This was a very dark psychological thriller & right up my street. Told in two timelines but from the same POV, we learn about Carol Cage & the events in her life which have moulded her into the woman she is now.
Full of secrets & brilliant characters, I don’t know why I didn’t read this earlier. There is an urgency to the writing which meant I was in full ‘just one more chapter’ mode. Highly recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hallo, shop! Yesterday I didn't much care for 'The Cartographers', but today you can read about why I LOVED Starling House, by Alix E Harrow, on Nerds of a Feather!
Look, just do what the nice sentient house wants, all right?
My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror#books far & wide.
SPLIT SCREAM Vol 3 is an eerie, darkly fun double feature of horror showcasing the lengths artists will go to remain true to themselves. Barb's twisted tale of family bonds/traditions will horrify & haunt; McCarthy's nightmarish novella of survival is terrifying & tragic. (Dread Stone Press)
My first book by this author & although part of a series it read well as a standalone.
A former policeman is murdered which makes the case a tad more personal for DI Ray Keane & his team. Another body is discovered. Are the two deaths connected?
An easy, quick read & certainly on the cosy side of police procedurals. In my opinion, the killer was revealed too soon but, that aside, it was an enjoyable read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror#books far & wide.
Fans of weird, unsettling tales, speculative fiction, & #Lovecraft's eldritch mythos will enjoy the stories in DARKER THAN WEIRD. It's a varied, imaginative collection: whether your yearning is for supernatural, human, or cosmic horrors, all are represented here to great effect. (Jackanapes)
A debut cosy mystery & just what I needed, as a palate cleanser, after some of the darker thrillers I have read recently.
A huge cast of characters takes some time to remember & then our friends give them nicknames too. They did make me giggle though. A great pace & a nice twisty plot made this an entertaining read. Add in the ‘uppercrustedness’ (is that even a word?) & you’re taken to another place & time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman: This was great! I really enjoyed the narrative voice and careful cultural hand-holding to ensure that the reader understands the nuances of insults and cursing across the different languages. The legacy of the goblin wars and loss of horses was very well portrayed, which made the hints at the ending about a possible restoration work extremely well.
I reviewed the Free Comic Book Day issue of Titan Comics’ new Conan the Barbarian series! The creative team has me excited and optimistic about this relaunch.
No Time Like the Past (Jodi Taylor) 7/10
Book 5/14
Don't get me wrong - I love the Chronicles of St. Mary's series, but this is probably the weakest entry so far, and hopefully not a sign of things to come.
The romp through time felt a little samey, and the overall plot arch really didn't advance much when compared to the previous four books. Ditto for character growth.
Even when mailing it in, Taylor's prose is still a lot of fun.
The title gives it away but the narrator is unreliable in the truest sense of the word. The chapters are written in such a way that, as a reader, you are unaware of her contrivance & the reality of the situation is revealed drip by drip.
A fabulous read & I'm not sure how the author will top this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror#books far & wide.
SILVER NITRATE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an immensely compelling, propulsive novel about horror movies (Mexican horror movies in particular), filmmaking, the occult, chaos magic, secret societies... Her affection and knowledge of these things (and more) made this a delightfully spooky, fun read.
This thrilling debut is due to be published on 20th July 2023.
Well written with a good pace, this book does make you think about who you befriend on holiday especially when it’s an isolated island. Secrets aplenty, some worth killing for.
A brilliant summer read, just not if you’re diving or in Thailand. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"A compelling spine-chilling paranormal thriller in which Linda arrives in a Town called ‘Oasis,’ a seemingly sleepy town where nothing is as it appears to be..."~#bookreview
I loved the fact that these are short stories, I could dip in & out as I wanted. There are old & new tales including gothic horror, science fiction & thrillers, all with the ability to chill in a few pages. I’m not going to go into detail about the various plots but, if you’re unsure about Mr Richter’s writing, this is a great place to start.