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Life After Dane
A mother’s love is undying… and so is Dane.
After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.
If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.
After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.
If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.
323 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2013
9 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lorn
63 books2,921 followersEdward Lorn (E. to most) is a reader, writer, and content creator. He's been writing for fun since the age of six, and writing professionally since 2011. He can be found haunting the halls of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
E. lives in Alabama with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his next novel.
E. lives in Alabama with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
March 6, 2018
Bah! I'm desperately searching for reasons not to give this book 5 stars because I'm GR friends with the author. And you know what? I just can't find any. Life After Dane is a very good book.
The story centers Ella Peters, the mother of Dane Peters, also known as the Rest Stop Dentist. The serial killer is put to death, and Ella starts hallucinating about her dead son. The fact that she is shunned and harassed by those around does little help for her fragile state. As she realizes his son never truly left this world, a race against time starts. What does Dane want to be at peace? The answer will shock you in more ways that you'd think.
First off, I appreciate the mature main character and the fact that Ella first suspects she's hallucinating. She's not one to jump to the conclusion that yes, ghosts exist, and start on an adventure. Things happen gradually (as Dane gathers strength).
There are multiple time lines, so we get to learn of Dane's childhood and the abuses he's been subjected to by his father, Phil. And here, there's a trigger warning for child abuse. The first time Phil disciplines his son, I thought I won't be able to finish reading the book. Child abuse is the one thing guaranteed to get to me. And what that creep did... and the mother... It's easy to blame the mother for not leaving. But she seems trapped in her own mind, with Phil as some all-powerful creature. And yet she could have taken the child and run. It said, and awful, and God, Phil should have been punished for his actions right from the start!
It is little wonder that when Dane was big enough to take on Phil, he did just that, throwing him into a glass wall, and walking away for good. I am sorry that he could not walk on to a better life. In stead he became the Rest Stop Dentist. Dane turned into a very evil, sick man.
In the end, everybody seems to get what they deserved. But just barely.
All that is left to say is go read this book!
*I thank Edward Lorn, Red Adept Publishing, LLC, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Excuses never made were lies never told, I always said.
The story centers Ella Peters, the mother of Dane Peters, also known as the Rest Stop Dentist. The serial killer is put to death, and Ella starts hallucinating about her dead son. The fact that she is shunned and harassed by those around does little help for her fragile state. As she realizes his son never truly left this world, a race against time starts. What does Dane want to be at peace? The answer will shock you in more ways that you'd think.
First off, I appreciate the mature main character and the fact that Ella first suspects she's hallucinating. She's not one to jump to the conclusion that yes, ghosts exist, and start on an adventure. Things happen gradually (as Dane gathers strength).
My hallucinations had returned, but I refused to lend them any credence. I didn't know when I had begun, but I realized I was singing "Amazing Grace." Not the entire tune. Only the first few lines. "Amazing grace... how sweet... the sound..."
There are multiple time lines, so we get to learn of Dane's childhood and the abuses he's been subjected to by his father, Phil. And here, there's a trigger warning for child abuse. The first time Phil disciplines his son, I thought I won't be able to finish reading the book. Child abuse is the one thing guaranteed to get to me. And what that creep did... and the mother... It's easy to blame the mother for not leaving. But she seems trapped in her own mind, with Phil as some all-powerful creature. And yet she could have taken the child and run. It said, and awful, and God, Phil should have been punished for his actions right from the start!
When I opened my eyes, Dane was staring up at me and shaking his head. I tried to tell myself that Dane was too young to realize what a failure I'd been to him, but I could see the understanding already present in his dull eyes. A light had died in there. He no longer looked at me like a mother, but as a prisoner of war would look at a doctor who meant to keep him alive between torture sessions.
It is little wonder that when Dane was big enough to take on Phil, he did just that, throwing him into a glass wall, and walking away for good. I am sorry that he could not walk on to a better life. In stead he became the Rest Stop Dentist. Dane turned into a very evil, sick man.
Dane kept the lower teeth of his victims; he used the upper ones to leave his sick trails. I always imagined he did that because Phil had never knocked out any of his son's bottom teeth.
In the end, everybody seems to get what they deserved. But just barely.
All that is left to say is go read this book!
*I thank Edward Lorn, Red Adept Publishing, LLC, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2016
This book grabbed me by the spectacles and held me captive for five days. I still had to follow my normal work routine, but as soon as I was finished each day, the book had its vice-like grip on me once again. In a whirlwind of events, I witnessed the brutal childhood of Dane, who grew up to become the Rest Stop Dentist. A serial killer, Dane was ultimately caught and executed, but that is just the beginning of the story. Because Dane comes back. He has a score to settle with his mother, and he's angry. The ride is about to begin. Hold on tight, because if you think you know the destination... well, you don't. Just follow the teeth and hold your breath.
October 28, 2016
Well, I guess I have to say I've already read the book in order to rate it. I guess I lied, but I'm thinking that this rating will remain...if my stomach holds out.
I've never started a review before I've finished the book, but I have to give this book 5* for what I've read so far...a HORROR of a book, with a very well written protagonist. She is just so real.
Ok...almost done, and I am impressed!! Edward Lorn has proven to me that he can give his readers nightmares, while at the same time tugging on their heart-strings. It's heart-wrenching and terribly sad at times (those precious four year old eyes, wet with tears and searching the face of the only person in any position to help)...Then the other part--Don't read if you have a weak stomach! It can get gruesome.... The grisly murders (The teeth!). The execution; and then: the ghost-- crawling on ceilings and walls......ewwww. Like a very scary horror movie that makes me want to squeeze my eyes shut till it's over, except.....I can't, I'm reading this.
******Alright--I've finally made an honest woman out of myself. I have read the book, and I'm sticking with the 5* rating, though after that ending I'm slightly in shock and having a hard time gathering my thoughts. I never saw that coming.
Lorn has written this story effortlessly going back and forth through time; allowing us to see the development of a serial killer with compassion toward the horribly abused little boy he once was. At the same time we see the narrator's struggle during those early years, eventually giving in and occasionally even coming to tune it out... finally growing a spine just the tiniest bit too late.
Final word: If you can handle some bloody teeth-clenching horror, this is one you should not pass up. The dialogue is amazingly well-written, the characters exceptionally drawn, the race to help the mad ghost find some mysterious peace he seeks/ stop him from piling up more tortured lifeless bodies is heart-pumping-edge-of-your-seat-amazing, and the ending is....let's just say the last three or four lines are the biggest twist I remember ever reading in a book--as shocking as the ending to The Sixth Sense; which reminds me--I'm a little surprised no one has approached Lorn about making a movie out of this... after watching all sorts of horror movies, I know the majority of the ones out there do not have this much thought put into them.
Finally, I know Edward from the internet...which had nothing to do with this review. I didn't think he had it in him actually:)
I've never started a review before I've finished the book, but I have to give this book 5* for what I've read so far...a HORROR of a book, with a very well written protagonist. She is just so real.
Ok...almost done, and I am impressed!! Edward Lorn has proven to me that he can give his readers nightmares, while at the same time tugging on their heart-strings. It's heart-wrenching and terribly sad at times (those precious four year old eyes, wet with tears and searching the face of the only person in any position to help)...Then the other part--Don't read if you have a weak stomach! It can get gruesome.... The grisly murders (The teeth!). The execution; and then: the ghost-- crawling on ceilings and walls......ewwww. Like a very scary horror movie that makes me want to squeeze my eyes shut till it's over, except.....I can't, I'm reading this.
******Alright--I've finally made an honest woman out of myself. I have read the book, and I'm sticking with the 5* rating, though after that ending I'm slightly in shock and having a hard time gathering my thoughts. I never saw that coming.
Lorn has written this story effortlessly going back and forth through time; allowing us to see the development of a serial killer with compassion toward the horribly abused little boy he once was. At the same time we see the narrator's struggle during those early years, eventually giving in and occasionally even coming to tune it out... finally growing a spine just the tiniest bit too late.
Final word: If you can handle some bloody teeth-clenching horror, this is one you should not pass up. The dialogue is amazingly well-written, the characters exceptionally drawn, the race to help the mad ghost find some mysterious peace he seeks/ stop him from piling up more tortured lifeless bodies is heart-pumping-edge-of-your-seat-amazing, and the ending is....let's just say the last three or four lines are the biggest twist I remember ever reading in a book--as shocking as the ending to The Sixth Sense; which reminds me--I'm a little surprised no one has approached Lorn about making a movie out of this... after watching all sorts of horror movies, I know the majority of the ones out there do not have this much thought put into them.
Finally, I know Edward from the internet...which had nothing to do with this review. I didn't think he had it in him actually:)
June 6, 2015
This is the story of the Rest Stop Dentist killer and how he came into being. Hard to decide who the biggest monster is in this tale of a life gone wrong. Lorn's dark humor is lurking around every corner toothily leering at us. The lines about the mustard/muster are priceless. I will be looking with suspicion at the next individual I hear cracking his knuckles. Nice touch. The teeth . . . the teeth. The horror.
March 8, 2016
Horrible horrible horrible.
Such a horrible mother. And don't even get me started on the father!
This is a story about the mother of an executed serial killer Dane Peters, the so-called "Rest Stop Dentist". It is only after his death that things start to spiral out of control for Ella. Cause Dane's poor soul can't find the way to his final resting place and starts to haunt his Momma.
I put off reading this book, cause I was a teeny tiny bit afraid of the horror. But once I started, it sucked me right in. Lorn knows his writing! Main characters were quite despicable, the scenes graphic. I felt all kinds of things while reading, including feeling stabby. My body tensed when I sensed something coming up, full of anticipation, anxiety, and fear. And if a book can pull (no pun intended!) these reactions out of you, than it must be good. Very good!
Review copy supplied by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a rating and/or review.
Such a horrible mother. And don't even get me started on the father!
This is a story about the mother of an executed serial killer Dane Peters, the so-called "Rest Stop Dentist". It is only after his death that things start to spiral out of control for Ella. Cause Dane's poor soul can't find the way to his final resting place and starts to haunt his Momma.
I put off reading this book, cause I was a teeny tiny bit afraid of the horror. But once I started, it sucked me right in. Lorn knows his writing! Main characters were quite despicable, the scenes graphic. I felt all kinds of things while reading, including feeling stabby. My body tensed when I sensed something coming up, full of anticipation, anxiety, and fear. And if a book can pull (no pun intended!) these reactions out of you, than it must be good. Very good!
Review copy supplied by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a rating and/or review.
July 18, 2019
In my opinion this might be Edward Lorn's best book. And the ending was not as I expected it to be. Very good. Quick read. I highly recommend it.
July 11, 2016
Life After Dane by Edward Lorn
BLURB FROM COVER: A mother’s love is undying… and so is Dane.
After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.
If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.
MY REVIEW: 5 stars. Excellent, very original and clever plot. I loved it. Oh this was good writing. It was scary and I found myself holding my breath throughout. I guess I am a true horror/crime/psychological abuse fan. I've been watching horror movies for years since I was a teenager. It made me want to read all of Mr. Lorn's books. I will read any anything Edward Lorn writes and I am now officially a fan and will be watching out for other books and going through his back list. He has a uniquely twisted, but brilliant mind and writing style. The concept of this evil killer that Dane became returned from the dead was great. It requires a strong stomach, but if you like being grossed out and scared then read this book. It gave me chills, but it was very difficult to read in parts because there are horrific child abuse scenes perpetrated the child's father and I don't see how the mother could keep letting it just go on and on. I just wanted to beat the shit out of this woman to knock some sense into her. She made me so angry.
I must warn people that this is gruesome and very disturbing. There are many extremely graphic and horrific child abuse scenes that just made me cringe. There are elements of the supernatural and it is definitely dark fiction. Depicted are very realistic scenarios of a person's childhood that would cause someone to turn into a psychopathic serial killer, (The Rest Stop Dentist). The father was a sadistic son-of-a-bitch who seemed to get off on physically and psychologically abusing this child named Dane. The father should be shot. He hit him so hard he knocked his teeth out, left marks on his body.
It starts out where Dane is being executed for committing 42 murders over 9 different states and the mother witnesses the execution. The father has already been dead for ten years. Flashbacks to his childhood post execution. She feels terribly guilty and starts having what she perceives to be hallucinations of seeing her son and hearing his voice. At one point she sees him and he says, “Wh-why” Why didn't you d-d-do anything.” She then realizes that Dane is indeed haunting her.
Brutal.
The end has a twist that I didn't see coming. Oooh that ending, shocked me.
A definite re-read on my list. Solid 5 stars.
I received a complementary copy of this electronic book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review.
One of my first reads in 2016 and still one of the best this year so far!
BLURB FROM COVER: A mother’s love is undying… and so is Dane.
After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.
If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.
MY REVIEW: 5 stars. Excellent, very original and clever plot. I loved it. Oh this was good writing. It was scary and I found myself holding my breath throughout. I guess I am a true horror/crime/psychological abuse fan. I've been watching horror movies for years since I was a teenager. It made me want to read all of Mr. Lorn's books. I will read any anything Edward Lorn writes and I am now officially a fan and will be watching out for other books and going through his back list. He has a uniquely twisted, but brilliant mind and writing style. The concept of this evil killer that Dane became returned from the dead was great. It requires a strong stomach, but if you like being grossed out and scared then read this book. It gave me chills, but it was very difficult to read in parts because there are horrific child abuse scenes perpetrated the child's father and I don't see how the mother could keep letting it just go on and on. I just wanted to beat the shit out of this woman to knock some sense into her. She made me so angry.
I must warn people that this is gruesome and very disturbing. There are many extremely graphic and horrific child abuse scenes that just made me cringe. There are elements of the supernatural and it is definitely dark fiction. Depicted are very realistic scenarios of a person's childhood that would cause someone to turn into a psychopathic serial killer, (The Rest Stop Dentist). The father was a sadistic son-of-a-bitch who seemed to get off on physically and psychologically abusing this child named Dane. The father should be shot. He hit him so hard he knocked his teeth out, left marks on his body.
It starts out where Dane is being executed for committing 42 murders over 9 different states and the mother witnesses the execution. The father has already been dead for ten years. Flashbacks to his childhood post execution. She feels terribly guilty and starts having what she perceives to be hallucinations of seeing her son and hearing his voice. At one point she sees him and he says, “Wh-why” Why didn't you d-d-do anything.” She then realizes that Dane is indeed haunting her.
Brutal.
The end has a twist that I didn't see coming. Oooh that ending, shocked me.
A definite re-read on my list. Solid 5 stars.
I received a complementary copy of this electronic book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review.
One of my first reads in 2016 and still one of the best this year so far!
January 15, 2016
This is my second story by Edward Lorn and just like when reading Bay's End I was amazed by how good he writes. Dialog rings true, references and analogies work and the flow of the narrative is close to perfect. English not being my first language, this is highly appreciated and not always the case (and don't be fooled into believing it's anything "simple" about Lorn's language - oversimplifying can spoil the reading experience in itself - but it's rather so that nothing is awkward or cumbersome or plain wrong).
I'm pretty sure this author could get away with a lacking story due to good storytelling - fortunately for us, he seems to stick with good stories as well. This is about a gruesome serial killer, with flashbacks into his background and a well executed supernatural part, some tooth-achingly effective scenes and a fitting "ghost story"-ending.
One grumble (and this is a common one when you are from where I'm from): There are, and have never been, any Swede (or even Scandinavian); living, dead, undead or fictional (until now...) named "Gödel"...
I'm pretty sure this author could get away with a lacking story due to good storytelling - fortunately for us, he seems to stick with good stories as well. This is about a gruesome serial killer, with flashbacks into his background and a well executed supernatural part, some tooth-achingly effective scenes and a fitting "ghost story"-ending.
One grumble (and this is a common one when you are from where I'm from): There are, and have never been, any Swede (or even Scandinavian); living, dead, undead or fictional (until now...) named "Gödel"...
June 27, 2014
The start of this story sees the state of Arkansas execute serial killer Dane Peters, nicknamed the Rest Stop Dentist for the brutal way he loved to remove his victim’s teeth and leave a trail of them leading to the body.
The story is told in first person through the eyes of Dane’s Mother, Ella and this is an extremely compelling tale, partly of abuse, the horrific repercussions and how easy it is to look the other way.
Edward Lorn again uses multiple time lines to tell a horror story that effectively forces you to look where the blame lies for what could be the blueprint to the production of a serial killer, not to say everyone who suffers abuse of this kind is likely to turn out that way but it looks intricately at the role of both parents.
In the present timeline Ella starts to see the ghost of her dead son, the horror side of the story is the powers that Dane possesses, he’s able to manifest as an entity capable of killing, just as he did when he was alive and take control of people. With a reporter in tow, Ella is forced on a road trip, leaving a trail of death behind her to visit Dane’s lover, someone she wasn't even aware of but at what cost and for what reason.
In alternate chapters we then go back in time to see how Ella and Dane’s Father Phil meet, the joyous birth of Dane and the continual abuse as he grows up to become a monster. Phil was a firm believer in tough love, he strived to ensure his son didn’t grow up to be a ‘pussy’ and equally at fault his Mother Ella, who turned the other cheek, forever hoping that Phil would see the error of his ways and magically revert back to the man she had fallen in love with.
She never lifted a hand to stop the violence and the image of the young boy asking his Mother…..
“Will the tooth fairy come even though it didn’t fall out on its own, Momma? Will the Tooth fairy be mad ‘cause Daddy knocked it out”.
…. is certainly one tinged with sadness. Along with Dane finally snapping as a young man and throwing his Father through a window, just deserts, not half.
Ella is not a likeable character, she always seems on the brink of fully understanding what her lack of action did to her son but never does it fully sink in, retribution is extremely satisfying though.
Life after Dane is the darkest of Ed’s stories so far, the ones I’ve read anyway, there’s not much of the humour usually present in his work baring a couple of sentences but this is a hard hitting story that certainly gives food for thought. A chillingly unpredictable story that I never even came close to guessing an ending that was very well thought out, a complete surprise and my applause once again.
I’ll finish on a cringe worthy quote ‘She smiled, all big and bold, with teeth the shade of infected urine’, hopefully not one of her most redeeming qualities then.
Recommended
The story is told in first person through the eyes of Dane’s Mother, Ella and this is an extremely compelling tale, partly of abuse, the horrific repercussions and how easy it is to look the other way.
Edward Lorn again uses multiple time lines to tell a horror story that effectively forces you to look where the blame lies for what could be the blueprint to the production of a serial killer, not to say everyone who suffers abuse of this kind is likely to turn out that way but it looks intricately at the role of both parents.
In the present timeline Ella starts to see the ghost of her dead son, the horror side of the story is the powers that Dane possesses, he’s able to manifest as an entity capable of killing, just as he did when he was alive and take control of people. With a reporter in tow, Ella is forced on a road trip, leaving a trail of death behind her to visit Dane’s lover, someone she wasn't even aware of but at what cost and for what reason.
In alternate chapters we then go back in time to see how Ella and Dane’s Father Phil meet, the joyous birth of Dane and the continual abuse as he grows up to become a monster. Phil was a firm believer in tough love, he strived to ensure his son didn’t grow up to be a ‘pussy’ and equally at fault his Mother Ella, who turned the other cheek, forever hoping that Phil would see the error of his ways and magically revert back to the man she had fallen in love with.
She never lifted a hand to stop the violence and the image of the young boy asking his Mother…..
“Will the tooth fairy come even though it didn’t fall out on its own, Momma? Will the Tooth fairy be mad ‘cause Daddy knocked it out”.
…. is certainly one tinged with sadness. Along with Dane finally snapping as a young man and throwing his Father through a window, just deserts, not half.
Ella is not a likeable character, she always seems on the brink of fully understanding what her lack of action did to her son but never does it fully sink in, retribution is extremely satisfying though.
Life after Dane is the darkest of Ed’s stories so far, the ones I’ve read anyway, there’s not much of the humour usually present in his work baring a couple of sentences but this is a hard hitting story that certainly gives food for thought. A chillingly unpredictable story that I never even came close to guessing an ending that was very well thought out, a complete surprise and my applause once again.
I’ll finish on a cringe worthy quote ‘She smiled, all big and bold, with teeth the shade of infected urine’, hopefully not one of her most redeeming qualities then.
Recommended
January 30, 2018
A novel that argues that sometimes a steady, life-long diet of Jesus doesn't let you off the hook for raising a serial killer. Life After Dane is a tale of supernatural revenge that takes the time to develop its characters: there's the chain-smoking Ella who mistakes cowardice for Christian piousness; her sadistic oaf of a husband, Phillip; and their bright-eyed baby boy, Dane, who grows up to be a demented tooth fairy of sorts, in life and after death. Following the execution of her son, Ella is shunned by neighbors, slandered by an ambitious reporter, picked on by home invaders and, worst of all, haunted by the specter of dearly departed Dane. As Dane's visits grow increasingly more violent, Ella is forced to embark on a hellish road trip that will force her to reckon with her profound failure as a mother in the face of an abusive husband. Lorn's attention to domestic detail, though harrowing, pays in dividends as the novel reaches its homerun of a wicked ending. Easily my favorite of Lorn's works that I have read so far.
June 7, 2015
“He’s not a monster. He’s my son.” Keep telling yourself that, lady. You helped make him that way. No worries though, the teeth will lead you home. Unfortunately for you…it may be Dane’s house now. Fug.
LAD is classic E. Fast moving and brutal. I should have been able to see the ending coming, but I didn’t. That is a testament to Lorn’s ability to keep you off balance and entirely engaged in the story from beginning to end. Very well done. Emotionally violent and disturbing. 5 Stars and Highly Recommended!
LAD is classic E. Fast moving and brutal. I should have been able to see the ending coming, but I didn’t. That is a testament to Lorn’s ability to keep you off balance and entirely engaged in the story from beginning to end. Very well done. Emotionally violent and disturbing. 5 Stars and Highly Recommended!
September 25, 2016
Some books grab me in the first few chapters or pages but this one had me in a couple sentences and held me until the end. My favorite so far from Mr. Lorn. Check it out.
February 6, 2014
Let's just get this bit of business out of the way up front: Edward Lorn is one hell of a writer.
And Life After Dane is one hell of a book.
Keeping a reader engaged for the entire duration of a novel featuring a protagonist so unsympathetic (presented in first person, no less) would be a herculean task for even the most accomplished author, but Lorn pulls the trick off with panache.
Ella, mother of the infamous and recently deceased serial killer Dane, stood idly by during his entire childhood while he sufferd horrific abuse at the hands of an unstable father. She has no good reasons for what she did or didn't do to help him, nor does Lorn try to offer any excuses on her behalf.
What happened, happened, and the consequences are what they are. That Lorn manages to make her so much more than a vaguely relatable character, deftly walking that tightrope between sympathy and revulsion for her, is stunning. That balancing act could have easily gone off the rails.
As the the story goes, poor little Dane grew up to become an even more twisted freak than his father, and was eventually captured and executed for his crimes.
Now he's back - but what he's after isn't entirely clear.
This book is bleak, certainly not for the faint of heart as it's chock full of cringe-worthy violence and disturbing scenarios. Honestly, I found certain sections quite hard to get through on account of some of the content. The contrast of the impact of descriptions of real violence versus supernatural violence in fiction is on full display here, as I took pleasure in reading the supernatural portions of the book, but felt fully drained by the harshness of Dane's past. There were times where I had to put the book down and shut the images out of my mind, so genuinely grueling and effective was the literature, without much room for relief in the narrative.
One particular accomplishment that I'd like to note here: the ending. Lorn nails it. I'll say no more.
For fans of unrelentingly dark fiction, Life After Dane is sure to impress.
And Life After Dane is one hell of a book.
Keeping a reader engaged for the entire duration of a novel featuring a protagonist so unsympathetic (presented in first person, no less) would be a herculean task for even the most accomplished author, but Lorn pulls the trick off with panache.
Ella, mother of the infamous and recently deceased serial killer Dane, stood idly by during his entire childhood while he sufferd horrific abuse at the hands of an unstable father. She has no good reasons for what she did or didn't do to help him, nor does Lorn try to offer any excuses on her behalf.
What happened, happened, and the consequences are what they are. That Lorn manages to make her so much more than a vaguely relatable character, deftly walking that tightrope between sympathy and revulsion for her, is stunning. That balancing act could have easily gone off the rails.
As the the story goes, poor little Dane grew up to become an even more twisted freak than his father, and was eventually captured and executed for his crimes.
Now he's back - but what he's after isn't entirely clear.
This book is bleak, certainly not for the faint of heart as it's chock full of cringe-worthy violence and disturbing scenarios. Honestly, I found certain sections quite hard to get through on account of some of the content. The contrast of the impact of descriptions of real violence versus supernatural violence in fiction is on full display here, as I took pleasure in reading the supernatural portions of the book, but felt fully drained by the harshness of Dane's past. There were times where I had to put the book down and shut the images out of my mind, so genuinely grueling and effective was the literature, without much room for relief in the narrative.
One particular accomplishment that I'd like to note here: the ending. Lorn nails it. I'll say no more.
For fans of unrelentingly dark fiction, Life After Dane is sure to impress.
January 28, 2016
Edit #1: I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a terribly gruesome, horrifying ride into the broken psyche of a young man who grew up into a serial killer, as well as the mind of his mother who sat back and watched it happen.
Character development in this book is simply outstanding. Ed Lorn is an outstanding writer, and his abilities really shine in this book. Ella, mother of the serial killer known as the “Rest Stop Dentist”, is the profoundly flawed narrator with a deeply religious worldview that came across as very realistic. Throughout the narrative, there were many times I thought the story was turning in different directions, maybe with her mind snapping and picking up where her son left off as a killer. The book really provided an outstanding character study of someone having to deal with the aftermath of a mass murderer, from the unusual perspective of being the killer’s mother. She was very well written and came across as so well-rounded that I remained completely riveted to her tale. Her experiences are terrifying, yet the other people around her don’t necessarily react to what’s happening the same way she does, which made me wonder if it was all happening in her head.
There is a ton of graphic, abusive violence in this story, and while it wasn’t a “horror” book in the true sense of the word, the psychological horror experienced by Dane as a child was primal and heart-wrenching. These were the hardest parts of the book to read.
The mystery of the book hooked me from the very first paragraph, and had me guessing until the very end when everything skillfully fell into place.
No matter how this book is classified, as a chilling mystery, paranormal horror, or psychological abuse, this is a fantastic choice for anyone who wants to read and experience the unpredictable.
Edit #2: I just saw that the Audible version is only $1.99 when you buy the Kindle version at $5.99. I may just go ahead and listen to this one, too!
What a terribly gruesome, horrifying ride into the broken psyche of a young man who grew up into a serial killer, as well as the mind of his mother who sat back and watched it happen.
Character development in this book is simply outstanding. Ed Lorn is an outstanding writer, and his abilities really shine in this book. Ella, mother of the serial killer known as the “Rest Stop Dentist”, is the profoundly flawed narrator with a deeply religious worldview that came across as very realistic. Throughout the narrative, there were many times I thought the story was turning in different directions, maybe with her mind snapping and picking up where her son left off as a killer. The book really provided an outstanding character study of someone having to deal with the aftermath of a mass murderer, from the unusual perspective of being the killer’s mother. She was very well written and came across as so well-rounded that I remained completely riveted to her tale. Her experiences are terrifying, yet the other people around her don’t necessarily react to what’s happening the same way she does, which made me wonder if it was all happening in her head.
There is a ton of graphic, abusive violence in this story, and while it wasn’t a “horror” book in the true sense of the word, the psychological horror experienced by Dane as a child was primal and heart-wrenching. These were the hardest parts of the book to read.
The mystery of the book hooked me from the very first paragraph, and had me guessing until the very end when everything skillfully fell into place.
No matter how this book is classified, as a chilling mystery, paranormal horror, or psychological abuse, this is a fantastic choice for anyone who wants to read and experience the unpredictable.
Edit #2: I just saw that the Audible version is only $1.99 when you buy the Kindle version at $5.99. I may just go ahead and listen to this one, too!
March 10, 2022
Great writing, scary, witty, superb. It was imposible to leave it before I finish with it completely
I've had the pleasure of reading some of Lorn's books since January, and I believe that, without a doubt he's the closest indie writer to Stephen King's grandeur.
I am not going to go over the plot in detail since so many reviewers have already done so, and anyway I'm not a great storyteller! Edward Lorn starts out strong in 'Life After Dane' telling the story of a serial killer nicknamed Rest Stop Dentist and a mother trying to move on with her life after his execution. But is he really dead? The story is written with care and clarity. The characters are extremely well defined and includes one of the best portraits of a psychopath I've seen in a very long time. Heck, there should be a movie of this book. It reminded me of Shocker by Wes Craven.
It's rare that a book will keep me under its spell this thoroughly from start to finish. So, do yourself a favor. Cross "Fifty Shades" off your list. Pick up "Life After Dane" and clear your calendar, you won't put it down until the last page is turned.
I've had the pleasure of reading some of Lorn's books since January, and I believe that, without a doubt he's the closest indie writer to Stephen King's grandeur.
I am not going to go over the plot in detail since so many reviewers have already done so, and anyway I'm not a great storyteller! Edward Lorn starts out strong in 'Life After Dane' telling the story of a serial killer nicknamed Rest Stop Dentist and a mother trying to move on with her life after his execution. But is he really dead? The story is written with care and clarity. The characters are extremely well defined and includes one of the best portraits of a psychopath I've seen in a very long time. Heck, there should be a movie of this book. It reminded me of Shocker by Wes Craven.
It's rare that a book will keep me under its spell this thoroughly from start to finish. So, do yourself a favor. Cross "Fifty Shades" off your list. Pick up "Life After Dane" and clear your calendar, you won't put it down until the last page is turned.
December 16, 2018
There were some editing issues with the audiobook. The narrator makes a clicking noise when she messes up a line. She'll then repeat the messed up line. Like she's marking the spot or something. Unfortunately there were a few parts where that wasn't edited out so we had some lines repeated. Clicking noise and all. Despite that I still really enjoyed this book. The flashbacks to Dane's childhood broke my damn heart :(
March 11, 2016
Lorn is yet to disappoint and I'm a completist by nature. Serial killers aren't born it seems, they are made, usually by spectacularly crappy parenting. This is certainly the case here, the story told from a perspective of a mother (guilty of not heeding Edmund Burke's warning and doing nothing thus allowing evil to triumph), who ends up haunted both literally and figuratively by the memories and what they created. Honestly though, the supernatural/horror aspect of it seemed secondary, the best part of the book is the actual dramatic writing, the story of a family told through flashbacks and reflections, the story of auspicious beginnings being trampled by undeniable psychological patterns, the story of abuse and its hideous realities and pathetic justifications. Maybe even about love, albeit the grotesque version from a funhouse mirror, ugly love. Kudos to Lorn for creating with unflinching honesty and emotional intelligence a morally flawed and/or reprehensible characters that are actually very compelling to read about, so it makes for a terrific dark psychological fiction trapped in a genre wrap paper. Recommended.
April 19, 2016
4.5 freaking intense stars. Fantastic narration ! Get this on audio folks, you will love it.
Now for a review. How am I supposed to review this Mr. Lorn ? If I talk about any of the parts it will open a window into the delicious wickedness that these pages slowly revealed in a soul screaming process that was always slightly out of reach. The answers that are there, but they aren't. Blurred lines with clattering teeth kidnapped my dreams and turned them to suspense filled nightmares. One word kept escaping my mouth F*ck. How can I review a book when the best word to describe it is a "naughty" word ? Well I can talk about one of the characters.
I hated the MC, aka Dane's mother, with such intensity, pure hate. I don't think I've had such a strong reaction to a character before. I loved to hate her, it felt good, dark and disturbed. There is something wrong with that isn't there ? ARGUH, she played the victim card, the mouse card, the ostrich and the good Christian woman deck, she was a hot mess of excuses with no good cards to play.
So my final take is, F*ck yeh !
Now for a review. How am I supposed to review this Mr. Lorn ? If I talk about any of the parts it will open a window into the delicious wickedness that these pages slowly revealed in a soul screaming process that was always slightly out of reach. The answers that are there, but they aren't. Blurred lines with clattering teeth kidnapped my dreams and turned them to suspense filled nightmares. One word kept escaping my mouth F*ck. How can I review a book when the best word to describe it is a "naughty" word ? Well I can talk about one of the characters.
I hated the MC, aka Dane's mother, with such intensity, pure hate. I don't think I've had such a strong reaction to a character before. I loved to hate her, it felt good, dark and disturbed. There is something wrong with that isn't there ? ARGUH, she played the victim card, the mouse card, the ostrich and the good Christian woman deck, she was a hot mess of excuses with no good cards to play.
So my final take is, F*ck yeh !
February 4, 2016
I'm going to do it. I swear to God. I'm going to write an honest review of an author I follow on goodreads. *cracks knuckles*
I follow and enjoy Edward Lorn's review's here on Goodreads so I have been extremely curious to check out some of his writing. He is always sharp, witty, and entertaining so I had high hopes for this short thriller. My biggest complaint with this is, I wanted more.
I really enjoyed this story and found it original, gripping, and very disturbing. The portrayal of child abuse and violence was extremely gruesome, and I thought Ella's religious convictions and the repercussions of that were fantastic. Lorn is definitely not afraid to evoke some strong feelings here. Phil's revolting treatment of his son, Ella's religion induced apathy, Dane's brutal violence; this is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I hold a special place in my heart for a story where everyone gets what they deserve....almost. Maybe?
I especially enjoy a story with morally grey characters and for me that was Ella. I definitely sympathized with her as a woman, and the parts of the book I enjoyed the most were her flashbacks to her young sons troubled past and what led them to the present.
I do wish the climax had given me a little...more. We take this journey with Ella and I found myself a little let down with Dane's explanation's to his mother. However, the last 2 pages more then compensate for that. It is mind blowing. It is satisfying and scary and totally worth the entire reading experience.
I also really loved the slow burn here. Ella doesn't just immediately jump to paranoid and crazy in the first 5 pages. She actually behaves like a real person probably would. Even though I wanted to shake and scream things at her on occasion, I appreciated that she was more real than those annoying ass teenagers in every scary movie who split up or wander off, alone and in their underwear as soon as someone dies. Ugh.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I thought it was original, interesting, and creepy as hell. A solid 4 stars.
I follow and enjoy Edward Lorn's review's here on Goodreads so I have been extremely curious to check out some of his writing. He is always sharp, witty, and entertaining so I had high hopes for this short thriller. My biggest complaint with this is, I wanted more.
I really enjoyed this story and found it original, gripping, and very disturbing. The portrayal of child abuse and violence was extremely gruesome, and I thought Ella's religious convictions and the repercussions of that were fantastic. Lorn is definitely not afraid to evoke some strong feelings here. Phil's revolting treatment of his son, Ella's religion induced apathy, Dane's brutal violence; this is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I hold a special place in my heart for a story where everyone gets what they deserve....almost. Maybe?
I especially enjoy a story with morally grey characters and for me that was Ella. I definitely sympathized with her as a woman, and the parts of the book I enjoyed the most were her flashbacks to her young sons troubled past and what led them to the present.
I do wish the climax had given me a little...more. We take this journey with Ella and I found myself a little let down with Dane's explanation's to his mother. However, the last 2 pages more then compensate for that. It is mind blowing. It is satisfying and scary and totally worth the entire reading experience.
I also really loved the slow burn here. Ella doesn't just immediately jump to paranoid and crazy in the first 5 pages. She actually behaves like a real person probably would. Even though I wanted to shake and scream things at her on occasion, I appreciated that she was more real than those annoying ass teenagers in every scary movie who split up or wander off, alone and in their underwear as soon as someone dies. Ugh.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I thought it was original, interesting, and creepy as hell. A solid 4 stars.
January 16, 2015
4.5 stars! Rounded up because of the great ending I didn't see coming!
Lorn's tale starts as a mother watches her serial killer son executed for a string of heinous murders carried out in the years prior. Lorn expertly creates a rather unsympathetic character to root for, as her journey turns from the navigation of grief over her son's death into a wild ride through supernatural territory. The story alternates between flashbacks of a Dane's abusive childhood from Ella's point of view and the present day aftermath of her inability to protect her son. Well-paced and solidifies Lorn as one of my go-to horror authors for sure.
Lorn's tale starts as a mother watches her serial killer son executed for a string of heinous murders carried out in the years prior. Lorn expertly creates a rather unsympathetic character to root for, as her journey turns from the navigation of grief over her son's death into a wild ride through supernatural territory. The story alternates between flashbacks of a Dane's abusive childhood from Ella's point of view and the present day aftermath of her inability to protect her son. Well-paced and solidifies Lorn as one of my go-to horror authors for sure.
December 21, 2020
This book was a delight to discover and as the first book I’ve read from Lorn has be chomping at the bit for the next offering from him (I have three books lined up already).
This was dark and bleak and pretty much all I look for in a book, there was something a little off for me with regards to the similes that Lorn used (not all the time) but some would kinda seem misplaced; in such a dark book, some of these similes seemed a little too jovial, a little too out of place for the chaos that was happening on the page and instead of pushing me deeper some of these pushed me out of the story just when I wanted to be smothered by its brilliance. I initially thought it was an issue with the pacing of the book, but I realised it wasn’t it was just I’d get bumped out of the story and then have to get back into the depravity of it again... which I did!
The violence in this books is perfect. Tension, dread and pacing are wonderfully done, and the character work - brilliant!
The concept is great a mother grieving over the death of her son (a serial killer put to death on death row) and how she remembers what brought this to this conclusion - the nature vs nurture debate - which is brilliantly rendered by Lorn - also the supernatural vibe is strong in this offering and a few times the unease of the story had me freaking out and I believe there was also a time I jumped whilst reading.
And the ending... what a fricking ending!
Full review coming to my YouTube channel soon.
This was dark and bleak and pretty much all I look for in a book, there was something a little off for me with regards to the similes that Lorn used (not all the time) but some would kinda seem misplaced; in such a dark book, some of these similes seemed a little too jovial, a little too out of place for the chaos that was happening on the page and instead of pushing me deeper some of these pushed me out of the story just when I wanted to be smothered by its brilliance. I initially thought it was an issue with the pacing of the book, but I realised it wasn’t it was just I’d get bumped out of the story and then have to get back into the depravity of it again... which I did!
The violence in this books is perfect. Tension, dread and pacing are wonderfully done, and the character work - brilliant!
The concept is great a mother grieving over the death of her son (a serial killer put to death on death row) and how she remembers what brought this to this conclusion - the nature vs nurture debate - which is brilliantly rendered by Lorn - also the supernatural vibe is strong in this offering and a few times the unease of the story had me freaking out and I believe there was also a time I jumped whilst reading.
And the ending... what a fricking ending!
Full review coming to my YouTube channel soon.
November 11, 2014
11/11/14: It's on sale for $0.99 today, and will then start slowly making it's way back to the $5.99 price. This one is worth more than $0.99. Go getcha some Ed Lorn!!!!
Actual rating: 3.75 stars. No spoilers!
Review:
I will seriously never be able to look at dentists the same way after reading this book. We are immediately introduced to Dane, through the eyes of Ella, his mother. I developed a soft aching spot for Ella pretty early on. Thinking of what she must have gone through watching Dane go through sentencing, then be put to death, must have been intensely hard. However, as the story progresses, my soft spot migrates to Dane, and I started to feel something ugly for Ella.
During certain sections of this story, I literally found myself raging and screaming at the book.
Alas, I have digressed as I reflect on my thoughts and feelings of this book. Anyhow, Dane is dubbed the "Rest Stop Dentist." Hearing about some of the things he's done made me cringe.
Lorn does an amazing job pulling the reader in! He managed to have me feeling sympathy, creeped out, cringing, anger. The past that Dane grew up with made him who he became. This is a story about paying your dues, and accepting the blame of major flaws you've done. It's really scary to think about how the things parents say and do and the behavior they exhibit shape a child into the adult they will become. I enjoyed this book quite a bit!! There was no fluff, the characters were jagged and sharp around the edges, the moral of the story was blaring out at me.
And that ending...
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher, Red Adept Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Ed Lorn is a friend of mine on GR. These two factors in no way affected my feelings or view on this book.
Actual rating: 3.75 stars. No spoilers!
Review:
I will seriously never be able to look at dentists the same way after reading this book. We are immediately introduced to Dane, through the eyes of Ella, his mother. I developed a soft aching spot for Ella pretty early on. Thinking of what she must have gone through watching Dane go through sentencing, then be put to death, must have been intensely hard. However, as the story progresses, my soft spot migrates to Dane, and I started to feel something ugly for Ella.
During certain sections of this story, I literally found myself raging and screaming at the book.
Alas, I have digressed as I reflect on my thoughts and feelings of this book. Anyhow, Dane is dubbed the "Rest Stop Dentist." Hearing about some of the things he's done made me cringe.
Lorn does an amazing job pulling the reader in! He managed to have me feeling sympathy, creeped out, cringing, anger. The past that Dane grew up with made him who he became. This is a story about paying your dues, and accepting the blame of major flaws you've done. It's really scary to think about how the things parents say and do and the behavior they exhibit shape a child into the adult they will become. I enjoyed this book quite a bit!! There was no fluff, the characters were jagged and sharp around the edges, the moral of the story was blaring out at me.
And that ending...
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher, Red Adept Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Ed Lorn is a friend of mine on GR. These two factors in no way affected my feelings or view on this book.
November 2, 2013
Characters are far more interesting to me than the stories they might be in. A good character can make any book worth reading, so long as sloppy writing doesn't get in the way. When I read a story told in first person, a character's voice is even more important to me. Without a good cadence and personality, a first person narrator can completely destroy a good story.
Edward Lorn's "Life After Dane" has a compelling, empathetic first person narrator that has one hell of a voice. Ella Peters is an older woman, mourning the execution of her psychopathic son. But she's not just mourning his passing--she's mourning his past.
Raised in a home of violent abuse, both physical and verbal, Dane Peters became a monster beyond anyone's control. Ella tells the story of how the boy was raised, her life with her brutal husband, and all the choices she didn't make that led to such an abusive childhood for her son.
Lorn's tale is a testament to battered wife syndrome as well as child abuse and is definitely not for the faint of heart. While Ella is sympathetic, despite her admissions of weakness, I found myself wanting to reach through the book and scream at her while she reveals her past. Her staunch refusal to protect her son in the past compounds the hypocrisy of her pious religious beliefs.
The book intermingles the stories of the past with the present as Ella encounters supernatural occurrences involving the presence of her dead son. Dane's spirit, for lack of a better term, aims to get revenge on those that made him what he became. While Ella tries to comprehend and explain away the incidents with her religious beliefs, Dane's restless presence begins another murder spree she is helpless to stop.
Ella's voice makes the book difficult to put down. I found myself reading pages of the ebook every time I had a brief moment of time in my busy day. The last fifty pages or so sped by like a good film, with well-written visuals and bone-chilling details. Only a talented writer like Mr. Lorn could write a long character piece like this that tells two stories--the mother's as well as her son's-- from a single viewpoint. It's a study in inhumanity and terrified apathy that readers won't soon forget.
Edward Lorn's "Life After Dane" has a compelling, empathetic first person narrator that has one hell of a voice. Ella Peters is an older woman, mourning the execution of her psychopathic son. But she's not just mourning his passing--she's mourning his past.
Raised in a home of violent abuse, both physical and verbal, Dane Peters became a monster beyond anyone's control. Ella tells the story of how the boy was raised, her life with her brutal husband, and all the choices she didn't make that led to such an abusive childhood for her son.
Lorn's tale is a testament to battered wife syndrome as well as child abuse and is definitely not for the faint of heart. While Ella is sympathetic, despite her admissions of weakness, I found myself wanting to reach through the book and scream at her while she reveals her past. Her staunch refusal to protect her son in the past compounds the hypocrisy of her pious religious beliefs.
The book intermingles the stories of the past with the present as Ella encounters supernatural occurrences involving the presence of her dead son. Dane's spirit, for lack of a better term, aims to get revenge on those that made him what he became. While Ella tries to comprehend and explain away the incidents with her religious beliefs, Dane's restless presence begins another murder spree she is helpless to stop.
Ella's voice makes the book difficult to put down. I found myself reading pages of the ebook every time I had a brief moment of time in my busy day. The last fifty pages or so sped by like a good film, with well-written visuals and bone-chilling details. Only a talented writer like Mr. Lorn could write a long character piece like this that tells two stories--the mother's as well as her son's-- from a single viewpoint. It's a study in inhumanity and terrified apathy that readers won't soon forget.
March 3, 2014
Poor Ella Peters. A mother should never have to mourn the loss of her child. It's a nightmare that no parent on Earth wants to live through. For Ella though, it's so much worse than that. Not only is her child gone, he died a monster. A killer. Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist. A criminal who has been laid to rest. Or has he?
What is most heartbreaking about this story is that Dane wasn't born this way, he was made. Edward Lorn weaves a tale around the violent abuse of a young child, and the mother who stood by and let it happen. It's a testament to Lorn's writing that I felt empathy for Ella. As much as I hated her sometimes, as much as I wanted to reach into the book and shake her violently with both hands, I saw deep enough to understand. It wasn't the choices she made, it was the choices that were made for her in this brutal relationship. She was just trying to survive.
In fact, the writing throughout Life After Dane is gorgeous. Although I wasn't always on board with supernatural/horror aspect of this book, it never ceased to amaze me how deeply ingrained it was in my psyche. I'd find myself thinking about this book while I wasn't reading it. Wondering what might be going on in Ella's mind as a mother looking back on her broken past. It wasn't so much that I wanted to delve further into the horrors surrounding her, but more that I had to. I needed to know what happened next.
So why the three star rating you ask? There was a lot I enjoyed about Life After Dane, but I just couldn't wrap my head around the overall storyline. When Ella first started seeing things, I thought I knew what was coming. I was wrong. I was so, so very wrong. It confused the hell out of me. This is all on me, as a reader. It just wasn't my kind of read.
However, and this is a big however, I still highly recommend this book. Hold on, I'll explain. Edward Lorn's writing never fails to be brilliant, and that's glaringly obvious in Life After Dane. If I can be confused, but still care for the characters and be totally enamored with the writing? That's one hell of a book. And yes, Life After Dane is one hell of a book.
What is most heartbreaking about this story is that Dane wasn't born this way, he was made. Edward Lorn weaves a tale around the violent abuse of a young child, and the mother who stood by and let it happen. It's a testament to Lorn's writing that I felt empathy for Ella. As much as I hated her sometimes, as much as I wanted to reach into the book and shake her violently with both hands, I saw deep enough to understand. It wasn't the choices she made, it was the choices that were made for her in this brutal relationship. She was just trying to survive.
In fact, the writing throughout Life After Dane is gorgeous. Although I wasn't always on board with supernatural/horror aspect of this book, it never ceased to amaze me how deeply ingrained it was in my psyche. I'd find myself thinking about this book while I wasn't reading it. Wondering what might be going on in Ella's mind as a mother looking back on her broken past. It wasn't so much that I wanted to delve further into the horrors surrounding her, but more that I had to. I needed to know what happened next.
So why the three star rating you ask? There was a lot I enjoyed about Life After Dane, but I just couldn't wrap my head around the overall storyline. When Ella first started seeing things, I thought I knew what was coming. I was wrong. I was so, so very wrong. It confused the hell out of me. This is all on me, as a reader. It just wasn't my kind of read.
However, and this is a big however, I still highly recommend this book. Hold on, I'll explain. Edward Lorn's writing never fails to be brilliant, and that's glaringly obvious in Life After Dane. If I can be confused, but still care for the characters and be totally enamored with the writing? That's one hell of a book. And yes, Life After Dane is one hell of a book.
May 10, 2015
*Book source ~ Many thanks to Red Adept for providing a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
Dane Peters was a serial killer known as the Rest Stop Dentist. Having killed 42 people he was finally caught, tried and sentenced to death. His mother, Ella, watched the execution of her only child then went back to her house in Colorado and attempted to move on. Life after Dane wasn’t easy for the mother of a serial killer, but it got even harder when Ella started seeing and hearing her baby boy. Was she hallucinating? Going insane? Or was Dane truly haunting her and if so, why? Ella loved her son even after the things he did, so what is the reason behind his harassment of her from beyond the grave? And will she survive it?
I can sum up this story in two words…Ho-ly shit! The blurb piqued my interest. The first sentence yanked me into a seat, strapped me down and took off down the highway careening at breakneck speeds in a race to the end. The final flourish of brakes after crossing the finish line left me slumped in my seat, dazed, eyes wide and mouth dropped open. There might have been some drool. I know my hair was standing on end. And I truly said, ‘Ho-ly shit!’ Ask my cats, who jumped then started licking themselves or my dogs who started barking at my hoarse shout, looking for the threat to their Mistress. This book gave me the heebie jeebies. I hope animals can sense ghosts.
This is not a whodunit. We know who. We know what, where, when and how. What we don’t know is why. As the story unfolds the picture slowly comes into focus and we get the why. The terrible why. The people in this book are despicable and the person who ends up with the majority of my sympathy is Dane. Hard to admit about a serial killer, but there it is. Condone what he did? Oh, hell no. But understand what made him into one? Yes.
If you want a nail biting, stomach churning, ho-ly shit book to read then this is the one for you. The words flow smoothly across the page as Ella attempts to live a life where she’s now known as the mother of a serial killer. The flashbacks Dane makes her remember are integrated smoothly into the narrative and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. And the finale? Sweet Baby Jane, the finale. *shudders*
Dane Peters was a serial killer known as the Rest Stop Dentist. Having killed 42 people he was finally caught, tried and sentenced to death. His mother, Ella, watched the execution of her only child then went back to her house in Colorado and attempted to move on. Life after Dane wasn’t easy for the mother of a serial killer, but it got even harder when Ella started seeing and hearing her baby boy. Was she hallucinating? Going insane? Or was Dane truly haunting her and if so, why? Ella loved her son even after the things he did, so what is the reason behind his harassment of her from beyond the grave? And will she survive it?
I can sum up this story in two words…Ho-ly shit! The blurb piqued my interest. The first sentence yanked me into a seat, strapped me down and took off down the highway careening at breakneck speeds in a race to the end. The final flourish of brakes after crossing the finish line left me slumped in my seat, dazed, eyes wide and mouth dropped open. There might have been some drool. I know my hair was standing on end. And I truly said, ‘Ho-ly shit!’ Ask my cats, who jumped then started licking themselves or my dogs who started barking at my hoarse shout, looking for the threat to their Mistress. This book gave me the heebie jeebies. I hope animals can sense ghosts.
This is not a whodunit. We know who. We know what, where, when and how. What we don’t know is why. As the story unfolds the picture slowly comes into focus and we get the why. The terrible why. The people in this book are despicable and the person who ends up with the majority of my sympathy is Dane. Hard to admit about a serial killer, but there it is. Condone what he did? Oh, hell no. But understand what made him into one? Yes.
If you want a nail biting, stomach churning, ho-ly shit book to read then this is the one for you. The words flow smoothly across the page as Ella attempts to live a life where she’s now known as the mother of a serial killer. The flashbacks Dane makes her remember are integrated smoothly into the narrative and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. And the finale? Sweet Baby Jane, the finale. *shudders*
July 21, 2013
I’ve read several of Edward’s books and I have to say Life After Dane is his best work yet.
I would call it a psychological thriller and horror story. But it’s more than that. You could also call it a ghost story but it isn’t a house that’s haunted.
They say a serial killer can be born one or made into one. I’m not sure which it was for Dane, but he was prolific, killing 42 people. His moniker, The Rest Stop Dentist, was earned because he stalked and killed his victims at rest stops and left a trail of their teeth, like bread crumbs, leading to their discarded corpses.
Like in real life, the law does catch up with him and on October 25, 2013, Dane Peters is sent to hell.
But Dane isn’t planning on staying there, and before long, he pays a visit to his loving mother, the chain-smoking woman who stood by and watched him suffer at the hands of his abusive father.
Dane is back and he wants his own brand of justice.
I like how the author showed you both sides of the story, both Danes and his mother, Ella May’s. It helped me to see behind their actions and connect with them.
Dane is horrific, but you almost feel sorry for him. Good writing there.
Ella May is sweet and loving, but she’ll tick you off, making you want to slap her down. More good writing.
I would put the pacing of this story as relentless. Once you start reading, you’ll not want to stop until the white-knuckled read is over.
When I reached the end, my heart was pounding in my ears and my jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I just sat there, thinking. Then I got up and grabbed a romance book to read so I wouldn’t be thinking about Dane when I went to sleep!
I received this book for my honest review. I've read several of Edward Lorn's books and will be buying more as fast as he writes them!
I would call it a psychological thriller and horror story. But it’s more than that. You could also call it a ghost story but it isn’t a house that’s haunted.
They say a serial killer can be born one or made into one. I’m not sure which it was for Dane, but he was prolific, killing 42 people. His moniker, The Rest Stop Dentist, was earned because he stalked and killed his victims at rest stops and left a trail of their teeth, like bread crumbs, leading to their discarded corpses.
Like in real life, the law does catch up with him and on October 25, 2013, Dane Peters is sent to hell.
But Dane isn’t planning on staying there, and before long, he pays a visit to his loving mother, the chain-smoking woman who stood by and watched him suffer at the hands of his abusive father.
Dane is back and he wants his own brand of justice.
I like how the author showed you both sides of the story, both Danes and his mother, Ella May’s. It helped me to see behind their actions and connect with them.
Dane is horrific, but you almost feel sorry for him. Good writing there.
Ella May is sweet and loving, but she’ll tick you off, making you want to slap her down. More good writing.
I would put the pacing of this story as relentless. Once you start reading, you’ll not want to stop until the white-knuckled read is over.
When I reached the end, my heart was pounding in my ears and my jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I just sat there, thinking. Then I got up and grabbed a romance book to read so I wouldn’t be thinking about Dane when I went to sleep!
I received this book for my honest review. I've read several of Edward Lorn's books and will be buying more as fast as he writes them!
December 17, 2013
You know when you're reading a book and by the time you get to the end, everything is wrapped up all beautifully in a neat little package, almost a "happily ever after thing"? Yeah, that was what I thought was happening with this book and I have to admit I was a little cheesed off about it cause this book is amazing - like AMAZING - like I have only four books that I've read this year that I can HONESTLY say I would give more than 5 stars to if I could and this is one of them, so when it seemed like everyone (well, at least the everyone that was living) was gonna be all happy family I was like "Wait, what?!?!" but then it happened - it twisted RIGHT THERE at the end and made me love the book EVEN more than I already did. Oh my God!!
First there's Ella. She seems like a decent woman and I like her. She has a son - Dane - who's a pretty bad guy. Murdered people and stuff. The title - Life After Dane - kinda lets you know something happens to Dane and someone has to live without him. His mom. It goes back and forth between present and her memories of what happened in the past. But then some freaky-deaky stuff starts happening - and she has to deal with Sven, this cutthroat journalist she is not pleased with because of the way he depicted her in an article, to figure everything out. A total crazy ride and a very fun - and interesting - read.
I have more stuff by this guy and I can't wait to dig into them!!
Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review :)
First there's Ella. She seems like a decent woman and I like her. She has a son - Dane - who's a pretty bad guy. Murdered people and stuff. The title - Life After Dane - kinda lets you know something happens to Dane and someone has to live without him. His mom. It goes back and forth between present and her memories of what happened in the past. But then some freaky-deaky stuff starts happening - and she has to deal with Sven, this cutthroat journalist she is not pleased with because of the way he depicted her in an article, to figure everything out. A total crazy ride and a very fun - and interesting - read.
I have more stuff by this guy and I can't wait to dig into them!!
Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review :)
February 2, 2016
Dane Peters is a serial killer that is being executed by the state of Arkansas for his crimes. He was dubbed The Rest Stop Dentist due to the fact that all of his victims had their teeth removed before their death. Dane through all his trials and interviews almost bragged of what he'd done and said it made him happy.
Ella is Dane's mother, she blames herself for Dane's crimes since she stood by while Dane was growing up as his father beat and punished him being scared for her own well being. She's spent her life savings and mortgaged her home to attend Dane's trials and execution but after Dane's funeral she starts seeing him turn up again in various places and thinks she's going crazy.
Life After Dane alternates between a view of Ella in the present just after Dane's execution and a look back over the years of Dane's childhood. It's really a toss up as to what is more gruesome in this stories, Dane's murderous side or the child abuse while he was growing up. Definitely not a book for those that can't stomach graphic violence.
A great horror read with a supernatural twist. Plenty of chilling, cringe worthy moments all throughout the story and an ending that I certainly didn't expect. One I'd recommend for the horror fans.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Ella is Dane's mother, she blames herself for Dane's crimes since she stood by while Dane was growing up as his father beat and punished him being scared for her own well being. She's spent her life savings and mortgaged her home to attend Dane's trials and execution but after Dane's funeral she starts seeing him turn up again in various places and thinks she's going crazy.
Life After Dane alternates between a view of Ella in the present just after Dane's execution and a look back over the years of Dane's childhood. It's really a toss up as to what is more gruesome in this stories, Dane's murderous side or the child abuse while he was growing up. Definitely not a book for those that can't stomach graphic violence.
A great horror read with a supernatural twist. Plenty of chilling, cringe worthy moments all throughout the story and an ending that I certainly didn't expect. One I'd recommend for the horror fans.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
August 3, 2023
Absolutely perfect 🤌🏻
September 21, 2014
The author gifted me with a copy of this book. That has not compromised my ability to write an honest and critical review of this book.
2/2 - At the end of chapter two and I already feel like committing bloody violence. I was hoping, but knew it wasn't going to happen due to her earlier attempt to placate Phil, that Ella would pick up that damn broomstick and ram it down his throat. That kind of man, just makes me so angry I want to hit something IRL.
I liked the little nod to the MasterCard ads, it got a half smile out of me (that's when one side of your face lifts, but not the other). "...worshipping Kleenex like Gollum coveting the One Ring.", that was worth a two-sided smile. "Van Helsing with a cross of cucumbers come to slay Dracula with my holy avocados." that was a LOL.
A half hour later - That's one of the reasons I dislike religion, the fact that a book gives you a set of rules to live by and you are expected to uphold them no matter the danger to you or those around you. Ella refused to leave her child-abusing husband Phil because the Bible says you must honour your marriage vows, for better or worse. When contemplating people who follow the Bible to the letter I consider the fact that the Bible was written in a different time to ours and that when they wrote it they didn't take into consideration the many ways in which the world would change over the next 2000 years. Therefore, there should be no shame in 'breaking your marriage vows' in order to save yourself, or your children, from an abusive marriage - all the shame should be on the abuser, not the survivor. I can understand her continuing love for her son, but not Phil, especially since I would be looking to him as at least the partial cause for how Dane turned out. She says she owed Phil her presence, but what about what he owed her? Didn't he owe Ella a marriage free from violence? To be continued...
A couple of hours later - Damn this is scary!! My heart is really pounding and going to bed isn't going to help because it's a really hot night here, so I'm going to have to turn my 'dust-bunny covered ceiling fan on' and I'm a little nervous about what else I'll see up there. After reading the scene with 7-year-old Dane on the ceiling I started getting nightmarish flashes of scenes from The Grudge (the one with Sarah Michelle Gellar in it), which is doing nothing for my pounding heart or anxiety about looking at my bedroom ceiling fan. This might be a nightmare-causing book - I can't wait!. To be continued...
3/2 - As soon as the woman came in alone, wanting to use the toilet, and there was no mention of her coming back out, I was worried. I actually thought she might dead with a trail of bloody teeth leading to her body and the suspicion that Ella might have been involved somehow - but the door being 'locked' leaving the poor woman to 'poop her pants', I didn't expect that. If that had been me I think I might have hopped onto the edge of the sink and done what I had to there, instead of leaving it so long that everything sort of exploded.
Oh by the way, no nightmares, more's the shame. I was really looking forward to a good creepy-Grudge-boy-on-the-ceiling nightmare to tell you all about this morning. Oh well, I highly doubt the scares are over yet, so there's always tonight to look forward to. To be continued...
An hour later - Damn, it's definite - Dane's injuring/killing innocent bystanders in his tormenting of Ella. Double damn, because I can no longer cheer Dane along in his revenge against a mother who never stood between her son and his father's fists. While I may have sympathy for his reasons for terrorising his mother, there's no excuse for what he did to Talia, the painter or the woman at the library, so I've just lost all sympathy for Dane - he's just an evil serial killer who's continuing his reign of terror despite being dead. To be continued...
Another hour later - What the hell was Ella thinking buying a pet for Dane?!! I hate to think what's going to happen when Phil gets sick of it or Dane doesn't 'mind it' as instructed. Is there going to be a tortured cat? That might be the worst thing Phil has done so far, if that's what happens (which I hope it's not). This could be really, disturbingly bad and I'm a bit scared to go on. To be continued...
After dinner - Chapter 17 ends with Ella saying that she "just watched and prayed". What the flaming hell is praying going to do? Especially when you've been 'praying' since Phil first abused Dane, six years ago. If praying hasn't stopped Phil before, what's it going to do now? It's just another way for Ella to turn a blind eye and say that she wanted to do something to stop Phil but she was too scared for her own life. I'm sorry, but I would place myself in front of my dog if Phil was abusing them, let alone my child - being afraid for my life isn't a consideration when it comes to saving my loved one's life.
Also Dane's constant catch phrase of "The teeth will lead me home." is really starting to frustrate me because I can't figure out what it means. Where is home to Dane? Does he mean back at the house he lived in till he was 17? Or in hell with his mother and father? To be continued...
An hour later - Ella deserves everything Dane does to her!! She's got to be one of the worst mothers I've ever read (obviously there are worse, I just haven't read them yet) and while Dane's attacks are terrifying to read I have absolutely no sympathy for Ella's situation. Dane lived through much worse - she's only been going through it for a few weeks, he lived with it for 13 years. If it weren't for the innocent victims along the way (not sure if Sven's innocent or not yet) I would say to Dane to have at it. To be continued...
Another hour later - What the hell happened to Phil in the four years between Dane's birth and his first actions of abuse to turn him from the responsible (proposed to Ella as soon as he heard she was pregnant), romantic (dashed off to buy her an engagement ring without saying word and got down on one knee when he proposed), happy (he seemed pretty ecstatic when Ella accepted his proposal) man he was? He's said a number of times that he's only doing what his father did to him. Is that it? Is he only copying his father's example in discipline? Meaning that if he hadn't had any children he never would have turned into this nightmare of a man? Was the ticking over of Dane's fourth year like the flicking of a switch for Phil - like a sleeper terrorist just waiting for the right set of circumstances to set their deadly plan into motion?
Oh, and 'Flesh puppet'? That's a great way to describe a possessed person. To be continued...
The same night - FANTASTIC ENDING!!! I didn't get the twist until the last couple of sentences and then when I finally did I was like "That totally tricked me" and had to go back and re-read the last chapter to see if there were any clues - of course there are none, which is probably made easier because 'her' jaw is wired shut. I'm doing everything I can to express how much fun I had reading this without giving away a pretty damn good twist that I don't think others will see coming. That was absolutely a fitting ending for Ella, but I am a little worried about Melissa and Phillip's futures.
This is the best book I've read in ages and it makes me think that some of the five star reviews I've written recently might not really be five stars because they weren't as good as Life after Dane, either that or Life after Dane is a six star book. If you've liked Edward Lorn books before, but haven't read this one, you must try it, it's got everything a seasoned horror reader loves - gore, true horror, ghosts, possession and a spectacular twist. I read a review that mentioned that Lorn's decision to omit any and all swearing left the book with no soul and I have to say I completely disagree. The absence of swearing did absolutely no damage to the story, I hardly even noticed it was missing and in fact thought it was kind of fitting because the bad guy, the one doing the killing, most of the time, had the emotional age of a seven year old and it wouldn't be natural for that character to swear like a sailor. I can't wait to read more of Lorn's work, ASAP.
2/2 - At the end of chapter two and I already feel like committing bloody violence. I was hoping, but knew it wasn't going to happen due to her earlier attempt to placate Phil, that Ella would pick up that damn broomstick and ram it down his throat. That kind of man, just makes me so angry I want to hit something IRL.
I liked the little nod to the MasterCard ads, it got a half smile out of me (that's when one side of your face lifts, but not the other). "...worshipping Kleenex like Gollum coveting the One Ring.", that was worth a two-sided smile. "Van Helsing with a cross of cucumbers come to slay Dracula with my holy avocados." that was a LOL.
A half hour later - That's one of the reasons I dislike religion, the fact that a book gives you a set of rules to live by and you are expected to uphold them no matter the danger to you or those around you. Ella refused to leave her child-abusing husband Phil because the Bible says you must honour your marriage vows, for better or worse. When contemplating people who follow the Bible to the letter I consider the fact that the Bible was written in a different time to ours and that when they wrote it they didn't take into consideration the many ways in which the world would change over the next 2000 years. Therefore, there should be no shame in 'breaking your marriage vows' in order to save yourself, or your children, from an abusive marriage - all the shame should be on the abuser, not the survivor. I can understand her continuing love for her son, but not Phil, especially since I would be looking to him as at least the partial cause for how Dane turned out. She says she owed Phil her presence, but what about what he owed her? Didn't he owe Ella a marriage free from violence? To be continued...
A couple of hours later - Damn this is scary!! My heart is really pounding and going to bed isn't going to help because it's a really hot night here, so I'm going to have to turn my 'dust-bunny covered ceiling fan on' and I'm a little nervous about what else I'll see up there. After reading the scene with 7-year-old Dane on the ceiling I started getting nightmarish flashes of scenes from The Grudge (the one with Sarah Michelle Gellar in it), which is doing nothing for my pounding heart or anxiety about looking at my bedroom ceiling fan. This might be a nightmare-causing book - I can't wait!. To be continued...
3/2 - As soon as the woman came in alone, wanting to use the toilet, and there was no mention of her coming back out, I was worried. I actually thought she might dead with a trail of bloody teeth leading to her body and the suspicion that Ella might have been involved somehow - but the door being 'locked' leaving the poor woman to 'poop her pants', I didn't expect that. If that had been me I think I might have hopped onto the edge of the sink and done what I had to there, instead of leaving it so long that everything sort of exploded.
Oh by the way, no nightmares, more's the shame. I was really looking forward to a good creepy-Grudge-boy-on-the-ceiling nightmare to tell you all about this morning. Oh well, I highly doubt the scares are over yet, so there's always tonight to look forward to. To be continued...
An hour later - Damn, it's definite - Dane's injuring/killing innocent bystanders in his tormenting of Ella. Double damn, because I can no longer cheer Dane along in his revenge against a mother who never stood between her son and his father's fists. While I may have sympathy for his reasons for terrorising his mother, there's no excuse for what he did to Talia, the painter or the woman at the library, so I've just lost all sympathy for Dane - he's just an evil serial killer who's continuing his reign of terror despite being dead. To be continued...
Another hour later - What the hell was Ella thinking buying a pet for Dane?!! I hate to think what's going to happen when Phil gets sick of it or Dane doesn't 'mind it' as instructed. Is there going to be a tortured cat? That might be the worst thing Phil has done so far, if that's what happens (which I hope it's not). This could be really, disturbingly bad and I'm a bit scared to go on. To be continued...
After dinner - Chapter 17 ends with Ella saying that she "just watched and prayed". What the flaming hell is praying going to do? Especially when you've been 'praying' since Phil first abused Dane, six years ago. If praying hasn't stopped Phil before, what's it going to do now? It's just another way for Ella to turn a blind eye and say that she wanted to do something to stop Phil but she was too scared for her own life. I'm sorry, but I would place myself in front of my dog if Phil was abusing them, let alone my child - being afraid for my life isn't a consideration when it comes to saving my loved one's life.
Also Dane's constant catch phrase of "The teeth will lead me home." is really starting to frustrate me because I can't figure out what it means. Where is home to Dane? Does he mean back at the house he lived in till he was 17? Or in hell with his mother and father? To be continued...
An hour later - Ella deserves everything Dane does to her!! She's got to be one of the worst mothers I've ever read (obviously there are worse, I just haven't read them yet) and while Dane's attacks are terrifying to read I have absolutely no sympathy for Ella's situation. Dane lived through much worse - she's only been going through it for a few weeks, he lived with it for 13 years. If it weren't for the innocent victims along the way (not sure if Sven's innocent or not yet) I would say to Dane to have at it. To be continued...
Another hour later - What the hell happened to Phil in the four years between Dane's birth and his first actions of abuse to turn him from the responsible (proposed to Ella as soon as he heard she was pregnant), romantic (dashed off to buy her an engagement ring without saying word and got down on one knee when he proposed), happy (he seemed pretty ecstatic when Ella accepted his proposal) man he was? He's said a number of times that he's only doing what his father did to him. Is that it? Is he only copying his father's example in discipline? Meaning that if he hadn't had any children he never would have turned into this nightmare of a man? Was the ticking over of Dane's fourth year like the flicking of a switch for Phil - like a sleeper terrorist just waiting for the right set of circumstances to set their deadly plan into motion?
Oh, and 'Flesh puppet'? That's a great way to describe a possessed person. To be continued...
The same night - FANTASTIC ENDING!!! I didn't get the twist until the last couple of sentences and then when I finally did I was like "That totally tricked me" and had to go back and re-read the last chapter to see if there were any clues - of course there are none, which is probably made easier because 'her' jaw is wired shut. I'm doing everything I can to express how much fun I had reading this without giving away a pretty damn good twist that I don't think others will see coming. That was absolutely a fitting ending for Ella, but I am a little worried about Melissa and Phillip's futures.
This is the best book I've read in ages and it makes me think that some of the five star reviews I've written recently might not really be five stars because they weren't as good as Life after Dane, either that or Life after Dane is a six star book. If you've liked Edward Lorn books before, but haven't read this one, you must try it, it's got everything a seasoned horror reader loves - gore, true horror, ghosts, possession and a spectacular twist. I read a review that mentioned that Lorn's decision to omit any and all swearing left the book with no soul and I have to say I completely disagree. The absence of swearing did absolutely no damage to the story, I hardly even noticed it was missing and in fact thought it was kind of fitting because the bad guy, the one doing the killing, most of the time, had the emotional age of a seven year old and it wouldn't be natural for that character to swear like a sailor. I can't wait to read more of Lorn's work, ASAP.
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