The Goblin Crown: Billy Smith and the Goblins, Book 1 by Robert Hewitt Wolfe

Description
Billy Smith is having a rough first day of high school. The new kid at exclusive Francis Drake Prep, Billy embarrasses himself in front of fiery, beautiful Lexi Aquino. He makes an instant enemy in Kurt Novac, the school's surly star quarterback. Then suddenly Billy, Lexi, and Kurt are mysteriously transported to an underworld teeming with goblins, strange animal hybrids, and powerful magic the fact that they're stuck there is probably Billy s fault, too. With help from an unlikely goblin leader named Hop, the teens soon discover that goblins can be both fierce and friendly, with their own rich language, culture, and history a history that foretells of a human arriving to claim the Goblin Crown and lead them to victory against the deadly, invading Hanorians. Could Billy anxious, awkward Billy be the mythical Goblin King? Could saving the goblin race be his destiny and the key to getting him, Lexi, and Kurt back home?

What a fun and action packed story!
Billy Smith has never felt like he belonged. He has always been uncomfortable everywhere he goes. He just doesn't quite fit in. On his first day of high school, with his nerves already on edge, and spying the beautiful Lexi who is a bit of a chatterbox  he accidentally runs afoul of Kurt. When Lexi tries to speak up for him she unintentionally makes things a bit worse. Lexi suffers an injury as they are fleeing, and it is then we find out that Kurt is more bark than bite. In trying to get help for Lexi, Billy transports them to a magical land where Goblins and Humans have been at war, Rabbits are the size of cows and ships fly through the sky powered by giant bats. Some goblins are friendlier than others and not all will welcome these unlikely human heroes.
The target age group for this book is middle school and up, but if you are a kid at heart you too will be enchanted by this captivating tale.

I received an advance copy for review

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.