Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by by H.P. Wood

Description

After Kitty Hayward’s mother vanishes from their Coney Island hotel in 1904, Kitty finds herself alone, hungry, penniless, and far away from her native England. The last people she’d expect to help her are the cast of characters at Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet, a museum of oddities that is home to a handful of freaks. But even the unusual inhabitants of Magruder’s may not be a match for the insidious sickness that is plaguing Coney Island

 

 

 

I loved the cover and was intrigued by the description.

I felt so bad for Kitty being hungry and alone, and I enjoyed the setting. It reminded me somewhat of an old Alfred Hitchcock episode in which a young girl loses her mom after checking into a hotel and being sent out for medicine and then being told she has the wrong hotel when she returns. I did find it a bit difficult to keep up with so many characters.

I received an advance copy for review

All Smoke Rises Milk Blood-Redux by Mark Matthews

Description
Ten year old Lilly is the victim of a terrible house fire and a wretched family. Her father is an addict with mental illness, her mother was murdered and then buried across the street, and her uncle got her addicted to heroin.

Lilly’s tragic story has been told in the book ALL SMOKE RISES, and it may be true, for the author has broken into your house, and placed Lilly's body on your kitchen counter. He demands you read the manuscript, before cutting his own wrists and bleeding out on your floor.
Now you have decisions to make, for Lilly's body may not be dead, and her family is coming for her.


In this fast paced sequel to "Milk Blood"  we are once again immersed in the seedy underbelly of drug addiction.
Lilly is not in great shape. She can hear the voices of the dead though she herself seems neither dead nor alive. She is dumped in the home of a psychiatric nurse along with these very pages which must be read.  In these pages we learn what happened to Lilly after the fire. We also get to know Crystal, who was the mother of Oscar from Milk Blood. Crystal is still reeling from her time in jail after Oscar's death, and is desperate to keep up appearances for the sake of her parole officer, but not desperate enough to really make any genuine effort to avoid parole violations. It is difficult for me to say more without giving too much away and I pride myself on never posting spoilers. I will just say that the ending was spectacular.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Milk-Blood: A Tale of Urban Horror by Mark Matthews

 

Description
Optioned for a full-length feature film
Lilly is ten years old, born with a heart defect, and already addicted to heroin. Her mother is gone from her life, and there are rumors that she was killed by her father and buried near the abandoned house across the street. The house intrigues her, she can't stay away, and the monstrous homeless man who lives there has been trying to get Lilly to come inside.

For her mother is there, buried in the back, and this homeless man is Lilly's true father, and both want their daughter back.  




This story is unusual in that it is told from the point of view of each main character.
Zach who is taking care of his elderly mother, as best as her monthly checks allow, Latrice his girlfriend who finds herself pregnant after a strange encounter with Jervis.. the squatter in a burned out hovel, and Lilly the product born of that encounter.

This was a very unique story. A tale of poverty, child neglect, drug abuse, and sprits that do not rest in peace. The real star of this show would be Lilly, who is uncomfortable at her best and suffering pain at her worst. Often left alone and hungry and friendless. It was a dark and disturbing read.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Description
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.
You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart.
Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.
Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.



Jack and Grace appear to have a perfect life. They even have the photos to prove it. After a whirlwind romance they have settled into a beautiful house, perfectly landscaped and very private. Jack has even offered to have Grace's sister come and live with them after she leaves school.

Just don't look in the basement.
From all outward appearances Grace has everything a woman could possibly want. Yet in her private thoughts Grace wonders how Jack can appear so normal and thinks "there should be something -pointed ears or a pair of horns-- to warn people of his evilness"

Only Grace knows what goes on behind closed doors, and what she will ultimately have to do to protect herself and her sister.

The thing that strikes me the most about this compelling psychological thriller is the pervasive feeling of foreboding that struck me almost immediately, and intensified through out the story. I am most impressed that the author was able to make me feel so uneasy and to keep up that intensity all the way to the end.

I received an advance copy for review