Blood Cult of the Booby Farmers by Peter N. Dudar

 

Under the burning sun of Cold Currant, Mississippi, right on the banks of the Mississippi River, sits an old antebellum farmhouse that has been passed down over the generations. The farm's current occupants, the Tucker clan, are on the brink of losing their family's legacy. Only, the Tuckers have been hiding a depraved, murderous secret under the very soil of the farmland they continue to work. When the vice-president of Cold Currant Savings and Loan shows up one sweltering summer afternoon to transfer their foreclosure papers, all hell breaks loose.

In the race to save their farm, Lee Tucker and his two inbred sons, Tobias and Mathias are going to have to make some terrible decisions and spill a lot of blood. Only, things aren't exactly as they seem once the sun sets and the moon rises above the crops. And as their latest victim lies naked and screaming in the barn, a nightmarish chain of events begins to unfold. Will it be the end of the Tucker Blood Cult, or will their redneck living be enough to save the family farm? Find out in BLOOD CULT OF THE BOOBY FARMERS!

Well... if Peter Dudar can admit to having written this I suppose I can admit to having read it, even though I was warned that it's kind of "out there." Before we go any further I think it's only fair to give you the same warning. It's incredibly raunchy and kind of crazy. It straddles the line between extreme horror and bizarro fiction. It is gory and grotesque, vulgar and offensive, and yet weirdly hard to stop reading once you start.

The Tucker clan are an inbred family of farmers who enjoy cannibalizing certain parts of women's anatomy that I'm sure you can ascertain from the title. This has been their way of life for quite some time, but now that their farm is about to be foreclosed on they are in danger of being found out. Murder and mayhem ensue as they try to hold on to their farm and keep the law from discovering that there's more than veggies being planted.

They have an unusual crop this year due to chemical pollutants. Their produce is still the best around, but nobody has ever seen this kind of harvest before.

If you enjoy weird and gross fiction this may be for you. It's not as nasty as some of the Edward Lee I've read if that puts it into perspective for you, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Grinning Skull Press for the complimentary copy

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Savages by Greg F. Gifune

About the Book:

It began as a vacation to the Cook Islands. But when seven friends are lost in the South Pacific after their boat goes down in a storm, they must survive at sea for several days in a small raft. Blown miles off course from their original position, and deep into open waters, they eventually encounter a small uncharted island. Grateful to be alive, they begin their quest for survival, hopeful they’ll be rescued sooner than later.

But the island is not the paradise it appears to be. Instead, it is a place of horror, death, torture and evil, of terrible secrets thought long buried and forgotten. And they are not alone. Something guards those horrible secrets, something evil and relentlessly violent, an ancient horror born of rage and vengeance, a blood-crazed predator that lives to kill and will stop at nothing to protect the island from those intruding upon its dark legacy. The savage is loose, and there is no escape.

 

Seven friends who are supposed to be enjoying a glorious vacation are plunged into hell when they are hit by a ferocious storm at sea. With nothing but a raft too small to safely hold them, injured and lost, they wash ashore on a deserted jungle island with only the clothes on their backs and a will to survive. What could be worse than being stranded with no way to call for help? Finding out you aren't alone, and something on the island wants you dead! 

Nerves fray and tempers flare when there is no food, shelter, or rescue in sight.

Savages is a monster/slasher, a survival horror, and a history lesson all in one. I found myself researching after reading this book to learn more about something ghastly that was mentioned, which turned out to be true. Apparently, my public education history class was lacking because this horrific happening was news to me. 

Who will survive their time on this island? you'll have to read to find out.

4 out of 5 stars

*content warning-rape and gore*

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the review copy.

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Godland by Stuart R. West

 

An embittered farmer. A New York corporate raider. Two teenage high school girls. A failed small business owner. Past and present collide, secrets are revealed. These disparate people gather at a desolate Kansas farm for a hellish night not everyone will survive.

Godland is a dark psychological suspense horror thriller. 

A Midwestern nightmare. Farm noir.

Is it nature or nurture that creates a psychotic personality? Not that anyone was nurtured in Edwin's family. Edwin is a farmer who lives by his own twisted interpretation of the bible. To him, this means he is free to hand out frequent beatings and other physical and mental abuse to his wife and children. And don't get me started on what he considers to be a woman's job.

How did these children turn out you ask?

Well, that is something you will find out as you meet their adult selves and discover what brings Peter and Matt back to the farm for a most horrifying family reunion. 

This is a dark and disturbing read told from multiple points of view as we get into the heads of Edwin's grown sons. Inside of Peter's mind is an especially uncomfortable place to be. With a quick pace and loads of suspense, Godland kept me turning pages late into the night.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Grinning Skull Press.

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Classic Monsters Unleashed edited by James Aquilone

 

Stories of famous monsters in a new horror anthology edited by James Aquilone and featuring Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, and many others.

Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Moreau, the Headless Horseman, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Wicked Witch of the West—they're all here, in this collection of horror short stories that reimagine, subvert, and pay homage to our favorite monsters and creatures.

Written by the biggest names in the genre—including Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Owl Goingback, Richard Christian Matheson, Seanan McGuire, Maurice Broaddus, Dacre Stoker, Linda D. Addison, Alessandro Manzetti, Tim Waggoner, John Palisano, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Braunbeck, Rena Mason, and Monique Snyman.

The most famous monsters of yesterday are given new life today by multiple award winning authors in this entertaining new anthology.

There were not a lot of scares, but there was a lot of fun, some social commentary and even the Invisible Man was an allegory of today's social climate.

Several stories pay homage to Mary Shelley with reimaginings of Frankenstein and his monster.

We learn how The Wicked Witch of the West made flying monkeys, dabble in the dangers of artificial intelligence with a headless horseman, and more in this huge volume of stories and illustrations.

Not every story was a huge hit with me but that is not unusual with such a massive selection. Much like a box of assorted chocolates you can take what you like and leave the rest.

A few of my favorites were They Call Me Mother by Geneve Flynn but I am not going to tell you the classic monster it was derived from because I didn't know myself until nearly halfway through so I'm not going to spoil it for you.

She Creature from the Golden Cove by John Palisano in which a boat trip turns dangerous when a family stops to help what they think is a woman in trouble.

Dreams by F. Paul Wilson is about a woman who dreams she is a monster

Beautiful Monster by JG Faherty - is another Frankenstein's monster story with a sad twist and a female lead.

Give Me Your Hand by David Surface is a different sort of werewolf tale.

A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu in which a very captive audience hears and experiences a witchy story.

Moonlight Serenade by Gaby Triana was another very original werewolf tale.

These for me were the 5 star stories, your favorites may differ from mine.

I received an advance copy under no obligation to write a review.

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Mystery Road by Kevin Lucia

 Two Kevin Ellison Stories in One!

Mystery Road

Choices are like roads, taking us to destinations both planned and unexpected, but lofty thoughts like that are of no concern to young Kevin Ellison, who only cares about his dreams of basketball glory.

One day, however, while riding his bicycle to shoot baskets with his best friend, he comes across a side road he doesn't recognize, curving away into the woods. Intrigued, he rides down this unmarked road and encounters something both wonderful and quietly terrible, something that forever changes his understanding of the world...

A Night at Old Webb

Old Webb, an abandoned grammar school just outside Clifton Heights, is the place to be late summer nights in Webb County. A gathering place for friends to be themselves, away from grownups who have forgotten what it means to be young and free.

The summer of 1992, Kevin Ellison spent his Saturday nights there like everyone else. Everything was running according to plan: a college basketball scholarship, school, all the things everyone expected of him.

Then he met a girl named Michelle Titchner, and everything changed... 

You may need to have a box of tissues handy when reading this book, especially for the first novella Mystery Road, which is a beautiful, but melancholy ghost story.

Kevin Ellison is bracing himself for his father's passing. If you have ever lost a loved one to a long illness you know this feeling. While trying to be mentally prepared for the inevitable he is struck with a powerful memory that has been repressed for years.

When Kevin Ellison was fifteen, and on his way to play basketball with a friend he took a brief detour that lead him to the unexplained. Maybe he traveled through time, maybe he traveled to another plane of existence, or maybe a spirit with unfinished business just needed him to know that the end of life is not all there is.

Later, in A Night at Old Webb an unexpected package leads to a story about a college-aged Kevin and a bit of encouragement he received to follow his dreams.

The first story is more somber. The second is more uplifting, Both are beautifully written and stir up a wealth of emotion. If you're in the mood for a book that has all the feels. to raise a smile and a tear, this is it.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy under no obligation to write a review.

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Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi

 

For nearly two decades, Jamie Warren has been running from darkness. He's haunted by a traumatic childhood and the guilt at having disappeared from his disabled brother's life. But then a series of unusual events reunites him with his estranged brother and their childhood friends, and none of them can deny the sense of fate that has seemingly drawn them back together.

Nor can they deny the memories of that summer, so long ago – the strange magic taught to them by an even stranger man, and the terrible act that has followed them all into adulthood. In the light of new danger, they must confront their past by facing their futures, and hunting down a man who may very well be a monster. 

I have been a Ronald Malfi fan for several years. In fact, his previous book "Come With Me" is on my best horror of the year list for 2021

With half the year left to go, I can safely say that Black Mouth will be on my best horror of the year list for 2022.

Even though I had already pre-ordered this book I jumped at the chance to read it early when review copies became available.

The story follows four friends who suffered a traumatic experience while coming of age in a small town in West Virginia. What used to be a mining town is now a ghost of its former self after a horrific collapse that left miners trapped and left to die. It's said that you can still hear the ghosts that haunt what's left of the caves. Of these four friends the majority of the story surrounds Jamie, an abused and neglected boy who grew up to be an alcoholic, and his brother Dennis, a boy with special needs who grew up to be a gentle giant of a man with more wisdom than he is able to express.

Jamie is the first to discover the magic man but it's not long before he and his friends Clay and Mia are spending far too much time with this charming but devious stranger who dresses in a shabby, dirty, magician's costume and promises to teach them real magic and not just tricks...for a price.

Told on two timelines, the present day in which some strange goings-on have reunited these four, and the past in which we learn of the events that separated them, it brings about the creeping dread that somehow, just maybe this magician from twenty years ago has not aged a day and is still manipulating children to do his evil bidding.

I loved these characters, and the depth of their friendship, but Dennis was my favorite. I am a huge fan of small-town horror with unlikely heroes and the author has masterfully crafted these, with vivid descriptions that conjure up such striking imagery that I could almost smell the forest and feel the children's desperate need to believe in magic.

Black Mouth will be published on July 19, 2022 

5 out of 5 stars

I received a digital copy from Titan books under no obligation to write a review.

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Nightmare Abbey 1 Edited by Tom English

 

The first big volume of Nightmare Abbey features 19 tales of terror by such masters as Ramsey Campbell, Steve Duffy, Lynda E. Rucker, David Surface, Helen Grant, Gregory L. Norris, Robert Bloch, Douglas Smith, James Dorr, and others. Plus, articles on Jacques Tourneur's classic horror film I Walked With a Zombie, and the iconic TV fright series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Tons of photos and illustrations by Allen Koszowski. (From the creators of the popular Black Infinity series.)

This is the Premier issue of what I hope will be a long line of successful volumes from Dead Letter Press. Nightmare Abbey Volume one contains "a mix of literary horror, gothic terror, and classic weird tales."

In addition to the spooky stories, there are notes after each one to tell you a bit about the author, where the stories were first published and the titles of some other books their work has appeared in, in case you feel like adding another mile to your TBR list. (which I did.) I expect to return to this volume over and over, not just for the entertainment value but for those informative notes about other books.

There are some spectacular illustrations by Allen Koszowski throughout. 

I enjoyed the feeling of nostalgia brought on by the articles and photos of Kolchak, and I Walked With A Zombie. There are also some photos of one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock episodes, The Waxwork.

As for the stories themselves I had so many favorites.

Meeting The Author by Ramsey Campbell gave me chills!

The Graveyard Rats by Henry Kuttner is a creepy, crawly, claustrophobic story that I won't soon forget.

Snow by Helen Grant is a cautionary tale of why one should never break a promise. I don't think I have ever read this author previously but this story has made me want to read more from her.

Awake in the Hands of Solitude by Kurt Newton and John Boden is an eerie story about disembodied hands that do the evil bidding of a disabled man.

The Last Sighting of Black Dog by Tom English is for anyone who loves folk tales and urban legends as much as I do.

I was thrilled to see Catnip by Robert Bloch included in this volume. This is an older story I had never read before but had seen a tv adaptation of it on an episode of an old summer replacement TV series called Darkroom back in the 80s. I am a huge Robert Bloch fan even if I have seen more of his writing adapted for tv than I have read in books. The story as written by Bloch is much darker than was portrayed on television and I loved it.

Give Me Back My Name by David Surface is about a man who discovers it's harder than he thought to abandon his old life for new. This is an author I have never read before and I will definitely be looking for more from him.

It bears repeating that this is the first of what I hope will be many more volumes. Horror is my happy place and Nightmare Abbey has so much to offer. It's more than a great read, it's an immersive experience. It's brought me some pleasant memories of turning on the tv a half-hour early to get a good clear picture tuned in before Kolchak or Alfred Hitchcock started. The illustrations remind me of the days I'd go to the used book stores with my mom, her searching for horror novels she hadn't already read, and me searching through the horror comics that she would not have let me buy had she known what was inside. It's brought to my attention writers that I have missed out on and pointed me in the direction of where I will find more of their stories. 

Recommended to all fans of dark fiction, horror stories, and weird tales.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press.

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