Eight Cylinders by Jason Parent

 

Sebastian “Seb” McAlister has run out of luck in Vegas. Cornered by a trigger-happy gang and shot through the stomach, he makes a desperate escape in his supercharged Hellcat. Fate guides Seb safely out of Sin City and into the desert, but as his wheels fade into the horizon, he fades into darkness.

He awakes among a tiny community in the middle of nowhere. A mountain range circles the hodgepodge of shacks like prison walls looming high. And the warden that resides in those mountains is big, ugly, and deadly—a creature straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.

If Seb hopes to escape that wayward way station, he’ll need enough cunning to outwit a force beyond comprehension… and a fast car. With a little luck and a ragtag group of would-be monster mashers racing alongside him, Seb just might have a shot of making it through the mountains alive. 

When our main character Seb flees for his life from a shoot out he finds himself trapped with a rag tag bunch of survivors in the blazing heat of a strange community, from which there is no escape. He can't remember how he got there but he is determined to get back out. Is this hell? Is it purgatory?

While not my usual type of read, I have previously enjoyed several titles by Jason Parent, and decided to have a go at this one. It feels like an action packed Sci-Fi thriller but there are elements of horror too. Dead people don't necessarily stay that way and a multi tentacled creature that oozes an acid like substance make for a creepy time. While Seb is not exactly a good person I was rooting for his success, with Tracy Chapman stuck in my head "You got a fast car I got a plan to get us out of here"

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

 

An unconventional vicar moves to a remote corner of the English countryside, only to discover a community haunted by death and disappearances both past and present--and intent on keeping its dark secrets--in this explosive, unsettling thriller from acclaimed author C. J. Tudor.

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself.

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known."

The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village's bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider.

"Why do we hate our girls so much that history echoes with their screams and the earth is pitted with their unmarked graves?"

Jack Brooks does not so much get offered a new position as have it foisted upon her. She is to be the new interim vicar in a remote village, but she does try to make the best of things since an incident in her past is making life difficult for her and her daughter to remain where they are anyway. Perhaps the fresh start will do them both good. It's not long until their fresh start begins to sour, and it is not only due to the strange superstitions and mysterious apparitions. 

The chapel is in rough shape and their cottage leaves a lot to be desired. The townspeople are weird and Jack's daughter is the target of  bullies. 

Part thriller, part murder mystery, C.J. Tudor's latest work held me captive from first page to last. Quirky characters and unexpected twists kept me reading long past my bed time.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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Beware! R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories

 

R.L. Stine has gathered a selection of all things scary, and even added two new tales of his own! Short stories, fables old and new, comics, and poems. It′s a spine-tingling collection of work by dozens of writers and artists who are famous for hair-raising fun.

Discover a ghastly secret in a retelling of the classic story "The Judge′s House," by Bram Stoker. Peek into a Christmas stocking that holds a shocking surprise in a Vault of Horror comic, "A Sock for Christmas." Meet an ice-cream man who will chill your blood in "Mister Ice Cold" by Gahan Wilson.

But first, visit an evil carnival in "The Black Ferris," by Ray Bradbury. R.L. Stine says that this story changed his life! Be sure to read all the introductions—because R.L. reveals why he picked these stories just for you, and why he finds them the creepiest ... the funniest ... the scariest! BEWARE!

I had actually bought this book for my son back when he was in middle school and it wasn't until years later when he was grown and packing up to go out on his own that I decided to read it before he took it away. I have always loved horror anthologies so some of these stories were familiar to me, I had previously read Bram Stoker and Ray Bradbury. The 2 stories by R.L. Stine were new to me,. I really enjoyed them and also the personal touch he added with the notes on why he chose each story. These are not just for kids, anyone who loves a good spooky story can enjoy these at any age.

4 out of 5 stars

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The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

 

A tale of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

I loved the first half of this book, and the theme of revenge.

Years ago, four Native Americans went hunting, and their lives were forever changed.

Has revenge manifested as a supernatural being? Or perhaps the weight of  living under this oppressive cloud of guilt  is so heavy that it has caused paranoia to set in. The guilt has certainly become a pervasive and tangible thing. Palpable, visible. inescapable to the end, and I loved it. I enjoyed the characters. flaws and all. I enjoyed the slow build up and the ever increasing creeping fear. However at about or right before the halfway mark there was what seemed to be the climax and then instead of ending it felt almost like the start of a different book. Slower, more drawn out, even draggy in parts. Especially for people like myself who don't care a thing about basketball. I think the story line, while compelling could have flowed a little better. 

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
Stephen Graham Jones is the author of fifteen novels and six collections. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in. He's married with a couple kids, and probably one too many trucks.

The Scavenger by Aidan Lucid

       

Three Separate Wishes. One Twisted Nightmare

Just like Hopps Town, their humble home, Jessica Barlow, Jared Duval, and Adrian Cole are fostering dark secrets. Plagued by loss, cruelty and physical abuse, these friends are kindred spirits, bound by anguish and elusive dreams. They’re soon to find the key to change, but any happy future will demand they face a haunting past and brave a lethal present.

Deep in the forest on the outskirts of town, aging and nearly forgotten, there stands a well from another time. Happening upon this relic, Adrian goads his companions to join him in making a wish. Soon, difficult though it is to admit, their luckless lives do seem to shift. The only problem is, the changes aren’t at all as they’d imagined. Seemingly, they’ve only left the pan to face the fire.

Should they hope to both survive and thrive, they’ll need to pool their wits and draw on mystic inner-power. Solving Hopps Town’s greatest mystery now means life or death.

  

 Three high school friends, Jared, Adrian, and Jessica, stumble upon an old well out in the woods and decide to make a wish. None of them actually take it seriously but that doesn't seem to matter as strange happenings seem to indicate their wishes have been answered by someone or something in that well. Jared has been bullied but suddenly has a popular boy coming to his defense. Adrian has a new girlfriend but also a secret admirer stalking him and poor Jessica who has been tormented by her abusive alcoholic mother suddenly finds she has turned into a June Cleaver type, a mom who cooks meals and hands out lunch money instead of insults and slaps seems too good to be true. I was both happy for them yet worried over what consequences these granted wishes would bring. Like the old saying goes be careful what you wish for, but in this case you need to be careful who it is doing the wish granting. This was a fun YA horror with a fast pace and not too much gore, just a lot of spooky fun, and a mystery to uncover.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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The Mind's Plague and Other Bites of Brutality by Morgan K. Tanner

Three friends search for an infamous internet video of an urban legend with devastating consequences; a passionate drummer joins the band of his dreams, or perhaps his nightmares; a man tries to find fame in a world where the mundane call the shots; and a grieving father loses his grip on reality.

These ten stories delve into a world of darkness and suffering, where the terrors are more vivid than they may appear. Blood is spilt, minds are destroyed, as madness ultimately reigns victorious. 

For a good time, read Morgan K Tanner. I spent the day taking a break from the world and enjoying these 10 short stories. Horror is my escape. It's how I relax and recharge and today my battery is full for having read The Mind's Plague and Other Bites of Brutality.

My favorites in this collection were the title story The Mind's Plague in which bored teenage friends enjoying an unexpected day off from school choose not to spend their time wisely. Even though it is set in the present digital age it was reminiscent of the 80s supernatural horror that I love so much. 
For David seems to be about a former actor with a superfan stalker and I could have been satisfied with that but a freaky twist spiced it up and gave it even more pizzazz.

Conflagration Desecration is the name of a metal band in search of a drummer. Steve is a drummer who is desperate to join the band. I have a soft spot for rock and roll horror stories and this one did not disappoint. You don't get to rock and roll heaven by dancing with the devil but it's still a hell of a band.

The Price of Fame really impressed me even if I can't relate to wanting the adoration. A man who wants to be famous in his own right also seems to piggy back off someone else's internet followers. Torture ensues.
A few years ago I actually had to look up the meaning YouTube stars and Instagram models. I wondered who are these people and why does anyone care? It did make me glad that I am not competitive. Read my reviews, don't read my reviews, follow me or don't follow me I have no need to be a star, and I feel safer than ever after reading this story to remain a relative nobody!

Reluctant Bloodlust was a satirical look at the zombie genre, it was both gory and amusing.

Thieves are what Ronnie and Carl are aiming to be, but they will come to regret breaking in to an elderly man's home.

Grieving is about a father mourning the loss of his daughter in a most unusual and gruesome way.

Room 405 is the hotel room in which Phillip awakens from one nightmare to find himself in another. Strange chanting in the hall has his wife off to complain to the management but as Phillip dutifully follows along he learns he was better off dreaming.

It looks like 8 out of 10 stories were a big hit with me, and considering how persnickety I can be about my horror that's an impressive number.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author

Morgan K Tanner is a writer, drummer, and golfist currently residing in the English countryside. The idyllic surroundings make it an ideal place to write, drum, and hide the bodies. The busy sound of the typewriter is perfect to drown out the hum of the antiquated torture equipment.
When not writing or inflicting pain and suffering on his numerous victims, he indulges himself in all things horror and metal.
He is the author of An Army of Skin, The Mind's Plague and Other Bites of Brutality, and The Unbeliever & The Intruder; a Short Sharp Shocks! Book.
You can praise or indeed abuse him by visiting www.morganktanner.com or find him on Twitter @morgantanner666 and Instagram @morganktanner.
You can also join the mailing list to receive a free story (for starters) http://eepurl.com/dgTmgX

Dead Daughters by Tim Meyer

 

Drew Lowery is living the American Dream. He has the perfect family, a stable job, and a beautiful home in the suburbs of central New Jersey. Things can't get much better. But what seems like the ideal life is suddenly upended when he receives a blank envelope in the mail.

Inside lies a picture of his daughter, a photograph of her violent murder. Only it can't be her. He just tucked her in and kissed her goodnight ten minutes ago. But the mysterious Polaroid is only the beginning.

There's the van following his daughter to school. The man she sees outside her window late at night. The fact someone entered her room while the Lowerys slept peacefully.

Local authorities are clueless. No leads, no clues, and ultimately--no answers. Drew launches his own investigation, falling into a hole of lies and deceit, a truth he never saw coming. Dead Daughters is the new twisted thriller from Tim Meyer, author of The Switch House and Kill Hill Carnage.

This is only my second venture into the creative mind of Tim Meyer but he is now officially on my very short list of must read authors. This book came to me on a day when I was in the middle of reading something else. I meant only to take a quick peek at it out of curiosity but was drawn like a high powered magnet into the depth of character building and the blood chilling plot. The author conjures such a sense of dread and anxiety in the reader over what may happen to Drew Lowrey's daughter that I actually had to ask him if he had children because I felt so strongly that only a parent could know this fear. (I was right by the way, he is a dad.)

I am not going to get into the story line too much but I have to tell you that no author in the history of.....ever has been talented enough to give me goose bumps from something as simple as a to do list until now. 

This is my first 5 star read of the year.
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I received a complimentary copy for review.

About the author
Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He's an author, husband, father, podcast host, blogger, coffee connoisseur, beer enthusiast, and explorer of worlds. He writes horror, mysteries, science fiction, and thrillers, although he prefers to blur genres and let the story fall where it may.

You can follow Tim at https://timmeyerwrites.com

OR like his Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/authortimmeyer

If She Dies by Erik Therme

 

Nine months ago, Tess’s five-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. The driver, Brady Becker, was sentenced to two years in prison. It didn't make Tess’s pain go away.

Brady also has a daughter: A twelve-year-old named Eve who walks to Chandler Middle School every day. Tess knows this because she's been watching Eve for the last three weeks. It isn’t fair that Brady’s daughter gets to live, while Tess’s daughter does not.

When Eve goes missing, all eyes turn to Tess, who doesn’t have an alibi. But Tess isn’t guilty.

Or so she believes.

 

As the story opens, Tess has already lost her daughter to a car accident and is on the brink of losing her marriage as well. The grief is all consuming and she can barely function. Her husband has insisted on moving them out of town to a house she can't stand and he believes the change of scenery and a little therapy is going to set her on the path to becoming "old Tess" again.

What he doesn't know is that she stalks and spies on the wife and child of her daughter's killer nearly every day. While she is watching them, someone is watching her! Ominous messages in festive red envelopes have been showing up addressed to Tess that taunt her over her daughter's death. Who would want to torment a grieving mother? On top of all this is some domestic drama with her brother, and the secrets her husband seems to be keeping. This harrowing psychological thriller is loaded with suspense and a roller coaster of emotions. I grieved with Tess for her loss, and all the twists made it impossible for me to know who to trust.

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature. Join Erik’s mailing list to be notified of new releases and author giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cD1F8L

The Children God Forgot by Graham Masterton

Description
A rash of strange and horrifying births sweeps through London in the new horror thriller from master of the genre Graham Masterton.

A SERIES OF STRANGE BIRTHS
A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains. The chief surgeon performs a C-section, and delivers a catastrophically malformed foetus that is somehow alive...

A DEVASTATING ATTACK
Sewage engineer Gemma is plunged into a ghostly darkness in the tunnel where she works. She escapes, but her boss goes missing in the chaos. He is later found alive... but his legs have been severed and his eyes pulled out.

A SUPERNATURAL THREAT
DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of the supernatural squad must team up once more to solve the mystery and save the city. But, if they are to succeed, first they must delve into the dark arts of witchcraft...

There is a lot going on in this book. Mysterious pregnancies, murderous mutant fetuses, deformed children skulking through sewers clogged with body parts. I think this is the craziest story I have read in quite some time, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Oh and there's a witch, lets not forget the witch. There are characters in this book from a previous novel "Ghost Virus" which I believe I described as gruesome gore fest of a story but you don't need to have read that to get onto the wild ride of The Children God Forgot. I am pretty good with handling gore but the graphic descriptions of what went on in the sewer had me holding my breath and trying not to suffocate.

I received an advance copy for review.

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In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

 

An audacious novel of feminine rage about one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history--and the men who drove her to it.

They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams--their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte. The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she'd given up, what was taken from her, how she'd suffered, surely they'd understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That's all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive.

I'm not sure what to call this book so I will settle on fact based historical fiction with a heavy leaning towards true crime. Although events have been changed and some characters invented it is based on the life of a Norwegian-American serial killer who was active in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. 

Belle Gunness is thought to have killed at least 14 people and possibly many more. Most of them were men she conned into marriage or the promise of marriage, and others who just got in her way. As the story opens. Belle (who is known as Brynhilde at that time) is an unhappy girl from a poor family who is abused at home and working as a maid. She is in love with a farmer's son and too naïve to understand that his family is considered above her station in life and that he will never marry her. I felt a lot of sympathy for her at first as she is left pregnant and in fear of the shame that will bring if the father of her child refuses to stand by her. When she threatens him it leads to horrific violence and it at this time she changes from naïve child to broken and vengeful woman. I think I still felt for her at this time even while she plotted and manipulated her way to America. Upon her arrival, her true nature starts to take over and it becomes clear that she has very little emotion other than rage. Belle views people only as something to be used to get what she wants. The author creates a very detailed, gripping and chilling account of the inner workings of a murderers mind. 

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review

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About the author
Camilla Bruce was born in central Norway and grew up in an old forest, next to an Iron Age burial mound. She has a master's degree in comparative literature, and has co-run a small press that published dark fairy tales. Camilla currently lives in Trondheim with her son and cat.