The Hermit Next Door

By: Kevin Hearne

Narrated by: Annalee Scott

Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Kevin Hearne, author of the acclaimed Iron Druid Chronicles, returns with an otherworldly new novella!

Newly widowed and trying to cope with her grief, Winnie Mae Chisholm moves from Tennessee with her teenage son, Pax, to Oregon, hoping the change will let them both heal and move on. She’s warned when buying their new home that the next door neighbor, Mr. Fisher, is a famous recluse and no one has seen him in years, but that’s fine with her—she’s looking for quiet.

She’s not going to get it, however, because when Pax meets the neighbor, he discovers that the reason Mr. Fisher hides from the world is that he isn’t actually from this world. He’s been stranded for decades and he’s trying to get home, and he could really use some help.

Abruptly part of the best-kept secret on the planet, Winnie Mae and Pax have to protect Mr. Fisher from a nosy neighbor who would ruin his work and doom him to die among aliens, but they also have to ask themselves: How far would they go to escape their grief? Would another world be far enough?

©2024 Kevin Hearne (P)2024 Kevin Hearne

Charming yet spooky

As soon as the story began, the combination of Hearne’s writing with Annalee’s narration made me feel like I was settling into a comfy chair with a cup of hot cocoa.  Annalee Scott is the perfect narrator for this story and I instantly fell in love with the personable Winnie Mae Chisholm. She’s dealing with the loss of her husband, a move, a new culture, her teenager who is also going through all of that, and she does it with a determined commitment to carry on.

If you’ve read “The Seven Kennings,” you’ll know that Hearne is a master of writing characters dealing with and wading through emotions. He has a talent for expressing things in a way such that if you’ve gone through any of the things yourself, you feel understood or there’s a revelation that helps you process things in a new, hopeful way. In this story, he continues to demonstrate a tremendous amount of empathy for what humanity lives through and an adeptness in conveying that without being mired in it, an acknowledgement of what is going on in the real world, mixed in with his often oddball sense of humour that seems to fuel his imagination and make his writing so entertaining and creative. With this tale, throw in some unexpected sci-fi with Hearne flair.

There is a lot of story packed into this 2 hrs and 43 mins. It is charming & delightful, mysterious and intriguing, heavy and serious. When you think you’re safely in the charming and delightful parts, you’re suddenly confronted with something that makes you wonder if you’re moving into Stephen King territory, and right up until the end, you never feel entirely certain about the mysterious Mr. Fisher. Even after his dramatic, nail-biting, unveiling, we are constantly kept on our toes with regards to his motivation. There was a part that I found a bit heavy-handed, but Mr. Fisher was on a deadline, so facts were laid out quickly, which were an important part of how this story resolved.

I thought this a very charming story with some unexpected, darker turns. I laughed out loud at times, I found some things deliciously spooky, and Mr. Fisher? Pure Kevin Hearne, which is always a good thing. This was an entertaining listen.

Great world building that left me wanting more!

As a long-time fan of Kevin Hearne and his previous series of books, I'm always excited to see where his WACKY brain will take me when he tries something outside of his "Norm" and I must say The Hermit Next Door didn't disappoint!

I was impressed by how much world building could be packed into 2.5 hours. The story and characters left me wanting more! At one point as i was walking and listening to the story i thought to myself i hope there is another book to continue the story! LOL

Great job Kevin and Annalee!