Our Winter Monster by Dennis A Mahoney

 

For the last year, Holly and Brian have been out of sync. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening; neither can forgive what’s happened since. Tonight, Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York, trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway they hope will save their relationship. But soon they lose control of the car—and then of themselves.

Now Sheriff Kendra Book is getting calls about a couple in trouble—along with reports of a brutal and mysterious creature rampaging through town, leaving a trail of crushed cars, wrecked buildings, and mangled bodies in the snow.

To Kendra, who lost another couple to the snow just seven weeks ago, the danger feels personal. But not as personal as it feels to Holly and Brian, who are starting to see the past, the present, and themselves in a monstrous new light . . .

Holly and Brian are a couple on the rocks. Things have never been the same between them ever since "The Bad Date" occurred. It takes quite a while until we are allowed to know what happened on that particular date that changed their happy relationship into a shell of what it used to be. All we know is that there are some serious cracks in their bond, and they are headed on a getaway to a small sky village in hopes of mending their relationship, or maybe just calling it quits altogether.

Unfortunately, the weather has other plans for them. After losing control of the car in a blizzard they also lose each other. They are separated in the storm but they are not alone. There is something monstrous with them.

I loved the first part of this book.  After a while, it got repetitive with so much running, hiding, escaping, and leaving cell phone messages for each other over and over. Still, I mostly enjoyed this bitterly cold tale.

The monster itself was somewhat unexpected. It was an interesting take, although never fully explained, but I guess horror doesn't need to make perfect sense and would be boring if it did. The back-and-forth bickering between the couple, and the fear of speaking what they truly meant felt realistic and will probably be uncomfortably familiar to anyone who ever spent time in a crumbling relationship.

4 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Hell's Hundred.

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Midnight Vintage by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola

 

A collection of haunting short stories that delve into the darker sides of the human soul, this horror book explores raw emotions of desire, despair, and obsession. Each tale is set in an atmospheric world where shadows loom large, and the pursuit of unattainable goals leads characters to face terrifying consequences. Whether it’s the unsettling grip of supernatural forces, the harrowing effects of self-destruction, or the chilling embrace of violence, these stories invite readers to explore the depths of horror, grief, and madness. With unique and frightening twists, these tales will keep you on edge long after the last page is turned.

Step into the unknown, if you dare!

This is that lovely time of year when I barely know what day it is and my thoughts do not connect in ways that make sense. So for that reason, I just have a few words to say about this book.

Midnight Vintage is a gold mine of folk horror, fantasy, and sci-fi. A few of my favorite stories were :

The Bidden-  A farmer and his wife suffer the consequences of his insecurities in this glorious and gruesome bit of folk horror that would do the Brothers' Grimm proud, or make them cringe I'm not sure which. 

Bright Rain - A scientific breakthrough goes from miraculous to deadly in this apocalyptic tale.

The Devil's Reel - A demon opens a movie theater and preys upon the children in a local church. One of my favorite horror tropes is creepy kids so this was a big hit with me.

Eunoch's Code -An experimental surgery aims to make the meek more aggressive but things go awry in the first human test subject.

The Climb Up To Hell-  Three friends will regret trying to prank the new kids with a scary story and a dare. Again, the more creepy kids the better. I love these kinds of stories.

Many Carvings- I don't know how to say much about this one without spoiling it, except yay for more creepy kids. Just go in blind like I did. 

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

 

Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.

And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women— or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, THE BUSINESS TRIP takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

This book started out strong. We first meet Jasmine as she is smack in the middle of sneaking away from her abusive boyfriend. It reminded me of The Invisible Man. Not the original, the new version where she tries to escape in the night without waking him. It was so suspenseful, and I was holding my breath every time she made the slightest noise.

From there, we meet Stephanie as she prepares for a business trip. These women have never met and have polar opposite lives but they will meet on the plane, with shocking consequences.

I usually have no problem with stories that are told from multiple points of view, but this seemed excessive to me. There is Jasmine's point of view, her boyfriend's point of view, her friend's and a coworker at the bar. Then there is Stephanie's point of view, her neighbor's, several of her co-workers, a person at the hotel, a couple of police press conferences and combined with some flashbacks of Jasmine's teen years it was just too much switching around for me.

I enjoyed the beginning and the clever ending of this book but I was frustrated and sometimes bored with the middle. The parts of the book about the newsroom, the convention, and meetings in the hotel were too long for me. I know that some of it was necessary to the plot, but I wanted to get back to the suspense.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the invitation to read this book.

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Hotel Macabre Vol.1: Tales of Horror Edited by Joe Mynhardt

 

Step into the halls of Hotel Macabre, where horror meets innovation.

Where horror knows no bounds…

And every turn reveals a new nightmare.

Hotel Macabre Vol.1 is not your typical horror anthology. It’s an immersive experience that breaks the boundaries of conventional storytelling. This one-of-a-kind collection gathers the chilling voices of horror’s most imaginative minds, presenting a rich blend of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, a suspenseful play, a novella, and even an illustrated comic book section, guaranteeing a diverse feast for horror fans like never before.

Whether you crave the suspense of flash horror, the depth of a full-bodied short story, or the haunting rhythm of dark poetry, Hotel Macabre Vol.1 has it all. And for those looking for something truly unique, this anthology includes a link to an exclusive dramatic reading, bringing the terror to life in a way you’ve never heard before. Each story and poem opens a door to new terrors, while the comic and play sections add a visual and theatrical thrill, making this anthology a must-read for fans of horror anthologies and short horror stories alike.

Dare to enter Hotel Macabre and discover a groundbreaking anthology that will redefine your expectations of horror.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

In this volume you will meet a killer who hides in plain sight, take a bus trip with some elderly folks, catch up with a pair of long lost sweethearts, get buried alive, visit a haunted house, and more.

I especially liked the story about a young man afflicted with a strange series of stretch marks that seem to be spreading for no known medical reason at an alarming rate, and the story about a murder of crows that seek vengeance on behalf of a woman who was kind to them.

I enjoyed this anthology, but to be honest, I am not the target audience for flash fiction. The longer stories and dark poetry were my favorite parts of this book. There is something for everyone in this eclectic mix whether you prefer your horror in small bite sized pieces or are looking for a full course meal of terror.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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