Caretaker by R.J. Halbert
“I almost forgot. There’s a caretaker who lives on the property. It’s part of the deal, he comes with the house.”
The realtor, talking to the Keane family of Boston who had just acquired the strange old house on the hill in Littleton, NH, built by the legendary Mr. Goodpasture, shrugged like it was no big deal.
To her, maybe.
It’s just one of the strange mysteries the Keanes face in their bid to move out of the big city, outrun their pasts and start anew in R.J. Halbert’s Caretaker: The Goodpasture Chronicles (Eald Talu House). The caretaker is Marshall, the nephew of the long-deceased Mr. Goodpasture, and, per his uncle’s will, is always to have a piece of land on the property. When the Keane children Ariel and Zach stumble upon his cottage and see a painting of an intertwined rope that looks like a snake chasing itself — with the same design as on a bracelet that Ian, Zach’s father, gave to Zach only recently — well, something is clearly off.
Haunted? Cursed? What’s with this house — and the family that just purchased it?
“Home Sweet Home”
Ian and his wife Lyana have a past from which they are trying to break free. They both come from troubled backgrounds, and while they love each other, there have been bumps in their relationship.
Fair enough. But discoveries within the house and along the grounds stimulating weird behavior coupled with strange flashbacks, have the new owners reeling. A rare disease threatens Lyana’s life and a bizarre bee attack momentarily sets back Zach.
“There’s so much here that doesn’t make sense,” Ian pleads with Marshall, seeking an explanation. “I don’t know how to say it without sounding crazy, but … what is going on with this house? Why did all the previous families leave?”
Marshall, quiet and unassuming, seems to know more than he’s letting on. And is he an ally or an enemy in the Keanes’ quest for answers? The town locals, who gather regularly at Lloyd’s coffee shop, also seem to be interested observers, perhaps with more to share than mere gossip.
A Saga’s Beginning
Zach seems to be on to something, believing that the key to unexplained events and his mother’s instability somehow lies within the foundations of the property. Is it a curse from ancient mythology, dark magic, some other sinister force at work or just chilling coincidence?
And what role will the caretaker play? R.J. Halbert has crafted a fast-paced, thought-provoking tale through a small town, an old property and a family on the brink of insanity as they try to figure out the unimaginable occurrences in Caretaker, the first book of The Goodpasture Chronicles. It is well written, chock full of suspense, cluttered with objects and rooms that appear and suddenly disappear — keeping readers on a string and trying to make sense of the pieces presented to solve the bigger puzzle. Come along for this entertaining exercise in sorting reality from fantasy.
R.J. Halbert is the husband-and-wife team behind Caretaker.
Jason Halbert, one-half of R.J. Halbert, is an Emmy and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter. His songs have reached millions of listeners worldwide through multiple #1 and Platinum selling albums. In addition to his 20+ year career as Music Director and Producer for Kelly Clarkson, he has left his creative mark on numerous works in film and television, and as well as numerous recording artists over the years. When not creating music, he loves bee-keeping, Sci-Fi, and is known to be quite a storyteller.
After homeschooling their two children around the world on a tour bus, Rhonda Halbert, the second half of R.J. Halbert, has spent the past 10 years as a successful music and television manager, guiding her clients’ relationships with labels, networks, and producers. She is also a published photographer, music supervisor, passionate cook, garden enthusiast, and spiritual practitioner.
Together, Jason and Rhonda have woven their 30+ years of life together into a riveting story, based somewhat on truth and experience, but even more so, brimming with imagination. Visit www.goodpasturechronicles.com.
