From the author of The Night Sister and The Winter People comes — BURNTOWN. Where do you even begin trying to describe a book like this? It is one of a kind.

From eccentric, colorful, to quirky, and wacky . . . a cast of misfits. Mix in a crime, a murder, a family’s past, a stolen invention, mystery, suspense, and crossing heavily into the mystical, supernatural and paranormal world.

Jennifer McMahon takes readers on a wild, crazy ride with BURNTOWN —meeting every character and scene imaginable. My head is still spinning.

As the book starts out it grabbed me immediately. A great set up. However, shortly thereafter when all the crazy things begin, I knew this book was not for me; however, continued to read to discover how it would unfold. However, I found myself skipping over many parts.

The book is broken into parts: Before: Miles. Then After, alternating between Necco, Theo, Pru, and Fred. Then one year later with Necco.

Set in Braxton, Vermont, It is 1975 and Miles Sandeski a ten- year- old boy who has a creative mind and love to play Robin Hood is spying on his mom, Elizabeth Sandeski outdoors while she is in their backyard.

She seems to be more adventurous, and mysterious; dancing with her brass elephant charm bracelet. She is beautiful. Miles thinks of her as a Goddesses, like Aphrodite. She looks like a movie star. He does not like for her to smoke since it is bad for her, so he played a little trick with her cigarettes.

However, as she is smoking, lying in the sun. The unexpected happens. Some person comes from the shadows, in a circus mask like a rubber chicken from nowhere. He comes up behind her and draws a blade across her throat. Miles is stunned and has no clue what is happening.

Miles uses his bow and arrow and hits him. Then all of a sudden he is afraid the man will come after him. Until his experiment pops and scares the man off.

Soon the town is rattled by a murder- suicide. After Elizabeth was slain in the backyard of the family home, with Miles as witness, he goes to the neighbor and police was called. But the bloodstained clothing, a rubber chicken mask, and a kitchen knife were found in the trunk of the family car. An arrest was made for Mr. Sandeski.

Martin Sandeski ran an appliance and repair service company and was in a jazz band, Three Bags Full. Miles knew it was not his father who was the chicken man. His father is the man he loved and taught him so much. Appears Martin had told several of his friends, he believed his wife was having an affair. Shortly thereafter, Martin took his own life, hours after his arrest. He hung himself while in police custody.

They did not find the killer, and Miles goes and lives with his aunt. However, his dad left him a letter explaining where to find the plans he has hidden. As a boy, he spoke of these plans from Thomas Edison.

He was not to share this with his Aunt Holly or anyone. He was passing down some special plans. His grandfather worked for Thomas Edison at his factory and plans were stolen. He told them where they were hidden. His dad left him instructions and plans to hold on to them and one day the Edison machine would change their lives, and possibly the entire world. A way to communicate with the dead?

Then he meets Lily. Her mother had died and her dad drank. Her brother Lloyd became close to Miles. She tells Miles she is gifted as well as her brother. She can see things.

Later they marry and have two a daughter— Eva. Soon this boy, Errol joins the family. Miles continues to carry this little charm elephant from his mom. Who had given it to her? Also, what had the killer whispered to her that last day that had made her smile?

He knows she should let it go, but he can’t. He needs to find the man who killed his mother. What if the dead could speak? What if he built the machine and it actually worked? He could find the answers. Miles became a professor. He was successful and talented.

Then there is the word of flood warnings. The chicken mask. The Chicken Man is dead because he killed him, didn't he? He decides to destroy everything in the workshop, even the machine. He had the plans to rebuild somewhere safe. From here we go to After. From here on out, the book completely changes.

Necco (Eva) has changed her name. Miles and Errol, dead from the flood. Lily and Eva (now Necco) are living as vagrants. From homeless to a camp with a group of women. Not the typical sleepy New England college town for the dark residents who live among the remains of its abandoned mills and factories, it’s known as “Burntown.”

After the mother dies, Necco is running and being chased by an evil man called “Snake Eyes or Chicken Man”. He goes by many names. A bad man is looking for them, her mom says. A walking shadow, a black hole man. He has such power, he can do things, like fly. He can spy on you in our dreams. The Kind of Liars.

He was the one responsible for the Great Flood and all the terrible things. Even responsible for what happened to their grandparents, and Miles and Errol. He meant to drown them too. He is ever vigilant. He is sneaky. He can change his appearance from a businessman to a biker.

Was her mother trying to blame a mythical monster for all the bad things that had happened to them?

Necco has no memories of the flood. The very event that caused them to live on the streets. Under the bridge where the women did the snuff, saw visions, ate fire. Burntown. All this had broken her mother. The world was changing she said. One day he would find them. Her visions.

“ . . . the truth isn’t something you want to look in the face. Sometimes you’re better off not knowing.”

A girl fleeing a drug dealer, a fat woman, the circus, elephant, the strongman, birds, a doll, a ghost from her past, plus much more. . .

“The things that scare us the most, the things we think might hurt us . . . they’re the things that make us whole.”

The author mentions she worked years ago at a homeless shelter in Portland, Oregon and assume this is where she received her inspiration for the different stereotypes of homelessness and their stories.

Was disappointed Cassandra Campbell (my favorite narrator), was not narrating Burntown, as in McMahon past audiobooks. (Abby Craden) for this one. However, not sure I would be up to re-read (listen) to this one again anyway.

I am not a fan of supernatural, or paranormal. I do not mind a little magical realism sprinkled with some mystery and suspense; however, this was more than a little and "over the top." For those who enjoy this sort of thing may find entertaining. Not to say McMahon is not a skilled and talented writer. This one was just not for me.

A special thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

I've come to expect a good, creepy story from Jennifer McMahon. Burntown was good, but not creepy at all. As soon as I found out what "the machine" did, I really thought the book was going in one direction but it went someplace completely different. This is much more of a standard mystery than anything paranormal. The mystery, I thought, was very easy to figure out and I just waited to see how the reveal would work out.

I think if you're already a fan of the author's work, you'll enjoy it enough to pick up but if you're brand new to McMahon, I'd start with The Night Sister.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this one.

I really wasn’t too sure what to feel about this book. It had everything I like about mysteries in it: an unknown villain, a plucky heroine, and a good cast of supporting characters. The only thing that this book lacked was a plotline that stayed engaging. I lost interest in the book after Hermes was killed and both Theo, Pru and Fred were introduced into the story. While I wanted to find out who Snake Eyes/Chicken Mask Man was and if Necco/Eva had the plans for the machine that can talk to the dead, I almost didn’t finish the book because I couldn’t get involved.

I also didn’t like that there were so many points of view. If the author had just kept with Necco and Theo, I would have been fine with it. But you had Martin, Pru and Fred’s point of view added in. While I appreciated it, again, my focus was lost with so many points of view and I felt that it took away from the story.

I also wish that the machine that could talk to the dead was featured more in the book. I was fascinated by it from what was described and I really felt that the author could have gone a whole different direction with the story if Martin hadn’t told Errol to destroy it.

I did like Necco. She was so strong even when everything that she had been told by her mother ended up being all false. Honestly, that would have broken me.

When it was revealed who Snake Eyes/Chicken Mask Man was and his ties to Necco, I was very surprised. I was only surprised because that character I assumed died. Don’t ask me why I assumed that because it was never mentioned. But that person was never mentioned in the book again, so I just assumed that person died. Guess I was wrong.

The end of the book was your typical HEA with the mystery being blown wide open.

How many stars will I give Burntown: 3

Why: I just couldn’t connect with the characters or get into the storylines. I wish I did or else this review would be different….sigh.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

"Up top, where the college was, where people went to work every day at the paper mill, that was Ashford. But down here under the bridge where the women did the snuff, saw visions, and ate fire, this was Burntown."

In 1975, Miles Sandeski saw a man wearing a chicken mask cut his mother's throat as she lounged in the backyard. Although Miles knew it wasn't him, his father was accused of the murder and hung himself. Now Miles has a family, his wife, Lily, and son and daughter, Errol and Eva. Miles also has the secret plans of an invention design by Thomas Edison that were given to him by his father. It is for a machine that will allow people to communication with the dead. Miles builds the machine, uses it once, and then keeps it covered up in his shop.

Years later the machine warns them of danger. A flood destroys their home, Miles and Errol are dead, and Lily and Eva (now known as Necco) have run away to safety, living with a group of homeless women. These women are where Lily joins a mystical group of women who call themselves "fire eaters" and snort a red powder they call "the devil's snuff" which is supposed to give them visions. When Lily later throws herself off a bridge, Necco (Eva) leaves the group and lives in an abandoned car with Hermes, her boyfriend. When another murder happens, Necco realizes that she is being pursued and targeted by an evil man her mom called "Snake Eyes."

Along with Necco and the Sandeski's story, Burntown follows the narrative of two others women: Theo, a high school senior and Pru, the cafeteria lady with a secret life. The lives of these three characters eventually unite into one storyline.

In Burntown, McMahon presents a satisfying story with a substantial plot. The story is intriguing with several mysteries/questions that need answers along with a sense of danger that follows all of our characters as they try to find the answers. But there is also an underlying sense of wonder and fascination in several scenes of the novel that are almost magical. Adding to the narrative are the many secrets - things aren't always what they seem in the plot and people - and mystical elements.

The characters are well-defined and developed. Several of the characters brought to life on the pages are memorable and made reading even more imperative. Once I started, I simply could not stop reading Burntown. McMahon is one of my go-to authors for exceptional writing combined with a compelling plot. I was totally engrossed from beginning to end. Burntown by Jennifer McMahon is a very highly recommended supernatural mystery/thriller.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/04/burntown.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1979448672

In the small Vermont town of Ashford, one might think it like any other typical sleepy New England town, but there were were people who lived in the shadows amongst the abandoned mills and factories that referred to Ashford as “Burntown”.

Eva Sandeski, known as “Necco” on the street had been a part of this underworld for years from the day the ‘great flood’ had come leaving her and her mother Lily homeless. Her father Miles had been a professor but more than that he was an inventor of fantastic machines, one of which was purported to have been built off of stolen plans that once belonged to Thomas Edison. Somewhere in the back of Eva’s mind it was the machine that had gotten Miles murdered.

Necco had been so young and told of this story so many times by her mom that she believed it and when Lily had mysteriously died, and then Necco’s boyfriend murdered, she’s convinced her mother was telling the truth. One thing Necco did remember was a tattoo on the hand of the man whom she knew was bad ahdn probably was the one who had killed her family – she called him ‘snake eyes’ . Now Necco had to rely on the group of women her mother had come to who lived off the grid and were known as ‘fireeaters’ to help protect her and guide her to expose the killer.

*** I must say that this was a fully robust novel with lots of twists and turns and plenty of red herrings town into the mix. And of course, it goes without saying that the characters were extremely colorful and totally unique. However, as misfits they were they blended well into the story. From Pru, the cafeteria lady leading a secret life, to Theo who is trying to recoup the money she lost that belongs to a dangerous drug trafficker.

The action initially started slow but as I got deeper into the story, things started to both make sense and even get a little weird, but also quite interesting! Where I once thought Necco was flying off the deep end bits and pieces started to come together where it all made sense. There was a VERY bad man who had a pair of dice tattoo that she named “Snake Eyes”, but that was not the only bad guy that was out to silence Necco and what might have been left of her family.

Bottom line: Hang in through the slow opening. You will find BURNTOWN just might turn your initial thoughts into a high five for this book!!!

Marilyn Rondeau

Wow! I read this in two days. Could not tear my eyes away...

I am a huge, devoted fan of Jennifer McMahon, and I was not disappointed by her latest novel. There is suspense, murder, mystery... even a bit of supernatural ...and I loved how the story pulled me in and I really cared about Necco, Theo, and Pru, and what was going to happen to them. A very satisfying ending.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

Burntown is a story about a boy who witnesses his mother murdered and the events that transpire afterwards. From the first chapter, McMahon had me hooked and the story moved along at a brisk and interesting pace throughout the entire book.

It’s not a simple whodunit--I was guessing at the story up until the end. When there is a combination of unusual elements such as devil’s snuff, snake eyes, fire eaters, the circus and a machine that does unbelievable things, you can bet you are in for an interesting story.

I thought Burntown was suspenseful, fun to read and a bit magical. It’s a great escape read and a great pick for those who love a good mystery and magical realism.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Burntown was a good read. It was fast paced and I found myself quickly drawn into the plot. Always a fan of the paranormal, I was intrigued by the storyline. The characters were for the most part believable, including Eva, who has buried her past in the shroud of a terrible event. I think the book is a good read for YA, Thriller, and Suspense enthusiasts.

Great light read. The first 15 pages had me thinking whether I should read the book, but I'm glad I did. Kept me on edge and wanting to know what happens next. The characters are well developed. Locations are well described. Story flowed really well. Nothing too deep here. Some of the subplots were predictable, but the main plot line was somewhat of a surprise. I liked how seemingly separate people and stories are brought together by circumstances and end up helping each other. I can recommend this book to mystery lovers looking for a light read. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

3 stars--I liked the book.

I've read all of Jennifer McMahon's books, and you never know what to expect from her. I appreciate the boldness of her plots--they get crazy, and I love it.

This one combines supernatural elements with suspense. I thought the strength of the book was the characters--especially the relationship formed between the three main characters. Another strength was the sensitive, realistic portrayal of homelessness and mental illness.

The weakness, in my mind, was not enough supernatural elements. The crazy, cool invention is barely used, which disappointed me.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Witnessing his mother's murder by a man in a chicken mask. Talk about quite the opening to a book! Miles grows up to marry Lily and have two kids, Eva and Errol. Eva is his little helper in the workshop as he begins to assemble one of Thomas Edison's blueprints (stolen by his father from his laboratory). This machine would allow him to talk to the dead. On the night of a huge storm, it comes to life on its own with a grim message, Danger. The man has caught up to Miles and his family.

Talk about quite the opening to Jennifer McMahon's new book, Burntown. This all happens within the first 30 or so pages! It had me hooked from the beginning and I couldn't put it down! It's so hard to keep talking about this book without giving away major plot points or spoilers. So I'll leave it at the intro and that Eva ends up changing her name to Necco (her favorite candy growing up) and moves far away. Years later, she finds that her past is catching up with her and she must face deep buried secrets in a small town.

I have yet to read McMahon's other books, but now I have to! I love her style of writing and how her story got going right away. It kept my attention and didn't quit. The characters were well-developed and you could feel what they were feeling. The whole invention stolen from Edison was very intriguing! I loved everything about this one.

I give this 5/5 stars!

Thanks to Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The story line kept my attention. Really enjoyed the characters.

Burntown was the first book I read my Jennifer McMahon and it was so hard to get into and even harder to finish. The story didn't seems to have any real plot and just dragged on and on. The characters weren't engaging, the story wasn't interesting, and I couldn't really follow what was happening. There are just some books that you can't get into and this was one of those for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC of "Burntown" by Jennifer McMahon for my honest review. The genres of the story are Mystery, Thriller, Women's Fiction, and Fantasy.
Jennifer McMahon has written an unusual busy novel where genres quickly shift! The mystery seems to revolve around some plans that Thomas Edison had made years before and falls into one family's hands. In this family, there have been generations of death. The few survivors of this family are in danger,
The author also describes women who live around the abandoned mills and the murky river as "Fire Eaters". These homeless women use different herbs to tell the past present and future. This area is know as Burntown.
The author portrays many of her characters as what society would call "misfits". They are strange.quirky, complex and complicated people.
Three unusual characters find themselves bonded together in this mystery. "Necco" is one of the surviving members of the family, that originally had Thomas Edison's plans. Theo is a high school student who finds herself in huge trouble. Pru, works in a School Cafeteria and has an unusual second life.
This novel is packed with adventure, murders, fantasy, and action.
One of my favorite characters in this novel is Pru, who has a dream and has hope.
This is a fast moving novel with twists and turns. Towards the end of the story, I was able to predict what was going to happen from various clues. I hope you enjoy reading this!!

I did not like this book as much as I loved "The Winter People", but it had a little of everything in it. So even the most picky reader will find something they enjoy within these pages. There are multiple suicide/murders that are unsolved, a spirit box that allows you to communicate with the dead and a bit of a love story. You also have fire eaters, circus people and drugs. This book is almost like a casserole, it has a bit of it all.

I was given an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

Ten year old Miles Sandeski witnesses his Mother being Murdered by a man wearing a chicken mask. In an attempt to save his Mother, Miles shoots her killer with his bow and arrow. His father is arrested for her Murder and subsequently commits suicide while in prison. Miles has always stood by his story that his father did not kill his Mother, but a man in a chicken suit did.

Eva Sandeski loved watching her father build in his workshop. He built wonderful things with hidden compartments where he would leave little trinkets for her to find. His most important "invention" (really Thomas Edison's) is a device that allows a person to talk to the dead. The blueprints were left to Miles by his father who had them handed down to him.

One night a terrible storm rages and the river near the Sandeski family home begins to rise. As the family begins to make preparations to avoid being flooded, the machine turns on and Miles' Mother's voice is heard telling them there was "danger" and "He's here". The next thing Eva remembers she is lying on the riverbank and her Mother tells her that her Father and brother are both dead, they no longer have a home and they need to hide because they are still in danger.

Eva and her Mother are "rescued" by an interesting group of women known as the "fire eaters" Eva's Mother soon becomes one of them and they change their names. Eva decides to change her name to Necco after the candy she loved as a child. Necco/Eva finds herself alone after her Mother's suicide and begins living in an abandoned car with her boyfriend Hermes. Then one day she wakes up to find her boyfriend has been murdered and she is considered a suspect.

She is not the only character in this book. There is sweet lovable Pru who dreams of having her own circus. Mr. Marcelle, who has always been kind to Pru, is the "strong man" of her dreams. He makes deliveries to the school where Pru works, but he also works as a private investigator. He has been hired to find a missing person and will not stop until he has answers. Then there is Theo a lonely high school student who gets into a bad situation, after experiencing love for the first time. Theo is the catalyst for Pru and Necco/Eva meeting The three of them form a bond and band together to try and figure out what happened to Theo's missing money, who killed Necco/Eva's boyfriend, who is the chicken man, and what really happened the night that Eva's father and brother died.

Whew! This book is full of secrets but they are all tied together. I am not even sure how to classify this book. Is it a mystery? Yes! Is it a thriller? Yes! Are there some supernatural elements? Yes! Basically this book has something for everyone. While reading this book, I kept thinking how this also felt like it had the vibe of an Alice Hoffman book. By that I mean, the mixing of paranormal with fiction, with mystery, with romance. I think this takes a special skill to pull off and McMahon did it beautifully. They way she wove her story really worked.

This book was oddly compelling and I read (devoured) this book! There were lots of characters in this book and eventually all of their stories connect in the end. While reading the book, I kept wondering about her "brother". While reading, I scratched my head thinking.."I thought Eva was an only child" then "hmmmm why isn't her brother mentioned in any news articles?" but that is answered in the book. Again, everything really does tie together in the end ( I know I have been saying that a lot in this review but it is true!!!).

In short, I really enjoyed this book! I also loved "The Winter People" by McMahon. These books are entirely different but both were such a pleasure to read. This book is different but wonderfully so. It is almost like a circus. One needs to suspend some disbelief while reading this. It's worth it, by the way. I can't say that there is anything about his book that I did not like. I really enjoyed how the story unraveled. Things are not always as they seem and those who loves us, sometimes lie to us to keep us safe. Small towns harbor and hold secrets - until eventually the dam breaks and they come pouring out.

I received this book from Doubleday and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon tells the story of a homeless girl named Necco, her new friend Theo, and the various people involved in their lives. Necco has been living in a car with her boyfriend. She was told by her mother that her father and brother had been killed 4 year prior in a flood but now evidence is pointing towards a different story. Necco and Theo work to unravel the mystery of Necco's life. This book hooks you right in and, if you're like me, you'll be awake late into the night just to discover how all of the pieces come together. Enjoy!

Wow! I always love Jennifer McMahon's thrillers and this one doesn't disappoint. There is a certain kind of creep factor that hooks you from the beginning and never lets you go. It was hard to tell who was doing all the killing, even at the very end I was still guessing. I gave Burn Town five stars.

I read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon last year and I loved and I was thrilled for the chance to read this book.
When I saw this book was offered on Net Galley, I didn't even read the description. Once I saw the name Jennifer McMahon, I hit request. I have read several of this author's books and I have never been disappointed. While I can say this one was certainly different than others that I have read, it did not disappoint. Somewhat odd bit I like that