The nitty-gritty: A well written story with plenty of unsettling and scary moments, The Return is an excellent and entertaining debut. I’m catching up with Rachel Harrison’s backlist, and I decided to try her debut horror story. The Return is super creepy and weird, and while it’s not my favorite of her books, I had […]
The nitty-gritty: Mystery and horror combine with gothic literary elements in this excellent, atmospheric tale. If you haven’t discovered Christa Carmen yet, now’s your chance. In Beneath the Poet’s House, Carmen sets her literary, gothic mystery in Providence, Rhode Island and centers it around 19th century poet Sarah Helen Whitman’s famous house at 88 Benefit […]
The nitty-gritty: Found family, low stakes and fascinating world building make Rumor Has It another winning entry in Cat Rambo’s cozy sci-fi series. “That’s all a family is,” he signed. “People staying together as long as they possibly can.” Rumor Has It is the third book in Cat Rambo’s cozy space opera series, but it’s […]
The nitty-gritty: Upbeat, funny and thoughtful, The Teller of Small Fortunes is as cozy as a warm pastry and a cup of tea. “Small fortunes are wispy, delicate things—not like greater fortunes, whose lines are etched deeply and will not be moved for love or for money.” This book came along at the just the […]
The nitty-gritty: The Birds and Alien but with giant cicadas, The Swarm is not for the faint of heart and should be read indoors with all the windows firmly closed. If you’re not a bug person, you might want to think twice before picking up The Swarm. On the other hand, if you’re a fan […]
The nitty-gritty: A sequel just as good as the first book, Devil’s Gun excels at character development and world-building, with plenty of heart and emotion. “But I am not a soldier,” she said. “We are not fighting anyone or hiring out as mercenaries, are we?” “No, “ he said, coiling hoses to put them away. […]
The nitty-gritty: A high-stakes space opera with political intrigue, Dark Space succeeded in the first half, but lost me in the second. I had very high expectations for Dark Space, simply because Rob Hart co-wrote the book. So it pains me to say this was a mixed bag for me and didn’t even come close […]
The nitty-gritty: Sparkling writing, a fascinating setting and time period, and a lovely, slow burn romance make Grimm Curiosities a must read paranormal mystery. Grimm Curiosities is the perfect cozy fantasy/mystery to curl up with on a cold winter’s night. I always enjoy Sharon’s books, and her latest is an engaging historical fantasy with just […]
The nitty-gritty: A relentlessly paced survival story, Run is a violent thrill ride from start to finish. Run was originally self published back in 2011, and I’m so glad the publisher decided to reissue it this year. If you’ve read more recent books by Blake Crouch, you’ll see how far he’s progressed as a writer […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty, bloody tale, Rest Stop is a delightfully gruesome surprise. Rest Stop is a short and extremely twisted novella, and it has firmly cemented Nat Cassidy as a must read author for me. This is a wild, bloody adventure—or should I say “misadventure”—involving an ill-fated convenience store stop, a deranged killer, and […]