The nitty-gritty: Anne Heltzel brings several tried and true horror tropes to her latest novel, including cults, creepy dolls and motherhood. Just Like Mother was creepy and shocking, and yes, over-the-top at times. But I have to admit, despite it’s flaws, I had a lot of fun with it. Parts of it made me mad, […]
The nitty-gritty: A unique format makes this supernatural thriller a fun escape from everyday life. Hidden Pictures was a very good thriller with lots of surprises, and the book is full of illustrations which enhance the story and make it even better. There’s also a supernatural element, so if you enjoy thrillers with a ghostly […]
The nitty-gritty: There’s plenty of food for thought in this short horror story that takes the idea of perception and turns it on its head. “It had already started. The world was tipping, its weight shifting, and no one had really noticed how precarious the ground beneath our feet had become. Every image, every video […]
The nitty-gritty: Cosmic horror, shocking violence, colorful characters and black humor come together in Alan Baxter’s follow-up to The Gulp, a delightfully dark bunch of tales that will put you on edge—and keep you there. “There’s interesting and there’s fucked, mate. Nothing good ever came out of Gulpepper.” Is it possible to be fond of […]
The nitty -gritty: A short, bloody tale that explores the thin line between life and death. I don’t often read self-published fiction, but once in a while I do like to see what’s out there, and I’m glad I had a chance to read David Barclay’s The Maker’s Box. This is a weird, gruesome little […]
The nitty-gritty: Catriona Ward raises the bar on her latest psychological thriller, a dark and frenetic tale full of family secrets, blood and pain. I feel her, the old Rob, when I come to Sundial, hiding in the dawn and at the edges of things; the ghost of who I once was. Could I find […]
The nitty-gritty: Titanic meets The Sixth Sense in this terror-filled mystery set in space. I had a blast with Dead Silence, undoubtedly one of my most highly anticipated early 2022 releases, and while it didn’t necessarily go where I expected it to, I found it to be surprising and addictive. Dead Silence features an unreliable narrator […]
The nitty-gritty: A trio of abused women take back their power in this feminist, highly entertaining thriller. The Violence surprised me in the best possible way, and although I think this will end up being a divisive book, I absolutely loved it. Delilah S. Dawson’s writing and storytelling style remind me a lot of both […]
The nitty-gritty: An ancient evil terrorizes a small town in this ambitious new novel from Bram Stoker finalist JG Faherty. If you’re a fan of The Exorcist, you might want to check out The Wakening, which takes inspiration from the classic horror story but adds unique elements to the mix as well. This is a […]
The nitty-gritty: An eerie, feminist coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a series of grisly murders, Such A Pretty Smile is both horrific and empowering. Her eyes looked different. The pupil larger than the surrounding brown, and she blinked at her refection. It didn’t blink back, and she smiled. There were too many teeth […]