Saturday, June 14, 2025

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenage daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

Told from multiple perspectives and with Hannah Richell’s distinct “atmospheric and ever-twisting” (Emylia Hall, author of the Shell House Detective Mysteries) prose, One Dark Night is a white-knuckled and suspenseful thriller about urban legends, privilege, and how the past continues to haunt us.

 

When I read the description of this book, I thought the plot would have more to do with the ghost that haunts the road known as Sally in the Wood, so I expected something spookier. What I got is more of a combination of domestic drama and whodunnit.

A party in the woods ends in death for one teen in a murder mystery told from multiple points of view.

Ellie has been withdrawn ever since her parents split up, but after that party, she is keeping even more secrets. What really happened that night, and why is there blood on her clothes? Her father Ben, is a detective investigating the murder, and her mother Rachel, is the school guidance counselor who in trying to deal with so many students, is missing some signs from her troubled daughter.

A lack of communication between Rachel and her ex-husband Ben felt contrived rather than natural, in order to keep those characters in the dark for longer than necessary, before they finally learn what the reader already knows from the start, that their daughter Ellie was at the party on the night of the murder.

While I was not the target audience for this book, and I did not care much for any of the characters, it did succeed in pulling the wool over my eyes in every attempt to guess who the murderer was, which led to a satisfying reveal at the end.

My thanks to Atria Books for the invitation to read an e-ARC

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Friday, June 6, 2025

Cottonmouth By Kealan Patrick Burke

Available for the first time in paperback and digital.
A thrilling prequel to Kealan Patrick Burke's southern gothic horror novel Kin.
 Cottonmouth is set in the aftermath of the Great Depression in Tennessee, a time of religious fervor and charlatanism, of thieves, murderers, and moonshiners.

Here you'll meet Horseshoe Collins, a traveler on a vengeful search for the father who abandoned him; Billy Wray, a snake-handling Pentecostal preacher bringing the promise of salvation to rural communities paralyzed by fear of the Devil; and Jonah Merrill, a child grieving the loss of his beloved father and tormented by his mother's wrath.

With the threat of a second World War looming on the horizon, destiny will bring these three people together and set innocent young Jonah on the path to his eventual fate and a new name: Papa-In-Gray, the patriarch of the dreaded Merrill family whose horrific exploits were first introduced to the world in KIN.






 Cottonmouth is the prequel to Burke's horror masterpiece, Kin.

This can be read as a stand-alone, but if you have not read Kin, don't deprive yourself; read them both! Long before we meet Papa-in-Gray, the murderous religious zealot in Kin, he was just Jonah, an ordinary boy, growing up poor and neglected after his father passed away and his mother couldn't be bothered to care for him.

I'm not going to say much else about the plot except that it's a strong case for nurture vs nature in creating monsters because Jonah was not born evil. He was not a bad seed. Who knows what kind of man he would have grown up to be if he had not suffered so much abuse? I read Kin close to a decade ago, and I never thought I would feel sympathy for Papa-in-Gray, yet here I am wishing I could go back in time and offer the boy he used to be a shred of comfort. I can count on one hand the times I have gone back to reread a book, but Cottonmouth has made me crave a reread of Kin with an intensity that I can not ignore.

The writing is flawless, and the story is brutal and mesmerizing. 

5 out of 5 stars

available for pre-order

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Tuesday, May 27, 2025

All Triggers, No Warnings by John Everson


 DANGER: The Unknown Lies Ahead.

In this collection of 18 tales of horror and the macabre, expect the unexpected. Inside you’ll find tales of gorgeous ghouls and seductive sirens, of hideous creatures that wear another’s face and tentworms that spin death into dessert. You’ll tour a factory of the living dead and walk through the blood rains of hell. From sexual encounters beyond the grave to a secret pinball club where the silver ball is deadly, Bram Stoker Award-winning author John Everson will take you to places you never imagined.

Inside, you’ll find the kind of fictional ride that is always most effective when you have no idea what is lurking around the next curve. The kind of horror that is always served best with plenty of toe-curling triggers and …

No Warnings.



This will be long. Sorry. As the expression goes, opinions are like kittens and I'm giving them away. I have to say something before I talk about these stories. From the title, I didn't expect trigger warnings and that is fine since I don't need them. I don't even read the trigger warnings in a book until after I have read the book. I only read them to mention their existence for those who want to know.  I did not expect a lecture on them. I was surprised at the author's loud, proud, and frankly tone deaf stance against them while showing a lack of understanding of what they are or what they are for. He states at the beginning of the book that he has seen an "increasing flurry of hand wringing about preparing readers with warnings to protect their delicate psyches from stumbling on something unpleasant and preemptively sanitizing fiction in case something in it appears to be insensitive to one group or another and thus might (gasp) offend someone." The description also says this book contains "plenty of toe curling triggers."

Well holy shit. Triggers are not toe-curling as if it is some sort of orgasmic experience. What a long winded way to tell me that you don't know what a trigger warning is, and that you think its purpose is to force you to sanitize your writing so as not to offend someone. Trigger warnings are not censorship, They are not to stop you from writing anything as "offensive" or insensitive or downright gory, vulgar, nauseating, and disgusting as you please. They do not take away your freedom of speech. No topic is off limits. I would think that would be obvious from the most popular horror books by indie authors, you are limited only by your own imagination. 

As a horror reader, I expect a multitude of unpleasant scenarios in books. I want to laugh, and cry and be disgusted or terrified. That doesn't mean I am ignorant of the fact that trauma survivors may prefer to avoid topics that cause them to relive their trauma or at least have the option to steel themselves for its approach rather than be ambushed by it. It's ok not to need trigger warnings and it is even ok not to include them. It is not OK  to belittle readers who do need them in order to protect their own mental well being. 

Anyway!

As far as the stories in this collection, most have been previously published and I have read and enjoyed a few of them in the anthologies where they originally appeared. 

I have previously read and loved the first story Driving Her Home, which is the author's take on a classic ghost story/urban legend that nearly everyone will have heard someone swear that a version of this has actually happened to a friend of a friend. Maybe even on a wooded stretch of road you have traveled.

I also remember The Cemetery Man, which appeared in one of my all-time favorite anthologies, Midnight In The Graveyard. This is a darkly comedic story about a man who is willing to put up with a lot of creepy situations just to have some sexy time with a woman who is turned on by graveyards.

Other stories I enjoyed were The Most Dangerous Game, about pinball aficionados and a collection of rare pinball machines that you will never have seen in your local arcade.

Friends discover that their deceased pal's resting place has been disturbed in another dark horror comedy, Arnie's Ashes.

A henpecked husband and his wife spend an unforgettable night at a country inn that sells a mysterious concoction known as Forest Butter.

Ghoul Friend In A Coma finds high schoolers plagued by a curfew because there may be a serial killer picking them off one by one.

Normally, for story collections, I will just touch briefly on the stories that I loved the most, but since the only brand new story here is one I did not care for, I will have to mention Triggered. This is a story of revenge against a book reviewer by someone who conflates trigger warnings with reviewers who mistakenly assume that authors who write about horrible happenings are horrible people and therefore attempt to get these writers "cancelled." If my eyes had rolled any harder reading this story, my ocular muscles would bulge like a champion weight lifter.

I'm getting sick of the sound of myself typing and I am sure to be over the character limit for social media so I will end here by saying I enjoyed most of the stories. Many are like the old 80s fun and freaky campy horror with gore, bouncing boobs and dark humor. 

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the e-ARC.

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Monday, May 26, 2025

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton


 In this electric horror novel from the author of The Insatiable Volt Sisters, an exhausted mother thinks her newborn might be a monster. She’s right.

Thea’s third pregnancy was her easiest. She wasn’t consumed with anxiety about the baby. She wasn’t convinced it was going to be born green, or have a third eye, or have tentacles sprouting from its torso. Thea was fine. Her baby would be fine. 

But when the nurses handed Lucia to her, Thea just knew. Her baby girl was a monster. Not only was Lucia born with a full set of teeth and a devilish glint in her eye, but she’s always hungry. Indiscriminately so. One day Lucia pointed at her baby brother, looked Thea dead in the eye and said, “I eat.”

Thea doesn’t know whether to be terrified or proud of her rapacious baby girl. And as Lucia starts growing faster and talking more, dark memories bubble to the surface--flashes from Thea’s childhood that won’t release their hooks from her heart. Lucia wants to eat the world. Thea might just let her. Crackling with originality and dark humor, Rachel Eve Moulton’s Tantrum is a provocative exploration of familial debt, duty, and the darker side of motherhood.



Thea never wanted children until she met and married Dillon, but once she did she was determined to be a better mother than the one she had. She worried herself sick over her first two pregnancies, but her beautiful, healthy boys are the light of her life. The third time, however, was not the charm. She didn't worry at all. Everything was fine until they put her baby girl in her arms. That was when she knew she had birthed a monster.

Exhausted and struggling to cope with a baby who is developing a mean streak and a miraculous growth spurt, Thea begins to uncover blocked out memories from her traumatic childhood and the disturbing details of her forgotten past with her own mother.

Motherhood is probably the only experience that millions of women can share while still having nothing in common. Each experience is as unique as every child. Tantrum is a supernatural story about trauma and abuse and the darker side of motherhood—those uncomfortable thoughts we may punish ourselves for when one child is harder to cope with than the others.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advance e-ARC

Available for pre-order

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Eerie Exhibits - Five Macabre Museum Tales by Victoria Williamson


Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.

A room full of screaming butterflies.

An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.

A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.

A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.

And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…

Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?




Eerie Exibits contains five spooky stories that are heavy on atmosphere without relying on gore.

Each story shares a museum theme, where either visitors or workers can fall victim to the exhibits.

In the first story, a man who is grieving the loss of his mother has a startling experience with a butterfly display.

Next up, much like an episode of Night Gallery, an unusual painting sparks a memory and takes a museum worker into his past.

The last three stories were my favorites.  A little girl who wishes her cold and selfish father would be a more loving dad like all the other kids have, is fascinated by the smile on a sarcophagus. I felt awful for this child who would have been so appreciative of the least bit of attention from her self-absorbed father. Maybe things will get better for her once he meets The Grinning Man.

Thelma is a bitter, envious woman who believes she is owed a better lot in life. She sets out to achieve what she feels she deserves, in The Shape Of The Beast with some help from one of the museum exhibits where she works as a cleaner. Her life and the lives of those she feels have wronged her are about to change.

Children who have suffered a loss are targeted by The Whispering Shell while on a class trip to the museum. This was the most chilling of all the tales and succeeds in giving a ghostly scare without the need for gore.

If you like supernatural tales that don't have buckets of blood you will enjoy Eerie Exhibits.

My thanks to Silver Thistle Press for the gifted paperback.

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Monday, May 19, 2025

We Are Always Tender with Our Dead by Eric LaRocca

Michael McDowell's Blackwater meets Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show in the disturbing first installment of a new trilogy of intense, visceral, beautifully written queer horror set in a small New England town.

A chilling supernatural tale of transgressive literary horror from the Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.

The lives of those residing in the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire, are forever altered after three faceless entities arrive on Christmas morning to perform a brutal act of violence—a senseless tragedy that can never be undone. While the townspeople grieve their losses and grapple with the aftermath of the attack, a young teenage boy named Rupert Cromwell is forced to confront the painful realities of his family situation. Once relationships become intertwined and more carnage ensues as a result of the massacre, the town residents quickly learn that true retribution is futile, cruelty is earned, and certain thresholds must never be crossed no matter what.

Engrossing, atmospheric, and unsettling, this is a devastating story of a small New England community rocked by an unforgivable act of violence. Writing with visceral intensity and profound eloquence, LaRocca journeys deep into the dark heart of Burnt Sparrow, leaving you chilled to the bone and wanting more.

 

There are stories within the main story but mostly it is about a mass murder of town residents at a Christmas event. For some reason, the elders of the town have decided the dead bodies of the victims should not be buried and instead remain as they are, splattered all over the place. The perpetrators of this heinous act are a faceless family of three. Literally faceless that is. Just blank and empty where a face should be. Why? I don't know. Don't ask me. Did they even really commit these murders? I don't know. They don't speak and there was no trial or evidence. Maybe it was just decided that they were murderers because they are different.

I'm going to have to file this one under the category of what in the hell did I just read? 

That being said, I will also be anxiously awaiting the next book in the trilogy.

I'm at a loss for how to review this book. I can only say that it's a good thing the town of Burnt Sparrow is fictional because it is not a nice place to visit and you would not want to live there. This is a disturbing tale of depravity, sadism, abuse, neglect and a great deal of sadness. There is a long list of trigger warnings at the start of this book so proceed with caution. 

My thanks to Titan Books and Eric LaRocca

Available for pre-order

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

October by Gregory Bastianelli

 

A magician and a dark evil at Halloween come together in an intriguing coming-of-age thriller.

Readers of Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and All Hallows by Christopher Golden will love this. In 1970, four boys on the cusp of becoming teenagers notice strange events occurring in Maplewood, NH, timed with the late-night arrival of an old magician who has taken up residence in a boarding house in their neighborhood, where one of the tenants is a reclusive pulp horror writer. The writer’s fears have kept him from venturing outside in over forty years, fears linked to the magician’s previous visit. As children go missing in town, the four boys try to piece together seemingly unrelated phenomena and realize dark forces are at work, but no one will believe them. 




It's October 1970 in the small New England town of Maplewood New Hampshire when a freight train that never carries passengers or stops there comes to a halt. A boy watches an elderly man in a top hat and cape disembark. What does his arrival have to do with a shut in who has not left the boarding house where he has resided for these past four decades? Why are children going missing? And what is in those pumpkins? You will have to read to find out!

Four boys coming of age in 1970 are going to have the most memorable October of their lives. Strange happenings, bizarre deaths and mysterious disappearances will plague the town. Even if they can figure out the cause, with the help of a retired horror writer who has been afraid to go outside in 40 years who would possibly believe them?

This is a story that simmers slowly at first as we are introduced to the unusual characters of the town, including the former side show fat lady, the boys from the wrong side of the tracks, and even a poor unloved dog who has lost his boy.  I love small-town horror so this was a huge hit with me. The setting was perfect!  The 70's vibe was complete with Hammer House films and Dark Shadows. The closer we get to Halloween the scarier it gets. I couldn't have loved it more!

5 out of 5 stars

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Thursday, May 8, 2025

Draw You In Vol.1: Collector's Item by Jasper Bark

Can you disappear so completely that only one person remembers you existed?

That’s what comics creator Linda Corrigan asks, when her editor, disappears without a trace. Drawn into an FBI investigation by Agent McPherson, Linda and comics historian Richard Ford unearth a chilling link to the forgotten comic artist R. L. Carver, whose work might just hold the key to a series of mysterious disappearances.

As they explore Carver’s life, they uncover the secret history of horror comics, the misfits, madcaps and macabre masters who forged an industry, frightened a generation and felt the heat of the Federal Government. They also stumble on the shadow history of the United States on a road trip that veers into the nation’s dark underbelly, where forbidden knowledge and forgotten lore await them.

Described as “Kavalier and Clay meets Clive Barker,” Draw You In Vol.1 – Collector’s Item is the first in a mind-bending trilogy of novels. It contains stories within stories that explore horror in all its subgenres, from quiet to psychological horror, from hardcore to cosmic horror.

Experience the epic conspiracy thriller that redefines the genre for a new generation.


At a comics convention, Linda Corrigan, an artist who has fallen out of favor, thinks her career may be looking up when a well-known editor invites her to an exclusive party. However, once she arrives, it appears she might be the victim of a cruel prank. She is refused entry, and everyone she speaks to claims they know of no such editor. Her attempts to track him down prove fruitless and she begins to realize this is not a joke at her expense. There is something far more sinister afoot.

She soon finds herself entangled in conspiracy theories, government plots, rumors of voodoo rituals, psychic powers, and the cursed history of another comic book artist who was famous in the 1950s but then disappeared with his final work unpublished. That is just the beginning! 

There is a lot going on in this psychological horror mystery. It features intriguing characters, the dark history of horror comics, and an original plot more layered than an onion. The more you uncover, the more there is yet to find out. This first book of the trilogy was a fast and fun read.

My thanks to Jasper Bark and Crystal Lake Publishing

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Saturday, May 3, 2025

Tales from the Parkland by Ronald McGillvray

In the tradition of The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, Ronald McGillvray’s Tales From the Parkland offers a spine-chilling collection that blurs the line between reality and nightmare.

A father is forced to make a terrible decision… Which of his children will he sacrifice to the Garbage Collectors? A family’s sightseeing trip turns into a desperate fight for survival when a city is besieged by flesh-melting rain. A man’s childhood nightmare returns, forcing him to confront the monster under the bed to protect his family. Two siblings must rely on each other to survive when their daycare turns into a den of horror. Two elite snipers wage an impossible war when a secret military experiment unleashes the apocalypse.

Prepare to be haunted by these twisted tales and others that will keep you turning pages late into the night!



Tales From The Parkland is a spine-tingling collection of short stories and a novella. Having grown up watching reruns of Circle of Fear and similar shows, I was first attracted to this book by its comparison to Twilight Zone, and having just finished reading it, I could easily picture several of these bite-sized terror treats as episodes.

A few of my many favorites were The Garbage Collectors, in which a family is forced to confront a strange practice that happens in their neighborhood.

Bogeyman is the answer to what happens to that monster under your bed once you grow up and quit believing.

A pesky little sister will regret inviting herself along for a walk in the woods with her older brother in Squealer.

A family's walk back to their hotel is interrupted by peculiar weather in Acid Rain.

There are also stories of zombies and some werewolves add a creature feature vibe to this well-rounded collection.

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Monday, April 28, 2025

Nightmare Abbey 8 Edited by Tom English


 8th big volume of this critically-acclaimed horror magazine/book. Ghosts, Madness, Kelpies, Evil Spirits!

Screenwriter/author STEPHEN VOLK interview and story

12 terrifying tales by today's top writers

The Great Horror Comics Purge (The Hideous History of American Horror Comics #5)

Universal Studios classic: THE BLACK CAT

Heavily illustrated with photos and art

Illustrations by World Fantasy Award-winner Allen Koszowski

Latest report on Dear Abbey and the Computer from Hell

Don't miss out on this Special Edition!

Get it before IT gets YOU!



Nightmare Abbey is my favorite horror magazine. It's as informative as it is entertaining and loaded with top-notch fiction, artwork, and photos. Speaking of which, there were a couple of photos in this issue that just made my stomach drop. 

I never knew that Girl Scouts, among other groups, organized public burnings of comic books and magazines as shown in the article Part 5 of the Hideous History of American Horror Comics by John M. Navroth. 

"It was like a bushfire that wouldn't burn itself out. Small and insignificant at first, inflammatory claims against the dangers of comic books and their ill effects on the children and youth of America were becoming more widespread by the day."

Seeing photos of beloved horror comics being destroyed is an upsetting but important part of history.

On a brighter note, horror fiction is not going away, and the stories in this volume are stellar.

A few of my favorites were:

The Witch of November by Simon Bestwick, about the residents of a strange place known as Bone Street. There is only one way in or out and only those who have taken a human life will ever find themselves there. This was not my first trip to Bone Street but this story can stand alone.

After and Before by Sean Hogan- James and Julie spend an uncomfortable vacation in a cabin at Hushabye Lodge. James has been there before with an old girlfriend, of whom he prefers not to speak. Julie becomes obsessed with the run-down abandoned cabin next door, and with good reason.

The Happy Clown by Gregory L. Norris -A teenage girl learns what happens when you disrespect the traditions at her Aunt's flower shop, the Happy Clown.

Localism by Helen Grant- There is something in the water, and it does not want to share with people. Too bad people never heed the warnings until it's far too late.

Without You by Gary McMahon- Breaking up is hard to do but after such a brief relationship with only a handful of dates, what does it really mean if a man says he is nothing without you?

Whether you are in the mood for something weird, spooky, or intense, Nightmare Abbey has it all.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press.

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Thursday, April 24, 2025

Demon Drink by Kris Ashton

 

A night out becomes a nightmare in this dark supernatural novel that blends demonic possession, occult rituals, and the chilling consequences of temptation.

Times are tough in Black Wattle. Drought and forest fires have ravaged the town and its lifeblood, tourism, is on the wane. Nobody is feeling the pinch more than divorcee Shirley Goodsall, who is trying to keep the historic Ironstone Hotel afloat while quelling animosity between her ex-husband and their teenage daughter. So when the business manager for a microbrewery, Damon Prince, offers her a promotional deal that includes free kegs of beer, it’s a deal that seems too good to be true.

And it is. Shirley’s elation soon turns to horror as she discovers she has unwittingly helped Prince unleash dark forces in her town. Black Wattle’s residents are plunged into a nightmare of infection and blood-curdling transformations. Shirley and a handful of survivors band together to try to foil Prince’s fiendish plot, but Prince is no ordinary man. He will stare into their souls and turn their most shameful personal demons against them…


Shirley Goodsall is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Times are tough and customers in the pub are few and far between. When she is offered a collaboration opportunity from a new microbrewery that includes free kegs of beer, she is skeptical at first but decides she's got nothing to lose. She is wrong.

A single mom, a former cop, an alcoholic holy man, and a drug-addled artist are among the small band of unlikely heroes who will join together in an attempt to save the town of Black Wattle from evil forces, if they can get past their own temptations.

Expect massive amounts of blood and guts, but also heart. Somewhere in there beats a love story. Well-developed characters with detailed back stories and motivations had me engaged in the plot even before the horror started. Once it did, it was an all out gore fest. If you like small town horror, this is for you.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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Sunday, April 20, 2025

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

 From Eric LaRocca—Bram Stoker Award–nominated and Splatterpunk Award–winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke—comes At Dark, I Become Loathsome, a grim yet gentle, horrifying yet hopeful, intense tale of death, trauma, and love.

“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”

A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.

Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light. Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.


Ashley Lutin is mired in grief and losing the will to live. He finds solace in a bizarre ritual he uses to help others make their way back from the depths of despair. Ashley becomes intrigued with a prospective client over a telephone discussion when he is told a depraved story. His obsessive thoughts and feelings of guilt lead him down a darker path where this ritual is no longer enough.

Themes of loss, regret, death, sexual fetish and deviation twist through stories within the story. I was simultaneously repulsed and fascinated by them.

I have loved everything I've read by Eric LaRocca so far. I had pre-ordered this book months before the sale date because he has fast become one of my must-read authors. Once it arrived, I was so busy with ARCs that it sunk to the bottom of my TBR. It would probably still be there if not for a message I saw from an internet troll claiming something along the lines of it not even being a normal horror book. So, thank you, unnamed troll for being the reason I read it this weekend.  I am so glad it wasn't normal. It's extraordinary, fresh, brilliant, and dares to be pitch dark. Highly recommended... to those who can handle it.

5 out of 5 stars

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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Movie Review -Self Driver

 

Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he'll be compelled to do to make it. If you've got nothing to lose, how far would you go?

The film world premiered at the Fantaspoa - International Fantastic Film Festival, winning Best Film in the Low Budget, Great Films section and went on to play Fantasia Festival where it won the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature, Grimmfest, taking home the award for Best Actor and receiving a Special Mention of the Jury for Best Director, Macabro Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror, MidWest WeirdFest, and Panic Fest.

Cinephobia Releasing acquired rights to the film in a deal negotiated between Cinephobia President Raymond Murray, and Justyna Koronkiewicz, Owner of Media Move. Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.


I was invited to view an early screener of Self Driver which will be available in the US on May 8.

Self Driver stars Nathanael Chadwick as a new dad who lost his office job to a corporate merger, and now struggles to support his family by using a ride-share app. He spends his days and sometimes nights shuffling people to and fro while avoiding calls from his landlord. When he is told by one of these riders that there is a new app where he can make thousands of dollars per night, plus a sign-up bonus he is intrigued, but wary. Desperation makes him throw caution to the wind and sign up even though his question of its legality goes unanswered.

The new app is utilized by an unusual clientele, and if he refuses any rider, he will lose all of the money he has made. As the night goes on, he will learn what he is willing to do or participate in to make money.

This low-budget thriller takes place almost entirely in the car, and although this is a money saving option that other films have utilized poorly, it was well done here and never boring. Chadwick gives a believable and completely relatable performance. At some points, it felt as if the car became a character in the movie. 

I rated this 8 out of 10 stars on IMDB

Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.


Watch the trailer


Saturday, April 12, 2025

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

 

This "brilliant" (NYT) and Bram Stoker Award-winning novella opens with twelve-year-old Junior wide-eyed at his father's surprise visit to the family home late one night and increasingly desperate to make him part of their family again. The only problem, of course, is that Dad drowned eight years ago. When it's revealed that the cost of new life is far too high a price, Junior fiercely protects his mom and younger brother Dino, battling generational trauma and societal inequity alongside the supernatural. 

Walking through his own house at night, a young boy thinks he sees another person stepping through a doorway. The figure reminds him of his long-dead father, who drowned mysteriously before his family left the reservation. When he follows it, he discovers his house is bigger and deeper than he ever knew.

The house is the kind of wrong place where you can lose yourself and find things you'd rather not have. Over the course of a few nights, the boy tries to map out his house in an effort that puts his younger brother in the worst danger, and puts him in the position to save them . . . at a terrible cost.

"You can leave the reservation, but your income level will still land you in a reservation house, won't it?"

After the death of his father, Junior, his little brother Dino, and their mom have left the reservation. They've moved into a small rented modular home. 

Junior is a sleepwalker, and Dino has some learning disabilities that attract bullies, but Junior protects him as best he can.

"I was twelve the first time I saw my dead father cross from the kitchen doorway to the hall that led back to the utility room."

Mapping the Interior is a coming-of-age tale with a touch of grief and a generous serving of terror. When Junior first spots what he believes is his dead father, he takes it as a favorable sign of healing for his family. I was emotionally invested in that hope as well. I read this novella in one sitting because there was no way I was going to be able to function without knowing how Junior's dad died and whether this manifestation was good or evil. After racing through to the end, I was sorry that it was over. That's how much I was enjoying it. 

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the paperback.

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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Monster Bones edited by Stephanie Ellis and Noel Osualdini

 

Since time immemorial, humans have feared monsters. Whether they be real or imagined, stories of their existence have been told and retold, becoming either legend or urban myth.

Within the pages of Monster Bones are to be found the horrors that haunt the evil spirit, the revenant, the occult—creatures of different cultures who know no borders—as well as the monster made within ourselves. The rusalka who lurks in the water, the ghûl lurking in the graveyard, the cannibal skeleton, the geung-si, the anchimayen... the human. These are the monsters who seek to feed on us, suck the marrow from light and life.

But you can arm yourself against them, read their stories and learn from those who have gone before. You never know, it might save you one day. So, crack the spine, turn the page and dig in to Monster Bones...

Including stories and poems by Gwendolyn Kiste, David Wellington, Ben Monroe, Lisa Morton, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Maxwell I. Gold, Theresa Matsuura, Cindy O’Quinn, F. Paul Wilson, Stephanie Ellis, Joe R Lansdale, Kasey Jo Lansdale and Keith Lansdale, Eugen Bacon, Linda D. Addison, Lucy Taylor and Ai Jiang.

Published as a paperback and ebook

Features no fewer than 10 pieces of commissioned artwork from the award winning Luke Spooner.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).


Monster Bones contains a smorgasbord of stories, poems, and artwork that serve up a satisfying meal for any horror lover's appetite. Some have been previously published, but all were new to me. I did wonder why “The Companion” seemed so familiar to me even though I am positive I never read it before. Then I realized it had been turned into one of my favorite episodes of Creepshow a few years back. It was a treat to read it here.

There are familiar monsters including vampires and ghouls, and more unusual but no less deadly beings that I had never heard of such as the rusalka, a terrifying creature of Slavic folklore.

Gorgeous artwork and a slew of monsters from around the globe make this a fun and freaky read.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the e-ARC

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Friday, April 4, 2025

Urban Legends: Three New Tales of Terror (Dark Tide 20)

 


Dark Tide 20 takes you on a terrifying journey through some of the most unsettling myths and folklore, where terror lurks in the shadows and urban legends come alive in the most horrific ways. Prepare for twists, fear, and truths you may not want to know.

Knock on Wood” by Leigh Kenny: If he knocks, it’s too late. He’s already inside. 

The house on Hawthorne Avenue has an unfortunate past. The adults think it's just bad luck. The kids believe it's something worse. Sometimes truth is scarier than legend.

Nesting” by Dan Franklin: Amanda can’t shake the idea that her newborn baby isn’t hers…and maybe isn’t a baby at all.

Not even one full day postpartum, and Amanda can’t shake the certainty that the baby isn’t hers. The charts say he is, the nurses and doctor all agree, but in her heart she can’t help but know better. His hair is wrong. He doesn’t quite smell right…and he has a tooth.

Poltergeist Password” by Nick Roberts: “Have you heard of Poltergeist Password?

A reporter presents the unedited transcript of the final episode of the Broadcasts from the Grave podcast in which three hosts test an urban legend known as “Poltergeist Password.” Whether it’s real or an elaborate hoax, three people remain missing. You be the judge. 


Urban Legends contains a trio of chilling tales from three authors who understood the assignment to bring on the scares.

First up, Knock on Wood by Leigh Kenny revisits the childhood fear of monsters in the closet. It begins in an asylum, which holds a man accused of killing his family. But did he really do it or is Mr. Upside Down to blame? When a new family moves into the murder house, they will find the answer. This is one to read in the light of day, especially if you live in a house with wood that creaks or pipes that knock. For reasons unknown to me, my freezer sometimes makes a knocking noise and I about jumped out of my skin when it happened while reading this story. 

 Maybe poor Amanda is just overly stressed out in Nesting by Dan Franklin.  There is nothing I love more in horror than creepy kids. Lets face it, kids are scary anyway. But is there a Changeling?  Amanda has always wanted to be a mother. It's what she dreamed of from the time she was a little girl. All she ever wanted was a baby. Now at last, she has one. But is it really hers? Things get creepy from the moment she is dropped off alone at the hospital door to give birth, and a pervasive sense of unease turns to all-out terror once she brings her baby home.

Last but not least is Poltergeist Password by Nick Roberts, about the mystery of three missing persons who were never seen again after their final podcast. At first it seems like a silly bit of fun. They decide to live broadcast themselves taking part in the legend of Poltergeist Password, a ritual that is alleged to summon poltergeists to manifest. What could go wrong? Was it all an elaborate hoax? A reporter presents the full transcript of that final terrifying night, and I felt like I witnessed it live.


5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

The Labasques aren’t like other families.

Living in a shack out in the swamps, they made do by hunting down alligators and other animals. To the good people of Jacknife, Louisiana, they are troublemakers and outcasts, the kind of people you wouldn’t want in your community.

So, when Cutter Labasque is found face down in the muddy swamp, no one seems to care, not even her two brothers. The only person who questions the official verdict of suicide is Cutter’s childhood friend, Loyal May, who has just returned home to care for her mother. When she left town at eighteen years old, she betrayed Cutter. Now with a ragtag group from the local paper where she works, Loyal goes in search of answers, uncovering a web of deceit and corruption that implicates those in town. It may be too late to apologize to Cutter, but Loyal has restitution in mind.

Weaving through the swamps and bayous of rural Louisiana, Our Last Wild Days is an atmospheric, smoldering suspense about our darker impulses—and how to set things right.


A reporter returns to her childhood home in Jacknife, Louisiana, to care for her mother. Word around town is that she's gone crazy. People like to gossip in Jacknife, and they all have their opinions, but not many are interested in talking when a body is found face down in the swamp. Most chalk it up to a girl who lived a rough life and died the way that she lived. 

"Some people go through life like broken bones that haven't been properly set, never really getting better, just slowly racking up damage for later down the line."

Our Last Wild Days pulls the reader deep into the mosquito-infested swampland of Louisiana, where hunting alligators or choking on fumes from the factory can mean the difference between a meager existence and starvation. Evocative prose, intriguing characters, and intense situations kept me glued to the pages. 

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Atria Books

Available for pre-order


 

Friday, March 28, 2025

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig


 A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.

Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere.

One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.

Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .



This gorgeous cover and the description pulled me in. I was so excited to read this book, having loved the author's previous works, especially Book of Accidents.

Years ago, five high school friends went to party in the woods and only four returned. Now, years later, those remaining four have drifted apart, but are called back together when an email from one of them says he is dying.

All of these characters are both more and less than they seem. Those who appear weak have a hidden strength. Those who appear to have it all together don't. Secrets and past traumas are revealed.

I was prepared to love all over this book! Unfortunately, even though it reminded me a great deal of that tv show "Channel Zero" specifically the seasons of No End House, and Butcher's Block with the staircase in the woods I struggled to stay interested. I didn't like any of the characters, although I did have some empathy for Owen who is dealing with OCD among other things. As many times as they invoked their commitment to stay together and support each other the characters did not appear to like each other any more than I liked them. After what felt like a very long read, the ending, when it finally arrived, left me unsatisfied. You may enjoy it more than I did, but it was just not for me.

2.5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Del Rey for the e-ARC

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.

This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds—and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew—and risk what she holds most dear.

 

Ghost Woods is told from two points of view, on two timelines that eventually converge since they are less than a decade apart, from 1959 to the mid-1960s.

It begins with a folk tale of a girl who fell asleep in the wood where the trees were so old that their trunks had whitened, and awoke pregnant with a child that wasn't human. It is on the grounds of these Ghost Woods that later become Lichen Hall, owned by a couple surrounded by rumors of a dead son they stole from the morgue, where Mabel is sent to give birth.

Mabel is a young woman who believes ghosts live under her skin. She is shocked to be told that she is pregnant since she has never been with any man. She has never been away from home, and it is unfortunate that Lichen Hall is her first experience. 

A few years later Pearl is also sent to this home. She had been a nurse but lost her job when she got pregnant in the days when it was considered shameful to be pregnant outside of marriage. The home is in a state of disrepair, with mold and mushrooms growing in much of the house. Mrs. Whitlock, the owner of the house is sometimes pleasant and other times cruel, giving an unsettling feeling of never knowing what to expect.

I loved the majority of this book. I had a lot of sympathy for both Mabel and Pearl and I loved to hate the mean girls who were there when Mabel first arrived. If I had any issue, it would just be one line concerning female anatomy that I am certain every nurse and hopefully all women will know was mis-stated. Situations grow more ominous as the pregnancies progress in this historical gothic horror. The pacing gathers speed as the timelines converge, and the sense of imminent danger for all of the remaining women in the home is constant. 

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Berkley Publishing for the e-ARC.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2025

What Swallows the Light: Alien Horror Novellas

Three stories. One terrifying we are not alone!

Suffocating Skies by John

Working Thanksgiving was supposed to be an escape for Carrie Richardson—a shift at Sinclair Pharmaceuticals meant avoiding her abusive boyfriend. But when the sky darkens and the office goes silent, escape becomes a trap. Whispers slither through the air, colleagues freeze in eerie trances, and something hungry moves unseen in the halls. As reality unravels and terror closes in, Carrie must uncover the truth hidden within Sinclair’s walls—before it suffocates her.

We Were Who We Were by Gage

Sometimes it looks like an accident, until you discover who is really pulling the strings.

When Tess visits the man who killed her brother in a drunk driving accident, she discovers the facts were not as they appeared to be, and someone else may have been involved. Her investigation brings her down a path of horror, lies, secrets, and a mysterious figure who haunted her brother for years.

Dark Matter Dreams by Andrew Van

An alien vessel powered by dreams. A human nightmare on board.

For millennia, the Grays have visited earth, seeing humans as simple and safe. They were wrong.

Aboard their living, star-spanning vessel, a forgotten horror awakens. Born of primal fear, stalking humanity since the dawn of time. Watching and waiting. Hungry to twist our desires against us.

As reality warps and crew members succumb, researcher Jin'qua-33 must forge an unlikely alliance with those he once abducted. Because there is something worse in the darkness than the aliens looking down. There is an unrelenting nightmare that will fill the cosmos with screams.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive!



Dark Tide 19 : What Swallows The Light contains 3 out of this world Novellas.

I usually stay away from stories about aliens and outer space but the thought of alien "horror" was intriguing and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

First up is Suffocating Skies by John Durgin

It's Thanksgiving day and a group of disgruntled coworkers have been ordered to work a shift at Sinclair Pharmaceuticals. The janitor is the first to see it out the window. Something dark and deadly has arrived to claim what should never have been hidden there in the first place. This will be a holiday they remember for the rest of their lives, however short that may be! This was a suspenseful and gory read.

Next is We Were Who We Were by Gage Greenwood

As Tess confronts the man who killed her brother in a drunk driving accident, she recalls their childhood together and the way he changed after the night of the mysterious blue light that he so wanted her to see. He was never the same after that, and her grief and guilt haunts her. Sometimes the truth is best left buried. This was my favorite novella in the book. It's dark and terrifying.

Dark Matter Dreams by Andrew Van Wey was more Sci Fi  than horror, and although it is a well written story I am just not the target audience for this type. 


My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing for the e-ARC

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Thursday, March 13, 2025

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy


 One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.

As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, horrifying incidents of butchery follow them. At first, Jess thinks she understands what they're up against, but she's about to learn there's more to these surreal and grisly events than she could've ever imagined.

And that when the wolf finally comes home, none will be spared.






Jess is a struggling actress working a thankless graveyard shift job while hoping her next audition pays off. I liked her a lot. She has been through some emotional family turmoil, but hasn't let it change her goals. She doesn't have much in the way of friend or family support, but she just keeps on keeping on. 

Her plans are interrupted when she hears a whimpering in the bushes outside of her apartment complex. What follows is a night of murderous mayhem that has her and a strange little boy embarking on a road trip that leaves a slew of mutilated bodies in their wake.

If the title or cover has you expecting just another werewolf story, you are in for a shock.

At some time or other, you will have heard or read the positive affirmation that if you can dream it you can be it.

Well, what if what you dream or see is terrifying? What if you don't want to be it, or be part of it, or bring it into reality? Not so positive now is it? What if everything you fear becomes reality?

That's all I will say about the plot so as not to spoil anything for you. I went into this blind, and for maximum enjoyment so should you.

Part survival horror, part secret government agency, a bit of humor and loads of gore made this a fun, even if over the top crazy read.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the e-ARC

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Monday, March 10, 2025

Monsters Monsters Monsters Monsters Edited by Xtina Marie

 

HellBound Books pays loving homage to the spine-tingling 70’s kids’ anthology Monsters, Monsters, Monsters, without which they would not be around today to delight horror fans with these 17 deliciously gruesome tales.

Dig into this slew of unique, terrifying monsters—each one hand-picked for your deplorably horrific delight.

Vampires, genetically engineered animal-people, giant spiders, ghouls—and more than a handful of the absolutely worst monsters of them all: the human variety—are brought to you by some of the biggest and best horror names in the indie world today!

Featuring monstrous stories by Jeff Strand, P. Mattern, Gerri R. Gray, Ksenia Murray, Cayce Osborne, Mark Wheaton, Richard Clive, Tom Vandermolen, Chris Preston, Jeff Oliver, Scotty Milder, Carson Demmans, Jane Nightshade, Douglas Ford, Alexander C. Bailey, Ricki Whatley, and Krissy Eliot, this is a collection not to be passed by!



This monster-sized anthology holds a mix of the creepy, humorous, and satirical. 

In a few of my favorites...

A bride learns her husband's secret on their wedding day and it's not just about the women in his past.

A boy develops a long-lasting relationship with a spider.

A Halloween party in a hospital with deadly costumes.

A boy loses his mask after trick or treating at the attractive new neighbor's house.

A runaway hitches a ride with unusual circus performers.

While I can not say I loved every story, I can say that whether you are looking for a scare or a giggle there is something here for you.

3 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Hellbound Books Publishing.

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Thursday, March 6, 2025

Scurry by Seann Barbour

Catty Hammond isn't like other girls; she can talk to roaches.

It's not a gift she ever wanted or asked for, but ever since she was a child, it's marked her as different. And in the suburb of Hilly Green, different is just about the worst thing a person can be. After a lifetime as a social pariah—culminating a bloody and terrifying encounter with a deranged murderer—Catty left suburbia and never looked back.

A decade has passed since then, but now a call from her sick mother brings Catty home. Not much has changed in Hilly the houses are still beautiful, the lawns are still immaculate, the people still smile and gossip and quietly judge their neighbors...

...and the serial killer Catty narrowly escaped from all those years ago is still there, watching her.

He has his own gifts. He has his own pride.

And he has no intention of letting the Roach Girl slip through his fingers once more.

 

Catty Hammond grew up as an outcast in her perfect little neighborhood. Bullied in school and belittled by her mother. Her only companions were the roaches she felt an affinity with. It wasn't until high school that she finally found a small group of human friends who didn't look down on her, as they too were considered the freaks and unwelcome weirdos. 

As the prospect of college approaches, the friends plan one last childish adventure before they go their separate ways into adulthood. It will be the last thing they ever do together, not because of their educational goals, but because Catty is the only survivor that night from an attack by a serial killer.

Years later, when Catty returns to her childhood home at the demand of her ailing mother, who needs someone to take care of her, the killer has still never been caught. 

I was already captivated by this book long before the college years approached. I love a good coming of age tale and I was rooting for Catty to find her way in a world that is not kind to people who don't fit the mold. Adding a serial killer, and seeing how life turned out for Catty and one of her bullies as adults, was the icing on the cake of this well-written plot.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Seann Barbour

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Sunday, March 2, 2025

Nerve Endings by Kealan Patrick Burke

 

From the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TURTLE BOY, KIN, and SOUR CANDY, comes a collection of eleven stories designed to shred your nerves.

You can tell yourself that sound you heard outside the house on Halloween night was nothing. You can pretend you didn’t see that awful thing in the middle of the road while you were jogging. You can even ignore the old man sitting in the yard who claims he must keep watch on a door that nobody else can see. And you can act like you don’t know what lurks in that long-forgotten pool hidden away behind your neighborhood.

But true horror cannot be ignored.

From the nightmare of addiction and the throes of grief-induced insanity, to an app designed to cure your phobias, and a musician who can cast you into hell by simply playing a song, herein you’ll find a menagerie of malevolent tales to chill the blood and expose the kind of terrors that will strip away your comfort and drag their splintered nails along your NERVE ENDINGS.

Featuring an introduction and story notes by the author.



This is a creepy collection, and aptly titled since these dark and distressing stories fried my nerves. In the best ways of course. Some of my favorites were :

Distinguishing Features- After a breakup, a man suffers a series of bizarre experiences that he hopes are merely an elaborate hoax. This was a tense and chilling tale.

The Second Hand- A man recounts the summer of 1989 when his childhood friend disappeared. What feels almost like a charming coming of age tale set in my favorite decade, turns terrifying.

Attaboy- This story is heavy with grief, regret, loss and loneliness. Maybe a touch of the Tell-Tale Heart too.

Reclamation- The day in the life of a hard working housekeeper takes a deadly turn.

I used to live here- On a cold winter day in 1981 an act of kindness proves the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished.

The App- in which a woman tries to cure herself of anxiety and crippling fears by way of a helpful app on her phone. We've all seen them. Free or low cost apps that promise weight loss, relaxation, or a better night's sleep. Maybe you've wondered what there is to lose by giving it a try. Here's the answer.

Let The Dark Do The Rest-It's an hour before midnight on Halloween and a man spends a terrifying evening alone while waiting for his wife to come home. What's really out there waiting for us all in the dark?

All the stories were excellent! These are just the ones that stick in my mind the most.

 There is nothing I enjoy more than a well-crafted horror story, except for an entire collection full of them, and that is what I found here in Nerve Endings.

5 out of 5 stars

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Tuesday, February 25, 2025

A Graveside Gallery: Tales of Ghosts and Dark Matters by Eric J. Guignard

From hauntings and oblivion to monsters, murder, and anthropomorphism, A Graveside Gallery: Tales of Ghosts and Dark Matters, by award-winning author Eric J. Guignard, explores the literary odd and macabre that reside in the vast shadows of our existence.

In "A Kingdom of Skulls and Marigolds," a gay Hispanic teen in 1950s Los Angeles, mourning the loss of a friend, has a chance to make amends during Day of the Dead.

In "Bummin' to the Beat of the Road," a Beat-era youth leaves home to travel the land, only to find madness, murder, and the teeth of a new generation.

In "The Ascending Lights of Yu Lan," an embittered sailor in 1917's San Francisco Wharf encounters an immigrant from China who offers peace from ghosts.

In "Perchance to Dream in Voices of a Fiend," an intimate epilogue is suggested to the famous novel Frankenstein, offering a more hopeful closure to the characters' lives.

...and fifteen masterful others.

Visit Eric J. Guignard's second collection and behold that which is captivating, startling, and darkly enriching.

 A Graveside Gallery holds an eclectic mix of stories including historical horror, supernatural creatures, ghosts and more in this broad-ranging collection.

It kicks off with a good old fashioned ghost story before moving on to the darker and more macabre tales.  In a few of my favorites, a man tries to make his way home in a self-driving car, A murderer has a strange encounter when he hitches a ride after killing his parents, and an early morning phone call shatters a woman's very existence. Two friends take an unfortunate shortcut on their road trip to purchase antiques. A blind man is suddenly plagued with the miracle of sight, A fortune teller stops for gas at a run-down tourist attraction, and a church full of serpent handlers are introduced to a new kind of snake to worship.

There is something for everyone in this collection whether you are in the mood for a futuristic tale, modern horror, or a trip into the past. A Graveside Gallery offers up a smorgasbord of unnerving and unsettling tales that belong on every horror lover's shelf.

My thanks to Eric Guignard

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