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

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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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City Hall by Bentley Little

Paul Wardlow couldn't be happier after landing his job as an administrative assistant at Arovista city hall. The pay is good, the benefits are great, and he has the opportunity to finally help put some good out into the world. It seems like a dream.

But all is not well in city hall, and it hasn’t been for some time.

Doors open up on hallways that are not listed on any layout. Employees attend meetings and return changed. Strange men come and go, with no record of them being employed there--or even of being alive.

And then there are the whispered rumors of the Corp Yard, where no one is ever seen entering and no one is ever seen leaving, but screams are still heard.

Arovista's local government is preparing for changes. Big changes. For a new plan. A new future. And it will not tolerate interference.

As the saying goes… you can't fight City Hall.

CITY HALL is Bentley Little in his element, a scathing plunge into violence and madness and small scale government that only he could deliver.

Do people choose to work at City Hall or does the city choose them?

Paul Wardlow had been job hunting for a while and was excited to land an interview at City Hall. After the unpleasant turn his interview took, he never expected to be hired. He would have been better off had he never applied.

Gavin Barre wants to make some positive changes and decides to run for City Council. Little does he know who holds the real power in Arovista.

Janis Kaminsky had been retired from City Hall for 2 years when she was asked to return. She ignored her hazy memories of something being not quite right in her previous years working there. Those half-remembered feelings about the basement might have only been nightmares. Having escaped once and lived to retire, she should never have gone back.

What begins as just another ordinary situation spirals into the bizarre and frightening. Some of the characters are already deeply under the city's influence,  leaving very few normal people to notice or care what is happening. Are they any match for the power of the city? Or as they go along to get along will they lose that small voice of conscience that tells them what they are witnessing is wrong? Bentley Little's City Hall reads like a darkly comedic fever dream of satire and horror where the bizarre becomes the new normal and I loved it.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the ARC.

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Nightmare Abbey 9 edited by Tom English

9th gigantic volume of this critically-acclaimed horror magazine/book.

Creepy GHOST STORIES & other weird tales!

Horror Comics on Trial! (History of American Horror Comics, part 6)

Horror Delve's list of great HALLOWEEN HORRORS

Classic horror movie: Hangover Square

11 terrifying tales by today's top writers!

A new Magnus Supernatural Dog Tale

Another chilling visit to Bone Street!

Indy (the Horror Husky) makes the cover of Time!

Art by World Fantasy Award-winner Allen Koszowski

Heavily illustrated: movie stills, comic book covers, cool facts!

Get it now, fellow fiends!

Nightmare Abbey 9 is hot off the presses and ready to haunt your shelves with chilling tales of the weird and wondrous.

Aside from the top-notch fiction and artwork, I am amazed time after time when every volume manages to send me down a rabbit hole of horror heaven as I read the articles that send me gleefully researching the movies, old TV shows, or horror publications of the past that I have somehow missed out on.

In this issue, the article and still shots from the 1945 horror/noir movie Hangover Square compelled me to pause my reading in order to find this must watch movie. It was one I had never heard of, and I am so glad for its inclusion here because I loved it.

As far as the fiction, it is delightfully dark. Among my many favorites were Under The Hood by Gary Fry, which reminded me a great deal of the pilot movie for the old Night Gallery series, complete with paintings that should not be messed with.

The Other Shore by Kelly White, about a ghostly seaside encounter, and Out In The Cold by Steve Rasnic Tem, a sorrowful tale of an elderly man whose family seems to have no time for him.

I'm now off to search for some of the stories mentioned in the article Horrifying Halloween Tales, because, like I said, I've gone down the rabbit hole of horror heaven. Join me if you dare.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press

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Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart

College professors Sadie Sheridan and Felix Graham are on sabbatical at Hemlock House, located on a remote mountain homestead established years ago by Felix’s family. When Felix leaves on a work trip but doesn’t return, effectively stranding Sadie on the mountain, her world collapses.

Alone at Hemlock House, frantic Sadie struggles to make sense of what her missing astronomer husband left behind. Forced to confront two mysterious trespassers just as a powerful storm bears down, Sadie and the strangers have no choice but to ride it out together. As conditions worsen and shocking secrets are revealed, Sadie must face whether or not she ever knew the man she married and is she fighting only for her own survival now—or still for the man who promised her the stars?

Newly married and madly in love, Sadie is anxiously awaiting her husband's return from a business trip to the remote mountain home belonging to his family, where he and Sadie have been staying. When he is late, she is at first disappointed, but later terrified that something has happened to him when he still has not arrived the next day. They haven't fought, his clothes are in the closet, he wouldn't just leave her without telling her, and abandon his belongings... would he? And who is that on the trail cams creeping around in the woods?

When I read the synopsis about being stranded on the mountain with the snowstorm on the way and the trespassers in the woods, I thought this was right up my alley!

The story is told on two timelines, and although the present-day goings on were sometimes suspenseful and chilling It didn't take long before I was getting annoyed with being pulled out of the action when it flipped back to the days when Sadie first met her husband, how they became friends before they dated etc. It was sweet at first, but eventually I wanted to skim those chapters.
Another thing that irked me was Sadie's response to the whole missing husband thing. She was not in fact "stranded on the mountain," she had a way to get down, but chose to stay until the storm came. She waited a ridiculous amount of time before reporting her husband missing. I know TV shows and movies claim you need to wait 48 hours to report a missing person, but in reality, there is no such waiting period. She made a point of checking to see if his flight was on time, but had she called the police, they could have easily found out whether or not he ever got on that plane. 

So while I enjoyed the mystery of the present day plotline, I found some of Sadie's decisions to be unbelievable, and I just wanted to get on with it instead of being constantly interrupted with flashbacks.

This was just an OK read for me. Not bad, not great.

My thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy.

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About the author

 

Unusual Occurrences by Glenn Rolfe

Glenn Rolfe's UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES delivers chills, heartbreak, and small-town horror as only he can. This collection of dark stories— from a haunted coin ("Skull of Snakes") to murder mystery ("Abram's Bridge") to critters of all sorts ("Girl by Day" "Harry's Inevitable Extinction") to the author's personal take on his brother's passing ("The Rooster") and a Christmas story like something out of Natural Born Killers ("Welcome to Paradise")—will keep you turning the pages into the night, freaking you out one minute, and breaking your heart the next.

If you've not read Rolfe, this is one hell of an introduction!.

Track listing: 1. Out of Range 2. Abram's Bridge 3. The Fixer 4. Not Kansas Anymore 5. Skull of Snakes 6. Fire 7. Too Much of a Dead Thing 8. Harry's Inevitable Extinction 9. Halloween Worm 10. The Rooster 11. The House on Mayflower Street 12. Jackie Boy 13. Welcome to Paradise 14. Girl By Day 15. Boom Town

 

I love short horror stories —you are probably tired of hearing me say that, but I just can't get enough of them. I am so glad I chose Unusual Occurrences for my first read of the month.

Within the first sentence or two at the start of each story I was instantly engaged and eager for more. That is a most impressive skill that not all possess, to be able to come up with that perfect sentence that a reader can't walk away from. 

 These stories have been previously published before being collected here, but I had only read one of them in the past. It still packed a punch for me as a reread, and that is rare. Most stories were new to me and I enjoyed every single one of them.

Glenn Rolfe has a gift for hooking the reader immediately as he weaves tales of vampires, ghosts, aliens, UFOs, and more in this excellent collection of dark fiction that delivers shivery chills one minute and a heart-breaking gut punch the next.

5 out of 5 stars

ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

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Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales—A Horror Writers Association Anthology

 Abandon all hope, ye who enter here! 

Get ready for a terrifying spin on some of literature’s most beloved tales—no story is safe! From Captain Hook’s run-in with dark magic to Sherlock Holmes narrowly escaping graveyard spirits to a happily never after for Cinderella, this horror anthology is anything but a bedtime story. In this terrifying new collection for young readers, the best-loved stories from the literary canon are revisited and reimagined with a deadly twist by some of the top authors working in middle grade today. 

Featuring tales from New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Maberry and Kelley Armstrong, Carlos Hernandez, Lisa Morton, Maurice Broaddus, and many others, this collection will haunt you long after you turn the last page. Read on—if you dare!

Created by award-winning editor Eric J. Guignard.

• In “The Hound of the Basking Villas," a wily girl teams with young Sherlock Holmes to search for a missing boy in a fae-haunted cemetery.

• In “The Boy of La Mancha Rides a Ghost Horse," a young Don Quixote, along with his stalwart companions, seeks honor and recognition by capturing (before time of his mother’s curfew) a ghost horse that terrorizes all of La Mancha.

• In “Hook and the Hand of Fate," Captain Hook trades a promise for the return of his hand, but learns that barters cannot be broken in Neverland.

• In “Prince Badi az-Zaman and the Ogress Fattan," a young prince sets out to find an ogress responsible for mayhem among his people, only to learn not all is as seems.

. . . and more!

Some of my favorite writers have breathed new life into classic tales to delight young readers and the young at heart. My favorites were based on the stories I loved best as a child.

The Glass Slipper by Sherrilyn Kenyon imagines a very different fate for Cinderella after she marries her prince.

The Hound of the Basking Villas by Kelly Armstrong leads young sleuths to a graveyard in a spooky search for a missing boy.

The GruelMaster by Nathan Carson could have saved Oliver Twist from going hungry.

The plight of missing people is blamed on an Ogress in Prince Badi Az-Zaman and the Ogress Fattan by Tanvir Ahmed, but who is the real culprit?

The Secret Thing in the Garden by Delilah S. Dawson is a far spookier version when young friends attempt to dig a pond.

Wolf In The Mirror by Sarwat Chadda pays homage to The Jungle Book where Mowgli should have been left alone.

Freckle and Hide by Jonathan Mayberry is about a boy with anger issues and his timid adopted dog.

The Shadows in The Rock by Joe R. Lansdale is a Huck Finn rafting adventure.

These were my favorites, yours may differ. The recommended reading age is 8-12 years old, but there is no reason older children wouldn't relish these tales. I think younger kids may struggle with some of the words and may be better suited to have the stories read to them.

My thanks to Eric J. Guignard for the hardcover copy.

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The Devil Take the Blues by Ariel Slick

During the 1920s, Beatrice Corbin just wants to keep her general store afloat and keep an eye on her younger, newly married sister, Agnes, in the small town of Azoma, Louisiana. Until she is approached by the Devil, Frank Charbonneau, and learns that her sister will be murdered. At first, she doesn't believe Frank until one of his predictions comes true. To save her sister, she makes a bet with him, staking her soul on the wager that she can find her sister's would-be killer in seven weeks. Meanwhile, Agnes is hiding her own secret, and Beatrice ignores her growing feelings for a Black blues musician, with whom Frank has also made a deal.

Unbeknownst to Beatrice, the true target is someone in her own family. As her time runs out, Beatrice becomes desperate and unknowingly pushes Agnes toward her inevitable fate. And everyone knows that the Devil doesn't play fair...but in this case, is he?

In the 1920s in a small southern town where racism runs rampant and the KKK has taken a foothold, there are two things that Beatrice cares about. Her only priorities are making sure her sister Agnes is safe, and keeping her general store in business.  When it is predicted that Agnes will be murdered, there is nothing Beatrice won't do to find and stop the would-be killer, even if she has to make a deal with the devil himself.

The devil, recently released from a trap, is more than happy to oblige. For Beatrice, it's a race against the clock. She has 7 weeks to find out who will kill her sister or she will not only lose her, but herself as well.

Atmospheric and dark, the writing style pulled me in from page one. It wasn't long before I began to worry for Agnes as much as Beatrice did. This gothic, historical fiction spins a tale of hot southern nights when moonshine, magic, and blues music fill the humid evening air, and the devil appears in human form seeking a good time. It's a tale of grief and loneliness with a bit of romance and forbidden love in a time and place when Anti-miscegenation laws could lead to imprisonment or being murdered for "consorting" with someone outside of your race. The author envisions a devil who is as charming as you've ever been warned about, with a passion for music and vulnerable to human emotion. 

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to the author for the paperback copy.

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