph indents which is a personal turn off for me. This was written blog style. I also didn't like how the story was in first person POV and the main character was a fifteen year old boy who narrated as a much older person. The writing wasn't bad though. There was some good imagery and descriptions and I could tell how the author had a dog that he loved too.
November 2, 2020
Thank you Mr. Meany
So often I read books about murder because I love to see how detectives sort out the puzzle involved in solving the case. This book was like a breath of fresh air. Although there was sadness and crime in it, it was so refreshing to hear the inner feelings of a young child and even more wonderful to hear the thoughts of his dog, Murray. No one will ever convince me that dogs weren't designed to be part human and have human feelings. Thank you Mr. Meany (oddly enough the name of my orthopaedic surgeon), for a lovely afternoon of hearing about Murray.
So often I read books about murder because I love to see how detectives sort out the puzzle involved in solving the case. This book was like a breath of fresh air. Although there was sadness and crime in it, it was so refreshing to hear the inner feelings of a young child and even more wonderful to hear the thoughts of his dog, Murray. No one will ever convince me that dogs weren't designed to be part human and have human feelings. Thank you Mr. Meany (oddly enough the name of my orthopaedic surgeon), for a lovely afternoon of hearing about Murray.
August 14, 2015
Loved the dog.
Loved the fact that the teenage boy goes and hide and does not turn into a kung fu panda and saves the day.
The writing was a bit stilted. Short sentences. Over simplistic word usage etc, made it a less than stellar read but the dog, the realism of the boy's actions that all really appealed to me.
Loved the fact that the teenage boy goes and hide and does not turn into a kung fu panda and saves the day.
The writing was a bit stilted. Short sentences. Over simplistic word usage etc, made it a less than stellar read but the dog, the realism of the boy's actions that all really appealed to me.
August 2, 2020
I must be honest here. I read this in one evening and I can't say that I enjoyed it. I did want to find out how the dog ended up. If the dog had not been in the story, I doubt that I would have finished it. He certainly had more personality than any of the characters. This is an early beginning writer or something he wrote as a kid. This is not the work of a serious, professional writer.
June 5, 2015
A dogs life
A mediocre story at best. How a life can change in a second. It could have been a So much better story if continue,it was like just a couple of chapters and forgot to finis
A mediocre story at best. How a life can change in a second. It could have been a So much better story if continue,it was like just a couple of chapters and forgot to finis
August 4, 2020
Suspenseful read!
I really enjoyed the amount of suspense that this story had to offer! It was really interesting to see the outcome of the incident while it was happening. The ending is definitely sweet and wrapped up the story well!
I really enjoyed the amount of suspense that this story had to offer! It was really interesting to see the outcome of the incident while it was happening. The ending is definitely sweet and wrapped up the story well!
October 10, 2020
Sacrifice
For a friend will go two miles with you when ask to go one. There is no greater love than a friend laying down his life for a friend. Prayer does work, and who is to say other creates don't think and understanding. A great read.
For a friend will go two miles with you when ask to go one. There is no greater love than a friend laying down his life for a friend. Prayer does work, and who is to say other creates don't think and understanding. A great read.
August 12, 2014
Very heartfelt
Very heartfelt
the pure love between a child and his dog. Brought tears to my eyes. it was a joy and sadness to read
Very heartfelt
the pure love between a child and his dog. Brought tears to my eyes. it was a joy and sadness to read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews