The nitty-gritty: Gritty action, a unique narrator and lots of humor make this an absurdly fun-to-read novella. Absolute Unit was a fun, fast-paced mashup of horror, sci-fi and gritty thriller, and I had a blast reading it. Bill is an out of shape, overweight health inspector who makes money on the side collecting payoffs for […]
The nitty-gritty: Careful plotting, creeping suspense and raw emotion make Come With Me the standout, can’t miss thriller of 2021. I want to know where Robert Malfi has been hiding, because I can’t believe I haven’t run across his books before. Come With Me is one of the best thrillers I’ve ever read, and Malfi […]
The nitty-gritty: A unique take on body horror, I enjoyed parts of Transmuted but some of it was too over-the-top for me. Transmuted is getting a lot of love from the horror community, and so I was eager to try it out. Unfortunately, this ended up being a mixed bag for me, and. I believe […]
The nitty-gritty: Grady Hendrix takes a stab at the slasher movie trope and gives readers a high stakes, fast paced thriller with lots of clever movie references and some very resourceful final girls. “O NO—I’m being stalked by an unusually slow killer armed with a ridiculously impractical weapon. Eek! It’s a boat hook! A machete! […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark, twisty tale full of surprising connections, unexpected horrors and nuanced characters, The Book of Accidents is a must read. Just as the trees loomed over the house, the house seemed to loom over Nate. He had a vertiginous moment where it felt like the red front door would whip open and […]
The nitty-gritty: Blood magic, spirit guides and powerful magic infuse this short and lively tale. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest is a very short but well crafted novella about a sorceress who is seeking revenge on the sorcerer who stole her power. You’ll only need an hour or two to read this, but it’s well worth the […]
The nitty-gritty: A lively adventure with plenty of romance, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels lost me when it came to the unexpected fantastical elements. “You are a scoundrel,” she whispered furiously. “Yes,” he agreed. “I’m thinking of starting a Society of Gentlemen Scoundrels.” “You’re millennia too late. It already exists and is called the […]
The nitty-gritty: Gear kills it in his latest Donovan installment, a high-octane adventure that is almost impossible to put down. “How bad can it be?” Dek wondered. “If it’s just people, like Tal says, we knock a couple of heads. If it’s beasties, we’ve got rifles. Problem solved.” How bad indeed…Gear’s Donovan series is still […]
The nitty-gritty: Day Zero has the best combination of elements ever: thoughtful ideas about the role of robots and AI, unexpected violence, laugh out loud humor and plenty of heart. I loved this book! I wished there was a word to describe feeling both loved and disposable at the same time. I had no idea […]
The nitty-gritty: I loved Joan He’s writing and her thought-provoking ideas, but a confusing story and unexplained world building elements ultimately left me disappointed. I wish I had enjoyed this book more, especially after seeing many glowing reviews in the blogging community. There’s no denying that Joan He has a way with words, and her […]