Off The Grid by John Hunt

Graham Richards was shopping with his family at an outlet mall when an active shooter began indiscriminately murdering people with a rifle. Graham was shot in the face and when he woke up in the hospital, his family was dead. And now, all he wants is to be left alone. Living out in the woods, growing his own food, and using solar power for his energy needs, he hopes to live the rest of his life in obscurity. But when a little girl goes missing in the nearby town, the strange, scarred man in the lonely cabin is the first suspect and Graham finds himself being pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind.



This story begins like any ordinary day in America, which unfortunately means a mass shooting at a shopping mall. From there the twists are anything but typical after shooting survivor Graham, becomes a suspect in the disappearance of a child. Graham has been living off the grid ever since recovering from his injuries, and his loner status along with living out in the woods as far from prying eyes as possible causes some suspicion. Graham has reasons for wanting solitude. Aside from the emotional trauma of losing his family, and the physical deformity, there is the pain of his injuries, and a deeper darker pain. The shooting didn't just rob him of his family, it also left something behind. Graham is changed in inexplicable ways and Detective Jodie Reyes is determined to get to the truth.
This was a fast paced, action packed, twisty thriller.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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The Pineys by Tony DiGerolamo

From the creator of the Jersey Devil comic book comes a story about four cousins cursed by their ancestors, brought together by destiny and trying to keep South Jersey from going to Hell.

In 1732, Mother Leeds gave birth to the infamous Jersey Devil, which has roamed the Pine Barrens ever since.

Or so the story goes…

The truth is, Mother Leeds was a witch and opened the portals to Hell unleashing hundreds of devils into woods. But the villagers next door in Abe’s Hat noticed and formed a secret hunting society to track down the fiends and send them back to the Abyss. Their descendants continue the Hunt in secret to this day.

So grab your pork roll, put on your Piney Power hat and join the hunt, because the Galloway cousins are coming to save you whether you like it or not.

If only Lewis hadn't stopped to look for a gas station.. what an escapade he would have missed! The village is over run with shape shifting devil spawn who can take on the appearance of those they bite.This is a darkly comedic/horror adventure featuring undead stripper ghouls, the corpse of a witch, and a visit to hell. It was a quick read with lots of action. Though not my usual type of read I found it quite entertaining.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
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About the author
Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. He has written the screenplays including Mafioso: The Father, The Son starring Leo Rossi.

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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