The S.T.A.R.S Project by Lee Andrew Taylor

The Rats are Coming! The S.T.A.R.S Project is a project set up by the government to increase the survival of the slowly decreasing rats' population in the town of Aaronsville. After a virus killed off a vast majority of rats, rats that humans need to help heal the sick, the local authority set up a lab in the university to help breed the rats, but after three years of experiments by the professor, the rats want out. Tonight they will flee the lab. Flee to take revenge on the humans who thought it was best to cage them. Tonight, the town of Aaronsville will awaken once again with the scurrying rodents. But this time the outcome will be different.




Like many people, when I think of rats, I think of fleas, filth, and the plague.
Imagine if you will, a world where rats do not carry disease, but cure it. Where instead of killing rats as pests they must be preserved because their blood has the power to heal. When these rats go missing from the lab, it first seems that they may have been stolen. But as the body count goes higher, it's clear these rats have had enough of being experimented on. After a while the rat attacks did get a bit repetitive for my taste but I did still enjoy the story.
I don't usually get into books about government experiments gone awry, but this had a good Sci-Fi/horror/creature feature vibe to it that held my interest.

I received a complimentary copy for review.


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The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.

Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.



Over 100 years ago a brutal murder took the life of Miss Carmichael as she made her way through Henderson Close in an attempt to do a good deed for one of the many residents living in squalor and poverty. Now it's a tourist attraction where people pay to walk through the eerie abandoned neighborhood and hear the dark history and morbid tales of a bygone time.
When Hannah arrives, recently divorced from her cheating husband and looking for a fresh start she is excited to begin her job as a tour guide. That excitement soon turns to anxiety and fear when ghostly figures from the past and evil creatures make themselves known.
I would recommend it not just to those who enjoy ghost stories but gothic hauntings and historical fiction as well.
I received an advance copy for review.



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About the author

Hello, my name's Catherine Cavendish and I write horror fiction - frequently with ghostly, supernatural, gothic and haunted house themes.

Out now- from Kensington-Lyrical - the third in a trilogy - DAMNED BY THE ANCIENTS - set in Egypt and Vienna and featuring the sinister Dr. Emeryk Quintillus whose obsession has stayed with him past the grave. This completes the NEMESIS OF THE GODS trilogy which started with WRATH OF THE ANCIENTS, followed by WAKING THE ANCIENTS.

My novellas COLD REVENGE, MISS ABIGAIL'S ROOM, THE DEMONS OF CAMBIAN STREET, THE DEVIL INSIDE HER and THE SECOND WIFE have now been released in new editions by Crossroad Press.

My novels THE DEVIL'S SERENADE and SAVING GRACE DEVINE have also been released in new editions by Crossroad Press, as have my novel of the Lancashire Witches - THE PENDLE CURSE - and my novellas, LINDEN MANOR and DARK AVENGING ANGEL.

I live with a long-suffering husband and a delightful black cat who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue.

Our home is in a rambling building dating back to the mid 18th century, haunted by a friendly ghost, who announces her presence by footsteps, switching lights on and strange phenomena involving the washing machine and the TV.

When not slaving over a hot computer, I enjoy wandering around Neolithic stone circles and visiting old haunted houses.

You can find me on my blog: www.catherinecavendish.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineCav...
and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cat_Cavendish

Keep Her Close by Erik Therme

Someone took your daughter. And nobody believes you …

Then:
Three-year-old Ally was found alone in a parking lot.
She was barefoot and dressed only in a yellow sundress. In the middle of winter.
What kind of person would abandon their daughter?

Now:
Fifteen years later and Ally has a new family.
But her real father has sent her a letter.
And now Ally is missing.

A gripping twist-filled thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and Teresa Driscoll.




15 Years ago Dan and Holly were on their way to a midnight movie when they discovered a toddler alone in the parking garage, standing on a sign that read simply "Free to good home."
No relatives were ever located, and after a huge ordeal of red tape they were eventually allowed to adopt her. Now at 18, she is recently moved out with a roommate, when she receives an upsetting letter. Someone claiming to be her real father wants to meet her. Dan believes it is just a prank and wants her to forget about it. They argue over it and leave it at that. The next day when Dan shows up to apologize she's simply vanished. Did she go off with her real father or did something more sinister happen? Dan will stop at nothing to bring her home.
This was a fast paced twisty psychological thriller with more turns than a roller coaster. I never knew who to trust.

5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review

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About the author
Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature. Join Erik’s mailing list to be notified of new releases and author giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cD1F8L

Hell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie Stevens by Tom Lewis

Something Evil is Inside Cassie Stevens.

For fans of The Exorcist and Stephen King comes a terrifying new tale of supernatural horror.

Cassie Stevens was 16 years old the night she died. When she’s revived 20 minutes later, unsettling changes begin to occur. They’re in the shadow she sees from the corner of her eye, and the face in reflections, and the whispers in her mind… and awaking at night to the cold unseen presence of something in her room…

But the changes aren’t just around her – they’re inside her.

Something ominous followed Cassie back from beyond death. Something infinite in hatred and horror. And it won’t stop till she’s dead.



This was a chilling supernatural tale, although it did follow the predictable formula of the non believing doctor wanting to prescribe medications, and the priest who is losing his faith before turning into a hero. I still enjoyed it. Cassie was an average girl, up until she lost her dad. Before that, as the coach's daughter she liked to watch the games, and was friendly with the players. Things changed for Cassie after his death, and she took up with a different crowd. Dying her hair black and dressing Goth and getting into trouble. Cassie's new friends don't just look the part, they are playing with Satanism and Cassie is along for the ride.
After a car crash something is different. Cassie was dead before they miraculously revived her but something evil from beyond the grave wants her back.
4 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

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