14

By J.T. Ellison

Ten victims, each with pale skin and long dark hair. All have been slashed across the throat, the same red lipstick smeared across their lips.

In the mid-1980s the Snow White Killer terrorized the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Then suddenly the murders stopped. A letter from the killer to the police stated that his work was done.

Now four more bodies are found, marked with his fatal signature. The residents of Nashville fear a madman has returned, decades later, to finish his sick fairy tale. Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson believes the killings are the work of a copycat killer who's even more terrifying. For this monster is meticulously honing his craft as he mimics famous serial murders...proving that the past is not to be forgotten.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
• Release date: Oct 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460304730

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels and the EMMY award-winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries. J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel. www.jtellison.com

Reviews for 14

[narilka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nate needs to find a new apartment and fast. It's by sheer luck that an acquaintance mentions there is availability in the Kavach Building. The old building is close to Nate's job, has low rent and all utilities are included. It's not long after moving in, as Nate meets his neighbor, that he starts to notice there's something odd with Mandy's apartment. And Veek's. And Tim's. Pretty soon Nate and his neighbors are all curious about the mysteries they keep finding and they begin to investigate. Things are more strange than they ever imagined.After reading The Fold earlier this year I have definitely been keeping Peter Clines in mind for when I had that science fiction/thriller itch. 14 hit the spot! 14 is set in the same world as The Fold, the stories are loosely linked while being distinctly separate and both books are written in the same style. 14 was published first so technically I read them out of order. It did not hurt the experience at all. In some ways I enjoyed reading them reverse as it made 14 feel like an origins story as it expanded on parts that were laid out in The Fold. It was loads of fun going with Nate and his team as they unraveled the mysteries of the Kavach Building. Clines has a great way of slowly building the suspense. Things start off fairly normal and gradually get weirder and weirder the farther Nate goes in his investigations. The story is so engaging I found that I did not want to stop listening after I'd reached my destination. Once the action starts, hang on tight for a wild ride to the finale!Nate and his neighbors are a fun group of characters. They are a diverse bunch including an ultra conservative church goer, a tattooed art student, an "ex-publisher" and an Indian computer hacker to name a few. Each one brings different and valuable skills to the team and all have great personalities. The characters have fun joking and bantering with each other and it all feels very natural. There are even a few pop culture references, like when they started comparing themselves to the Scooby Gang. There are a few horror nods. If you're a Lovecraft fan, you'll be quite appreciative of certain sections of the book. Things never get too gory, it's more of the creepy type horror. The horror aspect is woven in well with the overall mystery. I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. His performance is perfect as always. I love the character voices he uses.Overall this was a highly satisfying read. I hope that Clines writes more in this world some day. I'd buy that book up in a heartbeat.

[bcrowl399 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read several Taylor Jackson novels now and I think I need a change. This one wasn't quite as good as previous ones. I became anxious for the end, which means I was a little bored with the story. The agonizing wait for the wedding and then no wedding was very anticlimactic. I felt like the kidnapping was somewhat forced. Also the explanations for the family structure of the Snow White killer weren't clear. The mother died in childbirth but were there 2 children? Charlotte and the blind boy? Where did the blind boy come from?

[jhullie-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I LOVED this book. It's probably not one I would have even picked up and looked at myself, but thanks to my #secretsantagoespostal Litten I have discovered it. A thrilling read with enough twists and surprises to keep you hooked.

[elaineorr55 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I took this out from my library and listened to it in the car. You could stop and start without losing the thread, and it really held my interest. I have never read an apocalyptic mystery (which I saw later was the category), and liked it. I'll look for more by this author.

[john_warner-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nate Tucker, data entry clerk, is having difficulty making ends meet. This is why when a guest at a party gave him a tip of an inexpensive apartment, all utilities paid, located near Hollywood. However, he didn't heed the warning regarding bargains too good to be true. The first giveaway might have been the several renters leaving after only six months rental or the number of suicides discovered in one of the apartments. Shortly after moving in Nate began to notice other oddities, such as the green iridescent roaches with seven, not six legs; or several padlocked doors, one without hinges. And, how does the building receive electric power when there are no wires leading to the building like adjacent buildings? As Nate confides with some of the building's quirky neighbors, they agree to investigate these and other mysteries while trying to escape the awareness of Oskar, the building's superintendent. However, their investigation my unleash a power that could destroy their world.

Beginning this book, I thought this book was characteristic of the horror genre; however, it is science fiction. Although I thought the investigation was slower than it needed to be, once the secret was revealed it became a true page-turner and moved at a quicker pace. I enjoyed the novel; however, I thought it could have been better written, edited, and lose ends better tied up.

[itsjustme_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Satisfyingly freaky!

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nate moves to a new apartment that seems to have some mysterious oddities. And the more he explores the building, the more weird things he and his new friends discover. I am not one for science fiction/fantasy, but I enjoyed the book. Well done.

[andibook-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been reading a lot of space and time travel, so I kinda jumped into this in that mindset, and was pleasantly surprised when I double-checked the back cover summary. It's more of a light horror mystery? A new tenant moves into a hundred-year-old apartment building (which is, adorably, considered really old), meets his neighbors, and starts discovering odd things about all of their rooms. I remember thinking Goosebumps for adults!, but it was a little more big-picture than that. The back cover is entirely accurate; just add a pinch of deliciously steampunk tech and a dash of Lovecraft.The pacing is slow but enjoyable at the beginning. The Lovecraft shows up at the end, and I enjoyed it even as someone who isn't a huge fan of Lovecraft. The tone is more like a light horror, or like Buffy, instead of dark, dramatic, nihilistic Lovecraft.I could see this adapted to a movie... But I would pay good money to experience a full-scale day-long (week-long?!) escape room version of this.

[portm-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was entertaining enough to keep me engaged and curious as to the mystery and the outcome. There were a few stereotypical, poorly drawn characters, some of which were actually annoying, but for the most part the characters were interesting and funny. Overall, this was worthwhile.

[michael_kellar-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The cover blurb proclaimed "in the style of Lost". Unfortunately - just as with Lost - I liked everything except the end.

[michael_lilly-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not much science. Thin fiction stretches willing suspension of disbelief past the breaking point. Good narrator saves it from a one start rating.

[everfresh1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this novel after reading the latest Peter Clines novel, "The Fold", that I liked. I thought it had original idea and despite some shortcomings I wanted to go back and read his earlier work. Well, I was somewhat disappointed. Although it shares underlying idea of parallel realities with "The Fold', there is no 'science' in this fiction. The premise not this book is not impressive. It's still entertaining, but first half was quite slow.

[duende-11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, fun, great characters, and full of SF geek-treats...or Scooby snacks, if you prefer.

[halkeye · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The book was not bad. It just lacked a lot. I really liked the overall mystery/thriller/horror premise, and quickly got through the first third of the book. I liked where it was going.

Sadly overall I didn't enjoy the book. I still liked the adventure, but I didn't get attached to any of the characters. I got lost a lot in the "his/her" of sentences, the overly verbose-ness of some of the minute details. I found myself skipping paragraphs then doubling back when I realized I had missed something.

Overall I wouldn't advise people away from the book, but I wouldn't go around recommending it either. I think it overall felt a bit forced.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First, I enjoyed the book. I didn't love it, but it was a good read. So, I'm bumping my review to 3.5 instead of a 3.It was an interesting plot, but one that had a number of elements that didn't quite fit - it works, but it has a very forced feel to it. The characters were human which is good - except that regular humans are boring. They needed to be a bit larger than life. The building was interesting, but again, it needed to be written more brightly, vivid. One thing, this book doesn't know where it wants to be - based on description of technology, I'd place it in 2007 or 8 - when smart phones where just coming up, wireless technology was just starting to be everywhere. But, on the other hand, it references TV shows that were popular a year or two ago.The author depends on too much telling, not enough showing. For example, the character, Mandy, is written as a conservative girl with deep right thinking. Outside of this description, you would not know it based on how she acts. But, other characters who were not given a detailed background, are very well written. The book is fun, but takes itself too seriously. I also found it a bit derivative at times, boring at others, but the story is fun - nothing ground breaking, but a nice Sunday afternoon read.

[stefferoo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd like to start this review off with some background information. So for the past year, I've been playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing survival horror game called The Secret World. The developers' description of it as a "dark fantasy" MMO is quite apt, due to its paranormal setting and the creepy mysteries-of-the-unexplained nature of the story and quests, heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. So that's why when a fellow gamer asked me for a book recommendation that has the same kind of vibe, my mind immediately went to Peter Clines' 14. At the time, I hadn't read the book myself but I'd heard good things and knew from its description and others' reviews that it could be thematically and atmospherically similar to what my friend was looking for. A group of tenants living in a strange apartment building where bizarre things like strange light fixtures, wonky room temperatures, and mutant green cockroaches with extra legs are an everyday occurrence? The book definitely has that creepy-paranormal feel going for me. Anyway, little did I know, in so many ways this book turned out even more like The Secret World than I could have possibly imagined. Those familiar with the game will know that there are certain types of quests called "Investigation Missions" that require the player to find facts and solve puzzles. That's pretty much how I saw this book. The main character Nate and his fellow neighbors gather to examine all the oddities they've found in their own apartments, and together they try to solve the mystery of the old Los Angeles brownstone they call home.Overall this was a fantastic read, quite different in tone and subject compared to the author's other books that I've read and very much enjoyed, mainly the Ex-Heroes series. But the things I loved, such as Clines' light style and funny dialogue, are still all there. I've noticed he is excellent when it comes to writing about large ensemble casts. In the case of Ex-Heroes, it was his engaging and unique band of superheroes; in 14, it's the diverse group of tenants living in the strange Kavach Building. Clines gives them all distinct personalities even if at times they are a little cliched, and the conversations that result are always natural, witty and entertaining.In terms of the story, I think some might find it slow to take off, particularly at the beginning and especially if you're expecting something more along the lines of pure horror. There are certainly horror elements in this book, but for the most part there's nothing too frightening. Is 14 scary? No, not really; there's nothing that would give me trouble sleeping anyway. But creepy and a bit unsettling? Definitely. This eeriness strengthens throughout the course of the novel with each new discovery of weirdness in Nate's building, every one of them adding to the atmosphere.Beyond that, it's going to be hard to talk about the plot without giving too much away. I can't say I was a big fan of the ending, but after all that build-up everything does come to a head in a big, meaningful, almost overwhelming way. That, I can guarantee.In general, 14 is a tough book to categorize, but think a mix of science fiction and fantasy with a dash of horror, with emphasis on mystery, paranormal, and topics relating to unexplained phenomena. It's a lot like the show Lost in this regard, but with a heavier dose of humor. A fun read all around, which held my attention from the first page to the last.

[revslick_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Mystery Gang meet The Old Ones ala H P Lovecraft equals a fun phantasmagorical novel.

[senorag163 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

14 was an interesting listen. I think it was more enjoyable to hear it rather than read it but that is just an opinion. I enjoyed the characters and their interaction together. For me, that was an even better part of the book then the actual story which I found a bit confusing at times.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nate is in a dead-end job and low on finances so when he gets a chance at an apartment with a bargain-basement rent, he jumps at it. Soon, however, he starts noticing really odd things about the building and, as he meets other tenants, he realizes he's not the only one with questions.I'm not really sure how to categorize this book - other reviewers have called it horror, fantasy, science fiction. Personally, it seemed like the latter to me but, then, I read a lot of horror and fantasy but very little scifi so don't hold me to it. Anyway, regardless of what genre you put this in, it was a lot of fun to read. I found the first half of the book especially engrossing as the intrepid troop of tenants investigates all the weirdness and although the story isn't particularly scary in an OMG, leap-out-of-your-seat kind of way, it is quirky and I am a great fan of quirky. I've seen it compared to Lost but, to me, there was a kind of Twilight Zone feel to it - for those of us old enough to remember the original, some of those episodes could give you chills more than any modern gore-fest without so much as the main character getting a paper cut - think To Serve Man. Not to say that 14 doesn't offer up a little blood-letting but it is in very small doses. I really enjoyed 14 - the weird factor, the characters who were, for the most part, likeable, and the mystery of the building. It was a fun, fast read. And, if it didn't keep me up at night, it kept me entertained and that was good enough for me.

[bookmarque · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The reviews on audible were all pretty positive, I needed something light and engaging for the plane and this seemed perfect. For that it was and overall it was pretty good, just not perfect. It's a bit too disengaged for real dread. The characters are all lightly-sketched to fit their roles (shy computer nerd, religious zealot, older wiseman, quirky artist, stoner) and so you can pretty much predict what happens to each of them based on that. Still, I liked how the story wasn't rushed (it was a bit too slow in some places) and that some of the things the characters did were a bit outside the color-by-numbers formula a lot of these books use. Also the connection to Cthulhu was pretty terrific in an old-school kind of way. As soon as Nate described the 'squale', I got this big grin on my face and laughed Oh Cthulhu, you old bugbear.That's about all I can think of to say without giving stuff away, and though this isn't the most original story on earth, it's worth preserving the little clues and things that happen as a result of each discovery. If you've got to get on a plane anytime soon, this is a good companion.

[punchout_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful mystery for 60 percent of the book turned into a rambling fill some pages dread. This book layout reminds me of the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, first half was great and the second half is totally unbelievable.

[readinggrrl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nate's new apartment seems too good to be true. The rent is cheap and all utilities are included. It isn't until he moves in that he starts to realize there are some strange things going on. None of the apartments in the building are the same size or shape. Each one has something strange about it from no kitchen, to vaulted ceilings, bathrooms that look like a cave, and a kitchen light that only glows as a blacklight no matter what type of bulb you use.Nate and his neighbors embark on a search for what is happening inside their building and make some even more disturbing observations. Mysterious writing behind wallpaper, writing that can only be seen in black light written in Cyrillic in a kitchen all within a building that isn't connected to the main city power grid yet has power. There is definitely more than meets the eye to this building but could it be the key to an even bigger mystery that started 100 of years ago.The narrator was fabulous, he did a great job with the different voices for different characters, I almost forgot it was just one person narrating. The mystery really built and there were a lot of great modern day references to TV shows throughout. Very clever writing. This was a great book to listen to and a great mystery. It totally sucked me in.

[carmenmilligan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What a fun read! In the style of "LOST", indeed! You really don't know whom to trust in this one. You suspect everyone, and yet you like every one of the characters so much that you want them all to be heroes.

The characters are extremely stereotypical: Nate is an everyman, Xela the rebellious artist, Veek the computer geek, Andrew the religious zealot, Clive and Debbie the perfect couple, Tim the mysterious older man. The others are written well, but a bit superfluous as far as the action goes. You can point to any of these and relate to them.

The story is riveting in the way all locked doors are: you can't wait to see why it's locked and what it hides. However, the opening of #14 and the quick aftermath was a bit too far-fetched for me. I loved the references to history and historical figures, but the blending of the supernatural was too forced and too unbelievable to the storyline. I thought the characters were perfectly set up, and the story sucked me in like a black hole, but the climax and finale were too over-the-top to be fluid to the rest of the story.

With that said, it was a fun book to read and I will definitely read more by this author. I have already downloaded his "Ex-Heroes" and "Ex-Patriots" book series.

Recommended.

[fhudnell-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is distantly related to "The Fold", which I read first and loved. However, each book works fine as a standalone. I found the first third of this book a little slow but it got more exciting (and weirder) as it went along. The narrator of the audio book was excellent with both male and female characters.

[nospi-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read and listened to through immersion reading. The narrator did a splendid job of portraying all the characters.
This was a fun horror sci-fi book and I am not a huge fan of either genre. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[kittyjay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this Lovecraft meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer mash-up, protagonist Nate Tucker is struggling to find his purpose as a data entry extended temp worker when he moves into a mysterious apartment that piques his interest. With the help of his neighbors, he starts to investigate the curious quirks of his new complex: padlocked doors, mysterious messages hidden underneath the paint, and a historical murder that has global implications.

The first three-quarters of the book are more bent on mystery and atmosphere, with the ensemble cast even jokingly referring to themselves as characters in the Scooby-Doo mysteries. Their constant jokes and wisecracks, while not as polished in some ways, did remind me of Buffy or any other pop-culture-slinging, irreverent-in-the-face-of-horror show. It never grew annoying, though, thank goodness, but it did affect the novel in the last quarter.

Toward the last bit, the secret is revealed and we get to the action. Here it becomes more overtly Lovecraftian while at the same time defying Lovecraft. The tone shifts from the slowly mounting suspense of a mystery to a fast-paced action flick. This, of course, is entirely against the spirit of Lovecraft, which relies on slowly mounting existentialist horror and absolute hopelessness to drive the plots - but this is a good thing.

There is only so much existentialist depression you can wade through before you start to crave a cliched, good old-fashioned "yay, humans!" story. I love Lovecraft, but I can't read him too often because it's depressing and gets repetitive after a while. For me, 14 was the best compromise: the elements of Lovecraft were there, but there was hope throughout, wisecracks in the face of unspeakable danger, and a sense of triumph.

While certainly not perfect - the characters were not as clearly defined as they could be and there were a few tangents that felt unnecessary to the plot - 14 was a taut mystery with great atmosphere and a hopeful ending.

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

14 by Peter Clines opens with Nate Tucker moving into a new apartment in the historic Kavach Building. Right from the start we know that things may not be quite normal in the building, but the rent is unbelievably affordable. Soon Nate and some of his neighbors begin to question some of the oddities surrounding their building, like mutant green cockroaches, how every floor plan is different, and the mysterious rooms/areas with padlocked doors. This comparison of oddities leads to even more clandestine exploration, all while they try to keep their activities hidden from the apartment manager. What they discovered will challenge their grasp of reality.

14 isn't a difficult novel to read and there is enough humor written into the dialogue/plot to help move along the pace while not becoming too overwhelming dark. If you've watched Scooby Doo, you'll appreciate Nate's attempt to cast himself and his neighbors as characters in the cartoon as they investigate the mysteries. Clines does an outstanding job keeping the reader interested in what is around the corner and what is going to happen next. As a bonus there are many pop culture references sprinkled along the way.

This genre bending novel begins feeling like a standard horror novel, but quickly turns into a mystery that takes a sharp turn toward thriller to science fiction/horror. I don't want to give away too much of the plot because following the turns it took was part of the pleasure in reading it. I wanted to review this novel based on the comparison made to Lost in early reviews (yup - I am a huge fan of that show). While I would not have made that comparison after reading 14, I'll admit that I sort of see where that may be valid for some readers.

I really enjoyed 14. It was a novel that I simply had to keep reading as fast as possible just to see what was going to happen next. And the pleasure I had in following the characters as the plot unfolded makes 14 Very Highly Recommended. A perfect summer vacation read!

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Permuted Press via Netgalley for review purposes.

[morandia-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. I listened to the audible version. It was fantastic. Great historical references and even a few pop culture ones. As one who reads more in the fantasy line, this was a nice change

[chensel477 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't been this excited about a book or recommended it so confidently half way through as I have been with 14. Unfortunately there is very little I can say in terms of the plot and plot devices included without giving away too much of the story. The key to 14 is to let it unfold for you -- suspend belief for 370 pages and enjoy the ride! 14 will start out like a basic urban fiction, then transition itself in to a LOST style investigation and adventure into the paranormal, move itself into the land of Fringe along the way and then end as a pulp science fiction adventure before returning to a basic fiction again. Try to keep up!Since giving too many (any) plot details would ruin the book and the story, I will avoid them entirely here. The only thing I will say is that you shouldn't try to predict the story! I used to make this mistake when watching LOST many moons ago and tried here, thinking I knew where things would be going and who certain characters would end up being in the overall story but was thrown a curveball -- just like the old days! This is by no means a bad thing, however, and served to keep me honest and riveted to the story not knowing what was coming.As for the characters, we're introduced to a very diverse, yet lovable group of misfits who inhabit the Kravach Building. None really stand out as individuals, but they are unique individuals. There is the computer "nerd", quirky artist, country girl in the big city, biochemistry student with her Hollywood laborer husband -- you get the idea! It makes for a fantastic chemistry among the residents as they investigate their mysterious building and the personalities develop within the group dynamic and individually well and it's very believable (something authors often have trouble with). There is a fun thread of the residents as the Scooby-Doo gang that runs throughout and many subtle references and nods to popular science fiction that often made the little geek in me smile.Overall, 14 was a quick and fun read that I was able to knock out in a weekend because is was so engaging and entertaining. If you're looking for pure fantasy or hard sci-fi then this isn't for you. If you like getting lost in intrigue and mystery in a science fiction setting, then go for it. I think that 14 in this way is very accessible to sci-fi fans and non-fans alike.

[rqdavis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Totally gripping! I really enjoyed this book, although I had a hard time picturing some of the scenes described at times. The author did a fantastic job of crafting a unique, clever, and bizarre story!