Come With Me by Ronald Malfi

 

A masterful, heart-palpitating novel of small-town horror and psychological dread from a Bram Stoker nominee.

Aaron Decker's life changes one December morning when his wife Allison is killed. Haunted by her absence--and her ghost--Aaron goes through her belongings, where he finds a receipt for a motel room in another part of the country. Piloted by grief and an increasing sense of curiosity, Aaron embarks on a journey to discover what Allison had been doing in the weeks prior to her death.

Yet Aaron is unprepared to discover the dark secrets Allison kept, the death and horror that make up the tapestry of her hidden life. And with each dark secret revealed, Aaron becomes more and more consumed by his obsession to learn the terrifying truth about the woman who had been his wife, even if it puts his own life at risk.

Expected publication date July 20 2021

Mired in grief, a man uncovers some startling revelations about his recently deceased wife that make him wonder if he ever really knew her at all. Small time reporter Allison had been doing a very different kind of investigation far out of the scope of her job. As Aaron becomes obsessed with following in her footsteps he discovers more than he may have wanted to know about his wife. Come With Me is a very dark and twisty tale of suspense that builds slowly at first until suddenly I got that awful sensation I have on elevators when my stomach drops and I feel like the floor fell out from under me. This was a brilliant mystery with supernatural overtones. Ronald Malfi has become one of my must read authors. I love the way he brings his characters to life. They are solid and their emotions are believable. The good guys are never the fake ultra perfect type and and the bad guys may be as foul as they come but they still feel genuine.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Malignant Summer by Tim Meyer

 

It’s 1998 in Hooperstown, New Jersey and people are getting sick. Some citizens blame the local chemical plant. A select few believe something far more terrifying is responsible, a dreadful force that causes nightmarish visions and aberrant illnesses. Bad things are blooming in Hooperstown, and the stench of death is growing stronger...

Standing on the edge of summer break after the longest last day of eighth grade ever, Doug Simms and his two best friends join a group of older kids for an all-night scavenger hunt. It’s supposed to be a celebration, an evening of fun and freedom. But what happens that night will change their summer in the darkest ways imaginable. And not just their summer...but their entire lives.

MALIGNANT SUMMER is a coming-of-age epic where innocence is lost and the path through adolescence is painful. Where dreamscapes merge with reality. Where love seems possible, and the best season feels like it can last forever.

It's all fun and games until the mother of dead dreams wants to play.

What begins as a scavenger hunt ends in a fight for their souls. 

There is a lot going on in this larger than life coming of age tale. Hazardous waste dumping, a town built on abduction and assault, a supernatural entity. Now one after another the children are being diagnosed with cancer.

The author weaves this all together in a spellbinding story of epic proportions.

"From Almost every street corner, you could smell something rotten in the air, a fetid stink of a town gone wrong."

There are lots of characters here, the high school kids, middle school kids, chemical plant workers, a couple of sets of parents, a mom in a mental institution, a teacher and principal. It was a little overwhelming at first to keep track of them all, but they each have such strong personalities and all brought a unique element to the story.

Some of the residents of Hooperstown have succumbed to the evil, some have embraced it willingly.

Now it's up to Doug and his friends to save themselves, and maybe the world.

Not since the Losers Club have I been so invested in a group of kids, I even developed sympathy for one of the bullies after her bleak home life and abusive, drug addled parents were revealed.

Clear some space, the mother of dead dreams is coming to visit you this Malignant Summer.

I received an advance copy for review

Available for pre-order

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

The Last Night Of October by Greg Chapman

Seventy-year-old Gerald Forsyth dreads Halloween.

Every year, on October 31st, a lone child has knocked on his door – a nightmarish reminder of a tragedy from Gerald’s past.

As each Halloween came and went, Gerald has been able to keep his door locked and the monstrous memory at bay, but the ravages of emphysema have left him a disgruntled and feeble-minded old man.

When a new hospice nurse named Kelli arrives unexpectedly to replace his regular nurse on Halloween night, Gerald is caught unawares and before he can warn her, Kelli is inviting the threat into his home. The horrors that unfold will be no trick and the only treat the child will accept is the old man’s soul.
Before the night ends, Gerald will have no choice but to bring his dark secret into the light. 

Poor Gerald is not long for this world. Alone and lonely near the end of his days, his only visitors are the nurse who comes to check his vitals and a yearly terrifying specter of his past that makes itself known every Halloween. On this particular night, he has a new nurse, who asks too many questions, over stays her welcome, and invites Gerald's greatest fear to come on in.

When I read the description I thought it sounded familiar but it wasn't until a few pages in that I realized I had read this novella before. Such are the hazards of reading so many books you sometimes lose track of what you've read. I first enjoyed this story when it was previously published in the Halloween Carnival series of anthologies. It's a fun spooky story for Halloween or any time of year for those of us who enjoy ghost stories all year round. I love the new illustrations inside too that I didn't get to see the first time around. This is a great read for those who like to keep Halloween close every day of the year.

5 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
 

The Neighbor by London Clarke

 Claire Vogel is a recently divorced mother of four girls and a successful counselor living in a planned and prestigious community. She knows all her neighbors, and they know her. But Claire has a secret. To cope with hidden, deep-rooted pain, she often participates in risky, reckless behavior.

When the mysterious Steel Nolan moves in next door to Claire, their flirtation quickly develops into a deeper attraction. But soon after, Claire and her children contend with sleepwalking, shadow men, and disembodied voices.

As Claire begins to remember childhood memories and learns more about her new neighbor's past, her concern for her children's safety grows. Is Steel Nolan the man of her dreams … or the stuff of nightmares?

Terrifying and disturbing, The Neighbor explores the thrill of danger, the depths of evil, and the dark and sinister elements that can haunt us for a lifetime.

When I first read the description, and then got into the beginning of the book, I thought this was going to turn into one of those tawdry romance novels and that maybe the handsome hunk next door comes to the rescue of poor damsel in distress Claire. It's been a while since I've been so wrong! Yes Claire is a respected professional by day and a party girl by night if her kids are off with their father, but the new handsome hunk is not coming to anyone's rescue and sometimes you need to believe that pets and children can sense danger better than adults.

After getting involved with the new neighbor, Claire and her daughters begin to experience some very creepy happenings. Soon it becomes apparent that something supernatural is afoot in the entire neighborhood. This is no haunted house that you can just pack up and move away from.

I'm not going to get into the plot more than I have because it is best discovered for yourself. I will tell you it scared me. I read the first half very quickly because I was hooked from the start. Once I got to the halfway mark I kept putting it down. Not because it isn't good, but because it gave me the heebie jeebies. It takes a lot to scare me but The Neighbor did the trick.

5 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review

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