Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Collared
AUTHOR: TA Moore
NARRATOR: Greg Tremblay
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 3 hours, 45 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2020
BLURB:
When ex-priest Jack finds a dead man nailed to his bed, he knows it’s going to be a bad night. He just has no idea how bad. Now he’s been recruited by his own personal demon to find the thieves who killed a man, kidnapped his family, and stole something of indescribable value from the demonic Math. To find answers he has to delve deep into the infernal underbelly of his town and face his own past. Jack’s been promised his soul back if he succeeds. As local cop Ben Ambrose risks his own soul by following too closely in Jack’s footsteps, and with a child’s life on the line, Jack has to decide if it’s a deal he’s willing to make.
REVIEW:
This was another hit for me – and not only because of the fabulous narration.
Making deals with the devil is detriment to your health, but that doesn’t stop people from making them. On the contrary, the allure of the forbidden could be irresistible. Over the years Jack has learned to take life in a stride. He knows what goes bump in the night, what monsters hide in the closet or under the bed. So when he finds a dead man in his bed he knows his trouble has only begun. When Math, his personal demon, and sometimes lover, recruits him to find what was stolen from him. But the task isn’t as easy as it might seem as the thieves have no problem killing anyone in their way. And their next victim is a little girl they’d kidnapped.
It’s not easy to create a good short story, and one that doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete, but TA Moore absolutely did that with Collared. There was great world-building, fleshed out characters and interesting plotline. I wouldn’t have minded this story to be a full length novel, but that’s because I’m greedy, not because anything was missing.
Greg Tremblay is a fantastic narrator and voice actor, and sadly it’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy one of his performances. I love how he makes the story come alive, and this time the listener feels the grittiness, harshness and horror of everything. He made you feel Tracey’s fear, but also her determination. What little we got to know about her was fascinating – and a little bit terrifying. Tremblay also perfected the push-pull, love/hate/resentment/longing with a bit of confusion and resignation between Jack and Math. To say feelings were mixed was an understatement. But Moore created that wonderful mess, and Tremblay made you feel it. I can’t say that I understand their relationship – I’m not sure they do (Jack and Math) but I think that’s also why I enjoyed it so much. I mean anything between a condemned ex-priest and a demon is sure to have complications. Anyway Tremblay is as magic as this story and I wish for many more stories to come.
Oh, and fair warning, this story is very well written and expertly narrated so the many gruesome scenes might evoke more than a little nausea, and a bit of an aversion to food.
RATING: 
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