There Was a Crooked Man, He Flipped a Crooked House

By: David Erik Nelson

Narrated by: David Sadzin

Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

"Downtrodden architect Glenn Washington and his none-too-bright sidekick Lennie help a crooked real estate baron flip houses in downtrodden Detroit. A house comes up that is too good to gut for parts. Too good to be true. Waaaay too good. Thing is, nothing leads where it should - go through the front door, step out the door on the back porch. Best library ever. And why are the cops nosing around? Non-Euclidian architectural petty-crime adventure, and all that implies." (Adrian Simmons, writing for Black Gate magazine)

"This is a very entertaining and readable story, and what makes it even better is the sheer amount of incidental detail that Nelson includes. At the end, just when I thought it was coming off the boil a little, there is a neat little twist that pulls it back up again, as well as allowing for sequels. One for the ‘Best of the Year’ collections." (Paul Fraser, writing for sfmagazines.com)

"Absorbing horror novella." (Rich Horton, Locus)

©2017 David Erik Nelson (P)2018 David Erik Nelson

Enjoyable short book with paranormal elements

I really liked this book. If I had to complain about anything, it would be the frequent use of the F-bomb. I just didn't think it was necessary. I requested a copy of this book and agreed to review it.
I liked the narration as well. It didn't detract from the story and it didn't lull me to sleep either. I have read this book twice now. I enjoyed it just as much the second time.

 A surprisingly erudite, creepy story... 

This is somewhat reminiscent of an HP Lovecraft tale, crossbred with John Steinbeck...but with modern updates. Very weird, and Very well done!

David Sadzin gave us a fantastic narrative performance. And I truly hope that he'll be doing more genre fiction in the future...

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A very fun listen. Well crafted short

There Was A crooked Man... was a very interesting take on the “haunted house” story. The characters were unique and well performed by David Sadzin. The story moved along at a perfect pace with just the right amount of humor to keep it from being a dark horror story. The chills happen, but not so much in the typical scare fashion, this is not a jump scare type of horror. It is more of a Sci-fi horror. Looking forward to more from both this writer and this narrator.

I requested a free review copy of this audiobook and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

There was a crooked man

This was a really good,well written short story!Glen and Lenny are part of a company that buy and flip houses.When they get to this house they encounter some weird stuff!David Sadzin was a terrific narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

I loved this book soooo much!

This book is nearly perfect!!!! It was funny - the kind of funny that catches you off-guard and you smirk and then howl when you reflect on it. It was incredibly unique - I had no idea where this story was going and that was most of the enjoyment. I absolutely loved the pop references - I never even heard of Wheatons Law. I. Loved. This. Book. The only bad thing is that it was too short.

The narrator was perfection on a stick! This is my first book by David Sadzin and now I'm jonesing for another. He was soooooo good!

This was a fun, semi-scary, sci-fi "Twilight Zoney" type listen and was the source of some of the best laughs I've had in audiobooks all year.

I keep coming back for more.

There Was a Crooked Man, He Flipped a Crooked House is an awesome short story. It's well written and compelling with excellent narration by David Sadzin. Whenever I hit the doldrums on Audible, I recollect past stories I really enjoyed and always remember this one. Short, yes, but fascinating. I wish there was more available by David Erik Nelson, it'd be in my library too. So if you want a story that grabs you and doesn't let go, even long after you've finished it, look no further.

Great writing, great narration...definitely a win!

Writing a successful short story or novella can be a tall order. The author has to create characters and a plot that engages the reader, give sufficient description and explanation, and still keep the story focused and moving forward at an appropriate pace. Many stories don’t do enough, or go overboard, but Nelson does it right.

A haunted house story is a classic for a reason, and Nelson does great things with the premise. His characters are well-developed and engaging, the plot unfolds at a perfect rate, and information is revealed at just the right time and with the right amount of detail. I also loved the modern cultural touchstones, such as the world of flipping houses and the references to Wheaton’s law. It made the story feel unique, and added a fresh feeling to the concept. It also prompted me to look up several things that the characters mentioned, not because I needed to know more to enjoy the story, but because the great writing piqued my interest in the things they discussed. That definitely reflects a high level of engagement.

I absolutely loved David Sadzin’s narration. I love to read and definitely read more than I listen, so I’m really looking for a narrator to enhance the experience I could get from reading something on my own. Sadzin delivers a fantastic listening experience, and I’ll be looking for more from him.

I was given a free review copy of the audiobook, at my request, and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions expressed are my own.

Take Me Down, O' Crooked One...

Short but awesome! I'm mostly into looooooong stories, but once in a while I grab a short story/novella to bring me back down the world of manageable time. This one is awesome! Cool, dark, gritty novella took me away, filled with suspense and a little mix of old & new. I'm sufficiently creeped out! (and I've been creeped out by the best of em, takes a lot to creep me out!) Excellent story/writing and narration, it all came together beautifully!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great Standalone piece

This story feels like classic Stephen King mixed with modern Peter Clines. There are various elements here that hearken back to both of these authors (whose works I greatly enjoy) and yet it stands firmly on its own.

This is one of those stories where what makes them great is hard to describe to someone. The characters, the atmosphere, the writing, all of it comes together to form a very enjoyable piece.

Dialogue is one of the many ways Nelson establishes and develops his characters, and Sadzin does a great job bringing them to life. There's quite a bit of swearing at certain parts, but it doesn't feel gratuitous. Indeed, it helps make all the characters feel "real".

I was provided this audiobook free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I honestly loved it and will be checking for more.

A tense, gripping horror

Horror is not my genre. It's okay, but generally not something I enjoy. Yet this story was something I really enjoyed and it kept me wanting more.

Set in a broken down, crime ridden Detroit the story opens with our main characters almost getting arrested by police for trying to break into an old house. The house is locked and seems almost impossible to get into, almost blocking anyone from entering. This is the beginnings of the mystery that is the house. Once in, there are strange and creepy goings on that keep the reader on edge and wanting to know more about the house.

The character of Glenn Washington is an interesting one. He is well rounded, sometimes come across as uneducated and very 'street' while other times he shows his smarts - such as his deep knowledge of abstract art. It's the almost contradictory, yet working together well, pieces of the character that make him interesting.

Narration by David Sadzin is good. He is easy to listen to and engages well with the text.

David Erik Nelson's writing, along with David Sadzin's narration keep the story interesting and gripping. Well worth the time, even for someone like me who doesn't like most horror books.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.