Lingering by Chris Coppel

 

The woods looked dark and ominous. Between the trees, where the darkness was blacker than black, dozens of slanted yellow eyes flicked open and stared back towards the house. They weren’t the eyes of anything human...

When Paul and Christy purchase Croft House, they are both looking forward to a new start. Christy’s abusive father is dying and she is ready to put the past well and truly behind her. But the house has other ideas. They soon realise there is something in the house, something that’s trying to communicate with them.

In their fear, they ask a local psychic to remove this entity. And in so doing, release something far, far worse.

Paul and Christy are a happily married couple, looking forward to moving into their new home. Cue the ominous warning from a stranger that they need to be sure about this house because once they move in it will be too late.

Follow that up with a presale home inspection that shows the inside dimensions of the house don't match up to the outside. Top it off with a way too thick wall in the loft and you have your makings for a typical haunted house story. Gosh I wonder what's behind there? You may be surprised but I was not.

Weirdly, Christy decides she has to go to her childhood home to care for her dying father after his stroke. I say weirdly because she has had nothing to do with him for decades, ever since she escaped his abuse when she was 16. It seemed an odd choice or at least a choice most people wouldn't make under such circumstances. So for this reason she is not there for her husband to help him with packing or moving into their new home.

Paul moves in by himself unless you count his wife's dog. The strange happenings begin right away, frightening the cable tv installer when he wanted to break through that unusually thick wall, although the ghost seems quite mild and even helpful. When Christy arrives she demands they have the house cleansed of this spirit immediately. Paul for some reason has this done by a woman who outright tells him she does not want to do it, that she doesn't do it anymore, that she has had something traumatic happen when she tried to cleanse a house of something more powerful than she is strong enough to deal with. Sure she sounds like the right woman for the job. He convinces her that this is a mere friendly ghost so against her better judgment she attempts this cleansing. It's not long before she is also frightened away, telling Paul that yes she got rid of the friendly ghost but there is something else in the house.

Up to this point, nothing really scary has happened unless you count dreams and hallucinations which just don't do it for me.

I enjoyed the parts of the story that were about Christy and what her life was like before she met Paul. It was almost like I was reading two different books, one a domestic drama and the other a haunted house story.

There were a few spooky parts near the end but after the big climax, I didn't care for the way  Paul and Christy treated the woman who they practically forced to attempt a cleansing that she did not want to do. I had liked them until then. To me, it's ridiculous to blame someone for not being able to do something they told you they couldn't do. The ending itself was not to my liking either. It's too Casper the friendly ghost or Beetlejuice for my taste. You may enjoy it more than I did, lots of people have loved it.

It also needs a trigger warning for child sexual abuse/rape

I received an advance copy.

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About the author

Chris Coppel was born in California. His family moved to Europe, living in Spain, France, Switzerland and mainly England. He has written numerous screenplays but Far From Burden Dell is his first novel. He taught advanced screenwriting at U.C.L.A.

Chris is also an accomplished drummer and guitarist. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Clare, and their very own scaredy-cat, Samantha.

Corpse Honey: A Banquet of Gruesome Tales by Michael J. Picco

 

"Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong, came something sweet." What is 'corpse honey, ' you ask? Is it something bitter or is it something sweet? Well, it is honey, after all, so let's assume it's sweet - so sweet in fact, that everything you eat afterward tastes like ashes. No? Then it must be bitter. So bitter that it leaves your tongue blistered and festering. Perhaps it's both bitter and sweet. Maybe it tickles the inside of your skull - like your head has been filled with bees. Some are there to make honey, some are there just to sting you... over and over. One thing is for certain: corpse honey is not for the squeamish. After all, even the sweetest honey is "loathsome in his own deliciousness..."Corpse Honey is a collection of twelve gruesome tales, drawing inspiration from the natural world, folklore, and fever dreams. Within these pages, you will find the lesser-known horrors that lurk in the shadows of our world: the possessed, the cursed, and the afflicted - and worst of all, the monsters with the all-too-human faces. For nearly a decade, award-winning author Michael Picco has brought his disturbing and strange visions to readers around the world. He is proud to present Corpse Honey, his second collection of disturbing stories - a banquet of grisly tales sure to satisfy even the most gruesome of appetites.

What first caught my eye was this gorgeous cover, designed by the author himself. It made me want to read Corpse Honey before I even knew that it was a collection of short horror stories, which of course made me want to read it all the more.

Some of these tales are more sci-fi than horror and others lean towards psychological thriller. My favorites are those with supernatural overtones. 

The author employs the stream of consciousness technique in the narrative which may be jarring for some readers who are not expecting the unusual syntax and rough grammar or heavy use of dashes and ellipses instead of the more conventional use of punctuation. For me, it put me into the characters' thought processes almost making me part of the stories.

Among my favorites were The Bark Men, which is a coming-of-age tale surrounding two young cousins' encounter with mysterious beings deep in the woods of Colorado. I would like to see this story developed into a full-fledged novel. It was both sad and creepy at the same time.

I also enjoyed Isle For One? - a Satirical, darkly humorous look at customer service that has not improved in pandemic times. If you've ever sat on hold while listening to a recorded voice this is for you.

Another favorite was Mortimer the Maus in which a man recalls a childhood visit to a cut-rate unsavory amusement park that went from unpleasant to horrifying when he became separated from his neglectful father. This one made my skin crawl.

Under My Bed... Where The Lower Things Crept - After being frightened by a story his older sister tells him, a boy is forced to give up his bedroom and move into the room where grandma died. Is there something evil under the rug? Or is it all in his mind?

All I have to say about The Popelick Goatman is Ladies, this is exactly why if you break up with your man on a dark and stormy night, you do not get into his junk car and drive off with nowhere to go. You stay inside where you are safe and warm and you toss his ass out. Let the Goat man have him, he deserves it. Trust me and learn from this.

Not every story was my cup of tea but these were my favorites, yours may be different. Recommended for readers who enjoy horror. sci-fi or weird tales.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to the Denver Horror Collective for the finished paperback copy.

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Alfred Hitchcock's Ghostly Gallery

 

Eleven spooky stories for young people. "Good evening, and welcome to Alfred Hitchock's Ghostly Gallery..." So begins the introduction to this marvelous book for young readers presented by none other than the master of the macabre himself, Alfred Hitchcock. Following his invitation to "browse through my gallery", readers will find ghoulish ghost stories "designed to frighten and instruct" -- instruct, that is, about the strange existence ghosts must endure! Stories include "Miss Emmeline Takes Off" by Walter Brooks; "The Valley of the Beasts" by Algernon Blackwood; "The Haunted Trailer," "The Wonderful Day," and "Obstinate Uncle Otis," by Robert Arthur; "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford; "The Truth About Pyecraft" by H.G. Wells; "Housing Problem" by Henry Kuttner: "In a Dim Room" by Lord Dunsany: "The Waxwork," by A.M. Burrage: and "The Isle of Voices" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Parents and kids can't help but chuckle at Hitchcock's comment, "I don't want to appear disloyal to television, but I think reading will be good for you." Contains some very spooky two-color illustrations by Fred Banbery

Even though I know not to judge a book by its cover, that is exactly what attracted me to this anthology. I should not have judged it by the title either since I expected ghost stories and the majority of these tales are absent of spirits.

There were a few stories that I enjoyed, even though there were no scares to be found. Most of the stories were just not to my liking. Even "The Waxwork" which was made into one of my favorite episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents was kind of dull and flat here. Whoever they hired to turn it into a tv script is the one who added all the flavor and flair that is missing in this book.

The few stories that I liked were more whimsical than scary

I did enjoy The Wonderful Day in which a young boy drifts off to sleep after listening to his family gossip about the residents of their town. He thinks to himself that adults are confusing since they often say things they don't mean. He makes a wish as he falls asleep and soon the figurative becomes literal which is wonderful for some people but less so for others.

I also enjoyed Miss Emmeline Takes off, about a woman who sneaks into the home she lost after a financial difficulty to retrieve an important item that the new owner refused to let her take.

The Truth About Pyecraft was a fun story about a prescription for weight loss that works far too well.

The illustrations by Fred Banbery are amazing

I'm not sure that 3 stories out of 11 make a convincing argument in favor of this book but you may enjoy the rest more than I did. If you are interested there are plenty of used copies in decent condition floating around out there.

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The Man in the Field by James Cooper

 

The village: a remote, God-fearing place, governed by ancient rituals that provide eternal balance to the land. Here, people have faith in working the soil, the good Lord above, and their own peaceful community. This is how they have lived for centuries, the Council providing spiritual oversight and the charismatic Father Lynch lighting the way.

As he does every year, according to an age-old custom, the man in the field arrives amid much rejoicing and apprehension. To sanctify the newly planted crops and ensure a productive harvest, the village must make a personal sacrifice in his name. This is the tradition that must be honored. For every blessing, there is a debt to be paid . . .

Mother Tanner, an older member of the village, has seen all this before. She has been born and raised in the shadow of these harsh solemnities and feels increasingly disturbed by them. Celebrating the Turning of the Wheel and exalting in God’s bounty is only half the story; there is much here that she is starting to distrust. Not least of which is Father Lynch himself and his beloved Council. And the enigmatic man in the field, who gazes not at the village, but at the distant horizon, thinking only of the overdue debt and the stroke of midnight when it will be time to collect . . . 

The author states that the short story from which this book originally springs was a tribute to Shirley Jackson. I think she would have been honored, and I was strongly reminded of her story The Lottery as I dove into these pages. He also says that this may not be all there is, or all there will be to this story. That may explain why I am left with questions that I hope will be answered someday.

Who are these people? When are these people? Where are these people? What made them come here and what makes them stay?
I have no idea! The descriptions of the women and how they are dressed had me picturing them in my mind like something out of Little House On The Prairie. The villagers keep to themselves and the outside world is shunned. They live what seems to be a very primitive lifestyle, but in modern times, with superstition cloaked in religion. There is running hot water, indoor plumbing, and fragrant bath salts, but no phone, internet, or tv. It seemed more like a cult than a community, in that the leaders do as they please while preaching strict rules at everyone else.

Once a year The Man In The Field arrives, and as is his custom he stands there, feet planted firmly in the earth, face turned away from everyone. Nobody has ever seen his face, but they know that he demands a sacrifice, in return for which they will receive a bountiful harvest. Some people view this as a time to rejoice. There will be festivities and a feast to mark the occasion. Others face it with mixed feelings of fear and resolve. Our main character, Mother Tanner, and a few of her friends have started to feel that there is a definite wrongness in their way of life

I had a dreadful feeling when I suspected what the sacrifice was likely going to be, but that did not make it any less upsetting when it occurred. Horror, for me, is always at its best when it can stir up emotions and make me feel something. I don't need blood or gore, but I need someone to care about and someone to hate. The Man In The Field delivered that in spades. I was upset, I was enraged, I was gut-punched and disgusted. I felt at times hopeful for my favorite characters one minute and terrified for them the next.

The ending left me with more questions than I had when I started, yet I loved this book so much that I have to give it a 5 out of 5 stars. Even if I do hope the author will be haunted by dreams of Mother Tanner until he is inspired to write a sequel.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the advance copy.

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Author's Website

Unbalanced by Jason Parent

 By-the-book Detective Asante Royo can only clean up Fall River’s filth for so long without getting dirty. When he’s called to an apparent suicide at an apartment complex notorious for its prostitution and drug trade, he doesn’t shed a tear for the life wasted. Yet something about the scene haunts him, and when his investigation gets swept under the rug, he has a hard time living with the stain.

Jaden Sanders is an unstable loner who lives across the hall from the crime scene. When three men break into his apartment, Jaden is ready for a fight. He kills two of his attackers in self-defense then stalks and stabs the third in the back. Jaden is soon arrested for murder.

With no clear motives for the home invasion or Jaden’s violent response, Royo must uncover the true story before more people get hurt. His only leads are derived from the version of events extracted from a truly unbalanced mind. Is Jaden a victim being steamrolled by cold justice or a murderer capable of killing again? 

The story opens in the aftermath of a possible suicide when Detective Royo notices a few things about the scene that seem suspicious. From there we plunge into a mystery/thriller when Jaden Sanders, the victim's boyfriend who lives across the hall becomes a victim of a home invasion. Jaden manages to kill his attackers but is later charged with murder.

Jaden was a fascinating character and I was more interested in his story line than I was in the detective work. He had suffered a breakdown after the death of his girlfriend and was still not very stable after his release from the psych hospital. 

As a rule you probably know by now I do not generally read detective stories, but as a fan of several of this author's previous works I was more than happy to dive into this novel. I also confess to having watched more than a few trials on court tv so the courtroom aspects of this novel were kind of a guilty pleasure for me. 

The mystery of what, if anything the break in had to do with the death of Jaden's girlfriend kept me guessing at whether Jaden was the bad guy or the target.

This is the fifth title I have read by this author and although my preference is for his horror stories I enjoyed this twisty thriller.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Jason Parent for the finished paperback.

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Hide by Kiersten White

 

The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught.

The prize: enough money to change everything.

Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that.

It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run.
Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Mack is a young woman, friendless, homeless, consumed with guilt, and with nowhere to turn. Against her better judgment, she enters into a reality show-like competition of Hide and Seek in which she and 13 other competitors will hide for a week in an abandoned amusement park. The last to be found will win fifty thousand dollars. Everyone wants the money but some need it more desperately than others. Some are hoping this will be a stepping stone to fame and wealth, others just hope it will lead to a more normal life.

The synopsis intrigued me, but even though I knew there would be 14 competitors in this deadly game I was not entirely prepared to meet them all. It's a lot to keep track of, but fear not, many of them are throwaway characters that are only here to be killed off, while others are there in case you need someone to hate in order to know who you're rooting for.

I did wonder why it had to be a week and what they would do if thirteen competitors were found before then, but that is sort of explained later.

I was expecting a slasher in the woods story, but that is not exactly what I got.

It becomes increasingly clear to the contestants that there is something off about this competition but with no means of contacting help all they can do is try to survive.

There are frequent changes in point of view which was sometimes confusing but these become fewer as more contestants are eliminated.

I loved the setting, and descriptions of the run-down park, with creepy skeletal remains of rides and concession stands, but sometimes the descriptions of finding a hiding spot and basically staying there all day gave me the urge to skim.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 out of 5 where half stars are not an option.

My thanks to Del Rey Books for the advance copy.

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About the author

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for teens and young readers, including And I Darken, Now I Rise, Bright We Burn, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and Slayer. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows. Visit Kiersten online at KierstenWhite.com and follow @KierstenWhite on Twitter.

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

A girl would be such a blessing...

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory.

The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city; and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come…
 

When Mae was a child, she escaped from the only life she had ever known, having been born into a cult referred to as the Mother Collective. She was quickly adopted by parents who loved her but were not prepared to deal with the level of emotional trauma she had suffered. Mae did receive some counseling but was taught that it was best to just let the past go rather than actually process her feelings. Throughout the years she never gave up searching for her cousin Andrea who was raised in the cult with her, and who she had not seen since the day of her escape. When she finally reconnects with Andrea, her wealth and success are intimidating and she refuses to let Mae speak of their past. Despite this, she is excited to have found her family, but the closer she gets to Andrea, the more isolated she becomes from her own life. Is it a series of terrible coincidences that leave Mae with no choice but to turn to Andrea? Or has Andrea orchestrated these events for her own nefarious agenda?

I loved Mae from the start. She seemed to look down on herself but I was proud of her accomplishments. She is stronger than she knows, even if I did want to scream at her to run away! Some of the occurrences were predictable, but knowing that they were going to happen did not detract from my enjoyment of the story and maybe even increased the dread I felt since I saw what was coming but I couldn't warn Mae. The way that Andrea and her friends interacted with their husbands fairly screamed that they had been drinking the Kool-Aid. yet somehow the ending managed to take me by surprise. This is a must-read for any fan of psychological thrillers.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the review copy

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Tales to Keep You Up at Night by Dan Poblocki

 From the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Magic Misfits comes a spectacularly spooky novel that will keep you up way past bedtime.

Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!

Amelia is cleaning out her grandmother's attic when she stumbles across a book: Tales to Keep You Up at Night. But when she goes to the library to return it, she's told that the book never belonged there. Curious, she starts to read the stories: tales of strange incidents in nearby towns, of journal entries chronicling endless, twisting pumpkin vines, birthday parties gone awry, and cursed tarot decks. And at the center of the stories lies a family of witches. And witches, she's told, can look like anyone...

As elements from the stories begin to come to life around her, and their eerie connections become clear, Amelia begins to realize that she may be in a spooky story of her own...
With hair-raising, spine-chilling prose, Dan Poblocki delivers a collection of interconnected stories that, if you're anything like Amelia, is sure to keep you up late in the night.

Tales To Keep You Up At Night is a spooky collection of short stories for middle grades, ages 10 and up. I enjoyed them myself and I am long past middle grades and deep into middle age.

Amelia and her little brother, along with their two moms have gone to grandma's house to pack things up because grandma has been missing for quite some time. Amelia happens to find an old library book that she decides to return, but once she gets there she is told by the librarian that the book did not belong to that library. As Amelia settles in to read the creepy tales she finds they are all connected, not just to each other but to her family and to the disappearance of her grandma.

There are stories of revenge, including revenge gone wrong when a bullied child tries to get even with his tormentor, a Halloween tale about the dangers of accepting free pumpkins that aren't cut for jack-o-lanterns, a creepy-crawly tragedy that befalls a girl who steals from her mother's purse, and many more.

I loved the way the stories are all connected. I think the fast pace and multiple chills should keep young readers interested.

Only one of the stories was not a big hit with me and that is mainly because it was written in the second person. I am not a fan of that format and it just doesn't work for me. That is the only thing that prevents this from being a 5-star read.

This title will be released on August 16 which is perfect timing if you are looking to keep your child reading over the summer break, or even if you enjoy a good spooky story yourself. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this book.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy.

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