Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden

Description
"When Tess Devlin runs into her ex-husband Nick on a Boston sidewalk, she's furious at him for pretending he doesn't know her. She calls his cell to have it out with him, only to discover that he's in New Hampshire with his current girlfriend. But if Nick's in New Hampshire...who did she encounter on the street?
Frank Lindbergh's dreams have fallen apart. He wanted to get out of the grim neighborhood where he'd grown up and out of the shadow of his alcoholic father. Now both his parents are dead and he's back in his childhood home, drinking too much himself. As he sets in motion his plans for the future, he's assaulted by an intruder in his living room...an intruder who could be his twin.
In an elegant hotel, Tess will find mystery and terror in her own reflection. Outside a famed mansion on Beacon Hill, people are infected with a diabolical malice...while on the streets, an eyeless man, dressed in rags, searches for a woman who wears Tess's face."


Dead Ringers is indeed the stuff of which nightmares are made. Picture it.... you are in your bed, alone in your room. You can't sleep. You take a deep breath and let it out slowly... and so does someone else. Your heart pounds, you are terrified, and then you hear a laugh. You turn on the light, and there it is, that which can not be. It looks just like you and it wants to be you. This was one scary spooky read! Well written, fast paced and reminded me of one of my all time favorite Twilight Zone episodes in which a woman sees "herself" at a bus station and is told to quit asking when the bus will show up even though she has never asked yet. This is like twilight zone on steroids, almost guaranteed to give you nightmares.
I received an advance copy for review.

A New Game (The Next Move, You're Dead Trilogy Book 2) By Linda L Barton

Description
"Detective Lucinda Mackey has never been one to give up on a case until she brings the guilty to face judgment for their crime. She has always lived by a certain code, but she never anticipated a mysterious caller would choose her to play in a game of life and death.

Will she survive this challenge from an unknown opponent bent on her destruction, or will she meet the same fate as the others before her who played in The Game? "

This is part 2 in the Next Move You're Dead Trilogy. Even though it's been about a year since I read book one I had no trouble at all getting right into the story and the author does refresh your memory for you nicely in case you may have forgotten anything crucial from part one. I think this book would appeal not only to those who enjoy a good thriller, but to classic horror fans (like myself) as well due to the spine tingling suspense that grabs you from the first page. If you like a good scary story with lots of action but without all the gore, this is meant for you.

Left To Darkness by Craig Saunders

Description
"A meteor strikes the Earth. Dirt and dust fill the air. Only a few people remain under the setting skies, and those who still live find it's not God's England anymore.

It's the Devil's turn.

Lines are drawn between the dark and light. For the darkness, James Finley and his cult for the end of days. On the side of light, Paul Deacon, the lost policeman, and Dawn Graves, the last mother.

To survive, they must put their lives in one man's hands: Frank Liebowicz, a killer with a soft spot for lost causes. Because come Armageddon, God won't choose his champions.
They'll choose themselves"

This was a fast paced graphic and gory end of the world tale complete with blood, guts, and cannibalism. The main characters are not your typical hero types but that just served to make the story even better. I was a little surprised by what seemed to be a very abrupt ending, until I realized this book is the first in a series.

I received a free copy for review.

The Singing Bone by Beth Hahn

Coming in March, available for preorder at amazon
Description
"A convicted killer’s imminent parole forces a woman to confront the nightmarish past she’s spent twenty years escaping.1979: Seventeen-year-old Alice Pearson can’t wait to graduate from high school and escape the small town in upstate New York where she grew up. In the meantime, she and her three closest friends spend their time listening to Led Zeppelin, avoiding their dysfunctional families, and getting high in the nearby woods. Then they meet the enigmatic Jack Wyck, who lives in the rambling old farmhouse across the reservoir. Enticed by his quasi-mystical philosophy and the promise of a constant party, Alice and her friends join Mr. Wyck’s small group of devoted followers. But once in his thrall, their heady, freewheeling idyll takes an increasingly sinister turn, and Alice finds herself crossing psychological and moral boundaries that erode her hold on reality. When Mr. Wyck’s grand scheme goes wrong, culminating in a night of horrific murders, Alice’s already crumbling world falls into chaos, and she barely makes her way back to normal life.

Twenty years later, Alice has created a quiet life for herself as a professor of folklore, but an acclaimed filmmaker threatens to expose her secret past when he begins making a documentary about Jack Wyck’s crimes and the cult-like following that he continues to attract even from his prison cell. Jack Wyck has never forgiven Alice for testifying against him, and as he plots to overturn his conviction and regain his freedom, she is forced to confront the long suppressed memories of what happened to her in the farmhouse—and her complicity in the evil around her."

This story was a bit draggy at first and it took a while before it really began to hold my interest. Once it got going it was worth a read. Jack Wyck is basically a Charles Manson type who is able to manipulate a group of teens into participating in sex, drugs, fraud, and a murder spree. We are told the story  through flashbacks that begin when the teens still had "normal" lives.

I was given an advance copy for review.