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Ghostly Shadows #3
Won't You Come and Save Me, Oh Soldier
The actress might be dead, but her voice keeps singing to him…
Something about that murdered woman got to the detective. She was a missing person he was tracing – a young starlet – but by the time he found her, she was a bloated corpse on a dockside. One moonless night she’d been beaten, strangled and dumped in the Thames.
Her gangster boyfriend thinks he’s got away with murder, but the detective is coming for him. The need for revenge burning at his soul. He might look like an average man, but there’s a new force within him – one that craves bloody vengeance…
Every night her song gets louder in his ears, but what will happen when its power is truly unleashed?
A brand new British horror tale perfect for all fans of James Herbert, Clive Barker, Iain Rob Wright and Dennis Wheatley.
Something about that murdered woman got to the detective. She was a missing person he was tracing – a young starlet – but by the time he found her, she was a bloated corpse on a dockside. One moonless night she’d been beaten, strangled and dumped in the Thames.
Her gangster boyfriend thinks he’s got away with murder, but the detective is coming for him. The need for revenge burning at his soul. He might look like an average man, but there’s a new force within him – one that craves bloody vengeance…
Every night her song gets louder in his ears, but what will happen when its power is truly unleashed?
A brand new British horror tale perfect for all fans of James Herbert, Clive Barker, Iain Rob Wright and Dennis Wheatley.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2019
38 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
F.R. Jameson
37 books223 followersF.R. Jameson was born in Wales, but now lives in London with his wife and young daughter. He writes both historical thrillers and supernatural thrillers.
His books are, at the moment, mostly sorted into two different – but complimentary – series. The first, ‘Screen Siren Noir’, currently comprises of three novels: ‘Diana Christmas’, ‘Eden St. Michel’ and ‘Alice Rackham’. All of which tell the stories of beautiful British film stars caught up in Noir tales of blackmail, obsession, scandal and death. He is currently working on both the fourth and fifth books in the series.
The second series is more disturbing and scary, and lives under the moniker: ‘Ghostly Shadows’. Right now there is only one book published, a tale of supernatural revenge – ‘Death at the Shadows’. However, 2019 will bring four more entries to terrify and intrigue.
His blog - https://frjameson.com/ - is regularly updated with information about his writing, as well as film and book reviews. You can follow him @frjameson on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and you can find him on Facebook.
His books are, at the moment, mostly sorted into two different – but complimentary – series. The first, ‘Screen Siren Noir’, currently comprises of three novels: ‘Diana Christmas’, ‘Eden St. Michel’ and ‘Alice Rackham’. All of which tell the stories of beautiful British film stars caught up in Noir tales of blackmail, obsession, scandal and death. He is currently working on both the fourth and fifth books in the series.
The second series is more disturbing and scary, and lives under the moniker: ‘Ghostly Shadows’. Right now there is only one book published, a tale of supernatural revenge – ‘Death at the Shadows’. However, 2019 will bring four more entries to terrify and intrigue.
His blog - https://frjameson.com/ - is regularly updated with information about his writing, as well as film and book reviews. You can follow him @frjameson on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and you can find him on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 23, 2019
In 1950s London the body of a young actress is found in the Thames & a private detective is determined to catch the killer for his final case.
FR Jameson proves once again that he is a master in creating fictional characters that feel like real people. His dialogue flows beautifully & reading one of his books is like meeting up with an old & trusted friend.
FR Jameson proves once again that he is a master in creating fictional characters that feel like real people. His dialogue flows beautifully & reading one of his books is like meeting up with an old & trusted friend.
July 19, 2019
My new novella WON'T YOU COME AND SAVE ME, OH SOLDIER is now. A tale of murder and supernatural revenge in 1950's London, it is well worth grabbing yourself a copy. From page one, this is a book of anticipation, of mounting dread. There is clearly something at the periphery which the reader isn’t aware of, and the narrator is only partly aware of. Gradually – and grippingly – all is revealed at the dramatic, terrifying conclusion.
As I say, well worth a read!
As I say, well worth a read!
December 13, 2021
Decent story but took me a while to get into it. pI detective stories aren't usually my thing but the paranormal aspect was what made me pick this up. The characters apart from the main hero weren't well developed for me and the paranormal element was missing in the first 2/3 or the book. Good quick read though.
July 2, 2021
This is a novella about revenge, and it's perfectly crafted. One private detective looking to solve a murder that the police have stalled on siding is the basis for this, and it is engaging and hard to put down.
January 11, 2022
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
I don’t like detective stories . The whodunit bores me. I have fallen asleep in many mystery books. I had hope that this one would be different since Jameson is quickly becoming my favorite horror author. It was different, but not enough to make me fall in love.
There were some of the staples of the detective novels that I am just bored of. The MC is a loner. He used to be on the force, but he left all of that behind him. Now he is a bit violent, a bit of a drunk, and can barely hold his own. He is on a personal vendetta against someone who has a ton more connections than him that the police can’t touch. At points, it felt like this book was just trying to be dark for dark sake. It felt like a better executed Happy. The MC was, of course, unreliable to add to the mystery of what was happening.
What was different then? There was a touch more paranormal. There was clearly something else happening. The unreliable part of the MC was not that he was delusional or drunk, it was paranormal interactions that he didn’t quite understand at first. I can’t say that by the end he fully understood it either.
What drew me into the story was that the MC was gay. I know that is a bit of a spoiler, but I’m not spoiling huge plot points. The way that his gayness was handled was fascinating. He was clearly self-loathing and homophobic. He didn’t feel like he deserved love and actively sabotaged his own happiness. He is not a good guy and he really should not be in a relationship until he can come to terms with his sexuality. This was truly the only part of the story that made it interesting for me. Jameson was able to create this really complex character and delve into some really dark places in that psyche. It was fascinating to watch and I could have dealt with pretty much any plot to be able to get into the MC’s head.
So overall, this book wasn’t for me. It is beautifully written and I can see it being popular with people who actually like mysteries and detective stories. This has not put me off Jameson’s writing. Instead it has shown me how powerful of a writer he is. He was able to get me to read a detective novel and actually like it more than I didn’t. There is some skill required to get someone into a genre that they just loath. So I have to applaud that.
I got an ARC of this book.
I don’t like detective stories . The whodunit bores me. I have fallen asleep in many mystery books. I had hope that this one would be different since Jameson is quickly becoming my favorite horror author. It was different, but not enough to make me fall in love.
There were some of the staples of the detective novels that I am just bored of. The MC is a loner. He used to be on the force, but he left all of that behind him. Now he is a bit violent, a bit of a drunk, and can barely hold his own. He is on a personal vendetta against someone who has a ton more connections than him that the police can’t touch. At points, it felt like this book was just trying to be dark for dark sake. It felt like a better executed Happy. The MC was, of course, unreliable to add to the mystery of what was happening.
What was different then? There was a touch more paranormal. There was clearly something else happening. The unreliable part of the MC was not that he was delusional or drunk, it was paranormal interactions that he didn’t quite understand at first. I can’t say that by the end he fully understood it either.
What drew me into the story was that the MC was gay. I know that is a bit of a spoiler, but I’m not spoiling huge plot points. The way that his gayness was handled was fascinating. He was clearly self-loathing and homophobic. He didn’t feel like he deserved love and actively sabotaged his own happiness. He is not a good guy and he really should not be in a relationship until he can come to terms with his sexuality. This was truly the only part of the story that made it interesting for me. Jameson was able to create this really complex character and delve into some really dark places in that psyche. It was fascinating to watch and I could have dealt with pretty much any plot to be able to get into the MC’s head.
So overall, this book wasn’t for me. It is beautifully written and I can see it being popular with people who actually like mysteries and detective stories. This has not put me off Jameson’s writing. Instead it has shown me how powerful of a writer he is. He was able to get me to read a detective novel and actually like it more than I didn’t. There is some skill required to get someone into a genre that they just loath. So I have to applaud that.
July 18, 2019
A detective hears a song that drives him to exact vengeance for a young starlet in Won't You Come and Save Me, Oh Soldier by F.R. Jameson.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Starting as a case to try and track down a missing actress, by the time the detective found her she was a corpse being pulled from the water of the Thames. Compelled by her song that he hears within the confines of his mind, he investigates those who were involved in her life, and are likely suspects in her untimely demise. With a need to exact revenge driving the detective forward, he sets up a trap to ensnare a notable gangster, and the starlet's boyfriend, who is suspected to have killed her. As the detective draws closer to getting vengeance for the woman's murder the song gets louder until a surprising power is released to bring a modicum of relief to the detective...for now.
A supernaturally infused and unsettling tale of a detective investigating a death features an interesting take on a siren that serves to compel the detective's actions toward destructive behavior in the name of revenge. The narrative develops with both current, real-time action, some of it a cleverly thought-out plan, as well as reminiscences of action in the recent past that provides more context to the entire situation, although this periodic shifting does require a bit of close attention. With suspense building up through withholding information, in the form of the detective not recalling everything he needs to, the text pieces together the rather interesting story of what caused the young woman's brutal death and how the detective wound up with the fascinating role he now undertakes.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Starting as a case to try and track down a missing actress, by the time the detective found her she was a corpse being pulled from the water of the Thames. Compelled by her song that he hears within the confines of his mind, he investigates those who were involved in her life, and are likely suspects in her untimely demise. With a need to exact revenge driving the detective forward, he sets up a trap to ensnare a notable gangster, and the starlet's boyfriend, who is suspected to have killed her. As the detective draws closer to getting vengeance for the woman's murder the song gets louder until a surprising power is released to bring a modicum of relief to the detective...for now.
A supernaturally infused and unsettling tale of a detective investigating a death features an interesting take on a siren that serves to compel the detective's actions toward destructive behavior in the name of revenge. The narrative develops with both current, real-time action, some of it a cleverly thought-out plan, as well as reminiscences of action in the recent past that provides more context to the entire situation, although this periodic shifting does require a bit of close attention. With suspense building up through withholding information, in the form of the detective not recalling everything he needs to, the text pieces together the rather interesting story of what caused the young woman's brutal death and how the detective wound up with the fascinating role he now undertakes.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2019
Won’t You Come and Save Me, Oh Soldier is another great addition to F.R. Jameson’s Ghostly Shadows series. It is a supernatural, thriller, whodunit novella with more than enough unique twists and turns to keep your interest.
A budding actress, who is dating a man with mob connections, goes missing. The movie studio, and her parents, hire a down-on-his luck private detective to find out where she has gone. When she turns up dead, the cops quickly give up on the case and the detective determines he will solve her murder as his last case before exiting the business.
The detective’s story unravels in a fascinating way as he becomes more and more obsessed with the actress and solving her murder. The smallest details in this book are able to convey more nuance and information without giving away the ending, as sometimes happens in this genre, than a normal detective story.
If you enjoy a good whodunit with a touch of the supernatural, then this is definitely the book and story for you. It is one you can sit down and read in a single sitting without feeling like the author is just dragging you along to increase the page count of the book. The characters are interesting and aren’t always what they seem. Their motives, even when they seem clear, aren’t always what they appear to be at first. You are naturally introduced to the supernatural without it overtaking the story or the interesting characters. Overall, this is a great read I would highly recommend.
I received a free, no-strings-attached, advanced reader’s copy of this book.
A budding actress, who is dating a man with mob connections, goes missing. The movie studio, and her parents, hire a down-on-his luck private detective to find out where she has gone. When she turns up dead, the cops quickly give up on the case and the detective determines he will solve her murder as his last case before exiting the business.
The detective’s story unravels in a fascinating way as he becomes more and more obsessed with the actress and solving her murder. The smallest details in this book are able to convey more nuance and information without giving away the ending, as sometimes happens in this genre, than a normal detective story.
If you enjoy a good whodunit with a touch of the supernatural, then this is definitely the book and story for you. It is one you can sit down and read in a single sitting without feeling like the author is just dragging you along to increase the page count of the book. The characters are interesting and aren’t always what they seem. Their motives, even when they seem clear, aren’t always what they appear to be at first. You are naturally introduced to the supernatural without it overtaking the story or the interesting characters. Overall, this is a great read I would highly recommend.
I received a free, no-strings-attached, advanced reader’s copy of this book.
July 19, 2019
This is another exceptional novel by F.R. Jameson. He certainly knows how to write a thoroughly entertaining Thriller. It has quite a few memorable and very diverse characters, which I love. I also enjoyed that the book is quite unpredictable, and I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen.
Being a private detective was just a little bit harder than being detective with the police force. It was certainly harder in this case when he wanted to investigate the death of Sarah Gosforth, who was found murdered down at the Surrey Docks. The hardest thing to comprehend was when the police had put the investigation on the back burner and had admitted to not actively spending too much of their time on it. Sarah had made the mistake of running around with the wrong crowd, and it wasn’t going to be an easy task to investigate some of the people she was last seen with. Dangerous would be an understatement. Seriously great entertainment from start to finish. 5/5 Star Rating.
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Being a private detective was just a little bit harder than being detective with the police force. It was certainly harder in this case when he wanted to investigate the death of Sarah Gosforth, who was found murdered down at the Surrey Docks. The hardest thing to comprehend was when the police had put the investigation on the back burner and had admitted to not actively spending too much of their time on it. Sarah had made the mistake of running around with the wrong crowd, and it wasn’t going to be an easy task to investigate some of the people she was last seen with. Dangerous would be an understatement. Seriously great entertainment from start to finish. 5/5 Star Rating.
Verified Purchase Amazon Australia
September 14, 2019
Another Wow story. I feel like each book gets better and better. It was well written and kept my interest till the end. I loved the story and was really shocked on the ending. Very good story and hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did. I find myself anxious to read the next one to see what will happen next. I hope to read more books from the author book shelf.
“I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book and was not required to leave a review.”
Thank you for sharing your book with us.
“I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book and was not required to leave a review.”
Thank you for sharing your book with us.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews