 | In their final attempt at having a child and after three miscarriages, Annie had nearly died in childbirth and the child to be had been stillborn. That had been it for Charlie. He would never put Annie in jeopardy again. He'd rather never have a son than live without Annie. Charlie's writing and their hiking trips consumed their lives from that day forward. | |
As Charlie would find out, Puralists inhabited Jessup, a religious group living out their beliefs in their utopian world on their remote, oak forested mountain. But years before Charlie and Annie had arrived there the outside world had already come, bringing its greed and tainted values to the Jessupites. Thanks to one man's arrival in Jessup five years prior, Charlie and Annie would not find the comfort of a friendly little religious community, but rather, the beginning of a hideous nightmare. | ||
by C.H. Foertmeyer ISBN 0-595-34382-1 205 pages trade paperback at 15.95 www.iuniverse.com Annie and Charlie McVee plan to hike two hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail as a tenth anniversary gift to themselves. Never one to stick with the ordinary, Charlie plots a hike off-trail, in uncharted territory. Annie is uneasy when they discover impassable cliffs, then a small 18th century town with no inhabitants in sight. They decide to return to the trail, which takes them on a grueling experience that turns deadly when their GPS is damaged in a fall. Charlie wakes up in the Harlon County Tennessee hospital with two broken legs and a fractured hip. The hospital is staffed by one doctor and one nurse, and the facts don't match up with what Charlie remembers. He's told Annie died in a fall. After six weeks of recuperation, he returns to their home in Cincinnati to resume life without Annie. He's transported home by Michael McClellan, a resident of the tiny town they ran across while hiking. The town is Jessup, a Puralist community of people who do not believe in modern technology or violence. After several weeks at home to think about his experience, Charlie discovers chilling truths. His family doctor says x-rays show no sign of badly fractured legs or hip. No medical bills have been sent or insurance claims filed for his six weeks in the hospital. And the hospital, town, and county where he recuperated do not exist on any map or record. He enlists a long time friend to accompany him back to Tennessee in search of answers. Dr. John Roberts joined the Jessup community five years prior to Charlie's accident. He masquerades as a Puralist, who practice pure motives, when in truth he is after gold rumored to be buried nearby Jessup. He's developed an elaborate series of lies to throw Charlie off the truth and convinced the Puralists to go along. Roberts' sanity hangs by a thread as he bides his time anticipating a life of wealth with contraband gold. He definitely does not live by the Puralist philosophy of non violence and is prepared to kill everyone who interferes with his plans. People die. Horrible lies are concocted. And in the end, no one will be the same -- not Charlie, and certainly not the shy Puralists whose way of life is changed forever. Bewildered features appealing characters and wild Appalachian terrain in an exciting storyline. Foertmeyer's first venture into the suspense thriller genre is a heart pounding experience.
Laurel Johnson
Intrigue and adventure in a fascinating, original setting - this book had me hooked from the beginning. Like in Mr. Foertmeyer's previous works, the scene set for this story was described so well that it made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I could see the dense forests and treacherous cliffs of Appalachia, and I could see myself walking down the streets of a town from another era. More importantly, he made me want to be there. I cared about the characters, and I was anxious to know how their wild tale unfolded. This story had all the elements I look for in a good read - love, mystery, suspense, justice. Way to go, Mr. Foertmeyer!
Wow Is All I Can Say!, February 10, 2006
I finished Bewildered this morning and I absolutely loved it, even MORE than Hell's Interstate! I am absolutely impressed with your creativity and have thoroughly enjoyed the books. Now I can lend both books to Mary and since she loves to read as much as I do, I know she'll burn right through them also! Wow is all I can say! Bewildered, especially, would make one hell of a good movie. Have you ever thought about that?
By C.H. Foertmeyer It begins as nothing more than an escapade to escape from the world ends up very different from what Charlie and Annie McVee expected. Ever adventurous Charlie insists on taking the road less traveled and ends up in a sticky situation at the bottom of a cliff with a broken GPS and in very much pain. He wakes up in a hospital room of the Harlon County Hospital, and much to his dismay, Annie has never returned. Six weeks pass as Charlie heals and finally, the sheriff informs him of the discovery of the body of his wife, who died in a terrible fall. Brokenhearted, Charlie is taken home to Cincinnati by Michael McClellan, a resident of the tiny Puralist town, Jessup, a community where technology and violence are shunned. But something is wrong. The x-rays taken by his family doctor reveal no damage to his legs or hips. He's received no bills or claims at all from his six week stay. He cannot find the town on any map and then discovers…it doesn't exist at all. What is going on in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee? Little does Charlie know, what he will discover in the tiny town of Jessup, Tennessee will change his life forever…and the lives of all the Jessupites…for better or for worse. Bewildered is a step away from Foertmeyer's usual fantasy genre into the world of suspense. His characters and exciting plot keep his readers' hearts hammering until the very last page. Bewildered is a truly mind boggling experience.
Natalie Foertmeyer
A new book is out by "Chuck", C.H. Foertmeyer! It is fantastic! As all of his books are. :)) If you would like to read some of it go to: http://www.foertmeyer.com/bewildered.html. I never thought he could get better than he was in his CARVER, High Mountain Tragedy, but he has continued to do so each and every time he writes a new one. And BEWILDERED has done it again! You can go to http://www.foertmeyer.com/books.html and see the fantastic awards this wonderful writer has recieved for all of his books. He is a winner. Hope you read BEWILDERED and get a chance to see just how great he is. Sue Hartigan, allaboutmurder.com
I couldn't wait to dive into Bewildered and didn't notice how many chapters there were. I was using an e-reader so I couldn't tell how thick the 'book' was. Several times I thought I was near the end but it kept twisting into places that surprised me. LOVE IT!!!"
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