The Word Game by Steena Holmes

Description
For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.

But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?



The Word Game by Steena Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a hard, sad look at dysfunctional families, guilt, and secrets long buried finally coming to light. The subject is harsh but it is told in a non exploitative manner. I felt a strong connection to the character Alyson, and though she was described as a helicopter parent she certainly had her reasons for being so protective of her daughter. This was a thought provoking story of the courage it takes to come forward even when you think nobody may believe you.

I received an advance copy for review
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A Cold White Fear by R.J. Harlick

Description
"Stranded by a blizzard at her isolated cabin, Meg Harris finds herself in a desperate and terrifying situation when two strangers arrive.

As night approaches, a major blizzard has cut off road access to Meg Harris’s isolated wilderness home, Three Deer Point. She is alone with her young friend Adjidamo, preparing for Christmas, when a knock suddenly echoes through the house. She finds two strange men at her front door, one of them bleeding. Against her better judgment, she lets them in.

At that moment, the power goes out, plunging the group into total darkness and severing all phone links to the outside world. So begin a terrifying twenty-four hours that have Meg summoning up a courage she didn’t know she had to get herself and Adjidamo out alive"

I really expected to like this book a lot more than I did. From the description it sounded very appealing. I do love a good trapped in a blizzard story. I was not able to muster up much interest in these characters. The dialogue felt unnatural to me and one character in particular whose name escapes me already since he was mostly referred to as "The Serbian" truly grated on my nerves with his stereotypical broken English. The main character's repeated thwarted attempts at escape began to bore me and I just couldn't make myself care much one way or the other whether any of them lived or died. I did start out at least rooting for the dog to live but after too many "little brown sausages" on the floor I can't say I cared too much for her either. I would give it 2 and a half stars.

I received an advance copy for review

A Coin For Charon by Dallas Mullican

Description
"Gabriel isn’t murdering anyone―he’s saving them.

The media has dubbed him the Seraphim Killer. He believes the gods have charged him to release the chosen, those for whom life has become an unbearable torment. Gabriel feels their suffering—his hands burn, his skull thunders, his stomach clenches. Once they are free, he places coins on their eyes to pay Charon for passage into paradise.

Detective Marlowe Gentry has spent the past two years on the edge. The last serial killer he hunted murdered his wife before his eyes and left his young daughter a mute shell. Whenever she looks at him, her dead eyes push him farther into a downward spiral of pain and regret. He sees the Seraphim as an opportunity for revenge, a chance to forgive himself―or die trying.

Gabriel performs the gods’ work with increasing confidence, freeing the chosen from their misery. One day, the gods withdraw the blessing―a victim he was certain yearned for release still holds the spark of life. Stunned, he retreats into the night, questioning why the gods have abandoned a loyal servant. Without his calling, Gabriel is insignificant to the world around him.

He will do anything to keep that from happening."

I had some mixed feelings when starting this book and was not really sure what to expect. The cover looks like a horror, the description sounds like a police story and in all honesty I tend to shy away from detective stories and the like. However there is just so much going on in these pages that before I realized it I was so totally immersed in these characters that I could not put it down. There is more to this story than a cop searching for a killer. This is also the story of the killer himself Gabriel who believes he is helping people, Of Max living day to day in fear and pain and of wanting your life to have meant something when you reach the end. Then there is Becca who counsels others on how to get their lives in order though she seems to have given up on fixing her own. The author is able to weave all these stories into one. There is just so much going on here and yet it all fits together. A very enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Tales From The Graveyard The Complete Collection By Susan Shultz

Description
"In a pleasant little New England town, there is a house on a hill. Its garden is decorated with gravestones.
The house has stood for ages now, and occupants have come and gone.
But those who died there never leave.
They just watch…and wait.
Susan Shultz's haunting Tales From the Graveyard series is now available in one complete digital collection.
Read Tales From the Graveyard: The Complete Collection today, and you'll see.
Our ghosts never leave us."


Tales from the Graveyard: The Complete Collection by Susan Shultz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This anthology contains 4 short stories that all center around the same house at different points in time.
The first story "The Blacksmith" Has little to do with the actual Blacksmith and more to do with a serial killer. It was ok but nothing spectacular. If rated separately I would give it 3 and a half stars.

The second "Jessie" about an unloved, neglected, and abused wife who basically lives like a slave and eventually gets her revenge was much more substantial. It was sad and spooky, creepy and dark, and perfect in every way. 5 stars

"Dirt" Is the story of a reporter/journalist who becomes obsessed with the killer from the first story. I would give it 3 stars.

Last but not least is "Sam" the story of a man and his pregnant wife who move into the murderer's house. 5 stars.

All in all this was an enjoyable read.

I received an advance copy for review


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