Ghosts of Gannaway by Stuart R. West

 

Evil lives deep within the mines of Gannaway.

Born of hate, it preys on the miners, feeds off their superstitions. It gathers strength from the dead and drives the living insane. And it has survived for decades.

It's up to one man to put an end to the evil and lay the ghosts of Gannaway to rest, but can he allay his own fears and conquer his own demons long enough to get the job done?

Horror is and has always been my favorite genre, closely followed by historical fiction, particularly set in or around the Great Depression. Stuart R. West combines them both in Ghosts of Gannaway. Two great tastes that taste great together if you will.

Told on two timelines, this historical horror is set in a small mining town, where in the 1930s you could basically work in the mine or go hungry. Not that Gannaway paid well, greedy selfish man that he was. Tommy, the well respected boss of the mine wants safer working conditions for his crew, but there is more to fear than gas explosions or cave ins. There is the curse of the yellow eyed fever to contend with. Not all will believe in it but Tommy's wife Claire discovers the origin and hopes to put an end to it. The second timeline is in the late 60's when a scientist comes to test samples for pollution and contaminants. The mine is supposed to have been shut down by then, but something strange is still going on deep in the earth.

There are some genuine scares in this book, and I believe the dangers not only of mining but of attempting to start a union in those days was accurately portrayed. Another main attraction for me was the fierce love that Claire and Tommy share. Claire was portrayed as such a strong woman in a time when women's opinions did not count for much she was not afraid to speak up when she needed to. 

I loved these characters so much.

The ending was beyond perfect, I wouldn't change a thing!

If you are looking for a great story, not just scares but horror with some heart and soul this is it.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Grinning Skull Press.

Get a copy

Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling

 

GIVE US THAT OLD-TIME RELIGION

About fifteen miles west of Stauford, Kentucky lies Devil’s Creek. According to local legend, there used to be a church out there, home to the Lord’s Church of Holy Voices—a death cult where Jacob Masters preached the gospel of a nameless god.
And like most legends, there’s truth buried among the roots and bones.

In 1983, the church burned to the ground following a mass suicide. Among the survivors were Jacob’s six children and their grandparents, who banded together to defy their former minister. Dubbed the “Stauford Six,” these children grew up amid scrutiny and ridicule, but their infamy has faded over the last thirty years.

Now their ordeal is all but forgotten, and Jacob Masters is nothing more than a scary story told around campfires.

For Jack Tremly, one of the Six, memories of that fateful night have fueled a successful art career—and a lifetime of nightmares. When his grandmother Imogene dies, Jack returns to Stauford to settle her estate. What he finds waiting for him are secrets Imogene kept in his youth, secrets about his father and the church. Secrets that can no longer stay buried.
The roots of Jacob’s buried god run deep, and within the heart of Devil’s Creek, something is beginning to stir…



Jacob Masters was a child molesting cult leader who demanded human sacrifice in worship of his nameless god. Fire may be cleansing, but when the Church Of Holy Voices burned after the dramatic rescue of 6 children, the evil did not die. The 6 children grew up, and as children do, some flourished and some flailed. These days, some people think the old stories of Jacob Masters and his church are just  empty tales of the boogie man to scare each other with over s'mores around the campfire. Now that Jack Tremly has come home the town is about to find out there's more truth than legend to the old stories. I love small town horror, and Devil's Creek delivers it's share of villains among the few brave heroes. It's graphic and gory with huge helpings of anxiety inducing suspense, and supernatural terror. I would recommend it to all horror fans.

I received an advance copy for review


Get a copy


TODD KEISLING is the author of Devil’s Creek, The Final Reconciliation, and Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors, among other shorter works. He lives somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania with his family where he is at work on his next novel.

Effects Vary by Michael Harris Cohen

 

Effects Vary features 22 stories of dark fiction and literary horror that explore the shadow side of love, loss, and family. From an aging TV star’s murderous plan to rekindle her glory days, to a father who returns from war forever changed, from human lab rats who die again and again, to a farmer who obeys the dreadful commands of the sky, these stories, four of them award winners, blur the thin line between reality and the darkest reaches of the imagination.

I first became acquainted with the author's style when I read his short story in Horror Library Volume 7 (which I also recommend!)  so I was thrilled to be offered a chance to read this collection.

This book contains 22 short stories to unnerve and unsettle all who enjoy dark fiction, weird tales, and horror. There is something for everyone in this sinister collection.

You will meet a daughter who is unsure of how she feels about the return of her father from the war, sisters of a sort, who are part of a freak show exhibit, A boy who meets his mother at long last, and more in these pages that overflow with intriguing characters. Michael Harris Cohen is a gifted storyteller, able to craft tales that not only send shivers up your spine but put you through the whole gamut of emotion.

Effects Vary will be released on October 4 in plenty of time to kick off your spooky season. You can Pre-order a copy now.

My thanks to Michael Harris Cohen for the ARC

About the author

Ghostwritten by Ronald Malfi

 

From the bestselling author of Come with Me, four standalone horror novellas set in a shared universe!

In The Skin of Her Teeth, a cursed novel drives people to their deaths.

 The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride.

In This Book Belongs to Olo, a lonely child has dangerous control over an unusual pop-up book.

A choose-your-own-adventure game spirals into an uncanny reality in The Story.

Full of creepy, page-turning suspense, these collected novellas are perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen King and Joe Hill.

At the time of receiving this book, I had never read a Ronald Malfi that I did not enjoy. That winning streak continues with Ghostwritten.

These four novellas share a theme, a story about a story if you will...but they are each complete standalone works even though they are connected in a way.

In the first Novella a writer sets out to turn a successful book into a screenplay, but there are disturbing reasons that his is not the first attempt at it. When he seemingly drops off the grid without meeting his deadline it is suspected he may have fallen off the wagon. If only that were the case! I loved this one and thought it would have made for a great episode of American Horror Stories or Creepshow.

The Dark Brothers' Last Ride tells the story of a very strange delivery in which a road trip to drop off an unknown package that is not meant to be opened has dire consequences when one of the brothers is too curious for his own good. This was my favorite story, there were so many freaky happenings and the relationship between the brothers was riveting.

I'm not sure why I was not as engaged in the third novella, This Book Belongs to Olo. Anything to do with creepy children is usually a big hit with me. Olo is certainly creepy enough as he shows up on the playground with his weird mannerisms to pass out invitations to kids who most obviously do not want to befriend him. I expected to love this story and at first, I did, but the longer it went on the less I enjoyed this one.

In the final tale, The Story begins with a suicide and a warning not to read, before it delves into the mystery of the powers of the written word, something this author is quite skilled at.

Ghostwritten will be published on Oct 11 and is available for preorder

My thanks to Titan books for the review copy.

About the author