The nitty-gritty: Short and brutal, these horror stories by much lauded and prolific author Pete Mesling are both shocking and eye opening. Horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and I’m glad I got the chance to read Pete Mesling’s brand of horror, which is an interesting mix of slasher fiction, Lovecraftian influence, and just […]
The nitty-gritty: Spooky and unsettling, The Residence is full of subtle, chilling moments that sneak up on you. Do you enjoy atmospheric ghost stories with a literary bent to them? Then you will not want to miss The Residence, Andrew Pyper’s latest. I have only read one of Pyper’s books—The Damned—but I loved it as […]
The nitty-gritty: A bold, bloody high stakes plot, relatable characters, and a diabolical twist make this a standout book of 2020. I absolutely love when a book surprises me, and I’m happy to say The Phlebotomist is one of the best surprises I’ve had all year. This book is sure to make my Best of […]
The nitty-gritty: Small town secrets and teenagers coming of age meet head-on in Christina Henry’s latest horror story, a book that worked for me on some levels but not on others. To be honest, until about the halfway point, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book much. It’s quite different from […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark and demented coming-of-age story, perfect for lovers of slasher horror. So Shanna got a new job at the movie theater, we thought we’d play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead, and I’m really starting to feel kind of guilty about it all. This is one […]
The nitty-gritty: An unsettling and suspenseful ghost story with subtle horror elements. I’m so glad I had the chance to read Wonderland, a slow burn horror story that turned out to be a nice change of pace. I heard lots of buzz about Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth when it came out last year, but I […]
The nitty-gritty: Dark and unsettling, The Year of the Witching is perfect for fans of horror-tinged, dystopian fantasy. You know me, when I see a book with the word “witch” in the title, I’m all over it! So of course I couldn’t wait to read The Year of the Witching, a debut that really impressed […]
The nitty-gritty: Cheryl Low delivers yet another bloody good horror story, complete with vengeful ghosts and buried family secrets. Cheryl Low’s latest horror novella was a perfect distraction from real life, a combination of ghostly hauntings, twisted family secrets, mysteries and even an unexpected love story. All of these elements come together in a short, […]
The nitty-gritty: Calvin Demmer offers up a tasty but bloody chocolate box of horrific tales that revolve around holidays. I had seen Calvin Demmer’s collection The Sea Was a Fair Master around, and so when he contacted me to see if I’d be interested in reading his latest short story collection, I immediately agreed. Demmer’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A creeping dread infuses this atmospheric Gothic tale of diabolical family secrets. “The walls speak to me. They tell me secrets. Don’t listen to them, press your hands against your ears, Noemí. There are ghosts. They’re real. You’ll see them eventually.” One of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s strengths is her ability to create an atmospheric […]