Behind by Bentley Little

 When he was a little boy, there was a house behind Alex Lowry's house. Except he was the only one who could see it. Only he could hear the woman singing from within.

Decades later, after the pandemic costs Alex his corporate job, he picks up work delivering specialty items to homebound clientele and, against all odds, he realizes he enjoys his new life. His world is simpler. Quieter. Until he once more hears the tuneless, wordless song of the woman from the house behind. Until the cracks in the façade of his simple, quiet life begin to yawn, and a past he thought he had outrun begins to gain on him.

Until he finds himself slipping into the world behind.

Alex is a happily married man who tries not to think much about the past. He has never told anyone what he saw as a child, not even his wife Jennifer. He has given her the impression that he had a normal childhood. He may even have convinced himself that it's true. He never talks about the church, and only says that his parents passed away when he was young.

When Alex loses his job due to the pandemic, Jennifer thinks her father or his connections could be of some help. He's never gotten along well with his Father-in-law but complies with Jennifer's request to visit her parents. It is on this visit that the past catches up to him. There it stands. A house behind his in-laws' house. A house that should not be there in their suddenly too-big backyard. A house that's just a little bit wrong, with doors in the wrong place and not enough windows. The house where "she awaits." 

I don't want to say anything else about the plot and spoil it for you. I will just say that if you have read Bentley Little before you know that his book titles that begin with "The" as in The Store, The Mailman, The Resort, etc tend to follow his usual formula. While those without, such as Dispatch, His Father's Son, Gloria, etc. tend to stray from that usual formula. Behind was not just my most anticipated read of the year, it is now among my favorites of all his books. I savored it slowly over the course of a week because I didn't want it to end.

Behind is delightfully dark and disturbing. The pervasive atmosphere of "wrongness" grew heavier with every page I turned. It takes a lot to scare me but this succeeded in appearing my nightmares. 

My thanks to Dan Franklin and Cemetery Dance Publications.

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The Damage Done by Tony Tremblay

 Lured by a prank phone call to a local park, Choi Lee, a Korean high school student living in New Hampshire, is unwittingly pushed to her breaking point. Since she was little, Choi’s parents have instilled in her a need to check her emotions, emphasizing that the damage done if she lost control would be catastrophic. With that phone call, Choi, her boyfriend, and her classmates will discover just how catastrophic after Choi is provoked to the point of no return.

Everyone in the park—the guilty, the innocent, the bystanders—they all die.

Inspecting the bodies littering the grass, Captain Pendleton, new to the Goffstown Police Force, walks the grounds of Barnard Park. His men are calling this event a microburst, but Pendleton had never seen a microburst decapitate, flatten, or twist a body inside out such as this. While at the park, he receives more unsettling news. There is a fatal incident at the local tavern with several people unconscious and at least two dead. Arriving at the tavern, Pendleton wonders if things could get any worse. It turns out they can. His men discover more bodies in a house next door to the tavern that a Korean family owns. The only survivor – a young girl named Choi, who has been shot in the head.

In the coming days, the gruesome deaths pile up.

Captain Pendleton’s investigation leads him to the owner of a local pawnshop. Together, they attempt to piece together Choi’s involvement with the deaths in the park, her home, and at the restaurant. However, Pendleton and the pawnshop owner are dealing with unfamiliar forces, and Choi’s ties to the supernatural and Korean folklore test the resolve and sanity of both men. It was Choi who initiated the events that led to the death of so many townspeople, and she is the key to stopping more.

The thing is, Choi is technically alive, but her brain is dead.

Choi and her parents were whisked to the US under mysterious circumstances.

They have settled in New Hampshire where Choi is attending high school and trying to fit in. But she is not like the other kids and it is not because she is Korean.

Too bad the "mean girls" didn't know that before they decided to pick on her.

Terrible things happen any time Choi is angry or frightened. This time, a cruel prank has pushed her too far.

Characters I recognized from a previous novel "The Moore House" will reunite in an attempt to stop the death toll from climbing, but even they are not immune to the supernatural influence that can turn even the kindest people into sadistic monsters.

The Damage Done combines Korean folklore with gruesome body horror in a fast-paced read that pulled me in from the brutal opening to the heart-wrenching climax. I feel as if the author tied me to a pendulum where I swung nervously back and forth, one minute being afraid for the characters and the next being afraid of them.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy courtesy of the author.

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PsychoActive: Transformative Horror Novellas

 

Unleash the transformative power of horror with Transformative Horror Novellas, a chilling anthology that delves into the darkest recesses of the human psyche.

“Love is a Monstrous Death” by Ryan C. Thomas & Anthony The residents of Sunshine Spires, a dilapidated apartment building, are thrust into a nightmarish Valentine's Day party where survival means confronting sexually-charged parasites, mutated neighbors, and a relentless middle-manager.

“The Secret Eater” by Cody An Alaskan farming family discovers an addictive substance that triggers a catastrophic metamorphosis in their town, unleashing unspeakable dreams and bodily transformations.

“Black Rings” by Ed Kurtz follows an aspiring musician's quest to find her missing sister in a Connecticut red-light district, only to stumble upon a cryptic conspiracy lurking beneath the surface of a strip club and an hourly motel.

Discover the transformative horror of PsychoActive and embark on a journey through twisted narratives and spine-chilling suspense. Fans of Lovecraftian horror and dark fantasy will be captivated by these terrifying tales of metamorphosis and madness.

Dark Tide 16 will be published next week and I enjoyed my early copy. 

Psychoactive contains three grisly novellas in one gruesome book.

In Love is a Monstrous Death A dishonorably discharged veteran who enjoyed killing just a tad more than normal, along with other residents of an apartment building. take part in an experiment on how to love your enemy, If you're into body horror you'll love this one. 

Next up, a farming family finds that secrets are sometimes better kept when they unleash their special wine after their father dies in The Secret Eater. Body horror and folk horror combined made this one my favorite.

A young woman goes above and beyond to discover what happened to her missing sister in Black Rings. What she uncovers is an eldritch horror she may not escape from.

If you like your horror on the brutal and bloodthirsty side this is for you.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing 

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The Haunted States of America by Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

 

Fifty two different stories. Fifty two different Authors. Endless fright for all ages.

Every state has an urban legend that evokes fear and curiosity in equal parts, and we've chronicled all of these logic-defying horrors here in the Haunted States of America anthology.

From the Jersey Devil to La Llorona, each story included introduces a new chill inducing, stomach churning monster, spectre, or poltergeist certain to keep you up at night. A broad ranging collection of authors, including seasoned veterans and some first timers making a fright-tastic debut, have all united to unearth the scariest lore from each state in the US, as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico. Make sure to strap in for this spooky cross country tour, but be extra careful not to let any of these terrors follow you home.

A perfect summer read for anyone who enjoys spooky thrills with milder chills.

These 52 short stories span the country with a haunting tale for each state. 

I had several favorites, but it was especially fun to read the story about my own state with local landmarks that I recognize. I think young readers will get a kick out of reading a spooky tale set in their own state too.

Most are local legends and ghost stories. I was especially delighted to read the vampire story which stood out among so many ghosts.

The target audience for this collection would be ages 8 to 12 but I know plenty of adults who still enjoy Goosebumps so I don't think there needs to be any cut off age.

My thanks to Godwin Books

Available for preorder