Terror of Breakspear Hall by F.R. Jameson

 

What excruciating tortures await them within Breakspear Hall?

Simone and her brother are con-artists. They target the rich and corrupt, making them pay for their crimes. One night, after pursuing a mark to a casino, Simone is attacked on the street. In the aftermath, the two siblings find themselves spirited towards Breakspear Hall. A gothic mansion whose master has tried everything to keep visitors out.
From her first glance of this dark, foreboding building, Simone knows it could spell doom for both of them…
Within the walls is a history of demonic rituals and human sacrifice. Yet, if the house welcomes you, it’s a home which can offer your greatest desires and ensure every darkest craving can be sated. Although as it does, it elicits a terrible price. One which will drain away your soul and leave you a broken husk.

However, it’s when you try to leave that it inflicts its most appalling punishment.
Trapped inside, Simone knows she has to save herself and her brother. But what can she possibly do against the unspeakable evil of Breakspear Hall?

A brand new haunted house novel you won’t be able to put down!


A STANDALONE instalment in the Ghostly Shadows Anthology series!

This book was a slow starter for me. It took a while to get going, and I could not relate to the characters. Simone and her brother Robin share an unnaturally close relationship, and they make their living conning others. Neither seemed to have any redeeming qualities and try as I might I was not as invested in the story as I would have been, if there had been anything likable about either of them. I did not really care for the way any of the characters were described. It is at about a third of the way through the book when they finally arrive at Breakspear Hall after a con goes wrong. The pace picks up and it begins to get creepy when the brother and sister get separated in the house and are told they've spent the evening doing things they have no memory of. Things take a very strange turn from there and it seems there is no escaping the house. I did enjoy the ending even though this was not the type of "haunted house" story I was expecting.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Get a copy

Murder Run by John Hunt

Kyle didn't like being told what to do. When his brother demanded that he get himself home right now, no stopping, no passing GO and no collecting two-hundred dollars, the order didn't sit well with him. So, he stopped at a bar in an unknown town. He met a girl. They drank, left, did drugs together, and when he awoke in the morning, her decapitated head lay in his lap. As he pieces together what happened the night before, a police cruiser rolls in behind him. From that moment, the chase is on. What Kyle doesn't know is that he isn't the only killer in town.

Kyle is recently out of jail and already finding trouble. I'm not sure exactly what's wrong with Kyle but at the very least he has an impulse control disorder and anger issues. Kyle doesn't seem to know what's wrong with him either since he often can't believe the things he has done, but it doesn't stop him from doing worse. This time, there is more than the cops to worry about. When Kyle kills a girl he meets at the bar he has to run not just from the law but from the local biker gang who wants revenge. With the cops and the gang hot on his trail he wanders onto a property where strangers are always unwelcome and are generally never seen again should they choose to trespass. 

There's lots of guts and gore through out and it's not just just the blood spilled  by Kyle everywhere he goes. I raced through this book excited to find out who if anyone would survive.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Get a copy

About the author

A busy father of four with a dog and cat, John Hunt lives and works in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He has had nine short stories published in various anthologies and is a member of the Horror Writers Association. He is the author of Doll House, The Tracker, the apocalyptic novella, Balance, Off The Grid, and short story anthology 4 Shots of Horror. He is also a co-host on the Movies of the Damned!! podcast.
 

Dead Woman Scorned by Michael Clark

 

She's back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done.

Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her - played her the fool. She was the last to know, but there's still time to catch up. She'll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance.

With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has. She would have rather rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn't so easy.

This is a sequel to The Patience of a Dead Man in which a recently divorced man sinks the last of his savings into a dilapidated old house, in hopes of fixing it up to turn a profit. Unbeknownst to him there is the ghost of a child and a bloodthirsty revenant on the property.

In part 2 we learn more about Mildred and her childhood, and how she came to be such an undead force to be reckoned with. This is a brutal tale of a cult leader, rituals, and supernatural beings. There is a wondrous gothic atmosphere and a touch of historical fiction well blended together in a mix of revenge from beyond the grave. I think it could read well as a stand alone novel but for best enjoyment I would suggest you read book 1 first.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Get a copy

About the author
Michael Clark was raised in New Hampshire and lived in the house The Patience of a Dead Man is based on.

He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife Josi and his dog Bubba.
The Patience of a Dead Man is his first novel, and Dead Woman Scorned is his second. Stay tuned.

Facebook @michaelclarkbooks
Instagram @michaelclarkbooks
Twitter: @mikeclarkbooks

It Came from the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers

Welcome to tonight's feature presentation, brought to you by an unholy alliance of our spellcasters at Hex Publishers and movie-mages at the Colorado Festival of Horror. Please be advised that all emergency exits have been locked for this special nostalgia-curdled premiere of death. From crinkling celluloid to ferocious flesh--from the silver screen to your hammering heart--behold as a swarm of werewolves, serial killers, Satanists, Elder Gods, aliens, ghosts, and unclassifiable monsters are loosed upon your auditorium. Relax, and allow our ushers to help with your buckets of popcorn--and blood; your ticket stubs--and severed limbs; your comfort candy--and body bags. Kick back and scream as you settle into a fate worse than Hell. Tonight's director's cut is guaranteed to slash you apart.
 

This was a fun read, with all of the stories sharing a theme of movie theaters or drive ins in the heyday of 80s classic cheesy horror films. There are aliens, serial killers, demons who steal souls through movies and then possess their victims, and more. Some of the stories were scary while others were more of a nostalgic and campy good time. As someone who grew up in the 80s spending most Friday nights at the drive in theater and most Saturday mornings in the video store poring through the new releases on VHS this was like a trip back in time to my youth.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Get a copy