Odd Fellows Rest


 

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Odd Fellows Rest
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Odd Fellows Rest
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ODD FELLOWS REST

A 2018 William Faulkner Best Novel Award Finalist

“I SEE STRANGE THINGS AND STRANGE PEOPLE…”

Take a trip, if you dare, to a place where this world and the next become one, where the dead and the living dwell side by side. Follow Olivia Claiborne, her son Cole, and their beloved cat Minou as they uncover the truth about the ghostly haunting of the cemetery and find the lost tomb of Penumbra, Sorceress of the Dark Continent.

In this twisted tale of the tragic times of the past and the unsettling times of the present, we find hope in the future. Discover the answer to the mystery of the amulet of Montegut and learn the lessons of loss, mourning, acceptance, and perseverance. Join the cast of remarkable characters who assist the Claibornes in their quest. Let them lead you to the only place where such a story could happen – a forgotten cemetery in New Orleans; a place called Odd Fellows Rest.

Reviews for Odd Fellows Rest by Robert Goodbee

5 Stars – Spirits, witches, voodoo priestesses, zombies, a cemetery, and a thrilling mystery

I had a lot of fun reading “Odd Fellows Rest” because it had a really creative and creepy plot with good characters that younger readers (and older) will definitely enjoy following along. Overall, the writing is very good with excellent editing. It is a little hard to categorize as being YA as, while there are some teen/younger characters, it doesn’t focus ON them, but they are a part of the overall storyline. However, with regard to violence, or gore, or language, it is certainly suitable for teens, and they will enjoy this exciting, mysterious, and action-packed tale. It has a campy ‘ghost-story’ vibe throughout, where it creeps you out, but you enjoy it! The descriptions were hauntingly vivid, and the legends and lore of the past and seeing how it is connected to the spirits of today was really original and twisted. We have spirits, witches, voodoo priestesses, and zombies, a cemetery, cool cats and kids, and a thrilling mystery that kept me interested until the very end. And I love that it is part of a series! It wraps up well but leaves the door open for more adventures with Cole, Olivia, and of course, Minou. Recommend for ages 15+ (5 stars) Anabella Johnson; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

5 Stars – It is creepily original and excellently written. I didn’t put my Kindle down even one time.

I thought this book sounded awesome because I totally love the whole gothic eerie vibe of ghost stories and voodoo curses set in New Orleans – totally a perfect place for it, with its history and atmosphere. The title comes from the name of the cemetery where Cole and his mother, Olivia, become involved in an intriguing mystery and hunt for an ancient tomb to break an evil curse. The story transitions to characters from the past who seem to influence what is going on now, and it all comes together with one weird twist after the next. I didn’t put my Kindle down even one time while reading this book, and that’s pretty rare for me. It is creepily original and excellently written. The plot had more depth and complexity than I anticipated, and a few parts truly shocked me. All in all, a very good read that I’d recommend even to those who don’t normally read this sort of thing. Yeah it’s a ghost story, and you might think those are a dime a dozen. But it is the unique background and complex subplots woven in that make this a remarkable and original treat. Recommend. Try it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! (5 stars) Jhonni Parker; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewer

4-5 Stars – A great mix of supernatural lore, history, mystery, and suspense. A little spooky, and ghoulishly entertaining.

At first, I worried that I might not like this novel by Robert Goodbee, because ‘ghost-stories’ can be a tricky literary trope to pull off and not be cheesy, or derivative, or require the complete absence of any common sense. But then when I realized that this was the pen name for an author who I have read (and enjoyed) before, I lost my reservations and knew that he’d be able to deliver the goods. And deliver he did! I wasn’t disappointed at all with this latest novel, as it still has the dark, evilly-fun flavor that he does so well in his others, but it is balanced by a more age-appropriate tone for younger readers and doesn’t have the graphic descriptions that the more ‘adult’ ones do. Goodbee wastes no time in setting up the stage and introducing us to the various characters around town, where strange events are occurring. We soon meet Olivia and her son, Cole, who is in his ‘late-teens’. “Odd Fellows Rest” is the name of the cemetery in New Orleans, and the past has a way of coming back to ‘haunt’ the present. I like how the book got right into the action right away, and the suspense and mystery builds steadily. It wasn’t predictable, and the ending was good and promises even more ghost hunting with Cole and Olivia. There is a great mix of supernatural lore, history, mystery, and suspense that was a ton of fun, a little spooky, and ghoulishly entertaining. I would recommend to ages 16 and up. (4-5 stars) Essie Harmon; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

4-5 Stars – Seriously sinister side, but all done in a fun and creative way. The characters felt real and not contrived.

Loved this book! And when I reached the end and read the bio and saw that it was from an author I’d read before (under a different name), I was really surprised! Normally, his books can be, shall we say… pretty graphically, horrifically intense (and I love it). This one was still very much along the same dark haunting vein, but focused more on the characters and story development and less of the obvious violence and truly depraved acts and language. This one will appeal to a wider audience, but it does have it’s seriously sinister side! But all done in a fun and creative way. It’s easy to get lost in the ‘haunting’ experiences with Cole, his mom, Olivia, the cat, Minou, and all the others. I had a wonderful time reading this, and I think the plotlines were original enough to always keep me hooked. I enjoyed the characters as they felt real and not contrived. Robert Goodbee always writes very descriptively and with a lot of energy, so we are never bored. This is very important for any book, but especially if you are trying to reach a younger audience as well. I liked that teens can be the ‘heroes’ but done so in a somewhat believable manner (not totally contrived or preposterous settings) and that is done nicely here – even though the storyline is fantastical with ghosts and all. The story does wrap up well but also leads to the next book in the series, which I hope isn’t too far off! (4-5 stars) Claire Middleton; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

4 Stars – Easy to keep reading because it was just so interesting and strangely believable.

I’ve been doing this thing lately where I’ll read a book without having the faintest clue what it’s about other than the title. It’s kind of fun, and I noticed it helps me to see the story better when I have no preconceived ideas what to expect. So I started reading this one, and when I quickly realized it was going to be a sort of ‘ghost story’ (which I could have suspected from the series title but wasn’t sure) I let out a little groan because those normally aren’t my style. I’ve never read one where I felt the context of the plot and story felt credible to the ‘supernatural’ aspect in a way that was plausible. And normally the characters react in ways that NO normal person would, and so it’s all very frustrating. But to my surprise, it was easy to keep reading this because it was just so interesting and strangely believable. The town, the people in it, the mysteries and connections to the past in ways no one could possibly predict… a ‘haunted graveyard’ isn’t exactly the most unique concept in the world, yet Mr. Goodbee frames the storyline in such an original, multilayered way, and we are constantly wondering how far down the rabbit hole goes. It is part multi-arc character drama, but with a suspenseful sense of adventure of uncovering hidden secrets about life and death, and that there are unseen (and seen) forces at work. It never felt ‘dumbed down’, which I appreciate. The story flowed well and had its light, humorous moments, and had its tense and dangerous moments as well. This is a great start to what promises to be an entertaining and delightfully spooky series. (4 stars) Kaylee Stevens; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

4 Stars – Curses, ghosts, demons, pirates, witches, powerful relics, mystical people, and it wasn’t cliché or predictable.

I definitely liked “Odd Fellows Rest” and can honestly say I’ve never read a book like this before because I’m not normally one for ghost stories, but I thought it might be kind of a fun experience. And it was! It is the kind of horror that is disturbing and omnious, but not the kind where you can’t sleep at night and are grossed out. There are a lot of screams and loud noises though. It is about solving the mysteries of the past and has elements from across the board, curses, ghosts, demons, pirates, witches, powerful relics, mystical people, and Cole and Olivia are great too. I liked how descriptive everything is, and It wasn’t cliché or predictable at all. It was one strange twist after another and lots of action, especially towards the end. I really liked it and will be interested in reading more in the “Haunted Graveyard Series”. Suitable for mature teens and older. (4 stars) Steph Coleman; Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers