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Six Stories
(Six Stories #1)
by
1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an Outward Bound center. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who embarked on that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby. 2017. Enter elusive i
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Paperback, 225 pages
Published
March 30th 2017
by Orenda Books
(first published December 1st 2016)
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Start your review of Six Stories (Six Stories, #1)

Mar 24, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Chelsea by:
Orenda Books
Shelves:
from-publisher
This was a little bitty book that packed a mighty wallop. WOW. I just keep saying that over and over. While I was initially drawn in by the cover, and we all know Chelsea is a sucker for pretty pictures, the inside is what sealed the deal. I've never been a huge listener of pod casts, not because I find them boring or unappealing, but due to the fact I usually can't squeeze in the extra time and find a quiet place to do so. This gave me the best of both worlds; I was able to read a book per my u
...more

This is a book that strives to bring something new to the suspense genre, riding on the coattails of the popular podcast Serial, urging readers to follow along and draw their own conclusions about the mysterious death at hand. If you haven’t experienced Serial (seriously, what are you waiting for?!), the format of this book and the many times the podcast itself is mentioned, just might drive you to give it a listen. Believe me, you won’t regret it; both seasons have proven to be wholly addicting
...more

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.
Wow, this was crazy good! I wasn't really sure what to expect but it definitely surprised me!
I may be in the minority, but I never listened to any of the Serial podcast. I know, I know...it was supposed to be fantastic, but strangely enough, I have a real problem focusing if I have to just concentrate on listening to something. Reading, watching television, listening to music are all fine, but listening to a podcast or an audio book doesn't work for me. I'm a little t ...more
Wow, this was crazy good! I wasn't really sure what to expect but it definitely surprised me!
I may be in the minority, but I never listened to any of the Serial podcast. I know, I know...it was supposed to be fantastic, but strangely enough, I have a real problem focusing if I have to just concentrate on listening to something. Reading, watching television, listening to music are all fine, but listening to a podcast or an audio book doesn't work for me. I'm a little t ...more

The book is mostly made up of the transcripts of a podcast, well maybe not transcript but I can't think of a better word so fuck it, following a series on a murder that took place years ago during a camping trip. The podcast host, Scott King, interviews six different people who knew the victim, Tom Jeffries, and presents the circumstances around Tom's death. Tom was one of the kids in a group of five that belonged to a local wilderness club started by parents. On the day of one of the trips Tom
...more

"Don't fear the dark, dear, swift is the night,
For nothing will harm you, wrapped up here, tight.
That's just a shadow, dear, don't fear a sprite.
Don't pay your mind to the tricks of the light."
Fifteen-year-old, Tom Jeffries body has been found at an outward-bound center in Scarclaw fell one year after he went missing. His disappearance was investigated and chalked up to misadventure. Twenty years later, investigative journalist Scott King, decides to investigate the case. King has reached cult i ...more
For nothing will harm you, wrapped up here, tight.
That's just a shadow, dear, don't fear a sprite.
Don't pay your mind to the tricks of the light."
Fifteen-year-old, Tom Jeffries body has been found at an outward-bound center in Scarclaw fell one year after he went missing. His disappearance was investigated and chalked up to misadventure. Twenty years later, investigative journalist Scott King, decides to investigate the case. King has reached cult i ...more

Six Stories is a creepy, atmospheric, suspense filled psychological thriller fueled by unreliable memories coupled with fear, myth, and darkness.
“We like to give things names, personify our darkness.”
On a camping trip 20 years ago in eerie Scarclaw Fell, 15 year old Tom Jeffries went missing. His body turned up a year later. While police didn’t entertain murder at the time, his story made headlines and became a national sensation.
Told in the format of six podcasts covering Tom’s disappearanc ...more
“We like to give things names, personify our darkness.”
On a camping trip 20 years ago in eerie Scarclaw Fell, 15 year old Tom Jeffries went missing. His body turned up a year later. While police didn’t entertain murder at the time, his story made headlines and became a national sensation.
Told in the format of six podcasts covering Tom’s disappearanc ...more

Feb 22, 2018
j e w e l s
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-bejeweled,
audio
4 STARS
An unusual approach in a mystery book ALWAYS gets my attention! This one is presented in a podcast-style format. OH YES. YES. I do love me a crime podcast. By the way, this book keeps referencing SERIAL, but SERIAL is kind of old news by now. Can we talk about ATLANTA MONSTER? MY FAVORITE MURDER? CRIMINAL? SWORD & SCALE?
Sorry, I digress.
I wanted to love this book as much as my readerly friends all seem to love it. And I do love it, BUT…while innovative and brief (a very short little book ...more
An unusual approach in a mystery book ALWAYS gets my attention! This one is presented in a podcast-style format. OH YES. YES. I do love me a crime podcast. By the way, this book keeps referencing SERIAL, but SERIAL is kind of old news by now. Can we talk about ATLANTA MONSTER? MY FAVORITE MURDER? CRIMINAL? SWORD & SCALE?
Sorry, I digress.
I wanted to love this book as much as my readerly friends all seem to love it. And I do love it, BUT…while innovative and brief (a very short little book ...more

Ingenious, inventive, gripping, unique, all and more of these words could be used to describe this wonderfully suspenseful book. "Six Stories" by Matt Wesolowski was an utter pleasure to read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
It was such a refreshing change to read a story that's told in a stunningly original and modern way using up to date media such as podcasts. It's amazing how quickly you are hooked into the fabulous narrative as soon as you start reading, it really is an attention grabbing plot.
The ...more
It was such a refreshing change to read a story that's told in a stunningly original and modern way using up to date media such as podcasts. It's amazing how quickly you are hooked into the fabulous narrative as soon as you start reading, it really is an attention grabbing plot.
The ...more

Apr 15, 2017
Zoeytron
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
new-fangled-e-reader,
net-galley
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
Up from the depths of the murky muck of the marshland in Scarclaw Woods, a shambling figure emerges. All claws and teeth and long grasping fingers, and she is hungry. Is Nanna Wrack real or just the product of a stoner's wild imagination?
A group of bored teenagers encounter a childlike man, Haris Novak. He likes to watch the animals in the woods. He misinterprets the interaction between he and the teens, thinking he has found some friends. H ...more
Up from the depths of the murky muck of the marshland in Scarclaw Woods, a shambling figure emerges. All claws and teeth and long grasping fingers, and she is hungry. Is Nanna Wrack real or just the product of a stoner's wild imagination?
A group of bored teenagers encounter a childlike man, Haris Novak. He likes to watch the animals in the woods. He misinterprets the interaction between he and the teens, thinking he has found some friends. H ...more

Raking through the earth of old graves.......
You know the thrill of it. The creep that slithers in from drawing out ancient tales of the undead. The inability to turn away when the whispers begin to ooze out of mouths recanting stories of those dark, gnarly figures that walk soundlessly through the night. Searching, clawing their way out to encompass the unsuspecting......
Matt Wesolowski presents a story that will have you checking under your bed for more than just those ol' dust bunnies who hav ...more
You know the thrill of it. The creep that slithers in from drawing out ancient tales of the undead. The inability to turn away when the whispers begin to ooze out of mouths recanting stories of those dark, gnarly figures that walk soundlessly through the night. Searching, clawing their way out to encompass the unsuspecting......
Matt Wesolowski presents a story that will have you checking under your bed for more than just those ol' dust bunnies who hav ...more

What a unique read! Capitalizing on the recent success of the iTunes podcasts 'Serial', but in book form. This could have been a hot mess, but it is really well done. In fact I would bet that the audio is even better!
I grabbed this book from NetGalley after I kept seeing a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews. The marketing synopsis really doesn't do it justice, so once again Goodreads came through in directing me to a great read that I would have normally taken a pass on.
Strong in characterization, the ...more
I grabbed this book from NetGalley after I kept seeing a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews. The marketing synopsis really doesn't do it justice, so once again Goodreads came through in directing me to a great read that I would have normally taken a pass on.
Strong in characterization, the ...more

Dark… Twisted… Creepy… Crazy… Fantastic!!!
Matt Wesolowski is a natural born writer! It is very hard to believe that this is his debut novel.
This mind blowing novel is told in present day, 2017, through podcasts about the murder of a teenage boy, Tom Jeffries, that took place 20 years ago in 1997. With six podcast interviews and six transcripts of those interviews, Wesolowski’s story-telling is original, pure genius and works on so many different levels. He draws you in from the very first sente ...more
Matt Wesolowski is a natural born writer! It is very hard to believe that this is his debut novel.
This mind blowing novel is told in present day, 2017, through podcasts about the murder of a teenage boy, Tom Jeffries, that took place 20 years ago in 1997. With six podcast interviews and six transcripts of those interviews, Wesolowski’s story-telling is original, pure genius and works on so many different levels. He draws you in from the very first sente ...more

Mar 25, 2017
David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommended to David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party by:
Chelsea Humphrey
Shelves:
recommended-by-awesome-gr-friends,
mystery
The amazing Chelsea from The Suspense Is Thrilling Me blog gave this book a "HOLY GUACAMOLE"! That right there is enough to convince me this is a must-read!
...more

I have seen so many great reviews of Six Stories since I read it and have been patiently (??!!??) awaiting my turn whilst leading up to it with a Six Stories about Six Stories set of features but now here we are my day for the blog tour and I find myself speechless. Well ok not really but Six Stories is a book that rendered me speechless for a little while after finishing it.
There is actually no way I can improve on what everyone else has been saying, Six Stories is a genuine marvel of a novel w ...more
There is actually no way I can improve on what everyone else has been saying, Six Stories is a genuine marvel of a novel w ...more

Six Stories
has been on my radar since I saw everyone ranting and raving about it all summer long. I know that I'm a little late to the party, but honestly it was perfect timing for me to pick this read up. I've never listened to the podcast Serial, but I always hear water-cooler talk in the office about it. I'm more of a Bitch Sesh podcast listener #RealHousewives, but I do love crime-mysteries and figured that this story would be an original telling of a genre that has gotten so played out
...more

This was an interesting set-up for a book! I definitely recommend it to those into investigation and criminal matters.

*screams* THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. Guys. Buy this book. JUST DO IT. ... ok but seriously, full review to come, but this book is AMAZING. Fiercely original, a puzzle that just hits you over the head with its final reveal.
Find my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/3... ...more
Find my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/3... ...more

Generally I found that a very satisfying read. Normally I'd say that narratives that switch place, person, time can be rather irritating however this was very well crafted. Anyone who has listened to the Serial podcast will get the idea of this very easily. This story is mainly in the form of 6 "podcasts" about a boy who went missing on Scarclaw Fell. Why he died has remained a mystery for years until it is looked at by the investigative journalist behind this podcast. The steady reveal of event
...more

There are stories that need to be told.
Scarclaw, where even in the daylight there is darkness; where monsters and sprites may be lurking in the marshes; where some ghosts never die; where In 1996, fifteen year old Tom Jeffries went missing; where his body was found a year later in the nearby marshland.
His death was ruled accidental. It was an open and shut case. Until it wasn't.
'Don’t fear the dark, dear, swift is the night,
For nothing will harm you, wrapped up here, tight.
That’s just a shadow, ...more
Scarclaw, where even in the daylight there is darkness; where monsters and sprites may be lurking in the marshes; where some ghosts never die; where In 1996, fifteen year old Tom Jeffries went missing; where his body was found a year later in the nearby marshland.
His death was ruled accidental. It was an open and shut case. Until it wasn't.
'Don’t fear the dark, dear, swift is the night,
For nothing will harm you, wrapped up here, tight.
That’s just a shadow, ...more

Six Stories was not exactly what I thought it would be, compared as it was to the compulsively binge-worthy podcast Serial. It was the slow pace, which surprised me, but that did not stop me from enjoying the story, though that seems the wrong word to use for such a dark tale. The author is really talented in building a creepy atmosphere, even as the story is essentially told looking backwards in an interview-style format. I can't say the ending was terribly surprising for me, however, this does
...more

Scarclaw Fell is a wild area in Northumberland popular with hikers, cavers & climbers. Its beautiful but treacherous terrain is riddled with marshes, old mine tunnels & neolithic grave sites. In 1996, two adults & 5 teens arrived for a few days of R&R during school break. Sadly, one of them went missing & was never found.
In 1997 the land was purchased by Lord Ramsay, much to the dismay of locals & environmentalists. But for his son Harry, it was the perfect place to hang with a couple of friends ...more
In 1997 the land was purchased by Lord Ramsay, much to the dismay of locals & environmentalists. But for his son Harry, it was the perfect place to hang with a couple of friends ...more

This was a fun thriller. I correctly guessed the killer early on, but there was a big twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, so that made up for it! What also made up for it: the interesting format. It’s told as if it were a podcast and each chapter is an episode, focused on a conversation with someone involved in the long ago murder being investigated. Maybe more like a 3.5-3.75 - a lot of fun, but not the best thriller I’ve ever read.

Aug 28, 2020
Ellen Gail
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
freebie,
first-reads
I’m not entirely sure what I expected this story to be. But it’s something altogether more chilling and better than I could have predicted.
"Horrible, right? We should have done something about it, shouldn’t we? We were fifteen; that’s what I have to keep reminding myself when I think about that day. We were just stupid children."
At slightly over 200 pages, Six Stories is a little book with a big punch! Riding the popularity wave of podcasts (which I feel has grown even bigger since quarantin ...more
"Horrible, right? We should have done something about it, shouldn’t we? We were fifteen; that’s what I have to keep reminding myself when I think about that day. We were just stupid children."
At slightly over 200 pages, Six Stories is a little book with a big punch! Riding the popularity wave of podcasts (which I feel has grown even bigger since quarantin ...more

I’m struggling to figure out why so many readers were knocked out by the originality of this book. Comments like
An intense, unforgettable, and gripping journey into the harrowing motives behind a gruesome act. Impossible to put down; absolutely brilliant.
And I’m Uh? What was that again? For a start there’s only one single dead teenager. That’s not very many. I prefer more than one dead teenager – three is usually when the fun really begins. But that’s just me. Secondly, there were a lot of chara ...more
An intense, unforgettable, and gripping journey into the harrowing motives behind a gruesome act. Impossible to put down; absolutely brilliant.
And I’m Uh? What was that again? For a start there’s only one single dead teenager. That’s not very many. I prefer more than one dead teenager – three is usually when the fun really begins. But that’s just me. Secondly, there were a lot of chara ...more

Six Stories was a great book to start 2020! 🍾
Complex characters ✔️
Creepy and dark atmosphere ✔️
Unique and exciting writing style ✔️
This was a perfect reading for me. I love when the characters are complex in a novel. We can see their behaviours and everything that happened through multiple point of views. The characters told their stories one by one in a podcast series.
Scarclaw Fell is a beautiful but dangerous place, and there are mysteries, legends and creepy stories about it. Chilling! 😱
The ...more
Complex characters ✔️
Creepy and dark atmosphere ✔️
Unique and exciting writing style ✔️
This was a perfect reading for me. I love when the characters are complex in a novel. We can see their behaviours and everything that happened through multiple point of views. The characters told their stories one by one in a podcast series.
Scarclaw Fell is a beautiful but dangerous place, and there are mysteries, legends and creepy stories about it. Chilling! 😱
The ...more

All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
If you are looking for a new and different type of thriller to read look no further than Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski it’s a classic murder mystery with a modern twist. The story is told through podcasts, which immediately piqued my interest, as it’s such a highly original concept to use in story telling. In the series of six interviews journalist Scott King investigates the truth surrounding the death of teenager Tom Jefferies who die ...more
If you are looking for a new and different type of thriller to read look no further than Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski it’s a classic murder mystery with a modern twist. The story is told through podcasts, which immediately piqued my interest, as it’s such a highly original concept to use in story telling. In the series of six interviews journalist Scott King investigates the truth surrounding the death of teenager Tom Jefferies who die ...more

While looking for a new audiobook to listen to, I saw that this one is narrated by a whole cast of people – and I had just seen a positive review for this book that had been on my radar for a while, so it did seem like fate. And for the most part I had a lot of fun listening to this. Given that the book is told in podcast format, I do think that listening to it was the best idea.
Modelled after podcasts such a Serial, this book tells the story of a group of friends and the sudden death of one of ...more
Modelled after podcasts such a Serial, this book tells the story of a group of friends and the sudden death of one of ...more

Welcome to Chocolate'n'waffles. I'm Donna and this will be my one and only review-podcast.
In the next paragraphs, we will take a look at a book who has not left readers indifferent. For the past weeks, its cover has been spotted all over the blogosphere. We will try to understand and discuss the reasons behind its success.
Readers seek originality. After reading a few books from the same genre, one can become jaded with the same patterns being used over and over again. A usual example is the old
...more
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
Orenda Books has a knack for publishing unique, fresh books under the umbrella of crime fiction and once again, I’m completely blown away by one of their books. Six Stories is a wholly original, modern twist on a classic murder mystery. There are six distinct stories, six very easily distinguishable voices used in this podcast style book. Tom Jeffries was fifteen when he disappeared in 1996 and his body was found a year later. Twenty years lat ...more
Orenda Books has a knack for publishing unique, fresh books under the umbrella of crime fiction and once again, I’m completely blown away by one of their books. Six Stories is a wholly original, modern twist on a classic murder mystery. There are six distinct stories, six very easily distinguishable voices used in this podcast style book. Tom Jeffries was fifteen when he disappeared in 1996 and his body was found a year later. Twenty years lat ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What?! | 1 | 40 | Dec 21, 2017 10:54AM |
Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care.
'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2016 with follow-up ‘Hydra’ published in the winter of 2017, 'Changeling' in 2018, 'Beast' in 2019 and 'Deity in 2020
‘Six Stories’ has been optioned by a major Hollywood studio; ‘Changeling’ was longlisted for the Theakston O ...more
'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2016 with follow-up ‘Hydra’ published in the winter of 2017, 'Changeling' in 2018, 'Beast' in 2019 and 'Deity in 2020
‘Six Stories’ has been optioned by a major Hollywood studio; ‘Changeling’ was longlisted for the Theakston O ...more
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“I’ve always run; but I ran a lot after Scarclaw. Great long routes, cross countries, miles and miles, head down. If something like that ever happens to you, running is the best thing. I’d recommend it to anyone. I used to run until my legs had gone, my knees, my ankles; till I was dead on my bloody feet. It was the only thing that helped … it just kind of ordered it all in my head.”
—
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