Kinderlieb by Luisa Colón

Every child deserves to be protected, to have a safe space in the world. And a summer camp in upstate New York called Kindlerlieb promised to be just that: a haven for troubled children.

Instead, eight little campers vanished from Kinderlieb in the summer of 1951, leaving behind unspeakable bloodshed, the stunned, grieving community of Leichen County, and something else—a ruthless manifestation of vengeance that's been sleeping fitfully ever since, a protector simmering with rage and ready to awaken when it is needed.

Decades later, when a makeshift family arrives in Leichen County for a weekend getaway, it's time for the protector to rise again—to give love and care to a little girl in need, and a savage comeuppance to the adults in equal measure.

In the third novel by author Luisa Colón, trauma and rage take the unexpected, massive form of something furry, cuddly, and ready to kill.

 

In the summer of 1951, eight children deemed "troubled" were sent to Camp Kindelieb to rid them of behaviors their parents considered unacceptable. They never returned home, and their bodies were not found among the massacred adults.

In the present day, Gage, his girlfriend Andie, and his daughter Lillith arrive in Leichen County for their first "family" getaway. What is expected to be a peaceful weekend in the scenic, woodsy countryside soon yields way to the reveal of dark secrets and manipulative intentions.

Unimaginable cruelty and the supernatural collide in this twisty horror tale that tricked me from the start. I thought this was going to be about evil, creepy children (and I was fine with that), but it is so much more. I alternated between racing through the pages and forcing myself to put it down because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want it to be over. When I did reach the conclusion, I found myself nodding in approval at the satisfying end.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the e-ARC.

Get a copy

About the author

Descension by Edmund Stone

Something is buried beneath Salt Flat.

When Cole Masters moves his family into an aging house on the edge of town, the worst he expects is creaking pipes and sleepless nights. But the sounds in the walls aren't settling noises—and the darkness under the floor isn't empty.

Miles away, a mining operation shuts down without warning. New owners arrive. Strange cargo is delivered deep below the earth. Then the workers start disappearing.

At first, the two worlds don't connect. A restless child. A cut finger. A vent that won't stay closed. Small things. Easy to ignore. Until they aren't.

As Cole digs deeper—into the town, the mine, and the people who run both—he uncovers something far older than Salt Flat. Something broken. Something scattered. Something that has waited a long time to be made whole again. And it's not staying buried.

Now, with his family caught in the middle and the town unraveling around him, Cole is forced to confront a truth no one else is willing to see:

The danger isn't what lies beneath. It's what's coming up. Descension is a relentless supernatural horror novel about what happens when the ground gives way—and something begins to rise from the dark.

I want to call this small-town horror, but Salt Flat has much more going on than your typical down home folksy characters fending off an unknown evil. When Cole Masters, former small town football star turned wannabe writer, turned cop, moves his family into the creaky old house on the edge of town, don't think those noises in the vent are rodents. And if you say, AHA! it's a ghost! You are way off too. (Although you will meet some ghosts in this novel.)

What is it in that vent? Well, honestly, I am not sure, but it's connected to the mine, which has suddenly been closed by the russian mafia, who you might think have something to do with the deal between the Mexican cartel and the hillbilly drug dealers. Am I giving away too much of the plot? I don't think so because you'll barely be a few pages in when it gets even crazier than this.

There are a lot of characters, but there was no worry of confusing who was who because they were very distinctive and impossible to mix up. Descension is an insane wild ride with nearly nonstop action and suspense and several heart in your throat moments. This was my first read by Edmund Stone, but I feel compelled to read Tent Revival now.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing/Sinister Smile Press for the e-ARC.

Get a copy

Sundowning - A short film

Left alone overnight with her estranged grandmother in rural Scotland, a perceptive nine-year-old girl begins to see dementia transform the woman she loves into something terrifyingly unfamiliar. 

I was invited to watch an early screener of Sundowning, a short horror film that unfolds through the eyes of a child, and her understanding of what is happening to her grandmother.

Claire (played by Betty Pirie) is a 9 year old girl who shows obvious discomfort at being left with her grandmother for an overnight stay while her mom is forced to work a night shift. There is something just a bit off about Grandma during the day, but as night falls and Claire follows her into the woods, it becomes apparent that something is seriously wrong. Maria MacDonell gives a convincing performance with very little dialogue needed to convey that she is not up to babysitting. Sarah McCardie plays Maggie, the harried mom who seems to know that this remote trailer is not the best place for Claire to spend the night, but has no other option.

This film is beautifully shot from the opening frame, which sets the tone for the uneasy atmosphere, to the final scene that stirs a mix of emotion with a touch of dread for Claire's future, which is mainly left to the viewers' imagination.

View the trailer

IG: sundowningshort2026

Producer - Serena Gardner

Writer/Director - Aimie Willemse

Cast

Betty Pirie

Maria MacDonell

Sarah McCardie

She Isn't Herself Tonight by Hailey Piper

 When Rabbit was ten years old, she was abducted by aliens. Then, it happened again when she was twenty. Now thirty, she’s ready for their next visit. What she isn’t prepared for is her boyfriend callously ending their long-term relationship and ejecting her from their shared home.

As her birthday approaches, the aliens still haven’t arrived. Rabbit descends into a spiral of growing paranoia and bizarre bodily transformations, until soon it seems that even her reflection has a mind of its own. With her only refuge being the chaos of strangers who might not have her best interests at heart, Rabbit worries that her ex’s abandonment not only severed her from his life, but also from her own. Struggling to orient herself within a world growing more topsy-turvy by the day, Rabbit must regain control before her aliens at last return.

Brittany, who prefers to be known as Rabbit, the nickname she was taunted with as a child, has been dumped by her boyfriend and put out of her home. Friendless and alone, she rents a room from a couple she barely knows.

In between stalking her ex and watching him walk the dog that she used to think of as hers, she waits with increasing anxiety for the aliens to come and take her. The anxiety is not fear that they will come; it is fear that they no longer want her. They came for her when she was 10 years old, and again when she was 20. It's nearly her 31st birthday, and she is still waiting. Have they abandoned her too? Rabbit feels no acceptance from anyone, including herself. Even her own reflection in the mirror hates her.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. This was my first read by Hailey Piper. Are they all this surreal and poignant? This is a story of trauma, body horror, and a desperation for love in a time of profound loneliness. I flew through this mind-blowing, genre-bending read with a mix of dread and hope for how it would end for Rabbit. 

My thanks to S&S/Saga Press for the e-ARC

Get a copy

About the author