Fiends by Richard Laymon

 This book was first published in the 90s but I missed out on it at the time.

I have read a lot of Richard Laymon. I actually thought I had read all of his books, but that is because I never knew he wrote short stories and this novella.

Of these thirteen tales, the title story is the longest and also my least favorite in the bunch. It's mainly about a rapist who is back for revenge against those who sent him to prison, but he is not the only "fiend" in the story. Some of the actions of his main victim were just too ridiculous. I suppose her unbelievable choices were needed in order to make this novella length since she had ample opportunity early on to make sure this man never bothered her again. 

The rest of this collection was thoroughly witty, clever, creepy, disturbing, and hilariously disgusting.

From bratty kids who face gruesome consequences to vampires, serial killers and freeze-dried corpses, this book is a must for all Laymon fans.

4 out of 5 stars

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Joey Leonard's Last Horror Movie Marathon by Kevin Lucia

 

In Clifton Heights NY, Showbiz Video, the last video rental store in the Adirondacks, is finally closing its doors for good. Though cinephile and store manager Joey Leonard has anticipated this moment for years, he's still crippled by the loss. The store's now-deceased owner has willed him the entirety of the store's horror movies, and all Joey wants to do is drown his sorrows in booze and escape into a familiar, comforting ritual: a weekend horror movie marathon.

However, among the tapes willed to him, he finds a strange home-recording which he initially passes off as a low-budget "found footage" movie. As he repeatedly watches it, however, it works an insidious change over him, fracturing his perception of reality and revealing to him a blasted and terrifying version of the world he knows.

So, get comfy on the couch, pour yourself a drink, and pour another one for Joey, too.

It's very likely this will be his last horror movie marathon.

I think I enjoyed the nostalgia as much as I enjoyed the plot. This is a book that brought back a lot of great memories of Saturday mornings spent in the horror section of the video store picking out movies.

But alas the store managed by Joey Leonard is going the way of all the others, closing its doors forever. Joey has been given the store's entire horror collection and intends to settle in for a marathon and some heavy drinking. He finds something strange in his tote full of movies. A store bought blank tape on which someone has recorded something unexpected.  Once Joey starts watching it he can't stop, and it brings on terrifying consequences.

This was a fast paced cosmic horror with an ending I never saw coming. At the start of the book it had me wishing I still had my old VCR but now I feel safer that we have parted ways.

Be careful what you watch, and always be kind, rewind!

My thanks to Kevin Lucia for the review copy.

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Book spotlight- Autumn Nights volume 4: Nine Stories to Nibble at Your Nape

Well, look at me not writing an actual review! I just want to say I am sad to see that this will be the final volume of Autumn Nights. It's a fun and festive way to kick off my pre-autumn reads. 

Autumn Nights is a charity anthology and has raised thousands of dollars for worthy causes. Proceeds from this volume go to The Trevor Project.

Stories this year mainly focused on bats. Humanoid bats, vampire bats, people getting turned into bats, dead stuffed bats, they went totally batty for bats in this volume and it was a lot of fun. No trigger warnings to speak of, suitable for teens as well as adults.
 

Book Description

Falling leaves cover dying flowerbeds, chill gusts herald frosty nights, and pumpkins reach peak season. The denizens of darkness prowl earlier each evening.

Weddings and changelings, carnivals and hauntings… creepy creatures, and murderous intent all meet in this cozy horror anthology.

Bundle up with cider and gather 'round the campfire, or stay at home with the windows shut and the lights on—read however your heart desires.

Autumn Nights Charity Anthology Series is proud to present the final volume: Nine Stories to Nibble At Your Nape. This finale provides autumn-themed horror that’s safe for adults and later teens alike. No graphic violence, no SA, and minimal cursing is the promise of all Autumn Nights Charity Anthology books.

This year’s profits go entirely to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to providing crisis support and safe spaces for LGBTQ individuals through trained crisis counselors and advocacy.

We offer for your reading pleasure:

Echoans by L.T. Ward: Never threaten a creature who is unable to defend itself. You never know who keeps an ear out for them. Should you make this unfortunate mistake, you best remember for their protectors will be coming for you.

Nightheart by Fay Lane: Life hasn't been just unkind, but cruel to Morgan. Then the nighttime calls to her, an irresistible siren song into the darkness. There, she learns it's not her childhood horrors she needs to fear; it is they who need to fear her.

Small by Alexis L. Carroll: Struggling with the loss of his grandfather, Mikael visits a mysterious carnival. A night of wonders, hot dogs, and strange oddities just might leave Mikael changed forever when he makes a wish he can’t take back with a mischievous fortune teller.

Forgotten by Helen Whistberry: We all wonder what really happens to all of those deeply cared for toys when their children are gone. How long do love and control really last… And which is stronger?

Pestilence by Stefanie Contreras: Día de los Muertos is supposed to be a celebration of life, but Soledad and her brothers want revenge. They’ve always known their fate tangled with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...they just never knew how soon that fate would be revealed.

The Legend of Grey Hollow by Jeff Ehrmann: When two vagabonds discover an ancient amulet, a creature of folklore returns to haunt a community harboring a dark secret. Ed and Gillian must discover how to escape the evil of the cursed talisman before everything in their wake becomes ruins.

Caged Hunger by Jaecyn Boné: Life isn’t exactly sunshine and roses for Sage but it was definitely a lot less stressful before they had to lock up that thing in their basement a couple weeks ago. With their favorite holiday coming up, all they want is to have a fun night with their mom and their girlfriend, not deal with the literal nightmare downstairs.

The Soul of a Bat by Frank L Tybush V: Vic’s new place seems great, but the once-theatre revamped into upscale apartments comes with a special resident who is insistent on meeting the new tenant. Vic only hopes that solving a sinister secret will be enough to save their life and sanity.

An Unexpected Talent by Eileen Curley Hammond: Miranda had a bad day that she thought couldn't get a lot worse. And that was before she stumbled over the dead body. Now she's in the middle of a Halloween murderer hunt and failing to uncover the perpetrator will mean the end of the world.

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Hellweg's keep by Justin Holley

 

Thirty-seven miners disappear without a trace within a Titanium mine, Hellweg’s Keep, deep within Zeta One, a moon orbiting the planet, Terra. When FBI agent Kendra Omen arrives via the spaceship Marietta, strange phenomenon begins to manifest…suicides, shadows a shade darker than the shadows they move within, disembodied whispers, and Kendra would swear she catches a glimpse of her own deceased daughter walking the dimly lit halls of Hellweg enterprises. But that’s impossible. Isn’t it? As evidence of occult practices at the mine emerges, Kendra realizes the answers they seek, and hopefully the thirty-seven miners will only be found underground in the claustrophobic labyrinth of shafts and natural caverns within Hellweg’s Keep.

I have never been much of a sci-fi fan but if you throw in some ghostly apparitions and a mystery you'll grab my attention. That and the fact that I enjoyed a previous book by this author is why I was willing to follow Justin Holley to Hellweg's Keep on his demons in outer space adventure.

While on her journey to investigate the mysterious disappearance of 37 miners an FBI agent is warned by a dying psychic medium not to go to Hellweg's Keep. She is told there is nothing but never-ending pain and suffering there with no hope of escape even in death. Of course, she does not let that dissuade her from her mission.

Strange happenings are already going on in Hellweg's before they even begin their descent deep underground in search of those who went missing. People are seeing spirits of the dead who fill them with despair and try to tempt them to suicide. Things get increasingly more dangerous for the search team the deeper they go.

I loved the first three-quarters of the book more than the ending. It was an action packed read but the ending bothered me. I would recommend this book for fans of the Alien franchise and The Thing movies.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4 out of 5

My thanks to Flame Tree Press.

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