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The Devil's Only Friend (John Cleaver, #4)
Dan Wells | 2015
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This series just keeps getting better and better with each book. Dan Wells is another awesome author and writes this genre and series really well.
I remember after reading the first book in this series, I couldn't handle it and didn't want to read anymore because of how creepy it was thinking about your next-door neighbor that could be the crazy psycho on the loose. Then because I couldn't stop thinking about the book, I had to know what happened next so here I am almost done with this series and I don't want it to end.
He is good at writing this psychological suspense and such that can mess with your head, scare you and suck you in and not let you go until you know what happens and all the answers.
The thing that I come back to a lot with this series is how well he writes this so it creeps me out and yet uses little to no violence, gore, swearing, and such because clean reads are always a bonus and clean reads that creep me out like this are rare.
If you haven't checked out books by Dan Wells, you really should cause you're missing out.
  
Orphan (2009)
Orphan (2009)
2009 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In the years since it's release, Orphan has earned it's spot as a genre favourite. It's a tense and unsettling drama, with fantastic performances from its cast. Isabelle Fuhrman is a pitch perfect creepy-horror-movie-child and gives us a more than memorable villain. Esther is manipulative, dangerous, and mysterious in equal measure, and Fuhrman cements all of those things, no problem. This is complimented by the delightfully unhinged turn by Vera Farmiga. She has become a bit of a darling in the horror genre and Orphan was one of the film's that propelled that. Her character is troubled and erratic, suspicious of Esther, and someone who we as the audience root for until the very end.
The relatively long runtime, and slow burning first half never gets boring, and the mystery surrounding Esther ticks along nicely, until we're hit with one hell of a batshit twist. It's definitely a payoff that hits its mark. The last 30 minutes are pedal to the floor craziness as everything descends into chaos. It's a satisfying finale to its long build up.
Orphan is a well loved film that deserves that status, and one that is fun to go back to, even knowing the outcome.
  
SW
Snow White, Blood Red
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
62 of 230
Snow White , Blood Red (Fairy tale anthology book 1)
Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exploring the darker side of popular fairy tales, this anthology features dark and erotic tales of trolls and ogres, bewitched princesses, and magical kingdoms.

There were a few I picked out that I liked and I found a few new authors to try.

The Frog Prince by Gahan Wilson - Really enjoyed this it was a strange little story very Alice in Wonderland feel.

Stalking Beans by Nancy Kress - This is definitely a different adult spin on Jack and the beanstalk!

Snow Drop by Tabitha Lee - This was my favourite by far. A dark twisty version of Snow White and her step mother very dark.

Little Red by Wendy Wheeler - This gave me creepy shivers. Very well written unfortunately I can’t find anything by this author!

The Root of the Matter by Gregory Frost - This is a very adult version of Repunzel kinda dark and to the point.

The Changelings by Melanie Tem - Strange little story with some very sad undertones.

Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman - I love Neil Gaiman he has such a unique storytelling ability and this did not disappoint!

Overall it was a good little anthology!
  
A Cure For Everything: A Vampire Novella
A Cure For Everything: A Vampire Novella
Steven Jenkins | 2022 | Paranormal
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I don't usually read vampire books, I love a good horror book every now and again but I've never really got into vampire books so wasn't sure if this was something I would enjoy but I thought, what the heck, why not? And, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn't what I expected at all - it was so much more.

The premise is quite simple really, Millie is happily married with 2 young children when she receives a devastating diagnosis meaning she has but months left to live. However, there is a cure ... become a vampire! Seems like a simple decision doesn't it? Not so for Millie - her mum was a vampire and it didn't end well so what will she do? And when you think you know what's going to happen, Mr Jenkins throws in a great twist which left me wanting more.

A great, quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed and that cover, wow ... eye-catching and creepy.

I am looking forward to reading more of Mr Jenkins work if this short story if anything to go by and I must thank him for making me a part of his Advance Reader Team but this in no way influenced my thoughts on this novella which I thoroughly enjoyed.
  
Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)
Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)
Libba Bray | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is an epic book that is based in 1920's New York, and everything you can associate with that - including flappers, parties and racism, to name but a few. A sleeping sickness is sweeping New York, starting off in Chinatown. It is up to Evie and a cast of characters to figure out what is happening and how to stop it.

This is the second book in the series and as such I would recommend reading book 1, The Diviners. I haven't and will admit to feeling slightly lost when the characters would think about or discuss what had happened before. The characters are all well-established with their own quirks and foibles by the time this book starts, so it did take a while to actually feel like I knew these people. Personally, my favourite characters were Ling and Henry, and the friendship that developed between them.

A dark, gothic and creepy book that may give you shivers, definitely recommended if you are on the lookout for something a bit different.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 15, 2016
  
The Playing Card Killer
The Playing Card Killer
Russell James | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
10
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Fantastic, Creepy Thriller!
Well, I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of this cracking crime/thriller!

I loved that, straight-away, Russell James introduces Brian Sheridan, who is currently on medication for anxiety-related problems. Brian decides to stop taking his medication as he thinks that he is living life through fog and haze which he hates. As a result, he is tormented by dreams of women being strangled, then left with a playing card tucked in their corpse. When he sees an apparent victim on the news, dead, Brian fears he may be the unwitting killer. Detective Eric Weissbard thinks the same thing and starts to build a case to get Brian convicted. But there's so much more to these murders…

Brian discovers that he has a brother, Tyler, with a penchant for murder. Tyler is willing to frame Brian for the crimes unless Brian wants to join Team Playing Card Killer.

Russell James’ sympathetic portrayal of the immensely likeable Brian was wonderful to read as his neuroses and delusions were laid bare and there was no hidden side to him. Brian is a troubled young man with an adoptive family with whom he barely has any sort of relationship. His girlfriend, Daniela, by contrast, is confident, and self -assured and she delivers Brian an ultimatum - either he continues with his medication or she will leave him.

I also liked Russell James’ fantastic character portrayal of Detective Weissbard who is talented, analytical and operates mostly and very successfully on gut instinct. However, he is disrespected by his colleagues and is assigned to chasing all the non-eventful leads and red herrings. That is until a jittery young guy arrives at the station, claiming to have detailed knowledge of the investigation that hasn’t been revealed.

For me, THE PLAYING CARD KILLER explores some freaky imaginings and is full of creepy vibes. It's a fantastic thriller that surprised me with a mystery that borders on a grim horror novel. I was never quite sure exactly how far off the rails Brian had gone or where the author was going next with this disturbing but exciting story. The suspense was so great that I was on the edge of my seat because I was so absorbed with Brian and Detective Weissbard.

THE PLAYING CARD KILLER held my interest from start to finish and the way in which Russell James brought everything to a conclusion was just fabulous. I loved it and it has left me eager to read more from this author. I would recommend THE PLAYING CARD KILLER to anyone who likes this genre.

[Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Russell James for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.]
  
40x40

Kaz (232 KP) rated Salem's Lot in Books

May 16, 2019  
Salem's Lot
Salem's Lot
Stephen King | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror
7
8.1 (50 Ratings)
Book Rating
Atmospheric and creepy writing (0 more)
Indistinguishable Characters, Disappointing Ending (0 more)
A Creepy Read
I was challenged to read ‘Salem’s Lot’ as part of a reading challenge last year’. Although, it wouldn’t have taken much persuading, for me to read this book. Stephen King has been one of my favourite authors, since I was about 15 and that is quite a few years now!

One of the things that drew me into this book, was the suspense that was created from the very first chapter. There was a sense of great foreboding in the small town of Jerusalem’s Lot.

Having read the majority of ‘The Dark Tower’ series, I already had an inkling as to what was going to happen, as one of the characters in ‘The Dark Tower’ series, featured in ‘Salem’s Lot’. However, you don’t necessarily have to have read any of ‘The Dark Tower’ series to enjoy this and vice versa. So when the mystery of the town was revealed, I wasn’t as surprised as I should have been.

I also like the play on the horror genre within this book. At one point during the story, one of the characters was going to do something very stupid and the character even jokes about it, to one of the other characters.

Two reasons I love Stephen King’s writing, are that he is a great story teller and he is able to create fully formed characters, without having to rely on large paragraphs of description. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ had a very good plot, I was disappointed at how indistinguishable, some of the main characters in ‘Salem’s Lot’ were.

A lot of the main characters were male and several times during the book, I had to go back to previous chapters to clarify who was who, before continuing the story. Whilst reading other King’s novels, I have never had to remind myself who each characters was, even when reading some of King’s lengthier stories. So it was a surprise to me, how similar some of the characters were in this book. There were also a lot of secondary characters within the story and sometimes, it was also difficult to keep up with them all.

Another problem I had with this novel, was that the suspense kept building in the novel and I was expecting a dramatic climax to this novel. Whilst I think that ‘Salem’s Lot’ has a reasonable ending, I felt it went a little flat at the end.

That being said, I really enjoyed ‘Salem’s Lot’. It was a fun read, with plenty of atmosphere. So if you enjoy a good scare, you may enjoy ‘Salem’s Lot’.
  
The Mansion
The Mansion
Ezekiel Boone | 2018 | Horror
4
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Mansion is a tale stricken with ghosts of the past–but not the sort that haunt. Rather, in this novel by Ezekiel Boone, much of the elements that one might describe as horrific simply don’t exist. If you’re picking up The Mansion to find out what goes wrong in an automated house, I’d suggest Dean Koontz’s Demon Seed instead because this story crawls at a dreadfully slow pace.

The story centers around a rather messy love triangle. One girl, two guys, they both want her, and beyond that there’s little use for her character in the story. Much of the book’s plot consists of exposition, exposition, and even more exposition. You’ll learn all the faults and flaws of the characters, you’ll learn their childhood histories, you’ll hear their sob stories. It’s not until the final ten percent of the book that you’ll actually get a chance to see some action, and even then it’s still rather tame by horror standards. Amongst all this exposition, we learn of the wedge driven between Billy and Shawn, as well as a mysterious third person, Takata, whose whereabouts are unknown. Despite playing somewhat of a role in the book, he’s mostly an unnecessary character.

Speaking of characters, The Mansion has a rather small roster of them, and they’re all traumatized. With the exception of one, and she’s objectified. Billy has an addiction problem. Shawn is a pretentious nitwit that thinks the entire world revolves around him. Emily is simply there to fuel a fire between these two masculine characters who have devalued themselves to the point that now, years and years later on down the road, are still fighting over the same girl–and no one asks her what she wants at any point in the story. Poor Emily. There’s also the twins. They’re creepy. Really creepy. And no one seems to acknowledge that? Hello, realism?

Development. That’s an important part of a book, and The Mansion severely lacks it. There’s no development in the plot for 90% of the book. There’s absolutely no character development for Wendy, who is described as a black woman that looks like she walked out of a Victoria’s Secret magazine (or something along those lines). In fact, poor Wendy gets the short end of the stick all around. She’s the oddball out in this little teenaged drama hissy fit.

The Mansion simply falls horribly flat all around. The writing style was good, and it wasn’t so awful that I could’t complete reading the book, but it’s definitely not a title I’d recommend to a horror fan. A romance-thriller sort? Maybe. But not horror.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.