It Came from the Floodwaters by Seann Barbour

"So you're like a vampire? All we have to do is survive until morning?"

Silence settled over the apartment as everyone processed this. The Elder "You won't."

Tam is alone in their Savannah apartment when a hurricane blows in. Rain falls, streets flood. When water comes pouring into the building's lobby, it brings with it an old pine box. Inside that box is something ancient, something evil. It arises, and it begins its feast.

Now, as people are dying, the survivors gather together in one small apartment, desperate to live through the storm and live through the night. But the evil lurks right outside their door. It's hungry, it's patient, and it has all night long to kill every last one of them.

 

A diverse cast of characters with nothing in common except for the apartment building they reside in are brought together with one common goal... to survive the night.

Two life-threatening situations are occurring at once. The flood waters are rising, and so are the dead. Or should I say the undead? The hurricane is only one danger the residents will face. As the water rises, trapping them in the building with no way to escape and no way to call for help, it carries with it a coffin that has something hungry inside. 

Storms are one of my favorite horror tropes. Nothing grabs my interest quicker than a dark and stormy night. When a supernatural element is thrown in, with no means of escape, it's an extra added bonus. This was a quick and intense read that takes place over the course of a single evening in the lives of people who probably would not normally have bothered with each other. The fast pace and clash of personalities drew me in right away. This "Elder" that has come out of the coffin seems to have a connection to one of the characters. I wish that had been explored in more depth, but otherwise I would not change a thing.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Seann Barbour for the paperback copy

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Tales From Halloween Land by Kevin J. Kennedy

 

Tales From Halloween Land: Two brand new short stories and a novelette

Enter Halloween Land, a carnival where nightmares come to life. Three never-before-released stories. Sinister, surreal, and darkly twisted, these tales will test courage, morality, and what it truly means to survive… if you dare step inside.

Three teens enter the eerie carnival Halloween Land and become trapped in a sinister tent. There, a living clown jack-in-the-box named Koko McKillington III forces them into a deadly game: one will leave, one will stay, and one will die. Facing horrifying choices and grotesque horrors behind mysterious doors, the boys quickly realize survival comes at a horrifying cost, testing their courage—and their humanity.

Melissa, a teenage girl, who was killed and resurrected by the sinister, otherworldly carnival Halloween Land—transformed into a powerful yet unstable clown. Bound to the carnival and gifted with superhuman abilities, she cannot escape, but her mind remains her own, mostly. As she navigates the ever-shifting, grotesque, and surreal landscape of Halloween Land, Melissa struggles to retain fragments of her humanity while embracing her newfound chaos. Trapped in a place she hates, she becomes a rogue force, turning her supernatural skills and unpredictable mind against the carnival itself. (Takes place directly after the events of The Clown novella.)

Frank and Anna’s quiet, happy life with their son Billy is shattered when he vanishes at a traveling carnival—along with his friends and their parents—leaving no trace and no answers. Grief drives them apart, their lives descending into despair, until a mysterious, otherworldly clown suddenly appears in their home. Beautiful, unnerving, and disturbingly aware of her own fragmented identity, she hints at the dark, supernatural forces behind Billy’s disappearance—and that their nightmare has only just begun.

This was my first visit to Halloween Land.  Not having read the previous books, I still feel like I have a decent grasp of the goings on in this creepy carnival from these stand-alone tales.

The carnival itself is a mysterious living entity. It pops up wherever it pleases and disappears when it gets what it came for, luring in unsuspecting patrons so it can feed on their souls. Those who are not chosen will be allowed to leave, but have very little memory of having attended, or of the strange looking carnies who work the rides and concessions.

In the first story, three teenagers who have never visited any carnival before are mesmerized by the sights and sounds at Halloween Land. There are so many games and rides, not to mention the smell of all that delicious food. If only they had not noticed a beautiful woman at a partially obscured tent, they might have had a night to remember fondly instead of a night to regret.

In the next story, we meet Melissa, or what used to be Melissa before the carnival murdered her friends and tried to bend her to its will. She is something different now, trapped by the carnival in a life she can't escape, but never under its full control. 

In the final story, a happy family is destroyed when the parents let their only son go to the carnival with friends. Their dread turns to panic and then despair the longer they are left waiting for him to come home. This was my favorite of the three tales. I found it to be more suspenseful and emotionally charged than the first two, and I enjoyed the way it tied together with a previous character.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to the author for the e-ARC

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Hotel Macabre Vol.2: Tales of Horror

 Welcome back to the Hotel Macabre—where nightmares check in, but they never check out.

Step inside for another unforgettable stay in Hotel Macabre Vol. 2, a groundbreaking horror anthology where short stories, novellas, poetry, flash fiction, a dramatic reading, and even comics collide to create a dark literary experience like no other.

Featuring some of horror’s most celebrated voices—Graham Masterton, Nick Roberts, Ramsey Campbell, Gwendolyn Kiste, Jasper Bark, John Durgin, Viggy Parr Hampton, Gage Greenwood, Kyle Toucher, Tom Deady, Robert Ford, Alison Littlewood, John Ward, Jamal Hodge, Leigh Kenny, Jay Bechtol, Karolina Mogielska, Jonathan Gensler, S. C. Fisher, Larry Hinkle, Ben Eads, Matthew Mercier, and Mike Deady—this collection blurs the boundaries between traditional and experimental horror. Includes an introduction by the Bram Stoker Award-winning editor/publisher Joe Mynhardt.

Whether you crave psychological unease, supernatural horror, or raw, visceral nightmares, Hotel Macabre Vol. 2 delivers a room full of voices you’ll never forget.

And remember… You can check out, but you can never truly leave the Hotel Macabre. Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive!

Having enjoyed my first stay at Hotel Macabre, I was excited to visit volume 2.

I've had a creepy good time, and though they say you can check out but never leave, I would not have minded a longer stay. Some of my favorite authors are there serving up 5 star stories. 

The first tale, Don't Cry For The Dead by Graham Masterton and Karolina Mogielska sets the bar high with a harrowing folk horror story of a mother's insurmountable grief. The next story, Hammered Halloween by Jonathan Gensler, made me cringe, and I am glad my face didn't freeze with the grimace that must have been plastered to it the entire time I was reading it. I am one who has to look away in horror movies when someone is chopping veggies and I know they're about to chop their fingers off or purposely slice their palm for the blood required for a ritual. This story brought images that were much more vivid, and when I say "YUCK," I mean it as a compliment.

I did wonder what they meant in the description of this volume about the inclusion of a dramatic reading. Well, not to be overly dramatic myself, but when I found out, my hand flew to my mouth in the fashion I usually laugh at when someone in a movie expresses their shock this way. There is a link in the book that takes you to a private video in which Robert Ford reads his story Racing The Milk to you himself! And it's amazing! It's a story of love, loss, ghosts and heartbreak. I think I'm spoiled now and will judge all future books by whether or not the author invites me into their home to read to me. 

Gene of the Obscene by Nick Roberts finds a boy wondering if being a serial killer is a hereditary trait.  Last Day Free by Viggy Parr Hampton is a stroll through a run-down amusement park that is about to close down permanently, while a man reminisces about the good old days. Late Night Cigarettes by Gage Greenwood is an unsettling story that anyone with anxiety can relate to.

Ask Me About My Crypt Now For Sale Half Price! by Gwendolyn KisteIs a weird title which led me to expect some comedic relief but instead delivered a story of loneliness, betrayal and gave me a fear of late night tv.

Coulrophobia Kills by Leigh Kenny takes us on a trip to the circus where a man will try to overcome his fear of clowns. I have read several works by this author and loved them all but she really outdid herself here.

The Burial Shoe by Alison Littlewood is a poem about the real Cinderella. A warning to anyone who thinks someday your prince will bring you a happily ever after.

Death's Door by Ben Eads brings us to tag along with a children's author struggling with her own grief who tries to bring comfort to kids with cancer. This will be her last visit to a sick child.

I'm just going to stop here before I start gushing over every single story and say that I can already tell you this book will land in my best horror of 2026 list.

5 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing for the e-ARC.

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Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones, comes a slasher story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose in a small town. Winner of both the 2020 Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards!

We thought we'd play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead.

One last laugh for the summer as it winds down. One last prank just to scare a friend. Bringing a mannequin into a theater is just some harmless fun, right? Until it wakes up. Until it starts killing.

Luckily, Sawyer has a plan. He’ll be a hero. He'll save everyone to the best of his ability. He'll do whatever he needs to so he can save the day.

That's the thing about heroes—sometimes you have to become a monster first.

 After a group of teens are tossed out of the theater where one of them works, for having snuck in without tickets, they come up with what was meant to be a harmless prank. They're coming back, but not alone. This time, they are bringing in a mannequin, and won't it be funny when the manager finds out that it has a ticket to watch the show? Well, it would have been. I would have laughed. Except it doesn't work out that way at all. Their carefully planned prank was a flop. And where has Manny the mannequin disappeared to?

What felt like it was gearing up to be a light-hearted coming of age takes a drastic turn when a horrific accident takes the life of one of these friends. Sawyer knows it is the mannequin seeking revenge. It's out to get them all for making it take part in this prank, using it as a joke. How can he stop it from wiping out everyone who gets in its way?

This was a suspenseful read with fast-paced action that I flew through in a single day. It was not at all what I was expecting from the title and description. I love the way it took me by surprise. If you like small-town horror with close-knit friends struggling with desperate choices, this is for you.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted paperback.

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Movie Review - Bight

 

Scatena & Rosner (S&R Films) is proud to announce the North American release of the erotic thriller Bight from debut writer-director Maiara Walsh. Bight stars Walsh (Good Trouble, Desperate Housewives) alongside Cameron Cowperthwaite (Fallout, Dahmer), Mark Hapka (23 Blast, Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial) and Maya Stojan (Castle, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). S&R Films has scheduled the film to release February 10, 2026, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Written by Walsh and Cameron Cowperthwaite, Bight follows Atticus, a man who has lost his way after abandoning his dreams of becoming an artist and his wife Charlie, a woman struggling to regain her sense of self and security following a miscarriage. One night, Atticus and Charlie visit close friends Sebastian, a successful avant-garde erotic photographer and his wife Naomi, a seductress painter with a dark secret, to celebrate Sebastian’s latest art exhibition, an immersive dive into the intricate and sensual world of Shibari. Throughout the evening, their turbulent lives will push them to succumb to dark temptations and provocative explorations of an open relationship, all leading toward a devastating fallout. 

I was invited to watch an early screener of Bight, billed as an erotic thriller.

Bight is a chamber piece or what is sometimes called a bottle movie, heavily character driven and taking place over the course of a single evening, other than a couple of brief flashbacks that set the tone of the relationship between the couples.

Sebastian is a photographer preparing for his latest art exhibition featuring Shabiri. In case you don't know what that is, Shibari is Japanese rope bondage with decorative rope knotted in intricate patterns, the pressure of which leaves marks on the flesh. You know, like that mark you get if your socks are too tight? Turned on yet? Oh well, one man's erotic is another man's ick. I find this to be as erotic as the line a pair of jeans leave on my waist after a big meal, but I digress. 

Sebastian and his wife, Naomi, invite their friends Atticus and Charlie to celebrate what they believe is the completion of the exhibit. Shortly after their arrival, they discover that they will be the only guests at this very strange and awkward party.

The majority of the film takes place in Sebastian and Naomi's home, not needing multiple sets to build tension and suspense between the characters. I found the acting to be more impressive than the somewhat predictable plot. The characters' personalities seemed written in a way that they were one-dimensional, though the actors portrayed them well. Whether their single personality trait was jealousy, manipulation, insecurity, or gullibility, they channeled those traits onto the screen well enough that it might as well have been their names. There is no action at all until the final moments of the film. For me, Bight lacked bite.

I gave this a 5 out of 10 on IMDB

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Horror Library, Volume 9 edited by Eric J. Guignard

The Horror Library anthologies are internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories--relevant to the moment and stunning in impact--from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative.

Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.

Containing 30 all-original stories, read Volume 9 in this ongoing anthology series, and then continue with the other volumes.

Shamble no longer through the banal humdrum of normalcy, but ENTER THE HORROR LIBRARY!

 Also including a special guest-artist's gallery of Michael A. Livolsi!

I love short horror stories and I have been a fan of Horror Library for quite a while. I have not read them all, but I have enjoyed every volume that I have read, including the newly released Volume 9.

This latest anthology includes the stunning artwork of Michael A. Livolsi along with 30 exemplary tales of disquiet and unease to make you uncomfortable and fill you with dread.

Just a few of my favorites were :

Afterimage by R. E. Rule is about an unusual clean up job, the description of which evokes empathy and disgust at the same time.

Found You by Poppy Z. Brite -Where grief and ritual collide, the supernatural follows.

Third Floor Windows by LH Michael  -A psychiatrist learns too late that sometimes you should believe in your patient and not assume that facts are delusions.

Dumb Insolence by J.L. Rifkin -The downstairs maid gets revenge for having been mistreated.

 The Edge of the Earth by Iain Rowan -A bored salesman dissatisfied with his life, and a fisherman with a secret to share, walk into a bar...

Before His Time by Bentley Little  -A son with a father on hospice care takes him to visit a healer.

The Luckiest Man by Gina Easton -No good deed goes unpunished in this haunting tale of a paramedic who saves a burning man.

Head Over Heels by Ana Nelson -A man, a wedding, and a sentient unicycle bring bloody mayhem and dark humor.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer Lash Fleck -A mother-daughter trip to the seaside while one is losing her memories and the other revisits a memory she pushed aside.

The Hearing Booth by Tom Johnstone -A mobile hearing test may also judge your character.

It Moves On by Colin Leonard -It's not unusual to spend time in a public park after a job loss, so why is the park suddenly subject to closing hours and padlocked gates?

At this point, I feel like I am naming the entire table of contents as my favorite stories, so I will just stop here and say there's really not a bad one in the mix. If you like weird fiction that leads you down dark paths, you will love this anthology.

5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Eric J. Guignard and Dark Moon Books for the paperback.

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A Blackened Heart, A Blackened Soul by John Ward

Evil walks among us. It watches. It waits.

John Tinsley’s life was shattered as a child when he lost his mother in a tragic car accident—but that was only the beginning. From that moment, a dark entity marked him, one intent on destroying everything and everyone he loves. Haunted by visions, hunted by shadows, and carrying the scars of his childhood, John must now confront the darkness as an adult, facing a malevolent force that has followed him into every stage of his life.

A Blackened Heart, A Blackened Soul is a gripping tale of supernatural horror and psychological suspense, chronicling one man’s lifelong battle against a being determined to consume his life, his love, and his very soul. Will John survive, or will the darkness finally claim him?

 

John Tinsley was 8 years old when he was traumatized by the car accident that killed his mother and left his father paralyzed. Struggling with his grief, he is not afraid at first when he is visited by an entity that has taken on the appearance of his mother. It seems comforting to him, until it's too late.

Having enjoyed one of the author's middle-grade horror stories, I was excited to see what he would do with his first adult horror novel, but for me, this was just an OK read. I did not hate it. I did not love it.

The multiple points of view were heavy on narration and I would have preferred a little less. Young Johnny's narration bothered me the most. An 8 year old's mind doesn't use phrases like  "being eager to right the ship"  or "trying to be more upbeat." It just felt so unnatural to me, like he was a much older man instead of a little boy. It left me feeling disconnected from this character the most out of all of them. I only truly cared about the dog.

There were some well written scenes with the demonic activity, and heartbreaking developments with grandma and Johnny's dad, but even part 2 of the book that skips ahead 25 years to an adult Johnny still had more inner dialogue than I care for. Some passages felt unnecessarily long. For example, if a character drives somewhere, I don't need to be told they put the car in park when they arrived. I don't want to nitpick over a long list of reasons why this was not for me, so I will just say that you may enjoy this book more than I did. Lots of people loved it.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing for the e-ARC

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

 

The Body is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow, where one woman must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage.

Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.

Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.

Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.

And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.

Mavis grew up with parents who made her feel less than. She was taught from an early age that her ultimate goal was marriage. She was also taught that she would be lucky should any man be willing to settle for her. When she eventually marries Jerrod, she is in a constant state of fear that he will abandon her since she has always been made to feel that she is not worthy of love. Her skewed ideas of perfection in her husband cause her to make a choice she regrets, and now it is not her marriage in danger but her life. The reason for these attacks? Well, you will have to read it to find out.

From the description that says Mavis must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage, I was expecting more of a psychological horror. While there are those aspects of the story considering her mental state and struggles with what she calls the "talons" of her intrusive thoughts, these "attacks" are not on her marriage but actual physical attacks on her life. 

This was unexpectedly brutal and gory at times. If you are in the midst of planning a wedding, this book may make you consider eloping instead.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted hardcover in addition to the e-ARC.

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The Bloody Bucket by Douglas Ford

 Nat’s dream job comes calling when a college needs someone to take charge of an annual haunt. One year before, Nat’s predecessor went inside the haunt—but he never came out. Soon, Nat finds herself confronting the ghosts of her own past as well as curses bubbling forth from the land itself.

This is such a sneaky little synopsis. It doesn't even hint at the depth and breadth of this novel.

Nat is a complicated character, supporting her equally complicated brother. She is hired as an adjunct professor to teach her favorite subject, horror literature. She will also be advisor to the students as they plan their annual haunted house. Her predecessor has disappeared, supposedly going into last year's haunt, never to be seen again.

What follows is an intricate plot involving ghosts, cursed land, childhood trauma, and so much more, woven together in a spellbinding tale of epic proportions that the author somehow makes seem effortless. 

There is so much going on here that I am amazed at the author's skill to keep so many plates spinning in the air while never dropping one. The group of students is small enough that I did not feel overwhelmed by too many characters, especially considering one in particular plays a bigger role. This was a surprisingly dark tale and is my first 5 star read of the year. 

My thanks to Douglas Ford for the paperback ARC.

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Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R. L. Stine

Twelve-year-old Joe Ferber, his sister Sadie, and their parents have just moved into a house that has all the hallmarks of a horror movie—tombstones in the basement, a creepy doll lying around, strange noises in the wall, and so on. As Joe tries to fall asleep on the first night, his nightlight begins to flash and change colors, and the creepy doll appears in his bed … and then twelve-year-old Shawn Hannigan wakes up from a dream.

Shawn and his little sister, Addie, are seemingly living in the same house with their mother. But when they arrive at their new school for the first day, the teachers are all wearing animal masks, and the principal’s office is pitch black and full of noises. At the end of the day, a stranger claiming to be Shawn’s mom picks him up and tells him he doesn’t have a sister …

As more and more strange things happen to each of them, Shawn and Joe have to figure out what is real, and what is a nightmare.

What could be scarier (and more frustrating!) than being a kid who is the only one who notices there is something wrong with the house your parents call a fixer upper when you know it's just evil!  That is where the story begins, with one boy who is powerless to get his family to see sense.

This was such a fun story. It is an amusing and spooky tale, whether you grab it for your middle-grade readers or for yourself if you are still a kid at heart. 

The author states he got the idea to write a novel that included everyone's favorite fears while eating an everything bagel. He succeeded! There's nothing missing here. Nightmares, a basement graveyard, living dolls, weird teachers, and more, all wrapped up and waiting for anyone who dares to venture onto Nightmare Street, a place you won't find on a map but is all too real for the kids who call it home. 

There are multiple tidbits sprinkled through for adults that may go undetected by kids (I'm still laughing at the Real Housewives of Antarctica). Adults who read Goosebumps when they were kids will notice the nods to that book series. 

If you're looking for a book that's fun for all ages, this is it.

My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the e-ARC

Available for preorder

Bloodfire, Baby: A Novel by Eirinie Carson

 A maternal gothic tale of new motherhood and the torment of a centuries-old haunting.

Before the shadow appeared, Sofia thought mothering would be all sun-drenched light and white linen sheets, as seen advertised by the momfluencers of Instagram. In her gorgeous home anchored in a posh suburb, far removed from her origins, Sofia revels in her success.

Motherhood seems like the natural next step, but when her husband travels for a work trip, leaving Sofia all alone with their unnamed three-week-old baby, she can’t quite square how mothering falls solely in her lap. Nobody seems able or willing to help her: not her husband, not her best friend, and certainly not the zealot mother she cut off long ago.

Her postpartum reality is overtaken by an ominous figure. Sleep-deprivation collides with a darkness that creeps in and begins to spread, threatening to consume her entirely. As her grip on reality slips away, Sofia learns of an insidious haunting that has plagued the eldest daughters in her family for generations. With her baby’s safety on the line, Sofia realizes she must confront her murky history or risk losing more than just the veneer of perfection.

Sofia has just given birth and is struggling with emotions and exhaustion when her husband leaves her on her own for a three week work trip. He is not entirely unsupportive but the important thing is that he is not supportive in the way that she needs.

As the days tick by and the lack of sleep takes its toll, so do the constant calls from her estranged mother. Gradually, Sofia's postpartum depression spirals into something worse. 

I think all mothers will be able to relate to Sofia up to a point, even those of us who didn't have cleaners show up to make our homes sparkle every day. Where Sofia and I go our separate ways is her refusal of any help with the baby. I know I would have given anything for a little help in those early weeks, even if it was just someone willing to sit with the baby for 15 minutes so I could take a shower. This is not her first bout with depression, and as we learn what it was like for her to be raised by a religious zealot who often seemed emotionally disturbed, it becomes apparent that this will not likely end well.

 I understand the desire to portray Sofia's increasingly fragile state and slow decline in a gradual manner, but certain parts of the book felt repetitive and dragged on for me. I would recommend this more for readers looking for stories that revolve around generational trauma and depression than horror fans.

I read an uncorrected proof through Netgalley, so there might be adjustments to the final finished copy. 

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The Bone Queen by Will Shindler

 A chilling horror-thriller debut where a mother's search for her missing daughter battles against the shadows of a historic, dangerous legend.

Single mother Jenna arrives on the tranquil shores of Athelsea fueled by the desperate hope to find Chloe, her teenage daughter who’s disappeared from their London home. She has no idea why–all she knows is that Chloe had changed in the previous two weeks, haunted by something, or someone, and the ferry ticket here is the only clue she has.

As she explores the village and interacts with the locals, Jenna soon realizes a macabre secret is being hidden in plain sight. A dark legend of a vengeful woman called the Bone Queen is spoken of in hushed tones amongst the villagers, some of whom are frantically trying to suppress the tale that has long terrorized their lives.

As Jenna starts to learn more about the Bone Queen and her previous victims, the village’s grip on reality begins to loosen and no one can say for sure who, or what, is responsible for the deaths and disappearances on Athelsea. Suffering from what she can no longer distinguish between paranoid hallucinations or real manifestations, Jenna must act quickly before Chloe is next…

The Bone Queen has left her mark, and one day she’ll collect.

Is The Bone Queen an urban legend or a reality? The people of  Athelsea know the answer. A brutal murder in the 1700s and the deaths and disappearances that have occurred on the island ever since might just be a story people pass around to scare each other. But if it isn't real, what is the explanation?

Jenna and her daughter Chloe have had a rocky relationship. Jenna is a recovering alcoholic holding on to past guilt. Chloe has become withdrawn and is now suffering strange maladies, which lead her to believe she has been marked by The Bone Queen. Unable to share what is happening to her she runs away from home to deal with it herself. Jenna and her sister go searching for Chloe and uncover a horrific truth and a weird plot twist from Jenna's past.

The story is told on multiple timelines that bounce from the present day, to the recent past, and to a secret held among a group of friends that stem from a happening in 2003. I don't usually mind flashbacks, but there are spots in this book that just dragged for me and made the story seem much longer than its 272 pages. I do enjoy a build-up of suspense, but there comes a time to just get on with it, or else it becomes a frustrating wait.That being said, there was a decent plot with several spooky scenes and gruesome deaths. I do think it could have benefited from being tightened up a bit. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Minotaur Books for the e-ARC

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Breed by Owl Goingback

 The quaint Florida town of St. Augustine is a magnet for tourists. But one site is off-limits even for the locals.

Built on the site of an ancient Indian village, Tolomato Cemetery has been closed for years. But now a slaughtered Wiccan priestess has been discovered on the grounds. Human remains have been found in a nearby Dumpster. And a cryptic message is haunting a woman's sleepless nights--a warning that the doors between two worlds have been opened.

Whatever's buried in Tolomato Cemetery is more than legend.

It's alive.

A tour guide and a spirit she can hear, but not see, set out to fight an ancient shape-shifting being called a Shiru that a witch inadvertently let into our world when attempting to teach her students how to connect with their spirit guides.

With a door open between the living and the dead, the Shiru can live it up (ha ha) while munching on humans and looking to breed. (yuck!)

This was a fun and freaky read. I loved the Native American folklore, and there are some marvelously gruesome scenes. Some spots were a bit too gross even for me. I enjoyed the humorous back and forth between Ssabra, the tour guide and the spirit who communicates with her.  It's pure entertainment with a classic 80's horror feel.

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

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White Noise Press – The Chapbooks Edited by Keith Minnion

 

White Noise Press - The Chapbooks is an anthology of 21 original short stories first published by White Noise Press as limited edition, signed and numbered chapbooks. This edition is fully illustrated, with new Story Notes by the authors, written especially for this edition. Contributors include Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar, Mary SanGiovanni, Gary Braunbeck, Elizabeth Massie, Jeff Strand, Alison Littlewood, James A. Moore, Kealan Patrick Burke, Gary McMahon, and eleven others!

I missed out on these limited edition chapbooks when they were first published. Imagine my delight at being invited to read them all here, collected in a single volume, complete with author notes and illustrations.

This anthology contains 21 stories by some of my favorite authors.

There are tales of murder, compulsions, invisible monsters, werewolves, and more.

A few of my favorites were How the Wind Lies by Brian James Freeman, about a family of homesteaders who have moved west to escape the dangers in the eastern colonies. This was historical horror fiction at its finest.

I have always had a feeling that cats ruled the world, but Cozzy's Question by Matt Bechtel and Bob Booth proves that they are worthy of the honor.

Detectives find the motive for a series of brutal child murders in No Songs For The Stars by Mary SanGiovanni. 

There's a Blubird in My Heart by Gary McMahon holds the answer to whether monsters are real or merely a conspiracy theory. 

A church sponsored camping trip leaves a small group of boys and their chaperones forever changed in The Church of Dead Languages by James Newman and Jason Brannon.

Halves by Brian Keene is a chilling tale of imaginary friends who might be more than make-believe, and an outdoor cat who likes to leave gifts at the door.

There are so many great stories in here, but those are the ones that stuck in my mind.

If you like dark fiction, White Noise can be music to your ears.

My thanks to Keith Minnion for the paperback.

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The Neon Revelation by T.T. Madden

 

The town of Columbia is a place of miracles. Or so they say. The home of a secretive religious group that claims to have an angel among their ranks, to Roan, it's nothing more than a target, the place responsible for the death of her beloved Nico, a place she plans on burning down entirely. But Roan knows, as a transwoman, if she's caught within Columbia's borders, she'll surely be killed. But when Columbia's strange angel seems to choose Roan for some higher purpose, the believers have to choose a side, and prepare for a second coming none of them could have ever prophesied.

Roan has lost the love of her life, and she knows who to blame and where to find him. She does worry that it won't be easy to blend in as a transwoman approaching a religious sect to murder one of their own, but her grief and rage propel her forward. She finds more than just the object of her revenge in this cult like atmosphere. She develops a strong connection with the wife of their leader, and she sure would like to stick around to see the angel they claim to have in the barn.

I usually enjoy anything with cults, or angels and demons but there were a few off notes here that just landed wrong for me. For one thing Roan recalls a time in school before she transitioned when a boy asked why she couldn't just hold her period in. What? I had to go back and reread to make sure I hadn't misunderstood that Roan is a trans woman. Surely the author knows that transgender women do not get periods. Not even after they transition. I would have liked more info on the angel if that is what it really was, and why something that powerful would just hang around in a barn.

I think the concept of this book was clever, but it was too rushed to really come to life for me. You may enjoy it more than I did. I hate to end the reading year on a sour note, but this book was not for me, and is likely to be my last of the year, or at least until after Christmas.

My thanks to Timber Ghost Press for the e-ARC

EVIL: Short Stories of Horror by Kevin Bachar

 Ten-year-old Cassie is playing in the ball pit at a shabby fast-food palace when she feels something bite her leg and it doesn't want to let go.

The passengers on a cross-country bus trip make a stop that changes the lives of everyone on it, and reveals that one of the riders is hiding a horrific secret.

The locals in a remote mountain town know about the wind that supposedly can kill people; they avoid it at all costs. But when a young college meteorologist comes to study it, will he heed their warnings?

From the writer who brought you the best-selling short story collections DREAD, CREEP, and CURSED comes a new set of tales that will make you lock the doors and turn on the lights. EVIL forces you to confront the most terrifying element in our world - EVIL. In each story, we see how it manifests and then consumes those who dare to think they can battle it. In this book, GOOD doesn't triumph over EVIL; it runs away and cowers under the bed and hopes and prays it goes away and never comes back. Can you handle something that is filled with pure EVIL?

In an unusual mix, this collection contains dark tales, one novella, a drabble, and a singular factual account with names and places changed for privacy purposes.

There are serial killers, strange creatures, an unexpected ghost story and supernatural events that should please any palate. 

The author turns ordinary everyday situations, such as a quick stop for fast food or a visit to a mountain cabin, into hideous consequences.

I am not a flash fiction fan, and with a drabble being even shorter, that was the only part I could have done without. I am not usually a fan of stories told through emails or texts, but The Cabin, written in that style, turned out to be one of my favorites. It increased the suspense and created a scary, intense read. It made me feel like I was there and unable to help with a terrifying emergency situation. 

Another favorite was the novella length story Breezy. You'll think twice before the next time you say it's only the wind!

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to the author for the e-copy.

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Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester

 

Three women. Three centuries. One legacy of fury, love, and a power that refuses to die

In this fiercely captivating novel, horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women. Anne Bolton, a healer facing persecution for witchcraft, bargains with a dark entity for protection—but the fire she unleashes will reverberate for centuries. Mary Shephard, a picture perfect wife in a suffocating community, falls for Sharon and begins a forbidden affair that could destroy them both. And Camilla Burson, the rebellious daughter of a preacher, defies conformist expectations to uncover an ancient power as her father’s flock spirals into crisis.

Dark Sisters is a captivating historical horror fiction that spans centuries of oppression against women and their ultimate revenge.

I loved the oldest timeline the best, with Anne Bolton in the 1700s, and I 

loved to hate her daughter, Florence, who chose to be blinded by religious dogma. This is where the curse comes from that plagues the women of Hawthorne Springs for centuries to come.

The women are subjugated under the guise of God's will by greedy, selfish men who hold a horrific secret. Any woman or girl who shows an ounce of backbone is sent off to "retreat" in order to be led back to the rightful path of knowing her place. This worked for centuries until a preacher's daughter refused to sit by and let her mother and her best friend suffer.

If you are in the mood for a witchy supernatural tale of greed, feminine rage, and betrayal,  here you have it. Find out for yourself if the dark sisters are something to be feared or revered. 

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

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Best Horror of 2025

 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 2025. 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 eighteen books. Yes, you read that right, my list is even bigger this year.

The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein    The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

What Fresh Hell Is This? Dark Tales by Del Howison    Scurry by Seann Barbour

Nerve Endings by Kealan Patrick Burke      At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

Urban Legends: Three New Tales of Terror    Cottonmouth By Kealan Patrick Burke

Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton                    Dark Roads Traveled by Tony Tremblay

                                  The Burning Class by Luisa Colón           

  The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

Bloody Bones by Garrett Boatman      The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale     Tainted Towns by Victoria Williamson

Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson                Steel Machines by Dan Franklin        

Humbug by Luciano Marano

 A terrifying new take on the most famous ghost story of all time.

From award-winning author Luciano Marano comes Humbug—a gruesome, noir-infused reimagining of A Christmas Carol that blends supernatural horror, crime thriller, and psychological suspense into one unforgettable holiday nightmare.

In modern-day Seattle, Detective Stuart (Scrooge) Caine is a jaded homicide cop on the edge of burnout. Every Christmas brings another murder, but this year’s case is different. A brilliant psychopath—dubbed “Humbug” by the press—has made a tradition of killing an entire family every December 25th. With the investigation going cold and his career slipping away, Scrooge receives a visitation on Christmas Eve that shatters his The ghost of his former partner, Marley, and three monstrous spirits—manifestations of history’s most notorious unsolved Jack the Ripper, Zodiac, and The Cleveland Torso Murderer.As the line between nightmare and reality blurs, Scrooge is forced to confront his past, his sins, and the darkness waiting for him on Christmas morning.

Humbug is a chilling holiday horror novella—a macabre fusion of ghost story, police procedural, and psychological redemption tale—perfect for fans of A Christmas Ghost Story, Candy Cain Kills, and Hark! The Herald Angels Scream.

Sometimes, the ghosts of Christmas past don’t come to save you…they come to collect.

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

A hardboiled cop dubbed "Scrooge" by the media, who hates Christmas, is on the hunt for the "Humbug" killer. So nicknamed due to his penchant for murdering an entire family every Christmas.
When he is taken off the case, he is visited by the spirits of three murderers, plus his deceased partner, Marley. Can they help him open his heart to the season? And more importantly, can they lead him to the killer?

This modern-day take on the Dickens classic is a much darker and gorier version. It has been decades since I read the original, but I still watch several of the movie versions every year. The spirits here are far less benign, and the streets more dangerous. If you like retellings with a malevolent twist or are a fan of holiday horror, this is for you. At its heart, this is still a story of redemption, but the path to get there is harsh. 

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing for the e-ARC

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Chilling Childlore: Ten Twisted Childhood Tales by Victoria Williamson

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

An unwelcome visitor, a hungry house, an unsettling doll and a sinister Christmas surprise…

These are just some of the disturbing childhood tales in this anthology for adults who are young at heart, and younger readers with old souls who have strong stomachs and a taste for the macabre.

 

I love short horror stories, and Victoria Williamson is adept at bringing on the spine tingly chills and unnerving thrills without loads of gore.

In these 10 twisted tales the protagonists are children, but I would not recommend these as bedtime stories for very young readers because some of them do get pretty damned creepy, especially the longer story at the end "Curtain Calls" about a girl who senses something terribly wrong with her renovated bedroom, particularly with the second hand material that was used to make her new curtains.

There are cautionary tales, such as what happens to one child when she makes up a haunted house story to manipulate her parents, and an amusing story of what happens to the favored child who won't quit picking on her sister. There is the fear a child has of being left alone with a strange relative he has never met, and of course, there is more than one bully to be dealt with.

I loved all of these stories. If you are in the mood for some hair-raising tales without explicit bloodshed, this is for you.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Silver Thistle Press for the gifted paperback.

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