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Green Marble Mysteries #1
Healey's Cave
Sam Moore's little brother vanished fifty years ago. No body. No answers. What Sam has is a boatload of guilt, since he failed to accompany Billy on his final, fateful bike ride. "...a delightfully diabolical mystery with a chilling paranormal plot. Exceptionally written, this book will capture readers with a unique chase for a murderer that transcends time and space." -- Joyce Handzo, for In the Library Reviews
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2010
About the author
Aaron Paul Lazar
42 books188 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. Author of 28 books, including three addictive mystery series, writing books, a romantic suspense series, and a new love story series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com. Aaron has won 21 book awards for his novels and finds writing to be his form of "cheap therapy." Feel free to network with him on Facebook or his website; he loves to connect with readers!
Visit his website at www.lazarbooks.com.
more about the author:
Aaron Paul Lazar wasn’t always a mystery writer. It wasn’t until eight members of his family and friends died within five years that the urge to write became overwhelming. “When my father died, I lost it. I needed an outlet, and writing provided the kind of solace I couldn’t find elsewhere.”
Lazar created the Gus LeGarde mystery series, with the founding novel, DOUBLE FORTÉ (2004), a chilling winter mystery set in the Genesee Valley of upstate New York. Like Lazar’s father, protagonist Gus LeGarde is a classical music professor. Gus, a grandfather, gardener, chef, and nature lover, plays Chopin etudes to feed his soul and thinks of himself as a “Renaissance man caught in the 21st century.”
The creation of the series lent Lazar the comfort he sought, yet in the process, a new passion was unleashed. Obsessed with his parallel universe, he now lives, breathes, and dreams about his characters, and has written eleven LeGarde mysteries.
One day while rototilling his gardens, Lazar unearthed a green cat’s eye marble, which prompted the new paranormal mystery series featuring Sam Moore, retired country doctor and zealous gardener. The green marble, a powerful talisman, connects all three of the books in the series, whisking Sam back in time to uncover his brother’s dreadful fate fifty years earlier. (THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BILLY MOORE; TERROR COMES KNOCKING, and FOR KEEPS) Lazar intends to continue both series, in addition to three contemporary new series including Tall Pines Mysteries, set in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, Paines Creek love stories series, set on Cape Cod, and Bittersweet Hollow romantic suspense series, set in Vermont.
Lazar’s books feature breathless chase scenes, nasty villains, and taut suspense, but are also intensely human stories, replete with kids, dogs, horses, food, romance, and humor. The author calls them, “country mysteries,” although reviewers have dubbed them “literary mysteries.”
“It seems as though every image ever impressed upon my brain finds its way into my work. Whether it’s the light dancing through stained-glass windows in a Parisian chapel, curly slate-green lichen covering a boulder at the edge of a pond in Maine, or hoarfrost dangling from a cherry tree branch in mid-winter, these images burrow into my memory cells. In time they bubble back, persistently itching, until they are poured out on the page.”
Lazar lives on a ridge overlooking the Genesee Valley in upstate New York with his wife, mother-in-law, beloved Cavi-poo, Balto, Cavi-bichon, Amber, and four cats. He and his wife, Dale, now have seven grandchildren to spoil and they enjoy every second of it!
Visit his website at www.lazarbooks.com.
more about the author:
Aaron Paul Lazar wasn’t always a mystery writer. It wasn’t until eight members of his family and friends died within five years that the urge to write became overwhelming. “When my father died, I lost it. I needed an outlet, and writing provided the kind of solace I couldn’t find elsewhere.”
Lazar created the Gus LeGarde mystery series, with the founding novel, DOUBLE FORTÉ (2004), a chilling winter mystery set in the Genesee Valley of upstate New York. Like Lazar’s father, protagonist Gus LeGarde is a classical music professor. Gus, a grandfather, gardener, chef, and nature lover, plays Chopin etudes to feed his soul and thinks of himself as a “Renaissance man caught in the 21st century.”
The creation of the series lent Lazar the comfort he sought, yet in the process, a new passion was unleashed. Obsessed with his parallel universe, he now lives, breathes, and dreams about his characters, and has written eleven LeGarde mysteries.
One day while rototilling his gardens, Lazar unearthed a green cat’s eye marble, which prompted the new paranormal mystery series featuring Sam Moore, retired country doctor and zealous gardener. The green marble, a powerful talisman, connects all three of the books in the series, whisking Sam back in time to uncover his brother’s dreadful fate fifty years earlier. (THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BILLY MOORE; TERROR COMES KNOCKING, and FOR KEEPS) Lazar intends to continue both series, in addition to three contemporary new series including Tall Pines Mysteries, set in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, Paines Creek love stories series, set on Cape Cod, and Bittersweet Hollow romantic suspense series, set in Vermont.
Lazar’s books feature breathless chase scenes, nasty villains, and taut suspense, but are also intensely human stories, replete with kids, dogs, horses, food, romance, and humor. The author calls them, “country mysteries,” although reviewers have dubbed them “literary mysteries.”
“It seems as though every image ever impressed upon my brain finds its way into my work. Whether it’s the light dancing through stained-glass windows in a Parisian chapel, curly slate-green lichen covering a boulder at the edge of a pond in Maine, or hoarfrost dangling from a cherry tree branch in mid-winter, these images burrow into my memory cells. In time they bubble back, persistently itching, until they are poured out on the page.”
Lazar lives on a ridge overlooking the Genesee Valley in upstate New York with his wife, mother-in-law, beloved Cavi-poo, Balto, Cavi-bichon, Amber, and four cats. He and his wife, Dale, now have seven grandchildren to spoil and they enjoy every second of it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 12, 2016
This was an audiobook requested directly from the author on Goodreads's lovely Audiobooks group; both description and sample sounded intriguing. And it is a good story, with a good narration: George Kuch is a unique and engaging reader. My only issue with his reading was his delivery of the toddler's voice, which – combined with a certain brattiness to the dialogue as written – made me flinch every time the child came into a scene. The bedtime scene made me want to go get a hold of this book.
It is not a fast-paced story. The main character is Sam, a doctor who has just retired, and who is addicted to working out doors. And I use the word "addicted" advisedly: it was actually a little worrying that whenever Sam is not outdoors mowing and weeding and planting he is longing to be. The book's entire first hour is an amiable ramble through Sam's gardening, and huge tracts of the rest of the book are very much like it. That knotweed is a tough son of a gun.
Sam's little brother Billy disappeared when they were, respectively, twelve and eleven, and Sam has survived the past fifty years believing that Billy was taken, probably killed, by a seriously unstable neighbor who was a relentless bully back in the day. After all these years Sam still suffers – is his brother still alive somewhere? If so, why has he never at least contacted his family? Did he suffer? What happened It's not something that ever loses its grip on a person.
But there were a few problems as well. I found it a little hard to believe that Sam completely forgets to report something extraordinary Healey – the bully – cries out in extremis; there was a lot going on, but I would think that when someone says it might stick in one's memory.
Something that kept throwing me off was the age difference between the two brothers. Again, at the time of the disappearance, Sam was twelve and Billy eleven … but Sam comes off as years older than Billy in the flashbacks. When he disappeared Billy was eleven and Sam was twelve, yet the dynamic was more like little brother with much older brother.
Apparently, from the author's introduction, part of the inspiration of the book was that his wife challenged him to write a book from a killer's point of view, and so chunks of the book explore the thought processes of a psychopath. There were mixed results with that technique. On one hand, he did an excellent job of masking the killer's identity. I thought I was being fairly clever in picking up what I thought were pretty obvious clues. What I didn't realize was that the clues were built to be obvious: it was a trap, for which I fell.
What wasn't so successful was some of the motivation behind the killings. It got a little eye-roll-inducing. The killer's mommy never baked him chocolate chip cookies. So sad. And I find it difficult to swallow that the worst epithet this bad guy could come up with for a man who did something terrible to a woman he loved was "the big jerk".
It also bothered me that though Sam specifically says he fears for his grandson (not the bratty toddler, his older brother), nothing seems to change in anyone's behavior; no precautions, nothing. (And it really bothered me that the eleven-year-old grandson pulls something off near the end of the book which is unlikely and frankly unnecessarily ridiculous. )
All of that being said, the writing was solid – there were some really nice descriptions, and good characterizations – I very much liked Sam and his wife. I liked the lingering effects that the horror of Billy's disappearance still has on Sam. I liked the eventual solution to the crimes. I liked the time travel device. I wish the pace had been a little less leisurely, but there was a lot to enjoy here.
It is not a fast-paced story. The main character is Sam, a doctor who has just retired, and who is addicted to working out doors. And I use the word "addicted" advisedly: it was actually a little worrying that whenever Sam is not outdoors mowing and weeding and planting he is longing to be. The book's entire first hour is an amiable ramble through Sam's gardening, and huge tracts of the rest of the book are very much like it. That knotweed is a tough son of a gun.
Sam's little brother Billy disappeared when they were, respectively, twelve and eleven, and Sam has survived the past fifty years believing that Billy was taken, probably killed, by a seriously unstable neighbor who was a relentless bully back in the day. After all these years Sam still suffers – is his brother still alive somewhere? If so, why has he never at least contacted his family? Did he suffer? What happened It's not something that ever loses its grip on a person.
But there were a few problems as well. I found it a little hard to believe that Sam completely forgets to report something extraordinary Healey – the bully – cries out in extremis; there was a lot going on, but I would think that when someone says it might stick in one's memory.
Something that kept throwing me off was the age difference between the two brothers. Again, at the time of the disappearance, Sam was twelve and Billy eleven … but Sam comes off as years older than Billy in the flashbacks. When he disappeared Billy was eleven and Sam was twelve, yet the dynamic was more like little brother with much older brother.
Apparently, from the author's introduction, part of the inspiration of the book was that his wife challenged him to write a book from a killer's point of view, and so chunks of the book explore the thought processes of a psychopath. There were mixed results with that technique. On one hand, he did an excellent job of masking the killer's identity. I thought I was being fairly clever in picking up what I thought were pretty obvious clues. What I didn't realize was that the clues were built to be obvious: it was a trap, for which I fell.
What wasn't so successful was some of the motivation behind the killings. It got a little eye-roll-inducing. The killer's mommy never baked him chocolate chip cookies. So sad. And I find it difficult to swallow that the worst epithet this bad guy could come up with for a man who did something terrible to a woman he loved was "the big jerk".
It also bothered me that though Sam specifically says he fears for his grandson (not the bratty toddler, his older brother), nothing seems to change in anyone's behavior; no precautions, nothing. (And it really bothered me that the eleven-year-old grandson pulls something off near the end of the book which is unlikely and frankly unnecessarily ridiculous. )
All of that being said, the writing was solid – there were some really nice descriptions, and good characterizations – I very much liked Sam and his wife. I liked the lingering effects that the horror of Billy's disappearance still has on Sam. I liked the eventual solution to the crimes. I liked the time travel device. I wish the pace had been a little less leisurely, but there was a lot to enjoy here.
September 11, 2010
Healey’s Cave by Aaron Paul Lazar is a wonderful, mellow mystery, gently wrapped in a mist of paranormal phenomenon. This is not your typical whodunit with detectives, amateur or professional; it is more of an absorbing unravelling of secrets, heartbreak and murder.
Healey’s Cave centers on Sam Moore, his family, friends and the unsolved childhood disappearance of his brother Billy. When a grisly discovery reopens Billy’s case and links it to a serial killer, long kept secrets and fresh danger start spilling into Sam’s life. If that wasn’t bad enough, the unearthing of a strange green marble is pulling Sam back into the past to his and Billy’s childhood. Is Sam time-travelling, going crazy or is Billy’s spirit trying to tell him the awful truth? That a killer might be closer than he thinks.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from its engaging plot, to the realistic setting and characterization. Even the haunting paranormal aspects of the book meld seamlessly and add an extra depth to the story; the supernatural side of the plotline is not overplayed. The reader may wonder at the how of the strange happenings caused by a small green marble, but there is never a feeling of being cheated. The author is very skilled at convincing you of the urgency and the need of these inexplicable events. The rest of the book satisfies as well, with the mystery elements pulling just enough twists and turns (plus one or two red herrings) to keep you guessing. There are ample suspects, a demented killer, motives, tragedies, and a bittersweet conclusion to gratify the average mystery lover.
However, the best part of the novel is contained in the rich depiction of the characters and their interaction. These characters are three-dimensional, well portrayed people, be they strong and family oriented, flawed with secrets or the puzzling dark villain. And they live in a world just as fully realised; you can almost smell the fragrant flowers on a wafting country breeze as you read the words.
Healey’s Cave is a superb book that anyone should take pleasure in reading.
Healey’s Cave centers on Sam Moore, his family, friends and the unsolved childhood disappearance of his brother Billy. When a grisly discovery reopens Billy’s case and links it to a serial killer, long kept secrets and fresh danger start spilling into Sam’s life. If that wasn’t bad enough, the unearthing of a strange green marble is pulling Sam back into the past to his and Billy’s childhood. Is Sam time-travelling, going crazy or is Billy’s spirit trying to tell him the awful truth? That a killer might be closer than he thinks.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from its engaging plot, to the realistic setting and characterization. Even the haunting paranormal aspects of the book meld seamlessly and add an extra depth to the story; the supernatural side of the plotline is not overplayed. The reader may wonder at the how of the strange happenings caused by a small green marble, but there is never a feeling of being cheated. The author is very skilled at convincing you of the urgency and the need of these inexplicable events. The rest of the book satisfies as well, with the mystery elements pulling just enough twists and turns (plus one or two red herrings) to keep you guessing. There are ample suspects, a demented killer, motives, tragedies, and a bittersweet conclusion to gratify the average mystery lover.
However, the best part of the novel is contained in the rich depiction of the characters and their interaction. These characters are three-dimensional, well portrayed people, be they strong and family oriented, flawed with secrets or the puzzling dark villain. And they live in a world just as fully realised; you can almost smell the fragrant flowers on a wafting country breeze as you read the words.
Healey’s Cave is a superb book that anyone should take pleasure in reading.
Read
August 29, 2017First lot the Sam Moore mysteries. Sam's younger brother vanished at eleven years old. Sam has suffered due to not riding with him when the younger brother got a bike.
Fifty years later a skull starts a new mystery..
A green marble and time trips to the past build the story.
I Reccommend this book.
Sharon Pribble
June 13, 2012
Healey’s Cave
Author: Aaron Paul Lazar
One man would find something so powerful yet small that it will change his whole life, take him back in time and allow him to find the answers to a fifty- year old mystery. Sam Moore is a retired family doctor is about to enter a whole new realm. Retirement can bring financial security, time to enjoy your hobbies and allow you to do all the things you want to do and never got around to. But, Sam is haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother Billy and will not rest until he finds out the truth behind his disappearance. Cleaning out the weeds in his garden and knowing their was mowing to be done, his wife Rachel, concerned about his retiring, not wanting him to cuddle and pamper her even though she is ill, sends Sam out to tackle those weeds. But, what he finds in the earth in his garden will change his life forever. Hidden in the dirt is a green cat’s eye marble that glows. Take the trip back in time, get your own green marble and enter the past with Sam Moore as he flashes back to his childhood, scenes reliving them as if they are in the present and hopes to learn the truth behind his disappearance. Some connections are hard to severe. The loss of his brother was devastating coupled with his mysterious disappearance the gnawing feeling in his heart and soul lingered until the present time not able to find any closure until he gets the answers he needs to move on. Sam Moore would get those answers but not in the usual way. This simple discovery of a green marble would transport his body, mind and soul back in time to where it all began hopefully soldering the connections that were severed in the past and bring the solutions into the present.
An instant green flash, a green marble with powers so strong would pull him back and now his journey begins. Take the trip back in time as author Aaron Lazar, Sam, this reviewer and you the reader enter the world of Healey’s Cave.
Floating in the air and rising above the clouds looking down Sam observed something that would pry on his mind until the truth or the reality of what he was clarified. Reliving an experience from his childhood he not only felt his brother’s presence but experienced it too. Joined by his friends Harvey, Bruce and his first real crush Renee, the author introduces the reader to his life before Billy went missing and allows us to get a brief glimpse of Mr. Healey. Mr. Healey was a mean, awful and hateful man who disliked kids. Waking from his dream he remembers and recounts the events to Rachel as they both remember that Billy’s birthday was this same day. Knowing or thinking that the man responsible was moving back to their town gave both Rachel and Sam an uneasy feeling. Learning that his friend Bruce just might be the next President exciting. But, the green marble once again takes Sam back in time to an incident that would burn within his mind as much as it did the tent that he and his friends were sleeping in. Just who caused the fire and why you will have to learn for yourself as the pieces are starting to slowly come back to Sam and maybe the answers too.
As all of his old friends and Healy arrive back in time for various reasons just where will this take Sam and traveling back to the past will it finally illuminate more than the glow of the green marble but the answers that Billy might be trying to communicate to him from wherever he is. His grandsons visiting and closeness and love shines through as you learn more about the circumstances surrounding Billy’s disappearance and the impending danger to any other young boys and even his own grandson. Imagine what Evan, his grandson felt as Healey confronted him and the evil stare would make anyone shudder.
Grab that green marble again and let’s go back along with Sam and find out what happens next. In the back of an old Oldsmobile Bruce and Billy were sitting together with their baseball gloves and bats. Remembering the game did not make Sam happy and the hot tears that scalded his face and the shame he felt would not subside. But, his brother was there and his love for him and his friend Bruce’s support would endear you to both. But, when Sam awakens from his dream the reality that he sees in the barn will shake him to the core. Finding a body in his barn and having to deal with who it might be would definitely lead him to believe it might be his brother. Linking the body to that of unsolved cold case, Sam is relieved in one respect to know the body does not belong to Billy but the grief he feels and the sadness he feels would reopen the hidden anger and fear that lingers within him. But, there are other victims of this serial killer and Billy just might be one of them.
Sam’s house is broken into and Billy’s toys ransacked and some stolen. The memories flood back as the serial killer’s voice is heard and the threats are made. Killing young boys at age 11 and stopping them before they reach 12 leaving a medal of honor with the body to taunt the families. Just why the medals and who is next will not surprise you as Sam’s dreams become a reality and the fear that Evan might be next comes to his mind. One last kill the killer states while Sam and his friends are at a retreat the killer plans his next attack. But, Sam is disturbed by what he learns and even more by the clues left by the killer in plain sight. We are then given a first hand look inside Healey’s Cave as the author shares Sam’s childhood experiences with the reader and the present being hit in the head. Luring Sam into the cave, taunting him and stealing Billy’s toys and then leaving his truck for Sam to find, just who is behind the murders and if not Healey could it be someone close to him? A startling dream that Evan and Sam shares brings the murderer even closer as Sam thinks it might be one of his childhood friends. Listening and hearing the voice of the killer who tries to rationalize his thinking and convince you the reader as he has done himself that this murder is justified. Sam on an overnight campout with his friends alludes to the fact that they are suspects in his mind as they share more memories of the past.
But, another dream changes things and this time Sam is shot. But, what happens next and the startling revelation of who the killer is and what really happened to Billy will make the reader and Sam question the meanings of loyalty, trust, friendship and revenge. A hidden secret among friends reveals a truth that would shock Sam’s world and question not only his sanity but his friendships too. An ending that is explosive and a killer so insane you begin to wonder how he hid in plain sight and almost got away with more. Just what happens and will the marble finally reveal the truth about Billy, the killer and his death to Sam? What happens when he realizes that killer is really after Evan?
Characters so well defined and a family torn apart with grief and a killer who seeks revenge and leaves no clues behind. The ending was so tense, gripping, electrifying and well orchestrated that until the very end you won’t know who did it, why and the end result for all those involved. Just what happens inside Healey’s Cave and how will it link the past and the present you won’t know unless you read this outstanding novel, ask Sam to borrow the green marble and take the trip back in time to where it all began and why. Sam Moore is one character that you can fall in love with. Honest, understanding, fearful at times, frightened about dealing with his own retirement and caring for Rachel and dealing with her illness Sam has to deal with his past, his childhood friendships and his own hope for the future. Let’s see where the green marble takes Sam next.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
I give this book: FIVE GLOWING GREEN MARBLES AND ONE EXTRA FOR ME!
Author: Aaron Paul Lazar
One man would find something so powerful yet small that it will change his whole life, take him back in time and allow him to find the answers to a fifty- year old mystery. Sam Moore is a retired family doctor is about to enter a whole new realm. Retirement can bring financial security, time to enjoy your hobbies and allow you to do all the things you want to do and never got around to. But, Sam is haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother Billy and will not rest until he finds out the truth behind his disappearance. Cleaning out the weeds in his garden and knowing their was mowing to be done, his wife Rachel, concerned about his retiring, not wanting him to cuddle and pamper her even though she is ill, sends Sam out to tackle those weeds. But, what he finds in the earth in his garden will change his life forever. Hidden in the dirt is a green cat’s eye marble that glows. Take the trip back in time, get your own green marble and enter the past with Sam Moore as he flashes back to his childhood, scenes reliving them as if they are in the present and hopes to learn the truth behind his disappearance. Some connections are hard to severe. The loss of his brother was devastating coupled with his mysterious disappearance the gnawing feeling in his heart and soul lingered until the present time not able to find any closure until he gets the answers he needs to move on. Sam Moore would get those answers but not in the usual way. This simple discovery of a green marble would transport his body, mind and soul back in time to where it all began hopefully soldering the connections that were severed in the past and bring the solutions into the present.
An instant green flash, a green marble with powers so strong would pull him back and now his journey begins. Take the trip back in time as author Aaron Lazar, Sam, this reviewer and you the reader enter the world of Healey’s Cave.
Floating in the air and rising above the clouds looking down Sam observed something that would pry on his mind until the truth or the reality of what he was clarified. Reliving an experience from his childhood he not only felt his brother’s presence but experienced it too. Joined by his friends Harvey, Bruce and his first real crush Renee, the author introduces the reader to his life before Billy went missing and allows us to get a brief glimpse of Mr. Healey. Mr. Healey was a mean, awful and hateful man who disliked kids. Waking from his dream he remembers and recounts the events to Rachel as they both remember that Billy’s birthday was this same day. Knowing or thinking that the man responsible was moving back to their town gave both Rachel and Sam an uneasy feeling. Learning that his friend Bruce just might be the next President exciting. But, the green marble once again takes Sam back in time to an incident that would burn within his mind as much as it did the tent that he and his friends were sleeping in. Just who caused the fire and why you will have to learn for yourself as the pieces are starting to slowly come back to Sam and maybe the answers too.
As all of his old friends and Healy arrive back in time for various reasons just where will this take Sam and traveling back to the past will it finally illuminate more than the glow of the green marble but the answers that Billy might be trying to communicate to him from wherever he is. His grandsons visiting and closeness and love shines through as you learn more about the circumstances surrounding Billy’s disappearance and the impending danger to any other young boys and even his own grandson. Imagine what Evan, his grandson felt as Healey confronted him and the evil stare would make anyone shudder.
Grab that green marble again and let’s go back along with Sam and find out what happens next. In the back of an old Oldsmobile Bruce and Billy were sitting together with their baseball gloves and bats. Remembering the game did not make Sam happy and the hot tears that scalded his face and the shame he felt would not subside. But, his brother was there and his love for him and his friend Bruce’s support would endear you to both. But, when Sam awakens from his dream the reality that he sees in the barn will shake him to the core. Finding a body in his barn and having to deal with who it might be would definitely lead him to believe it might be his brother. Linking the body to that of unsolved cold case, Sam is relieved in one respect to know the body does not belong to Billy but the grief he feels and the sadness he feels would reopen the hidden anger and fear that lingers within him. But, there are other victims of this serial killer and Billy just might be one of them.
Sam’s house is broken into and Billy’s toys ransacked and some stolen. The memories flood back as the serial killer’s voice is heard and the threats are made. Killing young boys at age 11 and stopping them before they reach 12 leaving a medal of honor with the body to taunt the families. Just why the medals and who is next will not surprise you as Sam’s dreams become a reality and the fear that Evan might be next comes to his mind. One last kill the killer states while Sam and his friends are at a retreat the killer plans his next attack. But, Sam is disturbed by what he learns and even more by the clues left by the killer in plain sight. We are then given a first hand look inside Healey’s Cave as the author shares Sam’s childhood experiences with the reader and the present being hit in the head. Luring Sam into the cave, taunting him and stealing Billy’s toys and then leaving his truck for Sam to find, just who is behind the murders and if not Healey could it be someone close to him? A startling dream that Evan and Sam shares brings the murderer even closer as Sam thinks it might be one of his childhood friends. Listening and hearing the voice of the killer who tries to rationalize his thinking and convince you the reader as he has done himself that this murder is justified. Sam on an overnight campout with his friends alludes to the fact that they are suspects in his mind as they share more memories of the past.
But, another dream changes things and this time Sam is shot. But, what happens next and the startling revelation of who the killer is and what really happened to Billy will make the reader and Sam question the meanings of loyalty, trust, friendship and revenge. A hidden secret among friends reveals a truth that would shock Sam’s world and question not only his sanity but his friendships too. An ending that is explosive and a killer so insane you begin to wonder how he hid in plain sight and almost got away with more. Just what happens and will the marble finally reveal the truth about Billy, the killer and his death to Sam? What happens when he realizes that killer is really after Evan?
Characters so well defined and a family torn apart with grief and a killer who seeks revenge and leaves no clues behind. The ending was so tense, gripping, electrifying and well orchestrated that until the very end you won’t know who did it, why and the end result for all those involved. Just what happens inside Healey’s Cave and how will it link the past and the present you won’t know unless you read this outstanding novel, ask Sam to borrow the green marble and take the trip back in time to where it all began and why. Sam Moore is one character that you can fall in love with. Honest, understanding, fearful at times, frightened about dealing with his own retirement and caring for Rachel and dealing with her illness Sam has to deal with his past, his childhood friendships and his own hope for the future. Let’s see where the green marble takes Sam next.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
I give this book: FIVE GLOWING GREEN MARBLES AND ONE EXTRA FOR ME!
May 18, 2015
When I began to read Healey’s Cave, a new novel by Aaron Paul Lazar, the author and the book immediately captivated me.
I was and still am especially intrigued by how the author as artist has drawn his characters. He sketches the relationship of man and wife in soft strokes, like a lovely pen and ink drawing on fine paper. A grandparent taking delight in the love of his grandchildren, is a pastel portrait framed in gold. Childhood friendships drenched in sepia tones are like old photographs in a long forgotten album taken from the shelf. Flowers in a garden, horses long gone from their stalls in a barn, the feel of leaf mold in the hands of a man who loves the earth— are sense memories so strong, that individuals spontaneously manifest themselves in complete fullness upon the page.
The pace of the book from the very beginning also is to my liking. Nothing is rushed. There is no leap headlong into a maze of frantic action nor is there a plunge into needless back-story. There is a gracious and soft unfolding of detail, layer upon layer, as if one were looking at a painting of a lush landscape.
At first we see the truth of things as through the mists of the natural world in early morning. Gradually the early light matures, and forms emerge; moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, the mid-day comes. Characters reveal themselves. The story unfolds.
Sam Moore is a methodical man, used to figuring out mysteries in life by using tried and true principles. He has honed his solid intellect during many years as a physician and isn’t prone to imagining things. He begins the very first day of his retirement from private practice with a degree of certainty that he would eventually like being away from the office, but before the day is over he is not quite sure whether or not he will be able to keep from going crazy.
Sam loves to work in his garden. And now that he has time to spend there, he hopes his love of the soil will soothe and smooth the inevitable feelings of transition he expects to experience. Instead, he begins an adventure of mind, heart and spirit that will shake him to the core of his being.
It all begins with the innocent discovery of a marble in the soft friable earth. One of those big, bright, green glowing cat’s eye marbles kids used to call “shooters”. The marble flashes scenes of his boyhood, flashes of remembrance of his younger brother Billy, who had been so dear, the brother whose disappearance had left behind an unsolved mystery and a hole in Sam Moore’s heart. The marble seemed alive in his hand, glowing and almost hot to the touch, reminding Sam that this, the first day of his retirement, was also the anniversary of his brother’s birth.
"…memory flashed through him—brief, but palpable. Billy and he, aged twelve and eleven, had walked barefoot on the hot pavement after a spring rain. Soft tar warmed their feet. Rain puddles sizzled and misted on the road. The boys laughed, then raced home to dinner. Steak, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and salad. Billy's favorite. Sam checked the date on his watch. May twenty-fourth. Billy turns sixty-one today.
The little boy who slept in the bottom bunk, who breathed hot, sweet breath on his face when they hid in the closet beneath the stairs, who offered his sticky hand during scary movies, and who mysteriously disappeared on his eleventh birthday—would be sixty-one today.
He closed his eyes and let the wind blow across his face. The breeze lifted his hair. Sam felt the cool soft touch brush his leathery skin. He pictured his brother communicating with him from Heaven. He'd often imagined it, and was comforted by the thought."
Had it really been fifty years? Was he hearing his brother speak to him from across the void?
A strange ritualistic serial killer had been targeting young boys every five years since the time of Billy’s disappearance. Could Billy have been one of his victims? Bodies of other young boys had been found. But Billy simply had disappeared without a trace. Questions swirled and whirled in Sam’s mind. Was the killer still alive? Would he strike again? Was his own grandson a potential target?
Aaron Lazar is a master storyteller. The sense of intrigue never dims in this book. As we look over Sam Moore’s shoulder into the fire of the Green Marble, we are drawn with him into an experience of the paranormal, seeing into the unseen worlds he unearths, never to rest until we know the whole truth about what happened to his brother Billy— and to the others.
Though never fond of detective stories or murder mysteries myself, even when written by such greats as PD James, or Agatha Christie, I now must confess that I feel quite compelled to read all of Aaron’s novels. I love a good story. This is one of the most intriguing stories I have read in a very long time.
I was and still am especially intrigued by how the author as artist has drawn his characters. He sketches the relationship of man and wife in soft strokes, like a lovely pen and ink drawing on fine paper. A grandparent taking delight in the love of his grandchildren, is a pastel portrait framed in gold. Childhood friendships drenched in sepia tones are like old photographs in a long forgotten album taken from the shelf. Flowers in a garden, horses long gone from their stalls in a barn, the feel of leaf mold in the hands of a man who loves the earth— are sense memories so strong, that individuals spontaneously manifest themselves in complete fullness upon the page.
The pace of the book from the very beginning also is to my liking. Nothing is rushed. There is no leap headlong into a maze of frantic action nor is there a plunge into needless back-story. There is a gracious and soft unfolding of detail, layer upon layer, as if one were looking at a painting of a lush landscape.
At first we see the truth of things as through the mists of the natural world in early morning. Gradually the early light matures, and forms emerge; moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, the mid-day comes. Characters reveal themselves. The story unfolds.
Sam Moore is a methodical man, used to figuring out mysteries in life by using tried and true principles. He has honed his solid intellect during many years as a physician and isn’t prone to imagining things. He begins the very first day of his retirement from private practice with a degree of certainty that he would eventually like being away from the office, but before the day is over he is not quite sure whether or not he will be able to keep from going crazy.
Sam loves to work in his garden. And now that he has time to spend there, he hopes his love of the soil will soothe and smooth the inevitable feelings of transition he expects to experience. Instead, he begins an adventure of mind, heart and spirit that will shake him to the core of his being.
It all begins with the innocent discovery of a marble in the soft friable earth. One of those big, bright, green glowing cat’s eye marbles kids used to call “shooters”. The marble flashes scenes of his boyhood, flashes of remembrance of his younger brother Billy, who had been so dear, the brother whose disappearance had left behind an unsolved mystery and a hole in Sam Moore’s heart. The marble seemed alive in his hand, glowing and almost hot to the touch, reminding Sam that this, the first day of his retirement, was also the anniversary of his brother’s birth.
"…memory flashed through him—brief, but palpable. Billy and he, aged twelve and eleven, had walked barefoot on the hot pavement after a spring rain. Soft tar warmed their feet. Rain puddles sizzled and misted on the road. The boys laughed, then raced home to dinner. Steak, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and salad. Billy's favorite. Sam checked the date on his watch. May twenty-fourth. Billy turns sixty-one today.
The little boy who slept in the bottom bunk, who breathed hot, sweet breath on his face when they hid in the closet beneath the stairs, who offered his sticky hand during scary movies, and who mysteriously disappeared on his eleventh birthday—would be sixty-one today.
He closed his eyes and let the wind blow across his face. The breeze lifted his hair. Sam felt the cool soft touch brush his leathery skin. He pictured his brother communicating with him from Heaven. He'd often imagined it, and was comforted by the thought."
Had it really been fifty years? Was he hearing his brother speak to him from across the void?
A strange ritualistic serial killer had been targeting young boys every five years since the time of Billy’s disappearance. Could Billy have been one of his victims? Bodies of other young boys had been found. But Billy simply had disappeared without a trace. Questions swirled and whirled in Sam’s mind. Was the killer still alive? Would he strike again? Was his own grandson a potential target?
Aaron Lazar is a master storyteller. The sense of intrigue never dims in this book. As we look over Sam Moore’s shoulder into the fire of the Green Marble, we are drawn with him into an experience of the paranormal, seeing into the unseen worlds he unearths, never to rest until we know the whole truth about what happened to his brother Billy— and to the others.
Though never fond of detective stories or murder mysteries myself, even when written by such greats as PD James, or Agatha Christie, I now must confess that I feel quite compelled to read all of Aaron’s novels. I love a good story. This is one of the most intriguing stories I have read in a very long time.
May 16, 2016
This is an interesting mystery novel with magical realism added in.
The book is about Sam who's younger brother Billy disappeared when he was a child. Now retired Sam is an avid gardener. He first finds a marble that has magical powers and can transport him into his memories of when he was a child and with Billy. Then while in his garden he comes across the bones of a boy. He is convinced that they are Billy's. The police investigate and find that they aren't Billy's but are in fact the bones of of another missing boy. This opens up an investigation of a serial killer for the FBI. Sam all the while is also looking for the killer because he wants to know what happened to Billy and the marble leads him to different clues.
I liked Sam he was a kind family man. He adored his brother and wanted some sort of closure. At times he was a little too persistent but overall I liked him.
Rachel, Sam's wife, was supportive. She was a strong woman. She had MS but didn't let it stop he from doing her everyday activities.
Evan Sam's older grandson was unbelievably intelligent. Really almost unbelievably. I can't remember how old he was but not older than 11 and he tracks IP addresses. That's pretty crazy. But hey kids today! Otherwise he's on ok and kind of on the quiet side.
Timmy is definitely not quiet. That kid never shuts up. He's all "mine" and "I want". Smart kid too though.
The pacing of the book was good. It moved quickly and steadily.
It's a very interesting story and it had a lot of twists that were unexpected and that were not due to the magical aspect of the story which I liked.
I'm interested to see how the marble will come into play in the future novels in this series.
I listened to this novel on audiobook. I thought the narrator fit the atmosphere of the book well. It was told from Sam's point of view and the narrator was perfect for his character. I think he was an excellent choice for this book.
I was gifted a copy of this audiobook by the author. This is an unbiased review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book is about Sam who's younger brother Billy disappeared when he was a child. Now retired Sam is an avid gardener. He first finds a marble that has magical powers and can transport him into his memories of when he was a child and with Billy. Then while in his garden he comes across the bones of a boy. He is convinced that they are Billy's. The police investigate and find that they aren't Billy's but are in fact the bones of of another missing boy. This opens up an investigation of a serial killer for the FBI. Sam all the while is also looking for the killer because he wants to know what happened to Billy and the marble leads him to different clues.
I liked Sam he was a kind family man. He adored his brother and wanted some sort of closure. At times he was a little too persistent but overall I liked him.
Rachel, Sam's wife, was supportive. She was a strong woman. She had MS but didn't let it stop he from doing her everyday activities.
Evan Sam's older grandson was unbelievably intelligent. Really almost unbelievably. I can't remember how old he was but not older than 11 and he tracks IP addresses. That's pretty crazy. But hey kids today! Otherwise he's on ok and kind of on the quiet side.
Timmy is definitely not quiet. That kid never shuts up. He's all "mine" and "I want". Smart kid too though.
The pacing of the book was good. It moved quickly and steadily.
It's a very interesting story and it had a lot of twists that were unexpected and that were not due to the magical aspect of the story which I liked.
I'm interested to see how the marble will come into play in the future novels in this series.
I listened to this novel on audiobook. I thought the narrator fit the atmosphere of the book well. It was told from Sam's point of view and the narrator was perfect for his character. I think he was an excellent choice for this book.
I was gifted a copy of this audiobook by the author. This is an unbiased review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 13, 2012
With the introduction of his newest series, Sam Moore Mysteries, Aaron Lazar has given his many fans another cause for rejoicing. I've just finished reading Healey's Cave which so engrossed me on a busy traveling holiday that it commanded every free second.
Sam Moore, the protagonist, is a just-retired small town family doctor, loving husband, devoted grandfather, avid gardener, and enthusiastic chef. On his first morning of retirement Moore sets out before breakfast determined to eradicate the 12-foot high invasive Japanese Knot wood "jungle" threatening to overtake his gardens and unearths a cloudy green marble known as a cat's-eye. The marble reminds him of those his younger brother Billy and he played with as children. Fifty years earlier, Billy mysteriously disappeared on his 11th birthday. The marble exerts a strange pull on Moore's psyche, alarming him with strange experiences as he starts to plum the questions surrounding his brother's disappearance Might the marble have been Billy's, he wonders. Was Billy really dead? Was he a victim of a serial killer that had been murdering 11-year-old boys every five years? Was Moore's own grandson the next victim? Or was Billy still alive and trying to reach him?
Lazar has aptly named this mystery Healey's Cave, for its pages hold many a surprise tunnel and twisted turn. The warm portrayal of Moore's love for his family, the insights into the MS that crippled his wife and the details of his work in gardens rife with blooms and in kitchens redolent with scent bring to this mystery a dimension of humanity I found very appealing. Lazar has woven an intriguing tapestry of secrets that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to the next in the series and more of Lazar's writing.
Sam Moore, the protagonist, is a just-retired small town family doctor, loving husband, devoted grandfather, avid gardener, and enthusiastic chef. On his first morning of retirement Moore sets out before breakfast determined to eradicate the 12-foot high invasive Japanese Knot wood "jungle" threatening to overtake his gardens and unearths a cloudy green marble known as a cat's-eye. The marble reminds him of those his younger brother Billy and he played with as children. Fifty years earlier, Billy mysteriously disappeared on his 11th birthday. The marble exerts a strange pull on Moore's psyche, alarming him with strange experiences as he starts to plum the questions surrounding his brother's disappearance Might the marble have been Billy's, he wonders. Was Billy really dead? Was he a victim of a serial killer that had been murdering 11-year-old boys every five years? Was Moore's own grandson the next victim? Or was Billy still alive and trying to reach him?
Lazar has aptly named this mystery Healey's Cave, for its pages hold many a surprise tunnel and twisted turn. The warm portrayal of Moore's love for his family, the insights into the MS that crippled his wife and the details of his work in gardens rife with blooms and in kitchens redolent with scent bring to this mystery a dimension of humanity I found very appealing. Lazar has woven an intriguing tapestry of secrets that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to the next in the series and more of Lazar's writing.
August 26, 2011
A deep black cover with a haunting image of a cave invites the reader into this slightly paranormal mystery about surprisingly genuine and normal people. Healey’s Cave by Aaron Paul Lazar tells of a local doctor just entering retirement, looking forward to working on the land round his childhood home. The place holds plants with weeds that threaten to overcome, and memories with sorrows that threaten to destroy them all.
When Sam was twelve, his eleven-year-old brother disappeared. Sam never came to terms with the loss, always feeling like an outsider, left behind and alone, till he fell in love and married the beautiful Rachel. These days Rachel’s dealing with losses of her own as her health fails. But delightful grandchildren lighten the couple’s days and give meaning to the future. Till Sam finds a marble and falls into memories and fear.
The mystery of Sam’s loss blends with the scents of a summer’s day barbeque and the sound of friends laughing over drinks. The joy of the present blends with guilt from the past and fear of the future. Suspicion falls on friend and foe alike, and the marble glows.
The prose is lyrical, the dialog just right, the characters intriguing, and the sense of present and past times very real. A pleasing mystery, easily read and comfortably satisfying, Healey’s Cave brings cozy mystery to the great outdoors of the Genesee valley and the smoky feel of a camp-fire tale.
Disclosure: I read this as a judge in the mystery section of the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards, where it made it to the winners circle
When Sam was twelve, his eleven-year-old brother disappeared. Sam never came to terms with the loss, always feeling like an outsider, left behind and alone, till he fell in love and married the beautiful Rachel. These days Rachel’s dealing with losses of her own as her health fails. But delightful grandchildren lighten the couple’s days and give meaning to the future. Till Sam finds a marble and falls into memories and fear.
The mystery of Sam’s loss blends with the scents of a summer’s day barbeque and the sound of friends laughing over drinks. The joy of the present blends with guilt from the past and fear of the future. Suspicion falls on friend and foe alike, and the marble glows.
The prose is lyrical, the dialog just right, the characters intriguing, and the sense of present and past times very real. A pleasing mystery, easily read and comfortably satisfying, Healey’s Cave brings cozy mystery to the great outdoors of the Genesee valley and the smoky feel of a camp-fire tale.
Disclosure: I read this as a judge in the mystery section of the Dan Poynter Global eBook Awards, where it made it to the winners circle
June 26, 2014
HEALeY’S CAVE AARON PAUL LAZAR
50 yrs earlier Sam Moore’s eleven year old brother Billy disappeared thrusting Sam into a deep depression born from the grief. Fast forward 50 years and Sam Moore is a retired physician with way too much time on his hands and a huge garden to tend. Sam is still obsessed with what happened to his brother and best buddy. Was he kidnapped or killed? The mystery will be solved after several red herrings are thrown in path of solving the disappearance. Keep reading you won’t be disappointed!
Like the LeGarde series Aaron has woven this tale in the middle of home turf in upstate New York. Sam Moore is another likeable character from Mr. Lazars imagination. His grandson Timmy is so real and loveable.
HEALY’S CAVE has a slightly paranormal bent to it as well as heart stopping suspense. Readers will fall in love with Sam and his family as they have been written with love. I am thrilled to give Healys Cave five stars for brilliant story telling.
50 yrs earlier Sam Moore’s eleven year old brother Billy disappeared thrusting Sam into a deep depression born from the grief. Fast forward 50 years and Sam Moore is a retired physician with way too much time on his hands and a huge garden to tend. Sam is still obsessed with what happened to his brother and best buddy. Was he kidnapped or killed? The mystery will be solved after several red herrings are thrown in path of solving the disappearance. Keep reading you won’t be disappointed!
Like the LeGarde series Aaron has woven this tale in the middle of home turf in upstate New York. Sam Moore is another likeable character from Mr. Lazars imagination. His grandson Timmy is so real and loveable.
HEALY’S CAVE has a slightly paranormal bent to it as well as heart stopping suspense. Readers will fall in love with Sam and his family as they have been written with love. I am thrilled to give Healys Cave five stars for brilliant story telling.
November 5, 2014
Healey's Cave by Aaron Paul Lazar came as a complete surprise for me. I am a die hard Gus LeGarde fan, so was very excited to meet Sam Moore. This story adds a supernatural twist to a very compelling mystery. I love getting the back ground information on all the characters and the story line in really compelling. Lazar is a pro at the details, which is my favorite part of his mysteries. Sometimes the answers are in the details. A definite must read!
February 27, 2015
I really loved this book. The mystery was intriguing, and paranormal elements were woven so artfully into the story that they felt plausible. What I loved most was the central characters gentle affectionate relationships, with his grandchildren and with his wife. This was a great story!
July 24, 2015
I am not surprised to find this is a great read. Aaron is one who has yet to disappoint me. He has a way of taking you, the reader into the homes and lives of his characters, and making you want to stay. Bravo!! Another story beyond five stars!!
September 29, 2015
Good book
I enjoy this author's writing. The Sam Moore character is such a good man. It is refreshing and a good mystery also.
I enjoy this author's writing. The Sam Moore character is such a good man. It is refreshing and a good mystery also.
October 28, 2020
A Unique Mystery
For the past fifty years, Sam Moore has been haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother, Billy. It happened on Billy’s birthday. He took off to ride the fancy bike he’d been given to show it off without Sam by his side. Since Sam had told Billy he’d join him, he’s lived a lifetime of guilt for abandoning his brother when he received a phone call from a special girl. Now, Sam is retired and dwells more and more on his brother’s fate.
Working the ground, Sam discovers a green marble cat’s eye. This isn’t an ordinary marble. It has magical powers and occasionally transports Sam’s mind back to the past when Billy was alive. He senses Billy is trying to send him clues of what happened to him.
In upstate New York, a serial killer strikes every five year, each time killing an eleven-year-old boy. Sam believes Billy was one of his victims. The killer is cunning and has managed to escape detection. Through a series of events, Sam has been able to determine the serial killer is someone he knows and suspects it might be one of his childhood friends. Some have remained in the small town. One has just returned and plans to restore an old mansion. The time frame for the killer to strike again is approaching. Sam’s grandson, Evan, is turning eleven. Will Sam be able to unveil the killer before another boy perishes?
In “The Disappearance of Billy Moore,” the author has expertly woven the life of a loving family into a suspenseful, intriguing mystery. The author, Aaron Lazar, again, has done an exceptional job in describing the scenes and making the characters believable. The story is so well-plotted that it kept me guessing who the killer might be. This is an engaging read!
For the past fifty years, Sam Moore has been haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother, Billy. It happened on Billy’s birthday. He took off to ride the fancy bike he’d been given to show it off without Sam by his side. Since Sam had told Billy he’d join him, he’s lived a lifetime of guilt for abandoning his brother when he received a phone call from a special girl. Now, Sam is retired and dwells more and more on his brother’s fate.
Working the ground, Sam discovers a green marble cat’s eye. This isn’t an ordinary marble. It has magical powers and occasionally transports Sam’s mind back to the past when Billy was alive. He senses Billy is trying to send him clues of what happened to him.
In upstate New York, a serial killer strikes every five year, each time killing an eleven-year-old boy. Sam believes Billy was one of his victims. The killer is cunning and has managed to escape detection. Through a series of events, Sam has been able to determine the serial killer is someone he knows and suspects it might be one of his childhood friends. Some have remained in the small town. One has just returned and plans to restore an old mansion. The time frame for the killer to strike again is approaching. Sam’s grandson, Evan, is turning eleven. Will Sam be able to unveil the killer before another boy perishes?
In “The Disappearance of Billy Moore,” the author has expertly woven the life of a loving family into a suspenseful, intriguing mystery. The author, Aaron Lazar, again, has done an exceptional job in describing the scenes and making the characters believable. The story is so well-plotted that it kept me guessing who the killer might be. This is an engaging read!
May 8, 2017
A boy vanishes on his eleventh birthday. Years later, when he would be sixty-one, there’s still no clue to his fate. Is he dead, or is he alive?
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BILLY MOORE, by Author Aaron Paul Lazar, tells the story of Billy Moore, the boy that disappeared, and his brother, Sam, who after all those years, still wonders about the fate of Billy. Aaron Paul Lazar is a master at writing mysteries, and in the ook, the reader will wonder the same things that Sam wonders. How could a boy that he’d seen only a few minutes earlier suddenly vanish, without a trace? Surely someone knows what happened to him? But who? And why hasn’t anyone come forward with information about the boy’s disappearance?
Even though many years have passed, Sam still hopes to discover the answer to his questions. One day, while he’s working in the garden, Sam digs up a cat’s eye marble. Is it Billy’s? It eems to glow, and suddenly, Sam is transported to another realm, where he sees his brother and himself, as the young boys they once were.
The author adds a touch of magic to the story, as Sam seeks to lean the fate of Billy. It’s time. He’s waited too long as it is. What follows is a suspense-filled story of one man who won’t give up until he knows the truth. A story that will keep the reader guessing as to what happens next. What do you think happened to Billy?
A good novel that mystery lovers should enjoy.
###
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BILLY MOORE, by Author Aaron Paul Lazar, tells the story of Billy Moore, the boy that disappeared, and his brother, Sam, who after all those years, still wonders about the fate of Billy. Aaron Paul Lazar is a master at writing mysteries, and in the ook, the reader will wonder the same things that Sam wonders. How could a boy that he’d seen only a few minutes earlier suddenly vanish, without a trace? Surely someone knows what happened to him? But who? And why hasn’t anyone come forward with information about the boy’s disappearance?
Even though many years have passed, Sam still hopes to discover the answer to his questions. One day, while he’s working in the garden, Sam digs up a cat’s eye marble. Is it Billy’s? It eems to glow, and suddenly, Sam is transported to another realm, where he sees his brother and himself, as the young boys they once were.
The author adds a touch of magic to the story, as Sam seeks to lean the fate of Billy. It’s time. He’s waited too long as it is. What follows is a suspense-filled story of one man who won’t give up until he knows the truth. A story that will keep the reader guessing as to what happens next. What do you think happened to Billy?
A good novel that mystery lovers should enjoy.
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September 5, 2018
Having just retired, Sam looks forward to spending time in his garden, helping his wife, enjoying his grandchildren, and reflecting on his memories. The disappearance of his kid brother 50 years ago is particularly haunting to him. Will unearthing a skeleton in his garden bring closure to the past? Will it help unravel the mystery, just in time before the serial killer sets his sights on his next victim, which may well be Sam’s grandchild?
The emphasis on gardening not only leads to uncovering clues that have been buried in the dirt of a long time but also assist in character development, especially for Sam. It highlights his patience, his love to care. “Another object flashed from the dirt. Sam backed up the tiller and dug until his fingers closed around a small marble. He picked it up, rubbed it on his jeans, and held it to the light.” The supernatural element gave the story a special twist. “The transport to the past was swift this time, whisking Sam back to his childhood the instant his hand closed around the marble.”
Unlike other books I’ve read by Aaron Paul Lazar, this one is written not only from the point of view of the protagonist but also from that of the murderer. This adds contrast to the yarn, as we enter a dark mind, proud of his so-called accomplishments and wanting the one he’s preparing for now the ultimate kill. “The next one will be special. Probably my last.”
Higly recommended. Five stars.
The emphasis on gardening not only leads to uncovering clues that have been buried in the dirt of a long time but also assist in character development, especially for Sam. It highlights his patience, his love to care. “Another object flashed from the dirt. Sam backed up the tiller and dug until his fingers closed around a small marble. He picked it up, rubbed it on his jeans, and held it to the light.” The supernatural element gave the story a special twist. “The transport to the past was swift this time, whisking Sam back to his childhood the instant his hand closed around the marble.”
Unlike other books I’ve read by Aaron Paul Lazar, this one is written not only from the point of view of the protagonist but also from that of the murderer. This adds contrast to the yarn, as we enter a dark mind, proud of his so-called accomplishments and wanting the one he’s preparing for now the ultimate kill. “The next one will be special. Probably my last.”
Higly recommended. Five stars.
February 24, 2023
I'm not sure how I feel about the magic marble bit. I was expecting it, but it still felt a little forced and artificial to me. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the mystery and most of the characters were entertaining. I had a strong suspicion from small hints throughout the story who the bad guy would ultimately end up being, but the rest of the resolution was a complete surprise. I'm a little ambivalent about it, honestly, because although I understand why kids might do what Sam's childhood friends did when Billy disappeared, I found it disturbing that as adults not even one chose to correct it. I'm hoping this will be explained a little further in the subsequent volumes, but I suspect the author will prefer to focus on new events.
October 6, 2020
Mystery meets time travel and both win
This book combines 2 of my reading loves, a good mystery and of course time travel. I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but didn't find out till the end, I was wrong and with a nice twist the right bad guy was caught. I enjoyed the writing and the use of an usual object for time travel. I would prefer several hundred of years back in time, but 50 years was just perfect for this story. Looking foward to reading the other books in the series.
This book combines 2 of my reading loves, a good mystery and of course time travel. I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but didn't find out till the end, I was wrong and with a nice twist the right bad guy was caught. I enjoyed the writing and the use of an usual object for time travel. I would prefer several hundred of years back in time, but 50 years was just perfect for this story. Looking foward to reading the other books in the series.
December 8, 2020
This is a tragic story but very interesting because Sam feels guilty about his brother, Billy that disappeared 50 years ago and finds a green marble that looks like Billy's marble. When Same holds it he is transported back in time. I listened to this a lot the last 4 days and wanted to find out what happened but there is a surprise you will not expect towards the end.
April 5, 2021
Billy Moore
What a great read. This book is by far one of the best I've read this year. Great story line, characters and well written. I found it very refreshing to read a book that wasn't excessive in violence, no foul language nor sexual connotations. Lazar gives just enough to let your imagination run wild.
What a great read. This book is by far one of the best I've read this year. Great story line, characters and well written. I found it very refreshing to read a book that wasn't excessive in violence, no foul language nor sexual connotations. Lazar gives just enough to let your imagination run wild.
July 23, 2021
I loved this book from the preface to the ending. Great read. Well written. Characters are rich and evolving. Surroundings are vivid. I felt I knew the repeating spots like my own favourite places. Loved the writing style. Loved the gardening references. Just loved, loved, loved. I read a lot. I haven't said that in a very long time. Excellent.
May 30, 2020
When the case of Billy is reopened, secrets and a serial killer is found of bones every five years A grandson and the anniversary is coming up, is he the next target. Good spell binding novel. The narration was good
Given audio for my voluntary review and my voluntary review
Given audio for my voluntary review and my voluntary review
August 4, 2022
Great mystery
This story kept you on your toes until the end. Never would have suspected who the killer was. Liked the paranormal thread throughout the story. Can't wait to read the next book.
This story kept you on your toes until the end. Never would have suspected who the killer was. Liked the paranormal thread throughout the story. Can't wait to read the next book.
September 18, 2020
This was the first book I have read by Mr. Lazar but it will definitely not be the last. I could easily picture the setting by the clear description and the characters were so real. A very fast read.
February 10, 2022
Excellent read
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested from start to finish. Anyone who enjoys mysteries will enjoy this one. A little something here for everyone.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested from start to finish. Anyone who enjoys mysteries will enjoy this one. A little something here for everyone.
April 21, 2016
This listen kept me interested until the end. I had an idea who the killer really was about 1/3 of the way through but the mystery and story were so compelling, I didn't care. I wanted to know what happened to Billy.
Sam and Billy are brothers...and best friends. Until the day Billy disappeared 50 years ago. Sam has gone on with his life (grew up, became a doctor, got married, is now a grandfather) but he still thinks about Billy everyday and wonders what happened to him. He even goes so far as to concoct elaborate scenarios in which Billy is alive. The book opens on the day Sam retires and begins a hefty clean up of his overgrown yard. He finds a marble. He begins to have very vivid dreams about scenes from Billy's life. In the real world, someone is tormenting him about Billy and is closing in on him.
There are definite elements that don't make sense in this book like the fact that it is so obvious someone is targeting him but the police don't watch him, his family, or his house. And in this one neighborhood, so many warped people, is too much to believe. Also, the climax scene has way too much action to be believable. Even with these inconsistencies, though, the story of Sam's bond with his brother is so absorbing that I listened with interest to the end because I wanted to know about Billy and then how Sam would deal with the knowledge.
George Kuch did an excellent job with the narration and was Sam. Nothing he did ever brought me out of the story. I enjoyed his voice and appreciated that he didn't reach for the female characters.
I received this book for free from Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
Sam and Billy are brothers...and best friends. Until the day Billy disappeared 50 years ago. Sam has gone on with his life (grew up, became a doctor, got married, is now a grandfather) but he still thinks about Billy everyday and wonders what happened to him. He even goes so far as to concoct elaborate scenarios in which Billy is alive. The book opens on the day Sam retires and begins a hefty clean up of his overgrown yard. He finds a marble. He begins to have very vivid dreams about scenes from Billy's life. In the real world, someone is tormenting him about Billy and is closing in on him.
There are definite elements that don't make sense in this book like the fact that it is so obvious someone is targeting him but the police don't watch him, his family, or his house. And in this one neighborhood, so many warped people, is too much to believe. Also, the climax scene has way too much action to be believable. Even with these inconsistencies, though, the story of Sam's bond with his brother is so absorbing that I listened with interest to the end because I wanted to know about Billy and then how Sam would deal with the knowledge.
George Kuch did an excellent job with the narration and was Sam. Nothing he did ever brought me out of the story. I enjoyed his voice and appreciated that he didn't reach for the female characters.
I received this book for free from Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2016
I received a copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Aaron Paul Lazar's latest series starts with a 50 year old mystery. Sam Moore is haunted by his brother Billy's disappearance. Sam has just retired and is enjoying his gardening when he finds a green marble, much like Billy used to have. The marble 'pulls' him into the past, into thinking about his brother and his friends. The story would have been maudlin except that Sam unearths a skeleton in his garden, one of a string of serial murders stretching back more than 50 years, with the next one planned for a few days later.
Past and present collide in this suspenseful mystery.
The audio performance was wonderful. George Kuch adopts a grandfatherly tone for Sam and the narrator with lighter tones for the boys, past and present. Nineteen month old Timmy, who speaks in short bursts, is delightful. And scenes from the murderer's point of view, rough voiced and a little paranoid, send chills down your spine. Listeners will be drawn into the performance until heart-pounding conclusion.
Aaron Paul Lazar's latest series starts with a 50 year old mystery. Sam Moore is haunted by his brother Billy's disappearance. Sam has just retired and is enjoying his gardening when he finds a green marble, much like Billy used to have. The marble 'pulls' him into the past, into thinking about his brother and his friends. The story would have been maudlin except that Sam unearths a skeleton in his garden, one of a string of serial murders stretching back more than 50 years, with the next one planned for a few days later.
Past and present collide in this suspenseful mystery.
The audio performance was wonderful. George Kuch adopts a grandfatherly tone for Sam and the narrator with lighter tones for the boys, past and present. Nineteen month old Timmy, who speaks in short bursts, is delightful. And scenes from the murderer's point of view, rough voiced and a little paranoid, send chills down your spine. Listeners will be drawn into the performance until heart-pounding conclusion.
March 28, 2016
A murder mystery with a little supernatural flair, and a bit of a weird ending. Definitely didn't see that coming. It worked, but didn't seem quite as plausible as other possible endings.
I did enjoy listening to this book. There were only a couple of times when the descriptions seemed to go on a little long, but for the most part, the author does a great job of setting the scene and allowing us to get to know the characters (especially Sam and his wife). I loved their dynamic and it really worked well within the story.
The narration was pretty good for the most part. I did find myself wondering, "Who just said that?" a few times as it was a little difficult to tell who was speaking at certain points. But for most of the book, it was easy to tell.
Really enjoyed listening. It was pretty fast paced and didn't get hung up too much on arbitrary facts or backstory.
Overall, great book in what looks to be a good series!
I received a free copy of this audio book for an honest review.
I did enjoy listening to this book. There were only a couple of times when the descriptions seemed to go on a little long, but for the most part, the author does a great job of setting the scene and allowing us to get to know the characters (especially Sam and his wife). I loved their dynamic and it really worked well within the story.
The narration was pretty good for the most part. I did find myself wondering, "Who just said that?" a few times as it was a little difficult to tell who was speaking at certain points. But for most of the book, it was easy to tell.
Really enjoyed listening. It was pretty fast paced and didn't get hung up too much on arbitrary facts or backstory.
Overall, great book in what looks to be a good series!
I received a free copy of this audio book for an honest review.
March 31, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
There are times a good mystery grabs hold of you and won't let go. There are many secrets that need to be uncovered and the journey to get there is a rollercoaster ride.
I must say of all the Aaron Paul Lazar books I have listened to this has to be the best. It is now my favorite of his.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
There are times a good mystery grabs hold of you and won't let go. There are many secrets that need to be uncovered and the journey to get there is a rollercoaster ride.
I must say of all the Aaron Paul Lazar books I have listened to this has to be the best. It is now my favorite of his.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
June 7, 2016
Sam is now retired.Working in his garden he digs up a skeleton.He hopes it is that of his missing kid brother that disappeared so many years ago.When it turns out not to be he finds out that his brothers was only one of many kids that have gone missing at specific intervals over the years.While investigating his grandson dissapears and the search is on.George Kutch does a wonderful job narrating.
I was given this book for an honest review.
I was given this book for an honest review.
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