The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

 

Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.

And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women— or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, THE BUSINESS TRIP takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

This book started out strong. We first meet Jasmine as she is smack in the middle of sneaking away from her abusive boyfriend. It reminded me of The Invisible Man. Not the original, the new version where she tries to escape in the night without waking him. It was so suspenseful, and I was holding my breath every time she made the slightest noise.

From there, we meet Stephanie as she prepares for a business trip. These women have never met and have polar opposite lives but they will meet on the plane, with shocking consequences.

I usually have no problem with stories that are told from multiple points of view, but this seemed excessive to me. There is Jasmine's point of view, her boyfriend's point of view, her friend's and a coworker at the bar. Then there is Stephanie's point of view, her neighbor's, several of her co-workers, a person at the hotel, a couple of police press conferences and combined with some flashbacks of Jasmine's teen years it was just too much switching around for me.

I enjoyed the beginning and the clever ending of this book but I was frustrated and sometimes bored with the middle. The parts of the book about the newsroom, the convention, and meetings in the hotel were too long for me. I know that some of it was necessary to the plot, but I wanted to get back to the suspense.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the invitation to read this book.

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Hotel Macabre Vol.1: Tales of Horror Edited by Joe Mynhardt

 

Step into the halls of Hotel Macabre, where horror meets innovation.

Where horror knows no bounds…

And every turn reveals a new nightmare.

Hotel Macabre Vol.1 is not your typical horror anthology. It’s an immersive experience that breaks the boundaries of conventional storytelling. This one-of-a-kind collection gathers the chilling voices of horror’s most imaginative minds, presenting a rich blend of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, a suspenseful play, a novella, and even an illustrated comic book section, guaranteeing a diverse feast for horror fans like never before.

Whether you crave the suspense of flash horror, the depth of a full-bodied short story, or the haunting rhythm of dark poetry, Hotel Macabre Vol.1 has it all. And for those looking for something truly unique, this anthology includes a link to an exclusive dramatic reading, bringing the terror to life in a way you’ve never heard before. Each story and poem opens a door to new terrors, while the comic and play sections add a visual and theatrical thrill, making this anthology a must-read for fans of horror anthologies and short horror stories alike.

Dare to enter Hotel Macabre and discover a groundbreaking anthology that will redefine your expectations of horror.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

In this volume you will meet a killer who hides in plain sight, take a bus trip with some elderly folks, catch up with a pair of long lost sweethearts, get buried alive, visit a haunted house, and more.

I especially liked the story about a young man afflicted with a strange series of stretch marks that seem to be spreading for no known medical reason at an alarming rate, and the story about a murder of crows that seek vengeance on behalf of a woman who was kind to them.

I enjoyed this anthology, but to be honest, I am not the target audience for flash fiction. The longer stories and dark poetry were my favorite parts of this book. There is something for everyone in this eclectic mix whether you prefer your horror in small bite sized pieces or are looking for a full course meal of terror.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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Nightmare Abbey 7 Edited by Tom English

Unlucky 7th mammoth volume of this critically-acclaimed horror magazine/book.

Ghosts, Gods, Ghouls & Grotesques!

11 terrifying tales by today's top writers

EC Comics' Ghoulunatics (The Hideous History of American Horror Comics #4)

Hammer Film's Greatest: The Devil Rides Out

New Horror Delve List: 13 Scariest Christmas horror tales ever

Heavily illustrated with photos and art

Illustrations by World Fantasy Award-winner Allen Koszowski

Latest report on Dear Abbey and the Hound from Hell

Don't miss out on this Special Edition!

Get it before IT gets YOU! 

This was my seventh visit to Nightmare Abbey, and as always I was entertained not only by the fiction, but also the articles. I especially enjoyed Matt Cowan's Horror Delve into the 13 scariest Christmas horror stories ever, which led me to do a bit of Christmas shopping for myself. I love Christmas horror so I searched out and purchased a collection that includes a story from this list. It always amazes me that even though I have read and watched so much horror over the years Nightmare Abbey manages to surprise me with information on old movies that I never knew about or stories that I missed reading.

The photos and illustrations add to the immersive experience.

Then there are the stories, clever and dangerous little tales that crawled into my brain and stuck there. Does a locked room hold marionettes from a long forgotten stage show? Or does it keep a more sinister secret?  An alcoholic department store Santa has an unforgettable Christmas Eve, A content creator who often fakes the segments for a web series stumbles into something unbelievable. A man gets into an itchy situation when he becomes too acquainted with his weird new neighbors, a story about zombies, and more. 

Nightmare Abbey belongs in every horror lovers collection. It is a wealth of expertly crafted stories, knowledge, and entertainment. If you enjoy dark fiction and amazing artwork this is for you.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press.

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Strange Stones by Edward Lee and Mary San Giovanni

 

Professor Everard, weird fiction scholar and proclaimed critic of H.P Lovecraft's works, is no stranger to making people mad. Giving convention presentations on the triteness and melodrama of Lovecraft's work pays the bills, though. Sometimes he even gets laid.

When he angers a beautiful but dangerous witch and devotee of Lovecraft's work, she casts a spell on him, sending him to a dimension where Lovecraft's works are very real – and very deadly. Everard must find a way through this alternate dimension to get home, before the worst of Lovecraft's horrors prove what a master of monstrosities he really was.

Edward lee’s humorous transgressive style meets Mary San Giovanni’s literary touch to carve out the Lovecraftian dimensions that is Strange Stones.

A scholar of weird fiction gives a talk on his new book about the works of Lovecraft. Not in honor of his writing but to denigrate it. This offends most people in attendance, and ruins his hopes for any sort of sex-capades with attendees, but one in particular has the power to make him regret his words. 

Strange Stones presents us with the smarmy and unlikable character, Professor Everard. Normally, I would say that I can't enjoy a story if I don't like at least one character. This is the book that proved the exception to that rule. I did enjoy thinking to myself that the professor deserved what he got. 

When he angers a witch, he finds himself in a Lovecraftian multiverse from which he may never escape. 

I have not read a whole lot of Lovecraft so I was not familiar with all of the references. Still, I enjoyed this humorous and raunchy visit through the Mythos.

My thanks to CLASH Books

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Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan

 

A grieving mother and son hope to survive Christmas in a remote mountain cabin, in this chilling novella of dread, isolation and demons lurking in the frozen woods. Perfect for fans of The Only Good Indians, The Shining and The Babadook.

Two weeks ago, Christine Sinclaire's husband slipped off the roof while hanging Christmas lights and fell to his death on the front lawn. Desperate to escape her guilt and her grief, Christine packs up her fifteen-year-old son and the family cat and flees to the cabin they'd reserved deep in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds to wait out the holidays.

It isn't long before Christine begins to hear strange noises coming from the forest. When she spots a horned figure watching from between frozen branches, Christine assumes it's just a forest animal—a moose, maybe, since the property manager warned her about them, said they'd stomp a body so deep into the snow nobody'd find it 'til spring. But moose don't walk upright like the shadowy figure does. They don't call Christine's name with her dead husband's voice.

Christmas is not the most wonderful time of year when you're in mourning, and that is how we find Christine and her teenage son in this gripping story of grief horror. Christine blames herself for her husband's recent death. She insisted on helping him hang the Christmas lights. If not for that, they would be preparing to spend the holiday as a family, in the remote cabin he reserved. Instead, it's just Christine and her son Billy, along with the family cat headed into the mountains. The relationship between mother and son is strained, and she is sure that it's because he wishes it was her that died instead of his father.

I think you would need to be in the right head space to handle this book. It's not something I would recommend if you already have holiday depression. There is a lot of emotional pain and suffering in this novella. It's not your typical family stranded in the snow with possible monsters in the woods. It's no ordinary creature feature or slasher. There are supernatural elements, but the main focus is grief and guilt and loss. Christine is plagued by intrusive thoughts. She is starting to hear voices before their road trip even begins, and her grief is heavier than the snowfall that keeps them trapped at the cabin. Once there she begins to see a horned figure that shape shifts from semi human to possible animal. She has been warned about the dangers of moose in the area so she tries to convince herself that's what she's seeing. But the mind is a powerful thing, even when it's broken. Maybe even more so. I could feel how alone she felt, even with her son in the room. This was a quick read that left me unsettled and hurt my heart.

4 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Titan Books.

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Best Horror of 2024

 I've made my list, I've checked it twice, the following books are more creepy than nice!

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 2024. 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 fourteen books. Yes you read that right, I could not pare the number down to my usual 12 top picks this year.

Behind by Bentley Little,  This Skin Was Once Mine And Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca 

Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman,  Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer,  When The Night Falls By Glenn Rolfe

The Damage Done by Tony Tremblay,   The Darkest Night edited by Lindy Ryan

Killed By Death by Matthew Weber,   These Things That Walk Behind Me by David Surface

Down Into The Sea by Dan Franklin,   The Taste Of Tiny Bones by Vincent Heselwood

 

                                           We All Go Into The Dark by Kevin Lucia

                                            The Crone: Don't Ever Let Her In by Kevin Bachar

The Crone: Don't Ever Let Her In by Kevin Bachar

Paul and Tina Nimos are like a lot of young married couples, they’re madly in love but finances are putting a strain on their relationship. Their home renovation business is struggling, and with a new baby in the house, bills are piling up. When Paul finds a cheap house to buy and flip, he thinks their problems are solved. It’s an older New England home, with plenty of history and once it’s repaired it should command a great price.

But as Paul and Tina begin the daunting task of restoring the new house, they struggle with the reconstruction. It seems the home doesn’t want to be repaired. As they fall behind in their renovation they realize that unexplained forces are conspiring against them and that helpful friends might not be who they seem.

Soon the couple realizes that a Crone could be the source of their troubles. But it might be too late, as the house and the Crone prepare to extract a horrific toll from Paul, Tina, and their baby. Will they be able to fight back against a centuries-old evil? The Crone, don’t ever let her in.

Paul and Tina Nimos are house flippers, but not the kind that are getting rich off a real estate boon. They and their young daughter move from one fixer upper to the next, renovating and moving on to another dilapidated home every few months. Paul is sure that the next house will be their gold mine, but Tina is fed up with chasing the rainbow for the pot of gold that never comes. Finances are the biggest fight in their marriage. That, coupled with a tragic incident in their past would be more than enough to break some marriages. When Paul sees "Hex House," he is compelled to buy it even though they are already deeply in debt. When he shows the house to Tina, she also falls under it's spell, and they agree to make this their forever home. Creepy happenings ensue!

This book would fit right in with old school 80s horror and I loved it. The struggling family and marriage issues are totally relatable. The ancient witch who preys on their vulnerabilities makes for a classic good vs. evil story which is one of my favorite horror tropes. The dark past of Hex House is steeped in folk horror and the spooky atmosphere made for a shivery good time without an excess of gore. I couldn't put it down and nearly let my Thanksgiving potatoes boil over because I just had to read one more page. Read this book when you can devote all of your time to it because you won't be able to focus on anything else until you reach the end.

My thanks to Kevin Bachar.

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Bloodlines: Horror's Past, Present, and Future

 

Bloodlines is a new eBook series from celebrated publisher Cemetery Dance Publications, bringing together hallmark voices from horror's past, present, and those who represent the genre's future. Featuring a diverse range of voices and styles, Bloodlines seeks to continue the traditions of anthologies which have gone before, such as the vaunted Shadows, Whispers, Masques, and Year's Bester Horror. Each story will have a blackout poem as its epigraph, composed by Stoker-Nominated Poet Jessica McHugh.

Featured in this edition:

"Buckeye Jim in Egypt," by Mort Castle

"The Invention of Ghosts," by Gwendolyn Kiste

"Paint Box, Puzzle Box," by D. T. Friedman

"The Night We Buried Road Dog," by Jack Cady

"The Night Wire," by H. F. Arnold

This anthology features five previously published stories in one volume, curated by Kevin Lucia.

All of the stories were new to me and I will just touch briefly on the ones I loved the most.

My favorites were the stories by Mort Castle and Gwendolyn Kiste.

Buckeye Jim In Egypt takes place in a mining town in the days when racism ran rampant and union busters were a popular way for greedy employers to beat any thought of fair wages or safe working conditions out of your head. There is a warning at the beginning concerning the language of that day being used. You may find it offensive but it would not have been effective to pretend that isn't how some people spoke back then (and sadly some still do.)  It is a story of racism, greed and religion and put me in mind of that old 90's song that went something like What if God was one of us?

"Just a slob like one of us. Just a stranger on the bus, Trying to make his way home?"

 Ok so Buckeye Jim is not God per se but he is more than a man and he will bring both his wrath and benevolence to town. I loved this story. It's loaded with suspense and it was satisfying when a certain someone got their comeuppance.

The Invention of Ghosts is a story of  college roommates and best friends since childhood, that slowly drift apart. One wants to move on while the other wants things to stay as they are. Can a living person be a ghost? Maybe they can if they want it badly enough. This witchy story was both spooky and sad. Chances are that none of us are the same people we once were. We grow and change and evolve. What happens to those bits of ourselves that we've outgrown? It made me wonder if those pieces of ourselves go on without us instead of the other way around. This is an unforgettable tale.

The other stories were just ok for me. I did not actively dislike them but they didn't wow me.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.

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We All Go Into the Dark by Kevin Lucia

 It's waiting for us, regardless of who we are. Banker. Lawyer. Teacher. Carpenter. No matter our station in life, someday, we will all go into the dark. And no town is more acquainted with darkness than Clifton Heights, NY. So take your chance and step into the dark throughout these four

Zootown: A lost man seeking a new purpose and life finds something ancient and sinister in the ruins of a carny town just outside Clifton Heights.

The Man Who Sits in His Chair: There is a man who sits in his chair in front of his house, just across from The Motor Lodge in Clifton Heights. Why does he sit there? What does he see? A corporate lawyer on vacation will find out, much to his despair.

In the Court of the Spider A photography enthusiast visits Clifton Heights to photograph the area’s spiders, and discovers a dark eldritch secret huddled in the ruins of the Freivald Health and Wellness Spa, out on Bassler Road.

To Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth: The burned out and cynical host of the paranormal YouTube show Ghost Coasters finds something to believe in again as he searches the ruins of Raedeker Park Amusement Park for ghosts, and finds something much worse.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive

We All Go Into The Dark is a chilling quartet of novellas featuring abandoned places, ghosts, grief, guilt, and folklore all tied together in the mysterious town of Clifton Heights.

In Zootown, a man is intrigued by a beautiful stranger and decides to camp out in an abandoned spot he's been warned away from. Why do people in horror always ignore these warnings? I'll tell you why. It's so that I can enjoy the chilling consequences from the safety of my cozy reading spot.

Car troubles leave a man stranded at the Motor Lodge in Clifton Heights and leads to unraveling the mystery of The Man Who Sits In His Chair. Unfortunately some secrets are best left to the unknown. Once you find out it's too late to run.

In the Court of the Spider A nature photographer who is currently on the hunt for spiders makes a terrifying discovery in an abandoned spa. This creepy crawly story gave me the heebie-jeebies!

The host of a streaming paranormal show receives an online suggestion to visit the ruins of Raedeker Amusement Park in To Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth. This abandoned theme park went out of business after several deaths on the property. Do their spirits remain? Or has his own past caught up to him?

I need a way to rate this book 20 stars. 4 novellas at 5 stars each leaves the math not mathing on sites that only allow 5 stars!

Each novella is genuinely scary, in that delightfully shivery way that this horror lover craves. Kevin Lucia has knocked it out of the park with this one. It will be on my best horror of the year list.

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

 

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

This is a story of poverty and class, the power of dreams, strange creatures, and revenge.

Opal is a young woman who has been plagued by strange dreams involving the crumbling gothic mansion known as Starling House. She has been raising her little brother ever since their mother's death. Some faked records and a free motel room allowed her to keep him even though she was only 15 at the time. A dead end job and occasional petty thievery have kept them afloat. She doesn't want much for herself, but she is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure her brother has a better life than he can have in this small, secretive, dying town, even if it involves working for the owner of the house she's been warned to stay away from. 

I loved Opal and her brother Jasper. By the end I even loved the grouchy motel owner. I'm not usually one to read romantasy, but throw in a dark gothic vibe with a mystery in a crumbling house that seems to be coming to life and I'm all in!

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Books for this gorgeous illustrated paperback.

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Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden

Dangerous creatures, neglected kids and dejected employees face the weird, odd and perilous. Enter a world where possessed pageant girls get their revenge, a pigeon leads to an underground cult, and a video game mod threatens to unleash hell itself. Enjoy fourteen stories of spite, mischief, and malevolence!
  

This book was wild! 

In reading this I have taken a surreal trip through strange worlds beginning with a sentient Turducken that has escaped its packaging and discovered the internet.

A boy is helped out of his abusive home life by his cousin.

There is a video game console unlike any other, that empowers real-life avatars with incredible abilities.

A prank goes way too far in Slug Slick 

Stage-Mothers lose the upper hand in Pageant

Friends who share an ulterior motive take a road trip down memory lane in SparrowEyes

A group of "mean girls" get physical with an unfortunate woman who has a shocking  secret in Gut Punch.

These are stories of the strange and macabre, unlike anything I have ever read before. Rebecca Gransden has created a unique and unnerving collection.

My thanks to the author for the ARC

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Black Magick: 13 Tales of Darkness, Horror & the Occult Edited by Raven Digitalis

 Darkness is interpretive. It’s in our nature to explore the shadows. Through the 13 stories presented in Black Magick, compiled and edited by award-winning occult author Raven Digitalis, the reader is transported into mysterious settings that blur the line between fiction and reality.

Each story uniquely integrates occultism and magick, deepening the mysteries of the shadow. By acknowledging darkness through the written medium, we can better come to terms with the darkness within ourselves.

Black Magick is a distinctive collection of modern occult fiction. Esoteric themes permeate 13 engrossing stories, invoking a sense of wonder and terror. The stories within this anthology explore occult themes across eras and cultures, proving to be both entertaining and educational.

These haunting tales are finely crafted by a wide variety of writers, and each story is uniquely different from the other.

When we bravely explore the darker aspects of life, we more accurately come to know what it means to be human.

This! This is exactly what I mean when I say I love dark fiction. These unsettling stories are some of the best I've read this year. 

A diverse cast of characters find themselves in unnerving situations, abusive relationships, love, lust, obsession, and misplaced trust, all under the dark cloak of magic and the occult.

I have always wanted to befriend a crow and have it leave me little trinkets. I've often left them nuts and berries but they rarely return. After reading about a student who rescued one I think I'll just mind my own business and let them mind theirs.

A woman in love with the idea of love, though no man can ever meet her expectations sets her sights on a new conquest. They have never met but she is sure she can make him hers.

A witch settles in to her new home while on a trial separation from her husband, in a town where witches are unwelcome. 

A man in an abusive relationship finally sees his lover for what he truly is.

A lonely man accepts a dangerous invitation from a stranger he meets while shopping in the small town where he is stuck waiting for his car to be repaired.

These stories are all delightfully disturbing and kept my dark little heart entertained for hours.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Raven Digitalis

Available for Pre-order

Stories contained:

1. Candle Magic by Storm Constantine

2. Spanish Jones by Adele Cosgrove-Bray

3. 3:33 by Rhea Troutman

4. Entombed by Corvis Nocturnum

5. Fata Morgana by S.M. Lomas

6. Automatic Writing by Gabrielle Faust

7. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

8. Don’t Forget to Feed by Miranda S. Hewlett

9. The Night Everything Changed by Raven Digitalis

10. ReBound by Tracy Cross

11. Captured by Jaclyn M. Ciminelli

12. Red Gifts by Daniel Adam Rosser

13. The Iconoclasts by Mona Fitzgerald-King

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: Volume 5 Edited by Paula Guran

 From the back cover :

This outstanding annual exploration of the year's best dark fiction journeys into the shadows to deliver nineteen tales of the haunted, weirdly surreal, evil incarnate, frightening futures, and much more.

I loved volume 4 of this anthology so I was beyond thrilled when volume 5 showed up at my door unexpectedly. 

Horror is my happy place and I have loved anthologies for as long as I can remember. I'm like a kid in a candy store any time I open one. There's just so much to choose from. There are so many delightfully dark tales here. 

If I had to pick a favorite it would be Return To Bear Creek Lodge by Tananarive Due where a family gathers as their mother is dying. It takes place in the 1970s and reminds me of how terribly afraid I was of my own grandmother. Is that an awful thing to admit? Oh well, it's done now and it takes a damned good horror story to dredge up my own past trauma.

I also loved The Dark House by A.C. Wise, partly because it takes place in my own state of Rhode Island. There's a mystery surrounding the life and death of a photographer whose many photos featured a particular house that is now abandoned but not necessarily empty. When curiosity leads people to its unlocked door some things are best left undiscovered.

A reminder of the cruelty of children, and the cruelty of being a child can be found in The Demon Lord Of Broken Concrete by Alex Irvine.

Not all of the stories in this anthology are scary but they are all wonderfully weird and creepy in their own way. 

My thanks to Pyr Books.

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Movie Review - Alien Country

 

A swarm of alien creatures has invaded the small town of “Blue River.” Now Jimmy, and his pregnant girlfriend, Everly must work together to stop the monsters, or the planet and their relationship is doomed.

If  love really conquers all, how will it stack up in a no-holds-barred arena battle against extra-terrestrial monsters?

When Jimmy Walker, a local demolition derby driver, finds out his girlfriend Everly is pregnant, he figures it's the toughest news he'll get that day. Yet, somehow, the two of them also manage to accidentally open a mysterious portal, and a horde of bio-engineered alien creatures are set loose in the small desert town of Blue River.  In a race against time, these soon-to-be parents must quickly learn to work together and stop the invasion, or their town, their planet, and their relationship will be annihilated.

I was invited to watch an early screener of this comedy/sci-fi

ALIEN COUNTRY will release on October 22 on digital and streaming platforms, including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Vimeo, DirecTV, Dish Network, Dish Digital, and local cable & satellite providers.

Everly has dreams of leaving her small town and becoming a singer. These hopes are interrupted when Jimmy, (her baby daddy-to-be) accidentally opens a portal that allows aliens through, and they do not come in peace.

 From there it's up to this bickering couple and a small cast of zany characters to fight them off and save the town.

What I liked:

KC Clyde and Renny Grames as the bumbling Jimmy and Everly have good on screen chemistry and their back and forth squabbling was amusing, but also made me care about whether  or not they would end up together. 

Barta Heiner as Nana, the kooky grandma was endearing and hilarious at the same time. 

What I didn't like:

The alien creatures weren't seen in much detail. In most scenes, they were just zipping by so fast that you barely get a look at them probably due to a low budget for special effects. In the only scene I recall with a close-up that lasted more than a split second the alien just didn't look that impressive.

All things considered, it was an entertaining 97 minutes that I rated 6 out of 10 stars on IMDB

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I Believe in Mister Bones by Max Booth III

The email’s subject line reads DO YOU BELIEVE IN MISTER BONES?
 

The recipient: Daniel Addams, one half of the Texas small press known as Fiendish Books, co-run with his wife Eileen.

Despite being closed for submissions, curiosity gets the best of him and he takes a look at the anonymous author’s bizarre manuscript—only to find himself obsessed with the titular Mister Bones, a mysterious entity rumored to steal your bones as you sleep, one by one, until he's replaced your entire skeleton with an unknown substance.

But is Mister Bones real, and has Daniel unintentionally summoned him?

Or, as Eileen suspects, has he finally cracked from stress and lost his mind?

From the writer of WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING and ABNORMAL STATISTICS comes Max Booth III’s I BELIEVE IN MISTER BONES, a harrowing exploration of indie horror publishing, internet curses, and the universal terror of the human skeleton.

Daniel and his wife Eileen are small press publishers preparing to host a book festival when a weird email pops up in Daniel's inbox with the subject I Believe In Mister Bones. Since they are closed to submissions, he ignores it. Unfortunately, he is unable to stop thinking about it. He retrieves the email from his trash and soon becomes obsessed with it. Before long, he starts to believe in Mister Bones, a supernatural being that steals the bones of its victims and replaces them with an unknown substance.

This was such a fun read because it alternated between hilarious and creepy scenes. I loved the back-and-forth banter between Daniel and Eileen. I personally have anxiety over all things medical and I can relate to not having health insurance so one of my favorite parts of the book was their visit to the only doctor they could afford.

I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys a touch of satire with a splash of comedy mixed into horror.

My thanks to Book Sirens.

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No Road Home by John Fram

 

For years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright—the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose, Old Testament preaching—he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.

A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood might have some very strange plans for Toby and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed through the heart on the roof of the family’s mansion.

Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murder to be afraid of. And as the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son.

After a whirlwind romance, single dad Toby marries wealthy Alyssa Wright, the granddaughter of a famous televangelist. The newlyweds along with Toby's young son Luca are headed to the Wright family compound, for what Toby thinks is Alyssa's birthday celebration. 

Before long, bigotry, cryptic messages, and a murder mystery occur and Toby realizes he needs to take Luca and escape this family's evil plan for his son, but a sudden storm and washed-out roads make leaving impossible and lack of phone or internet prevent calling for help.

The first thing I have to do is disagree with the blurb that claims Toby must "protect his queer son" Luca is a very sweet and sensitive child who has not labeled himself queer so let's not do it for him. There is a line in the book that strongly suggests he may be transgender, which does not equal queer. Not everyone who is transgender is gay.

Anyway back to the story, the Wrights are not the only ones with secrets. There are mysteries and traumas in Toby's past. Toby has unbearable memories that he tries to lock away in his mind. To repress the pain of his sister's death, the loss of his parents, his troubled childhood and the truth about Luca 's mom.

I can't say much else about the plot without spoiling it, so I will just say it is intricate and twisty and I never saw that ending coming. The author has managed to weave together a story of corruption, revenge redemption and the supernatural and kept all these plates spinning at once while never dropping one.

My thanks to Atria Books.

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Dastardly Damsels Edited by Suzie Lockhart

 

A transcendental anthology of women in horror, altering all you know by revamping traditional lore while exploring the unfathomable and the obscure.

Prepare yourself for a harrowing journey through Dastardly Damsels, an anthology that redefines horror with a powerful lineup of female authors. This collection dares to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and the supernatural, presenting a diverse range of chilling narratives that will captivate and unsettle you.

This was an awesome anthology of short stories and poems by a talented group of women who know what horror is all about.

A drug addict gets clean but with horrifying results, an Indian goddess of misfortune teaches a racist jerk the error of his ways, a young girl meets her secret crush in the woods but danger lurks, a babysitter has ulterior motives, an artist puts herself into her work...

There are just so many great stories in here.

Tales of werewolves, witches, unearthly beings, and a version of Snow White that the Brothers Grimm would never have dared to tell were among my many favorites.

I loved the suspense and psychological twists. There is even a sentient elevator that is displeased when the elderly elevator operator is fired. 

I laughed, I cheered, and I sometimes cringed. These ladies are not afraid to spill their guts or yours to have a good time.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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The Nightmarchers by J. Lincoln Fenn

 

In 1939, on a remote Pacific island, botanical researcher Irene Greer plunges off a waterfall to her death, convinced the spirits of her dead husband and daughter had joined the nightmarchers—ghosts of ancient warriors that rise from their burial sites on moonless nights. But was it suicide, or did a strange young missionary girl, Agnes, play a role in Irene's deteriorating state of mind?

It all seems like ancient family history to Julia Greer, who has enough problems of her own. A struggling journalist, she’s recovering from a divorce and is barely able to make rent, let alone appeal the court’s decision to give sole custody of their daughter to her ex-husband. When her elderly great-aunt offers her an outrageously large sum to travel to this remote island and collect samples of a very special flower, as well as find out what really happened to her sister Irene all those years ago, Julia thinks her life might finally be on an upward swing. She’s also tasked to connect with the island’s Church of Eternal Light, which her great-aunt suspects knows more about Irene’s tragic death than they’ve said.

But Julia finds this place isn’t so quick to give up its secrets. The Church is tight-lipped about the deaths that have contributed to its oddly large cemetery, as well as Irene’s final fate. The only person who seems to know more is a fellow traveler, Noah Cooper, who thinks that Julia's not the only one on a mission to find the rare flower...which, if the rumors are true, could have world-changing properties.

What Julia does know is that the longer she stays on the island, the more the thin line begins to blur between truth and lies, reality and the fantastical...until she finds herself face to face with the real reason why the island is taboo....

This was a slow burn, twisty mystery. It took some time to get to the horror. I was intrigued by the opening which starts off with journal entries from the now deceased Irene Greer. Her writings are increasingly more alarming as we are not sure if she has spiraled into madness or been besieged by something supernatural.

In the present day, we meet her descendant Julia, who is struggling with finances and depression because her ex-husband has left her with nothing after their divorce. With no way to pay her bills and no way to scrape up funds to visit her daughter, she accepts a strange offer from her great aunt, the sister of Irene, to travel to the island where Irene died to find out what really led to her demise all those years ago.

I liked the atmosphere of this mysterious island. What was once a religious group in Irene's day has turned into a cult in the present day. I liked Julia but I didn't care for the way every negative or intrusive thought she had was attributed to her ex-husband.

 I enjoyed the parts about the past and the secrets that were revealed in Julia's family. The scientific parts didn't always work for me. There is a lot going on here. Science, horror, the mysterious properties of the island, family secrets, dark history... It was a lot to take in. Knowledge is power but some things are best left undisturbed!

My thanks to Gallery Books

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American Rapture by C.J. Leede

 

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin.

Sophie is a 16 year old girl who has never had a friend or been allowed to attend any classes other than at church. To say she has had a sheltered life is an understatement. Raised by devout Catholics who believe that even the simplest, most innocent of pleasures are sins, Sophie is not allowed TV or music, and her reading choices are monitored. There is nobody she can trust or confide in ever since her parents sent her twin brother away for his sins.

When the virus hits, the most protected are the least prepared. As Sophie tries to make her way to reunite with her brother across a dangerous land that she would have already found frightening in normal times, she will meet many obstacles, the least of which is a challenge to all her beliefs and everything she has ever been taught.

I wasn't sure I was ready to read about another virus. Throw in a coming-of-age tale during the end of the world as we know it, and the next thing I knew I had devoured 80 pages when I only meant to take a peek at the first chapter. The dangers lurk on every corner. The infected are not only spreading the virus but are fueled by lust and unnatural strength. The ultra-religious believe it is God's will and a cleansing of the earth. Sophie is a brilliant girl but with zero street smarts from living such an isolated existence. Can she survive? The characters she meets along the way will help shape her path, be they villains or saviors. American Rapture is a fast-paced, violent, and bloody trek across the Midwest with an ending that ripped my heart out.  

This was my first read by this author and I intend to change that as soon as possible.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the Hardcover copy

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Haunted Halls by W. A. Roberts

 

Children were never supposed to go inside the house. Kasey and her young son, Max, are about to find out why... Kasey doesn't understand why her grandmother was so against having children in the house, why the old woman even stayed in the guest quarters in the back instead of within the stately home. But after her grandmother's death, Kasey finds herself to be a single mother with no place to stay and must move with her son, Max, into the main house. It's her dream to transform it into a bed and breakfast.

Before they've even finished unpacking, Kasey wakes to Max standing over her bed at night, talking about the woman in his closet. And a few days later, he's gone. Simply vanished.

But it isn't long before Kasey begins to suspect Max is within the walls of the house, and the woman in the closet knows how to reach him. Will the ghost help Kasey, or will she find out for herself why her grandmother forbid children from entering the haunted halls?

A single mom and her young son are terrorized by spirits in their new home.

Grandma knows best! 

Years ago something happened that caused Grandma to lock up a room and move out of the main house and into her guest house. She never allowed children into this home. When she passed away she chose not to leave the house to her granddaughter Kasey but to a cousin instead. Luckily (or unluckily?) Kasey got the house anyway because the cousin didn't want it.

Kasey's son Max is terrified of the house and although she doesn't want to admit it Kasey is none too comfortable in it herself. When Max goes missing after complaining about a woman in his closet, Kasey must unravel the house's dark history if she ever hopes to see him again.

I enjoyed the back story of the house's history and its former occupants. It was a creepy mystery that I couldn't wait to unravel along with Kasey. The restless ghosts that remained in the home were terrifying at first, but their actions were repetitive at times, making the middle of the story drag too much for my taste. I couldn't stand the boyfriend Carson who seemed to be straight out of a Hallmark movie. In typical male movie character fashion, he first cajoles Kasey into drinking wine when he clearly knows she never touches alcohol and then dismisses all her experiences in the house as being caused by drinking.

So in the end I have mixed feelings on this one but if you enjoy haunted house stories this book may be for you.

My thanks to Horrorsmith Publishing.

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Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales by Mercedes M. Yardley

 

A woman builds her lover from carefully scavenged pieces and parts. A young girl is groomed for madness by one who loves her most. A neurodivergent boy organizes his life, and loss, by the ticking of a clock. And love can be the most splendid and destructive force in the entire world.

Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales is a collection of seventeen stories that are both bleak and beautiful, devastating and sweet. Enter the crematorium to experience grief, starlit nights, and gorgeous tragedy that make our souls burn from the inside out.

Beautiful and sickening, disturbing and hopeful. Wonderful, warped, haunting and heartbreaking are all words that come to mind when I reflect on what I've just read. These incredible stories put me through the wringer.

A mother's love, a sister's trauma, and an abused beaten-down daughter felt all too real in these tales. 

I thought I might be in for something more lighthearted as I began to read about a woman with sentient hair but no. Even the surreal and fantastical managed to rip my heart out.

There are stories with impossible situations and others that could happen and do happen. The title story and "Clock" are especially hard-hitting. If I seem to be cutting this review short it's because I'm sitting here stunned.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.

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Movie Review- Lyvia's House

 

Stonecutter Media is proud to announce the North American release of the mystery thriller LYVIA’S HOUSE, a film inspired by the real-life murders committed in northern California by Juan Corona in 1971, from director Niko Volonakis and writer/producer Patricia V. Davis, author of the beloved Secret Spice Café book series. Stonecutter Media will release the film exclusively on Vudu/Fandango at Home and local cable & satellite providers on October 1, with additional platforms including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play to follow October 15.

When a young journalist suspects the disappearance of a beautiful artist is connected to murders that took place 20 years earlier, she uncovers a reality she never could have imagined. Inspired by true events.

Up-and-coming journalist Tara Manning has a job she loves and a posh lifestyle in Lake Las Vegas. Everything changes when she falls in love with aspiring architect, Johnny Beers, and he asks her to move in with him, six hundred miles away, to a house previously owned by an Italian artist named Lyvia.

After a whirlwind romance, Tara, a young journalist agrees to move 600 miles from home to be with her new boyfriend Johnny in a rural California town. She expects to keep her job by way of the internet and is dismayed to find very limited phone service and a lack of internet in their home.

Our first hint that something is off with this romance is the way Johnny seems intent on keeping Tara isolated. He promises satellite internet but never delivers. He appears upset when Tara becomes friendly with a postal worker who tells her how she can get online. Again he is upset when she mentions speaking to a local on her walk in the woods, and  he seems nervous when she wants to use the internet in the local bar. 

It seems to take longer for Tara to start digging into this behavior than I would expect from the inquisitive mind of a journalist but if one is willing to suspend disbelief you could say she was blinded by love.

The cinematography was gorgeous. This is a movie I would describe as visually stunning  Flashbacks and dream sequences gave a surreal quality to this film. The best acting performances were Ann Marie Gideon as the sharp-as-a-tack postal worker and Andrew Diego as the mentally and emotionally challenged young man who is dealing with past and present trauma. There were times I wanted to scream at Tara to pack up and get the hell out of there but of course had she listened we could not have had such a suspenseful climax and shocking reveal.

 I enjoyed this twisted Indie thriller and gave it 8 out of 10 stars on IMDB

Watch the trailer here

Directed by: Niko Volonakis

Written by: Patricia V. Davis

Starring: Tara Nichol Caldwell, Joshua Malekos, Danielle Octavien,

Ann Marie Gideon, Andrew Diego, Deborah Tucker, Brit Zane, Cami Oh

Produced by: Patricia V. Davis

Executive Produced by Pete Davis, Nicholas Levis,

Joni Cuquet

Cinematography by: Cody Martin

Edited by: Niko Volonakis

Music Composed by: Niko Volonakis

Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween by Jason Parent

 

Halloween. For the costumed child skipping along a safe, well-lit street, pillow case chock full of candy, it is a night of magic and mischief, delightful frights met with sugar-toothed grins. But for the would-be revelers in these tales, Halloween is a horrifying ordeal the likes of which many will not survive. And those who do make it to November may wish they hadn’t.

In this collection, Jason Parent gathers ten tales that embody the holiday in ways surely to surprise and delight the most avid horror reader. From traditional settings like amusement parks, Halloween parties, and haunted houses to more obscure locales where you might think terror couldn’t possibly find you, each story will have you breathing a little faster, startling at every bump in the night.

It's no secret that Halloween is my favorite holiday and these stories are a perfect way to kick off spooky season. 

In these tales you will step into an abandoned house that suddenly looks like the most expensive haunted attraction you've ever seen, take a haunted hayride with a couple whose marriage is on the rocks, attend a killer Halloween party, watch a bully regret his attempt to steal candy from the wrong kid, go on a carnival ride where rumor has it some people are never seen again, and more.

If I had to pick one favorite it would be Rain, If you ever had your trick or treating canceled by the weather, and you think you're over it now that you are a mature adult, this will bring it all back. Georgie was so looking forward to being the Incredible Hulk, and trick-or-treating with his best friend. The rain has totally ruined his plans. But as his father begins to tell him a scary story about another dark and stormy night in the past, things take a terrifying turn.

This was a fun and freaky read with more treats than tricks that I would recommend to anyone who loves Halloween or those like me who keep Halloween in our hearts all year long.

My thanks to the author for the complimentary copy.

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Somewhere by Matthew Reed Williams

 

Alrighty, in case you are wondering why I'm showing you the back cover, I seem to have finished this book before there is a pre-order link or even a Goodreads page that I can point you to with a synopsis. 

Somewhere is about a young man named Lee, who is on his own for the first time. He is fresh out of college and out of his parents' home.

He finds himself in a picturesque town in Missouri called Somewhere that does not appear on any maps and has Twilight Zone vibes. 

All the residents are friendly, if a little odd.

He lands a job and settles into his rented attic room, and right away things turn weird.

Before long, the town of Somewhere reminded me of the old Neil Young Lyrics: "Once you're gone, you can't come back." 

His new friends seem reluctant to let him leave to spend the holidays with his parents. You'll find out why later, but that was one of the creepiest parts of this story.

There is more telling than showing in this book which is not a style I usually enjoy. Explaining to me what is happening instead of portraying it through the story and stating information about the characters instead of letting them take on a life of their own can take away from an otherwise great reading experience.

Still. the spooky atmosphere kept me turning the pages long past my bedtime.

This debut novel will be published in October 2024.

My thanks to the author for the advance copy.

Evil in Me by Brom

Evil in Me is bestselling author Brom's newest novel of possession, damnation, and rock-n-roll where one woman must get the world singing in order to save her soul.

This devilish tale includes nearly two dozen of Brom’s immersive paintings and brilliant endpapers.

Aspiring musician Ruby Tucker has had enough of her small rural town and dysfunctional family. But a falling out with her best friend and bandmate has killed her dreams of escaping and making it big in the Atlanta punk scene.

While helping her eccentric neighbor organize his religious relics, an ancient ring clamps down on her finger―possessing her with the spirit of a blood-thirsty demon. There’s no getting it off unless hundreds of people chant a spell to set Ruby free. And what’s worse, the ring is a beacon for evil, drawing an unimaginably wicked mob straight to Ruby, hungry for her flesh.

If Ruby can get her band back together, she has a shot at salvation. It's time for her to face the music and put her whole soul into a song―one powerful enough to raise some Hell.

The magic's in the music and the music is in... Ruby. Or Ruby Dear, as she is known to the older gentleman with Alzheimer's that she cares for a few days a week.

Ruby is a young woman with a rough home life and a troubled past. Her probation is almost up, and if she can just get through her community service without causing a ruckus she'll be all set to join her friend in Atlanta and get back to making music.

Unfortunately for Ruby, people are making it more difficult than it has to be, and the gentleman she cares for has some old religious relics that can be deadly in the wrong hands. One of these relics pulls Ruby into a dangerous world of demons.

First off, the artwork in this book is amazing. I did not have to try to imagine the demons in my mind because Brom brings them to life in vivid detail.

Evil In Me is the most fun you'll ever have with demons. It's a wild punk rock and folklore filled fantasy horror in a fast-paced world where it takes music to free your soul. I enjoyed every minute of it. I was cheering Ruby on all the way. It has characters I loved and characters I loved to hate.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted Hardcover.

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Movie Review- Voice Of Shadows

Scatena & Rosner Films is proud to announce the North American release of the gothic horror thriller VOICE OF SHADOWS, the debut feature film from director Nicholas Bain. The film was acquired in a deal negotiated by Bain and Gato Scatena, Managing Director of Scatena & Rosner Films. Infused with nods to cinema classics The Exorcist, Paranormal Activity, and The House of Sand and Fog, the film stars Guillermo Blanco (The Queen of Flow) and Corrinne Mica (Always, Lola) as a couple caught in the clutches of a mysterious cult and a supernatural evil entity, and Bee Vang (Gran Torino) as a young priest trying to save them all before it's too late.

 VOICE OF SHADOWS will arrive September 17 on digital and streaming platforms, including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Vimeo, and local cable & satellite providers. 

Voice of Shadows held its World Premiere at the Twin Cities Film Festival, and went on to hold a successful festival run winning multiple awards, including Best Feature Film at Romford Horror Festival, Latitude Film Awards, and Bestlov Festival. The film also won Best Visual Effects at Los Angeles Crime and Horror Festival, and had a successful screening at Lit Scares Festival.

 Starring Guillermo Blanco (The Queen of Flow), Corrinne Mica (Always, Lola) and Bee Vang (Gran Torino), VOICE OF SHADOWS follows Gabriel, a devout Catholic, who travels with his girlfriend Emma to the country where she stands to inherit a large estate. 

I was invited to watch an early screener of Voice Of Shadows.

The opening scene sets the tone for this gothic and haunting film. Gabriel, a young man who has come to the States from South America with his sister Celeste, confesses his traumatic past and the reason he has raised his sister on his own.

Later, Gabriel and his girlfriend Emma visit her aunt, a strange and obnoxious woman who treats Gabriel like a servant. I thought at first she was racist because of his nationality although she seemed to dote on his sister.

When Emma inherits her aunt's house there is a stipulation that Gabriel not be allowed to live in it. However, he and his sister both end up staying there, and creepy happenings ensue.

As a fan of religious horror, I enjoyed this movie. If there was anything I was not especially fond of, it was how very dark it was. I do not mean the tone or subject matter. I mean literally turn on a light sometimes! 

Even in bright daylight with sun streaming in the windows, light never seemed to reach the characters. Maybe that was done purposely, as some sort of symbolism but for me a few dark scenes go a long way.

Special effects were well done and the gradual build of tension as the house began to influence the occupants gave me the creeps!

I gave this film an 8 out of 10 on IMDB

Watch the trailer