Eight Cylinders by Jason Parent

 

Sebastian “Seb” McAlister has run out of luck in Vegas. Cornered by a trigger-happy gang and shot through the stomach, he makes a desperate escape in his supercharged Hellcat. Fate guides Seb safely out of Sin City and into the desert, but as his wheels fade into the horizon, he fades into darkness.

He awakes among a tiny community in the middle of nowhere. A mountain range circles the hodgepodge of shacks like prison walls looming high. And the warden that resides in those mountains is big, ugly, and deadly—a creature straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.

If Seb hopes to escape that wayward way station, he’ll need enough cunning to outwit a force beyond comprehension… and a fast car. With a little luck and a ragtag group of would-be monster mashers racing alongside him, Seb just might have a shot of making it through the mountains alive. 

When our main character Seb flees for his life from a shoot out he finds himself trapped with a rag tag bunch of survivors in the blazing heat of a strange community, from which there is no escape. He can't remember how he got there but he is determined to get back out. Is this hell? Is it purgatory?

While not my usual type of read, I have previously enjoyed several titles by Jason Parent, and decided to have a go at this one. It feels like an action packed Sci-Fi thriller but there are elements of horror too. Dead people don't necessarily stay that way and a multi tentacled creature that oozes an acid like substance make for a creepy time. While Seb is not exactly a good person I was rooting for his success, with Tracy Chapman stuck in my head "You got a fast car I got a plan to get us out of here"

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

 

An unconventional vicar moves to a remote corner of the English countryside, only to discover a community haunted by death and disappearances both past and present--and intent on keeping its dark secrets--in this explosive, unsettling thriller from acclaimed author C. J. Tudor.

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself.

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known."

The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village's bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider.

"Why do we hate our girls so much that history echoes with their screams and the earth is pitted with their unmarked graves?"

Jack Brooks does not so much get offered a new position as have it foisted upon her. She is to be the new interim vicar in a remote village, but she does try to make the best of things since an incident in her past is making life difficult for her and her daughter to remain where they are anyway. Perhaps the fresh start will do them both good. It's not long until their fresh start begins to sour, and it is not only due to the strange superstitions and mysterious apparitions. 

The chapel is in rough shape and their cottage leaves a lot to be desired. The townspeople are weird and Jack's daughter is the target of  bullies. 

Part thriller, part murder mystery, C.J. Tudor's latest work held me captive from first page to last. Quirky characters and unexpected twists kept me reading long past my bed time.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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Beware! R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories

 

R.L. Stine has gathered a selection of all things scary, and even added two new tales of his own! Short stories, fables old and new, comics, and poems. It′s a spine-tingling collection of work by dozens of writers and artists who are famous for hair-raising fun.

Discover a ghastly secret in a retelling of the classic story "The Judge′s House," by Bram Stoker. Peek into a Christmas stocking that holds a shocking surprise in a Vault of Horror comic, "A Sock for Christmas." Meet an ice-cream man who will chill your blood in "Mister Ice Cold" by Gahan Wilson.

But first, visit an evil carnival in "The Black Ferris," by Ray Bradbury. R.L. Stine says that this story changed his life! Be sure to read all the introductions—because R.L. reveals why he picked these stories just for you, and why he finds them the creepiest ... the funniest ... the scariest! BEWARE!

I had actually bought this book for my son back when he was in middle school and it wasn't until years later when he was grown and packing up to go out on his own that I decided to read it before he took it away. I have always loved horror anthologies so some of these stories were familiar to me, I had previously read Bram Stoker and Ray Bradbury. The 2 stories by R.L. Stine were new to me,. I really enjoyed them and also the personal touch he added with the notes on why he chose each story. These are not just for kids, anyone who loves a good spooky story can enjoy these at any age.

4 out of 5 stars

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The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

 

A tale of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

I loved the first half of this book, and the theme of revenge.

Years ago, four Native Americans went hunting, and their lives were forever changed.

Has revenge manifested as a supernatural being? Or perhaps the weight of  living under this oppressive cloud of guilt  is so heavy that it has caused paranoia to set in. The guilt has certainly become a pervasive and tangible thing. Palpable, visible. inescapable to the end, and I loved it. I enjoyed the characters. flaws and all. I enjoyed the slow build up and the ever increasing creeping fear. However at about or right before the halfway mark there was what seemed to be the climax and then instead of ending it felt almost like the start of a different book. Slower, more drawn out, even draggy in parts. Especially for people like myself who don't care a thing about basketball. I think the story line, while compelling could have flowed a little better. 

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author
Stephen Graham Jones is the author of fifteen novels and six collections. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in. He's married with a couple kids, and probably one too many trucks.