UPDATE: The Audible narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill is FANTASTIC
I don’t often read HORROR, and I didn’t even read BIRD BOX, Genre: Horror, Paranormal
UPDATE: The Audible narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill is FANTASTIC
I don’t often read HORROR, and I didn’t even read BIRD BOX, but every once in a while, a book from this genre appeals to me-and this was one of them.
It was told ENTIRELY from the UNIQUE first person perspective of eight-year-old Bela, a girl who is being targeted by a ENTITY who calls itself her “OTHER MOMMY”.
YOU CAN RUN-BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE
“Other Mommy” is looking for carnation (reincarnation) as she wants to LIVE again…
“CAN I GO INSIDE YOUR HEART?”
She pretends to be friends with the vulnerable Bela, as she tries to manipulate her way in.
AND SHE IS GROWING IMPATIENT
I felt the DESPERATION of Daddo, Mommy and Grandma Ruth, as they try to save Bela.
And, I felt TERRIFIED for Bela.
Like the movie, “A Quiet Place” by John Krasinski and Michael Sarnoski (which I loved) the EVIL is lurking just out of view, but you can always FEEL its presence.
This story is accurately described as “a chilling horror novel about a haunting” and I think it would also translate well to the BIG SCREEN.
I finished this last night and I woke up, STILL THINKING about the ending!!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Del Rey for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
Inspired by the HORROR classic, Rosemary’s Baby, we have “The New Couple in 5B”-55 Park Avenue-a historic NY city building now called the Windemere-buInspired by the HORROR classic, Rosemary’s Baby, we have “The New Couple in 5B”-55 Park Avenue-a historic NY city building now called the Windemere-built on the same soil where “The Church of the Holy Name” once stood until it burnt to the ground.
All that remained of the building was the foundation, some of the stones, and the Gargoyles that stood sentry over the front door.
Moving in, a newlywed couple, Chad and Rosie Lowan, he an actor, she a writer, who inherited the 5 million dollar unit from his Uncle Ivan.
Rosie has plans to write a book about the building’s history-divided into sections for the Violent Murders, the many Accidents, the frequent Suicides, and the natural deaths-which seem to have happened in abundance at this address-one of which occurred in their very own unit-where a writer, Paul, once lived with his beautiful, dancer wife, Willa.
Are there dark forces at work in this haunted building?
At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But soon, the Lowans begin to wonder why the SAME doorman is always on duty, and why there are cameras everywhere? And, what about the intercom, which summons that doorman without needing to even press a button?
Creepy and claustrophobic, this ENTERTAINING story has a gothic feel which will grip you from the opening pages-but don’t expect it to feel plausible.
A fun buddy read with Susan, Ceecee and Mary Beth, which offered much lively discussion! Be sure to check out their amazing reviews for additional thoughts!
This book is available now!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of this title!...more
I highly suggest that you SKIP the official synopsis for this novel as it reveals something that doesn’t happen until almost the THREE QUARTER mark ofI highly suggest that you SKIP the official synopsis for this novel as it reveals something that doesn’t happen until almost the THREE QUARTER mark of the book-and I think the story would have had MUCH MORE of an impact on me-if I hadn’t known what was coming!!
*SPOILER FREE REVIEW *
Life in Granite Harbor Maine, will never be the same after a local teenager's body is found brutally murdered in “The Settlement” the town's historic archaeological site.
The body has been hung from a handmade wooden structure, with a gruesome clue left INSIDE the corpse which has been sliced open.
And, it will be up to Alex Brangwen, the town's sole detective to solve the case.
This will be his first murder case, newly trained after a failed career as a novelist, and his skills as a detective are rudimentary. He will have to use his writer’s imagination and consider all possibilities no matter how unusual- if he hopes to succeed.
Adding to the pressure- the Victim was a friend of his daughter.
This isn’t a bad story, and I quite enjoyed the chapters when Alex was investigating BUT -I have a couple of reasons why it’s just a 3 star read for me, IN ADDITION to the synopsis giving away too much.
First, as we get to know the residents of this small Coastal town, it seemed obvious to me who would be guilty of MURDER.
Second, there is gratuitous animal harm, and if you follow my reviews, you know that I don’t want to read about that. A dog dies in an accidental death, which explains some of the plot, BUT there wasn’t a need to describe the deaths of fish, toads or Coyotes to further the plot after that. (SKIP CH 34 to avoid content the Publisher warns about if you are triggered by animal abuse)
If you go in blind, or if they make the book’s synopsis more succinct by publication date, and you aren’t bothered by animal death-you just might enjoy this one more than I did!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank you to Celadon books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
You’re going to need it as you will FEEL THE CHILL of Deadhart, Alaska. 673 Living. (But dropping quickly)
In this small Brew yourself some hot coffee.
You’re going to need it as you will FEEL THE CHILL of Deadhart, Alaska. 673 Living. (But dropping quickly)
In this small town, which remains decorated in Christmas lights year round, a boy named Marcus Anderson has been found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body.
The residents of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years, but they are convinced that they know who is responsible-a member of “The Colony” an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the adjacent woods. Despite everything that has been learned about these misunderstood mythical creatures, the town is still filled with hatred and mistrust.
Detective Barbara Atkins, from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, is a specialist in vampyr killings, She has been called in to officially determine if this is a “Colony” killing – because the town wants to hunt down the Vampyrs but they are considered a protected species on the verge of extinction and are protected by the Vampyr Protection Act, passed in 1983.
Unless they have killed a human, that is.
Then all bets are off.
If a Vampyr is responsible then Detective Atkins can authorize “a cull” and the hunting can begin.
Becoming the Boogeyman” is the terrifying sequel to “Chasing the Boogeyman” in what promises to be a THREE part (or more?) series. You CAN read it as Becoming the Boogeyman” is the terrifying sequel to “Chasing the Boogeyman” in what promises to be a THREE part (or more?) series. You CAN read it as a standalone, but you SHOULD read them in chronological order for MAXIMUM effect!
Author Richard Chizmar gives a MASTER class, on how to insert a FICTIONAL serial killer, into his otherwise TRUE recollections of his childhood neighborhood and memories, and his current life as a family man and best-selling author.
Obviously, I can’t give spoilers for the first book, so it will have to suffice to say that this story picks up a few years after the other book ends, when a COPYCAT killer picks up the killing spree of “The Boogeyman” right where he left off, and the crimes are MORE GRUESOME than ever.
Suddenly, Chizmar has gone from “hometown boy makes good to what kind of monster has he invited into our community” as his neighbors and social media turn against him.
I remember the first book in the series read so much like TRUE CRIME, that I was googling to see what was real and what was imagined!
Lending authenticity to the narrative are “Goodreads reviews, excerpts from “The Boogeyman Lives” message boards, in person interviews, social media posts, and the author’s own memoir, complete with labeled photos of VICTIMS and crime scenes (which I was able to read on my kindle).
Pretty Creepy.
The impact of a second book written this way, may have lost a little bit of the shock value BUT this is still a 4 ⭐️ worthy sequel and you better believe that I am on board to see how it will all end in the next book of the series!
Recommended if you enjoy Fictional or TRUE Crime stories!
Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her beloved golden retriever Laika, named after the Soviet space dog who orbited the Earth in SpA “FOMO” read!
Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her beloved golden retriever Laika, named after the Soviet space dog who orbited the Earth in Sputnik 2. She is house-sitting an old beachfront property on the rainy Washington coast, mending a broken heart.
Her only human contact is with her neighbor, Deek, who she communicates with through her telescope, and the house’s owner, Jules, who she communicates with via text.
One day, she reads a poorly written horror novel by author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with him. She claims his books are amateurish and unrealistic and he begs to differ.
And, then “disturbing things” start happening.
Has he tracked her down to prove her wrong?
OR WORSE?
This story IS fun IF you enjoy FINAL GIRL horror films. ...more
Those were the words heard from Janet Campbell as she ran from Black Wood House, after her father bludgeoned Don’t Kill Me Don’t Kill Me Don’t Kill Me
Those were the words heard from Janet Campbell as she ran from Black Wood House, after her father bludgeoned her mother to death with a hammer, before taking his own life. She hasn’t been seen since.
Now, social media Influencer, Sarah Slade has just purchased the “Murder House” which has sat empty for 40 years, hoping to renovate it and sell it for a tidy profit. But the house doesn’t seem to want to be renovated. And, the local contractors don’t seem to want to work on the property. Despite posting the progress on her blog, SarahSlays.com, she isn’t getting the sponsors she had hoped for.
She has selected the “murder room” with its blood stained floorboards as her bedroom but her husband Joe, won’t join her. He didn’t want the house, and he hasn’t wanted her in months, so he will take the couch. That is -when he is actually at home.
But her cat, Reaper will keep her company. He’s the rescue she brought home five years ago after reading his tagline which said, “This cat doesn’t like kids, dogs, loud noises, being picked up, and he’s been known to fight with other cats. He is also very possessive of his blanket and food. “ It was love at first sight! (Good thing cats have 9 lives, he will need them-but he does survive!)
Sarah is a therapist who looks like she has her act together but she has her issues too- besides marital problems, she shops too much, and drinks too much-among other things.
And, she is hiding plenty of her own secrets. Secrets the neighbors will use against her to get what they want. And, what they want is for the house to be bulldozed and for Sarah to go away.
This book started out well enough although it had more of a HORROR vibe than I was expecting.
But PART TWO got a little too WEIRD for me. Definitely aiming to surprise and shock, it veered right into ...more
Alison O’Connor has survived her TOXIC abusive childhood and is now thriving as a successful author and illustrator of the children’s book, “Moxie SavAlison O’Connor has survived her TOXIC abusive childhood and is now thriving as a successful author and illustrator of the children’s book, “Moxie Saves Christmas”, modeled after her own wonderful dog.
Her supportive husband, Mark is a lover of ALL things Christmas including sappy Hallmark Christmas movies, and along with Alison and their two daughters, Izzy and Olivia (little mouse), they are busy turning their cozy Vermont home into a winter wonderland for the holidays, when the phone call comes…
Her mother Mavis is dying of stage 4 Cancer.
“I have something to ask you, something I have no right to ask, but I am going to ask it anyway..Promise you”ll think about it, my darling girl…”
Mavis wants to spend her last days with her family.
Hoping to put the past behind them before it’s too late, Alison moves her mother into the guest room, and at first, Mavis seems as sweet as “ Mrs. Claus” herself, but then there are the moments when Mavis seems to KNOW things she shouldn’t.
And, when strange things begin to HAPPEN, Alison begins to wonder if demonic possession is haunting her otherwise normal, happy family, residing in her frail mother’s body, even as the logical part of her brain insists that demons only exist in the pages of horror novels, and late night horror movies.
Right?
As I flipped the pages, I felt the foreboding, and I started to feel as tense and as nervous as Alison did!
Could she save her family from the woman she barely escaped?
Labeled as HORROR and as a “spine tingling psychological thriller”, Jennifer McMahon’s books work for me because she somehow makes her plots believable despite the genre!
Available NOW-just in time for “spooky season” or maybe, if you are more of a Grinch, you can save it for Christmas…...more
If you follow my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of short stories and I only enjoy “ subtle horror”, but I am a fan of C. J. Tudor, so when offeIf you follow my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of short stories and I only enjoy “ subtle horror”, but I am a fan of C. J. Tudor, so when offered an ARC of this-I had to give it a try! After all, “The Other Place” was an easy 5 star read for me, and two of her others earned 4 shiny stars! (The Hiding Place and The Burning Girls)
So, how did I fare with this collection of short stories?
Let me tell you what I did like…
The book opens with a heartfelt introduction by this “down to earth” author, and in it she shares that in January 2021, her Dad passed away. He had been in a nursing home for two years, and because of Covid lockdowns, she could only visit him for thirty minutes every two weeks, speaking to him through Perspex. The first time she hugged him in over a year, was on the day he died. This book is dedicated to him.
And, those weren’t her only other challenges. (DO read her full introduction!!!)
Writing a book wasn’t working, and she knew it.
She came up with a plan that her editors agreed to-scrap the book she wrote and instead publish this collection of short stories. With MANY “end of the world” and isolation themes, these stories definitely were NOT all my cup of tea…but with all short story collections you always connect with some more than others.
BUT what I really did enjoy MOST was that ALL the stories also came with an introduction of their own-C.J. shared her inspiration for each of them and I felt like I was sitting down for an INTIMATE CHAT with a friend, which ended with an evening by a campfire listening to spooky stories…
Standouts for me were :
The Copy Shop -Can a copy ever be as good as the original? ...more
I was BEYOND THRILLED when I was approved to read an early copy of the upcoming Alex North novel. I moved it straight to the top of the overflowing stI was BEYOND THRILLED when I was approved to read an early copy of the upcoming Alex North novel. I moved it straight to the top of the overflowing stack! ...more
I loved “Come With Me” so when I saw this book of 4 novellas about books, manuscripts and stories, which all have a tie-in to one another-I had to reqI loved “Come With Me” so when I saw this book of 4 novellas about books, manuscripts and stories, which all have a tie-in to one another-I had to request a copy!!
What I SHOULD HAVE paid attention to was that they are four HORROR stories-not my thing!
But, if short stories and horror are your jam-I am sure that YOU will find them more satisfying!
Malfi is a talented and creative author, no doubt!
Expected publication is October 4, 2022. Thank You to Edelweiss for providing a gifted copy....more
“I’m not a killer. It was the car’s fault. The ‘69 Stingray.”
That was Charlie Phoenix’s excuse when he is finally captured by Police after a HIGH OCT “I’m not a killer. It was the car’s fault. The ‘69 Stingray.”
That was Charlie Phoenix’s excuse when he is finally captured by Police after a HIGH OCTANE car chase on the Los Angeles freeways in the opening chapter…
He just wishes someone would believe him.
“I tried” he says with regret, to the almost lifeless body in his passenger seat, as he hold up his hands in defeat and exits the vehicle.
Charlie is now on Death row-but how did he get there?
We have to circle back to the beginning when his wife Mara leaves him-and he purchases the ‘69 Corvette Stingray to help ease his pain…and discovers that his dream car has the ability to do much much more than that!
It automatically REPLENISHES its own fuel when the gas tank drops to EMPTY. It seems to REPAIR the ailing bodies that take a ride in it. AND, it appears to RESTORE the relationships of the passengers who choose to converse inside of it.
But, is that what is really happening?
IF it has the POWER to do so much right-how does it all end up going so wrong??
Charlie may be in the driver’s seat-but he definitely isn’t in charge.
I loved the author’s last book Doppelgänger, so when he invited me to read this one-it was an easy YES!
He writes very relatable characters and realistic relationships so it isn’t hard at all to buy into our protagonist buying a “Christine” like car (Stephen King).
Originally written as an 8 page short story, this premise has been expanded into a very entertaining, slightly Supernatural full length novel.
If the author isn’t on your radar yet, he should be!
Pick up a paperback copy now, or download the Kindle version on November 1st!
Thank You to William Michael Davidson for the gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
I missed this at Halloween this year, but didn’t want to save it till next year-though I will probably view it again !
A little boy asks his sister’s I missed this at Halloween this year, but didn’t want to save it till next year-though I will probably view it again !
A little boy asks his sister’s new boyfriend, a writer if he can tuck him into bed and tell him a bedtime story. As they make their way to his room, upstairs in the newly inherited house, they chat about what makes for a good story. It shouldn’t be too scary, or the little boy may not be able to sleep…
Neil Gaiman reads his story from the darkened NY Public library, setting the mood with burning candelabras.
It can be read-just a page or two long, but I loved listening.
A “MUST WATCH” and only about 10 minutes long.
Here is the YouTube link, that was also provided by Goodreads friends Paromjit and Rosh, in case you missed their reviews:
I GUARANTEE you won’t guess where this one is going!
If you are looking for something FRESH and ORIGINAL and you do4-5 stars ⭐️ Happy Publication Day!
I GUARANTEE you won’t guess where this one is going!
If you are looking for something FRESH and ORIGINAL and you don’t mind mysteries with a SUPERNATURAL vibe, then this is the book for you!
Mallory Quinn was a victim of OxyContin.
Now clean for 18 months, her sponsor Russell has lined up a job interview for her with Caroline and Ted Maxwell, an affluent family looking for a babysitter for their preschooler, Teddy. Getting the job, and the chance to live in the tiny poolside guest cottage seems like it would be a dream come true-a fresh start-so she is thrilled when she is offered the job.
The story begins as a bit of a slow burn, as Mallory and Teddy bond over imaginative games, and the drawings he sketches with the pencils he is never without. The Maxwells are thrilled, as Teddy’s only “playmate” before Mallory was his imaginary friend, Anya. But, as his pictures take on a more sinister tone, and start to become too detailed and complex for a 5 year old to draw, Mallory begins to worry.
“Scritch Scritch Scritch”
Teddy’s latest drawing is of a man in a forest dragging a woman’s body and Mallory’s cottage has a disturbing past-an artist named Annie Barrett, who had been living in it years ago, disappeared-leaving behind a trail of blood and an unsolved mystery.
Could she be trying to share what happened to her through Teddy’s sketches?
As, I write this review, I pondered on whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars, and I have decided to round up for originality and the fact that I loved Mallory, and her devotion to Teddy. The last chapter really moved me emotionally and earned the final star!
A fun buddy read with DeAnn, Marilyn and Susan! Be sure to check out their always amazing reviews!
I received a free ARC of Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review! ...more
Yesterday, I listened to “The Chocolate Box”-a Hercule Poirot novella.
My follow-up turned out to be about another box which dispenses chocolates-GwenYesterday, I listened to “The Chocolate Box”-a Hercule Poirot novella.
My follow-up turned out to be about another box which dispenses chocolates-Gwendy’s Button Box (#1 in what has now become a trilogy) which is a story started by Stephen King and finished by his friend, author Richard Chizmar. My Audible even had an interview with both, when the story concluded.
Everyone knows Stephen King.
But, I became acquainted with Richard Chizmar, when I read one of his short stories, “The Porch” and followed it up with “Chasing the Boogeyman” which ended up on my favorites list this year. When I heard about this collaboration, I added it to my TBR.
The story opens with Gwendy, a 12 year old bullied in school for being “overweight” jogging up the “Suicide Stairs” in Castle Rock as she does each morning in an attempt to shed pounds. But, on this particular morning in 1974, a man, dressed in black, including his signature black hat, is waiting for her. His name is Richard Farris, and he beckons her to join him on the bench he is sitting on.
He tells her that he has chosen her to become the next custodian of a very special “button box”-an important task as the box has a great capacity for evil.
There are eight buttons, and seven of them, if pushed will cause unspeakable harm. She can only push the eighth button, red in color, and can do so as many times as she wants to, when she wants to wish for something. There are also two levers, which she can pull on, whenever she desires. One dispenses valuable, Morgan Silver dollars-the other dispenses pure chocolate candies, shaped like animals and no larger than a jelly bean.
What happens while the magical box is in her care, and finding out if she uses it wisely is what this nostalgic, 171 page novella is about, and it was the PERFECT way to end the year!
I look forward to continuing the series in the new year-as the third in the trilogy, Gwendy’s Final Task, is publishing in May 31, 2022.
In the meantime, I am off to find, #2, “Gwendy’s Magic Feather”. ...more
As with “The Last House on Needless Street” (Catriona Ward) earlier this year, (a very different story) I was so INTRIGUED by the reviews of this bookAs with “The Last House on Needless Street” (Catriona Ward) earlier this year, (a very different story) I was so INTRIGUED by the reviews of this book-the lack of description-the reviewers at a loss for words of what to say about it-still processing if they enjoyed it or NOT.
As you begin to learn about the tranquil, gated community of Arcadia Gardens (of Eden?), you will wonder about Sophia. She wakes up each morning pleased with the fact that she was made for her husband-and perfect for him. She was born without dissatisfaction. She tells herself that she is well fed, well housed, busy and loved. ❤️ Could she be AI?
She believes all of this UNTIL she finds a locked drawer which contains something that will make her question everything. Drawers are locked for a reason.
The MANY, very STRICT rules of Arcadia Gardens are divulged throughout the narrative.
Rules designed to keep everyone happy and safe from…..temptation?
And, with the taste of apples on her lips, innocence will be lost and her neighbors will ask her:
Are you happy? DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
The answer to that, may determine her fate.
An UNSETTLING listen from Dreamscape Media available October 26, 2021. 2 hours, 19 minutes
I am glad that I now know what EVERYONE is talking about.
I received a gifted copy through NetGalley and it was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
Just eight words that hide a myriad of secrets…left behind in what appears to be a suicide note.
Wayland Henry Maynard i“I am not who you think I am”
Just eight words that hide a myriad of secrets…left behind in what appears to be a suicide note.
Wayland Henry Maynard is just eight years old when he comes home from school early just in time to see his father shooting himself in his parent’s bedroom. He snatches the piece of paper on the floor by his father’s body but tells everyone that no note was left behind.
His Mother wastes no time in removing all of his father’s possessions, carrying everything from clothes to photographs and books, to the curb-as if she wants to erase all evidence that his father existed.
Eight years later, Wayland is having nightmares of “DANGLING FEET”.
Convinced his dream means something, he begins to search for the truth of his father’s suicide. He discovers a link to the TALL MAN, who visited his father’s barber shop just before his death, a bizarre tragedy which seems linked to his own birth, and strange messages scribbled in his father’s old books, which he had secretly confiscated from the curb.
The book may be set in the 1970’s (and is full of nostalgia from those years) BUT I felt that several GOTHIC themes were utilized in the story, as well. Gothic literature is described as dark, eerie and mysterious, often containing elements of terror, SUBTLE horror, the macabre or bizarre. Common themes include power, isolation and confinement.
MANY are included here, though I won’t say which as to not spoil anything.
Another GOTHIC theme-the burdened male protagonist, which we have in Wayland, a young man with deformed pinky fingers, who has never received counseling for dealing with the torment they bring him-or for what he witnessed. He doesn’t know if he can trust his only friend, a jock named Clay, or Juliette, the girl he has a crush on, but finds comfort in his dog, Molly, who though loved, endures some gratuitous, reprehensible things, as she isn’t spayed. (descriptions I could have done without).
I did guess a couple of things, though I had the WHY wrong. I wish I had been reading this with a friend as it BEGS for a discussion and comparison to some Classics.
Don’t let the young protagonist dissuade you from reading this! 3.75 rounded up!
If you are intrigued this will be available on October 5, 2021 from Blackstone Publishing.
I received a gifted copy through NetGalley. It was a pleasure to offer a candid review....more
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