Below by Laurel Hightower

 

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO HELP A STRANGER?

While driving through the mountains of West Virginia during a late-night snowstorm, a recently divorced woman experiences bizarre electrical problems, leaving her with little choice but to place her trust with a charismatic truck driver. But when an unexplainable creature with haunting red eyes gets between them, she is forced to make one of the toughest decisions of her life. Will she abandon the stranger who kept her safe—or will she climb down below, where reality has shapeshifted into a living nightmare? 

Addy is taking a 500 mile road trip on her own when she ends up on a highway to hell that will test her sanity and her will to live.

"It came out of nowhere."

She is stranded on a dark stretch of road that is known for it's weird happenings and there's no help in sight. Addy has a history of not trusting her own judgement, letting her ex-husband talk over her, talk down to her, and decide for her. Now she only has herself to rely on.

This is my first time reading this author, and I was only about 10 pages in when I jumped online to order her previous book because her writing is exquisite. The scares are many, the pace is breathtaking, and at 106 pages I could have easily finished it in one sitting except for the fact that I wanted to savor it, and that just maybe there were times I was afraid to turn the page.
Below is terrifying, freaky, and yet somehow uplifting. Highly recommended to all horror fans.

5 out of 5 Stars

My thanks to Ghoulish Books and PMM Publishing for the advance copy.

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The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

 

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them? 

Stephen Aston is still quite a catch in his 60's. Trim, fit, charismatic, and oh so caring and handsome. It's no wonder a woman who is young enough to be his daughter has accepted his marriage proposal. Especially considering that he can provide the kind of life she's only dreamed of. No, not just his money, but acceptance, social standing, fitting in, being part of a normal family. Of course he's not entirely perfect, or surely he would stand by his wedding vows instead of divorcing his current wife now that she is ill. At least he's been a wonderful father to his two grown daughters. Or has he? He couldn't have anything to do with all their struggles and emotional problems could he? 

Having enjoyed several of this author's previous titles I was pleased to accept an invitation from St. Martin's Press to read an advance copy of her newest novel.

I have seen this book classified as a thriller, and as suspense, but in my humble opinion I would file it under General Fiction/Domestic Drama/ leaning towards Women's Fiction.

This is heavy on the dysfunctional family aspect, juicier than an episode of Desperate Housewives and I'm totally here for it. I loved both daughters and their poor mom Pam who suffers dementia. Even the too young replacement bride grew on me, and trying to figure out if Stephen was a good guy or a bad guy really kept me on my toes right to the final page. 

If you are in the mood for a scandalous good time with loads of secrets to uncover, grab yourself a copy. You've been invited to the wedding of The Younger Wife.

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About the author

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently The Good Sister, which was an instant bestseller.

Sally's books have been heralded “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.

Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 20 languages.
​
Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children.

Hardcore Kelli by Wrath James White

 

Katy is a former boxer who is currently working as a stripper when her fighting career came to an abrupt end after a disastrous fight put a stop to her calling before it could even begin. A head injury has left her quick to anger and quicker to lash out at those around her. When an incident at the club leaves her unemployed and with nowhere to go, she is forced to return home to stay with her mother and young sister, whom she hasn’t spoken to for years.

Katy’s young sister idolizes her and is thrilled when she agrees to come out trick or treating with her on Halloween. Even better, Katy dresses up as her favorite superhero; Hardcore Kelli, someone to whom Katy bears an uncanny resemblance. When her young sister goes missing, the line between Katy and Hardcore Kelli becomes blurred as she sets out to find her, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.

Katy has been used, abused and traumatized, and now the former boxer turned ex-stripper is on her way home to the mother she hasn't seen in years, and the little sister she never really got to know.

Events of the past have left Katy suffering night terrors and a host of emotional and mental disturbances and what may also be undiagnosed PTSD.

Her happy homecoming turns sour when she goes out to hunt down the reason why her sister has gone missing after school. Believing she is the super hero "Hardcore Kelli" from her little sister's comic books she sets off down a dark path of death and destruction. Has she really become a super hero or has she suffered a psychotic break with reality? I'll leave it for you to decide.

This was a quick read with a lot of blood spatter and a very gruesome ending. It's not my usual type of horror because I tend to go for the more supernatural, occult, ghostly reads. This book focuses on the horror that humans perpetrate, and a woman who has been pushed to and beyond the brink.

Revenge may not always be sweet but the vengeance here is quite satisfying.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the review copy.

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Horror Library Volume 7 Edited by by Eric J. Guignard

 

The +Horror Library+ anthologies are internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative.

Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.

Containing 30 all-original stories, read Volume 7 in this ongoing anthology series, and then continue with the other volumes.

Shamble no longer through the banal humdrum of normalcy, but ENTER THE HORROR LIBRARY!

Included within Volume 7:

• In "Hand of Glory," a despairing prison inmate studies astral projection in order to escape his cell.

• In "The Key to Mabella," a cemetery groundskeeper discovers a mysterious vault key held by his predecessor and investigates what it unlocks.

• In "Abandon," a tour guide takes friends to visit his home village, long-since deserted and languishing under superstition.

• . . . and more!

• Also including a special guest-artist's gallery of Allen Koszowski!

I have had a love of short horror stories for as long as I can remember. Going all the way back to my childhood when my weekends were spent reading horror comics. Sometimes, in talking to people about horror I come across those who say they just don't care for short stories period. To each their own I suppose, but I often wonder if the reason they don't care for them is because they just haven't come across any that are especially well written. Its not easy to write short stories that have engaging characters and satisfying conclusions. Sometimes writers seem to skimp on the endings. There will be a dramatic buildup but then they don't leave enough time for an adequate ending. Just as you begin to enjoy it, poof it's over and you wonder why you bothered. I have read some of those too! But this is not that! 

Having read some, but not all, of the previous volumes I can say that Horror Library Volume 7 is my favorite so far. I enjoyed the artwork, and all 30 stories are deliciously dark, with satisfying conclusions. That is not to say the stories all end well for our unsuspecting characters, these are definitely not your happily ever after type of tales, but they are well written, down to the last word.

Among my many favorites were Never Better by Michael Harris Cohen which begins with restaurant workers getting revenge on obnoxious customers, before it heads down an even darker path.

The Kid In The Ambulance by Suki Litchfield about an unexpected and unsettling encounter with a long lost friend.

Discovery of Blanks by Darren O. Godfrey about the fate of one man who believes not all people are real, and of his friend who finds out the truth.

Holder City by Garick Cooke   In which man escorts a mysterious woman home after avoiding a collision on the road.

In The Valley by Bentley Little is a tough one to describe so I'll just say it's about the mother of us all.

I'm going to stop at this point because I've caught myself just going in order of the table of contents naming every story as one of my favorites. I don't think there was a bad tale in the bunch. There is mighty fine writing here.

I am going to recommend this to all horror fans, and lovers of dark fiction, including those who say they don't like short stories. This may be the book to change your mind.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy under no obligation to write a review.

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