Dead Cats of Civilization by Douglas Ford

 

From the author of The Beasts of Vissaria County and The Infection Party comes a novelette about natural disasters and the unspeakable things they awaken from the ocean’s depths. When a hurricane strikes his hometown, a young man rushes away from his new life so he can help with the recovery effort. He finds his old neighborhood dealing with the storm’s aftermath in some macabre ways, including the construction of a strange totem. Even worse, nothing can prepare him for the twisted horror that awaits him inside the walls of what he once called home.

This was a wild and weird short story about the aftermath of a hurricane. 

A young man drives for hours to get to his parents' home after a storm ravages their neighborhood.

The damage is still being assessed when he arrives so he is happy to see that his parents are among the living. However, they are not as happy to see him as he expected and they don't seem to want his help with repairs. In fact, they are reluctant to even let him in the house at all. I wondered what they were hiding in there but even my wildest guess could not have come close to what's been going on in there. 

This is not my usual type of read. I go for the scary over the stomach-churning, but it's a well written story if you can handle it. Be warned, it's pretty gross in their bathroom and it's not just from the flood waters or the stench of fish.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Douglas Ford for the Kindle copy.

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Bruises on a Butterfly by Chad Lutzke

 

A young boy runs away from his abusive home to live in the fort he'd built with friends, smack dab in the middle of a Michigan cornfield. But when a cosmic discovery one night warps reality into a mutating nightmare, it's up to loyal friends to fix what they can, and bury what they can't.

A dark coming-of-age tale that fuses COLOR OUT OF SPACE with STAND BY ME.

Expected publication January 1, 2024

From the opening lines of the prologue, it's clear that someone will not survive this story. Two young boys stand at a grave they have visited often, but we don't know which two are above ground and which friend is buried. It's just enough to provide a taste of things to come. To cast a shadow of foreboding over this heart-stopping coming-of-age tale.

Three best friends, 12 year old Taylor, Jackie, and Kevin do everything together. Their friendship and loyalty to one another is fierce. But one in this trio is not like the others. Jackie and Kevin have normal happy homes. Taylor lives with constant abuse and neglect. His home life is a never ending torment. His friends know that his father hits him but they have no idea the depths of suffering he endures. Taylor doesn't speak about it, and out of respect for his privacy, they never ask.

When Taylor has taken more than he can stand, he leaves a note that guarantees he can never return home and goes off to spend the night with his friends in a fort they have built. He has no plans for what he'll do when the night is over, he only knows he never wants to see his father again. 

Secrets will come out, and a twist of fate will change everything this night.

I finished this book in one sitting. I almost never do that, but once I started there was no way I could stop. It put me through a gamut of emotions from rage, to hope, to sorrow. Chad Lutzke is an expert at testing your empathy by writing characters that are impossible not to connect with.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.

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THE BEDMAKERS by Chad Lutzke and John Boden

 

After two elderly men tire of their homelessness in downtown Chicago 1979, they hop a train in search of work out west. But before their last stop, a traumatic event in an empty train car steers their once-hopeful journey into a path of chaos filled with deceit, murder, graverobbing, and dormant secrets.

Once in a while, I take a break from horror to read something different. It takes a gifted storyteller to pull my attention out of my horror novels so it doesn't happen often. When I saw this collaboration from Chad Lutzke and John Boden there was just no way I was going to be able to concentrate on any other book before reading The Bedmakers.

So who are The Bedmakers? I'm glad you asked.

Calvin and Eugene are former servicemen and homeless best friends facing hard times in 1979 Chicago. They decide to head out west for the warmer climate and possible work.

 Even though they share everything, one is keeping a secret from the other, or at least he's trying to... On the way they run across some shocking trouble but that's nothing compared to what they find when they settle in at their destination. A quaint little town they think of as Mayberry has some secrets of its own and a few dangerous residents.

Eugene and Calvin have such a genuine friendship that I couldn't help but fall in love with both of them. They are the kind of gentlemen I'd be happy to sit down and share a conversation with or invite to my table for a meal, and if anyone said a word against them or their too worn out clothes I'd smack them. Although for elderly gentlemen they do quite well at defending themselves and each other when needed.

I still feel a little emotionally hungover from this story. If you are looking for a book with all the feels this is it.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

Expected publication date February 13 2024

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The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Belanger

Step into the dark roots of Christmas past where the Krampus punishes the bad boys and girls.

Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us. Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs. There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those who need it.
The Fright Before Christmas  will delve into the folklore of Krampus and his friends with the elf-like Tomten and the goblinesque Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope they can save us from ourselves.  

The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light. The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It’s the shortest day of the year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn’t rise at all. It’s dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with  The Fright Before Christmas you'll see the other side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.

Be good or the Krampus will get you!

Just a super quick review today because I'm still on a break.

The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Belanger is a well-researched, entertaining, and informative look at the history of Christmas, Santa, Krampus, Belsnickel, The Yule Cat, and more. It includes the traditions, beliefs, and origins of Christmas trees, wreaths and several winter time creatures that I was not familiar with. I quite enjoyed it.

This is a must read for anyone who loves folklore as well as Christmas. I never knew where the tradition of hanging garlands came from or why we kiss under the mistletoe. I learned this and so much more in this fascinating and educational book. The illustrations are spectacular too!

5 out of 5 stars

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Twelve Days of Christmas Horror Volume 3 by Rick Wood

 

The third Christmas horror anthology from horror master Rick Wood...

Featuring such stories
- Santa Vs Krampus
- Charades With a Side of Rage
- Carolling With Killers
- Christmas in Hell
- Christmas Night of the Living Year Two
(and much more...)

It's time to bring a little horror to the festivities...

Having enjoyed the first two volumes of Twelve Days of Christmas Horror I looked forward to this final installment. 

Unfortunately for me, this did not live up to my expectations. Some of the sarcastic wit is still present but the dark humor that I so loved in the previous volumes was not up to par. 

There were only two stories that I enjoyed. The majority of this book was more flat than fearsome. 

Also, I don't know if it was done purposely or if there was a mishap at the printer but my copy has no page numbers until you get to 104 and then they end at 114 even though the book continues on for several more pages. It just added to the feeling that not much effort was put into this volume.

You may enjoy it more than I did, but this one was just not for me.

2 out of 5 stars

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Best Horror of 2023

Another year of great books has gone by and I have been privileged to have a front-row seat for some fabulous reading. These are my picks for the Best Horror of 2023. The title links will take you to the book synopsis, review, author information if available on Goodreads, and Amazon page. If you're looking for something spectacular to read allow me to recommend any or all of these twelve books.

DMV by Bentley Little       All Hallows by Christopher Golden      

Lone Women by Victor LaValle       The Broken Places by Blaine Daigle      

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca     

Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor

Conjuring The Witch by Jessica Leonard  Guests by Kealan Patrick Burke

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy  Nightmare Abbey 3    The Dead Pennies by Robert Ford

Riding The Nightmare by Lisa Tuttle