Haven (Unabridged)
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
In 1961, the small town of Haven thought they'd gotten rid of their monster. After a series of child killings, Paul Greymore was caught carrying a wounded girl. His face, disfigured from a childhood accident, seemed to confirm he was the monster the community hoped to banish. With Paul in prison, the killings stopped.
For 17 years, Haven was peaceful again. But Paul served his time and has now returned to Haven - the town where he grew up, and the scene of his alleged crimes. Paul insists he didn't commit those crimes, and several townspeople believe him including the local priest, a young boy named Denny, and his best friend Billy.
Trouble is, now that Paul is back home, the bizarre killings have started again - and the patterns match the deaths from Haven's past. If Paul isn't the killer, who is?
Or what is? An unlikely band of adventurers attempts to uncover the truth, delving into long-hidden tunnels that might actually be inhabited by a strange, predatory creature.
Haven is a compelling horror epic in the spirit of It or Summer of Night, and a stunning debut novel from a gifted author who knows that the darkest horrors lurk inside human beings, even when there is a monster on the loose.
Customer Reviews
Nothing is what it seems
Paul Greymore has been convicted of brutally killing more than a dozen children in the quiet town of Haven. Now 17 years later he is released from prison and the killings begin again. The police chief is convinced it is Greymore and will go to whatever lengths necessary to stop him. Greymore, friendless and disfigured, must prove his innocence while simultaneously protecting the victims.
Nothing is what it seems in the little town of Haven. A corrupt police chief, his bullying son and something mysterious in the lake. Two boys find themselves in the center of violence, mystery, and strange friends as they try to protect themselves and the residents of Haven. The setting is in the late 1970s, which is well defined and described, but kind of makes the science portion of the novel a little farfetched, stretching the listener's belief.
While the town’s people try to solve the mystery of the killings, the listener is never really surprised by who actually is the culprit. It is more about discovering how the injustices will be solved, rather than the mystery of the killing themselves. For an idyllic town, there is a lot of violence and corruption; it is contradictory on its surface. Still, it is entertaining to listen to and the characters are interesting with a good amount of action. Kind of a Spielberg story of kids saving the day for the hapless adults, though quite a bit more violent.
The story is performed by Matt Godfrey who does a good job. His character voices feel true and are easily discernible. A generally competent performance without getting in the way of the story. He is a good choice and enjoyable to listen to. The production quality is excellent throughout without flaws.
Haven is a who-done-it that the listener is sure of pretty early on. It is about how the characters will solve their own abuses, rather than who is actually doing the killings. The action is entertaining and keeps the listener involved, though there is some redundancy throughout, and you may find yourself kind of thinking, “OK, let’s move forward.” But still well worth a listen. It straddles the line of the young adult category and might be a good listen for older teen listeners too.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
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