Out of the blue Liv receives a cryptic note in the mail from her best friend in high school who she hasn't had contact with since after their graduatiOut of the blue Liv receives a cryptic note in the mail from her best friend in high school who she hasn't had contact with since after their graduation ten years ago with the words "I Need Help". Immediately, Liv leaves Boston and goes back to their New England town to find Sam and help her with whatever problem she is so fearful of that she felt Liv was the only person she could turn to. As soon as Liv arrives back home she discovers that Sam has been listed as a missing person yet most people especially her two roommates seem unconcerned.
Liv vows to herself that she will do everything possible to find Sam and find out who she was afraid of and why would she run away especially without telling her own mother or (secret) boyfriend what was going on. The two roommates happen to be the girls who Sam couldn't stand in high school and warned Liv to stay away from them back then. They called themselves the " Sisterhood" and never interacted with any other classmates or boys during that time. They were quite beautiful and still are but cold and distant yet alluring as well. The young women have done very well for themselves yet Liv knows that they are harboring secrets about Sam and are trying to weave Liv into their little clique while Liv thinks she will go along with their plans since this is the only way to find out what really happened to Sam.
They invite Liv to stay with them until Sam returns while Liv feels an impending darkness and gloom in the home's shadows and she hears unsettling noises and voices in the night while unintentionally she gets carried away under the hypnotic spell of the women and only realizes she went too far pretending she believed in their way of life until it finally was too late and now Liv's life and lives of everyone she loves is in mortal danger and now there isn't anyone she knows who could help her out of this unbelievable situation where she has completely lost herself.
This was a fun, subdued and dark gothic/mystery/horror story revolving around a missing woman and witchcraft hiding in the background and finally coming out full force in the last third of the book. The beginning of the story was so enthralling and drew me in but then started moving somewhat slowly while the book kept going back and forth from the present to the past which I enjoyed but it lost some of the suspense for myself. When the story started delving into the supernatural it became a lot of spooky fun and I couldn't wait to find out how Liv would handle the events which took place. I enjoyed all the characters and some of their back stories although I thought Liv was too naive and impulsive in many of her actions and I wished she had shown more restraint and thoughtfulness in carrying out her plans to find Sam. All in all it was a good book with an eerie aura throughout the story which I loved and would definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy dark blended witchcraft blended with the growing pains of young women into adulthood!
I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 1/2 DARK AND BEWITCHING ...more
Young Ben, who was born and basically raised himself in the sweltering, heated swampland deep in Louisiana, who never had a fair chance of experiencinYoung Ben, who was born and basically raised himself in the sweltering, heated swampland deep in Louisiana, who never had a fair chance of experiencing what it was like to be just a boy at thirteen years of age but going on eighty. Ben begs, borrows and steals everyday just to provide for his little brother and himself until the day he is charged with a serious crime and has two choices, a child reformatory sentence for years or a court approved wilderness reform program over the summer whose statistics are highly successful and Ben's abusive custodian, Aunt Nikki gladly signs the papers, happy to send Ben away while she still will continue to receive the small government pension for the two brothers which is the only income she lives on, so this is a wonderful solution for this despicable, so-called guardian.
If any adult had ever taken an interest in Ben, they would find he has an exceptional, gifted intelligence and an unusual, quick instinct of reading into human behaviors without knowing or understanding how different and special he actually is and could have a real future if anyone had ever given a damn about his well being. All these gifts and more will become relevant and important to the few boys he will befriend at camp who also have some great life survival skills which will play into each boy's quest to find out what's really going on in this unusual camp where all the counselors seem overly happy and helpful but the boys all sense something sinister and possibly evil going on behind the scenes but eventually they will discover the most unbelievable and terrifying secrets that their young minds could ever have imagined playing out and and how could they escape when they're deep in the Montana mountains, hours away by car to the nearest town or telephone. What will happen to all the boys at camp but especially to Ben, Trent, Rodrigo and Billy?
WoW! I must say I loved, enjoyed and was truly captivated by this well-written coming of age horror novel. This book was a slow-burn yet the atmospheric settings and scenery along with the beautifully written descriptions and dialogue were executed wonderfully (imo). The authors Matt and Harrison Query did a fantastic job of incorporating the essence of innocence, violence and horror together in a way where I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I'm now looking forward to reading the Query brothers other book "Old Country" which many readers seemed to have enjoyed as well. The reason I didn't give five stars for this fantastic book was there were a few unanswered questions I had by the end of the novel but otherwise I'm so pleased that I had to pleasure to read this really, special horror story!
I want to thank the publisher "Atria Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 CREEPY AND HORROR FILLED ...more
Twelve year old Maddie and Lana found one another through their love of horror stories and movies and became best friends with Lana the more dominant Twelve year old Maddie and Lana found one another through their love of horror stories and movies and became best friends with Lana the more dominant one who Maddie never wanted to disappoint. Lana decides the games they play have been getting too childish and so they sneak on the internet (Lana's father's computer) and find the freaky website of HIM. Maddie doesn't really believe but goes along with Lana since she's become obsessed and swears she's seen HIM in the shadows and he comes to her at times and talks to her. This talk scares Maddie at times but she's afraid to tell her parents so she just goes along with it until the day she's sure she has seen HIM and this is when both of the girl's future will change forever.
Ten years later Maddie is released on probation with no experience with life in the real world. Her mother has remarried and moved to a home not far from their old neighborhood so Maddie soon find out that the community is still an unforgiving and harsh judgmental place to come back to. Maddie's life is not in much of a better place to start over than the institution where she spent her entire childhood and teen years hoping to be happy and normal in the outside world. Maddie secretly finds an internet site devoted to HIM with followers who look up to Maddie and Lana so she thinks maybe she can find a way to help these followers from going down this horrid road and maybe saving them. Maybe this is her purpose in life! As Maddie's life in the community continues to knock her down she knows she must stop this group from carrying out a truly devastating act but if anyone finds out she has been on this site she could go back to her past prison permanently. What can she do? What will she do? Does Maddie really believe HIM is not real or has she been fooling everyone around her?
This was an intriguing and well-written story by 'Kat Davis' based on the infamous legend of "Slenderman" but taking this fictional story so much further when Maddie was released from her state institution (which had not happened in the real life story). I felt so bad for Maddie and her struggles. Her parents let her down in the past and present. Her dad not even wanting to be a part of her life and never visiting her when she was institutionalized. Where were these parents, Lana's included when these girls were mere children going down a dark path that led to destroying three families forever. Maddie can't catch a break as long as she stays in this unforgiving town except legally she has no other choice. Love and support is missing in every way possible and even though what she and Lana had done when they were children my heart still aches for Maddie not so much for Lana. Lana has been a puzzling enigma that probably can't be fixed. She may have been a child psychopath whose mental state can never be healed. I'm so glad I was able to read this frightening and heartbreaking book and I highly recommend it to anyone especially those readers who were interested or followed the "Slenderman" case that is still news worthy today.
I want to thank the publisher "Thomas & Mercer" for the opportunity to read this terrific novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 DEVASTATING AND HEARTBREAKING ...more
Garrett Grove is the small type of town similar to where you might have grown up or had wished you had known while growing up where everyone knows eveGarrett Grove is the small type of town similar to where you might have grown up or had wished you had known while growing up where everyone knows every face and feeling unsafe is never an issue because families leave their homes and cars unlocked on a daily basis (if you can imagine that). The year is 1979 and only a week before Halloween so ten year old Troy Fischer is allowed to have his first real, big, kid Halloween party that he and his friend Rob are turning Troy's garage into a really scary, haunted house if they're able to pull off all the gimmicks and hijinx they have planned with the help of Troy's teenage cousins operating the gears and special effects behind the scenes, and since Troy was able to invite most of his ten-year old classmates it's guaranteed to make a couple of kids cry if not wetting their pants (at least that's his plan). There's also one special, little girl Troy hopes to impress so he really hopes he can pull off this crazy, spooky haunted house party without too many mistakes because he and Rob have been waiting a whole year planning this night of nights!
Meanwhile, on the other side of town an evil, supernatural force has been locked deep away into the cave systems for centuries, it has been biding it's time waiting for release so it can come into the light once again and feed it's hunger and it is so so Very Hungry! What will happen in this small town if this evil escapes in time for Halloween and all the children who have heard frightening stories passed down as folklore about an ancient entity which once haunted this specific area long, long ago but this would be impossible because legends and folklore are just traditional, fictional stories meant to scare the new generations of children coming up, so there's no reason for anyone to feel threatened or feel fear especially terror, rignt? WRONG! Something is coming to Garrett Grove and not just for the children either!
This was a wonderfully, nostalgic horror story centered around young kids but this was an adult story, it was definitely not a book intended for children to read. I enjoyed the storyline, the writing style and the 1979 small town America nostalgia which I couldn't get enough of being humorously entertained and spooked. The author 'Daemon Manx' did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of innocence with the children and creating such great, atmospheric scenes of small town living along with some really gripping and terrifying episodes of frightening horror which all blended seamlessly throughout the book. There was only one problem that I had with the book and it was a big one for me. It ended on a CLIFFHANGER! I cannot stand cliffhangers unless I know ahead of time, so even when I read many reviews I never got the impression that I would literally be left hanging...more
Noemi Broussard's life is finally looking up after a lifetime of bad choices and disappointments until the night her boyfriend Roddy is hit by a car aNoemi Broussard's life is finally looking up after a lifetime of bad choices and disappointments until the night her boyfriend Roddy is hit by a car and she is informed it was a suicide. Noemi cannot accept that it was a suicide because Roddy was very happy with their life and had a wonderful career plus many friends, so what happened? As she struggles to get answers she finds her uncle Louie has kept many spooky secrets from their childhood that were based on native lore but could any of these strange tales be connected to Roddy's death and if so, what else is playing out on the reservation that the elders have knowledge of and will Noemi somehow be able to find some peace with the truth or will it bring about more sadness and devastation to her as well as to the people on this reservation!
I thoroughly enjoyed this eerie and creepy novel. The storytelling was excellent and also executed very well as it was taking place in two separate timelines yet the stories were seamlessly connected and just so entertaining. I loved some of the history of two teenage boys on the reservation and their curiosity and belief in vampires and other childhood stories which took place. Some very scary and tragic events occurred when Louie was a teen and Noemi was a toddler that were never rightfully explained during that time but it was enough for Louie to leave the reservation when he came of age and now he has come back to settle some old scores and to help his niece if possible plus attend their tribes yearly celebration as a proud warrior who had never forgotten his roots!
I want to thank the publisher "Berkeley Publishing Group" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone and I can't wait to read more books from the author, Nick Medina!
I have given this book a rating of 4 1/2 CREEPY AND VERY SPOOKY...more
It's early in November as Detective Barbara Atkins arrives in the small rural town of Deadhart, Alaska when she sees lighC.J. Tudor Has Done It Again!
It's early in November as Detective Barbara Atkins arrives in the small rural town of Deadhart, Alaska when she sees lighted Christmas decorations everywhere quite unusual to see them up so early in the season but she will soon learn why although she's sure she knows the reason already and also knows her work ahead will not be easy. Deadhart is one of those towns where they they are experiencing thirty days of darkness except for a few hours of hazy daylight and Barbara wishes she didn't have to come to this dark, dismal and freezing town.
A teenager has been viciously murdered and drained of blood so she has been sent to investigate the killing since her specialty is in vampyr crimes. The town is in an uproar and Barbara must determine if a cull will be issued as the town wants and expects but Barbara will never make that decision unless she can't find the vampyr suspect responsible although the townspeople just want the whole Colony of vampyrs gone, exterminated, they don't want legal justice only vengeance.
A brutal snow storm complicates her job when more bodies are found and the angry townspeople are holding secrets from the past and the Colony hates the town as well so they have no interest in helping the detective and if she doesn't make a decision quickly there will be more lives at stake including her own.
Loved, loved, loved this horror/thriller! I can't get enough of C.J. Tudor's books and I hate when they come to an end because I have to impatiently wait while she writes her next horror novel. This was a new and fresh take on vampires and I thought everything about the story was spot-on while feeling the frigid cold and the anger and hatred was just oozing out of many characters. The atmosphere was eerie and downright creepy plus racism was brought forward of a different kind since vampyrs weren't quite human yet they weren't portrayed as the old vampire lore which was so intriguing.
The story wasn't a slow-burn but it wasn't action packed either until the last quarter of the book which was edge of your seat material. The character of Jensen Tucker became a favorite of mine and I hope another book or two can someday be written about this mysterious man who I think many readers may fall in love with as I did! There were many puzzles to solve within the story and every one was covered by the end of the book but it made me hope there will be more stories of vampyrs and Barbara in the future.
I highly recommend this book and as usual I can't wait to read this author's next book!
Many thanks to the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 DANGEROUS AND GRITTY ...more
On a small, Scottish isolated island called Eynhallow resides a small community of only twenty hardworking people (including children) taking place atOn a small, Scottish isolated island called Eynhallow resides a small community of only twenty hardworking people (including children) taking place at the end of the 18th century. Agnes Tulloch is one of those residents who accepts her lot in life and loves her three children more than anything but most of the time she feels cheated with life itself. The wind is brutal day in day out and the storms come out of nowhere leaving their too small cottage which is in ill repair damp, leaky and cold most days and the tedious, hard work is a never ending cycle.
One day a mysterious stranger arrives on the isle and stirs up gossip about why anyone would want to come live on Eynhallow especially in the old vacant cottage rumored to be haunted for many, many years. Superstitions and folklore are abundant during those times so the residents are somewhat fearful as well as curious about why an aristocrat would want to move to their lonely isle. Meanwhile, Mr. Tulloch hires poor Agnes out as a housekeeper and in those days the wives must always abide by their husbands wishes.
The dark, brooding stranger is rude, arrogant and unfriendly as well but he is interesting and accepts Agnes in a way that she has always been denied and they quickly become friendly and enjoy one another's company although Agnes wonders why the man named Victor Frankenstein is so unhappy and why he won't reveal to her the type of work that he performs in the room he keeps locked day and night. Someone has been threatening and harming Victor and he won't tell Agnes who or why this person is after him until the day she comes across this dangerous and terrifying person and is fearful for own her life as well as Victor's and she will then make a decision that will change everything she had ever known or believed for the worse when she suddenly finds herself trapped in a living nightmare that she can never wake up from or find an escape back to her old life.
This was the most amazing, horror book that I will remember for a very long time! The beautiful, atmospheric writing and storytelling were so mesmerizing that I didn't want the story to end. The book begins slow and steady giving lovely and thoughtful detailed descriptions of the island and the colorful lives of the characters. Some may say this was a retelling but I considered this book an original and brilliant piece of work. The last thirty percent of the story had my pulse racing and I was holding my breath but I never expected to feel an ache in my heart by the time I was finished reading. This book was very dark, dismal, raw, unexpected, entertaining and realistically told with it's atmospheric and historical edge that will appeal to almost every single, horror reader.
I must add this was not a long book yet it captured all the substance and quality content of a novel that was three hundred pages or more but without all the silly filler words and phrases that can be so unnecessary and annoying in many books. You won't find any excessive drama although one may wish the story could have lasted longer because Agnes's story will stay with you for a long time as well as some of the other characters. Eerily sinister and the horror will creep up on you slowly and steadily and when it finally hits it may be shock to your psyche as it was to me.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough and wish I could give it more than 5 stars and I am most definitely looking forward to reading more of Tim McGregor's other books since I have been so enchanted by this author's writing! I hope that my hearfelt words will encourage other readers to pick this book up and begin a wondrous and horrific journey to the desolate island of EYNHALLOW which is actually still in existence.
I want to thank the publisher "RDS Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this tale of madness and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 COMPLETELY CAPTIVATING AND MESMERIZING ...more
The story begins in the year 1999 within a small Texas town where four generations of southern woman ranging from the age of fifteen to eighy-two run The story begins in the year 1999 within a small Texas town where four generations of southern woman ranging from the age of fifteen to eighy-two run the one and only funeral parlor where it may seem strange to some folks but for the Evans women it is their day to day livelihood. Deputy Roger Morgan usually delivers the bodies to their morgue without problems but today he has to talk to the women about this particular body that he thinks was torn apart by wild animals and wants to prepare the women for the horrific state of the corpse while in the meantime in the room next door Mina Jean is getting her final touches for her viewing when she suddenly sits up out of her open casket!
They have to get the deputy out of the building immediately because they have work to do that they haven't had to perform in a long time and the three women are the only ones privy to the information that they are also monster hunters when dead bodies sometimes wake up.
Luna has no idea about this other work but today she will get a fast and rough lesson to the devastating secrets that her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother have kept from her all these years! What happened to all the men in the Evans family anyway and what will happen to Luna when she finally learns what happened to her father!
What a wonderful, engaging and fun book this was to read! This novel had a little bit of everything thrown in and it played out so well. Definitely atmospheric with the southern town influence and also taking place in 1999 was very realistic and entertaining while trying to imagine that this could possibly happen. Such great fun!
The author Lindy Ryan was a fantastic storyteller and the writing was simply captivating! I felt as if I was watching a terrific horror movie with dark humor and I enjoyed this book so much!
I highly recommend "Bless Your Heart" to all horror readers and some others as well if they can handle quite a bit of the graphic gore in many of the unusual situations many of these characters will encounter. I just have to say again how wonderful and unique this book truly was. I will be looking forward to reading more books from this talented writer!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 LIVING DEAD ...more
Brigit and her best friend and cameraman, Ian have been making ghost hunting/paranormal podcasts hoping to get some good, honest footage to get their Brigit and her best friend and cameraman, Ian have been making ghost hunting/paranormal podcasts hoping to get some good, honest footage to get their own tv show unfortunately they've been faking their own material so far since they haven't come across any paranormal activity on any of their adventures. When they receive a phone call to investigate a couple gone missing, Ian thinks this could be their big break but Brigit is resistant because it's back in her hometown where her older sister mysteriously died in the some forest that these teens went missing.
Unbeknownst to the paranormal team something dark and ancient resides in those woods and has been waiting for Bright for a long, long time!
The premise of the book sounded so appealing and scary that I couldn't wait to read it. The book did have a lot of spooky atmospheric settings and the writing was enjoyable so I really wanted to love this story unfortunately it just didn't work for me. Ian and Brigit's characters seemed very immature for their ages and many of their actions were confusing at times so I wasn't able to connect to them. There were some entertaining moments but too many unanswered questions by the end of the book and the the tension and scare factor just missed the mark for me although I think think this book may appeal to some other readers especially young adults.
I want to thank the publisher "Harlequin Trade Publishing - Mira" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
Somewhere in lovely Maine there is a manmade lake owned by a wealthy man who won't let anyone trespass on his property near the lake because somethingSomewhere in lovely Maine there is a manmade lake owned by a wealthy man who won't let anyone trespass on his property near the lake because something inhuman and hungry lives within the waters, at least that is how the local folklore has been told.
Only on this particular week there will be many unfortunate people including two young teens who will all make the grave mistake of going near the lake and they will find out there are more harrowing dangers than only the creature of legend.
This was a fun, horrific and fast paced book that you won't put down. The story grabbed my interest from the first page and the action never let up. There are a lot of different characters which made the book very entertaining and interesting.
I love creature feature books and this one didn't let me down. The ending may surprise some readers but most horror enthusiasts will. probably figure out what would happen as I did but it still made for an enticing ending. The book was the perfect length which made the story even more enjoyable.
I definitely recommend to all horror lovers who especially enjoy creature tales reminiscent of the old B movies of the 60's and 70's.
I want to thank the publisher "Alien Agenda Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 1/2 CREEPY FOLKLORIC ...more
A group of young college age friends get together to spend the Christmas holidays together in an isolated beautiful vacation mansion that belonged to A group of young college age friends get together to spend the Christmas holidays together in an isolated beautiful vacation mansion that belonged to one of the girl's uncle. Too many girls, so of course there will be unnecessary petty arguments which puts a damper on all the fun plans they had especially the drinking and eating games.
One by one girls go missing. Are they playing games to be spiteful and worrying the others or is something else going on. As soon as they all arrived snow showers soon turned into a blizzard so roads became very bad in a matter of hours and that meant there was no way in or out to the mansion. Whether they like it or not they are now stranded!
The mansion has rumors of ghost stories that were fun to hear but now that girls go missing and strange noises and footsteps sound too heavy to be any of the girls now have them biting their nails and grabbing makeshift weapons to protect themselves. From what or who? Are they alone or are their imaginations working overtime?
A short and entertaining Christmas slasher story. The story had a lot of potential but the characters felt flat to me and somehow the tension and fear just didn't come across but it was still a fun horror read although it needed a good editing.
Romee booked a romantic Christmas vacation for her boyfriend and herself in a secluded rustic cabin high in thAn Unexpected Christmas Terror Surprise!
Romee booked a romantic Christmas vacation for her boyfriend and herself in a secluded rustic cabin high in the mountains expecting that her lover would pop the big question but at the last minute he literally dumps her. Romee is devastated and since she can't get her hefty deposit back she decides to go alone and try to recover and sort her life problems out since none of her friends are available to go with Romee for all of them had made previous holiday plans.
From the moment Romee arrives at the cabin something feels off, she hears many odd sounding noises and feels like she is being watched as well, but figures it's only because she's not used to being alone in a strange place. Six days to go and thinking this was a bad idea and maybe she should go back home when the snow starts falling and falling and then turns into a blizzard.
More noises, items which seem moved out of place almost as if someone came into the cabin which is impossible since she has never left and also she has been drinking quite a bit trying to drown her sorrows, so maybe her wine fueled imagination is creating havoc where everything is actually normal. Even if she wanted to leave now, she can't because It is wild outside with snow accumulating by the hour and whiteout visibility, plus the roads were already treacherous driving up the mountain in good weather so now it would be virtually impossible for Romee to navigate down the mountain roads without chains on her tires. Now the real terror will begin!
What else could go wrong? Well plenty more, and I've said enough and I don't want to give anything more away, so readers really should get this book to find out about the terror, the fun, the horror, the unpredictable nightmare that will reign down upon Romee.
What an entertaining and unexpected surprise this book was for myself. The storyline drew me in and I felt so bad for Romee and and her problems and I was forgetting this was going to be a horror/thriller and it didn't disappoint once the action started. The frigid and isolated mountain setting was definitely convincing and just added to the enjoyment of the story. There were many twists and turns packed into this novella with quite a bit of dark humor as well.
Romee could be a very comical and naive character but her dire situation brought out strengths and also some serious and humorous blunders where I didn't know how she would survive in this crazy, scary, sometimes very funny yet violent and brutal situations. All I know is I will never go on a secluded trip alone! Ever!
I definitely recommend this enjoyable and terrifying holiday novella by Meyer Matthews that can be read any time of year and I look forward to reading more from this author!
I want to thank the self-published author Meyer Matthews and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 DELIGHTFUL HORRIFYING ...more
Tommy and Kate Puglisi make a life changing decision to move to Becchina, a small village in Sicily when they learn certain houses are being offered fTommy and Kate Puglisi make a life changing decision to move to Becchina, a small village in Sicily when they learn certain houses are being offered for one-euro in hope to repopulate the almost ghost towns and help them thrive again. Tommy's loving, paternal grandparents live over there and they are all he has left of his family and Kate and he want to make something special of their lives so they up and move without knowing much of the language or how superstition plays a huge part in many old Sicilian's history so the couple may not be accepted as easily as they originally thought.
The house needs work but is otherwise breathtaking and huge! Over fifteen glorious rooms to renovate. Kate is over the moon although Tommy feels a bit of trepidation yet doesn't understand why. Neither Kate or Tommy are religious although respectful to others but are shocked when they learn that a priest had lived in their house for over forty years. Soon they find out the horrible history of their new home and are devastated by the news which doesn't help their mental states when doors slam, whispers or shadows moving in the corners and rats appearing and disappearing as if they want Tommy's attention. Kate sleep walks and talks about a priest in her sleep. As the couple struggles to keep their new lives together, unknown to both of them a real nightmare has been waiting for them and people will die unless Tommy and Kate find the light to lead them out of the darkness that has wanted and waited for Tommy for many, many years.
This was an interesting, dark and entertaining story based around the power and. strength of love, faith, superstitions and certain beliefs and rituals of the Roman Catholic church. The book was a nice, slow-burn built around the strong and everlasting love of a naive young couple who have their whole lives ahead of them and are at the peak of their happiness which is tested when they encounter happenings that occur only in horror books and nightmares and they try to handle the events themselves.
The characters were very intriguing and entertaining especially with the language barrier and different customs. Christopher Golden really captured the atmosphere and essence of this small fictional town in Sicily. The writing describing the cultural architecture of the old homes and the very creepy catacombs was so darn good and I could visualize the village and it's culture so vividly that I felt as if I was an invisible observer keeping step to step with Tommy and Kate from page one until the very end of the book.
The last thirty percent of this book was worth waiting for when it becomes super dark, creepy and very frightening. The book was so sweet and calm for so long that I never expected the story to become so scary that I couldn't read it anymore in the middle of the night!
I enjoyed all of 'Christopher Golden's' books that I've read so far, some more than others so I definitely recommend this novel. Hopefully in the future, books similar in nature to the outstanding "Road Of Bones" will be written again or have a sequel? I just found that book to be an unforgettable horror novel in every way!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy ad any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 EERIE AND NIGHTMARISH ...more
Richard Chizmar has never made peace with his past involving serial killers even though his true crime book "Chasing The Boogeyman" had reached the piRichard Chizmar has never made peace with his past involving serial killers even though his true crime book "Chasing The Boogeyman" had reached the pinnacle of success on the best seller charts and then a box office hit with a major motion picture based on his novel. So he is currently writing a book based on his hometown and coming of age drama including all the important people and times in his life that helped create the person he is today.
Life of course takes another turn when a gruesome murder takes place with all the signatures of the infamous "Boogeyman". Since Gallagher (aka Boogeyman) is in prison it can only be a copycat or has something else happened that the police missed in the past and they have the wrong murderer or was Gallagher working with someone else?
There will be many more murders unless the police with Chizmar's help solve this fearfest quickly since there are other crimes tied to this case that have Chizmar's name linked to whoever this copycat is. Richard knows his family and friends may not be safe and his marriage is showing cracks once again since it took time to recover from his involvement with the boogeyman the first time and now he is the only journalist of any media source who Gallagher will talk to and reveal more victims name from the past so Richard has no other choice than to help the wonderful detectives and police who need him now to help bring down another " Boogeyman" serial killer.
I loved this novel and only have positive things to say about it as so many other readers before me. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I haven't read the first book yet so this can definitely be read as a stand-alone but now I can't wait to read "Chasing The Boogeyman". The storyline and writing of this book was so clever and unique. Several times in the first quarter of the book, I would have to backtrack to make sure this was a book of fiction and not a true crime story since it was so believably written and also included pictures of victims, crime scenes, detectives etc. I was just so impressed with this novel and hope this will be a series because with " Richard Chizmar's imagination being put down on paper I can only foresee other great thrillers to be written hopefully in the very near future!
I highly recommend this fantastic crime thriller to anyone who enjoys true crime stories or murder mystery/thrillers or just wants to read a true to life horror book that is really fiction and it will really mess with your head in the best way!
Don't miss out on this ONE Of A Kind crime specialty in the world of thrilling books!
I want to thank the publisher "Gallery Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 STELLAR AND MESMERIZING ...more
Roommates and best friends, Jessica and Danielle will experience the the most terrifying night of their young lives when they begin to hear knocking aRoommates and best friends, Jessica and Danielle will experience the the most terrifying night of their young lives when they begin to hear knocking at their front door and no one is outside when they look out their door to see who it is.
Initially they think it's a prank by the Danielle's newly ex boyfriend or some nearby teens in the neighborhood but as other disturbing occurrences continue they finally realize they are in trouble and since they live in a bad area of town the police won't respond to their call for help until it might be too late since they respond to calls in an order of priority. Maybe their next door neighbors can help them but will they even want to become involved in the girls nightmare drama. No one could have imagined what will happen next!
This book was enjoyable and entertaining as a horror book. The first half moved a little slowly focusing on the girls inner dialogue and personalities so I wasn't quite prepared for the major turnabout at the halfway point. I really didn't feel the tension or fear from the girls the way I hoped although the home invasion and the murderous intruder was a brutal combination but I felt it missed it's mark with some silly dialogue inserted too often.
The last quarter of the story was completely unexpected and was so vicious and diabolical that I was definitely caught off guard by the evil that was portrayed and then carried out. Also the ending was a very good shocker and really redeemed the story. I definitely look forward to reading more books from "John McCool" and I also recommend this book to horror lovers (only) so they can form their own opinions about this story.
I want to thank the publisher "McCool Mythos Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this this story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 BRUTAL AND DEVASTATING ...more
Tom Barnes and his family have never celebrated Christmas and Sarah has never understood why her husband hated the holiday with a passion but she neveTom Barnes and his family have never celebrated Christmas and Sarah has never understood why her husband hated the holiday with a passion but she never pressed Tom for answers figuring it has to do with some bad childhood experience. While their sweet teenage daughter's personality changes for the worse after a tragedy affects the entire family then Tom soon starts acting very strangely even bizarre at times when he soon finds himself arrested. Sarah is beside herself with fear and confusion and not knowing where bail money that is set so high will come from and trying to hide the crime from her daughter.
What is happening to their family? Who is this strange man Tom keeps seeing everywhere and where has their daughter been spending her time that she lies continually about? Is Tom having a psychotic break related to Christmas or is there any truth to the stories that he finally remembers from his childhood that will bring doom to anyone he loves.
There is no such thing as "A Holly Jolly Christmas".
This was a clever and terrific Christmas horror story. The storyline was so unique that nothing was predictable and that is a rare find. I loved all the characters (good and bad) and the dark humor thrown in at times. The opening chapter had me hooked until the end of the book. The horrors taking place were fun and crazy yet very eerie and creepy. Sarah was devoted to Tom but she was becoming very fearful of his actions and the things he believed about Christmas, monsters from his past reoccurring now in their present day and also what if he gets convicted and has to spend a long prison sentence incarcerated. Can this family survive the horrors they are experiencing and what about their daughter?
Remember, Holiday horror books are fun to read any time of year not only during the Christmas season!
I want to thank the publisher ".Deadbolt Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I definitely recommend this book and have given a rating of 4 CREEPY ...more
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