The Burqa Cave

By: Dean Petersen

Narrated by: Scott Leon Smith

A teacher is still haunted by what he did in Iraq.

A macabre ritual traumatizes a high school student.

Still haunted by Iraq, Tim Ross finds solace teaching high school in Wyoming. His quiet is shattered by a freshman who reveals a macabre initiation held at the gun range by the football team. When Tim asks about the strange ritual involving an old crime and phantom sightings of a murdered girl, the frightened teen’s only response is, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"He hit her in the chest with the rifle’s muzzle once more as she screamed and thrust what had been her baby at him."

Tim does his best to write off the strange incident until that same student leads him to the remains of a girl the entire county had been looking for. Still trying to believe there is a logical explanation, Tim scours the dark forests and lonely homesteads of The Uinta Mountains to find the killer who has stalked their community for decades.

Closing in on his target, Tim's suspect strikes back, forcing him to confront the horror of what he did to an Iraqi civilian or lose the only chance he has at overcoming his past and saving the life of the strange boy who has helped him realize there is life after death and hope after war.

What if you could take back the worst day of your life?

©2019 Dean Petersen (P)2023 Dean Petersen

Vivid Imagery, Great Storyline and More

Tim Ross is a teacher in a Wyoming high school by day. By night he is haunted. While in Iraq and trying to protect his team from suicide bombers, he killed a woman he had mistaken for a bomber and subsequently her baby as well. As if being haunted by her ghost isn’t enough, Tim is asked by a student if he believes in ghosts. The student witnessed an event that left one dead. Now Tim takes to the trail hunting the lone serial killer that’s been tormenting the small community for years. Tim is hopeful he can put many ghosts to rest, save one of his students, and move forward.

Dean Petersen, the author, debuts this novel with a strong storyline, awesome plot twists, and characters that are realistic and well-developed. Vivid in his descriptions, Petersen skillfully places the listener deep within the story within seconds of pressing play! The supernatural twist was well done and blended into the story effectively and effortlessly. The pain felt by Tim Ross, the main character, was experienced by the listeners as Petersen provided a depth of realism to the pain that few do successfully.

The narrator, Scott Leon Smith, delivered a powerful performance as he further enhanced the story and emotional connection with his well-honed vocal skills. He brought each character to life through tone, pauses, and delivery of dialogue. Smith effectively communicated the pain, confusion, and other emotions vividly keeping the listener on the edge of their chair!

I was sorry to hear the story end as I wanted more from this great team! A definite must-listen! Action and mystery blended into a captivating story.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Setting is Spot On

I very much enjoyed reading this. I’m familiar with the area it is written about and it was like visiting home. Great story and fantastic narration.

Slow start, but once it got going it was great!

I really enjoyed this book. Though it started off slow and almost lost me, I'm glad I stuck with it because it really picked up the pace and kept me listening. Worth listening too for sure.