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The Mourner's Cradle: A Widow’s Journey

Tommy B. Smith (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 15 ratings · 12 reviews

The tale of a widow's harrowing journey through grief and peril into the cold remnants of a dead world.

Damon Sharpe had in part found victory, he believed, in his battle to unearth a truth obscured by time. By autumn, he was dead, leaving to his wife Anne a house of unfulfilled wishes, remnants, and the key to the enigma of his obsession, the Mourner’s Cradle.

A journey through grief and peril delivers Anne Sharpe from her home in St. Charles to the faraway skeletons of a long-dead civilization where she will find the desperate answers she seeks…or die trying.

This horror novel is perfect for fans of…

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz The Fisherman by John Langan The Grieving Stones by Gary McMahon Daphne du Maurier Thomas Ligotti Shirley Jackson Dan Simmons

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Interview with the author:

So what makes this horror novella so special?
It’s a story of inner darkness and shattered remnants. Not everyone is comfortable confronting tragedy and loss, yet it’s something most of us must eventually face. If the things we love are stripped away, what will remain? The Mourner’s Cradle is the story of a widow, Anne Sharpe, and her battle to make sense of her husband’s death, which places her on a dark and perilous path.

Tell us more about your lead character.
The invisible woman reveals herself. Her name is Anne Sharpe. People hardly noticed her before her husband’s death. Not everyone understands her. Her grief has brought out a dark fury in her, though perhaps it has been there for some time and her husband’s death was the catalyst for its liberation.

Why should readers give this book a try?
For a glimpse into the human abyss and a cold journey to long-forsaken pinnacles. So be careful, dear readers. You dance with skeletons.

Do you have other books featuring these characters?
The Mourner’s Cradle shares its setting of St. Charles with my debut horror novella, Poisonous. Some readers will find some familiarity in this, though The Mourner’s Cradle is its own story and a different tale of a different time.

...more

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Kindle Edition, 140 pages

Published September 14th 2018 by Crystal Lake Publishing

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Oct 09, 2018 John Adams rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror

AUTISM FRIENDLY REVIEW The Mourner's Cradle by Tommy B Smith

Be careful around Marion Cemetery or the shadows might carry you away.

Dominguez should know: he's the cemetery's only gravedigger!

This 96 page novella is set in St Charles in 1979. It opens with a section called Cemetery Whispers in which the reader is introduced to Lucy Newcomb through a description of her visit to her aunt's grave. She meets Dominguez fleetingly and then later having a drink in Candle Square asks Mike the bartender fo ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 Yvonne Davies rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-million-more-pages, game-night, horror, kindle-read, suspense

When Damon, Anne Sharpe’s husband suddenly passed away, all she wanted to do was to prove his name. Ridiculed in his academic field, Damon was trying to prove that the Mourner’s cradle, an old burial ground was real, and he thought he found it. Traveling to Peru, she not only has to battle the cold but other’s out for the research.
Whilst she did not know exactly what Damon was trying to do, her determination and sheer stubbornness, helped her through this trying time. Going with her was Ruben, a ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Steve Stred rated it it was amazing

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

“She couldn’t shake the thoughts of the cemetery from her mind.”

Absolute massive, huge apology to both Tommy B. Smith and Crystal Lake Publishing.

In November 2018, I read an interview with Mr Smith on Kendall Reviews. I was just in the process of joining the team and Gavin offered up an ARC of this book, ‘The Mourner’s Cradle’ for review. I accepted and then for some reason or another this thing got put aside, buried in my review TBR. There w ** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

“She couldn’t shake the thoughts of the cemetery from her mind.”

Absolute massive, huge apology to both Tommy B. Smith and Crystal Lake Publishing.

In November 2018, I read an interview with Mr Smith on Kendall Reviews. I was just in the process of joining the team and Gavin offered up an ARC of this book, ‘The Mourner’s Cradle’ for review. I accepted and then for some reason or another this thing got put aside, buried in my review TBR. There were a few times along the way where I saw the book on my Kindle and had two completely incorrect responses to not wanting to read it. The first was ‘I’m not in the right headspace to read a sad book.’ The second was ‘I’m not in the right headspace to read a 500-page sad book.’

Neither of these thoughts was even close to the real book, and I am truly sorry.

What this book is, is a 150-page thrill ride. Think Christopher Golden’s ‘Ararat.’

After Anne’s husband, Damon, unexpectedly dies at a young age from a heart attack in his sleep, she decides to pick up his life work. The search for the mythical Mourner’s Cradle. A place where an ancient civilization in Peru went to die. No official documents claim it exists, but Damon was convinced, even after it ran his academic career into the ground.

Anne partners up with Damon’s friend Ruben and they head off in search of this place.

Smith does a fantastic job of keeping the action coming and a part of me wishes that the book had been 500 pages, just to get more of the Indiana Jones moments.

The ending of this book works really well. After I was finished, I had to take a few moments to really process how it played out and what it all meant. Smith did a great job of connecting the opening of the book, the widow’s journey, the mourner’s cradle and the city of St. Charles that connected Anne to everything.

This was a great read, which made me feel all the worse that it had been pushed aside a few times.

Looking forward to diving into the other works from this author. ...more

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Aug 24, 2019 Bandit rated it liked it

Such is the quality of Silver Lake Publishers that seldom do I need to check plot summaries or reviews. Usually I just read whatever freebies they tend to so generously provide for reviews to their subscribers. That means no idea what to expect from this book, but initial chapter promised a mysterious vanished South American civilization and that certainly sounded right up my alley. Subsequent chapters took the story in another direction, something more along the lines of survival at high altitu ...more

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Apr 23, 2020 Jonathan Pongratz rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Original Review at Jaunts & Haunts

4/5

I gave this novel four stars!

In a nutshell, this book is about a widow named Anne Sharpe. Her husband Damon was researching a location he thought housed a long-gone civilization just before he died, and in a strange turn of events, Anne decides to embark on a journey to discover just what lies there.

Expecting a hard trek, Anne's journey quickly spirals out of control, turning into a complete nightmare. Can she survive the brutal landscape where this supposed ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri rated it it was amazing

Review: THE MOURNER'S CRADLE by Tommy B. Smith

A strong heroine is always to be desired, and in THE MOURNER'S CRADLE author Tommy B. Smith offers us one of the strongest. Newly widowed Anne Sharpe, wife of an unfortunately discredited historical/archaeological researcher, is nearly indefatigable. Not a superman (in the Nietzschean meaning), but an individual who withstands far more than most in contemporary pampered culture could tolerate. I think she's become one of my idols. Like the Timex watc ...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Swords & Spectres rated it it was ok

I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

When I received a copy of The Mourner’s Cradle it ticked all of the boxes I wanted it to tick at a first glance. It had archaeological discovery and a race to unearth something thought lost to time by some and purely a myth by others. It has the horror element to it and sounded like a bit of a thriller/page-turner. That, and the fact that it’s published by Crystal Lake. I haven’t read anything of theirs yet that I d I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

When I received a copy of The Mourner’s Cradle it ticked all of the boxes I wanted it to tick at a first glance. It had archaeological discovery and a race to unearth something thought lost to time by some and purely a myth by others. It has the horror element to it and sounded like a bit of a thriller/page-turner. That, and the fact that it’s published by Crystal Lake. I haven’t read anything of theirs yet that I did not enjoy.

Sadly, as with all things, there is a first time for everything. This was my first time reading something from Crystal Lake that I did not enjoy. Judging by the reviews and ratings The Mourner’s Cradle has gotten so far, I am in the minority as the reviews seem overwhelmingly positive.

The Mourner’s Cradle started as it meant to carry on. Unbelievable. I am aware that where fantasy/sci-fi/horror are concerned, suspending disbelief is required … but to have a mourning widow get the better of a trained hitman/hired muscle in a fight just had me shaking my head in pure disbelief. Sadly, our heroine continued to do the impossible on many occasions. I won’t list those many feats that she manages or how many times she cheated death in unbelievable situations due to spoiling it for those wanting to read.

The writing itself is very strong and you can tell the author has a lot of talent for the craft. It just read like I was reading the sort of thing a videogame character might do/accomplish sometimes and it really soured my enjoyment. In fact, at times, it felt like Tomb Raider was on the page rather than on the screen.

The ending seemed to just happen without making too much sense and, after all is said and done, I came away really disliking the protagonist. That is something I hate feeling like after reading a book, especially after the author has tried to make you get on her side.

This, for me, felt like a chore despite its length. I can only hope others have more enjoyment than I did with it.
...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Johann rated it it was amazing

Got this as an ARC for an honest review.
Anne is slowly collapsing in on herself after the death of her husband Damon. She comes to the realization that when Damon was alive she had been competing with her husband's mistress....his research. Now after his death she decides to finish where he left off and complete his work since it seems it is the only way for her to come to grips with why he chose his work more then time spent with her. Damon was trying to find a legendary graveyard in a remote p ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Amy Shannon rated it really liked it

Raw and gritty

Smith pens a great horror story in The Mourner's Cradle. It's an interesting story featuring Anne Sharpe. This story takes the reader on Anne's journey. It's filled with intrigue and grit, and I enjoyed this story. There was an intense feeling that lingers throughout the story. It gives a sense of despicable behavior of the human condition, while also sharing grief and even a bit of insanity. This story was well-written, and the pace of the story was part of great flow from beginni ...more

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Jun 13, 2020 Iseult Murphy rated it liked it

Interesting

After the death of her husband, obsession drives his widow on a quixotic quest, which might just bring about the end of the world.
I found parts of the story interesting. The main characters annoyed me.

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Oct 14, 2018 Paula rated it liked it

A widow's journey to finding herself... you can read my full review here https://horrornovelreviews.com/2018/1... ...more

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Oct 11, 2018 Ann Keeran rated it it was amazing

A fantastic book with a widow trying to discover what her husband was searching for. A story of courage and perseverance.

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About Tommy B. Smith

Tommy B. Smith

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Tommy B. Smith is a writer of dark fiction, award-winning author of The Mourner's Cradle, Poisonous, the short story collection Pieces of Chaos, and the new coming of age novel, Anybody Want to Play WAR? His presence currently infests Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he resides with his wife and cats.

More information can be found on his website at http://tommybsmith.net. ...more