The Ursulina

The Ursulina

“ I know you’ll never forgive me for what I did.” As you enter the woods along with a ten-year-old child you will wonder what really happen when the monster came back to black Wolf Country. The answers and questions begin as we come forward to the present. you won’t believe the story, the terror that would befall this town before the horrific final ending. The story centers around a lawsuit against the mining company in Black Wolf County. Women are harassed, abused by the men, verbally and physically assaulted and yet they did not quit. Sandra the ringleader  of the group had vandalism at her house, and she was the lead plaintiff  in the harassment suit, the usual harassment with of two dozen women who filed against the Langford copper mine. Deputy Rebecca Colder of the Town of Random in Black Wolf County where it is not as common for women to be placed in this type of position or to work in the minds. Everyone knows everyone’ life and the town are not one that many would want to live in, and the people are anything but sterling. A town tilled with marital issues, sexual harassment, spousal abuse and infidelity and issues dating back to high school where even older no one forgives or forgets.

Prominent throughout the novel is the legend of the Ursulina told through the eyes of a victim and seen through Rebecca’s as a young child. The accounts you will read, the despair and anger you won’t believe as we begin with Sandra and then leading to the murder of the lead attorney or council for the mine, Gordon Brink. Called to his home by his wife who claims she cannot contact him, no one is allowed in his office what they find when they do enter will give you nightmares if you are feint of heart, as the scene is quite graphic and violently depicted. Why does she insist on making her find on the spot and wait until you see what is written in his blood: I AM THE URSULINA!

Lives are at stake; reputations are ruined, and no one is safe from the wrath of others in this town. Meet her partner Darrell who takes her under his wing and tries to protect her from the harassment of others in the department. Meet Ajax or Arthur Jackson who is a womanizer, violent and harasses Rebecca and many others at will. His wife Ruby hates her and accuses her many times as you will join in the encounters, wonder by Rebecca does not act a little stronger at times and then deals with his abusive manner and behavior until she can’t. The questions asked of his wife would lead you to believe that she hated him, realized the monster he was and the fact that the women that worked at the mine had to take care of his manly needs or be fired or not hired. Jay, his son had his own issues as he was forced to come and live with him, his mother having no real say and the reason when revealed will lead to another tragic ending. Questioning Jay, Rebecca and Darrell learn a lot just from his words, facial expressions and the fact he states: You’ll figure it our eventually. Gordon was a monster. As the story progresses you the reader will develop your own image about this man and decide if Monster is a strong enough word. Meet Ricky, her abusive and disturbed husband who cheats on her all the time, accuses her of being his property and you wonder why someone like Rebecca tolerates the abuse and does not just put him in a permanent cell. Accusing her of having an affair with Ajax which was in his mind and not a reality, you wonder why she allows him to push her buttons. The author takes us to the past and the murders of Kip Wells and Racer Moritz whose death scenes mirrored that of Gordon Brink. Was it the same killer? Was it the Ursulina? Taking the legend back to Mittel County  where they lived and where their murders happened and were unsolved, Darrell’s was fighting an uphill battle trying to find witnesses that clarity would murders that was hot the legend of Ursulina took off. The lawyer for the women is Norm Foltz. As the author unravels past and  to the  present of the murders, what were the motives for Ip and Racer’s murders. They were robbers, into drugs, poaching to thieves and assault. What link to the lawsuit did they have?

Norm’s son Will and Jay Brink became friends of more than must friends which led to being ostracized by their friends and family members. Gordon belittled his son. Norm tried to accept his choices but the bullies in his school place will in the hospital with serious injuries and then Jay when questioned makes a startling statement and the Sheriff who does not care about truth took his words and the case of his father’s murder was solved. Did Jay really kill Gordon?

Meet Ben Malloy the Ursulina hunter who will do anything to get a story, learn more about the murders, and create a television show about it. His return reheated the cold investigation into Gordon’s murder and mostly because sheriff Jackson began to get dozens of medial caller forma round the count to see if the Ursulina was back of any closer to catching the beast? The sheriff did not care about truth but enjoyed the publicity. There were so many women involved and Ajax the deputy married to Ruby spurns many including his wife for Penny Ramsey who worked for the mine and spilled information to him that would come back and bite her in the face and might destroy solving the murders.

But author Brian Freeman creates a scene in someone’s past that unleashes memories that are so horrific and a present that will mirror them both. When Rebecca needs to escape when Ajax is murdered, she finds herself in the woods, meets Tom Ginn whose car gets stuck in a snowbank, and she happens to find him, and the result leaves her with more than she expected. As time wears on she realizes that she had a major decision to make and that it would change her life in many directions. Learning what she was having a child, an abusive husband that she finally thought she was rid of, the final scenes will give you the chills, make you wonder why Rebecca made the one decision that no one expected and how this one decision would impact the life of a precious child. As the trial might come to pass Ms. Svitak who took over for Brink is colder than a glacier, icier than snow in a blizzard and unfeeling an relentless as questions are asked and crisp and short answers are given with no real substance. Ruby tell sit all, leaves something with Rebecca and Penny shows up and adds to the mystery as Rebecca asks one favor of Ben and the truths come out and chapter 37 reveals something you won’t expect as once again author Brian Freeman takes readers down a slippery, icy and dangerous path until the killer is revealed, the words and thoughts are there but do you agree with the end result? Do you think this person made the right choice? Choices are forever and some decisions might ruin lives as the ending will make you wonder just where each one of the main characters will wind up. Shelfy Lake is the daughter that might never get to know. Someone found her in the freezing cold and gave her a chance to survive. Read this heartfelt, dramatic and frightening story about a monster, killer who won’t stop until those that did wrong are taken out. To find out more about Shelby and her life, read THE DEEP DEEP SNOW BY author Brian Freeman. Who is the Ursulina? I’ll never tell! Characters that are flawed, dangerous, often thinking of only themselves and one sided as once again author Brian Freeman raises the bar for writing a true horror!

Fran Lewis: Just reviews