Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Bedding of Boys by Edward Lorn

Regina Corsi is a monster, the vilest of predators. Her desire for young boys is only matched by the bloodlust that overcomes her once the sex is finished. But she’s grown hasty in her hunting. And only a special friend can keep her disturbing appetites a secret.

Nevada Barnes is fourteen, and, emotionally speaking, still very much a child. When his stable home life is thrown into turmoil by an unexpected visitor, he escapes into the arms of an older woman, where he will find his own desire growing stronger each and every day.

In the small town of Bay’s End, Regina and Nevada dive head first into a relationship doomed for disaster, a sex-fueled madness neither will be able to satiate. But Regina’s special friend is impatient and will not be distracted by their love affair. It will feed, whether Regina wills it to or not. For the bedding of boys has consequences that reach far beyond the legal ramifications of her actions.

When Ghost is hungry, only death will do.



"Midnight thoughts and three-am dreams, these are the gifts given to us by the horrors we have lived through. Because, although we’ve survived, our memories remain in the moment, so that we never truly escape. Ask any rape survivor what their nights are like, when the sun is down and the room is dark and their thoughts are the only company they keep. This is the burden of the living, and why the dead are the lucky ones."

Well Holy Yuck-a-Moly!
Regina is a serial killer with a perversion for pubescent boys. She is not a love them and leave them type, more like a love them and cleave them into pieces. She seems to have no empathy for anyone, which would suggest a borderline personality disorder until at last her twisted and shriveled heart finds what she thinks of as "Love" with her latest victim Nev, a 14 year old boy who doesn't realize how dangerous she is until it's far too late. There is also a supernatural aspect to the story, with her "ghost" who is on clean up duty, sucking up blood and chowing down on the dead bodies of her victims. Things are certainly never dull in the town of Bay's End.


Currently available for cheap in a collection of ALL the Bay's End Novels! Get a copy
All Things Lead to the End...

The Complete Bay's End Collection!

This collection includes seven full-length novels, one novella, a short story, and an excerpt, all of which are listed below:

BAY'S END
FOG WARNING
THE SOUND OF BROKEN RIBS
THE BEDDING OF BOYS
EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE NOW
"Cinder Block" (a short story)
NO HOME FOR BOYS
CRUELTY
A sneak peek of CRUELTY & JOY

About the author
Edward Lorn (E. to most) is a reader, writer, and content creator. He's been writing for fun since the age of six, and writing professionally since 2011. He can be found haunting the halls of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

E. lives in Alabama with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his next novel.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Baby Dolly by Ruby Jean Jensen

It was such a lovely baby dolly. With its tiny , delicate hands, its cunning wrought features, its hand-stitched gown. It was a doll any little girl would long to hold tight. Instead it has been kept hidden in the china cabinet all these years... — But now it was time for the doll to be taken out. To be carefully placed in a child's bed. So that it might once again claim its victims in the darkest hours of the night. 


Since Ruby Jean Jensen's books are slowly starting to be re-released and available in hard cover for the first time in decades I thought I would pull out an old paperback to read. These books can still be found in thrift stores, but many are now available to order for kindle or pre-order for hard cover.


This book was not all I hoped it would be. I don't think I'm spoiling anything for you to say it's about a doll that kills people. The doll originally came from somewhere in South America and was given to a 12 year old girl in 1882 who resented it immediately because she was too old to play with baby dolls. She was the first to discover that the doll could be used to do away with people. I loved the first third of the book because it was not only creepy but read like a historical fiction. As time passed and the doll continued to kill through several generations it became so repetitive that I've lost track of how many times people began to suspect the doll of causing deaths and then miraculously forget their suspicions in 477 pages that could have easily fit into 300. 
3 out of 5 stars

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

The Corruption of Alston House by John Quick

Katherine's life has been on a downhill turn, filled with tragedy and heartbreak. When she bought Alston House in the small Tennessee town of Poplar Bend, she hoped it would be the chance to turn things around, center herself again, and get serious about her art. True, it was a risk buying a house virtually sight unseen through the internet, but she knew it needed some extensive renovations, so what could go wrong?

What the real estate agent never told her was that Alston House had a history that was among the darkest secrets in the small town. As Katherine begins to put her life back together, she discovers there is more here than meets the eye. One of the home's former residents never left, even after death, and now he seems to have set his sights on her. Can she uncover the darkness at the heart of the town and overcome her personal ghosts, or will she become one more victim to the town's hidden hearts?


I've often said I love a good haunted house story, and that was all I expected from The Corruption Of Alston House. Once it gets going, it's so much more than that. The build up was a little slow, as we learn about what caused Katherine to buy this house sight unseen. At first we know only that her marriage didn't work out and she needs a fresh start, but divorce is not the horrendous loss that was the true catalyst for the events that follow. There are rumors that the house is haunted but as the title suggests, corrupted would be a better word. The house was the site of unspeakable evil and abuse perpetrated against the helpless and the innocent. That kind of evil doesn't die easily especially when others in the town continue to feed it. By around the halfway point I was both terrified and outraged, and may have had a tear in my eye at the end.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy for review.


About the author
If you ask his wife, John Quick is compelled to tell stories because he’s full of baloney. He prefers to think he simply has an affinity for things that are strange, disturbing, and terrifying. As proof, he will explain how he suffered Consequences transcribed The Journal of Jeremy Todd, and regaled the tale of Mudcat. He lives in Middle Tennessee with his aforementioned long-suffering wife, two exceptionally patient kids, four dogs that could care less so long as he keeps scratching that perfect spot on their noses, and a cat who barely acknowledges his existence

Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Spirits of Six Minstrel Run by Matthew S. Cox

A move to the small town of Spring Falls, New York is the perfect cure for Mia Gartner’s horrid commute. However, her new home isn’t quite empty.

She adored working in fine art restoration, but a two-hour ride each way got old fast. When her husband found a house for sale at a suspiciously low price, they jumped at it. Mia expected chemical contamination, a fixer-upper, or termites, so when the problem turned out to be persistent rumors of haunting, she set aside her worries. Adam hoped the place would propel his parapsychology hobby into a career.

Upon first sight, the innocuous suburban house filled Mia with dread. Adam had long maintained she had a psychic gift, but if she believed him, that would mean something terrible and dark once happened there.

Soon after their arrival, unexplained events prove the rumors are more than wild stories. A childlike spirit attaches itself to Mia, seeming harmless and so very lonely.

Alas, she fears the ghost may not be as innocent as it seems


Like the start of most haunted house stories Mia and her husband move into a house with a dark past. Unlike the typical couple who are shocked by ghosts they have actually chosen this home on purpose. Mia is a sensitive psychic and her husband an amateur ghost hunter.
At first the haunting seems rather tame, but they soon learn the reasons why previous owners have not dared to stay long. Is it merely the ghost of a lonely child playing pranks or could it be a demon? It seems that something wants to hurt Mia, and the constant interference by an over zealous pastor who arrives uninvited and unwelcome does not help matters any. Pastor Weston is a man who just can't seem to take "go away" for an answer. If it were me I think I would have turned the garden hose on him. I loved Mia, she was a very strong woman even when she sometimes doubted herself.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.

Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.

He is also fond of cats.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

A supernatural thriller in the vein of A Head Full of Ghosts about two young girls, a scary story that becomes far too real, and the tragic--and terrifying--consequences that follow one of them into adulthood.

Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face...

In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real--and she could prove it.

That belief got Becca killed.

It's been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night--that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She's done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn't seen since the night Becca died.

The night Heather killed her.

Now, someone else knows what she did...and they're determined to make Heather pay.


This story is told on two timelines, 1991 and the present day. Back then, we learn about the childhood that shaped the woman Heather has become today. Oddly enough this book dredged up some old memories for me, or maybe it's not that strange. Maybe we all had that one childhood besty who turned catty and left us out, or talked behind our back once puberty hit. Perhaps we all had a friend who we would rather visit when their parent wasn't home to make us feel uneasy. On the other side of the coin maybe you were that friend, and surely you had your reasons if that were the case. Back then Heather and Becca were 2 such friends. Inseparable until they weren't. Girls from very different backgrounds who loved each other like sisters. Friends for life until Heather killed her. Today Heather is a psychologist, working with troubled kids, though she has always kept her own dark childhood secret. Until now. Someone knows what happened all those years ago. Is it a supernatural being come to life from a story? Or is it something no less sinister but far more human that wants to make Heather pay? You'll have to read to find out.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author
Damien Angelica Walters is also the author of Cry Your Way Home, Paper Tigers, and Sing Me Your Scars, winner of the 2015 This is Horror Award for Short Story Collection of the Year. Her short fiction has been nominated twice for a Bram Stoker Award, reprinted in The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror and The Year's Best Weird Fiction, and published in various anthologies and magazines, including the Shirley Jackson Award Finalists Autumn Cthulhu and The Madness of Dr. Caligari, World Fantasy Award Finalist Cassilda’s Song, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, and Apex Magazine. Until the magazine’s closing in 2013, she was an Associate Editor of the Hugo Award-winning Electric Velocipede, and she lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescued pit bulls.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Darkest Veil by Catherine Cavendish

We are The Thirteen. We are One
4 Yarborough Drive looked like any other late 19th century English townhouse. Alice Lorrimer feels safe and welcomed there, but soon discovers all is not as it appears to be. One of her housemates flees the house in terror. Another disappears and never returns. Then there are the sounds of a woman wailing, strange shadows and mists, and the appearance of the long-dead Josiah Underwood who founded a coven there many years earlier. The house is infested with his evil, and Alice and her friends are about to discover who The Thirteen really are.



As this story does not take place in the United States I may be a bit off on the terminology. A small group of young women are renting what is referred to as a bed sit which I believe is some type of rooming house, or perhaps what we would call studio apartments in a spooky old house with a dark past.
There already seems to be some supernatural activity going on, but after the girls hold a seance with a make shift Ouija board things begin to escalate. One young woman is so upset that she moves out immediately and one just disappears...leaving nothing but a dress behind. It's hard for me to say more without giving too much away, but there was a creepy atmosphere throughout the story and I never saw that ending coming.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.






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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

And a Dark Horse Dreamt of Nightmares by Keith Anthony Baird

A collection of strange tales for those who like horror, the supernatural, and science fiction. These six short stories explore some classic themes in contemporary settings. All have a dark vibe which creates the overall tone of the collection.

The book opens with 'The Sable Lane Catering Company' which puts blood, gore, and terror immediately on the menu with a snapshot of a serial killer serving up something special for his sadistic clientele.

Next up is a pure 80s horror homage, with 'John: Carpenter' giving a direct nod to the movie director's catalogue of work.

'Skullcherry Orchard' sees a paranormal investigation take a turn for the worst in rural North West England. It's a traditional ghost story given a contemporary flavour.

Story number four is rooted in the occult practices of the Nazi regime circa WWII and proves a terrifying and tragic turn of events for those who want to know just 'What's In The Box?'

No book of dark tales could be complete without a reworking of the time-honoured vampire saga, and 'Mother Rain and Father Wolf' does just that. Presented as a warning to those who would meddle in the truth which lies behind a mythology, it chronicles age-old revenge on the Church.

Lastly, 'Floor 9' is a sci-fi piece which is quite simply designed to mess with your head. It has a split narrative and is a tad on the trippy side, and hopefully just good fun.

If you purchase and enjoy this book of shorts, then please consider my full-length novels: The Jesus Man & Nexilexicon, both available in ebook, audio, and paperback via Amazon. Thank you! KAB


Full disclosure, I did not read the last story in this collection, partly because I am so far behind in reviews and partly because Sci-fi is something I need to be in the mood for and my current mood is OMG the holidays are coming and I have a million things to do. That being said, I did enjoy the 5 stories I read. They are dark and deeply disturbing. I will just touch briefly on my favorites. "Skullcherry Orchard" was a spectacular read for me probably because I love all those paranormal investigation shows and this story has a lot more to offer than people whispering WHAT WAS THAT. I would definitely avoid eating the cherries though. I also loved the first story "The Sable Lane Catering Company' though at times I had to peek at it through my fingers for fear of what I might see next. It is extremely gruesome and if you like to snack while you read you may not want to eat while reading this one. Also it's not nice to play with your food!

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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Sunday, November 17, 2019

Off The Grid by John Hunt

Graham Richards was shopping with his family at an outlet mall when an active shooter began indiscriminately murdering people with a rifle. Graham was shot in the face and when he woke up in the hospital, his family was dead. And now, all he wants is to be left alone. Living out in the woods, growing his own food, and using solar power for his energy needs, he hopes to live the rest of his life in obscurity. But when a little girl goes missing in the nearby town, the strange, scarred man in the lonely cabin is the first suspect and Graham finds himself being pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind.



This story begins like any ordinary day in America, which unfortunately means a mass shooting at a shopping mall. From there the twists are anything but typical after shooting survivor Graham, becomes a suspect in the disappearance of a child. Graham has been living off the grid ever since recovering from his injuries, and his loner status along with living out in the woods as far from prying eyes as possible causes some suspicion. Graham has reasons for wanting solitude. Aside from the emotional trauma of losing his family, and the physical deformity, there is the pain of his injuries, and a deeper darker pain. The shooting didn't just rob him of his family, it also left something behind. Graham is changed in inexplicable ways and Detective Jodie Reyes is determined to get to the truth.
This was a fast paced, action packed, twisty thriller.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Pineys by Tony DiGerolamo

From the creator of the Jersey Devil comic book comes a story about four cousins cursed by their ancestors, brought together by destiny and trying to keep South Jersey from going to Hell.

In 1732, Mother Leeds gave birth to the infamous Jersey Devil, which has roamed the Pine Barrens ever since.

Or so the story goes…

The truth is, Mother Leeds was a witch and opened the portals to Hell unleashing hundreds of devils into woods. But the villagers next door in Abe’s Hat noticed and formed a secret hunting society to track down the fiends and send them back to the Abyss. Their descendants continue the Hunt in secret to this day.

So grab your pork roll, put on your Piney Power hat and join the hunt, because the Galloway cousins are coming to save you whether you like it or not.


If only Lewis hadn't stopped to look for a gas station.. what an escapade he would have missed! The village is over run with shape shifting devil spawn who can take on the appearance of those they bite.This is a darkly comedic/horror adventure featuring undead stripper ghouls, the corpse of a witch, and a visit to hell. It was a quick read with lots of action. Though not my usual type of read I found it quite entertaining.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
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About the author
Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. He has written the screenplays including Mafioso: The Father, The Son starring Leo Rossi.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Poor and the Haunted by Dustin McKissen

As a child Jimmy Lansford and his sister Kelly suffered crushing poverty, their father’s unexplained and frightening suicide, and their mother’s constant abuse and cruelty. Having grown to be a successful adult, Jimmy must contend with the sudden re-emergence of memories from his childhood in Oklahoma and unexplainable events occurring inside his own home. Is it more than memories that haunt Jimmy? Did his parents suffer from mental illness and addiction, or were they possessed by something even worse—and has that presence arrived to take Jimmy?
The first horror novel from acclaimed author and journalist Dustin McKissen explores the nature of hauntings, the ghosts from our past that haunt our present, and the unbreakable bond between siblings who learn early on they can only rely on each other.
Well...
This was not an altogether bad book, but it is misleading to call it a horror novel. It isn't. It is the story of a man who was raised in an abusive and neglectful home by drug addled parents living in a poverty of their own making. It is a story of strength and love, it is a story of how this man escaped these awful circumstances, attended college and built a life for himself. It is a story of stopping the cycle of abuse, raising his own children with his wife and making a real family. It is also the story of how his upbringing still haunts him. But even throwing a ghost in the mix does not make this a horror novel.
3 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.
About the author
Dustin McKissen is an award-winning journalist, author, novelist, and short story writer. "The Poor and The Haunted" is his first horror novel. He lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and three children.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Raven Lane by Amber Cowie

The truth can bring out the worst in the best of friends.

Esme and Benedict Werner have an idyllic life in a tight-knit community until an accident in their cul-de-sac ends in the tragic sudden death of one of their dearest neighbors. After vindicating eyewitness accounts morph into contradictory memories, suspicion, and unaccountable accusations, Benedict is arrested. Esme’s life, too, is changed forever.

As the neighborhood largely turns against her and her family, Esme has time to think about her past and what to do next. Then her fellow residents start looking deeper, questioning one another, and themselves, about hidden lies and betrayals.

Esme has more than her share of secrets. And the consequences of what happened on that fateful late-summer evening on Raven Lane are far from over. When the mask of civility slips, can friends and neighbors recover from seeing the monstrous truths beneath?



Drugs, family dysfunction, and sexcapades of the semi wealthy and formerly famous play a big role in this domestic drama. I had high hopes for this one and while it started out well enough the pace was rather slow and the story dragged out longer than necessary. I would have enjoyed it more if any of the main characters had been likable. Perhaps others may enjoy it more than I did, I didn't really feel invested in the outcome.

I received an advance copy for review.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons

This book's title comes from the reality that - like a moth to the flame - we're all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever.

What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?
If you dare, why not find out?

Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book - but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares...



I'm afraid this book did not quite live up to my expectations. As an avid horror reader, if you promise me nightmares I'm expecting something far scarier.
While I did enjoy a couple of these stories, for the most part I found them more disturbing than frightening and more draggy than dramatic. The thing about short stories is that you have limited time to engage the reader before the ending. Only a couple of these stories hooked me right away. Others may enjoy this more than I did, but I found myself wanting to skim or skip ahead in search of a scare that never really materialized.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Hearthstone Cottage by Frazer Lee

Mike Carter and his girlfriend Helen, along with their friends Alex and Kay, travel to a remote loch side cottage for a post-graduation holiday. But their celebrations are short-lived when they hit and kill a stag on the road. Alex's sister Meggie awaits them in the cottage, adding to the tension when her dog, Oscar, goes missing. Mike becomes haunted by a disturbing presence in the cottage, and is hunted by threatening figures in the highland fog. Reeling from a shock revelation, Mike begins to lose his grip on his sanity. As the dark secrets of the past conspire to destroy the bonds of friendship, Mike must uncover the terrifying truth dwelling within the walls of Hearthstone Cottage.



Two couples head off for a celebratory post graduation stay at Hearthstone cottage. Their vacation  starts off with a bang when they have a car accident near their destination, totaling their car and leaving them without means of escape should there be any spooky happenings, and there will be!  There is something very wrong with this cottage and with the village itself.
After that  literally smashing beginning the pace did slow down quite a bit, but rapidly accelerated at about the halfway point when Mike explores the village on his own after his girlfriend is gone for an unusually long time in a borrowed car. It was at this point that the spooky atmosphere really kicked into overdrive.

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author
Frazer Lee’s debut novel, The Lamplighters was a Bram Stoker Award® Finalist for ‘Superior Achievement in a First Novel’. His other works include 'The Jack in the Green', 'The Skintaker' and the 'Daniel Gates Adventures' series.

One of Frazer’s early short stories received a Geoffrey Ashe Prize from the Library of Avalon, Glastonbury. His short fiction has since appeared in numerous anthologies including the acclaimed ‘Read By Dawn’ series.

Also a screenwriter and filmmaker, Frazer’s movie credits include the award-winning short horror films ‘On Edge’, ‘Red Lines’, ‘Simone’, 'The Stay', and the critically acclaimed horror/thriller feature (and Amazon #1 movie novelization) ‘Panic Button’.

Frazer lectures in Creative Writing and Screenwriting at Brunel University London and Birkbeck, University of London. He resides with his family in leafy Buckinghamshire, England just across the cemetery from the actual Hammer House of Horror.

Connect with Frazer:
Official website: www.frazerlee.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorFrazerLee
Twitter: www.twitter.com/frazer_lee

Friday, November 1, 2019

Those Who Came Before BY J.H. Moncrieff

People are dying at Strong Lake, and the worst is yet to come.

An idyllic weekend camping trip is cut short when Reese Wallace’s friends are brutally murdered. As the group’s only survivor, Reese is the prime suspect, and his story doesn’t make much sense. A disembodied voice warning him to leave the campground the night before? A strange, blackened tree that gave him an electric shock when he cut it down for firewood?

Detective Greyeyes isn’t having any of it―until she hears the voice herself and finds an arrowhead at the crime scene―an arrowhead she can’t get rid of. Troubling visions of a doomed Native American tribe who once called the campground home, and rumors of cursed land and a mythical beast plague the strangest murder case she’s ever been a part of.


Two couples prepare to spend the weekend in a cursed campground. Only one young man survives the slaughter that first night.
The events that follow reveal the mystery of what happened to the first Native Americans who disappeared from this land so many years ago. The author does a brilliant job of weaving together a story of historical fiction, Native American folklore and supernatural horror with a dark and ominous atmosphere. We would all do well to remember those who came before.
5 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review.


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About the author
J.H. Moncrieff's City of Ghosts won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.

Her work has been described by reviewers as early Gillian Flynn with a little Ray Bradbury and Stephen King thrown in for good measure.

She won Harlequin's search for “the next Gillian Flynn” in 2016. Her first published novella, The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave, was featured in Samhain’s Childhood Fears collection and stayed on its horror bestsellers list for over a year.

When not writing, she loves exploring the world's most haunted places, advocating for animal rights, and summoning her inner ninja in muay thai class.

To get free ebooks and a new spooky story every week, go to http://bit.ly/MoncrieffLibrary.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Axe & Grindstone by Paul Phipps-Williams

 
Ladies and Gentlemen, last orders please.
Seriously, this could be your last ever order…

Have you ever fancied running a pub?
What about two pubs?
And what if they were in different dimensions?

Enter Mark Adams who is in serious need of a pint.

Now the fabled landlord of Peacebattle, he’s the only person who can stop the world from screaming for the rest of time.

But why chose a loser to save the world? What is the truth at the heart of the Binding Brothers’ dark religion and the monsters who thrive in its heart? And will Mark survive long enough to remember the most important advice of his entire career:

Don’t scream.
Whatever you do.
Don’t scream.




"And we keep on running. On and on and on. Around every corner and across every single bloody cobble in Dogwood Falls. Arnold's got me tossed over his shoulder, and all I can see is what we're running away from. They're coming."

Mark Adams, recently unemployed is offered a fresh start and a new job, managing a bar in the middle of nowhere. Of course there have been a few minor details about the bar kept from him, for example that it hides the doorway to another dimension where strange beings are expecting him to save the world.
Sharp wit, dark humor, and mystical beings made this story a page turner.

I received an advance copy for review.
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Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Desire Card by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Any wish fulfilled for the right price. That's the promise the organization behind The Desire Card gives to its elite clients - but sometimes the price may be more menacing than anyone could ever imagine. Harrison Stockton has lived an adult life of privilege and excess: a high-powered job on Wall Street fuels his fondness for alcohol and pills at the expense of a family he has no time for. Quite suddenly all of this comes crashing to a halt when he loses his job and at the same time discovers he almost certainly has only months left to live. Desperate, and with seemingly nowhere else left to turn, Harrison activates his Desire Card. What follows is a gritty and gripping quest that takes him from New York City to the slums of Mumbai and forces him to take chances, and make decisions, he never thought he'd ever have to face. When his moral descent threatens his wife and children, Harrison must decide whether to save himself at any cost, or do what's right and break his bargain with the mysterious group behind The Desire Card.

The Desire Card is a taut fast-paced thriller, from internationally acclaimed author Lee Matthew Goldberg, that explores what a man will do to survive when money isn't always enough to get everything he desires.


Harrison's life is falling apart. Faced with a crumbling marriage, a failing liver, and loss of his job, he makes a choice that will effect not just the rest of his life but put others in danger as well.
With his wife too wrapped up in her activities, and his kids grown accustomed to his frequent absences none of them notice how seriously ill he has become, and he chooses not to share his diagnosis. Normally I'd have had some sympathy for such a character but Harrison was such an unlikable and weak willed person it was hard to muster up much concern for his well being. However, the events that unfolded after he received his "Desire card" as part of his severance were intriguing  enough to keep me glued to these pages through the surprising reveal at the end. Regardless of my feelings for Harrison the author did a great job of conveying his sheer heart pounding terror and desperation.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels SLOW DOWN, THE MENTOR, and THE DESIRE CARD. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. PREY NO MORE, the second book in The Desire Card series, is forthcoming. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series (guerrillalit.wordpress.com). He lives in New York City. Follow him at leematthewgoldberg.com and @LeeMatthewG

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer

Sylvia Bernstein doesn't want to end up on a dead-end path like a former journalism colleague. She begins searching the tabloid's archives for a story that can get her career back on track. A strange bridge, with an abnormally high rate of suicides, seems like the perfect place to start. She journeys to the little town, eager to investigate, but encounters a tale far more sinister than she ever expected...


This is a quick read that features a spooky little town with an unusual bridge that seems to attract suicides. A reporter in need of a rousing story attempts to get the scoop but none of the townspeople are willing to speak openly about it.
Not to be deterred, even when she experiences first hand what happens at dusk, she may come to regret her pursuit of the truth.
 I would have liked to see the back story fleshed out a little more, because there was a very clever and creative idea behind it all.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
Calvin Demmer is the author of The Sea Was a Fair Master and The Town That Feared Dusk. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Slash by Hunter Shea

Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith.

With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected.




We already know from the book description that Poor Ashley King was the only one to survive the first killing spree, though she lost all of her friends and most of the memories of that awful night. For 5 years she tried to live a normal life though all the "final girl" fans didn't make it easy for her. When she learns the abandoned resort where her friends had been brutally murdered is about to be demolished it triggers memories that make her take her own life. Devastated and outraged, her fiancée taunts the killer and heads out to the resort to lie in wait, hoping to lure him out and finish him off. I was hooked on this story from the start, but by the time I was halfway through it was like a breathless race to make it to the finish and see who (if anyone) survived.
Highly recommended for all horror fans and contrary to the title it is not your typical slasher story.
5 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review.


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About the author
Hunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.

A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.

Friday, October 18, 2019

What's Wrong with the Baby? by Vincent Courtney





THE FEAR IS GROWING  
From the moment he saw the ancient castle rising out of the picturesque Scottish countryside, filmmaker Dan Martin knew he'd found the ideal location for his vampire horror movie. And nothing could make him leave. Not the eerie legends of soul-stealing beasts of the night…nor a bizarre series of freak accidents. Not even his pregnant wife's tragic miscarriage.

THE TERROR IS BORN  
Except that now there is another fetus growing in Vicki's womb. But little Darian is not going to be a normal baby. The Martins' adopted ten-year-old son Marty will soon find that out. In fact, Marty will soon know exactly what his new brother really is.


I can't resist a creepy baby story. There is something so terrifying about the thought of a baby being able to do more than it should. A baby barely old enough to crawl, knowing more than it should know, dancing a jig when it shouldn't be able to walk yet, scurrying along with evil intent when nobody else is looking. I've just given myself chills and so did this book! One man knows the truth about what this baby really is, but nobody believes him until it's too late. A young boy knows something is wrong with his new baby brother but he doesn't know how to stop it. Refusing to believe, will have deadly consequences in this chilling read from Grinning Skull Press.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Last Book You'll Ever Read by Scott Hughes

A mysterious book on your doorstep, a man trying to outrun an otherworldly horror, an elderly woman who creates strange concrete creatures, a computer that isn't what it seems, an enigmatic nothingness closing in on someone's house...
The Last Book You'll Ever Read is a collection of five macabre tales that you won't soon forget.






Scott Hughes invites us along for five ominous adventures and spooky good times. Roll down a "Dark Highway" with a murderer, watch what happens when a repo man pays a visit to "Evelelyn's Counrty Depot," and learn the real cost of a free computer from the good folks at "eHhaurio, Inc."
Say good-bye to your troubles (and everything else) as The Color of Nothing" creeps into your home, and finally accept your fate as you become part of The Last Book You'll Ever Read"
I enjoyed these clever and curious tales.
I received a complimentary copy for review.



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About the author
Scott Hughes is a Georgia writer who graduated from Mercer University and then received an MFA in creative writing from Georgia College & State University.

His fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in such publications as Crazyhorse, One Sentence Poems, Entropy, Deep Magic, Carbon Culture Review, Redivider, Redheaded Stepchild, PopMatters, Strange Horizons, Odd Tales of Wonder, and Compaso: Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology.

His collection of horror short stories, The Last Book You’ll Ever Read , is available from Sinister Stoat Press, an imprint of Weasel Press.

He is the Division Head of English at Central Georgia Technical College and is currently finishing a young adult novel, Red Twin. He lives in Macon, Georgia, with his two dogs Bacon and Pip. His poetry collection, The Universe You Swallowed Whole, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2020.

For more information, visit https://www.writescott.com

Friday, October 11, 2019

Midnight in the Graveyard Edited by Kenneth W.Cain

Midnight. Some call it the witching hour. Others call it the devil’s hour. Here in the graveyard, midnight is a very special time. It is a time when ghostly spirits are at their strongest, when the veil between our world and theirs is at its thinnest. Legend has it, that while most of the world is asleep, the lack of prayers allow the spirits to communicate under the cover of darkness, among the headstones, their whispers rustling in the leaves of the old oak trees. But if you’re here in the graveyard, you can tell yourself it’s just the wind, that the moonlight is playing tricks on your eyes, that it's only the swirling mist you see. But when you hear the graveyard gate clang shut, the dead have something to say. Here are their stories…


This book contains stories by some of my favorite authors but they know who they are and so do you. For that reason I'm not going to talk about them (this time)
 From the first story "Devil's Dip" by new (to me) author Shannon Felton I felt like this anthology was going to be something special. By the time I got to "The Glimmer Girls" by Kenneth McKinley I knew I was right. I loved that this story was based on the real life Radium Girls! A symphony of macabre tales are perfectly arranged in this delightfully dark anthology. I have now been introduced to several voices in horror that I may not have discovered if not for this book. If you are looking for something spooky to read this Halloween season I highly recommend you grab a copy now.

I received an advance copy for review.


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Kenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.

Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children

Friday, October 4, 2019

Dreams Of Lake Drukka & Exhumation by Mike Thorn

"Dreams of Lake Drukka" and "Exhumation" explore the unearthing of horrific, long-buried family secrets. Journeying into the darkest recesses of the past, these stories depict the dire consequences of discovering the truth.

Writing about this duology, author Mike Thorn says: “It was only in retrospect that I could see the connections between these two stories. When I revisited them for publication, it struck me that they work well as companion pieces. Both plots depict unfulfilled pacts with supernatural undercurrents, both include journeys to uncover unresolved familial trauma, and both pivot around the revelation of repressed memories. I wanted to explore the relationship between setting and atmosphere in these pieces, and to depict horror within internal and physical ‘sites of trauma.’ The characters are grappling with painful memories / experiences that have held them back, consciously or unconsciously. One story focuses on a character who is the agent of her own revelations, whereas the other story sees someone whose agency is quickly and brutally taken away.”

(Cover by Adrian Baldwin)


These two freaky stories share a theme of unusual death and estranged families.
In Dreams of Lake Drukka, a daughter is alienated from her father after her mother's death. She and her reluctant sister take a road trip and discover a dangerous truth. In Exhumation, a man arrives at his cousin's funeral to find something otherworldly waiting to welcome him home. Both stories had a fun creature feature kind of vibe and were quick and creepy reads.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
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About the author
Mike Thorn is the author of Darkest Hours and Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation. His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies and podcasts, including Dark Moon Digest, The NoSleep Podcast, Turn to Ash and Tales to Terrify. His film criticism has been published in MUBI Notebook, The Film Stage, The Seventh Row, Bright Lights Film Journal and Vague Visages. He completed his M.A. with a major in English literature at the University of Calgary, where he wrote a thesis on epistemophobia in John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.
 
 
At it's heart this is an epic tale of good versus evil.
"Make me hit a deer"
Something lies dormant in Mills Grove until Christopher and his mother arrive. Years ago, a terrified child went missing from his own home. Nobody believed him that the monsters were real. Now Christopher has gone missing too, but he is returned.. changed...seeing more...knowing more... wise beyond his years and paying the price for his new abilities.

"We'll all die on Christmas day!"
 
As Christopher becomes more aware of what's happening, something insidious is also aware of Christopher and it's infecting the town with evil. I loved the spooky atmosphere in this book, the way the characters were fleshed out and brought to life. I even at certain points had sympathy for the bullies.
4 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review.
 
 
 
About the author
Stephen Chbosky grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program. His first film, The Four Corners of Nowhere, premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win Best Narrative Feature honors at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.

He is the recipient of the Abraham Polonsky Screenwriting Award for his screenplay Everything Divided as well as a participant in the Sundance Institute's filmmakers' lab for his current project, Fingernails and Smooth Skin. Chbosky lives in New York.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Legend of Decimus Croome: A Halloween Carol by Kevin Purdy

Decimus Croome is a dastardly curmudgeon who hates all holidays but especially despises Halloween. He is content to live in his gloomy old house and avoid all human contact whenever possible. He even shuns his own daughter and grandson. But Croome's life changes one memorable Halloween when four ghastly spirits visit him to reveal the misery he has inflicted upon his friends, neighbors and family members.

Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Legend of Decimus Croome is bound to become a Halloween classic for readers of all ages. Follow old man Croome as he is visited by the lovely but disturbing spirit of his dearly departed wife. She warns him of three spirits yet to follow. And oh what spirits they are. Each one is more frightening than the last as they deliver a chilling message for Croome and his fellow Halloween humbugs.

The Ghost of Halloween Past is a truly horrifying yet disturbingly hilarious spirit who delivers Croome to his distant and not-so-distant past. Along the journey, Croome is warmed with nostalgia then terrified by painful memories from Halloweens gone by.

The second spirit is a shape-shifting witch who breaks every stereotype about witches while nearly driving Croome insane with her wild antics and slapstick delivery. As the Ghost of Halloween Present, she takes Croome on a crazy magic carpet ride that reveals his negative influence on those closest to him. The witch also introduces Croome to the magic of Halloween on enchanted visits further afield.

The third phantasm delivers the final glimpse of Croome's diabolically repulsive life and the future that is in store for him if he doesn't change his wicked ways. Croome is forced to confront the impending consequences of his cruel and heartless lifestyle. He is spirited away to a bleak future including a terrifying visit to a desolate cemetery.

Throughout this delightful and spooky Halloween novel, you will be haunted by ghosts, inspired by a brave young leukemia patient and entertained by a precocious feline named Black Magic.

Join Tommy Bobbich, Decimus Croome and a whole cast of ghosts, witches and ghouls in this modern day holiday story that is sure to provide you with chills, laughs and even a few touching moments as you read The Legend of Decimus Croome: a Halloween Carol. You will never look at Halloween the same again.


At the time of this review this book is currently #303 in Children's Spine-Chilling Horror in the Amazon rankings and while it is a little less than I had hoped for as far as chills and thrills I think it is appropriately spooky for middle grades. Decimus Croome  is a crotchety old man, though not nearly as cold hearted as scrooge since he does have some small glimmer of affection towards his grandson even before the spirits come calling on him. I did enjoy this twist on A Christmas Carol but I can't say that it is the masterpiece that Dickens wrote. As a mom I would say it is at a reading level for grades 5 and up.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

About the author
Kevin Purdy is the undisputed master of Halloween fiction, and he has definitely taken it to a whole new level with his latest Halloween masterpiece "The Legend of Decimus Croome: A Halloween Carol." This classic Halloween novel is available in paperback, e-book and on Audible. No matter what your age, "A Halloween Carol" will fill you with nostalgia and joy for a Halloween world that reins supreme among all the holidays as a time of tricks, treats, autumn splendor and hilarious spookiness. "The Legend of Decimus Croome" has made it to the very top of numerous Goodreads lists including the best "Spooky, Shivery, Silly" list.

Kevin Purdy grew up in the small logging community of Libby, Montana near the Canada/Idaho borders. Since then he has lived in Oregon and now resides in Colorado. He is the owner of PurdyBooks Publishing Company and has a Master's Degree in Reading Instruction. He was a middle school teacher for over twenty years and now writes full time. He especially enjoys writing family-friendly stories about Halloween with a special obsession for ghosts. His books are suitable for all age groups and make great read-alouds for youngsters.

His latest novel is "The Legend of Decimus Croome: A Halloween Carol" and is based on "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. You will recognize some similarities to the 19th century classic, but you will love all the differences. It is set in America in modern times and, of course, is based on Halloween hauntings instead of Christmas ghosts. It just makes sense. Ghosts are for Halloween. Santa Claus is for Christmas. (-:

"The Legend of Decimus Croome" has been used extensively by teachers of grades 4 through 10 as both a Halloween reading celebration and in a comparative literature unit with "A Christmas Carol." The younger students love the playful language and hilarious Halloween characters. Older students will enjoy comparing the writing styles of Kevin Purdy and Charles Dickens.

Once you read the book, you may want to visit the iPetitions website and sign the petition to make The Legend of Decimus Croome a movie and graphic novel. You may also want to visit PurdyBooks.com or the PurdyBooks Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter sites for book quotes and author updates.


Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Beneath the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel—Flowers in the Attic—debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution.

Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother.

Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed?

Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller.
  

Corrine was a narcissistic, materialistic girl who fancied herself a woman of the world and learned the hard way that she was a gullible fool.  "It was simply my destiny to draw the admiration and desire, most assuredly the lust of every man who stepped within the radius of my beauty. I had the power, the glow. To pretend I could stop it or even moderate it was as silly as pretending I could prevent the sun from rising"
A bit over the top with her delusions of grandeur? Yes. Do I think this is the Corrine the real V.C. Andrews would have written about? most likely not. Quite honestly I was in the mood for something mindless and trashy that wouldn't take long to read and that I didn't have to give a whole lot of thought to and this fit the bill.


I received a complimentary copy for review.
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Books since her death are ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Lesath by A.M. Kherbash

Locked in his dark cell, Greg lay awake in bed, fidgeting with the small cassette recorder, pressing the rewind and stop buttons to listen to the heavy click and spring-loaded clank that initiated and punctuated the faint whirring mechanics. He knew well enough no one was going to come looking for him―not while he was in between jobs, living in a four-door pickup truck, and had traveled to an undisclosed location without telling anyone.

What brought him here were rumors of an abandoned building that was said to be part of a black site―rumors that were circulated amongst truckers and drifters: some exaggerated the sinister aspect of the place, detailing with morbid relish the methods of enhanced interrogation that were being developed or deployed there, while others assumed the contrarian position and downplayed the horrors, if not downright dismissed the whole story as hyperbole.
Questionable as the lead was, the story seemed too good for an amateur journalist like Greg to pass up. All the same, he did not expect there would be some truth to those rumors, that the building is not quite derelict as he had imagined. And that, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, he was now incarcerated there as an inmate.

Greg stopped the rewinding mechanism when he detected rustling and soft thumps coming through the ceiling vent―or thought he did, since the quirky nature of unidentified noise is that it usually ceases whenever one stops to listen. Like a living body, no running building is without its small, unaccountable bumps and muffled clanks; yet even if they’re mostly benign noise, at night, they’re magnified by the ever-present hush, and their unfamiliarity never fails to inflame the imagination of the sleepless newcomer.

LESATH is a psychological horror that pays tribute to gothic fiction.


This was a convoluted story that was not really what I was expecting or hoping for from the description. It felt like less of a horror and more of a sci-fi thriller which is really not my thing. It started out well enough and there is lots of action but the longer it went on the less I enjoyed it. The ending left me with more questions than answers. As a horror lover I certainly don't need every little detail to make sense but I do at least need to know what is going on and why. It also helps if I care what is going on or why.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Third Corona Book of Horror Stories edited by Lewis Williams

In response to our worldwide call, we received a total of 824 horror short story submissions for this book – adding up to a staggering total of over three million words. But we read them all, selecting only the best of the best stories to include in this book. That is why when we say this book is something special, we mean it – and that when we say it contains the best in new horror short stories, that is no hyperbole.

We love horror, and the stories included in this book prove that it’s a genre where great imagination and great writing are more than possible. From the opening story “Suds and Monsters”, which might put you off washing dishes for good, to the closing story “Scythe”, which brings the proceedings to a short sharp close, each contribution will bring new horrors to unsettle you.

We can guarantee you will find brilliant new horror writing here, but what you won’t find is a collection full of those who have star names (yet). We’re proud to include here both a story from at least one author who has sold books in the millions and a story from at least one author whose work has never been published before. We’ve simply included the very, very best of the stories, without fear or favour, to bring you the very best modern horror anthology possible.


Within these pages, you will find ghostly apparitions, sinister secrets, grisly murders, gruesome hobbies, and debilitating loss. All of the authors are new to me, and although every story may not have been my cup of tea, each brings something unique to the table.
This was an eclectic mix of tales that ranged from dark humor, to the more heart pounding horror and everything in between. My favorites in this anthology were "Suds and Monsters" by Christopher Stanley which is a timeless darkly comedic tale of hapless stepchild and spiteful stepmother. "The Haunting of April Heights" by Tricia Lowther is a more straight forward horror complete with bumps in the night after a young woman moves into a gloomy apartment with a somber past. "Murderabilia" by Adam Meyer is a slow decent into ghoulish obsession as a collector loses control of his hobby. "The First Circle" by Sue Eaton is creepy fun from start to finish and as someone who watches a lot of old TV the first thing I thought of was an episode of the old Dick Van Dyke Show titled It May Look Like A Walnut and I am sure a lot of you young people are scratching your head wondering what I am talking about but seriously look it up, it's free on YouTube. "Luna Too" by Jess Doyle finds a happy family on holiday who discover more than they expected inside their vacation rental.
"A Little Death" by Ryan Harville is both heart breaking and horrifying. I didn't think anything could be worse for a young man than to lose his wife and baby in the same day. I was wrong.
"Lily's Kids" by Florence Ann Marlowe begins innocently enough as young Jimmy Wades and his little sister Katie make the acquaintance of some unusual children... but this is a meeting they will soon regret.
These for me were the 5 star reads in this anthology.
I received an advance copy for review.
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For more info visit http://www.lewiswilliams.com/home/4594649518