Chills by Mary SanGiovanni

Description
“True Detective meets H.P. Lovecraft in this chilling novel of murder, mystery, and
slow-mounting dread from acclaimed author Mary SanGiovanni . . .

It begins with a freak snowstorm in May. Hit hardest is the rural town of Colby, Connecticut. Schools and businesses are closed, powerlines are down, and police detective Jack Glazier has found a body in the snow. It appears to be the victim of a bizarre ritual murder. It won't be the last. As the snow piles up, so do the sacrifices. Cut off from the rest of the world, Glazier teams up with an occult crime specialist to uncover a secret society hiding in their midst.

The gods they worship are unthinkable. The powers they summon are unstoppable. And the things they will do to the good people of Colby are utterly, horribly unspeakable…"


A storm is coming, and there is an unimaginable evil in it. This is no ordinary storm, and starting with the discovery of a ritualistic murder victim we are given just a taste of what's ahead. Jack Glazier had worked homicide for 9 years, but he had never seen anything like this. Kathy Ryan is brought in on the investigation, Kathy is an expert on ritual and occult type murders and bears the scar of her first brush with the Hand of the Black Stars cult.....and then the snow starts.. and people are unprepared for what it brings.
This book started off so strong, and I loved Kathy Ryan and her back story. Other than Kathy I just didn't have a lot of interest in the other main characters, though I did like quite a few of the expendable characters brought in for the sake of doing away with them in truly chilling ways. After a very strong start it seemed to just lag a bit in the middle, though the action did pick up again towards the end. All in all well worth a read.
I received an advance copy for review

Comorbid by Lorelei Logsdon

Description
"The debut psychological thriller that challenges your assumptions. James Davis is born into a life of strife and discord. His father is violent, his mother helpless—until a man calling himself Alistair breaks into his home and kills his abusive father in front of his eyes, protecting him from a final, deadly beating. As soon as the man appears, he vanishes mysteriously into the night, passing from sight and down into the murky depths of memory. Sixteen years later, James is still trying to cope with the events of that night. He has a normal life, a normal job, and normal friends—but he fears his childhood has left him a broken man from a broken home.

And then, just as suddenly as he had all those years ago, Alistair reappears and throws James' life into paranoia and chaos. Does Alistair's reappearance promise deliverance from evil once again…or this time has he come for James himself?"


This was a fascinating psychological thriller told partly from the point of view of James in the present day, and partly in flashbacks from the point of view of his mother Brenda.
Brenda had unfortunately fallen in love with an abusive man whom she married against her parents wishes. She tried to make the best of things with husband Frank, but he had more interest in drinking and gambling than being the family man Brenda had hoped for. When James is born into this unhappy home he becomes the newest target of Frank's rage, until one fateful night Frank is murdered in front of James by a stranger who threatens to do the same to him if he ever tells.
Now a grown man, dealing with PTSD James manages to hold a full time job though he prefers to keep to himself and avoid people as much as possible. Suddenly after all these years the murderer reappears in James's life, stalking him, advising him, and wanting something from him...
The ending was shocking! 4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review

The Reach of Children by Tim Lebbon

Description

"He spoke into the box … but then, the box spoke back.

Daniel Powell is ten years old when his sickly mother passes away. Her young death leaves Daniel with only his father too soon. Distraught, his father starts to fall apart. Daniel also is unable to let her go.

After the funeral, Daniel notices his father secretly talking to a large coffin-like box that has appeared underneath his bed. His father orders him not to enter his room.

Intrigued and confused by what it is doing there, Daniel cannot help but wonder what lies inside.

Then one day his father goes out. Daniel is left alone in the house with the mysterious box. He taps the box and the box taps back. When he scrapes his nails along it, he hears the same sound.

He convinces himself that it must be an echo. But when Daniel whispers to the box of his troubles, the box answers back...

It is a voice that he does not recognize, yet this voice knows so much.

Tim Lebbon’s The Reach of Children is a chilling horror tale, which will leave you spooked and moved in one sitting. "

 

From the description I was expecting a horror story, but that is not what I got.

Daniel Powell is a young boy who has recently lost his mom. He has watched her getting sicker and weaker but held on to hope as only a child can, that she may someday get well. Sadly that is not the case and she does not recover. Grief stricken Daniel is now left alone with his dad, who struggles to cope with the loss of his wife. He spends most times drinking and can offer very little comfort to poor Daniel who is lost without his mom.  Enter mysterious coffin shaped box hiding under dad's bed and a creepy story about an old man who kept a girl in a box.. that Daniels mom had promised to tell him about when he was old enough. 

This was a quick read at under 100 pages. It is more a story of grief than of horror, but was well written and held my interest. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review  

 

 

Rockinghorse by William W. Johnstone

Description

It came in the dead of night—a rhythmic creaking sound that only the children could hear.
Jackie and Johnny tried not to listen. But it called to them, whispering of evil, luring them
into the darkness of the attic.

With its brightly colored saddle and painted-on eyes, it was the most beautiful rocking horse Jackie and Johnny had ever seen. But as they took turns riding it, they didn't see its tail twitch or its lips curve into a terrifying grin. They couldn't hear the faint whicker that echoed among the shadows.

They couldn't know that their own innocent eyes had taken on a strange new gleam . . .

I have to say first that this description seems a bit off to me, Jackie and Johnny did not take turns riding the horse... nor were the they only ones who could hear it. Anyway on with the review.

Lucas and Tracy Bowers, a not so happily married couple have been arguing, mainly over the success of Tracy's career. They decide to pack up their kids Jackie and Johnny and take a road trip to Bowers House for the summer. Bowers House is a mansion in Georgia that belonged to Lucas's grandparents before their deaths. He has not been to see it in years, and has been unable to sell it. Right before they leave, Jackie and Johnny both have strange dreams about a rocking horse.

"They's them that say the place is haunted"

When they arrive, there is of course a strange cast of characters, including a caretaker who tells them the house doesn't want to be sold. There are rumors of devil worship going on in the woods and before discovering an old rocking horse they do indeed hear hoof beats and whinnying.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but after that it all began to get a bit too crazy, even for me.

3 and a half out of 5 stars from me

I received an advance copy for review