Search
Search results
The Pensive Gentleman
Book
The Pensive Gentleman is a thrilling and erotic short story collection that explores themes of lust,...
erotica romance
Frecklesxoxo (6 KP) rated The Good Daughter in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I received an arc copy from Netgalley of this book for an open and honest review.
Recently I have been reading young adults and supernatural books, these are great I love them, I love the supernatural genre and I think the stories are fun,however, I have read a lot of them and this book really honed in on the fact that I have really missed a good old fashioned Suspenseful Thriller! It's absolutely amazing,I was hooked like a fish on a rod, I literally could not put this book down it got to the point where I'm reading it to the very last second before I need to leave for work or I can't quite go to sleep yet I just have to finish this chapter.
The writing is spectacular she has this amazing ability to really bring you into the story,you are invested in the characters, you want to know them, you want to be with them, you feel their pain, their joy and you want what they want and you're afraid when they're afraid and I think that's just such a fantastic skill set to have.
I love the characters I think Sam and Charlie are great and they really work of each other and I love rusty especially nearing the end when you find out more about him, you really find out who he is and what makes him tick and I think he has some really good advice that he gave them.
This book is painful and it's sad and it's tough but there is a light at the end of the tunnel there is good in it as well and I really don't want to say anymore as I don't want to say anything about the story as I don't want to spoil it but it is an amazing story and I truly recommend this.
Recently I have been reading young adults and supernatural books, these are great I love them, I love the supernatural genre and I think the stories are fun,however, I have read a lot of them and this book really honed in on the fact that I have really missed a good old fashioned Suspenseful Thriller! It's absolutely amazing,I was hooked like a fish on a rod, I literally could not put this book down it got to the point where I'm reading it to the very last second before I need to leave for work or I can't quite go to sleep yet I just have to finish this chapter.
The writing is spectacular she has this amazing ability to really bring you into the story,you are invested in the characters, you want to know them, you want to be with them, you feel their pain, their joy and you want what they want and you're afraid when they're afraid and I think that's just such a fantastic skill set to have.
I love the characters I think Sam and Charlie are great and they really work of each other and I love rusty especially nearing the end when you find out more about him, you really find out who he is and what makes him tick and I think he has some really good advice that he gave them.
This book is painful and it's sad and it's tough but there is a light at the end of the tunnel there is good in it as well and I really don't want to say anymore as I don't want to say anything about the story as I don't want to spoil it but it is an amazing story and I truly recommend this.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Haunting of Henderson Close in Books
May 22, 2019
The Haunting of Henderson Close
Hannah has relocated to Edinburgh and now works as a performing tour guide regaling tourists with the goings on in the spooky derelict Henderson Close. Together with colleagues they bring the past to life as they play the parts of real people who lived there and spin tales of the spooky and historical past, some really gruesome. But then she starts to see shadows, she has flashes where she feels weird and, well, has some really rather scary experiences. But she's not alone, one of the other guides has experienced similar and then some of the tourists also start to see things. What is happening? Are the legends and stories of what went before coming back? Who are the people that Hannah keeps seeing, and what do they really want?
I was intrigued by the classification of The Haunting of Henderson Close as a horror, mystery and thriller novel as these are my favourites.
I loved all the hints at ghosts and supernatural activity but sadly it all got a bit confusing for me as it progressed. The flashbacks and present just seemed to clash and not move seamlessly together. At times I felt possibly the author meant for the book to be more of a Victorian mystery rather than supernatural.
The use of location was one of the main strengths of the book, as the descriptions of 19th century Edinburgh were detailed and made it easy to imagine just what Victorian Scotland used to look like; really amazing and descriptive.
The ending I found a bit lacking as I had an idea built u in my of something climatic and it wasn’t.
The story itself intrigued me, the setting especially; all in all, a story that kept my attention nicely throughout and left me mostly satisfied at its conclusion.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Hannah has relocated to Edinburgh and now works as a performing tour guide regaling tourists with the goings on in the spooky derelict Henderson Close. Together with colleagues they bring the past to life as they play the parts of real people who lived there and spin tales of the spooky and historical past, some really gruesome. But then she starts to see shadows, she has flashes where she feels weird and, well, has some really rather scary experiences. But she's not alone, one of the other guides has experienced similar and then some of the tourists also start to see things. What is happening? Are the legends and stories of what went before coming back? Who are the people that Hannah keeps seeing, and what do they really want?
I was intrigued by the classification of The Haunting of Henderson Close as a horror, mystery and thriller novel as these are my favourites.
I loved all the hints at ghosts and supernatural activity but sadly it all got a bit confusing for me as it progressed. The flashbacks and present just seemed to clash and not move seamlessly together. At times I felt possibly the author meant for the book to be more of a Victorian mystery rather than supernatural.
The use of location was one of the main strengths of the book, as the descriptions of 19th century Edinburgh were detailed and made it easy to imagine just what Victorian Scotland used to look like; really amazing and descriptive.
The ending I found a bit lacking as I had an idea built u in my of something climatic and it wasn’t.
The story itself intrigued me, the setting especially; all in all, a story that kept my attention nicely throughout and left me mostly satisfied at its conclusion.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Key to Death's Door in Books
Jun 6, 2019
The Key To Death’s Door by Mark Tilbury is a tense, mystery, thriller novel interwoven with supernatural and horror aspects, which reminded me of Stephen King style reads.
When Teenager Lee Hunter and his best friend Charlie Finch go on a fishing trip, Lee drowns only to discover that when he awakes he has travelled back in time about 30 years and is now living the life of another lad called Paul Collins. To his horror, he, his family and his best friend are at the mercy of the evil and sadistic Daryl Finch, Charlie Finch’s father and they are all about to be killed.
After being successfully resuscitated by Charlie, Lee comes back as himself – to the current time period – knowing the horrific truth about Charlie’s father, Daryl, and what he is capable of. With his newfound knowledge Lee sets out to avenge the death’s of the Collins’ family. But where to start? Who is going to believe Lee knows what happened all those years ago, when he wasn’t even born then?
The Key to Death’s Door is a clever story, and raises serious issues of child abuse, wife beating, animal cruelty and murder in such vivid detail, I totally wanted justice for what had happened, and for Daryl Finch to get his comeuppance for his past and present atrocities. There’s no way he could be allowed to get away with what he’s done, surely?
I loved the relationship of best friends Lee and Charlie, they were portrayed realistically for their ages, and their characters were fun to read. They might not always have been able to say what they really meant to each other, but they had each other’s back, and at times their conversations were even quite funny and endearing. Contrast this with the scenes in the Collins’ house, which were utterly brutal and horrifying and you’re in for a thrilling ride with a supernatural twist. I certainly enjoyed The Key to Death’s Door and will look for more of Mark Tilbury’s work from now on.
When Teenager Lee Hunter and his best friend Charlie Finch go on a fishing trip, Lee drowns only to discover that when he awakes he has travelled back in time about 30 years and is now living the life of another lad called Paul Collins. To his horror, he, his family and his best friend are at the mercy of the evil and sadistic Daryl Finch, Charlie Finch’s father and they are all about to be killed.
After being successfully resuscitated by Charlie, Lee comes back as himself – to the current time period – knowing the horrific truth about Charlie’s father, Daryl, and what he is capable of. With his newfound knowledge Lee sets out to avenge the death’s of the Collins’ family. But where to start? Who is going to believe Lee knows what happened all those years ago, when he wasn’t even born then?
The Key to Death’s Door is a clever story, and raises serious issues of child abuse, wife beating, animal cruelty and murder in such vivid detail, I totally wanted justice for what had happened, and for Daryl Finch to get his comeuppance for his past and present atrocities. There’s no way he could be allowed to get away with what he’s done, surely?
I loved the relationship of best friends Lee and Charlie, they were portrayed realistically for their ages, and their characters were fun to read. They might not always have been able to say what they really meant to each other, but they had each other’s back, and at times their conversations were even quite funny and endearing. Contrast this with the scenes in the Collins’ house, which were utterly brutal and horrifying and you’re in for a thrilling ride with a supernatural twist. I certainly enjoyed The Key to Death’s Door and will look for more of Mark Tilbury’s work from now on.
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Pyewacket (2017) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019
Pacing (6 more)
Dark tone
Dark and sadistic ending
Fantastic acting from every character
Well thought out story
Moral lesson: Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Moral lesson 2: Be careful what you do in anger. You might never be able to take it back.
Somewhat of a rushed ending (1 more)
Some minor loose ends that could've been tied up better.
Pyewacket is definitely a hidden gem. I love indie horror films because they have so much more freedom to be what the filmmaker wants, rather than something with great potential but watered down to appeal to a wider audience. Pyewacket plays to it's audience and it makes the film that much better. I typically do not like supernatural horror because it's just so ridiculous. I know, it's a movie and I should learn to be more forgiving. I'm a slasher fanatic and not too many of them are high on realism. I guess it's just a preference I've developed. Anyway, I do enjoy the occasional supernatural get down, especially if it's dark and done well, ex: Sinister. Pyewacket is both dark and done well. I'm also a sucker for a good slow burn that's not afraid to set itself up and properly build tension. Again, Pyewacket succeeds here. The film is extremely dark and gives us one hell of a dark and twisted gut punch ending. It even teases the ending, convinces you it's going there, pulls back enough to fake you out, then dives right back in and gives it to you with an extra punch. Magnificent! The only real gripe I have is that while the ending is fantastic, it also feels a bit rushed. They could've tacked on an extra 20 minutes and really went for it, but I surmise budget was to blame. I also wish we could've seen more from her friend who went nutty, but that's a smaller issue and definitely forgivable. Definitely worth the rent.
Kyera (8 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
An Ember in the Ashes follows Laia's attempt to rescue her brother after he has been taken in the middle of the night and her grandparents murdered. She stumbles into some rebels and manages to convince their leader to promise to help her - at a cost. Laia must become a spy, infiltrating the Commandant's place and reporting to the rebels. If she gives them good information they say that they will risk the manpower to rescue her brother. Not only is he important to Laia, but he is the only Scholar who knows the secret of martial steel. Martial steel is superior and no weapons can match it, which is why the scholars have never successfully rebelled.
Martials are the ruling people who came to the and many years ago as conquerors. They enslaved the Scholars and treated the others in the land as second class citizens. The Martials even have a place they send their children to train and become Masks, some of the most feared warriors and killers in the land. Elias and Helene are two of those future Masks - training, top of their class and about to graduate.
Each character has their own secrets and motivations. Elias hates being a Mask and doesn't want to turn into his mother, the vicious Commandant. Helene is in love with Elias and despite her commitment to the Masks, is hesitant to call Elias' out on his commitment. Laia is scared, but can't abandon her brother again. Each must go on a journey of self-discovery and find out what truly matters to them - and what they will sacrifice to make it happen.
The world is full of unique places and characters. More interestingly, there is magic and creatures like djinn and efrits. Those are some of the supernatural creatures that are not as frequently portrayed in novels, thus make this even more intriguing. This is a beautifully written book and highly recommended to young adult/teen readers that like fantasy, books with good characters, world building, magic and supernatural creatures.
Martials are the ruling people who came to the and many years ago as conquerors. They enslaved the Scholars and treated the others in the land as second class citizens. The Martials even have a place they send their children to train and become Masks, some of the most feared warriors and killers in the land. Elias and Helene are two of those future Masks - training, top of their class and about to graduate.
Each character has their own secrets and motivations. Elias hates being a Mask and doesn't want to turn into his mother, the vicious Commandant. Helene is in love with Elias and despite her commitment to the Masks, is hesitant to call Elias' out on his commitment. Laia is scared, but can't abandon her brother again. Each must go on a journey of self-discovery and find out what truly matters to them - and what they will sacrifice to make it happen.
The world is full of unique places and characters. More interestingly, there is magic and creatures like djinn and efrits. Those are some of the supernatural creatures that are not as frequently portrayed in novels, thus make this even more intriguing. This is a beautifully written book and highly recommended to young adult/teen readers that like fantasy, books with good characters, world building, magic and supernatural creatures.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Things In Jars in Books
Sep 22, 2019
Victorian England, a female detective and a touch of the supernatural - what’s not to like?
Things in Jars is set in Victorian London. Bridie Devine is a female detective who is called on by Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, a baronet, to find his secret daughter, Christabel, who has been kidnapped. However, he doesn’t want to involve the police (this is where alarm bells start to go off!). Very few people in his household know about the existence of Christabel, and she is shut away, ostensibly to protect them from her. Because Christabel is not an ordinary child: she has supernatural powers that can harm people. Bridie doesn’t believe this, of course. So with the help of Cora, her 7 foot tall housemaid and Ruby, the ghost of a prizefighter, she sets out to rescue the child.
I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.
Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.
Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.
Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.
Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Black Bird of the Gallows in Books
Dec 12, 2017
From the moment I started to read this book the world around me disappeared and I found myself utterly immersed within the pages of this amazing book. The story line was well constructed and the characters were fantastic. I fell head over heels with Angie and Reece and honestly who wouldn't!? This book has it all from teenage angst to supernatural creatures with some swoon worthy moments that have left me clamoring for more. This author grabbed a hold of her magical thread and weaved a paranormal tale that kept me glued to my seat. I look forward to what's to come from this talented author. I will end this review with one of my favorite quotes; "The world reeks of death and pain, and you smell like life and joy and everything I can never have."
{I requested a review copy via Entangled Teen and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
{I requested a review copy via Entangled Teen and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated After the End (After the End, #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[After The End] by [Amy Plum] has a deceptive tile because it leads you to think it is an dystopian novel. Although I love those books this was a welcomed surprise. It turned into more of an action/adventure with a little coming of age thrown in for good measure.
[Plum] did an excellent job of developing a creative, fearless, intelligent character in Juneau. Although she is naive do to lack of exposure she know how to survive. Her loyalty to family even though they hurt her is endearing.
Miles, on the other hand, is a spoiled rotten brat who has had the easy life. He starts out for his own gain but what he really gains is a new insight about life and love.
This story has some supernatural aspects but over all is more of an exciting journey of discovery for two young people who have a lot to learn from each other.
[Plum] did an excellent job of developing a creative, fearless, intelligent character in Juneau. Although she is naive do to lack of exposure she know how to survive. Her loyalty to family even though they hurt her is endearing.
Miles, on the other hand, is a spoiled rotten brat who has had the easy life. He starts out for his own gain but what he really gains is a new insight about life and love.
This story has some supernatural aspects but over all is more of an exciting journey of discovery for two young people who have a lot to learn from each other.
Sarah (126 KP) rated A Discovery of Witches - Season 1 in TV
Feb 18, 2019
Dull as Ditchwater
The trailers for this show looked so exciting. We saved it on Sky+ so that we could watch a few episodes at a time and not have to wait a whole week for the next one. I love shows that are a bit supernatural or spooky, and couldn't wait to see this.
There were entire episodes where, at the end, we both wondered did anything of any note or point actually happen? The main characters just seemed so wet and, frankly, pathetic. For such incredibly powerful beings encompassed by this raging passion, Diana and Matthew are rather boring. There just seems to be no oomph, no real force behind any of them.
The one thing that did intrigue me was the demon race - we all know what witches and vampires are, but what can the demons do? That said, I'm feeling more inclined to read the books than to persevere with the next series.
There were entire episodes where, at the end, we both wondered did anything of any note or point actually happen? The main characters just seemed so wet and, frankly, pathetic. For such incredibly powerful beings encompassed by this raging passion, Diana and Matthew are rather boring. There just seems to be no oomph, no real force behind any of them.
The one thing that did intrigue me was the demon race - we all know what witches and vampires are, but what can the demons do? That said, I'm feeling more inclined to read the books than to persevere with the next series.