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

Dark Quarry: A Mike Angel Mystery by David H. Fears

Description
Lust stalks Mike Angel as he stalks his father’s killers. The first of the Mike Angel Mysteries of historical, erotic novels. Set in the New York/New Jersey and Chicago areas in 1960. Plenty of action and seduction in this case connected to the infamous Purple Gang of the 1930s.

Burdened by the unsolved murder of his father, a career NYPD lieutenant whose “voice” warns whenever danger is near, 30-year-old Mike Angel is a Korean vet and bored private investigator of insurance fraud. When a wealthy ex-college buddy hires him to tail Joe Ambler, a petty blackmailer, Mike fixates on Kimbra, a stunning beauty who kills the blackmailer with a “lucky shot” from a peewee .22. Mike impulsively helps her dispose of the body and finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

Mike discovers the dead man was the grandson of a feared and legendary mob leader, founder of Detroit’s Purple Gang of the 1920s and 30s. When a well-dressed thug comes looking for Ambler, and the wealthy buddy who hired Mike runs off with Kimbra and is murdered in the Bahamas, Mike is turned around on the case. While searching for Kimbra, Mike stumbles across connections to the Russian-Cuban branch of the ring responsible for a string of unsolved murders in three states. The discovery leads to a chain of events and a frame up. Mike is convicted of murder, and is sent to the federal prison at Trenton. A lustful but single-minded newspaper woman, Heddy McBright, visits him in jail right before a break is planned.

Warning! This is a Noir Novel complete with sarcastic humor back when PC wasn't eroding logic. If you find yourself laughing occasionally, that's okay. It's not a comedy.

A fast paced detective story as told to us through the eyes of hard boiled PI Mike Angel, a likeable character in spite of himself. Not my usual genre but I enjoyed this well written tale, and particularly the main character's sense of humor and his way with words. Lots of action. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries, detective stories, and historical fiction.

Perfect Little Town by Blake Crouch

Description
Ron and Jessica Stahl are a power couple from Southern California, on a Christmas driving holiday in the Colorado mountains.

When they stop for the afternoon in sleepy Lone Cone (Pop. 317), they’re charmed by the quaint tourist town which is filled with B&Bs, candy stores, and gift shops.

But the folksy hospitality will vanish as the sun drops behind the mountains. A winter storm is approaching, and the Stahls couldn’t have picked a worse night of the year to get snowed into this perfect little town with a dark, dark secret.

From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and SERIAL UNCUT comes this 12,000-word horror novella, which also contains an interview with Blake, excerpts from all four of his novels, and a bonus excerpt of SERIAL UNCUT.

Perfect on the outside....
But evil at the core. Perfect Little Town is a short story that reminded me somewhat of The Lottery and The Wicker Man. If you aren't familiar with those I suggest you google them or look them up on Amazon as they are both worth your time. This was a quick read, and downright scary. I loved it. 5 out of 5 stars

Love Prevails by Dane Hatchell

Description
Two couples escape their small town during the onslaught of the dead returning to life. Keith and Kara Sims, Steve and Jill Mitchell, seek to find refuge deep in a national forest. Along the way, a clan of survivalists offers them sanctuary in their small village. The group is well armed and has no problem defending themselves against the occasional zombie menace. The couples must make a decision to stay and subject themselves to the laws of the village or continue their trek northward. Which will prove to be the greatest threat to their survival, the living or the undead?
Love Prevails is a novelette inspired by the post-apocalypse of hurricane Katrina

This is a short story of 2 couples trying to survive a zombie apocalypse, who discover that the living can be just as dangerous as the undead. I don't want to give away too much, but I particularly liked the psychological twist of mob mentality. It made me question what it would take to break me, and to make me follow along with the herd. 4 out of 5 stars from me

Little Killers A to Z by Howard Odentz

Description

Bad things come in small packages . . .
EPIC Award finalist Howard Odentz has penned twenty-six disturbingly fascinating horror stories about the youngest predators among us.
From Andy and Boris to Yuri and Zena, this eclectic anthology is filled, A to Z, with psychopaths, monsters, and murderers!
So turn on the lights and huddle under your blankets because murder isn't just for grown-ups anymore. Come meet our gallery of little killers.
After all, they're dying to meet you!
Author and playwright Howard Odentz is a lifelong resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the foothills of the Berkshires and the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg states into his work.
5 Stars "a relentless, thrilling ride" - Court Street Literary, on Bloody Bloody Apple.
"Howard Odentz takes this mis-mosh of dysfunctional characters and puts together a wonderful story that is equal parts horror and love." - Scared Stiff Reviews, on Bloody Bloody Apple

These 26 bite sized tales of wonderfully wicked children kept me glued to the pages. From A is for Andy to Z is for Zina who is starving to death in a post apocalyptic world I couldn't put it down. These are not all stories of children who just enjoy killing though some of them do! Some were made that way through circumstance, others learned it from daddy. Each tale is unique.
Some of my favorites were A is for Andy, in which an abused child finds a way to improve his living situation. C is for Cassie in which a girl who needs structure and consistency has her routine disturbed by grandma. F is for Fern, about a girl who loves to kill but also loves her baby sister. K is for Kiernan, in which a boy must fight for his life. M is for Maura about a girl who just wanted some privacy, N is for Nancy which addressed bigotry. I also Loved the story of poor OZ who was shuffled from one specialist to the next to address his real and imagined medical problems. Truly there was not a bad story in the bunch, but those were my absolute favorites. 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review

The Apartment by S.L. Grey

Expected publication October 4
Available for preorder at amazon

Description
"Mark and Steph have a relatively happy family with their young daughter in sunny Cape Town until one day when armed men in balaclavas break in to their home. Left traumatized but physically unharmed, Mark and Steph are unable to return to normal and live in constant fear. When a friend suggests a restorative vacation abroad via a popular house swapping website, it sounds like the perfect plan. They find a genial, artistic couple with a charming apartment in Paris who would love to come to Cape Town. Mark and Steph can’t resist the idyllic, light-strewn pictures, and the promise of a romantic getaway. But once they arrive in Paris, they quickly realize that nothing is as advertised. When their perfect holiday takes a violent turn, the cracks in their marriage grow ever wider and dark secrets from Mark's past begin to emerge.

Deftly weaving together two complex and compelling narrators, S. L. Grey builds an intimate and chilling novel of a disintegrating marriage in the wake of a very real trauma. The Apartment is a terrifying and tour-de-force of horror, of psychological thrills, and of haunting suspense."

This story was a little slow to get going, and at first I thought I was going to be disappointed in it. I don't know when I've been so wrong.
When the book begins. the home invasion has already occurred and Mark and Steph are living in the aftermath. They have somewhat grown apart in the marriage, partially due to the break in, and partially because Mark had already faced some traumatic events before the break in ever occurred. The story is told in alternating points of view, switching back and forth between Mark and Steph. They no longer feel comfortable in their own home and do not seem all that comfortable with each other, at least not enough to confide in.
A friend suggests a getaway, but money is tight since Mark is the sole provider and Steph is a stay at home mom to their small daughter.
When an opportunity presents itself to stay in Paris free via a house swap website it sounds like a dream come true. They head off with high hopes that this will be just what they need to reconnect with each other and to put the trauma of the past behind them.
Those hopes are short lived. At this point the story picks up speed from a slow build to an avalanche of terror and suspense. From the minute they arrive there is a feeling that something is just plain wrong. The apartment is not at all what they expected and the building itself appears abandoned, except for a strange woman upstairs who has never heard of the people who supposedly live there, and who tells them this building is "not for living."
Circumstances go from bad to worse and the creepiness factor rises exponentially.
I have been reading adult horror since I was 11 years old and it takes a lot to scare me. S.L. Grey has succeeded in doing just that with The Apartment.
5 out of 5 stars from me
I received an advance copy for review

A Frayed Web by Jon Ripslinger

Description

Walter Bohannon fears love has blinded his mom. After his dad’s death, she reconnected with an old sweetheart, but Adam Kingsley may not be the same person she dated in high school. Even his teenage daughter doesn’t seem to know him very well.
Probing into Kingsley’s background, Walter discovers some disturbing things about his soon-to-be stepdad. Kingsley has secrets, and he might be willing to kill to protect them.

Can Walter convince his mother of the danger before it’s too late?

 

 

 

Walter has been man of the house ever since his dad passed away. Now suddenly out of the blue his mother is getting remarried to a man she hasn't seen in years, after reconnecting with him over the internet. Adam and his daughter move in as they prepare to become one big happy family, but Walter finds the whole thing suspicious and begins digging into Adam's past, at least when he is not busy lusting after his soon to be step-sister. This was a quick read at under 300 pages.

It caught my eye since I am a fan of movies like The Stepfather where clueless mom hooks up with Mr. not so nice guy. I am a bit confused as to who the target audience would be, it is less intense than what you may expect for adults but not quite as clean as books that are geared towards teens.

 

I received a complimentary copy for review

in twenty years by Allison Winn Scotch

Description

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.

But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.

Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

20 years ago they were the 6 pointed star, 6 best friends sharing a house, and their hopes and dreams for the future. When Bea passed away, the remaining 5 drifted apart. Now reunited for the first time in more than a decade they must come to grips with the fact that life is what you make it and perhaps come to grips with the fact that if you get the things you think you wanted in your 20s it may not the perfect reality you envisioned.
4 out of 5 stars from me for this engaging summer read.
I received a complimentary copy for review.

Sleep Paralysis A Collection by Patrick Lacey

 

Description
Sleep paralysis: A transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, accompanied by powerful hallucinations and muscle weakness, preventing one from moving.

A website that specializes in suffering. A basement filled with secrets and bones. An apartment housing much more than just ghosts. These are the places between reality and the unknown. These are the stories that stay with you long after you've read them. These are the things that visit your dreams. And nightmares.

240 pages

Expected publication: July 2016 by Great Old Ones Publishing

This is a collection of 18 dark tales that manage to horrify and delight at the same time. While poking sarcastic fun at everything from  reality TV to those annoying telemarketer calls, the author never loses his grip on the good old fashioned creep out factor.
I enjoyed every story and I don't want to spoil any of them for you. My absolute favorites were the following...
 "Pen Pals" in which letters written by a 3rd grader travel much further than any postman delivers.
"Drowning In Filth" A popular host of a hoarders type TV show gets more than she bargained for when she is called to Amanda Cunningham's house.
"Lost And Found" in which a boy with a speech impediment finds his voice.. sort of.
"Send Your End" Was creepy as hell! Perhaps a cautionary tale of internet addiction.
In "Lynnwood Vampires" a father is concerned about the influence his daughter's new boyfriend is having over her.
In "Norton" a newly separated single father regrets letting his daughter bring home a stuffed animal.
"Cold Call" is the story of a woman having a devil of a time with harassing phone calls.
"Bad Egg" is about Laura, a woman who is heartbroken over her inability to conceive a child.
"Last Words" After the death of his father a man discovers some long hidden secrets.
"Lost Things" Henry, a homeless man finds a new purpose in life.
"The Boss" will make you think twice about complaining next time the local fast food place screws up your order. If they offer to fix it just let them.
"Mrs. Alto's Garden"  Kristen meets her new neighbor and learns some gardening tips that they don't teach you in home and garden magazines.
5 out of 5 stars from me

I received an advance copy for review.

The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn

Description
"Twenty years ago, the mysterious death of his aunt left Aaron Holbrook orphaned and alone. He abandoned his rural Arkansas hometown vowing never to return, until his seven-year-old son died in an accident, plunging Aaron into a nightmare of addiction and grief. Desperate to reclaim a piece of himself, he returns to the hills of his childhood, to Holbrook House, where he hopes to find peace among the memories of his youth. But solace doesn’t come easy. Someone—or something—has other plans.
Like Aaron, Holbrook House is but a shell of what it once was, a target for vandals and ghost hunters who have nicknamed it “the devil’s den.” Aaron doesn’t believe in the paranormal—at least, not until a strange boy begins following him wherever he goes. Plagued by violent dreams and disturbing visions, Aaron begins to wonder if he’s losing his mind. But a festering darkness lurks at the heart of Holbrook House…a darkness that grins from within the shadows, delighting in Aaron’s sorrow, biding its time."

The beginning of this book was quite intense and had me hooked right away. Aaron never knew his parents. He was raised by his aunt until the horrible day he lost her. At that time he was whisked away from his friends, and his childhood girlfriend never to return or contact them again...until another tragedy sends him home to Holbrook house. Aaron is in a terrible state of mind, and the fact that his childhood home is now considered the local haunted house by the towns people doesn't help matters any. He really is not a believer in ghosts or hauntings, but something has been waiting a very long time for Aaron to come home. I enjoyed this book though I can't say it blew me away like the previous work I read by this author "Brother" 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Ink And Bone by Lisa Unger

Description

In this explosive psychological thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger, a young woman’s mysterious gift forces her into the middle of a dangerous investigation of a little girl’s disappearance.

For as long as she can remember, twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery has been able to see into the future. She dreams about events before they occur and sees beyond the physical world, unconsciously using her power to make supernatural things happen.

But Finley can’t control these powers—and there’s only one person who can help. So Finley moves to The Hollows, a small town in upstate New York where her grandmother lives, a renowned seer who can finally teach Finley how to use her gift.

A gift that is proving to be both a blessing and a curse, as Finley lands in the middle of a dangerous investigation involving a young girl who has been missing for ten months and the police have all but given up hope.

With time running out there’s only so much Finley can do as The Hollows begins to reveal its true colors. As she digs deeper into the town and its endless layers, nothing is what it seems. But one thing is clear: The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what.

 

 

Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved the beginning, and was sure this was going to be a real page turner, but the pace was too slow for my taste. Finley was the only character that I really liked, probably due to her "gifts." I enjoyed the supernatural/paranormal elements of the story but there weren't enough thrills for me to consider this a thriller.

I received a complimentary copy for review

View all my reviews

Dead Ends: The Pursuit, Conviction, and Execution of Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos by Joseph Michael Reynolds

Description

The chilling true story of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, whose violent crimes shocked the nation—and inspired the Academy Award–winning film Monster.

When police in Florida’s Volusia County were called to investigate the murder of Richard Mallory, whose gunshot-ridden body had been found in the woods just north of Daytona Beach in December 1989, their search led them to a string of dead ends before the trail went cold six months later. During the spring and summer of 1990, the bodies of six more middle-aged white men were discovered—all in secluded areas near their abandoned vehicles, all but one shot dead with a .22 caliber pistol—and all without any suspects, motives, or leads.

The police speculated that the murders were connected, but they never anticipated what they’d soon discover: The killings were the work of a single culprit, Aileen Wuornos, one of the first women to ever fit the profile of a serial killer. With the cooperation of her former lover and accomplice, Tyria Moore, the police were able to solicit a confession from Wuornos about her months-long killing spree along Florida’s interstate highways. The nation was quickly swept up in the drama of her trial and the media dubbed her the “Damsel of Death” as horrifying details of her past as a prostitute and drifter emerged.

Written by the Reuters reporter who initially broke the story, Dead Ends is a thrilling firsthand account of Wuornos’s capture, trial, and ultimate sentencing to death by lethal injection, that goes beyond the media frenzy to reveal the even more disturbing truth.

I was not very familiar with this case before reading Dead Ends. Sure I have heard the name Aileen Wuornos and knew she was a convicted and executed serial killer, but that's really all I knew. I never knew she was pregnant at such a young age,  or tossed out on her own so young.
This was a highly detailed and informative account of how Aileen Wournos was caught, and her subsequent trial and sentencing.. There is no doubt she was guilty but after reading about people who planned to use her story as their own personal jack pot, or ending up with an attorney who called himself Dr. Legal I can't help but almost feel a speck of sympathy, not so much for her but for the childhood she had, and the child she was. I can't help but wonder if her son ever found out who his mother was and for his sake I hope he didn't know. Some questions are better left unanswered.  4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

I received an advance copy for review.

The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi

Description
First the birds disappeared.
Then the insects took over.
Then the madness began . . .

They call it Wanderer's Folly--a disease of delusions, of daydreams and nightmares. A plague threatening to wipe out the human race.

After two years of creeping decay, David Arlen woke up one morning thinking that the worst was over. By midnight, he's bleeding and terrified, his wife is dead, and he's on the run in a stolen car with his eight-year-old daughter, who may be the key to a cure.

Ellie is a special girl. Deep. Insightful. And she knows David is lying to her. Lying about her mother. Lying about what they're running from. And lying about what he sees when he takes his eyes off the road.




The next time I hear an ice cream truck any running I do may be away from it and not towards it..
This was my first time reading anything by Ronald Malfi. I wasn't quite sure from the description whether The Night Parade would be a thriller, or a horror novel. It was both, and it was more. When the story begins, something horrible has already happened. We don't know the details yet, we know only that David is on the run, and trying to keep his daughter safe. Slowly, as they continue their journey to where David hopes to find a safe place to hide, we are told through flashbacks of the terrifying events that left him a widower. Grief stricken but with no time to mourn his loss David sets out to protect his daughter at all costs. Ronald Malfi's writing is crisp and clean, and crackles off the page and into your brain. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

I received an advance copy for review.

Flu by Wayne Simmons/ Michael Kramer (Narrator)

Description
There's a nasty flu going round. An epidemic, they call it. The posters say to cover your mouth when you sneeze, and throw away the tissue. But such simple measures won't stop this flu. Because when you catch the flu, armed police come and lock you in your house to die alone. When you catch this flu, it kills you in days. And when you catch this flu, two hours after it's killed you, your eyelids snap open again . . . Flu is a pacey, terrifying, frighteningly real zombie horror story.

I'm a huge fan of all things zombie related so I was quite excited to get a copy of Flu.
I did like the premise of this deadly virus that zombifies you shortly after death. I listened to the audio version and while it was convenient to be able to listen to the story while I puttered around the house I think I may have enjoyed it better without the narration.

I received a complimentary audio file for review

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Description

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of.

 

“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable--something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

 

Dark Matter is a fast paced, edge of your seat, SciFi/thriller. "All your life you're told you're unique. An individual. That no one on the planet is just like you."
What if this was not the only plane of existence? What if there were not just a universe but a multiverse where other bizarro versions of ourselves were at this very minute going on with their bizarro versions of our lives..  Sounds a bit crazy and yet somehow Blake Crouch has made it seem quite plausible, and terrifying.

 

I received an advance copy for review

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Description

Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next...

... to Lily, to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter...and to her captor.

Lily knows that she must bring the man who nearly ruined her life to justice. But she never imagined that reconnecting with her family would be just as difficult. Reclaiming her relationship with her twin sister, her mother, and her high school sweetheart, who is in love with her sister, may be Lily's greatest challenge. After all they've been through, can Lily and her family find their way back after this life-altering trauma?

Baby Doll is a taut psychological thriller that focuses on family entanglements and the evil that can hide behind a benign façade

 

8 years ago Lily got up, went to school and never came home. Her twin sister never gave up hope that she would see her again, but most everyone else presumed she was dead. The police gave up on even finding her body.

 

This is the story of what happened when Lily's kidnapper finally got sloppy and forgot to bolt the door when he went back to his "other" life.

 

I actually planned to just take a quick glance at this book and set it aside for later, but once I started it I finished in a day. From the minute Lily dared to open that unlocked door and run like hell I was hooked. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

I received an advance copy for review

 

 

 

 

 

Secret Faces by Kealan Patrick Burke

“If you are hiding from yourself, don’t expect anyone else to see you.”

Everyone has a secret. Everyone is someone else when the world isn't looking. Sometimes that person is good, sometimes that person is not. In Bram Stoker Award-winning author Kealan Patrick Burke's latest terrifying collection of short stories, you'll meet thirteen people who discover the horror of what happens when those secret faces are removed and the true darkness that dwells within us all is unleashed.


It is no secret than Kealan Patrick Burke is on my very short list of "must read" authors. In fact that list gets shorter all the time. I literally purchase every book I see his name on, often before even reading the description. The reason for that is simple. I have enjoyed everything he has ever written. Secret faces included.

All 13 stories were good, some were exceptionally good. The ones that had the most impact for me were the following.
The first story "Home" about a man who rushes home during a storm for his daughter's 16th birthday only to find something obviously amiss with the celebration, had me almost scared to turn the page.
In "Stalled" a man's urgent need to find a bathroom has dire consequences.
"The Red Light Is Blinking" is the story of revenge against internet trolls. For best enjoyment crack open a bag of Doritos while you read.
In the story "I'm Not There" a man loses his reflection...and discovers how to get it back.
In "Memory Lane" a quick trip to the store for milk goes sour.
"Terminal" is every nightmare you've ever had about an airport.
A father regrets not listening when he had the chance, in "Quiet"
"The One Night Of The Year" is of course a tale of Halloween, and "Hoarder" is an excellent story of a salesman who attempts to sell cleaning products to a hoarder.
I would highly recommend this anthology for anyone who enjoys short horror stories.

Baby Talk Book 1 by Mike Wells

Description
"In this creepy horror novel, Neal Becker is convinced that his 5 month old baby daughter can talk. But that's impossible...isn't it? Except that Neal didn't really want to get married in the first place and pushed his wife for an abortion. And now, Baby Natasha knows it. She's out to get Neal, or so he believes. Join the two in a terrifying battle for survival that will make your blood run cold!"


Well...I liked it and I did not like it.
First off at a mere 90ish pages I would not call it a novel.
It also ends very abruptly with a link to purchase book 2 which seems more likely that it is the second half of what should have been the rest of this book.

Annie and Neal "had to" get married. Actually when Annie got pregnant Neal would have rather she had an abortion. He never wanted "Baby Natasha" and is not all that fond of being a husband either at only 21 years old.

Neal works a minimum wage job and resents that he had to leave school to support a baby he never wanted.
I read a lot of horror and I never really expect it to make sense so I have no problem at all with this story line of a 5 month old baby being out to kill. What did bother me was a couple of things that the author seemed to presume, such as one character mentioning that a 5 month old baby can't even sit up yet. Sure they may topple over but babies can indeed sit up usually any time between 4-7 months.  While it may be unusual for a 5 month old to want to kill anyone I don't see why the author would find it unusual for a 5 month old to sit up. He also seems to presume that breast size has anything to do with milk production. Hence Annie's thoughts that she needed to supplement with formula because of not having large breasts. Most of all what really grated on my nerves was that a character (Annie) who is so paranoid of crib death and who is always reading books on baby care would ever in a million years leave her baby in a car alone in a parking lot. No I take that back, what bothered me the most was Annie's baby talk. It made me want to throat punch her.

Other than that, it was not a bad story. I mean who doesn't love a good evil baby story? But somehow even though this is currently free at amazon I feel cheated, because I thought this was a complete "novel" and not just half.

Charnel House by Graham Masterton

 

Description

Winner of the Edgar Award: A demon is intent on devouring the world—and it’s up to a small group of believers in San Francisco to stop it.

A desperate and terrified old man appears at the office of John Hyatt at the San Francisco Department of Sanitation with a chilling complaint. His house, Seymour Willis insists, is breathing. Hyatt suspects a rat infestation but the truth is worse. Much worse. An ancient demon out of darkest Native American folklore lives within the walls and floorboards of Willis’s home—an all-powerful malevolent being determined to break free and wreak havoc on the City by the Bay.

Soon a tiny cadre of believers in the impossible—including Hyatt, Willis, and a Native American shaman—hold the fate of all humanity in their hands. The monster’s hunger for blood and flesh is insatiable and it is determined to escape its prison and become whole. And once it does, the entire world will be its feeding ground.

A haunted house story like no other—a gory and terrifying tale of demonic possession—this award-winning supernatural thriller by the acclaimed author of The Manitou provides substantial chills on every page. A tale of unrelenting terror reminiscent of the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Graham Masterton’s Charnel House will haunt your dreams long after you’ve turned the final page.

 

This is classic 1978 horror that is being re-released in June and I do remember reading it decades ago. In fact it was one of the first horror novels I ever snuck off my mother's book case when she thought I was too young to read them.

 

When an elderly gentleman complains that his house is breathing, John doesn't really know what to make of it. The gentleman does not seem like a crack pot and yet who ever heard of a breathing house? John reluctantly agrees to stop by and have a listen to this breathing, if he has the time later on that evening. He and a friend do indeed hear something that sounds like breathing, and against the owner's wishes try to communicate with it. This proves to be a fatal error, because when they leave the house a part if this evil goes with them.

This was a classic good against evil story.  4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

I received an advance copy for review

The Story's Writer by Wayne Lemmons

Description
"Amy, a single mother of one, has been alone for too long. One-night stands and unsatisfying relationships are dragging the joy out of her life. One Sunday morning she wakes in a strange bed, one of many just lately, and meets the man of her dreams.
Grant is handsome, charismatic, and charming. He’s also a horror novelist who’s had moderate success in his craft. The only thing more attractive than the man is the fact that he actually wants to meet Amy’s son, Bailey.
Bailey is independent for his age, as competent at caring for his own daily needs as most children twice his age, but overweight and ailed by a lack of personal confidence. His reservations about meeting a new man are evident in his resistance of his mother’s demands, but soon he warms to the charming writer. Bailey sees an opportunity to gain not only a father, but a friend.
Months later, after Amy and Bailey have taken up residence with this new man, odd behaviors begin to emerge as Grant researches the basis for his new novel. It’s a nonfiction manuscript, based on ghost stories originating at a local bar with a reputation for appearances from the other side. It’s a good book with a good story behind it, but it’s taking Grant down a path of hatred, violence, and ultimate destruction.
When Amy begins helping Grant with his editing, she too falls victim to the effects of prose, Bailey begins to receive a more brutal version of parenting. Now he’s hungry, in pain, and afraid with little or no help in sight as the story being written in his home stops mirroring the events at a remote bar, and becomes the new terrorizing story of his life."

The Story's Writer: From the author of The Dark Roads by Wayne Lemmons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

8 year old Bailey is a lonely child, often left home alone for long stretches of time while his mother is out. He is a bit overweight due to his favorite pastime of watching movies, playing video games and comforting himself with food. He is a bright boy, wise beyond his years and loves his mother Amy fiercely, and she returns that love even though it seems she could benefit from a few parenting classes.

Suddenly, Amy just happens to click with her latest one night stand Grant, and the two become a couple. Not long after that Amy and Bailey move in to his apartment and Grant is thrilled to be part of a family. While working on a book concerning the happenings in a haunted bar, Grant begins to act strangely. He has bursts of rage for no apparent reason and vile thoughts that are no longer under his control. It appears something evil has followed Grant home from the bar and is now taking over his personality. Bailey knows something horrible is happening and that it has to do with the book, but he is powerless to stop it and as it begins to effect his mother's behavior as well there is nobody left to protect him.

This was a quick and creepy read with several heart in your throat moments that made me wish I could get in that apartment and rescue Bailey myself.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Description

For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train: A dazzling work of psychological suspense that weaves together the past and present of two women's twisted friendship.

Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn't take long for her to learn that things don't always turn out the way you want them to.

Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there's no one to turn to…

But someone's been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be. It's no coincidence that Heather shows up on Edie's doorstep, just when Edie needs her the most. So much has passed between them—so much envy, longing, and betrayal. And Edie's about to learn a new lesson: those who have hurt us deeply—or who we have hurt—never let us go, not entirely…

 

This was a brilliant psychological thriller.  Edie is about to become a single mother. Alone and pretty much friendless in her drab tiny apartment, cut off from her family except for an uncle that she has kept in touch with. Out of the blue after more than a decade, she is shocked to get a visit from her former friend Heather,... She is not at all happy to see her and right away I was struck with such a feeling of dread. The story is told in both the present, from Edie's point of view, and the past in Heather's point of view. Slowly we are let in on the secrets that tore these friends apart. It left me wondering almost until the reveal near the  end whether Edie had done something horrible to Heather or whether Heather had done something horrible to Edie. Was Heather some sort of Psycho who latched on to Edie and wanted her to herself or was it Edie who had done something unforgivable to Heather? You will have to read for yourself and find out. 5 stars from me.

 

I received an advance copy for review

Afterlife: A Shadows Series Novel by Cege Smith

 
 
 

Description
Twenty years have passed since the events that transpired inside the walls of the haunted Bradford mansion. On the eve of its demolition, it calls out to those that escaped it to come home…

It’s Thanksgiving vacation, and Morgan Mitchell returns home from college unexpectedly to find her parents, David and Ellie Mitchell, are mysteriously missing. Thinking they have taken a holiday trip and forgotten to tell her, Morgan settles in for a quiet vacation break alone. When some friends suggest exploring an old abandoned mansion due to be torn down the following week, she doesn’t think there’s any harm in going with them.

But this seemingly random invitation is one that proves not to be so random at all. Shadows from the past are coming for Morgan and her family, and soon she discovers that she is the only one who holds the key to saving them all. 


This was a quick read and my first time reading anything from the Shadows Series. As it is a "companion" to the series there may be pertinent details I am not aware of, but the story seems able to stand on it's own without having read the series.
Morgan, is a college student who suffers with a sleep paralysis night terrors type condition. She thinks she has it under control and is able to keep it a secret from most everyone. However a sleep over leads to a break up, and depressed she returns home for the holidays even though she had told her parents not to expect her.
Oddly enough her parents seem to have gone off somewhere without letting her know. They do not return her texts or calls, and their cars are in the garage but nobody is home. When Morgan accompanies some friends to an abandoned house rumored to be haunted She discovers that she didn't know as much about her parents or herself as she thought.
I received a complimentary copy for review

Whitefern by V.C. Andrews

Description

The long-awaited sequel to My Sweet Audrina, one of V.C. Andrews’s strangest, most beloved books—and now a Lifetime movie! Whitefern swallowed Audrina’s childhood—and now the sprawling Victorian mansion threatens her adult life too…

Audrina remembers a better time, when her husband, Arden, was a young man with a heart filled with devotion for her. He didn’t used to be this ambitious, expansive…this cruel. But then, the death of Audrina's father changed a great many things.

When the reading of her father’s will reveals that Audrina herself will control fifty-one percent of the family brokerage—the halls of Whitefern again don’t feel safe. Arden’s protestations become frantic, nearly violent. And while Audrina didn’t anticipate running the family business, she’s curious to do so. And she can’t help but wonder what had made her father change his will at the last minute? What did he know about Arden that she didn’t?

Trapped in the middle of it all: her fragile, simple sister—the beautiful, trusting Sylvia. Audrina promised her father she’d watch over the young woman. But after years of relative quiet, the dark days of Whitefern may have returned…

 

It's been at least 20 years if not more since I read My Sweet Audrina. I can't say I remember every detail about it but I remember that I liked it very much and so was quite anxious to read the sequel.

Audrina's life as a married woman has not seemed to mature her very much. She has much of the same naiveté and innocent too trusting nature of a young girl.

Her marriage to Arden has not turned out as she had hoped and although her father has left her controlling interest in his business she lacks the drive and maturity to do anything about it.  She spends most of her time caring for her developmentally challenged sister but due to her own too trusting nature she is not as vigilant in protecting her as one would hope.

If you read the first book then this is certainly worth a read but I found the plot quite predictable and it was fairly obvious how it would all end.

 

I received an advance copy for review.

Victoria Crossing by Michael Wallace

Description

Driven from Ireland during the potato famine, Protestant Victoria MacPherson and Catholic Maeve O’Reilly find themselves thrown together aboard a Manhattan-bound ship. After a treacherous journey, they arrive in New York City in 1851, with only a small purse of silver and the promise that Maeve’s brother will find them there. But when he doesn’t show, the girls are quickly conned out of their savings by a smooth-talking scam artist, leaving the two destitute in the tenements of Lower Manhattan.
As the women work their way from seamstresses earning pennies a day to proprietresses starting their own shop, their success is endangered by the city’s corruption and a disgraceful secret that Victoria has been keeping from Maeve. Jealous rivals, religious prejudice, and the shocking revelation of Victoria’s shameful past threaten to break their bond and reduce the women to rags. But will their strength, courage, and spirit be enough to help them survive and thrive once again?


Victoria and Maeve meet for the first time on the treacherous journey to New York City, but that meeting is not the first time they have seen each other. Victoria is hoping Maeve will not recall the circumstances under which she could have seen her before. The pair become best friends and adversity makes that bond grow stronger. Both have lost parents and when Maeve's brother does not meet them in New York as promised she fears the possibility that he is lost to her as well.
Homeless, starving, and penniless after being robbed of the money Victoria brought with her on the ship they end up living in a slum and working for slave wages. As they begin at last to build the life they dreamed of, a brutal attack has Victoria planning her revenge, and I was cheering her on all the way. I was thoroughly engrossed in this story and didn't want it to end.

I received an advance copy for review
 

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

Description

"In the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut, everything seems picture perfect.
Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, prefers to pretend this horrific event did not touch her perfect country club world.
As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion."

Jenny Kramer is an innocent, likeable carefree young girl until the night that innocence is savagely ripped away when she is viciously, brutally raped at a party. Her mother believes that having a controversial drug treatment to erase all memory of the rape will help her get over it. Her Father reluctantly agrees but in his heart he feels it isn't the right thing to do.  Too late they realize this treatment didn't really help Jenny and will only make it more difficult to bring the rapist to justice. A psychiatrist is brought in to help Jenny deal with her emotional turmoil and to help her recover her memory, but he has a secret agenda of his own.
This was a very suspenseful psychological thriller with twists and turns that I never saw coming,

I received an advance copy for review

 

Mercer Girls by Libbie Hawker

Description
"It’s 1864 in downtrodden Lowell, Massachusetts. The Civil War has taken its toll on the town—leaving the economy in ruin and its women in dire straits. That is, until Asa Mercer arrives on a peculiar, but providential, errand: he seeks high-minded women who can exert an elevating influence in Seattle, where there are ten men for every woman. Mail-order brides, yes, but of a certain caliber.

Schoolmarmish Josephine, tough-as-nails Dovey, and pious perfectionist Sophronia see their chance to exchange their bleak prospects for new lives. But the very troubles that sent them running from Lowell follow them to the muddy streets of Seattle, and the friendships forged on the cross-country trek are tested at every turn.

Just when the journey seems to lead only to ruin, an encounter with a famous suffragist could be their salvation. But to survive both an untamed new landscape and their pasts, they’ll need all their strength—and one another."

A group of women seeking a better life make the arduous trip from Lowell to Seattle. Among them are Dovey, only 16 years old and running away from her father's intention to force her into marriage. Sophronia, who feels strongly that a woman's only hope in life is to marry and raise children, though she has never been able to find a man who can meet her strict and stringent expectations, and  Josephine, who has no intention of marrying and has a secret reason for wanting to run off to Seattle. The women face a long journey on carts, a train and ships, they deal with  sea sickness and illness, and at last arrive to an unwelcoming committee who considers them to be women of low moral character. As they set out to prove themselves they each take very different paths but manage to stay friends.
I love historical fiction and this was an engaging read, and a fantastic glimpse of what life was like in the earliest days of women's suffrage, when it was unsafe and unheard of for a woman to be out alone after dark and the excitement of going to hear Susan B Anthony speak.

I received an advance copy for review

Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris

Description
Sophia Douglas can’t shake the fear that she’s in over her head. A spontaneous elopement and a layoff from her high-paying job are stressful enough, but a plus sign on her pregnancy test sends her into a panic. Fearing her husband, Terrence, might leave like her father did, Sophia confides her insecurities to Tara, her friend and mom of three.

Though Tara Fisher encourages Sophia to trust Terrence, she’s hiding her own secret: a handsome attorney is pursuing her, and she’s questioning her commitment to Josh, her husband of ten years. After a devastating career-ending accident, Josh has changed and so have Tara’s feelings for him.

When a crisis arises that threatens to destroy Sophia and Terrence’s young marriage, Sophia must either overcome her fear of abandonment or lose everything she never knew she wanted. Meanwhile, as Tara is torn between responsibility and passion, her imperfectly put together life starts to unravel, and ghosts from her past resurface to haunt her.

As these two couples grapple with secrets, temptation, and illness, only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.

Two couples, Sophia and Terrence Douglas, and Tara and Josh Fisher, are neighbors and best friends, though on the surface they don't appear to have a lot in common. The Fishers have been married a decade, are raising 3 children, and Tara is the sole bread winner in the family since Josh had a work injury and became a stay at home dad.

Next door at the Douglas household, there are no children, Sophia and Terrence are still in the honeymoon stage and it's Terrence who is the sole provider ever since Sophia lost her job.

What they do all seem to have in common is a lack of communication and a fear of confiding in their spouses.  This book was juicier than a soap opera and had more jaw dropping moments than an episode of Jerry Springer. It is a story of betrayal, mental illness, insecurities, and secrets hidden in dark pasts. It was a quick read but even so I literally had to put it down twice just so I could go hug my husband out of sheer relief that our lives are nothing like this. Blaming The Wind is one of those delicious guilty pleasures that you won't be able to put down...except to go and hug your husband!
I received a complimentary copy for review

Resthaven By Erik Therme

Description
The last thing Kaylee wants to do is participate in a childish scavenger hunt--especially inside the abandoned retirement home on the edge of town. When she finds a bruised, deaf boy hiding inside one of the rooms, she vows to lead him to safety . . . only to discover the front doors are now padlocked, and her friends are nowhere to be found. Kaylee is about to learn that not everything that goes 'bump in the night' is imaginary, and sometimes there are worse things to fear than ghosts.


Kaylee is the new girl in town, and slightly miffed at being so. She has been uprooted due to her parents splitting up and is not too thrilled to have left her former life behind.
When Kaylee is invited by Anna, a girl in her building, to go to a gathering at a friends house her mom pretty much forces her to attend. When she finds out that this gathering is actually a scavenger hunt in an abandoned rest home she is less than impressed.
Jamie, a "mean girl type" rich girl passes out digital cameras and promises $100 to the winner of the scavenger hunt. Reluctantly joining in, Kaylee and the other girls are trapped inside when Jaimie disappears, seemingly locking them inside. They find however, that they are not the only inhabitants in this spooky old building and have a harrowing time attempting to get out.
This was an enjoyable read, and I think it would do quite well with a younger audience. It is fast paced and suspenseful, and I would highly recommend it for any fans of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series.

I received a complimentary copy for review

The Binding:by Nicholas Wolff

Description
When a rare mental disorder begins to consume his small-town neighbors, a young psychiatrist digs up the past for clues to the epidemic’s bone-chilling source in this brilliant supernatural horror debut, written in the bestselling tradition of Peter Straub.

Convinced that evil spirits have overtaken his daughter, a desperate father introduces her to Nat Thayer, a young psychiatrist in their sleepy blue-blooded Massachusetts college town. Thayer quickly diagnoses the girl with Cotard Delusion, an obscure condition sometimes described as “walking corpse syndrome.” But Thayer soon realizes his patient—and many of the local families—are actually being targeted by a malignant force resurrected from the town's wicked history. Thayer must discover the source of the spreading plague…before there is no one left to save.

Something horrifying is going on in this picturesque town in MA. The dead are not at peace. Bodies in the morgue are rearranging themselves or disappearing altogether, Meanwhile a living breathing girl insists that she is indeed dead. A little boy who can not speak is drawing pictures of his only friend, a demonic looking being he calls The Magician. All is this and more ties this community to something horrible that happened long ago and far away. I love horror stories that are set right here in New England so I was already looking forward to reading this book, and it did not disappoint me.

I received an advance copy for review

The Real Mrs. Price by J.D. Mason

Description
"Lucy Price is living the American dream. She has been married to her successful husband and businessman, Edward Price for a year and couldn’t be happier until she learns that Eddie is a dangerously ruthless man, heavily involved in illegal activities that threaten not only her marriage, but her life. Eddie abruptly disappears, but not before warning Lucy that if she wants to keep breathing she'd better keep her mouth shut. Six months later, word of her husband surfaces when she learns that he is presumed murdered in a small Texas town, apparently killed by his “wife”, Marlowe Price.

Marlowe is no stranger to trouble. An outcast in her own community for being one of those "hoodoo women," who can curse you or cast you under her beguiling spell, Marlowe is shunned at every turn. Six months ago, a whirlwind romance in Mexico led Marlowe to marry the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. For Marlowe and Eddie, there is no such thing as trouble in paradise. But late one night, when Marlowe witnesses her husband putting the body of a dead man in the trunk of his car, the illusion comes crashing down around her and she knows she has to move fast before the devil comes calling once again.

Now, Lucy and Marlowe must come together to find out where and who Eddie really is, and help each other through the threat he poses. There's nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned...except for two women scorned who are willing to put their pasts behind them and band together to take one bad man down" 


Lucy Price has reason to believe that her husband has been involved in some illegal activity and may have killed someone. In a rage he almost kills her as well, but when a neighbor intervenes Eddie runs off.
Meanwhile the "other" Mrs. Price knows more than she's telling, and has seen visions of a "devil" coming her way. She is suspected of killing her husband Eddie, but is he even really dead? More than just the two wives and the police want to know the answer. There are other far more dangerous people interested in his whereabouts.
This is a story of Sex, murder, magic, and mystery. I would rate it 4 out of 5 suspenseful stars.

I received an advance copy for review.

The Voice Of The Night - By Dean Koontz (originally under the pen name Brian Coffey)

Description
No one could understand why Colin and Roy were best friends. Colin was so shy; Roy was so popular. Colin was nervous around girls; Roy was a ladies' man. Colin was fascinated by Roy - and Roy was fascinated by death. Then one day Roy asked his timid friend: "You ever killed anything?" And from that moment on, the two were bound together in a game too terrifying to imagine...and too irresistible to stop.


I didn't realize that I had read this book many years ago when it was published under the name Brian Coffey. A few years ago I bought it when it was released on kindle under the name Dean Koontz. As I finally got around to reading it, bits and pieces came back to me.

Anyway, Colin is a shy and quiet, friendless, boy who loves to read and watch movies. His parents are divorced and he lives with his mother who is almost never home and does not seem to have much if any time for him.

He strikes up a friendship with Roy, or more specifically Roy chooses to strike up a relationship with him. Roy is a disturbed and twisted individual who enjoys torture and killing.

I would probably have rated this 5 stars if Koontz had not made the mother such a senseless flipping moron who would rather believe outrageous stories about her son with no proof and so easily having the wool pulled over her eyes by an Eddie Haskell type fake politeness. Therefore, 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Carrion by Jonathan R. Rose

Description
Carrion is about a world consumed by chaos. But in this world, you are not a desperate survivor hoping to outlast the bedlam; instead, you are the monster that caused it. Consumed by an insatiable hunger, a malevolent need to feed, you are the one from whom the masses flee. And because of you a group of barbaric men led by a fanatic with a gleaming badge fastened to his chest have banded together with the intention of hunting you and all those like you down. Follow in the footsteps of a fiend. See what he sees. Taste the flesh. Smell the decay. Suffer the anguish. Witness a massive city crumble under the weight of fear and hate and become hell. Whether engulfed in flames, or flooded by lakes of blood, all that remains are monsters and men, and the war that wages not only between them, but within themselves.



Carrion by Jonathan R. Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book will not appeal to everyone. This is hard core horror. By that I mean if you only like to dip your toe in the horror pool as far as occasionally reading Stephen King this will not appeal to you and you may find it somewhat offensive. If however your tastes run more towards diving head first into the brutal and graphic horror of Edward Lee, this may be for you. If dripping entrails or chewing up the chubby little arm of an infant make you feel faint this is not for you.
“He ate ravenously, mouth frothing and slick. Drooling and snarling, his eyes rolling around like those of a shark”

Carrion is told entirely from the point of view of “The Monster” and because of that there is very little dialogue here. The monster is hungry and it wants to eat. That’s all. It has no interest in anything else. There are few human characters in this story and since the story is not really about them they remain undeveloped. Their interaction with each other is sparse and because of that you may not care much one way or the other whether they are killed and eaten.
I would have liked someone to root for, and a stronger plot line.

Jonathan Rose can write. I will definitely give him that. I can see a huge potential here.

I received a complimentary copy for review

View all my reviews

Kelpie Dreams by Steve Vernon

 

Meet Lady Macbeth - a high school librarian, ex-assassin and part-time kelpie, whose mother wanted to name her Hemorrhoid at birth. Now she has to take on a Sea Hag - eight legs of Godzilla-ugly poured into a bucket full of meanness - with the help of a one-woman army named Rhonda, a 200 year old Sea Captain and a hunky lighthouse keeper who won't admit that he's dead as well. KELPIE DREAMS is a funny, action-packed paranormal romance novel for folks who HATE to read romance novels.


This is probably one of the strangest stories I have ever read. It is weird, bizarre and utterly hilarious.

Lady Cordelia Macbeth who would rather be called Dee, is mourning the loss of her son Hamilton. Hamilton you see had gone for a joyride in a stolen/borrowed vehicle and was killed quicker than you can say gesundheit!
She is so grief stricken that she contemplates suicide and throws herself into the ocean. Of course I realize that is not hilarious at all but luckily there was a pissed off octopus woman at the bottom of the ocean who was able to give Dee the ability to breathe underwater until the mossy brown and green mud horse showed up to take her back to the surface. Not that either of these occurrences were the most shocking things she saw under the ocean but I wouldn't want to give away too much.  Now Dee was not too keen on telling anyone about these escapades, however when the mud horse showed up at her best friend Rhonda's house it kind of spilled the beans.  I will leave you here, because if I told you more you wouldn't believe me anyway. It is probably best that you discover these quirky characters for yourself. I was up all night reading this story.

I received an advance copy of this book through the kindle scout program and was under no obligation to review it.