Cafe Purgatorium by Dana M. Anderson, Charles de Lint, Ray Garton

 

THREE VOICES - THREE VISIONS - THREE MOODS. "Ranging from melancholy to downright gruesome, these stories demonstrate that those of us who enjoy being frightened find that the novella length story, 80 to 90 pages, is just fine to get our fix. Following 'Cafe Purgatorium', a sad, even tender story, is 'Dr. Krusadian's Method', a real shocker by Ray Garton. Finally, love is in the air in De Lint's 'Death Leaves an Echo'

What first grabbed my attention, aside from the cover, was the name Ray Garton. I used to think I had read everything he had ever written but once in a while I come across a story that has been out of print, that I never knew existed. Such is the case with his novella in this book, Dr. Krusadian's Method. I greedily scooped up a used copy which was published back in the 90s from Tor Horror even though I've never heard of Dana Anderson.

The title story by Dana Anderson is sadly the only reason I can't give this book 5 stars unless I pretend it wasn't included. Cafe Purgatorium is about a man who hates his job, and decides against the wishes of his fiancée to quit and go into business for himself. He purchases an old building for the purpose of opening a restaurant. After the sale he discovers that the building is not as empty as it appeared. Shortly after this point I just started skimming. Maybe it was partly due to how anxious I was to get to the Ray Garton novella but Cafe Purgatorium did not hold my interest. If it was a stand alone it would have gone in my DNF pile. 

Luckily for me the other 2 novellas were both 5 star reads. 

Dr. Krusadian's Method by Ray Garton is about a little boy who has suffered abuse at the hands of his father for as long as he can remember. His mother does nothing to protect him from the horrific beatings. The father is a vile and repulsive excuse for a man who filled me with such rage that when he finally got caught I was convinced that no amount of punishment would be adequate. 

Death Leaves an Echo by Charles De Lint is about a man who awakens from one nightmare to find himself in another. His wife is gone, and it's as if she never existed. He is the only one who remembers her. Which nightmare is realty? Is he losing his mind or is something supernatural afoot?  This story was brilliant.

I found my used copy here

About the authors

Ray Garton is the author of several books, including horror novels such as LIVE GIRLS (which has a movie in the works), CRUCIFAX, E4 AUTUMN, and THE FOLKS; thrillers like TRADE SECRETS and SHACKLED; and numerous short stories and novellas. He's also written a number of movie and television tie-ins for young readers. He lives with his wife, Dawn, in California.

Charles De Lint has a Goodreads page here

I literally can find nothing for Dana Anderson, no Goodreads or amazon page or website.

Shelter for the Damned by Mike Thorn

 

While looking for a secret place to smoke cigarettes with his two best friends, troubled teenager Mark discovers a mysterious shack in a suburban field. Alienated from his parents and peers, Mark finds within the shack an escape greater than anything he has ever experienced.

But it isn't long before the place begins revealing its strange, powerful sentience. And it wants something in exchange for the shelter it provides.

Shelter for the Damned is not only a scary, fast-paced horror novel, but also an unflinching study of suburban violence, masculine conditioning, and adolescent rage.

Cover art by Trevor Henderson.

Three boys enter a shack, and although they all seem to feel that it is more than it appears to be, one boy falls helplessly under it's control. I can't say I ever figured out exactly what the shack is or how it chooses it's victims.

Mark has always had a mean streak, a short fuse that is easily lit, and maybe that is why the shack has  latched on to him. After their initial discovery, Mark's friends don't want to revisit the shack, but Mark is compelled to return, to the point of obsession. As Mark's friendships begin to deteriorate, so too does his school and home life, making the shack feel like the only good thing in his world. I felt that one reason Mark may have been easily swayed was his own proclivity towards violence but another may have been the implied physical abuse at the hands of his father. Although one of his friends is obviously abused repeatedly at home, the shack does not have the same hold over him so my theory could be wrong. It's possible that in addition to a supernatural element Mark may have suffered some form of mental illness because there were times I was not sure if he was hallucinating things that I thought his mother should have seen, if it were real. I guess this left me with more questions than answers, as to whether this is a dark descent into murder and madness, or a supernatural entity taking control.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Mike Thorn is the author of the short story collection Darkest Hours and the novel Shelter for the Damned (coming soon from JournalStone). His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies and podcasts, including Vastarien, Dark Moon Digest, The NoSleep Podcast and Tales to Terrify. His film criticism has been published in MUBI Notebook, The Film Stage, Seventh Row and Vague Visages.

Your Frightful Spirit Stayed by Matthew Cash

 

The first thing I have to say is that I don't think the brief synopsis on the back cover does this book justice. Because of it, I will admit to being a bit confused when I first started reading. I was not sure what was going on with Charlie, and I didn't like him much. I didn't know if he was haunted by real spirits or whether he was insane. I didn't know whether he was at home, or in jail or in a mental institution. I knew he was an alcoholic but not whether he was hallucinating.

It took me a couple of chapters to understand that this is sort of a coming of age tale in reverse. But not the happy kind. Charlie is suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia. He is a shell of a man. He is not the man he would have been, had he not suffered unspeakable events in his past. Gradually we work our way backwards from middle aged Charlie to young man, to teenaged years and boyhood, in what was one of the most original and unique story lines I have ever read. This is not a typical horror, but it is horrifying, shocking, and deeply disturbing. It was also heartbreaking, as the closer we get to Charlie's childhood, the more endearing he becomes and the more I wanted him to be ok. Since the book started with middle aged Charlie I knew there was to be no happy ending for him.

I am not sure when this book is being published but I will be rating it 5 stars everywhere.

I received an advance copy for review.

About the author
Matthew Cash, or Matty-Bob Cash as he is known to most, was born and raised in Suffolk; which is the setting for his debut novel Pinprick. He is compiler and editor of Death By Chocolate, a chocoholic horror Anthology and the 12Days: STOCKING FILLERS Anthology. In 2016 he launched his own publishing house Burdizzo Books and took shit-hot editor and author Em Dehaney on board to keep him in shape and together they brought into existence SPARKS: an electrical horror anthology, The Reverend Burdizzo’s Hymn Book, Under The Weather* Visions From the Void ** and The Burdizzo Mix Tape Vol. 1.
He has numerous solo releases on Kindle and several collections in paperback.
Originally with Burdizzo Books, the intention was to compile charity anthologies a few times a year but his creation has grown into something so much more powerful *insert mad laughter here*. He is currently working on numerous projects, his third novel FUR was launched in 2018.
*With Back Road Books
** With Jonathan Butcher

He has always written stories since he first learnt to write and most, although not all, tend to slip into the many layered murky depths of the Horror genre.
His influences ranged from when he first started reading to Present day are, to name but a small select few; Roald Dahl, James Herbert, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Stephen Laws, and more recently he enjoys Adam Nevill, F.R Tallis, Michael Bray, Gary Fry, William Meikle and Iain Rob Wright (who featured Matty-Bob in his famous A-Z of Horror title M is For Matty-Bob, plus Matthew wrote his own version of events which was included as a bonus).
He is a father of two, a husband of one and a zoo keeper of numerous fur babies.

You can find him here:
www.facebook.com/pinprickbymatthewcash

https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B010MQTWKK


Www.burdizzobooks.com

Paradise Club by Tim Meyer

 

Welcome to Paradise. Sandy beaches. Crystalline waters. An all-inclusive resort with virtually everything you can think of. A true idyllic paradise.

An event is taking place at Paradise Club that wasn’t on the brochure: a dangerous game pitting the hotel’s guests against a gang of bloodthirsty maniacs. Elliot Harper - family man and FBI agent - is about to find out how fast heaven can become hell when every single vacationer is forced to become a ruthless killer in order to survive. A team of killers have been unleashed, and they won't stop until every single guest is dead.

Let the mayhem begin...

.

What could be better than winning an all inclusive trip to an exclusive resort? It's the chance of a lifetime, especially if your life is over once you get there. The Harper family is about to find out that what sounds too good to be true probably is. What starts as a relaxing way to unwind and get away from it all leads to being trapped and hunted in the middle of nowhere with no way to call for help.

The owner of this lush tropical paradise has lured these unsuspecting vacationers to play a part in his twisted game. The more violent the death, the better for his diabolical plan.  It's a bloody, gory, free for all, with lots of suspense and fast paced edge of your seat action. More than just a slasher type horror there is a hell of a twist into something even more dark and disturbing. Be careful which characters you get too attached to because you just never know who will survive to the heart stopping end. 

5 out of 5 stars

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About the author

Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He's an author, husband, father, podcast host, blogger, coffee connoisseur, beer enthusiast, and explorer of worlds. He writes horror, mysteries, science fiction, and thrillers, although he prefers to blur genres and let the story fall where it may.

You can follow Tim at https://timmeyerwrites.com