The nitty-gritty: Slow burn suspense, mystery and an atmospheric setting make Lute a thoroughly compelling read, despite uneven and puzzling world building elements. This is one of those books that completely sucked me in, but after I had some time to think about it later, I started to have a lot of questions. Like many […]
The nitty-gritty: Crazy connections, cool aliens and plenty of mystery make this series starter a fun but convoluted romp through space. “There are many, many things at play. You will never understand every single one.” That quote pretty much sums up this book. I’m not sure I’ve ever used the phrase “cuckoo bananas” in a […]
The nitty-gritty: A group of friends discover the mysteries and dangers of ghosts and hauntings in this creepy, disturbing tale. “Ghost isn’t the kind of drug you find. It finds you. You hear about it from someone who’s used it. They tell you about it, then you tell someone else, like a —” “Ghost story?” […]
The nitty-gritty: A garden full of poisonous delights, the stories in Effects Vary will catch you off guard and change the way you think about horror. You can tell from the disturbing cover art that this isn’t going to be your usual collection of short fiction. Effects Vary contains twenty-two short stories, and it’s one […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of raw emotion and tough themes, Full Immersion combines mystery and horror as a a woman attempts to heal from personal trauma. Full Immersion surprised me in many ways and ended up being one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Gemma Amor’s latest novel is an exploration of some very […]
The nitty-gritty: The stage is set for murder in R.J. Jacobs ode to horror movies, a fun, thrill-filled mystery with scares aplenty. This is my first time reading R.J. Jacobs, and I had a lot of fun with this book! Horror movie fans in particular will love Always the First to Die, as Jacobs pays […]
The nitty-gritty: At times uncomfortable and disturbing, Eric LaRocca’s stories explore the dangerous side of human relationships. Eric LaRocca is quickly becoming my go-to horror author when I’m looking for well-written, edgy horror, horror that isn’t like anything else out there. I believe this is my third book of theirs I’ve read, and in fact […]
The nitty-gritty: A lush, bloody, sweeping saga of an unusual relationship that spans centuries. “Love makes monsters of us, Constanta, and not everyone is cut out for monstrosity.” I’ve been eyeing A Dowry of Blood ever since the self-published edition made a splash on social media, but it went out of print before I could […]
The nitty-gritty: With a strong beginning and a thrilling ending, I enjoyed parts of House of Hunger, especially the darker horror elements, but overall it turned out to be a mixed bag for me. Of this I am utterly certain: I will never again know peace. —VANESSA, FIRST BLOODMAID OF THE HOUSE OF HUNGER House […]
The nitty-gritty: Horror author Ronald Kelly looks back on his long career in publishing in this compelling and eye-opening memoir. “A story or novel is like a garden; despite how good you believe it is in your ‘writer’s mind,’ there are always weeds to eradicate and bugs to exterminate.” I rarely read and review nonfiction—make […]