Sam by Iain Rob Wright

Description
WANT TO HEAR A SECRET?
When washed-up priest, Angela Murs, and skittish ghost hunter, Tim Golding, are summoned to a vast country manor to help a sick little boy, they have no idea what to expect. It’s clear that young Sammie is a very disturbed child, but there’s surely no way he could have been behind the recent spate of accidents, or the death of his father. The child is dirty, malnourished, and perhaps the victim of a negligent mother, but as Angela and Tim’s investigations take them deeper into the mystery, they realise that there is much more going on than they ever could have expected. When the blood begins to flow, there will be no escape, and little Sammie will finally be forced to show his true nature.  

I admit I have a soft spot for creepy little kids. They scare the bejeezers out of me, so I got quite a case of heebie jeebies from Sam.

When Angela and Tim are basically forced into a meeting with Sam's wealthy mother they are expecting it to be some sort of scam or hoax, but it is so much more involved than that. Sam is not just acting strangely and looking seriously ill, he possesses knowledge that no mere child could possibly have. Things quickly escalate from strange to dangerous and not everyone will survive their encounter with Sam.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

Don't Tell a Soul by M. William Phelps

Cherry Walker was a devoted, trusting, uncommonly innocent young woman who loved caring for a neighbor s little boy. But when she was asked to testify in court against his abusive mother, Cherry never got the chance. She couldn't lie if her life depended on it and it did. Cherry s body was found on the side of a Texas road, after being doused with lighter fluid and set aflame.
Attractive, manipulative, and violent, mother of four Kim Cargill had a wealth of dirty secrets she'd do anything to keep hidden. This in-depth account by bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps takes you inside Cargill s shocking trial and into the mind of one of the most conniving female psychopaths in recent history and on death row.
Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience. "Suspense Magazine"
Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer. "TV Rage"
Phelps is the king of true crime. --Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist
One of our most engaging crime journalists. Dr. Katherine Ramsland INCLUDES 16 PAGES OF DRAMATIC PHOTOS


This is a factual account of the cold blooded murder of Cherry Walker, and the trial and conviction of Kim Cargill for that murder. Cherry was mentally handicapped and although she was in her late 30s, she had only recently begun to live on her own with the help of an aid who would check in on her and help her with her daily living skills. Cherry was so proud of her little apartment, and everyone who knew her loved her, and was proud of her accomplishments. Everyone but Kim Cargill that is, who saw her as an easy target to be used and manipulated. Kim had 4 children by 4 failed relationships, often telling her various men that she could not get pregnant and then "surprising" them with a pregnancy in order to manipulate them further. She did not seem to want any of her children or get any joy from motherhood. Her children were an outlet for her anger, something to bully and beat on and take out her rage. But after already having lost custody of one child she was willing to kill to keep from losing custody of another. Not because she wanted him, or cared about him, or loved the child, but mainly because she did not want to have to pay child support. I am not a violent person but honestly this book made me want to throttle Kim Cargill myself. It was satisfying to learn how her lies caught up with her and ultimately landed her on death row. I would have liked to see pictures of her trial but the version I received did not contain any.

I received an advance copy for review

Dead by Morning (Rituals Of The Night #1) by Kayla Krantz

Description
Obsession is deadly. No one learns that better than Luna Ketz, a pessimistic high school senior. She wishes more than anything to graduate but things don’t always go as planned. Luna quickly finds herself trapped in a web of lies and murders, spun by the least suspected person in her hometown. It’s not long before she realizes she’s being targeted by the person she despises most in the world. When Luna figures out who is behind the killings, things make a turn for the bizarre when she is contacted by a friend she has not heard from in years. It is then Luna realizes she is very much in danger, but although she can avoid the killer in reality, she cannot avoid him in her dreams.

In this first installment of the trilogy Luna is what appears to be your average high school student, not a part of the in crowd but that's ok with her, she doesn't like them anyway, and she has her best friend Violet to hang out with. Chance is the most handsome and popular boy in school. Popular with everyone but Luna that is. She can't stand him, yet he stalks her on a daily basis. Other girls would love to have his attention but he is only interested in Luna and will not take no for an answer.
I thought this was gearing up to be your typical stalker thriller, but there is more to it than that. Chance has the ability not just to mess with Luna in this world but can even invade and control her dreams. There is a reason Luna is the only one who sees through Chance's false charm. There is a reason Luna is afraid to tell what she knows, and maybe nobody would believe her anyway. This story has a lot of elements going on at once. I hate to say maybe it was too many, but in a way for me it seemed to muddy up the story line a bit. There is a lot of action and suspense in this young adult thriller, and while it left me anxious to find out where it was heading and what would happen next there were some things that bothered me. Luna's home life left a bit to be desired. Her mother is only described as a strict business woman, other than that she is not really in the picture. This leaves Luna alone with her father David whose actions felt very unrealistic to me. (For example "punishing" Luna by forcing her to go to dinner and a dance.) On the one hand Luna is afraid for her life and the lives her friends (with good reason I might add!) yet on the other hand she is also easily manipulated with just a threat of being grounded. I did enjoy parts of this very creative tale.
3 out of 5 stars from me.
I received a complimentary copy for review

Bay's End by Edward Lorn

Description
When twelve-year-old Trey and his best friend Eddy play a prank on Officer Mack, the resulting chain of events rocks the small town of Bay’s End.

Today, Trey Franklin is a man haunted by his past. Tormented by that one tragic, fateful summer, Trey searches for catharsis the only way he knows how - by writing.

A tale of love, loss, and the depths of human evil.

Welcome to Bay's End.

For Trey, that summer of 1992 in Bay's End was made of memories that will last his lifetime, but not everyone survived that year.
The day was hot and dry when he first heard the sound of that rusted out rattle trap Ford turning onto his street. That was the first time he got a look at Eddy, the new kid moving in across the street. The two quickly become the best of buddies, in that way that only kids can. But it's not all baseball games and good times in Bay's End. Summers don't last forever in this coming of age tale of best friends and first love. Sometimes monsters get in the way. Not the supernatural/occult kind that go bump in the night, but the real ones, the monsters that are sometimes merely people who harbor an abominable evil where their souls should be.
5 stars from me.