The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman

 

Millie Mosbach and her brother David escaped to the United States just before Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Now they are both back in their former hometown, haunted by ghosts and hoping against hope to find their family. Millie works in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing. Like most of their German-born American colleagues, the siblings suffer from rage at Germany and guilt at their own good fortune. Only Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems strangely eager to be fair to the Germans.

Living and working in bombed-out Berlin, a latter day Wild West where the desperate prey on the unsuspecting; spies ply their trade; black markets thrive, and forbidden fraternization is rampant, Millie must come to terms with a past decision made in a moment of crisis, and with the enigmatic sometimes infuriating Major Sutton who is mysteriously understanding of her demons. Atmospheric and page-turning, The Living and the Lost is a story of survival, love, and forgiveness, of others and of self.

This story takes place in the aftermath of the war, in the rubble that is left of Berlin. Siblings Millie and David who had escaped to America when they were still kids are now grown and have returned to Germany in service of the United States. Millie is weeding out the Nazis from publishing and David is helping the displaced persons.

Though they hope to find out what happened to the rest of their family and you would think such hardships would draw them closer they have secrets from each other that keep them apart, even as room mates sharing an requisitioned flat. Millie seemed quite cold and unfeeling at first. It was difficult for me to like her, although it eventually became clear why she harbored such ill will towards the Germans even though she herself was one of them. 

I mostly enjoyed the story but there were times when it veered off towards secondary characters and plot lines that it did temporarily lose my interest and gave me the urge to skim. It could just be that I have finally had my fill of World War II novels or it could be that this story just didn't flow as well as it could. This is normally my favorite time period for historical fiction so I was really excited to read this book. 

3 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Picker's Bleed by Mark R. Faulkner

Deep in the woods at Picker’s Bleed there’s a fairy-tale cottage, where witches lived and demons lurk.
When Hannah and Jake manage to buy the dilapidated house deep in the English countryside, they think they’ve found their dream home, but their dream becomes a nightmare when Hannah discovers the house’s dark past won’t stay dead.
Ensnared by witchcraft and betrayed by those she turns to for help, Hannah finds herself dragged into the realm of the dead, caught in a battle to break an ancient curse and save her soul from eternal damnation.

Jake and Hannah have longed to live in a quiet secluded countryside. When they find a listing that seems perfect for them, they do wonder why there are no pictures of the inside, and assume it's because it needs lots of work. It's not until far too late that it becomes apparent that just maybe there were no pictures of the inside because nobody dared to stay in there long enough to take any photos. 

Terrible things have happened and will happen in Picker's Bleed. With the arrival of Hannah a sleeping evil will awaken. Some of the villagers may also have nefarious plans for the new residents. 

This was a graphic and gory tale of witchcraft and possession. Expect betrayals, dark and evocative prose, copious amounts of blood, multiple deaths and mutilations. In short, it has all the elements of a great horror novel complete with storms to create a most spooky atmosphere.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Mark is a British horror author, who in 2011, published Flux. This was rapidly followed up by The Dark Stone, and the novella, Infested.
September 2021 will see the publication of Picker's Bleed, Mark's first full-length novel in almost a decade.

 

Attack of the Giant Mutant Worms by Matthew Weber

 Young worm-hunter Miller is collecting bait to catch The Beast, the legendary "monster" fish of his hometown. When enormous mutated worms squirm up from the ground with a frightening appetite, Miller must spring into action to save himself and everyone else!

Full of fun, colorful illustrations, 'Attack of the Giant Mutants Worms' is M.T. Weber's follow-up to his first children's book, 'I Want to Be a Monster When I Grow Up.' 

"This one was a whopper and a wiggly flipper-flopper, probably six or seven inches from it's start down to it's stopper."

Once in a while I am asked to review a children's book, and once in a great while I say yes. This one was too cute to pass up. This is the whimsical, illustrated story of Miller, a little boy in search of giant worms with which to tempt and catch a particular giant fish. It is written as a poem that mostly rhymes, (with a bit of poetic license.) It has a great rhythm that is perfect for reading out loud to the kids or grandkids, and if they are old enough, having them read it out loud to you. Whether you are looking to start a book collection for a small child or add to your bed time story repertoire this is an entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy.

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Petrified Women by Jeremy Ray

 

Some pranks go too far. This one could be deadly.

Harley has the perfect boyfriend. Why can’t her best friend see that? He’s nothing like the others, especially the one who still haunts her memories. She’s finally picked a “keeper” with Aiden.
Sure, he’s a bit eccentric. His wood carving hobby is a little odd. His need for isolation while he carves his life-size female figurines is strange. And maybe his obsession with pranks, or "scares" on Harley goes a little too far. But what do you expect? Aiden’s an artist.

Harley has finally picked the perfect boyfriend. That’s why this year, Harley ignores all her best friend’s warnings. She has the ultimate surprise planned for Aiden’s birthday, one that’s going to help her get even in their battle to out-prank each other.
She hides in his apartment, excitedly waiting to pull off the scare of a lifetime…
But then he comes home, and Harley witnesses a different side of her boyfriend. The side that exists behind closed doors when he doesn’t know anyone’s watching.
Is this just one of his scares? Or is there something more sinister lurking behind his playful nature? Harley’s about to find out.

CONTENT WARNING:
Sexual Assault
Violence
Body Horror
Strong Language
Reader discretion advised

Poor Harley! I loved her but I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shake. Sure we've all had a bad relationship or two but Harley takes the cake (literally!) when it comes to choosing the wrong guy. Her too trusting and generous nature has led her down the wrong path before, and sadly she has not learned from her past. This time the lesson may finally sink in, but is it already too late?

When Harley decides to surprise her boyfriend for his birthday she is the one who is in for a shock.

I felt almost like I was in the room yet powerless to help as I bore witness to this date from hell. I may have even yelled out loud once or twice but Harley paid me no mind. The content warning doesn't mention claustrophobia because Harley doesn't suffer it, though it may it raise your anxiety level in a particular cramped space scene in the book. There's more to this clever story than just a creep of a boyfriend but far be it from me to spoil it for you. Read it for yourself to find out.

This was a short but shocking read with an original and creative plot. You'll never guess where it's going until you get there.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review

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About the author

Jeremy Ray graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a MFA in Dramatic Writing. He is the recipient of the Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowship for his play Boiling Point and the Shubert Playwriting Fellowship for his play Sisters of Transformation. His work has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and his screenplays have placed in the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition, The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, and the ScreenCraft Drama Contest.

However, he is most fond of prose. He spends his free time devouring books like the bookworm he is.
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