Dreams the Ragman

Dreams the Ragman by Greg F. Gifune


When Derrick Ricci was a boy, his grandfather would tell him and his friend Caleb tales of the Ragman, a junk dealer clothed in rags. The Ragman haunted their dreams from then on. When people are brutally murdered, Derrick and Caleb, now adults, are convinced it is the work of the Ragman. But Derrick is going through a divorce and Caleb is now a junkie. Can they stop the Ragman from killing again?

This is the twenty-second book in my Kindle Unlimited Experiment. For the 30 day trial, I'm only reading books that are part of the program and keeping track what the total cost of the books would have been.

This was an atmospheric little novella from the fine folks at DarkFuse. Dreams the Ragman is a short tale dealing with destiny and growing up. It's more of a character study than anything else.

The Ragman is a creepy figure, a rail-riding hobo carrying a rusty bell and clothed in rags, who may or may not be responsible for some grisly killings. How is he tied to Derrick and Caleb?

Greg Gifune's writing does a great job of conveying the creepiness of the Ragman and the hopelessness Caleb must be feeling. The shifting from the past to the present keeps the book from being predictable.

However, not much actually happens. I think Dreams the Ragman would have been better if it had been expanded into a novel and had more time for the suspense to build. Three out of five stars.

Current Kindle Unlimited Savings Total: $121.88.

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