Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Call number
F DEL
Genres
Publication
Realms
Description
Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it's too late? For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it's just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ. As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?
User reviews
LibraryThing member SusanGibsonSnodgrss
Marny Toogood has been told all his life that he's cursed. He's been told this so much and so often he believes he is indeed cursed. But one day he pumps gas into a car with a scared young woman in the back seat. When the car drives off, Marny discovers the girl threw a crumpled piece of paper
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outside. Marny takes one look at the note and decides his life is cursed anyway. He may as well try to help the young woman. From that moment on, this book is aptly named. Reading Frantic is like being on a roller coaster ride that will not let you off. Frantic is frantic all the way through. The characters the reader meets are real people, not simply characters in a book, and we root for Marny and his little group. This book is about keeping your faith when everything around you---everything---is falling apart and death seems to be breathing down your neck. Don't miss Frantic! Show Less
LibraryThing member PIerreJeunemari
If an author titles a book with an adjective, or verb, you automatically expect it to be full of action, fast pace and a book you cannot put down. I looked up the adjective frantic and dictionary. com defines it as:
desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied.
Well, I
Marny finds himself in this frantic pace after seeing the troubled desperate face of Esther as she sits in the back seat of a car as Marny is filling the car up with petrol. He is intrigued by this woman and her look and finds a note on the ground after the car leaves, which says, "He is going to kill me".
Now if Marny had not acted on this message, he would have gone back to his mundane life, just waiting for the next curse to affect him, just as his grandfather has predicted at his birth, "...Marny's life would be stormy, full of rain clouds and lightning strikes."
The story then continues with Marny acting on his decision to investigate the note left by Esther. This is when the pace of this novel really revs up. Marny tracks Esther and the car to a house in the woods where he meets up with Esther's captor, Gary. He manages to rescue Esther and in the process her younger brother, William, who is the subject of Gary's purpose in life, to protect and develop the gift of faith that William possesses.
What follows is a cat and mouse game where Marny, Esther and William attempt to outsmart Gary who in turn attempts the same to recapture them and deal with Esther and Marny so he can continue his quest with William.
Interspersed through this is flashbacks into the past complicated life of Marny and the various "rain clouds and lightning strikes" or curses that dotted his growing up years and through these flashbacks you discover what makes Marny tick and the way he is now. This adds to the credibility of Marny as the hero that Esther claims him to be.
We also find out, again through flashbacks, the motivation behind Gary's role as protector and mentor (but seen as oppressor) to William and his gift of faith. This also serves to describe Gary's past and contribute to who he is and why he is driven to succeed at all costs.
Dellosso adds a further twist in this plot and further supernatural elements when Marny, Esther and William seek the help refuge of Esther's father. Here, at first look, we feel they may find refuge, safety and support from the pursuit of Gary. But to no avail. It turns out that Esther's father, Harold, is involved in a bizarre cult and seeks to use the desperate situation of Esther, Marny and William to further the needs of this cult.
So more twists and turns, more frantic pace. You cannot put this book down.
I gave this book four stars as I found a few things that I stumbled over. I would have liked Dellosso to have explained, even briefly, the gift of faith that William has and how this enabled him to heal Marny from his bullet wounds and resurrect him from the dead. I say this as we just do not see this in Christian circles in real life and I firmly believe it is possible through prayer, faith and the Holy Spirit. So this stood out to me in the story due to this fact.
The other aspect of the story, while adding suspense, action and to the frantic pace of the plot, is the superantural freezing of the interior of the house as Marny investigates the whereabouts of Gary. This was lost on me as to the importance of this to the plot and to Marny.
But despite these two issues, it is a great story of faith, redemption over evil, spiritual abuse and the evil potential of the fallen nature of man.
Highly Recommended.
This book was provided by the author, Mike Dellosso, as part of The Darlington Society, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied.
Well, I
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reckon Dellosso delivers this definition with this novel. It reads at a frantic pace, the action just the same, the characters well developed; believable and relational. I found myself identifying with the emotions and desperation of the main characters of Marny, Ester and envied the confidence born from the gift of faith of William, the younger brother of Esther. Marny finds himself in this frantic pace after seeing the troubled desperate face of Esther as she sits in the back seat of a car as Marny is filling the car up with petrol. He is intrigued by this woman and her look and finds a note on the ground after the car leaves, which says, "He is going to kill me".
Now if Marny had not acted on this message, he would have gone back to his mundane life, just waiting for the next curse to affect him, just as his grandfather has predicted at his birth, "...Marny's life would be stormy, full of rain clouds and lightning strikes."
The story then continues with Marny acting on his decision to investigate the note left by Esther. This is when the pace of this novel really revs up. Marny tracks Esther and the car to a house in the woods where he meets up with Esther's captor, Gary. He manages to rescue Esther and in the process her younger brother, William, who is the subject of Gary's purpose in life, to protect and develop the gift of faith that William possesses.
What follows is a cat and mouse game where Marny, Esther and William attempt to outsmart Gary who in turn attempts the same to recapture them and deal with Esther and Marny so he can continue his quest with William.
Interspersed through this is flashbacks into the past complicated life of Marny and the various "rain clouds and lightning strikes" or curses that dotted his growing up years and through these flashbacks you discover what makes Marny tick and the way he is now. This adds to the credibility of Marny as the hero that Esther claims him to be.
We also find out, again through flashbacks, the motivation behind Gary's role as protector and mentor (but seen as oppressor) to William and his gift of faith. This also serves to describe Gary's past and contribute to who he is and why he is driven to succeed at all costs.
Dellosso adds a further twist in this plot and further supernatural elements when Marny, Esther and William seek the help refuge of Esther's father. Here, at first look, we feel they may find refuge, safety and support from the pursuit of Gary. But to no avail. It turns out that Esther's father, Harold, is involved in a bizarre cult and seeks to use the desperate situation of Esther, Marny and William to further the needs of this cult.
So more twists and turns, more frantic pace. You cannot put this book down.
I gave this book four stars as I found a few things that I stumbled over. I would have liked Dellosso to have explained, even briefly, the gift of faith that William has and how this enabled him to heal Marny from his bullet wounds and resurrect him from the dead. I say this as we just do not see this in Christian circles in real life and I firmly believe it is possible through prayer, faith and the Holy Spirit. So this stood out to me in the story due to this fact.
The other aspect of the story, while adding suspense, action and to the frantic pace of the plot, is the superantural freezing of the interior of the house as Marny investigates the whereabouts of Gary. This was lost on me as to the importance of this to the plot and to Marny.
But despite these two issues, it is a great story of faith, redemption over evil, spiritual abuse and the evil potential of the fallen nature of man.
Highly Recommended.
This book was provided by the author, Mike Dellosso, as part of The Darlington Society, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
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LibraryThing member Melinda_Williams
Marny Toogood was a man plagued by death and tragedy from birth, and the ‘curse’ shaped his entire life. He feared for anyone he came across, sure their close proximity to him would end badly for them. But a crumpled note thrown out of a car window and the pleading blue eyes of Esther drew him
‘Frantic’ draws the reader into non-stop, on the edge of your seat action from the moment the story begins until the last page. Marny tries his hardest to keep Esther and her young brother, William, safe from the madman who kept them prisoner, but they barely manage to stay a step ahead in an endless pursuit with nowhere safe to go.
‘Frantic’ not only delivers on the action, it’s also filled with the deep truth that nothing is more powerful than faith in almighty God. With a beautifully blended story of heartache, fear, faith, and grace, Mike Dellosso once again pulls the heartstrings, intrigues the mind, and takes the reader on a thrill ride that is sure to entertain and enlighten.
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to her, curse or not.‘Frantic’ draws the reader into non-stop, on the edge of your seat action from the moment the story begins until the last page. Marny tries his hardest to keep Esther and her young brother, William, safe from the madman who kept them prisoner, but they barely manage to stay a step ahead in an endless pursuit with nowhere safe to go.
‘Frantic’ not only delivers on the action, it’s also filled with the deep truth that nothing is more powerful than faith in almighty God. With a beautifully blended story of heartache, fear, faith, and grace, Mike Dellosso once again pulls the heartstrings, intrigues the mind, and takes the reader on a thrill ride that is sure to entertain and enlighten.
Show Less
LibraryThing member OneDesertRose
Marnin (Marny) Toogood has had a curse on his life since he was born, according to his Grandpa. Unfortunately, Marny has believed this lie and the guilt of all the subsequent circumstances in his life. The beginning of this batch of curses started with a lazy day at the filling station, playing
After Marny filled the car up, he found a dropped message that put him on the heels of salvation for Esther Rose, and subsequently, her brother, William, from their “uncle” Gary. William had a deformity, but also had a ‘special gift’ according to Gary. Thus it was his job to care for and ‘save’ William. Upon Gary’s capture of the three young people, the three worked to get away that night. Succeeding, they drove to Esther’s estranged Dad. He was no better, and captured Esther and ran.
From the moment Marny saw the car at the station, to the end of the book, is a literal frantic passage of circumstances that one is hard put to understand. A nightmare! About the time you figure the young people had escaped a horrible trap, in rushes another. This repeats itself in rapid succession in totally new ways that keeps you reading well into the night. Yes, it’s a fast read, but it’s packed with scenarios that come out of the twilight zone–thus the title of my blog, “frantic nightmares…of reality” for everyone involved.
Mike is able to satisfy both your mind and soul. The wretchedness of men, who are caught up in the occult, childhood calamities, and revenge versus the faith of William as he encourages the others to pray. The characterizations are complete, though some are uncomfortable and horrific. The dialogue fits into the wretched scenarios. Your heart is touched by the all that the young people have endured, both before and during this chain of events. Your mind is on overdrive trying to figure out who, why and how in every situation. Your adrenaline is pumped!
FRANTIC ramps up to be the best thriller by Mike to date! If you love a great thriller, this is one book you will not want to miss! Start to finish, you’re hooked. Test yourself to figure out the reasons behind the bizarre behaviors before you are done reading. Is there a solution? A reconciliation? A restoration? It’s there for the asking. Will anyone ask?
This book was provided by the author, Mike Dellosso, as part of The Darlington Society, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
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checkers with his boss, Mr. Condon. It was a full-serve station (remember those?), and a new car arrived with a male driver and a young girl in the back seat that he’d never seen before. Small town, Marny recognizes every car that comes through.After Marny filled the car up, he found a dropped message that put him on the heels of salvation for Esther Rose, and subsequently, her brother, William, from their “uncle” Gary. William had a deformity, but also had a ‘special gift’ according to Gary. Thus it was his job to care for and ‘save’ William. Upon Gary’s capture of the three young people, the three worked to get away that night. Succeeding, they drove to Esther’s estranged Dad. He was no better, and captured Esther and ran.
From the moment Marny saw the car at the station, to the end of the book, is a literal frantic passage of circumstances that one is hard put to understand. A nightmare! About the time you figure the young people had escaped a horrible trap, in rushes another. This repeats itself in rapid succession in totally new ways that keeps you reading well into the night. Yes, it’s a fast read, but it’s packed with scenarios that come out of the twilight zone–thus the title of my blog, “frantic nightmares…of reality” for everyone involved.
Mike is able to satisfy both your mind and soul. The wretchedness of men, who are caught up in the occult, childhood calamities, and revenge versus the faith of William as he encourages the others to pray. The characterizations are complete, though some are uncomfortable and horrific. The dialogue fits into the wretched scenarios. Your heart is touched by the all that the young people have endured, both before and during this chain of events. Your mind is on overdrive trying to figure out who, why and how in every situation. Your adrenaline is pumped!
FRANTIC ramps up to be the best thriller by Mike to date! If you love a great thriller, this is one book you will not want to miss! Start to finish, you’re hooked. Test yourself to figure out the reasons behind the bizarre behaviors before you are done reading. Is there a solution? A reconciliation? A restoration? It’s there for the asking. Will anyone ask?
This book was provided by the author, Mike Dellosso, as part of The Darlington Society, in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
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LibraryThing member vanessazahel
A thrill a minute ride that leaves you breathless at each turn!
Do you enjoy a book that has car chases, hair raising suspense, twists that keep you guessing at each turn and faith that does not fail? Then Mike Dellosso's book "Frantic" is for you!
This fast paced story introducing Marny Toogood, an
Though I was not prepared for some of the brutality of the villian, I was nevertheless drawn into the story. I found myself cheering for the good guys, wishing the bad ones would fall off the face of the earth and sighing by the end of the book.
With every twist of the story I found myself genuinely surprised by each new, and sometimes shocking, revelation. The action is superb and the story breathtaking.
Thank you Mike Dellosso for yet another great read! This time though, I believe you have outdone yourself!
Do you enjoy a book that has car chases, hair raising suspense, twists that keep you guessing at each turn and faith that does not fail? Then Mike Dellosso's book "Frantic" is for you!
This fast paced story introducing Marny Toogood, an
Show More
unassuming gas station attendant, and his journey to becoming a hero, will have you coming up for air at the end of each chapter. When Marny decides to answer the call of help from a young women he is unwittingly drawn into a frantic race of life and death.Though I was not prepared for some of the brutality of the villian, I was nevertheless drawn into the story. I found myself cheering for the good guys, wishing the bad ones would fall off the face of the earth and sighing by the end of the book.
With every twist of the story I found myself genuinely surprised by each new, and sometimes shocking, revelation. The action is superb and the story breathtaking.
Thank you Mike Dellosso for yet another great read! This time though, I believe you have outdone yourself!
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LibraryThing member SusanSnodgrass
I've been reading Mike Dellosso since his first book and he never disappoints. Never.
This book began normally enough and then from the first page, the reader is plopped down on a roller coaster ride that refuses to stop!
The books is very aptly named for sure because Frantic is the pace from the
The thing I like most about Mike's work is that, in addition to being a very fine writer, he is not one bit afraid to proclaim Christ in his books. He has ministered to this reader through his books for that very reason. He is on my permanent list of books to buy without even reading the synopsis.
This book began normally enough and then from the first page, the reader is plopped down on a roller coaster ride that refuses to stop!
The books is very aptly named for sure because Frantic is the pace from the
Show More
very beginning. There are also many surprises for the reader throughout the book.The thing I like most about Mike's work is that, in addition to being a very fine writer, he is not one bit afraid to proclaim Christ in his books. He has ministered to this reader through his books for that very reason. He is on my permanent list of books to buy without even reading the synopsis.
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LibraryThing member TheLoopyLibrarian
Frantic lived up to its title in that it was a fast-paced thriller. The characters were strong and compelling, and the supernatural elements were fascinating. It did trouble me that all three main characters ended up having murderous fathers. The odds of that being true are so miniscule that I had
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to suspend disbelief in order to accept it. The book was well-written enough that I was willing to do so. The evil presence in this story was chilling, and God's presence was profound. It was a captivating read. Show Less
ISBN
9781616384807
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