We Hear Voices by Evie Green

An eerie debut about a little boy who recovers from a sickness and inherits an imaginary friend who makes him do violent things...

Kids have imaginary friends. Rachel knows this. So when her young son, Billy, miraculously recovers from a horrible flu that has proven fatal for many, she thinks nothing of Delfy, his new invisible friend. After all, her family is healthy and that's all that matters.

But soon Delfy is telling Billy what to do, and the boy is acting up and lashing out in ways he never has before. As Delfy's influence is growing stranger and more sinister by the day, and rising tensions threaten to tear Rachel's family apart, she clings to one purpose: to protect her children at any cost--even from themselves.

We Hear Voices is a mischievously gripping near-future horror novel that tests the fragility of family and the terrifying gray area between fear and love.


From the description I was expecting a horror, but what I got was more of a dystopian sci fi. Maybe that's why I was declined when I first requested an advance copy. The reason I gave for wanting to read this was that I love horror that features creepy kids. Maybe I should have taken the hint that this book was not for me, instead of requesting an advance copy elsewhere.
When young Billy recovers from the mysterious pandemic it's like the miracle that Rachel has prayed for. So many have died from this new virus that she is, at first, willing to overlook the strange behavior that has come with this recovery. The way that Billy seems so obsessed with gaining knowledge can't really be a bad thing can it? Yet soon the voice in Billy's head has moved him from doing inappropriate things to downright aggression and threatening behavior. Rachel seeks help but being poverty stricken leaves her with few options. Enter the doctor who knows more than he is telling, and is willing to treat Billy for free. Meanwhile Rachel's daughter has a new boyfriend who she has met in space skills while preparing to colonize a new planet. They boyfriend has a half sister who also suffered this voice in her head. 
While Billy and his strange affliction did hold my interest and Rachel trying to make do while living in poverty is quite relatable I did find myself skimming the bits about space skills.
It was just an ok read for me, but others will probably enjoy it more, especially those who enjoy dystopian sci fi.
I received an advance copy for review.
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Carnival by William W. Johnstone

The locals were ecstatic when the carnival pulled into Holland, Nebraska. They shrieked in delight on the lightning-fast rides. They gasped in shocked fascination at the chilling collection of freaks and human oddities. But all the while, piercing red eyes glared out at the townies from the shadows of the midway. Eyes that burned with vengeful hatred. Eyes that lusted for blood . . .

Only Mayor Martin Holland and his beautiful teenaged daughter Linda could feel the air of “wrongness” that hovered over the fairgrounds. Then the killings began—and their worst nightmares quickly came to life. Night after night a new victim was found, his insides smoldering, his face contorted in a gruesome death mask of hideous agony. Soon, for Martin, for Linda, for the entire plagued community, there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Nebo's Carnival of Dread had come to town. And the horror show was just beginning!




It's been 34 years since a Carnival last came to town. Nobody wants to talk about the horror of it all. The fire, the rape, the beaten bodies and tortured animals. Some don't remember what happened that final night, some choose not to remember what they did to those carnies in the name of vengeance for a crime they never committed.
Now all these years later the carnival is back. Some of the townspeople know there's something wrong with it. Others feel compelled to go to the fairgrounds even though they don't know why. 
This book was first published back in the 80s and I believe I read it then. My mother was a huge fan and had all of Johnstone's books up until he switched to writing westerns. The funny thing is that once he switched my father became a fan. I've been on a mission to collect as many of these oldies as I can and am attempting to reread them all. This one does feel a bit dated but as someone who loved the schlock of 80s horror I am still a fan. This is one of those classic good against evil stories, with those who may find redemption and those who are beyond hope of redemption all thrown into the mix with sex and gore and demons. 
4 out of 5 stars

About the author
William Wallace Johnstone was a prolific American author, mostly of western, horror and survivalist novels.
Born and raised in southern Missouri, Johnstone was the youngest of four children. His father was a minister and his mother a school teacher. He quit school when he was fifteen and worked in a carnival and as a deputy sheriff. He later served in the Army and, upon returning to civilian life, worked in radio broadcasting for 16 years.
Johnstone started his writing career in 1970, but did not have any works published until 1979 (The Devil's Kiss) and became a full-time writer in 1980. He wrote close to two hundred books in numerous genres, including suspense and horror. His main publication series were Mountain Man, The First Mountain Man, Ashes and Eagles and his own personal favorite novel was The Last of the Dog Team (1980). He also authored two novels under the pseudonym William Mason.
Johnstone had lived for many years in Shreveport, Louisiana, yet died in Knoxville, TN, at the age of 65

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

From #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas—Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds—each pulling you into intriguing and frightening places.

The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, including “The Body” (Stand By Me) and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (< font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Shawshank Redemption). Like Four Past Midnight, Different Seasons, and most recently Full Dark, No Stars, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.

I've been undecided whether to bother leaving a review or not. It's not like Stephen King needs my input or opinion to boost his book sales. I will just say I enjoyed the first story the most because I like coming of age tales with a spooky twist. The last story didn't do it for me at all. Stories of writers striking deals with...whatever in order to write a great book have kind of played out and been done to death. The second and third stories were just ok. If I rated the 4 stories in order of appearance it would be 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars and 2 stars. For me the stories grew progressively worse. If I add that up and divide it by 4 stories I would rate the book at 3.5 stars.

Hunger Pangs by Scott J. Moses

"Thinking is like life, some insatiable hunger you'll never quite satisfy."

1959: A grieving lawman bargains with darkness to reunite his family.
1960: A traveling exorcist takes a case where the traditional means of expelling evil have failed.
1969: A haunted widower picks up a hitchhiking hippie.
1985: Siblings flee their horrid past, and the curse in their blood.
2020: An immortal longs for her life in the sun.

In his debut collection, Scott J. Moses presents thirteen tales of supernatural horror and everyday woe.





The aptly titled Hunger Pangs is a collection of tales filled with hunger. Hunger for what might have been, hunger for what can never be, hunger for human flesh, and in the title story a hunger for blood. Most are filled with themes of loss, and the horror of grieving that loss.
All were well written  and quite original although not necessarily as scary as I had hoped. I would recommend it for fans of dark fiction but perhaps not for hard core horror fans.
4 out of 5 stars I received an advance copy for review

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About the author
Scott J. Moses is a Baltimorean writer of horror and dark fiction. His short fiction has appeared in STORGY, The Cabinet of Heed, Coffin Bell, & elsewhere. His debut collection Hunger Pangs was published in 2020.