The Troubles Keeper by Susan May

Description
Bus driver Rory Fine has a gift. He can take troubles from others with merely a touch. On a rain-swept night, he asks his glum passengers to leave their worrisome emotions in his palm. But when he touches one person’s hand everything he knows about trouble keeping is shattered. Somebody aboard hides a deadly and dangerous secret.

What began simply, descends into a perilous battle with a menacing and evil dark thing. Rory now faces a terrible decision: should he reveal his secret gift to Mariana, the passenger he’s come to love but barely knows? The last time that happened, somebody died. But he must find a way because someone is stalking Mariana. Someone who kills in a macabre and sickening way. Someone with abilities more powerful than his own.

Should the killer's plan succeed, it’s not just Mariana at risk, but the very fabric of the world. Rory will need to discover a strength he may not possess. Even then, that might not be enough. For when the Trepan Killer wants you, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Can Rory stop the Trepan Killer before he loses all? To do so, he must face more than the killer. He must face his own harrowing past …

From International best-selling dark thriller author Susan May comes another page-turner to keep readers up way past their bedtime. The Troubles Keeper is a non-stop supernatural thrill ride with memorable characters and a world you won't want to leave.

Rory Fine is a young man with a secret. He discovered when he was just a young boy, that he had the ability to take troubles and lock them away. This ability has been both a gift and a curse. One day he meets Mariana whose "troubles" are unlike anything he has ever experienced. A trouble that is so huge, so evil, it can not possibly be her own, and he can barely contain it. Rory knows that she is in danger but doesn't know from who, or how to help her. When another young woman falls victim to a serial killer Rory begins to suspect that the killer is closer than he thought.
This was a very original, well written thriller with just a hint of romance.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Grave Predictions: by Drew Ford (Editor), Harlan Ellison (Introduction

Description
"This is a book of stories intended to describe that hand of mortal destruction in 16 utterly different, yet all apocalyptically stunning ways!"—Harlan Ellison, from the Introduction.
These compelling visions of post-apocalyptic societies and dystopian worlds include short stories by some of the most acclaimed authors of  our time. Among the noteworthy contributors and their works are Stephen King's "The End of the Whole Mess," "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clarke's "No Morning After."
The first-ever apocalyptic fantasy about global warming, "The End of the World," appears here, in translation from Eugene Mouton's 1872 French-language original. "The Pretence," by Ramsey Campbell, questions the nature and structure of everyday life in the aftermath of a doomsday prediction. In addition, thought-provoking stories by Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Greg Bear, Erica L. Satifka, and others offer an end-of-the-world extravaganza for fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

These are stories of the end of the world, and the various ways it can come about. There are lots of big name writers which is what attracted me to this book but also I was hoping for a little more horror and a little less science fiction. You may have come across some of these stories in previous publications. All are worth a read but none are particularly terrifying. I did particularly enjoy "Automatic"
"2BRO2B" where population control is of such importance that if you want to have a baby you must find a volunteer to die. "The End Of The Whole Mess" a Stephen King story that I don't think I have read before.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Blood Related: A Psychological Thriller by William Cook

Description
For over two decades, Detective Ray Truman has been searching for the killer or killers who have terrorized Portvale. Headless corpses, their bodies mutilated and posed, have been turning up all over the industrial district near the docks. The remains of young female prostitutes have been the killer’s victims of choice, but now other districts are reporting the gruesome discovery of decapitated bodies. It seems the killer has expanded his territory as more ‘nice girls’ feel the wrath of his terrible rage. This horrifically disturbing tale of a family tree of evil will embed itself in the mind of the reader, long after the last page has been turned. A crime thriller in the vein of other power-packed thrillers like Thomas Harris's 'Silence of the Lambs' and James Ellroy's 'Killer on the Road.'

Meet the Cunninghams . . .
A family bound by evil and the blood they have spilled. The large lodging-house they live in and operate on Artaud Avenue reeks of death and the sins that remain trapped beneath the floorboards.

Meet Caleb Cunningham . . .
Caleb is a disturbed young man whose violent father is a suspected serial killer and mother, an insane alcoholic. After his Father’s suicide, Cunningham’s disturbing fantasy-life becomes reality as he begins his killing spree in earnest. His identical twin brother Charlie is to be released from an asylum and all hell is about to break loose when the brothers combine their psychopathic talents. Eventually stepping out from the shadows of his murderous forebears, Caleb puts in motion his own diabolical plan to reveal himself and his ‘art’ to the world. He’s a true aesthete. An artist of death. His various ‘installations’ have not received the status he feels they deserve, so Caleb is expanding his ‘canvas.’

Meet Ray Truman . . .
A tragic cop whose personal demons won’t let him rest. Overworked and underpaid, Truman is tenacious as a pit-bull. He won’t rest ‘til he’s brought to justice Portvale’s infamous serial killer. His battle with his own demons gives him the strength to chase the shadows and to cut corners when necessary, as he embarks on the hunt of his life. His search leads him to the Cunningham’s house of horrors. What he finds there will ultimately lead him to regret ever meeting Caleb Cunningham and the deviant family that spawned him. The hunter becomes the hunted as Truman digs deeper into the abyss that is the horrifying mind of the most dangerous psychopath he has ever met.

BLOOD RELATED is a chilling Psychological Thriller that will leave you gasping for more.


Warning: R18+ contains adult content + graphic violence & psychological horror.


I wasn't sure what I would think of this story since the description begins with telling us about the detective on the hunt for a killer. I am usually not a big fan of detective stories, but this book gets right to the heart of the matter. The killers and what makes them tick
Charlie and Caleb Cunningham are bad apples that didn't fall far from their twisted family tree. Like their daddy and his day before him. Fans of horror and thrillers alike should enjoy this well written and gory tale, I was up all night reading this one.
Be warned it is quite graphic! 4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

The Graveyard Apartment: A Novel by Mariko Koike, Deborah Boliver Boehm (Translator)

Description
A terrifying tale of a young family who move into an apartment building next to a graveyard and the horrors that are unleashed upon them.

One of the most popular writers working in Japan today, Mariko Koike is a recognized master of detective fiction and horror writing. Known in particular for her hybrid works that blend these styles with elements of romance, The Graveyard Apartment is arguably Koike’s masterpiece. Originally published in Japan in 1986, Koike’s novel is the suspenseful tale of a young family that believes it has found the perfect home to grow in to, only to realize that the apartment’s idyllic setting harbors the specter of evil and that longer they stay, the more trapped they become.

This tale of a young married couple who are harboring a dark secret is packed with dread and terror, as they and their daughter move into a brand new apartment building built next to a graveyard. As strange and terrifying occurrences begin to pile up, people in the building begin to move out one by one, until the young family is left alone with someone... or something... lurking in the basement. The psychological horror builds moment after moment, scene after scene, culminating with a conclusion that will make you think twice before ever going into a basement again.

I have mixed feelings on this one. A husband, wife, their young daughter, and dog Cookie (who is the only character's name I can spell or pronounce) move into a beautiful brand new apartment which overlooks a graveyard and crematorium. In fact on some days you can see the smoke of burning bodies drifting towards the windows. From the minute they move in odd things start  happening. Their pet bird dies their very first night in their new home, and as if that is not enough of a bad omen, right away the mom hears of a tragedy that occurred when a child in the neighborhood was killed on his way to kindergarten. They want to leave.. but something seems intent on making them stay.The book definitely held my interest however I expected it to be scarier. Some of the scariest horror movies have come from Japan and have Americanized versions so I guess I expected the same from this book. The terror factor just wasn't there for me.  I would occasionally come upon a word that just seemed an odd choice. I don't know if something was lost in translation from Japanese or if it is due to the time period of the book (late 80s) but some things just seemed a bit off. For example I don't think little girls still said things like "oh goody" Of course I could be wrong but I just don't think I have heard that since maybe the last time I watched an old black and white 50s sit com. When I first started the book I kind of stalled each time I came to a name, and tried to sound it out and figure out how to pronounce it. I don't have a clue how to pronounce Japanese names so I gave up and began to think of the main characters as Maisy, Terry and Tammy. I can't say I actually liked any of the characters, including the brother and his wife. This was not a "bad" book it was just not very scary.
I would rate it 3 and a half of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy for review.