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The Fading Place
Charlie Van Houten is a single mother running the usual weekend errands with her beautiful baby girl Haley, until a delusional gun-wielding woman named Simone takes them hostage in their own car. As they make their way to an unknown final destination, and Simone's paranoia spirals further out of control, Charlie must stop a different kind of monster from taking away all that she loves.
38 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2014
2 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Mary SanGiovanni
81 books483 followersMary SanGiovanni is the author of over twenty books in horror and supernatural thrillers. Her fiction has appeared in periodicals and anthologies for the last decade. She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, where she studied under genre greats. She is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers, and was previously an Active member in the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 4, 2014
2.5 stars, rounded up.
This was a hard book for me to rate, overall. This emotionally driven novella showcases two mothers, and their attachment to Charlie's infant daughter. The issues brought up were heart-rending, to say the least. However, I felt that the ending was predictable right from the beginning, and didn't really feel that sense of "something different" throughout.
On a higher note, Mary SanGiovanni has a very good, fluid writing style. The novella read smoothly, and characterization rang true throughout. I think my only problem was that--in this rather short tale--there was little else going on, and in my opinion, an inevitable ending.
This was a hard book for me to rate, overall. This emotionally driven novella showcases two mothers, and their attachment to Charlie's infant daughter. The issues brought up were heart-rending, to say the least. However, I felt that the ending was predictable right from the beginning, and didn't really feel that sense of "something different" throughout.
On a higher note, Mary SanGiovanni has a very good, fluid writing style. The novella read smoothly, and characterization rang true throughout. I think my only problem was that--in this rather short tale--there was little else going on, and in my opinion, an inevitable ending.
February 12, 2014
This was a fun read, not an outstanding read, and certainly a happening that was more suited to "novella" than story. Charlie and her baby Hayley have been car kidnapped by the somewhat deranged Simone. So we travel with them on a short journey and nervously await what outcome Simone has in store for the unfortunate two. There is a incident just after the midway point that I question just where the author was going.....A state trooper stops the car and perhaps this is the chance that Charlie has been waiting for?..just before the state trooper leaves the following happens..." The baby uttered a few fussy cries and Charlie, through sense of maternal instinct, scooped the baby out of Simone's arms to soothe her. Simone caught off guard, relinquished the baby with a small gape of the mouth and a half word that might have been "hey"....Instantly, she felt a surge of relief that Haley was safely away from traffic. She felt fairly certain that Simone wouldn't do anything to create a scene or arouse suspicion. For that moment, she and the baby were safe.".......So why did she not alert the polieman? He was closeby and Simone would never shoot them in front of the state trooper? This was the ideal moment to escape...this was the opportunity and Simone for the present had the gun hidden in her pocket. Yes it was not a perfect situation but the best that Charlie could hope for. Instead the threesome continue their journey and a more unlikely ending (in my opinion) occurs. I am sure that the author has her reasons for introducing this "escape route" and then refusing to acknowledge and use it? As I said at the start of this short review...a fun read but in no way outstanding.
February 16, 2014
The Fading Place is a well written psychological thriller by Mary SanGiovanni, Charlie Van Houten is a single mother with a young daughter, going about her normal business she is abducted by the mentally unstable Simone who has designs on forcibly taking her daughter.
The unpredictable Simone’s history is alluded to throughout as Charlie thinks of a way out of this desperate situation as it all builds to a crescendo, someone is going to die and it may not be a happy ending.
The story was enjoyable if a little predictable but what dragged proceeding’s down for me was the glaring opportunity for escape when they are stopped by a law enforcement officer, Charlie’s state of mind becomes irrational under the immense pressure of the situation and Simone’s single mindedness, sometimes calm while others frenetic, propel them to a life or death struggle.
The unpredictable Simone’s history is alluded to throughout as Charlie thinks of a way out of this desperate situation as it all builds to a crescendo, someone is going to die and it may not be a happy ending.
The story was enjoyable if a little predictable but what dragged proceeding’s down for me was the glaring opportunity for escape when they are stopped by a law enforcement officer, Charlie’s state of mind becomes irrational under the immense pressure of the situation and Simone’s single mindedness, sometimes calm while others frenetic, propel them to a life or death struggle.
August 20, 2014
Charlie is running errands with her infant daughter when a stranger named Simone takes them hostage at gunpoint. As Simone forces Charlie to drive her to an unknown destination, Charlie learns that Simone is mentally unbalanced and intends on taking everything from her.
This was tough to read as it hits on one of my largest fears (you'll have to read it to find out). While I do disagree with some of the actions taken (or not taken) by Charlie in the book, it's hard to say what would happen if I was in that situation. The book did have very fast pacing until the predictable end but it was still enjoyable to read.
This was tough to read as it hits on one of my largest fears (you'll have to read it to find out). While I do disagree with some of the actions taken (or not taken) by Charlie in the book, it's hard to say what would happen if I was in that situation. The book did have very fast pacing until the predictable end but it was still enjoyable to read.
February 5, 2014
This was the second book by Mary I have read, the first was For Emmy. The story starts when Charlene and her daughter Haley are abducted by this women. Then the woman tells them to get in the car and drive. Can't say a lot more about the story without giving away too much. The positive was, the story had a good flow to it and was well written. The negative was, not a lot to the story and it didn't do anything for me. I would sum this story up for me in one word, disappointed. I could only give this story 2 stars.
November 21, 2015
This short novella has got to be every mother's nightmare. Tightly paced, real time narrative of a kidnapping and its aftermath. Kudos to SanGiovanni, whom I've read before and found quite talented, for strong writing (particularly some excellently phrased observations on the nature of madness) and an impressive amount of character development for 42 pages. Entertaining quick read. Recommended.
December 5, 2022
Well written and covering an interesting premise, this novella firmly sits in the thriller category. Alas, the story does little to add anything new to the already tried and tested plot.
Charlie is a good character, but you don’t get much of a look inside her head. Simone’s character started strong, took an unexpected turn, but didn’t amount to much at all.
The emotional impact of the story was lost because I didn’t care much for either character.
The ending was totally expected and rather a big let down.
The writing was polished and well edited. I would definitely read more by Mary.
Charlie is a good character, but you don’t get much of a look inside her head. Simone’s character started strong, took an unexpected turn, but didn’t amount to much at all.
The emotional impact of the story was lost because I didn’t care much for either character.
The ending was totally expected and rather a big let down.
The writing was polished and well edited. I would definitely read more by Mary.
February 18, 2014
The Fading Place was a recent offering from the Dark Fuse book club. A novella written by Mary SanGiovanni.
The protagonist, Charlie, has parted from her husband of a few years. She now has a baby to care for so moves to a town where she only knows people she works with. Enter Simone to mess up her new life she has started with her baby.
What will a mother do to protect her daughter, probably any thing. Then again, what will she do to protect herself. This book could be considered a study of self preservation of the female, especially the female with a child.
There was one part of the story where I thought the protagonist was really stupid and not in keeping with her personality as I saw it. I took one star away for this. I'm not sure why the author had Charlie do this, but she did. Perhaps she wanted Charlie to attempt to save herself.
The Fading Place was an interesting book and a quick read as it is a novella. You do not know what the outcome will be...who will be the victor. I would recommend that you read this novella and find out for yourself!
Few, if any, editing errors.
The protagonist, Charlie, has parted from her husband of a few years. She now has a baby to care for so moves to a town where she only knows people she works with. Enter Simone to mess up her new life she has started with her baby.
What will a mother do to protect her daughter, probably any thing. Then again, what will she do to protect herself. This book could be considered a study of self preservation of the female, especially the female with a child.
There was one part of the story where I thought the protagonist was really stupid and not in keeping with her personality as I saw it. I took one star away for this. I'm not sure why the author had Charlie do this, but she did. Perhaps she wanted Charlie to attempt to save herself.
The Fading Place was an interesting book and a quick read as it is a novella. You do not know what the outcome will be...who will be the victor. I would recommend that you read this novella and find out for yourself!
Few, if any, editing errors.
July 2, 2014
A young woman leaves a Walmart with her new baby, is putting the baby into her car when she is approached by another woman, with a gun, who carjacks her with her baby.
Mary SanGiovanni creates this truly frightening situation in her book "The Finding Place" With heart pounding prose Ms. SanGiovanni will show us the complex backgrounds of both these women intermingled with the non stop terror of being kidnapped at gun point. The characters are not as black and white as one might imagine. The sheer desperation of the mother to escape alive with her child is convincingly told with nail biting eloquence. Though the kidnapper may at first appear insane, what we discover about her will sadden even the most jaded.
Mary SanGiovanni has done an outstanding job telling us this story of entrapment and survival. An excellent read.
Mary SanGiovanni creates this truly frightening situation in her book "The Finding Place" With heart pounding prose Ms. SanGiovanni will show us the complex backgrounds of both these women intermingled with the non stop terror of being kidnapped at gun point. The characters are not as black and white as one might imagine. The sheer desperation of the mother to escape alive with her child is convincingly told with nail biting eloquence. Though the kidnapper may at first appear insane, what we discover about her will sadden even the most jaded.
Mary SanGiovanni has done an outstanding job telling us this story of entrapment and survival. An excellent read.
January 4, 2014
They say never to get in the car with someone trying to abduct you. Run for your life. But what do they say to do when you're already in the car with armed-and-crazy? And running at the earliest opportunity is pretty hard to do when your infant daughter is in the car, too.
Charlie, a single mother, on the road with her infant daughter, Haley, just doing her usual errands around town. A completely normal, random day. That is until she meets Simone, an emotionally unstable woman who takes her hostage and forces her to drive to an unannounced location, all while Simone sits in the backseat with little Haley. And if Charlie doesn't do as she's told, Simone promising to kill Haley, and Charlie is inclined to believe her because Simone shows an unnerving disregard for her own well-being, along with that of Charlie and her daughter.
There's nothing fancy about this novella. It's just pure terror reflecting a parent's worst nightmare. And Charlie is as much trapped in the maelstrom of potential outcomes whirling in her mind as she's trapped in the car with a madwoman. And the further along the road they travel, the more evident it is that Simone's psyche is all but shattered, and it becomes a balancing act for Charlie to keep things from spiraling even more out of control.
The Fading Place taps into that same kind of terror as Stephen King's Cujo, but with a shorter page count in which to work. In one sense, the story feels abrupt, but on the other hand it doesn't mince words and doesn't slow down. It certainly served as a strong introduction to SanGiovanni's work and I will be keeping my eye out for more. She has a novel out from a couple years back called Thrall that I may have to look up, so there's that.
Charlie, a single mother, on the road with her infant daughter, Haley, just doing her usual errands around town. A completely normal, random day. That is until she meets Simone, an emotionally unstable woman who takes her hostage and forces her to drive to an unannounced location, all while Simone sits in the backseat with little Haley. And if Charlie doesn't do as she's told, Simone promising to kill Haley, and Charlie is inclined to believe her because Simone shows an unnerving disregard for her own well-being, along with that of Charlie and her daughter.
There's nothing fancy about this novella. It's just pure terror reflecting a parent's worst nightmare. And Charlie is as much trapped in the maelstrom of potential outcomes whirling in her mind as she's trapped in the car with a madwoman. And the further along the road they travel, the more evident it is that Simone's psyche is all but shattered, and it becomes a balancing act for Charlie to keep things from spiraling even more out of control.
The Fading Place taps into that same kind of terror as Stephen King's Cujo, but with a shorter page count in which to work. In one sense, the story feels abrupt, but on the other hand it doesn't mince words and doesn't slow down. It certainly served as a strong introduction to SanGiovanni's work and I will be keeping my eye out for more. She has a novel out from a couple years back called Thrall that I may have to look up, so there's that.
March 2, 2014
Book review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
The Fading Place was ‘meh’ all around. The premises is intriguing though: Charlie, a single mother, steps into her car with her infant daughter. Problem? A madwoman with a gun is already in the car, planning to kidnap Charlie’s daughter.
What begins is the longest car drive Charlie’s ever had. Between worrying over her child and figuring out what to do with the woman holding a gun to her head, and trying to make it out alive, she has way too many issues to deal with all at once. Then the woman, Simone, starts telling her about her life, and the depths of her insanity soon become clear…
Unfortunately a good premise doesn’t always mean a good book. This novella was a bit disappointing, because we never got too invested in the characters. I wanted to feel for Charlie, worry about her little girl, even feel some connection to the antagonist, but I never really got to know any of them, so I was left feeling hardly anything. A book like this one could be terrifying – even the thought of being abducted is horrible. But it all falls flat, and there’s too little emotion. The book is too predictable – I predicted the ending right from the start – the portayal of Simone isn’t convincing, Charlie’s panic doesn’t ring true.
Despite not liking it that much, I did like the writing. Mary SanGiovanni has a fluent, prozaic writing style. If the characters had more depth, I would’ve probably enjoyed this book more.
The Fading Place was ‘meh’ all around. The premises is intriguing though: Charlie, a single mother, steps into her car with her infant daughter. Problem? A madwoman with a gun is already in the car, planning to kidnap Charlie’s daughter.
What begins is the longest car drive Charlie’s ever had. Between worrying over her child and figuring out what to do with the woman holding a gun to her head, and trying to make it out alive, she has way too many issues to deal with all at once. Then the woman, Simone, starts telling her about her life, and the depths of her insanity soon become clear…
Unfortunately a good premise doesn’t always mean a good book. This novella was a bit disappointing, because we never got too invested in the characters. I wanted to feel for Charlie, worry about her little girl, even feel some connection to the antagonist, but I never really got to know any of them, so I was left feeling hardly anything. A book like this one could be terrifying – even the thought of being abducted is horrible. But it all falls flat, and there’s too little emotion. The book is too predictable – I predicted the ending right from the start – the portayal of Simone isn’t convincing, Charlie’s panic doesn’t ring true.
Despite not liking it that much, I did like the writing. Mary SanGiovanni has a fluent, prozaic writing style. If the characters had more depth, I would’ve probably enjoyed this book more.
June 6, 2014
Interesting novella from Darkfuse by a popular writer who has recently joined the cast of regulars on their team of talented authors.
I did not like this novella as much as others from Darkfuse that I have read recently. The Fading Place is a “situational” type of story---a regular person finds themselves in a suddenly dangerous predicament and we watch as they evaluate their options (or dawdle, depending on your point of view), which as time and opportunities pass, become more and more narrow, until there is really one remaining option, one way out, one last hope. These stories can be quite compelling.
Tense writing, good characters, all in all well done, but just lacked that edge that would have ratcheted up the tension and made the waiting unbearable.
Three stars for me.
I did not like this novella as much as others from Darkfuse that I have read recently. The Fading Place is a “situational” type of story---a regular person finds themselves in a suddenly dangerous predicament and we watch as they evaluate their options (or dawdle, depending on your point of view), which as time and opportunities pass, become more and more narrow, until there is really one remaining option, one way out, one last hope. These stories can be quite compelling.
Tense writing, good characters, all in all well done, but just lacked that edge that would have ratcheted up the tension and made the waiting unbearable.
Three stars for me.
July 5, 2015
A grinding journey.The plot is very simple: A woman has kidnapped a mother and her baby and they're travelling in the mother's car to the previously
chosen place by the kidnapper.How this will end? I, as other readers did, previewed the final but this is not a bad thing.In this case
is a good one, this story asked it.This story asked coherency, not twists to surprise the reader and the author did it well, I think.
Other thing that the writer did well was to show the complexity of the characters (their background) within such simple plot.Recom-
mended.
chosen place by the kidnapper.How this will end? I, as other readers did, previewed the final but this is not a bad thing.In this case
is a good one, this story asked it.This story asked coherency, not twists to surprise the reader and the author did it well, I think.
Other thing that the writer did well was to show the complexity of the characters (their background) within such simple plot.Recom-
mended.
July 23, 2016
The Fading Place is a very quick little read and my second Mary SanGiovanni. Unfortunatley, there was not a lot going on for me in this one. It was written well, but nothing that really jumped out and it was fairly predictable. (I must admit that I was a bit bummed that this one was a straight thriller versus horror or supernatural like Thrall, which was excellent.) 2+ Stars
December 20, 2015
Quite the roller coaster ride for a short story!
Charlie and Simone have fate draw them together into a car ride for the ages. Simone's tale of post pardem depression makes you feel for her until you realize she means to end Charlie's life and take her baby Hayley. Great short story read!
Charlie and Simone have fate draw them together into a car ride for the ages. Simone's tale of post pardem depression makes you feel for her until you realize she means to end Charlie's life and take her baby Hayley. Great short story read!
February 14, 2019
Mary SanGiovanni’s novella The Fading Place immediately sees Charlie Van Houten carjacked by Simone. Charlie has her baby Hayley in the back seat, and Simone wants the baby. It gradually becomes clear that Simone is paranoid and off her rocker, and plans to kill Charlie and take her baby. How will Charlie outwit her?
This tale isn’t a high-octane thriller. It spends time explaining why it’s so hard for Charlie to have children, and why she’s raising Hayley without Hayley’s father John. It gets into a bit of exploration of the history of the area of Wexton, New Jersey, and the rate at which people tend to disappear in the area. Note that while this is not a paranormal tale, it clearly takes place in the same world as some of SanGiovanni’s paranormal tales (Chills, Behind the Door, Thrall–in fact, Wexton is next door to the town of Thrall).
Simone and Charlie are both interesting characters, and for a short novella there’s plenty of personality. The question of whether and how Charlie will save herself and Hayley provides plenty of tension and suspense. Well worth a read, I believe.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/02/s...
This tale isn’t a high-octane thriller. It spends time explaining why it’s so hard for Charlie to have children, and why she’s raising Hayley without Hayley’s father John. It gets into a bit of exploration of the history of the area of Wexton, New Jersey, and the rate at which people tend to disappear in the area. Note that while this is not a paranormal tale, it clearly takes place in the same world as some of SanGiovanni’s paranormal tales (Chills, Behind the Door, Thrall–in fact, Wexton is next door to the town of Thrall).
Simone and Charlie are both interesting characters, and for a short novella there’s plenty of personality. The question of whether and how Charlie will save herself and Hayley provides plenty of tension and suspense. Well worth a read, I believe.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/02/s...
January 30, 2018
Crazy Drive
Charlie and her baby, Hailey, have been car jacked by a crazy woman named Simone. The reality is Simone is armed... The diversion from reality is Simone thinks Hailey is hers...
Will they survive the insanity or will they succumb to Simone's threats?
Great thrill ride.
Charlie and her baby, Hailey, have been car jacked by a crazy woman named Simone. The reality is Simone is armed... The diversion from reality is Simone thinks Hailey is hers...
Will they survive the insanity or will they succumb to Simone's threats?
Great thrill ride.
October 17, 2017
The second short novella I've read by this author. The previous one, For Emmy, I thought was brilliant. This one just so so. The prose is great as usual just the story didn't grab me, the lack of overt supernatural elements I think was the main reason. Though the hints of her overarching mythos are tantalising.
September 25, 2018
Not SanGiovanni’s normal cosmic nightmares, this story of a mother and child threatened by an unbalanced girl is a slick, fast paced suspenseful thriller.
I’m not sure if she has written more books like this, but I plan on finding out.
I’m not sure if she has written more books like this, but I plan on finding out.
December 30, 2021
Excellent snapshot and character study of what a mother will do to protect her child, and how the trauma of grief and loss can push someone to their breaking point. As usual, Mary Sangiovanni never disappoints.
March 23, 2022
My first Mary SanGiovanni read was a suspenseful ride! You can just feel the tragedy and emotions of the characters as you read. Although not a completely original plot, the characters and thrill of this novella really stand out.
December 20, 2021
It's a short, tight, intense tale of a mother trying to protect her baby from a mentally ill woman. Beautiful and unnerving.
July 7, 2014
Charlie just finishes strapping her infant daughter, Haley, into her car seat when she is confronted by a disturbed young woman with a gun. The woman, Simone, is not some wingnut trying to prove a point by carrying weapons into a department store. Rather, she is intent on carjacking the vehicle and kidnapping Charlie and Haley in the process. Simone is very disturbed and sees this as an opportunity to prove to her world that she is capable of being a mother after suffocating her first baby under the haze of delusional thinking. Much of the action in this short novella takes place in the car with Charlie driving and Simone sitting in the backseat with Haley and pointing the gun at Charlie’s head.
The suspense of The Fading Place is ramped up within the first few sentences and is maintained through the course of the story. There is no letdown. Mary SanGiovanni knows exactly how to maintain the tension mostly through a constant threat of deadly violence directed towards both mother and child. The sense of impending violence is visceral, and the image of the baby napping in her car seat with the pistol inches from her head is both unnerving and gut-wrenching. Simone is characterized as highly unpredictable and her instantaneous shifting between delusional anger and pathetic longing is convincing. Overall, the intensity of the story never wavered. I am not sure if being a parent weighs into this reaction, but I truly dreaded the outcome. Mary SanGiovanni proves that a writer can present a terror-filled ride that does not need anything supernatural to scare a reader – only a panicked mother who will do anything to protect her child.
The suspense of The Fading Place is ramped up within the first few sentences and is maintained through the course of the story. There is no letdown. Mary SanGiovanni knows exactly how to maintain the tension mostly through a constant threat of deadly violence directed towards both mother and child. The sense of impending violence is visceral, and the image of the baby napping in her car seat with the pistol inches from her head is both unnerving and gut-wrenching. Simone is characterized as highly unpredictable and her instantaneous shifting between delusional anger and pathetic longing is convincing. Overall, the intensity of the story never wavered. I am not sure if being a parent weighs into this reaction, but I truly dreaded the outcome. Mary SanGiovanni proves that a writer can present a terror-filled ride that does not need anything supernatural to scare a reader – only a panicked mother who will do anything to protect her child.
February 22, 2014
Mary SanGiovanni latest novella is another superb story that is a must read. I was personally affected by the story from the get-go. Having kids of my own the story really touched me and kept me stressed out for the baby all through it. The story is a thriller/horror depending on how you look at it. It begins with the car-jacking at gun point of a single mother and her child. It evolves into a situation where the mentally unstable intentions are to take the baby with her and the underlying assumption that the mother won't make it. It is a roller coaster of emotional struggle, fear and despair as I have not felt before. I have to admit this is a different type of story from what I expect from SanGiovanni but nevertheless I think she nails the emotional struggle, the stress and fear that a person must endure under these circumstances. It is a short read but it is intense, especially if you can put yourself in the shoes of Charlie. I will recommend the book to anyone who has ever feared for a the well-being of a child or love a good suspenseful thriller.
December 10, 2015
It has to be every mother’s worst nightmare, standing by your car, the baby strapped in the back seat when a gun is pressed against her and she’s told to drive. This is Charlie’s predicament, a single mother with her infant; suddenly driving away from safety with an unhinged woman named Simone pointing a gun and threatening both of them. This isn’t a carjacking though, Simone wants a baby, Charlie’s baby.
This short story takes us on a road trip through rural New Jersey as Simone instructs Charlie to her end destination. Simone is obsessed with the fade, something that sucks color and life from the world. Simone is extremely volatile and out of control, deeply disturbed and liable to snap at a moment’s notice. The author generates a very tense atmosphere throughout the book. There is an incredible sadness and emotion as we learn more of Simone’s motivations and experiences.
This is a powerful short story, unfortunately all too close to the real world. Gripping, and recommended reading. I will be sure to seek out some full length titles from Mary SanGiovanni.
This short story takes us on a road trip through rural New Jersey as Simone instructs Charlie to her end destination. Simone is obsessed with the fade, something that sucks color and life from the world. Simone is extremely volatile and out of control, deeply disturbed and liable to snap at a moment’s notice. The author generates a very tense atmosphere throughout the book. There is an incredible sadness and emotion as we learn more of Simone’s motivations and experiences.
This is a powerful short story, unfortunately all too close to the real world. Gripping, and recommended reading. I will be sure to seek out some full length titles from Mary SanGiovanni.
March 28, 2014
This was a very short, fast paced read where a young mother and her infant daughter are abducted by an unstable, disturbed woman. The rest of the story is a fairly suspenseful journey to a conclusion that you may or may not predict. It’s a well written book with little bits sprinkled in during the story as to the background of both young mother and disturbed abductor and the premise is setup appropriately to create the tension necessary to keep reading. Even though there were situations (one in particular) where you think you may have done differently, until you are put in that type of situation you really don’t know. That’s part of the allure of this type of story. Would you go all Rambo (or more appropriately here, Ripley) on her, would you try and be patient and alert for the best opportunity of escape, or would you panic into inaction. I didn’t love it, but I liked it and would recommend spending an hour or so to read it and find out.
May 20, 2014
This is the story of Charlie. Putting her baby in the car after a mornings shopping trip, she is accosted by a woman intent on abducting her and her baby. She needs Charlie to take her to a special place where she plans to kidnap the baby and she will stop at nothing until she reaches her goal.
This was a fantastic novella, I really enjoyed it. There was a couple of places that I felt things could have gone differently, but they didn't ruin the story for me, and this is just my opinion. My only real niggle is I wish it were longer! The tension throughout was palpable and the story belted along. Charlie was a strong lead and it was nice to have a female cast as a psychopath for a change! Another great addition to the DarkFuse library.
This was a fantastic novella, I really enjoyed it. There was a couple of places that I felt things could have gone differently, but they didn't ruin the story for me, and this is just my opinion. My only real niggle is I wish it were longer! The tension throughout was palpable and the story belted along. Charlie was a strong lead and it was nice to have a female cast as a psychopath for a change! Another great addition to the DarkFuse library.
January 5, 2014
This is a short story that takes place in the duration of a car ride. A crazy woman carjacks a single mother by gun and takes both the woman and her infant daughter hostage. We are witness the different psychological processes that Simone, the carjacker, suffers from.
She doesn’t want the car.
She doesn’t want the money that Charlie has.
She’s plotted this for a long while. She’s planned it all out down to credit card tracking and all.
All she wants is the baby.
What would you do, trapped in a car with a baby, desperate and crazy kidnapper, with no cell phone or communication with anyone?
Take a ride on a creepy, intense short story and find out more.
She doesn’t want the car.
She doesn’t want the money that Charlie has.
She’s plotted this for a long while. She’s planned it all out down to credit card tracking and all.
All she wants is the baby.
What would you do, trapped in a car with a baby, desperate and crazy kidnapper, with no cell phone or communication with anyone?
Take a ride on a creepy, intense short story and find out more.
June 25, 2014
I really enjoyed this little novella. It tells the story of Charlie and her baby Haley being taken hostage by Simone who has plans to take Haley for herself and dispose of Charlie.
This was extremely well written, the pacing was consistent and for such a short novella it gave enough back story for character development and to keep the story moving along. Having said that the ending was fairly predictable as well as some of the situations that came up but as a thriller this worked well for me and made for an enjoyable few hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews