The Reaping by Bernard Taylor

When Tom Rigby is commissioned to paint a young woman’s portrait at Woolvercombe House, the offer is too lucrative to refuse. But from the moment of his arrival at the secluded country mansion, strange and inexplicable events begin to transpire. Soon he is drawn into an impenetrable maze of horror, and by the time he discovers the role he is intended to play in a diabolical design, it will already be too late. For the seeds of evil have been sown, and the time to reap their wicked harvest is nigh!

The classic third novel by ’70s and ’80s horror master Bernard Taylor, The Reaping (1980) returns to print at last in this edition featuring a new introduction by Will Errickson and the original cover painting by Oliver Frey.

Tom Rigby, widowed father, and struggling artist, dreams of selling his work and settling down with his mostly missing girlfriend, who is always galivanting off to exotic locals for her work. 

When he is offered a large sum of money to stay at a mansion and paint a portrait it seems that his talent is finally getting the recognition he has hoped for. The people at the mansion are strange and so is the group of nuns who are staying at the property.

I loved Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor and after giving it 5 stars I rushed to buy several more of his books including The Reaping. I've been wanting to read it for years but am always behind in ARCs. So it was with great anticipation that I finally sat down to read this over Mother's Day weekend when I felt that my time belonged to me, to do as I please. If I were to describe it in one word it would be boring. It is 220 pages and gets interesting around page 200 in time for the ending, which was not all that original. I'm disappointed and wish I had my weekend back. This book has loads of good reviews, so you may enjoy it more than I did, but personally, it is not a book I would recommend. Someday I will read his other books since I have already purchased them and I will hope that this is the only clunker in the bunch.

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The Trick by Douglas Ford

 

In his follow-up to Little Lugosi (A Love Story), Douglas Ford reveals a new trick up his sleeve: an occult odyssey of weird magic, dark fate, and macabre use of human skin. When Adam attends a magic show, he has no idea that he will leave with something inked into his hand, a tattoo with origins that extend back thousands of years, as well as a destiny in a swamp on the borderland of Vissaria County. Behold the chains of the ink!

Adam is an unhappily married man who along with his wife attends what is supposed to be a comedy show. Instead what they see is a mediocre magician. Suddenly Adam finds himself coerced onto the stage for one hell of a grand finale trick and his life will never be the same.

This was my second trip to Vissaria County and I must say it is still not a nice place to visit nor would I want to live there. Reading about it is a different matter entirely and is quite entertaining as long as it can be done from the safety of my cozy recliner, where the weird goings on and supernatural horror can't hurt me. Unfortunately for Adam and those who wish to help him, no such safety is guaranteed. The Trick is a fast-paced journey into the occult.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Douglas Ford.

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Cold, Black, & Infinite by Todd Keisling

 

Down here in the dark lies a vast and twisted landscape where the wicked, wistful, and profane coalesce. This is where the lonely and lost face their demons, where anxious paranoias are made manifest, and where mundane evil wears a human face. For readers, the sixteen stories found within Cold, Black, & Infinite serve as a harrowing glimpse into the nightmarish imagination of
Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Devil’s Creek and Scanlines.

Visit a town where the residents are slowly being replaced by mannequins in “We’ve All Gone to the Magic Show.” Go for a drive and discover your favorite radio host is still transmitting from beyond the grave in “Midnight in the Southland.” Laugh at Karen’s misfortune when she learns necromancy isn’t the best way to raise a child in “Afterbirth.” And uncover the true motivation behind one man’s historical betrayal in “Gethsemane.”

Featuring three previously unpublished stories and an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner John Langan, Cold, Black, & Infinite establishes Keisling as a leading voice in contemporary indie horror.

Cast your doubts aside and take the plunge. Touch the abyss. It’s waiting.

I loved Devil's Creek by this author so I was super excited to see this collection.

These short stories are not all that diminutive in size. They are long enough to pack sufficient meat on their bones to make a filling and gory meal.

There were a couple of holiday horrors that I especially enjoyed. If you ever watch those Hallmark Christmas romance movies and think how much better they would be if only everyone would get their brains bashed in or that holiday shopping would be less boring if zombies came to the mall, these may be your favorites too.

Some of these stories may be too disturbing for some readers but if you like your fiction very dark this is for you.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance

4 out of 5 stars

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The New Mother by Nora Murphy

 

Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it's murder.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is collicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.

Enter Paul, the neighbor.

Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest.

But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?

 

Natalie Fanning has just been released with baby Oliver. Maternity leave is not going as well as she hoped. Her husband is about to return to work, She's ok with that because she feels he is no help anyway. Baby Oliver only wants her. It's pretty clear early on that Natalie is suffering from postpartum depression. She doesn't realize it, and worse, nobody who could be of any help to her notices it. 

Unfortunately for Natalie, there is a neighbor who sees the signs. He knows she is vulnerable and he plans to use her for his own nefarious plot. He's no stranger to using women, whether it's to support his lifestyle or to meet his other needs, but his plan for Natalie is much worse than he's done to others.

This is a book that every mom can relate to. Those first few days home from the hospital, the pain, the exhaustion, the fear of making a mistake, the weight of knowing you are entirely responsible for another life, the unsolicited advice. The author paints a realistic picture that brought those memories to life for me. I had a lot of sympathy for Natalie, but not so much for her husband who was too wrapped up in his hurt feelings to notice that his wife needed help until it was almost too late. I think this is a book that will appeal more to those with children than without. It definitely has me nodding and agreeing and feeling seen. Loads of suspense made this a fun read.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Minotaur Books

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