Milk-Blood: A Tale of Urban Horror by Mark Matthews

 

Description
Optioned for a full-length feature film
Lilly is ten years old, born with a heart defect, and already addicted to heroin. Her mother is gone from her life, and there are rumors that she was killed by her father and buried near the abandoned house across the street. The house intrigues her, she can't stay away, and the monstrous homeless man who lives there has been trying to get Lilly to come inside.

For her mother is there, buried in the back, and this homeless man is Lilly's true father, and both want their daughter back.  




This story is unusual in that it is told from the point of view of each main character.
Zach who is taking care of his elderly mother, as best as her monthly checks allow, Latrice his girlfriend who finds herself pregnant after a strange encounter with Jervis.. the squatter in a burned out hovel, and Lilly the product born of that encounter.

This was a very unique story. A tale of poverty, child neglect, drug abuse, and sprits that do not rest in peace. The real star of this show would be Lilly, who is uncomfortable at her best and suffering pain at her worst. Often left alone and hungry and friendless. It was a dark and disturbing read.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Description
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.
You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart.
Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.
Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.



Jack and Grace appear to have a perfect life. They even have the photos to prove it. After a whirlwind romance they have settled into a beautiful house, perfectly landscaped and very private. Jack has even offered to have Grace's sister come and live with them after she leaves school.

Just don't look in the basement.
From all outward appearances Grace has everything a woman could possibly want. Yet in her private thoughts Grace wonders how Jack can appear so normal and thinks "there should be something -pointed ears or a pair of horns-- to warn people of his evilness"

Only Grace knows what goes on behind closed doors, and what she will ultimately have to do to protect herself and her sister.

The thing that strikes me the most about this compelling psychological thriller is the pervasive feeling of foreboding that struck me almost immediately, and intensified through out the story. I am most impressed that the author was able to make me feel so uneasy and to keep up that intensity all the way to the end.

I received an advance copy for review

3 Gates of the Dead (The 3 Gates of the Dead #1) by Jonathan Ryan

Description

Sometimes, the most evil things come from the most holy…

Conflicted with his faith in God and the hypocrisy of the church, Aidan Schaeffer, a young assistant pastor, is in a constant state of spiritual turmoil. When Aidan learns that his ex-fiancée is the first victim in a string of ritualistic killings, he finds himself in the middle of an even deeper fight. Tormented by demonic threats and haunted by spirits, Aidan throws himself into investigating Amanda’s death; all the while supernatural forces have begun to attack the people around him. The more questions he asks, the more he is drawn into the world of a mysterious Anglican priest, a paranormal investigation group and a rogue female detective investigating the murders. As the gruesome rituals escalate, ancient hidden secrets and an evil long buried threaten to rip Aidan’s world apart.

I loved the cover and the creepy atmosphere.

Pastor Aidan Schaeffer has suffered a loss. A loss of his parents, his fiancée and his faith. Not long after his ex fiancée leaves him for another pastor she is brutally murdered in a ritualistic killing.

The killer may be someone very close to Aiden.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, when whispered disembodied voices and footprints with no visible owner appeared. Towards the middle when it got more into the investigation, theology and biblical quotes it did not hold my interest as well.

 

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Win a kindle copy of Brother by Ania Ahlborn

1 copy to be awarded at random on April 24 2016

Winner announced here on April 24

To enter follow this blog and comment in this post or in my review telling me why you love horror. That's all you have to do.

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Description
"From the bestselling horror author of Within These Walls and The Bird Eater comes a brand-new novel of terror that follows a teenager determined to break from his family’s unconventional—and deeply disturbing—traditions.

Deep in the heart of Appalachia stands a crooked farmhouse miles from any road. The Morrows keep to themselves, and it’s served them well so far. When girls go missing off the side of the highway, the cops don’t knock on their door. Which is a good thing, seeing as to what’s buried in the Morrows’ backyard.

But nineteen-year-old Michael Morrow isn’t like the rest of his family. He doesn’t take pleasure in the screams that echo through the trees. Michael pines for normalcy, and he’s sure that someday he’ll see the world beyond West Virginia. When he meets Alice, a pretty girl working at a record shop in the small nearby town of Dahlia, he’s immediately smitten. For a moment, he nearly forgets about the monster he’s become. But his brother, Rebel, is all too eager to remind Michael of his place…"


The Morrows "don't have much" according to Michael, and when asked what he does he replies that he "catches things."  Yes he sure does. He catches things for his momma. Things that cry and beg for their lives but are shown no mercy. Momma Claudine definitely wears the pants in this deranged psychotic family and if you don't want to be on the wrong end of her knife you'll do what she says.
Big brother Reb has his own ideas of who should be the boss. He also has a murderous plan for revenge that he's been plotting for years and it's all starting to come together. Part of me wished it could end differently, and yet I must acknowledge that the ending was truly perfect.
I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars.