Catwood

by J.T. Ellison

Five friends head on a weekend mountain getaway. Only four will return.

A group of writers from Nashville piles into a car and heads to the mountains of north Georgia for a work retreat—and a bit of drinking and gossip. They’ve booked a cabin in the woods with no internet and no cell service, and hopefully, no interruptions.

Near the cabin the friends discover the beautiful but decrepit Catwood manor, abandoned decades earlier. Detritus from its final lavish dinner party remains on the tables. Writer brains spin with a thousand questions, but two stand out: Why did the Catwood family abandon their mansion during a posh affair? And why did they never return?

A dark cave near the house may hold the answer. But learning the secret to the family’s disappearance will be deadly.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2018

About the author

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.

J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Reviews

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea was interesting , but I felt like it was bigger than a short story. Would have liked to have more!

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, creepy short story by one of my favorite writers of suspense.

[Liz Ekstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and really spooky. A perfect jump start for a reading slump.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oooh a great little story thriller!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A writer’s retreat at a remote location. Five friends are there for the weekend and during a walk a mansion is discovered. Investigating it shows it was abandoned in the middle of what seems a grand affair. Did the nearby caves and lie have anything to do with that? Then one of the writers is found floating face down in the lake after having bad dreams.

A fast read with lots of gothic overtones and a creepy atmosphere the whole way though. I liked it!

[MELISSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macabre

As always Ms Ellison’s writing is impeccable. In such a short story lies amazing descriptors such that I was walking and running with the heroine. I did not realize what a horror the experience would be. Wish I had not read it.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

So deliciously creepy

A ghostly short story that builds the suspense beautifully towards a spine-tingling ending. So relatable, a girls’ weekend story worth telling around the fire.

[Tom Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a complete waste of time, but close.

Simple ghost story anybody could have written. I wasn’t familiar with Ellison’s work so I thought I’d check it out. Now that I know, I won’t waste my time again. So it was worth the price.

[Margarita ~ The Adventurous Bibliophile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like finding quick listens to enjoy uninterrupted at the gym or wondering around Wal*Mart (57 mins on Hoopla). However, this one just fell so flat. I ended up listening to it twice and still was not grasping the plot or any real meaning of it.

[Amanda Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love JT Ellison, I am a harsh judge on short stories just because they don’t typically have enough for me to feel satisfied. I like this short story; however, I always feel that someone short could be apart of an epic book.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short novella by a master of thrills and suspense. Took me less than an hour to read, but lots of chills there!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short story. Well written and interesting. This could be made into a much longer book and it would be a good one.

[Katie Heaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, nice little ghost story.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story. I listened to the audiobook

[Heather Flaherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short ghost story. I would have liked it to be a little longer but I still enjoyed it!

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

É bastante assustador, com um final meio que inesperado, mas muito bom.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a very different book. Not much to it. You got a glimpse into the story.

[Janice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't a fan of this one. Didn't really get into it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy short story! A fun, quick audio book to listen to.

[Rebecca Guinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this story until the supernatural part started.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short, but good, atmospheric, could have been a full-length novel.

[Binge reading stories · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

it was good. I like the ending. wish this was a long book.