The nitty-gritty: Ai Jiang explores grief and loss in this unsettling, beautifully written tale. “This town worships the dead, but it has no respect for the living.” Ai Jiang is destined to be an important author in the horror field, if she isn’t already. Linghun was one of the most unusual stories I’ve ever read, […]
The nitty-gritty: Fonda Lee populates her latest story with mythological creatures, resulting in a thrilling, heartfelt story. Untethered Sky is quite a change from Fonda Lee’s Green Bone saga, but I was happy to see that her storytelling and writing are just as strong, even in such a short format. This is a story about […]
The nitty-gritty: Historical fiction, horror and well developed characters come together in Victor LaValle’s latest, a thoroughly entertaining story that celebrates strong, resourceful women. “Now they had seen it, but still hadn’t faced it. It could remain a trick of the light, a spot across their eyes, a mass delusion. But the moment they rode […]
The nitty-gritty: T. Kingfisher mashes together Southern gothic creepiness, a cast of unforgettable characters, and plenty of humor in A House With Good Bones, a thoroughly entertaining haunted house story. “There is probably something more awkward than the morning after you’ve found a jar of teeth and your mother has admitted she thinks she’s being […]
The nitty-gritty: Five young writers get the chance of a lifetime in this high octane thriller debut with surprises around every corner. The Writing Retreat is one of those thrillers that starts out strong and keeps you guessing, and then later in the story sort of goes off the rails with lots of over-the-top action […]
The nitty-gritty: A short novel featuring Max, Quinn and Anna, The Eidolon was a fun adventure in the midst of K.D. Edwards’ epic fantasy. The Eidolon is a pretty unique piece of writing that I enjoyed a lot, although I found it frustrating at times as well. First of all, the story takes place in […]
The nitty-gritty: A multi-generational story of the ties that bind a family of women together, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. “She looked happy, hand in hand with her husband. Perhaps she was, then. Or perhaps I was standing too far away. A great many things look different from a distance. […]
The nitty-gritty: C.J. Tudor’s latest is an action-packed dystopian thriller that rubs elbows with the horror genre. Tense, scary and atmospheric, this was a fun one! To call this story “crazy” would be an understatement, but perhaps if you’ve read C.J. Tudor’s books before, you’ll know what I mean. This was my first book by […]
The nitty-gritty: Secrets, lies and shocking plot twists will have readers scrambling to find out the truth in this excellent thriller. What Lies in the Woods is a slow burn mystery that was nearly impossible to put down. With this book, Kate Alice Marshall has made it onto my auto-buy list of authors, it was […]
The nitty-gritty: Less horror and more family drama, Bad Cree is a beautifully written examination of family ties and emotions, with just a touch of otherworldly horror. The bad inside me was spreading, eating me up. So I left. I left them all. And now I’m supposed to enter that house again. Where the loss […]