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The Mortsafeman #2
Dead Silent
Readers' Favorite and Eric Hoffer Award-Winning-Author
Chris Chandler is on the run from the press and the furious citizens of Beamishstock, Maine. He agrees to house-sit an isolated estate near Lewis, Vermont with a history and a curse that stretches back to the Albigensian Crusade. There, Chris soon learns that one of the town’s prodigal sons, Gilbert Burgoyne, has recently returned with plans for a Goth festival and Grand Guignol Theater, which he’ll fund through the sale…of the dead and dying. In order to save a collection of priceless artifacts and protect the dead of an ancient family, Chris must battle to the death with Burgoyne and his gang of grave robbers. If Chris is to have any chance of survival at all, he'll have to employ a truly ghastly strategy involving an army of vengeful dead. When it comes to ghastly, however, no one can outdo Gilbert Burgoyne. On that, you can bet your life.
Chris Chandler is on the run from the press and the furious citizens of Beamishstock, Maine. He agrees to house-sit an isolated estate near Lewis, Vermont with a history and a curse that stretches back to the Albigensian Crusade. There, Chris soon learns that one of the town’s prodigal sons, Gilbert Burgoyne, has recently returned with plans for a Goth festival and Grand Guignol Theater, which he’ll fund through the sale…of the dead and dying. In order to save a collection of priceless artifacts and protect the dead of an ancient family, Chris must battle to the death with Burgoyne and his gang of grave robbers. If Chris is to have any chance of survival at all, he'll have to employ a truly ghastly strategy involving an army of vengeful dead. When it comes to ghastly, however, no one can outdo Gilbert Burgoyne. On that, you can bet your life.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2018
About the author
Ivan Blake
5 books24 followersI was born in a small village in England and emigrated to Canada with my parents when I was five. I grew up on Navy bases from coast to coast and attended 16 schools before I completed grade eleven. I briefly enlisted in the military and then completed undergraduate studies in Nova Scotia. I enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Chicago and went on to teach in universities in Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia for fifteen years before joining the Federal Public Service. I have consulted and lectured all over the world and now travel purely for pleasure. I have two sons, a lovely wife and a gorgeous home in Ottawa, Canada. I enjoy water gardening, wine and most of all, my granddaughter.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 11, 2023
Chris Chandler was finally released from the detention center after an investigation revealed that the cops in Bemistock, Maine had put an innocent kid behind in reform school. They did an inquiry on the police and on the judge that ordered the sentencing. After Chris was released he went to see Gillian Willard and spent a few hours with her and her family then he boarded a bus to Lewis, Vermont where he took a house sitting job from Bernard. When he got there he was to go to the library to meet Rose and Rose brought him to the cottage.
When they got to the cottage she went over his responsibilities on the property. When he found out what on of the responsibilities was keeping an eye on the properties private cemetery, he was very upset that no one told him. Chris still needs to protect himself against Mallory and now the goth community that now poses as a threat to rose, Chris, Gillian, and Geraldine. Can Chris and the other stop them? Can he save the cemetery? You’ll have to read to find out!!
When they got to the cottage she went over his responsibilities on the property. When he found out what on of the responsibilities was keeping an eye on the properties private cemetery, he was very upset that no one told him. Chris still needs to protect himself against Mallory and now the goth community that now poses as a threat to rose, Chris, Gillian, and Geraldine. Can Chris and the other stop them? Can he save the cemetery? You’ll have to read to find out!!
November 15, 2022
Disclaimer: I received gifted copies of the first two books in exchange for an honest review.
I read the first book (Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and decided to go ahead and read the second one in tandem to see if I liked it more.
Unfortunately, it relies on the same tropes that just seem honestly lazy to me. I ended up quitting around halfway through.
Again, it had a few elements that I really like and thought would be interesting. The shock horror theater along with the graverobbing aspect was great. However, we end up with the same tired reliance of the first book on bigotry. Instead of a homophobic town, we find an extremely racist villain. He refers to mexican immigrants as "stupid fence-hoppers" and more. There is also the weird body stuff again (not the graverobbing/dead body stuff). Focus on breasts in these books are ... I don't know what + casual fatphobia throughout.
To have such great elements and then be filled with the laziness of a bigoted villain with no better reasoning for his evil just comes off as lazy and empty.
I read the first book (Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and decided to go ahead and read the second one in tandem to see if I liked it more.
Unfortunately, it relies on the same tropes that just seem honestly lazy to me. I ended up quitting around halfway through.
Again, it had a few elements that I really like and thought would be interesting. The shock horror theater along with the graverobbing aspect was great. However, we end up with the same tired reliance of the first book on bigotry. Instead of a homophobic town, we find an extremely racist villain. He refers to mexican immigrants as "stupid fence-hoppers" and more. There is also the weird body stuff again (not the graverobbing/dead body stuff). Focus on breasts in these books are ... I don't know what + casual fatphobia throughout.
To have such great elements and then be filled with the laziness of a bigoted villain with no better reasoning for his evil just comes off as lazy and empty.
March 4, 2023
The story really grabbed me at the beginning when Gilbert confronted a certain person. This lead me to believe that the story was to be good. The story is a fast read. It��s a page turner I believe. The characters are interesting and add excitement to the story. Until next time my fellow readers… read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a good and fast paced novel. Part of a series that I haven’t had an opportunity to read the other novels in but I enjoyed this one.
This was a good and fast paced novel. Part of a series that I haven’t had an opportunity to read the other novels in but I enjoyed this one.
January 20, 2024
Chris is on the run and needs a place to stay on the downlow for a while He agrees to house sit to get away from it all. But what he doesn't know is the history of the house. The house and people around him hide deep dark secrets. He is fighting the living and the dead to try to survive. An exciting plot and well written characters. The story is intriguing. A gripping thriller and mystery story.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Speaking Volumes for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Speaking Volumes for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 3, 2019
Dead Silent (The Mortsafemen #2) continues where Dead Scared (The Mortsafemen #1) left off, Chris Chandler is about to be released from juvenile offender prison and at loose ends. Even though he has been largely exonerated for his role in bringing justice to defilers of the dead, he's still unwelcome in Bemishstock, Maine. Luckily, an opportunity to lay low has presented itself in Lewis, Vermont. There, an ancient family needs a caretaker for a small estate and, most importantly, the graveyard on its grounds. The concerns of the Monsegur family prove to be valid, due to a return of one of Lewis' prodigal sons, Gilbert Burgoyne, who arrives to produce Grand Guignol plays in the ramshackle theatre inherited upon the death of his father. Gilbert wants access to the Monsegur cemetery and will stop at nothing to get it. Why doubtless relates to the complete mystery surrounding Gilbert and how he is able to financially support the odd people who staff his Goth theatre company. Will Chris be able to avoid Mallory's attentions long enough to get to the bottom of the mysteries coming to a head in Lewis?
Ivan Blake has produced a worthy sequel in Dead Silent. While the corrupt mayor and his cronies are familiar evil characters, the addition of the Monsegur family heritage counterbalanced by the Grand Guignol theatre tradition of Paris is a very interesting combination of plot lines. The story gathers pace in each of the threads to the very end in a quite satisfying fashion. Mr. Blake thoroughly understands dying New England towns and conveys the sense of hopelessness which grasps at any chance to reverse fortune's verdict. There are still important plot points to be carried over into the final book of the series. Our hero is growing, becoming more capable, and now in possession of the tools needed to fulfill his destiny as a Mortsafeman.
Reviewed for Readers' Favorite
Ivan Blake has produced a worthy sequel in Dead Silent. While the corrupt mayor and his cronies are familiar evil characters, the addition of the Monsegur family heritage counterbalanced by the Grand Guignol theatre tradition of Paris is a very interesting combination of plot lines. The story gathers pace in each of the threads to the very end in a quite satisfying fashion. Mr. Blake thoroughly understands dying New England towns and conveys the sense of hopelessness which grasps at any chance to reverse fortune's verdict. There are still important plot points to be carried over into the final book of the series. Our hero is growing, becoming more capable, and now in possession of the tools needed to fulfill his destiny as a Mortsafeman.
Reviewed for Readers' Favorite
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews