Dark Quarry: A Mike Angel Mystery by David H. Fears

Description
Lust stalks Mike Angel as he stalks his father’s killers. The first of the Mike Angel Mysteries of historical, erotic novels. Set in the New York/New Jersey and Chicago areas in 1960. Plenty of action and seduction in this case connected to the infamous Purple Gang of the 1930s.

Burdened by the unsolved murder of his father, a career NYPD lieutenant whose “voice” warns whenever danger is near, 30-year-old Mike Angel is a Korean vet and bored private investigator of insurance fraud. When a wealthy ex-college buddy hires him to tail Joe Ambler, a petty blackmailer, Mike fixates on Kimbra, a stunning beauty who kills the blackmailer with a “lucky shot” from a peewee .22. Mike impulsively helps her dispose of the body and finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

Mike discovers the dead man was the grandson of a feared and legendary mob leader, founder of Detroit’s Purple Gang of the 1920s and 30s. When a well-dressed thug comes looking for Ambler, and the wealthy buddy who hired Mike runs off with Kimbra and is murdered in the Bahamas, Mike is turned around on the case. While searching for Kimbra, Mike stumbles across connections to the Russian-Cuban branch of the ring responsible for a string of unsolved murders in three states. The discovery leads to a chain of events and a frame up. Mike is convicted of murder, and is sent to the federal prison at Trenton. A lustful but single-minded newspaper woman, Heddy McBright, visits him in jail right before a break is planned.

Warning! This is a Noir Novel complete with sarcastic humor back when PC wasn't eroding logic. If you find yourself laughing occasionally, that's okay. It's not a comedy.

A fast paced detective story as told to us through the eyes of hard boiled PI Mike Angel, a likeable character in spite of himself. Not my usual genre but I enjoyed this well written tale, and particularly the main character's sense of humor and his way with words. Lots of action. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries, detective stories, and historical fiction.

Perfect Little Town by Blake Crouch

Description
Ron and Jessica Stahl are a power couple from Southern California, on a Christmas driving holiday in the Colorado mountains.

When they stop for the afternoon in sleepy Lone Cone (Pop. 317), they’re charmed by the quaint tourist town which is filled with B&Bs, candy stores, and gift shops.

But the folksy hospitality will vanish as the sun drops behind the mountains. A winter storm is approaching, and the Stahls couldn’t have picked a worse night of the year to get snowed into this perfect little town with a dark, dark secret.

From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and SERIAL UNCUT comes this 12,000-word horror novella, which also contains an interview with Blake, excerpts from all four of his novels, and a bonus excerpt of SERIAL UNCUT.

Perfect on the outside....
But evil at the core. Perfect Little Town is a short story that reminded me somewhat of The Lottery and The Wicker Man. If you aren't familiar with those I suggest you google them or look them up on Amazon as they are both worth your time. This was a quick read, and downright scary. I loved it. 5 out of 5 stars

Love Prevails by Dane Hatchell

Description
Two couples escape their small town during the onslaught of the dead returning to life. Keith and Kara Sims, Steve and Jill Mitchell, seek to find refuge deep in a national forest. Along the way, a clan of survivalists offers them sanctuary in their small village. The group is well armed and has no problem defending themselves against the occasional zombie menace. The couples must make a decision to stay and subject themselves to the laws of the village or continue their trek northward. Which will prove to be the greatest threat to their survival, the living or the undead?
Love Prevails is a novelette inspired by the post-apocalypse of hurricane Katrina

This is a short story of 2 couples trying to survive a zombie apocalypse, who discover that the living can be just as dangerous as the undead. I don't want to give away too much, but I particularly liked the psychological twist of mob mentality. It made me question what it would take to break me, and to make me follow along with the herd. 4 out of 5 stars from me

Little Killers A to Z by Howard Odentz

Description

Bad things come in small packages . . .
EPIC Award finalist Howard Odentz has penned twenty-six disturbingly fascinating horror stories about the youngest predators among us.
From Andy and Boris to Yuri and Zena, this eclectic anthology is filled, A to Z, with psychopaths, monsters, and murderers!
So turn on the lights and huddle under your blankets because murder isn't just for grown-ups anymore. Come meet our gallery of little killers.
After all, they're dying to meet you!
Author and playwright Howard Odentz is a lifelong resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the foothills of the Berkshires and the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg states into his work.
5 Stars "a relentless, thrilling ride" - Court Street Literary, on Bloody Bloody Apple.
"Howard Odentz takes this mis-mosh of dysfunctional characters and puts together a wonderful story that is equal parts horror and love." - Scared Stiff Reviews, on Bloody Bloody Apple

These 26 bite sized tales of wonderfully wicked children kept me glued to the pages. From A is for Andy to Z is for Zina who is starving to death in a post apocalyptic world I couldn't put it down. These are not all stories of children who just enjoy killing though some of them do! Some were made that way through circumstance, others learned it from daddy. Each tale is unique.
Some of my favorites were A is for Andy, in which an abused child finds a way to improve his living situation. C is for Cassie in which a girl who needs structure and consistency has her routine disturbed by grandma. F is for Fern, about a girl who loves to kill but also loves her baby sister. K is for Kiernan, in which a boy must fight for his life. M is for Maura about a girl who just wanted some privacy, N is for Nancy which addressed bigotry. I also Loved the story of poor OZ who was shuffled from one specialist to the next to address his real and imagined medical problems. Truly there was not a bad story in the bunch, but those were my absolute favorites. 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review