Category: 4 1/2 stars

DEAD FIRST by Johnny Compton – Review

DEAD FIRST by Johnny Compton – Review
Posted February 27, 2026 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 14 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Mystery meets mind-bending supernatural terror in Dead First, a unique tale of revenge, redemption and murder. “Sometimes, people leave part of themselves in a horrible place, creating an eternal scar.” Dead First surprised me in just about every possible way. This is a gritty, violent and emotional story that mostly leans into mystery/detective […]

HOUSE OF SPLINTERS by Laura Purcell – Review

HOUSE OF SPLINTERS by Laura Purcell – Review
Posted January 22, 2026 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 27 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Laura Purcell delivers another chilling haunted house tale in this atmospheric and terrifying ghost story. “Their procession had a sick, decayed sort of grandeur to it. This was what it was, Belinda thought, to be master of The Bridge. A throne of rotten fruit and ashes.” House of Splinters is a companion novel […]

DETOUR by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart – Review

DETOUR by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart – Review
Posted January 19, 2026 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 29 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Detour takes standard sci-fi tropes and twists them into a unique and outrageously entertaining story, complete with well developed characters and surprising emotional moments. The premise of Detour starts out in familiar territory: a rich billionaire is trying to fund the first trip to Saturn’s moon Titan, in hopes of finding a viable […]

THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins – Review

THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins – Review
Posted January 5, 2026 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 25 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Storms—both literal and metaphorical—are center stage in Rachel Hawkins’ latest, a multi-layered thriller with well drawn characters and deeply buried secrets.  “What I found was something deeper, stranger, and far more twisted than I ever could have guessed. St. Medard’s Bay wasn’t a town with one mystery—they were many, coiled around one another […]

SNAKE-EATER by T. Kingfisher – Review

SNAKE-EATER by T. Kingfisher – Review
Posted December 11, 2025 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 28 Comments

The nitty-gritty: A quirky, feel-good story full of gods, scorpions and lovable characters, Snake-Eater is the perfect cozy end-of-the-year tale. “On the radio, a song was abruptly interrupted by DJ Raven announcing that the aliens had been in contact again and they had agreed to postpone the invasion if Raven played more Alice Cooper. ‘I […]

SLAYERS OF OLD by Jim C. Hines – Review

SLAYERS OF OLD by Jim C. Hines – Review
Posted October 27, 2025 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 28 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Cosmic horror and urban fantasy collide in Jim C. Hines’ latest, a perfectly paced, heart-felt story with creepy monsters and humor galore. “The fourteen-inch Bowie had a bone handle and a blade sharp enough to cut a deal with a devil.” This is my first Jim C. Hines book, and boy, was this […]

PLAY NICE by Rachel Harrison – Review

PLAY NICE by Rachel Harrison – Review
Posted September 15, 2025 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 26 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Secrets and lies come to light as a family grapples with the death of their matriarch and her demon infested house. “Our family scapegoat is gone. Whose fault will everything be now?” I always know what I’m getting with a new Rachel Harrison book, and Play Nice is right in her wheelhouse. Harrison […]