The Many by Nathan Field

Description

"Karl notices something odd about his sister the morning after a blind date. A coldness in her manner; nothing anyone else would notice. Suspicious, he confronts her about the date but she turns nasty, accusing him of taking a perverse interest in her sex life.

When he next sees her, months later, she seems back to normal, until a harmless comment provokes a sudden, violent response. As her mental state fluctuates, Karl seeks out the man she dated just before her personality began to change, convinced she is suppressing a painful memory from that night. But what he discovers is something far more sinister, and pervasive, than he'd ever imagined."

 

 

 

This was a fast paced, suspenseful story that straddled the line between psychological thriller, and horror. Fans of either genre should enjoy this book.

Karl is having difficulty finding work, and so is staying for the time being with his older sister Stacey. All is well between the siblings until Stacey goes out on a blind date with a man she met on the internet. At first the changes in her are just a bit odd, but that quickly escalates to outright inappropriate and then violent behavior.  Desperate to help his sister, Karl does everything in his power to find out what occurred on this date, and discovers that his sister is not the only one this has happened to. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

I received a complimentary copy for review

 

 

The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea

Description

“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry

THE LEGEND LIVES
Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it is an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth . . .

THE DEVIL AWAKES
Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil—and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature's stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth . . .

THE BEAST MUST DIE
It'll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds of teenagers. The woods are filled with tender young prey. But this time, the Devil is not alone. The evil has grown into an unholy horde of mutant monstrosities. And hell has come home to New Jersey . . .

Raves for The Montauk Monster

“A lot of splattery fun.”—Publishers Weekly

“Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews

 

This was a great read that reminded me so much of the classic 80s horror I grew up with. There's toxic sludge, a cursed family, creepy woods, and of course blood and gore,  The action starts right away and almost never lets up. There is so much going on besides the  "unholy horde of mutant monstrosities." There's a multitude of complex characters with their own back stories going on.

4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

I received an advance copy for review.

The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher

Description
Susannah Morgan has been settled in sleepy North Carolina for almost sixty-five years, but is still haunted by memories of her escape from the holocaust as a child.

For most of her life the flashbacks have been a lonely obsession - one she has managed to hide from her children.

But as her life draws to a close her memories start asking questions, and the only way she can find answers is to return to the scene of the unspeakable crime.

Against the wishes of her children she flies back to Germany to find her truth. What she discovers there explains so much about who she is, who her children are, and how the wretched legacy of the holocaust is wide and deep and persistent.

The Sugar Men is the novel based on the short story: The Lucky One.

Near the end of her days, a terminally ill holocaust survivor travels back to Germany to lay to rest the memories that have haunted her life. Susannah was a teenager when the war ended and the British soldiers shut down the prison camp. Although she was free those memories and nightmares have tortured her for 65 years. They have become part of her very being and she can not let go of a past that is embedded in her soul and effected every aspect of her life from her shopping habits to her marriage, to the way she has raised her children. This was a heart wrenching read. Have tissues near by. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received an advance copy for review

Breaking and Holding by Judy Fogarty

Description
For Patricia Curren, the summer of 1978 begins with a devastating discovery: an unfamiliar black pearl button in the bed she shares with her controlling husband, Jack. Seeking the courage to end her desolate marriage, Patricia spends a quiet summer alone on beautiful Kiawah Island. But when she meets Terry Sloan, a collegiate tennis player trying to go pro, their physical attraction sparks a slow burn toward obsession.

Once Patricia and Terry share closely guarded secrets from their pasts, they want more than a summer together. But their love soon fractures, as a potential sponsor takes an unusually keen interest in Terry—both on court and off. And when single, career-driven Lynn Hewitt arrives, other secrets must surface, including the one Patricia has kept from Terry all summer.

An intimate portrait of the folly of the human heart, Breaking and Holding explores buried truths that are startlingly unveiled. What’s left in their wake has the power not only to shatter lives…but to redeem them.

Tricia is a young woman with a tragic past, married to a much older man. She may have loved him in the beginning, but with a child like innocence of one who has never really experienced friendships or relationships. Her husband Jack is a manipulative control freak who takes advantage of her pliable nature to keep her under his thumb. After discovering proof of Jack's infidelity Tricia finds the courage to spend a summer away from him at their beach house where she finds romance and her true self.This is a story of dysfunctional marriage, friendship and betrayal.
I enjoyed the setting, in the 70s with references to popular music and fashion of the day. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received an advance copy for review