Condemned by Christopher Renna

 

The suburb of Newman, Connecticut, nurtures its upper-middle class clichés. It's a picturesque community that boasts ambitious career-oriented parents and overachieving children. The residents prefer to keep family matters behind closed doors, locked away in their high-priced Colonial homes, hidden from the eyes and ears of curious outsiders.

Conner and his two best friends, Trevor and Adam, are enjoying their senior year of high school. Competitive and popular, they're focused on academic and athletic successes paving their way to college. But the sudden death of their former friend, Jared, forces them to tackle a new challenge, a growing interest in the unofficial cause of Jared's death: Possession by the devil.

Gossip threatens to reveal secrets. A paranormal investigator arrives in town seeking demons and fame. As media attention mounts, Conner and his friends must confront the rumors head-on to salvage Jared's memory. Then they must accept the reason why they allowed their friendship with Jared to crumble. Because the devil is in the details.

The sudden death of a healthy high school boy brings a flurry of attention to the town when it sparks rumors that he died during an exorcism. His former friends set out to find the truth, and grapple with the guilt of not having made enough of an effort to remain friends with Jared when they first noticed the strange changes to his personality that may have marked the beginnings of demonic possession.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and seemed more like a mystery than a horror. It took a while for anything scary to happen and I was anxious for it to pick up speed and get to the good stuff. Some of the actions and reactions of the parents seemed unrealistic but the friendship between the boys felt genuine to me.

There were some creepy happenings revealed when the boys look back at a week they spent together in a cabin on the lake which was the beginning of the end of their friendship with Jared. It was not until that point that I felt fully invested in the story. I think at it's heart this was a story of good against evil, deep and abiding friendship, and the sacrifices someone may be willing to make for those they love.

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

We Make Monsters Here by Richard Newby

 

In a country built on dreams, nightmares swell beneath the surface. Monsters face job insecurity in a new age. A group of former friends gather for one last game. A pizza delivery driver’s search for the ultimate high becomes an odyssey in body horror. Romance blossoms between a DJ and a woman who wants to be dinner. A soldier returns home from war but isn’t what he seems. The lessons learned at a family dinner have bloody consequences. History darkens the present as an underground boxing match leads a young woman to a path of destruction.

These stories and more sift through the pieces of 21st century American wreckage as the pursuit for identity and belonging take dark twists of fate. Discover what we’ve sown in this place we call home. Discover what happens when a society based on winning ultimately loses. Discover the truth, that above all else, We Make Monsters Here.

This dark collection of grim stories contain an eclectic mix of humor, horror, sci-fi and parable. Most of the monsters are of the human variety. While not every story was a big hit with me, the reason I ended up giving this book a 5 star rating was because the stories that I did love, were so crazy over the top good. The kind that make me wish somebody in Hollywood would pick up a book once in a while, and read a new author instead of rehashing sequels and remaking played out tired plots.

My favorites in this collection were A Dinner Date, in which a lonely young woman who is obsessed with a strange fetish thinks she has finally found the man who can fulfill her bizarre desire.

The Weed, which brought to mind two things from the 80s, a combination of Nancy Reagan telling me to just say no to drugs and Stephen King's comedic portrayal of Jordy in Creepshow, although the moral of the story delves deeper.

What I Learned About Ghosts off Route 64 shows that sometimes people are not haunted by ghosts, but by the actions of other people.

In Doughboy A man brings home a toy that can feed on and mirror the values he and his wife have passed on to their children.

War Mother is a heartbreaking reminder that the casualties of war don't just occur on the battlefield but continue long after the war has ended, and can spread to those who never fought.

The final story Black-Bone Pit was in my opinion the star of the show. It is a visceral tale that put me through a wringer of emotions. It is one of my favorite types of horror, full of small town secrets built on a dark history of evil. In the end, justice delayed does not always mean justice denied.

 5 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review

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About the author

Richard Newby is an author and pop culture journalist covering film, television, comic books, and horror. His coverage has appeared at The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, and Fangoria. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and son, along with their cat and dog.

Twitter: @RICHARDLNEWBY

Irish Gothic: Tales of Celtic Horror by Ronald Kelly

 When Irish eyes are dying

Breath chills till time is over,
Death pulls slowly graveward
To rest ’neath sod and clover…

Ireland… Sweet Erin…The Emerald Isle. In the bright and bonnie light of day, it is a place of beauty, history, and good humor. Of rolling green hills and stone walls at every step of a mile. A kind blessing for health and happiness, and a pint in your hand at the village pub… as well as the sound of fife and fiddle, the lilting tune of laughter, and the cheerful dance of a jig.

But, as the sun takes leave and dusk descends, deep shadows and the dank of an evening mist claim the Land of Saints. Within the cloak of night, boogies and beasties roam the moors, keen for the echo of lonesome footsteps and the alluring scent of fear and dread. Banshee, selkie, leprechaun, and fairy alike. The restless spirit of the Sluagh and the bestial form of the werewolf, hungry and on the prowl.

In Irish Gothic: Tales of Celtic Horror, Ronald Kelly returns to the land of his ancestry and explores the dark superstition and frightful folklore of Ol’ Éire. Seven stories of Celtic gothic terror… tales to quicken the beat of the heart and chill one’s bones to the very marrow.

Irish Gothic arrives in plenty of time for Saint Patrick's day as we wait in the heart of winter for the spring thaw, bringing seven stories of myth and folklore to further chill your bones. There's also a crash course in Irish creatures and cryptids included at the end along with an informative Gaelic/English translation for some of the terms that may be unfamiliar to you. I found it quite helpful.

My favorites in this collection were Flanagan's Bride, which I could hear play out in a lilting Irish brogue in my head. The lads in the pub don't believe any woman would ever marry Flannigan but they are in for a shock when he brings his bride home.  

In Diabhal's Timepiece an intricately carved grandfather clock makes a couple feel uneasy and connects to something dark and dangerous in the husband's distant memory.

Another favorite was Postcard from Kilkenny, about a man who might have a vampire in the family.

A Fine Wake For Nana Ferree finds the towns people in mourning for a much beloved elderly woman. When one young woman upholds her promise to fulfill Nana's final wish things take a dramatic turn. The Spawn of Arget Bethir finds a man of God suffering nightmares of becoming a werewolf. Or is it more than just a dream? 

I enjoyed this peek into a land of rolling hills, lush green valleys, and dense woodlands, where the luck of the Irish does not necessarily mean good luck and Irish eyes are not always smiling but sometimes wide with fear.

I received an advance copy

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About the author

Ronald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own super heroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had ten novels and eight short fiction collections published. In 1992, his audio-book, DARK DIXIE, was included on the nominating ballot for a Grammy Award.

He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, Joyce, his two daughters, Reilly and Makenna, and his son, Ryan (Bubba).

Elizabeth by Ken Greenhall

 

Elizabeth thought that she was a young girl like any other girl - until the day that she looked into the mirror and saw the truth. Her family wouldn't have believed it even if she had told them - which she had no intention of doing. Elizabeth had far different plans for them - and only God could help them. He didn't - and Elizabeth set out to prove how hellishly far she could go.

Elizabeth is not your average 14 year old, and although she is descended from witches I'm not convinced that alone is at the heart of her actions. Elizabeth seems to have no real feelings or emotions. She is quite cold and detached from everyone, other than an apparition that observes her from the mirror.

Does Elizabeth have actual powers or is she just deluded? Does she suffer some sort of mental illness? She definitely feels no empathy but has taught herself to imitate it, much like someone with borderline personality disorder. Nothing seems to phase her, be it murder or sex acts, as she narrates the story on a very even keel whether she is telling you about a recent death or what interrupted her plans for an evening of incest.

I think Elizabeth could best be described as a cross between Carrie and Lolita, and I am at a loss of how I feel about it. 

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About the author

Ken Greenhall was born in Detroit in 1928, the son of immigrants from England. He graduated from high school at age 15, worked at a record store for a time, and was drafted into the military, serving in Germany. He earned his degree from Wayne State University and moved to New York, where he worked as an editor of reference books, first on the staff of the Encyclopedia Americana and later for the New Columbia Encyclopedia. Greenhall had a longtime interest in the supernatural and took leave from his job to write his first novel, Elizabeth (1976), a tale of witchcraft published under his mother’s maiden name, Jessica Hamilton. Several more novels followed, including Hell Hound (1977), which was published abroad as Baxter and adapted for a critically acclaimed 1989 French film under that title. Greenhall died in 2014.

Cafe Purgatorium by Dana M. Anderson, Charles de Lint, Ray Garton

 

THREE VOICES - THREE VISIONS - THREE MOODS. "Ranging from melancholy to downright gruesome, these stories demonstrate that those of us who enjoy being frightened find that the novella length story, 80 to 90 pages, is just fine to get our fix. Following 'Cafe Purgatorium', a sad, even tender story, is 'Dr. Krusadian's Method', a real shocker by Ray Garton. Finally, love is in the air in De Lint's 'Death Leaves an Echo'

What first grabbed my attention, aside from the cover, was the name Ray Garton. I used to think I had read everything he had ever written but once in a while I come across a story that has been out of print, that I never knew existed. Such is the case with his novella in this book, Dr. Krusadian's Method. I greedily scooped up a used copy which was published back in the 90s from Tor Horror even though I've never heard of Dana Anderson.

The title story by Dana Anderson is sadly the only reason I can't give this book 5 stars unless I pretend it wasn't included. Cafe Purgatorium is about a man who hates his job, and decides against the wishes of his fiancée to quit and go into business for himself. He purchases an old building for the purpose of opening a restaurant. After the sale he discovers that the building is not as empty as it appeared. Shortly after this point I just started skimming. Maybe it was partly due to how anxious I was to get to the Ray Garton novella but Cafe Purgatorium did not hold my interest. If it was a stand alone it would have gone in my DNF pile. 

Luckily for me the other 2 novellas were both 5 star reads. 

Dr. Krusadian's Method by Ray Garton is about a little boy who has suffered abuse at the hands of his father for as long as he can remember. His mother does nothing to protect him from the horrific beatings. The father is a vile and repulsive excuse for a man who filled me with such rage that when he finally got caught I was convinced that no amount of punishment would be adequate. 

Death Leaves an Echo by Charles De Lint is about a man who awakens from one nightmare to find himself in another. His wife is gone, and it's as if she never existed. He is the only one who remembers her. Which nightmare is realty? Is he losing his mind or is something supernatural afoot?  This story was brilliant.

I found my used copy here

About the authors

Ray Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.

Charles De Lint has a Goodreads page here

I literally can find nothing for Dana Anderson, no Goodreads or amazon page or website.

Shelter for the Damned by Mike Thorn

 

While looking for a secret place to smoke cigarettes with his two best friends, troubled teenager Mark discovers a mysterious shack in a suburban field. Alienated from his parents and peers, Mark finds within the shack an escape greater than anything he has ever experienced.

But it isn't long before the place begins revealing its strange, powerful sentience. And it wants something in exchange for the shelter it provides.

Shelter for the Damned is not only a scary, fast-paced horror novel, but also an unflinching study of suburban violence, masculine conditioning, and adolescent rage.

Cover art by Trevor Henderson.

Three boys enter a shack, and although they all seem to feel that it is more than it appears to be, one boy falls helplessly under it's control. I can't say I ever figured out exactly what the shack is or how it chooses it's victims.

Mark has always had a mean streak, a short fuse that is easily lit, and maybe that is why the shack has  latched on to him. After their initial discovery, Mark's friends don't want to revisit the shack, but Mark is compelled to return, to the point of obsession. As Mark's friendships begin to deteriorate, so too does his school and home life, making the shack feel like the only good thing in his world. I felt that one reason Mark may have been easily swayed was his own proclivity towards violence but another may have been the implied physical abuse at the hands of his father. Although one of his friends is obviously abused repeatedly at home, the shack does not have the same hold over him so my theory could be wrong. It's possible that in addition to a supernatural element Mark may have suffered some form of mental illness because there were times I was not sure if he was hallucinating things that I thought his mother should have seen, if it were real. I guess this left me with more questions than answers, as to whether this is a dark descent into murder and madness, or a supernatural entity taking control.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Mike Thorn is the author of the short story collection Darkest Hours and the novel Shelter for the Damned (coming soon from JournalStone). His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies and podcasts, including Vastarien, Dark Moon Digest, The NoSleep Podcast and Tales to Terrify. His film criticism has been published in MUBI Notebook, The Film Stage, Seventh Row and Vague Visages.

Your Frightful Spirit Stayed by Matthew Cash

 

The first thing I have to say is that I don't think the brief synopsis on the back cover does this book justice. Because of it, I will admit to being a bit confused when I first started reading. I was not sure what was going on with Charlie, and I didn't like him much. I didn't know if he was haunted by real spirits or whether he was insane. I didn't know whether he was at home, or in jail or in a mental institution. I knew he was an alcoholic but not whether he was hallucinating.

It took me a couple of chapters to understand that this is sort of a coming of age tale in reverse. But not the happy kind. Charlie is suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia. He is a shell of a man. He is not the man he would have been, had he not suffered unspeakable events in his past. Gradually we work our way backwards from middle aged Charlie to young man, to teenaged years and boyhood, in what was one of the most original and unique story lines I have ever read. This is not a typical horror, but it is horrifying, shocking, and deeply disturbing. It was also heartbreaking, as the closer we get to Charlie's childhood, the more endearing he becomes and the more I wanted him to be ok. Since the book started with middle aged Charlie I knew there was to be no happy ending for him.

I am not sure when this book is being published but I will be rating it 5 stars everywhere.

I received an advance copy for review.

About the author
Matthew Cash, or Matty-Bob Cash as he is known to most, was born and raised in Suffolk; which is the setting for his debut novel Pinprick. He is compiler and editor of Death By Chocolate, a chocoholic horror Anthology and the 12Days: STOCKING FILLERS Anthology. In 2016 he launched his own publishing house Burdizzo Books and took shit-hot editor and author Em Dehaney on board to keep him in shape and together they brought into existence SPARKS: an electrical horror anthology, The Reverend Burdizzo’s Hymn Book, Under The Weather* Visions From the Void ** and The Burdizzo Mix Tape Vol. 1.
He has numerous solo releases on Kindle and several collections in paperback.
Originally with Burdizzo Books, the intention was to compile charity anthologies a few times a year but his creation has grown into something so much more powerful *insert mad laughter here*. He is currently working on numerous projects, his third novel FUR was launched in 2018.
*With Back Road Books
** With Jonathan Butcher

He has always written stories since he first learnt to write and most, although not all, tend to slip into the many layered murky depths of the Horror genre.
His influences ranged from when he first started reading to Present day are, to name but a small select few; Roald Dahl, James Herbert, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Stephen Laws, and more recently he enjoys Adam Nevill, F.R Tallis, Michael Bray, Gary Fry, William Meikle and Iain Rob Wright (who featured Matty-Bob in his famous A-Z of Horror title M is For Matty-Bob, plus Matthew wrote his own version of events which was included as a bonus).
He is a father of two, a husband of one and a zoo keeper of numerous fur babies.

You can find him here:
www.facebook.com/pinprickbymatthewcash

https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B010MQTWKK


Www.burdizzobooks.com

Paradise Club by Tim Meyer

 

Welcome to Paradise. Sandy beaches. Crystalline waters. An all-inclusive resort with virtually everything you can think of. A true idyllic paradise.

An event is taking place at Paradise Club that wasn’t on the brochure: a dangerous game pitting the hotel’s guests against a gang of bloodthirsty maniacs. Elliot Harper - family man and FBI agent - is about to find out how fast heaven can become hell when every single vacationer is forced to become a ruthless killer in order to survive. A team of killers have been unleashed, and they won't stop until every single guest is dead.

Let the mayhem begin...

.

What could be better than winning an all inclusive trip to an exclusive resort? It's the chance of a lifetime, especially if your life is over once you get there. The Harper family is about to find out that what sounds too good to be true probably is. What starts as a relaxing way to unwind and get away from it all leads to being trapped and hunted in the middle of nowhere with no way to call for help.

The owner of this lush tropical paradise has lured these unsuspecting vacationers to play a part in his twisted game. The more violent the death, the better for his diabolical plan.  It's a bloody, gory, free for all, with lots of suspense and fast paced edge of your seat action. More than just a slasher type horror there is a hell of a twist into something even more dark and disturbing. Be careful which characters you get too attached to because you just never know who will survive to the heart stopping end. 

5 out of 5 stars

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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

Ungodly by Braedon Riddick

 

Wicked phenomena strike the isolated campus of Calisade Mountain College. A homeless man sees his dead son in an abandoned dormitory, pursues the boy inside, and meets his demise. In the dark of night, a student witnesses a man plummet from a high-rise — a surefire suicide — but the detectives find no body. A campus police officer suddenly develops a taste for rape — and a homicidal hunger. The townspeople always sensed an intangible wrongness on the mountain . . . even before the evil enigma was afoot.

Amanda Baker, a student at Calisade Mountain College, is witness to a suicide that the police claim didn't happen. Since the college is well known for it's wild parties and drug use, they assume she hallucinated the strange events she describes. 

It's not long until the officers experience some eerie happenings for themselves and from then on it's a race to uncover the mystery of how and why people are being taken over by a sinister entity that robs them of their free will, and how Amanda has come to be at the heart of it all. I really loved Amanda and was rooting for her to overcome her own haunted past and the oppressing evil that has cloaked the campus and spread through town. If you enjoy a classic Good vs Evil story with unlikely heroes who aren't sure they have what it takes to save the day, this is for you.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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