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Campbell Armstrong
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The Wanting Kindle Edition

by Campbell Armstrong (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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A California vacation town holds a terrifying secret in this novel from the international bestselling author who “writes much better than King or Straub” (Village Voice).
 
When Max and Louise Untermeyer rent a house in the remote pine forests of Northern California, they figure it’ll be a perfect escape from the city, especially for their twelve-year-old son, Denny. Their neighbors, Dick and Charlotte Summer, are an elderly couple who certainly seem nice enough. And while they positively dote on the boy, plying him with sweets and gifts, it’s a shame there are no other children Denny’s age to play with. Louise is beginning to wonder why, but no one in town likes to talk about it.
 
But that’s not the only thing troubling Louise. A parent expects a boy of Denny’s age to go through changes—just not like this. Day by day, his innocence seems to be draining away, replaced by something unhealthy, even perverse. Now, the closer Denny gets to Mr. and Mrs. Summer, the closer he is to being lost forever in their dark secret. And anyone who comes looking for him hasn’t got a prayer.
 
The international bestselling author of the Glasgow novels and the Frank Pagan series, Campbell Armstrong has won a Scottish Arts Council Award and a nomination for the Prix du Polar. Any one of his novels “belongs in the permanent collection of horror/thriller fans” (Kirkus Reviews).
 
Previous page
  1. Print length
    405 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller
  5. Publication date
    April 21, 2015
  6. File size
    3611 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00TZE2QQI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller (April 21, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 21, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3611 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 405 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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Campbell Armstrong

Campbell Armstrong

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great psychological scary story
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
I don't read much horror anymore. Sadly the news have been a more than adequate substitute for scary stories. But Armstrong is the author I've discovered recently and much enjoyed. This is my third read of his, in chronological order, and his talent and versatility continue to amaze. His earlier books were nothing like this, his debut was a lean and mean suburban creepiness straight out of Ruth Rendell school, sophomore effort a psychological bureaucratic Kafkaesque nightmare. This one written some years later and originally published under pseudonym Campbell Black is more along the lines of prototypical horror. Small town evil and all that. Maybe not uber original, but done so right. Purely psychological profoundly sinister tale of...well in a way, love and pursuit of immortality, at all costs. Unlike the previous two books, which were distinctly British, this one was as thoroughly American as apple pie. The author lived and taught in the US for years. This is much classier although questionably edited digital version, in the 80s this one was published with a time appropriate schlocky cover, but don't let them cloud your judgment, the writing here exceeds all expectations, vivid, ending on literary, very atmospheric. Why isn't this author more well known? Barely any reviews on GR. Barely any information online. Shame really, because the his writing has a quality that is consistent and top shelf. I sincerely hope my reviews might help more fans to discover these books. Great story and not merely for genre fans. Enthusiastically recommended.
9 people found this helpful
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celticladye
4.0 out of 5 stars Wanting More
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed the book, creepy and disturbing, and the ending is horrific and chilling, but I want to know more. How was this done -- what was the process? What happened to the professor? What happens to Louise? What happens to Max (what a dud, by the way) -- is he blamed for Connie? What happens to Stanley Metger and Florence Hann? What happened to Frog? If the Summers are dead, how are they in Denny's mind, and how will they manipulate Denny's moral corruption and perpetuation of whatever depraved process the Summers and the Professor were using for his, Denny's, "recovery?" What was the nature of the ancient transactional agreement between the Summers and the Banyons, and how does it relate to present day events? Does Jerry ever discover the real underlying truth? What do Mayor Ronson, Bryce Dunning, and Drs. Pelusi and Miles Henderson know, and how are they involved? Needs another book to tie up all these loose ends. In some ways reminiscent of "Burnt Offerings" by Robert Marasco (1973).
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A Familiar Theme but nicely presented
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
I am adding Campbell Armstrong to my favorite Horror reading list; right up there with John Saul. That being said, the ending could have been tidied up a bit more concerning about 5 characters, not counting the leading characters.The theme was reminiscent of "Burnt Offerings", but written so well that getting to the end was enjoyable. Perhaps there is a sequel? Doesn't matter, I will be reading more from this author.
One person found this helpful
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Kristi D. Vandaveer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
Really good read!! I couldn't put it down!! Will definitely recommend this book and author to others!! Can't wait to find more of his books!!
2 people found this helpful
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Morbid Humor
2.0 out of 5 stars Slow, dragging on and on.
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Too much detail info about the characters. Drags on and on. Minimal info about the old couple, then the books over.
One person found this helpful
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OutlawPoet
4.0 out of 5 stars Chilling and Atmospheric
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017
This was a fun horror thriller!

The author does a good job of creating a very creepy atmosphere and the characters are terrific.

Seasoned horror readers will figure out exactly what's going on with our young boy pretty quickly, but will still find the read extremely suspenseful. The author does add some other elements that flesh out the plot so there will be some surprises.

There will be a few moments when the reader will want to scream at the characters in the book as they make some foolish decisions and ignore a few things right under their noses (in once case pretty literally), but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment of this fast-paced novel.

Very well done horror. I'll read the author again!
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

AJ Moore
4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to read on Kindle
Reviewed in Canada on October 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the concept and plot of this novel. It is well-written and engaging. However, poor formatting in the Kindle version made it hard to keep track of "scene changes". Within any one chapter, there is a lack of spacing to indicate the author has switched character and/or setting, which detracts from the otherwise enjoyable reading experience.
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