Thursday, May 18, 2017

Where Wolves Run by Jason Parent

THE BEASTS WILL FEED.

The dense Bavarian forest outside the town of Rattenberg has long been rumored to harbor something sinister, something wild — mythical beasts that vanish into the shadowy woods after each attack, leaving carnage as the only evidence of their existence. Many villagers turn a blind eye to what is happening, but those who believe tremble at the mere whisper of the word: werewolf.
There are those who stand and fight, however. Konrad is one such boy. Too poor to live in the village, he and his mother fend for themselves in their forest hovel alone for months at a time, his father preoccupied with mysterious business abroad.
After a vicious assault on their homestead, Konrad finds himself buried beneath his mother’s mutilated body, escaping death only due to his father's chance return. Alive, but taking no comfort in the presence of the man who had left him and his mother to face death on their own, Konrad soon discovers that his father’s work has followed him home…

…and it's hungry.



Konrad has never had much of a relationship with his father. He's always off somewhere, rarely returning home. "Mostly he and his mother lived alone, happy."
When Konrad's mother is murdered he finally learns what Father is up to. Werewolf hunting! But does Father always know best? Konrad is not sure whether he should trust Father's ability to discern werewolves from men, or who should be put to death.  
This was a short read, less than 100 pages. There was nothing really remarkable about it other than "Father" never being named and only referred to as "Father" even when not with his son, which seemed odd.
I did like the ending.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The Boulevard Monster by Jeremy Hepler

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I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT ME

You say that I am a madman. You say that I am dangerous. You say that I am the one who has been abducting women, slaughtering them, and burying their corpses all around this city for years. You are wrong, because only part of that statement is true…

I AM NOT A KILLER

I know that you probably won’t believe me. Not now. Not after all that has happened, but I need to tell my side of the story. You need to know how this all began. You need to hear about the birds, but most of all, you need to understand…

I AM NOT THE BOULEVARD MONSTER



Seth Fowler was near the end of an ordinary day when it all started. There would be no more ordinary days for Seth. When his long time friend and coworker Randy stops by with a 6 pack and a brand new truck that he shouldn't have been able to afford Seth is understandably a little jealous and maybe a little suspicious but he doesn't notice the birds just yet. What he does notice, when Randy goes in the house to use the bathroom.. is the dead body in the back of the truck. When Randy leaves, Seth calls the cops, but soon he is met by Luther, an otherworldly  stranger who makes him an offer he can't refuse. Literally, there is no way to refuse Luther, so Seth will do what it takes to protect his girlfriend, his adopted daughter and his elderly father from harm, but the police and his brother-in-law are getting suspicious and meanwhile the bodies are piling up.

I can't tell you this wasn't a bit of a crazy story, or that I wouldn't have liked some sort of explanation of what and why Luther is whatever he is, but damned if I didn't enjoy it anyway. It's suspenseful, and creepy, and Seth is just plain likable. I was rooting for him, I wanted those pesky cops to leave him alone. I wanted his brother-in-law to mind his own business, and now I think the birds are spying on me!
4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Friday, May 12, 2017

The Child by Fiona Barton

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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Dark Screams: Volume Seven Edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar

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