Sinner by Christopher Graves

As a direct descendant of the 19th century vigilante gang, the Bald Knobbers, Ezekiel Woods, Jr. has been indoctrinated into a world ruled by violence and a literal interpretation of the bible his entire life. Now, over a hundred years later, Zeke continues his ancestors’ crusade, spending his days camouflaged as an aloof middle-aged grocery store sacker and his nights in a farmhouse cellar, preparing captives’ souls for their ultimate destiny: redemption or death. His latest abductee, an indomitable Texan working her way through a third-life crisis, chooses another option: escape. Zeke must recapture this lost sheep or face a consequence far worse than any worldly fate: that God has forsaken him.
Available for pre-order


Zeke is a religious fanatic from a long line of murderous child abusing nut jobs who seem to think they are on a mission from God to dole out retribution. With an affinity for torture and murder that could  only be surpassed by Leatherface, Zeke is racking up the body count as he rids the world of "sinners" who of course are women. Not all women are so easily dispatched as Zeke finds out the hard way when one in particular refuses to be his victim in a highly suspenseful heart stopping conclusion.
4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review




About the Author:

Christopher Graves is an actor, filmmaker and award-winning screenwriter based in New York City.

 

Some of his performance credits include Sneaky Pete, Divorce, The Blacklist, Shades of Blue, Nurse Jackie, as well as many network on-camera and voice-over commercials for national brands.

 

He is the creator and writer of the comedic web series, With Friends Like These and the feature-length screenplay, Sinner, which was named Best Psychological Thriller Script by the New Hope International Film Festival.

 

Born in the hills of Mt. Vernon, Missouri, his introduction to the thriller genre started early. At five years old, his mother abducted him along with his younger siblings and fled across the country. They were given new names, a new home and a new beginning–until they were discovered and had to move again.

 

By the time he accepted his high school diploma (from the tenth school he had attended), Christopher had developed an intense affection for the terrifying plots of authors like Thomas Harris, David Lozell Martin, and James Patterson. Identifying with the grittiness in many of those stories, he had grown fond of the adrenaline surges that come with running and hiding.

 

He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two judgmental Siberian cats.

Lost and Lonely by Brian James Freeman

This new collection by Brian James Freeman features characters who are haunted by horrors they think are out of their control, but perhaps the source of their greatest terrors is closer to home than they ever feared possible.

In "Losing Everything Defines You," a bestselling author's family mysteriously vanished three months ago, yet if they're really missing, why is he hearing footsteps in the hallway outside his bedroom every night?

Patty knows that everyone makes mistakes in life and when it comes to "Loving Roger," she wants to fix the errors of her ways and make everything right again.

William Carver and his family fled the colonies to escape a monster stalking their community, but the western plains might not be the safe haven they had hoped for once they hear "How The Wind Lies."

When Melissa was a little girl, her father told her that all children were like "Perfect Little Snowflakes," each was different and unique in conception, but you never knew where they would land once they hit the ground.

And finally, a mother doesn't remember when the coldness began to fester inside her and now she's terrified for her baby as she suffers from "The Plague of Sadness."

These five thought-provoking stories show why Stewart O'Nan has said Freeman's writing has "great velocity and impact," and why Publishers Weekly has called his work "highly readable."

This exquisite collection of short stories by Brian James Freeman will be released next month from Cemetery Dance Publications. Each story is a delicious bite sized morsel of horror, heart-ache, and loss. From loss of a relationship, to loss of a child, the common thread woven through each story is emotional trauma, each one leaving me more unsettled than before.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy for review

The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

What if your perfect home turned out to be the scene of the perfect crime?

Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake.

Because someone has just been murdered. Right outside their back door.

And now the police are watching them..

Honestly I didn't really care for the way this book started off, written in the form of a journal, switching back and forth between Jack's point of view and then Syd's. A few times I wasn't even sure which point of view I was reading. I was considering giving up on it. I'm glad I stayed with it,

Jack and Syd were two broken people before they found each other. Now happily in love and moved into their new home it seems like maybe life will turn out ok after all. Except for that foul smell of death in the attic and the strange box hidden towards the back. Then there's the sound of footsteps where nobody should be walking, and the neighbor who threatens you for daring to be nice to his abused daughter. Something from the past has followed the couple to their new home and it's not the welcome wagon.  This was a dark and twisty psychological thriller and the ending took me by surprise.
4 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review

The Presence by Kirk Kilgrave

Description

This is not your friendly neighborhood library.
During a job interview for a branch manager position, Rosalind Lanners learns that some think the library is haunted. But with a horrible credit score, a mountain of school debt, and less than three figures in her bank account, Rosalind takes the job and hides out there at night until she can find an affordable apartment.
When cold spots precede unsettling, seemingly impossible events, Rosalind begins to wonder if the stories are true. These strange occurrences soon take on a more sinister edge, but circumstances outside her control force her to stay in the one place she'd like to escape at all costs.

As she discovers clues about what might be lurking inside the branch, Rosalind learns that those who work in the library...may be just as evil as what lives inside it.


Rosalind is a young woman who has recently moved away from her friends and in with her boyfriend. With no money and homeless after a break up she and her faithful pup Tofu move into a secret room in the building where she has been made branch manager by the creepy and dirty old man who interviewed several applicants before her but could never find anyone willing to take the job. Strange occurrences and bumps in the night follow as Rosalind gets closer to untangling the mystery of what really happened to the branch manager before her.
This story was a bit more tame than what I would normally expect from a book I found in the horror section. It's more a mystery/ghost story than horror and at first I thought it was  geared towards a young adult audience until some of the language, and a journal describing one character's  sexual proclivities changed my mind on that notion.

I received a complimentary copy for review