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Tales of the Unusual

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Tales of the Unusual

By: Luke Smitherd
Narrated by: Luke Smitherd
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About this listen

From the author of the Audible #1 bestsellers The Stone Man, The Physics of the Dead, and In the Darkness, That's Where I'll Know You.

Five more stories from Luke Smitherd to keep you intrigued, shocked, and asking what you would do...

HE WAITS: Quite literally, no escape. Because he's always with you. And in the real world - the world of you, the listener - "He Waits" will stay in your mind in a way that you won't expect...

KEEP YOUR CHILDREN CLOSE: A campsite. A family holiday. A broken down car. And an approaching breakdown truck that is just the start of Shelley's nightmare. By the time the sun sets, someone in that field will be dead, and Shelley must somehow make sure it isn't one of her children.

THE JESUS LOOPHOLE: Published here for the first time, in any format. Obsession, revenge, and a very big question: can God's system of sin and redemption be played to your own advantage?

CLOSURE: A winter walk in the woods seemed like a great idea to Gary and his wife, Carla. But when another version of himself appears and kidnaps Gary's wife before his very eyes, Gary must decide whether or not to use the strange mechanical devices his duplicate has left him...and then live with the choice.

YOUR NAME IS IN THE BOOK: When 11-year-old John Diner comes home to find an immense, mysterious book lying on his bed - its cover torn off, every page an endless list of names, some of which even belong to people he knows - he assumes its some kind of phone directory. It has to be, right? Even when the only numbers inside are single digits; solitary and curious scores printed next to each person listed. A puzzle, for sure...and a warning. A desperate message from an unseen stranger, a man trying to explain a terrible truth. John will find himself uncovering a darker reality than he can ever imagine, and the beginning of his road towards an impossible choice.

©2015 Luke Smitherd (P)2017 Luke Smitherd
Anthologies & Short Stories Science Fiction Fiction Marriage Emotionally Gripping Mind-bending Scary Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant
The stories in this book were incredibly interesting and the ideas were fascinating to explore.

"Keep your family close" was my absolute favourite.

One of the most interesting books I have read

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Another excellent collection by Luke Smitherd, for me, 2019’s best discovery. The only thing is, I’ve now run out of his books and he clearly isn’t writing them fast enough. Having said that, it can’t be easy producing stories of this quality, so I suppose I’ll just have to be patient. I have genuinely enjoyed every one of his books and I look forward to the next! Keep going Luke!

Can’t get enough....

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Took me a while to get in to this one and, in fact, I stopped it and started again. And how glad was I? What ever it is that makes you write the type of stories you write, keep 'em coming! I loved the last story and I'm glad I listened to your bit at the end that cleared up a few things!

Luke? Don't stop! I can't wait for the next trip in to the unimaginable!

Oh my! What a strange but amazing brain you have!

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I really enjoyed all 5 of the stories included in this audiobook. The author is brilliant and plays with very unique concepts. Listened to this after downloading The Stone Man (by the same author) and was not disappointed. I will definitely be using my next credit on another of Luke Smitherd's books

Love that the author narrated the stories!

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I do love Luke Smithered his books are so intriguing what a mind for something different he has. The only thing I struggled with was realising when he was onto the next story. If you ha e not listened to one of his books you are missing out on a unique listen

Luke Smithered

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A superb anthology of creepy, unsettling stories.
I listened to this book on my AirPods whilst on my daily walks, and people passing me must have wondered about my audible gasps at certain points!
I found every story absolutely gripping, and I can highly recommend it!
The mark of a truly engrossing story is when you think about it days later, and that was certainly true of all these tales.
A massive thanks to the author Luke x
You made my walks so much more interesting!

Creepy and thought provoking!

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I loved all the different stories, luke smitherd has a great imagination, a great story teller and a world class narrator

Brilliant collection of stories

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would highly recommend this to a friend. The stories and narration are both top-notch.

Which character – as performed by Luke Smitherd – was your favourite?

I enjoyed them all, Luke is a wonderful narrator.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was absolutley blown away by both "Your Name Is In The Book" and "Keep Your Children Close".

Any additional comments?

I would also recommend The Stone Man by Luke Smitherd. It's one of my favorites stories.

Blown Away By This Audiobook

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What did you like most about Tales of the Unusual?

The stories are all from original ideas and even though they are "short stories" they hold the readers imagination and develop into a full story, the characters are believable and you are able to form a relationship with them, you get involved.

Any additional comments?

Read many of Luke's books, must admit, this one is another "good book" highly recommended.

Really great ideas from a creative writer

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I've read and enjoyed several of Luke Smitherd's books but this is my first review (sorry Luke). This is quite possibly my favourite. A terrific collection of profoundly unsettling scary stories reminiscent of Clive Barker or Stephen King. I normally don't like writers reading their own work but Luke is a great reader. Recommended.

Terrific collection of unsettling short stories

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