The Poor and the Haunted by Dustin McKissen

As a child Jimmy Lansford and his sister Kelly suffered crushing poverty, their father’s unexplained and frightening suicide, and their mother’s constant abuse and cruelty. Having grown to be a successful adult, Jimmy must contend with the sudden re-emergence of memories from his childhood in Oklahoma and unexplainable events occurring inside his own home. Is it more than memories that haunt Jimmy? Did his parents suffer from mental illness and addiction, or were they possessed by something even worse—and has that presence arrived to take Jimmy?

The first horror novel from acclaimed author and journalist Dustin McKissen explores the nature of hauntings, the ghosts from our past that haunt our present, and the unbreakable bond between siblings who learn early on they can only rely on each other.

Well...

This was not an altogether bad book, but it is misleading to call it a horror novel. It isn't. It is the story of a man who was raised in an abusive and neglectful home by drug addled parents living in a poverty of their own making. It is a story of strength and love, it is a story of how this man escaped these awful circumstances, attended college and built a life for himself. It is a story of stopping the cycle of abuse, raising his own children with his wife and making a real family. It is also the story of how his upbringing still haunts him. But even throwing a ghost in the mix does not make this a horror novel.

3 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
Dustin McKissen is an award-winning journalist, author, novelist, and short story writer. "The Poor and The Haunted" is his first horror novel. He lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and three children.

Raven Lane by Amber Cowie

The truth can bring out the worst in the best of friends.

Esme and Benedict Werner have an idyllic life in a tight-knit community until an accident in their cul-de-sac ends in the tragic sudden death of one of their dearest neighbors. After vindicating eyewitness accounts morph into contradictory memories, suspicion, and unaccountable accusations, Benedict is arrested. Esme’s life, too, is changed forever.

As the neighborhood largely turns against her and her family, Esme has time to think about her past and what to do next. Then her fellow residents start looking deeper, questioning one another, and themselves, about hidden lies and betrayals.

Esme has more than her share of secrets. And the consequences of what happened on that fateful late-summer evening on Raven Lane are far from over. When the mask of civility slips, can friends and neighbors recover from seeing the monstrous truths beneath?


Drugs, family dysfunction, and sexcapades of the semi wealthy and formerly famous play a big role in this domestic drama. I had high hopes for this one and while it started out well enough the pace was rather slow and the story dragged out longer than necessary. I would have enjoyed it more if any of the main characters had been likable. Perhaps others may enjoy it more than I did, I didn't really feel invested in the outcome.

I received an advance copy for review.

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The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons

This book's title comes from the reality that - like a moth to the flame - we're all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever.

What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?
If you dare, why not find out?

Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book - but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares...


I'm afraid this book did not quite live up to my expectations. As an avid horror reader, if you promise me nightmares I'm expecting something far scarier.
While I did enjoy a couple of these stories, for the most part I found them more disturbing than frightening and more draggy than dramatic. The thing about short stories is that you have limited time to engage the reader before the ending. Only a couple of these stories hooked me right away. Others may enjoy this more than I did, but I found myself wanting to skim or skip ahead in search of a scare that never really materialized.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author

Hearthstone Cottage by Frazer Lee

Mike Carter and his girlfriend Helen, along with their friends Alex and Kay, travel to a remote loch side cottage for a post-graduation holiday. But their celebrations are short-lived when they hit and kill a stag on the road. Alex's sister Meggie awaits them in the cottage, adding to the tension when her dog, Oscar, goes missing. Mike becomes haunted by a disturbing presence in the cottage, and is hunted by threatening figures in the highland fog. Reeling from a shock revelation, Mike begins to lose his grip on his sanity. As the dark secrets of the past conspire to destroy the bonds of friendship, Mike must uncover the terrifying truth dwelling within the walls of Hearthstone Cottage.



Two couples head off for a celebratory post graduation stay at Hearthstone cottage. Their vacation  starts off with a bang when they have a car accident near their destination, totaling their car and leaving them without means of escape should there be any spooky happenings, and there will be!  There is something very wrong with this cottage and with the village itself.
After that  literally smashing beginning the pace did slow down quite a bit, but rapidly accelerated at about the halfway point when Mike explores the village on his own after his girlfriend is gone for an unusually long time in a borrowed car. It was at this point that the spooky atmosphere really kicked into overdrive.

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author
Frazer Lee’s debut novel, The Lamplighters was a Bram Stoker Award® Finalist for ‘Superior Achievement in a First Novel’. His other works include 'The Jack in the Green', 'The Skintaker' and the 'Daniel Gates Adventures' series.

One of Frazer’s early short stories received a Geoffrey Ashe Prize from the Library of Avalon, Glastonbury. His short fiction has since appeared in numerous anthologies including the acclaimed ‘Read By Dawn’ series.

Also a screenwriter and filmmaker, Frazer’s movie credits include the award-winning short horror films ‘On Edge’, ‘Red Lines’, ‘Simone’, 'The Stay', and the critically acclaimed horror/thriller feature (and Amazon #1 movie novelization) ‘Panic Button’.

Frazer lectures in Creative Writing and Screenwriting at Brunel University London and Birkbeck, University of London. He resides with his family in leafy Buckinghamshire, England just across the cemetery from the actual Hammer House of Horror.

Connect with Frazer:
Official website: www.frazerlee.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorFrazerLee
Twitter: www.twitter.com/frazer_lee