The Suffering by M.J. Mars

 

“It was a suffering like no other. And, oh, how they suffered.” 
Recreating the séance that led to the infamous Victorian Suffering massacre seems like a good idea at the time. But Kyle Birbeck soon discovers that the ghosts his distant ancestor banished into the walls of Brackenby House in 1876 have been lurking, waiting for a chance to come out.

One by one the 5 terrifying ghosts latch onto each of the students who reside at Brackenby, preying on their deepest fears: A 3-eyed Incan giant. A member of the Hellfire Club who struck a deal with the devil to keep his fortune in the afterlife. A thieving factory hand who fell to his death, torturing them with endless footsteps. An oracle with a horde of dead sailors to do her bidding, and a 17th century axe-wielding executioner with a murderous hobby.

It’s up to Kyle and his friends to uncover the real secrets of the séance and banish the ghosts for good. But they soon come to realise it isn’t Brackenby House that’s haunted. They are. And the ghosts will stop at nothing to continue The Suffering…

I was first attracted by this gorgeous cover, and the synopsis intrigued me.

Starting off with a séance in a haunted house on Halloween is right up my reading alley! I was all in from the start, but for me, things moved way too slowly after the spooky beginning. It felt like a long time before things really picked up again. I think this could have been shortened by 15 pages.

I enjoyed the ghosts and their backstories more than I cared for the living characters.

The writing style wasn't always engaging and often pulled me out of the story because of it.

Example-

"He'd sat up stiffly in bed, thinking about the creepy laugh that sounded as though it had come from his pillow area."  "Torturously, he hadn't been able to stop imagining what it would be like to hear again."

You may enjoy it more than I did but this one was just not for me.

About the author

Evil Whispers by Owl Goingback

 

Robert and Janet Patterson and their young daughter, Krissy, went looking for the perfect getaway vacation spot. They found it in a backwoods Florida town. Far away from civilization. Quiet and peaceful. And terribly isolated.

Robert and Janet should have listened to the local legends. They should have heeded the warnings about the black water lagoons. And they should have listened to their daughter when she told them about the whispers in the woods. Because now, it's too late. Krissy's disappeared, and whatever took their little girl is coming back for more….

In the 1800s a group of Seminole warriors thought they put an end to Mansa Du Paul, a child-murdering voodoo practitioner who had been stealing their children for his evil rituals.

Unfortunately, they only destroyed his body, not knowing his spirit lies in wait for the chance to return. That chance comes when the Patterson family arrives for what they expect to be a relaxing vacation. 

This is my first full-length read by this author, but having previously read a few of his short stories in anthologies that I enjoyed, I have been meaning to pick up his novels ever since. I'm so glad I finally did.

Evil Whispers is old-school classic horror. An evil entity has possessed a child. Only one man suspects the truth of what has taken control of poor little Krissy Patterson but it's hard to be a hero and a suspect at the same time. He has protected others from this evil once before, but can he do it again?

I loved these characters and the mix of modern-day horror with Native American folklore. It was fast paced and suspenseful with just the right amount of murder and mayhem. The vivid descriptions had all my senses engaged. 

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications

Available for pre-order

About the author

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he’s desperate for money–it’s not easy to find safe work when you can’t provide references, you can’t stay in one place for long, and you’re paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there’s a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it’ll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running. A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father’s love, Johnny Compton’s The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making.

I really don't know how to talk about this plot at all without giving anything away. I will say it is not the haunted house story I expected, but something totally different and unique. I had never heard of a spite house before picking up this book. According to google "A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes." If you look it up be sure to click on images because there are some doozies. They really do exist. Anyway...

Eric Ross and his daughters are in dire straights. They've been hiding out for unknown reasons, and money is running out. The youngest daughter has been taught that if Eric or the older daughter says run, it means she must run and hide and not come out until they find her. We are not told at this juncture what they would need her to hide from, but it was not at all what I suspected. 

When Eric sees an ad that promises a huge payout just to stay for free in a spite house and record any strange goings on it seems like just the break his family needs. This is where I thought the bumps in the night would lead to a typical haunting but instead, this story travels down a more unusual and twisty path. 

The story is told from multiple points of view, which at times made it a bit frustrating. I would have preferred fewer chapters that veered away from Eric and his daughters. Still it was a good read in "spite" of that. The ending had my jaw dropping!

3 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author
 

The Infection Party and Other Stories of Dis-Ease by Douglas Ford

 Douglas Ford’s first collection of horror fiction, Ape in the Ring was called a “must have collection for every horror library” by Owl Goingback. Now, from the author of the best-selling The Beasts of Vissaria County comes a new collection of tales that will infect your imagination and unsettle your dreams. In these stories, a horrific truth lies concealed beneath the wrappings of a mummy costume; a church potluck becomes the scene of a satanic communion; the ruins of a road-side attraction hides a forgotten, monstrous entity; an illicit transaction in a hotel room awakens a demonic presence; an overnight trip in the Everglades is disturbed by something unworldly preserved in an old still of moonshine; and in the title story, the presence of a black box brings dread to a gathering of teenagers.

Welcome to the party and enjoy the refreshments—if you dare!

If you enjoy short horror fiction as much as I do, these stories are for you. These 19 tales are cleverly crafted and I had multiple favorites including the title story. 

In The Infection Party a pandemic has arrived but never fear, the religious zealots have a plan, much like those who host chicken pox parties they will attempt to infect all their kids at once to get it over with. It's scientific don'tcha know! 

The Halloween Mummy is about a costume malfunction that has far-reaching consequences more dire than mere temporary embarrassment.

I Will Not Eat The Son Of God finds the fun and fellowship of a church potluck interrupted by a gluttonous stranger and his disturbing children.

When Sith Arrives, someone tries to drown a kitten and gets what they deserve.

Mama's Hand Of Glory was chopped off her dead body and kept in the china cabinet. Too bad it didn't stay there!

What Aunt Kaye Brought begins with seeing her lick the bathroom towels which let me know straight off that whatever she is bringing is nothing good and nothing anybody would want.

I enjoyed all the stories but those for me were the 5 star reads in this collection.

It's the most fun you'll ever have with plague and pestilence. Perhaps the author will tackle fire and flood next. If he does I'll be there for it!

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