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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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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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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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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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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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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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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