Book Review: Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie

Title: Hungry Business
Author: Maria DeBlassie
Genre: Horror, Short story 
Date of Publication: October 20, 2020
Publisher: Kitchen Witch Press

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Synopsis

From the multi-award-winning author of Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings comes a cozy Gothic short story about searching for soul, meaning, love in a world that’s forgotten the power of everyday conjuring.

Looking for love can be deadly… 

You know how it goes.  You go out, hoping to meet someone.  You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead good at passing as human.   

The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.  But you keep at it.  All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.  How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?  

Dating.  

It’s hungry business.  

Goodreads

My Thoughts

This short story was only 17 pages, but wow, was it ever good! 

Told in second-person (yep, you read that right!), this book is the story of how you’re searching for love in all the wrong places. The world is in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, where humans and “Hungries” are co-existing. You’re searching for love, but everyone you try to make a connection with turns out to be a Hungry. 

Book Review: Hell Spring by Isaac Thorne

Title: Hell Spring
Author: Isaac Thorne 
Genre: Horror
Date of Publication: September 21, 2022
Publisher: Lost Hollow Books

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Synopsis

In the twilight of March 21, 1955, eight people take cover in their local general store while a thundering torrent and flash flooding threatens life and livelihood alike. None of the eight are everything they claim to be. But only one of them hungers for human souls, flesh, and blood.

An overflowing waterway destroys their only path of escape. The tiny band of survivors is forced to confront themselves and each other when a peculiar stranger with a famous face tries to pick them off one by one.

Can the neighbors survive the predator in their midst as well as the 100-year flood that drowns the small town of Lost Hollow?

Or will they become victims of the night the townsfolk all remember as Hell Spring?

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Hell Spring is a messed up and disturbing, yet incredibly smart story! 

This book is stressful and intense right off the bat, as a mysterious demon-like creature stumbles into our world from a hell dimension. This coincides with a major Tennessee storm, and a unique group of characters end up trapped at the general store along with this creature. A creature who’s disguising itself as the familiar face of Marilyn Monroe, which it saw in the mind of one of its intended victims. The story is set in 1955, and the narration and dialogue between characters reflect this quite nicely. I loved the unsettling depiction of a town with highly religious characters, including a corrupt priest and a mentally challenged farmhand who tries to resist “sinning” by the time’s strict standards. Other characters include a recently single mother and her newborn baby, a shop owner and her son, and a closeted gay man. They all have their secrets, and secrets are like candy to the creature that’s feeding on them… 

Book Review: I Kill Killers by S.T. Ashman

Title: I Kill Killers
Author: S.T. Ashman
Genre: Thriller
Date of Publication: October 10, 2023
Publisher: Ashman Books

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Synopsis

When a genius pianist turned hunter of serial killers finds herself linked to her latest victim by a startling coincidence, her life enters a chilling vortex. Caught up in a high-risk chase with a determined FBI agent, she also finds herself in a life-threatening face-off with a shadowy enemy whose lethal cunning could rival her own.

“I Kill Killers” is a pulse-pounding journey into moral ambiguity. As you navigate the slippery line between heroes and villains, this electrifying tale will leave a haunting echo in your mind long after the final page is turned.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

I Kill Killers is just what I needed to read to kick off Spooktober! 

The story is compulsively readable. It’s fast-paced and easy to read, but not at the expense of tension and setting the scene. The book is a little gory in the very beginning, but after that scene the author tones it down and the book becomes a thriller, not a horror. That said, the book is on the dark side–as any book about a serial killer would be! 

Book Review: To the Solemn Graves by Kim Idynne

Title: To the Solemn Graves
Author: Kim Idynne
Genre: Horror, Short stories
Date of Publication: October 13, 2023
Publisher: Self published

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Synopsis

Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. A young man enlists a shaman to exorcise a terrifying spirit from his apartment, and as he learns more about the supposed ghost, he begins to form a strange and tender bond with her. To the Solemn Graves presents thirteen illustrated stories that, while laced with the supernatural, remind us that most horror comes from the all too natural.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

To the Solemn Graves is a compelling and diverse collection of thirteen spooky short stories. 

It reads a little like an adult Scaries Stories to Tell in the Dark, with a quote followed by a haunting illustration at the beginning of each story.

Book Review: The Billionaire and the Librarian by S. E. Rose

Title: The Billionaire and the Librarian
Author: S. E. Rose
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Date of Publication: Setember 21, 2023
Publisher: Self-published

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Synopsis

A stubborn librarian. A grumpy billionaire. Three giant dogs. And a surprise blizzard. Nothing could go wrong here.

Isa Garren is determined to save her small-town library. As the head librarian, she’s nearly secured a grant, but she’s just missing one key thing…a collection of first-edition books. Lucky for her, she’s learned that a local billionaire happens to have one. Unlucky for her, she hasn’t heard back from him after countless attempts to contact him. But in an act of desperation, she’s about to go knocking on his door.

Adam Wellington just wants to be left alone. If he’s learned anything, it’s that life is easier with only casual relationships. He’s resigned to his solitary life. He certainly would never fall for a woman who shows up on his doorstep.

When an unexpected snowstorm, wreaks havoc on both their plans, these two enemies are forced to stay warm under the same roof. Will Isa be able to thaw Adam’s frozen heart, or will these two opposites let their feelings for each other melt away when the clouds clear?

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

I picked up this book the instant I saw the list of tropes. I love forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, and I’m a librarian, so I adore reading stories about librarians. As I read it, I started to notice similarities with Beauty and the Beast. While this isn’t a retelling, it’s more of an homage to the classic Disney movie. Like a detective, I found myself hunting down all the cute references and highlighting them in my ebook.  It’s so adorable! 

Book Review: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons

Title: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead
Author: Kristen Simmons
Genre: Horror, Young Adult 
Date of Publication: September 26, 2023
Publisher: Tor Teen

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Synopsis

AT DAWN HE’LL BE GONE AND YOU’LL BE HERE FOREVER.

Kristen Simmons’s masterful breakout horror novel that’s ” Jumanji but Japanese-inspired” (Kendare Blake) about estranged friends playing a deadly game in a nightmarish folkloric underworld.

“Twists, turns, and genuine palpable emotion.” ―David Levithan • “Haunting and unforgettable.” ―Melissa de la Cruz • “A nightmare I didn’t want to end.” ―Terry J. Benton-Walker • “Absorbing.” ―C. L. Herman • “Bone-chilling.” ―Lauren Shippen • “Heart-pounding.” ―Margaret Rogerson • “Twisted.” ―Lish McBride • “Won’t let me sleep!” ―Chelsea Mueller • “Full of surprises.” ―C. J. Redwine • “Intense.” ―Kendare Blake

Four years ago, five kids started a game. Not all of them survived.

Now, at the end of their senior year of high school, the survivors―Owen, Madeline, Emerson, and Dax―have reunited for one strange and terrible they’ve been summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead.

Together they return to the place where their friendship ended with one find Ian and bring him home. So they restart the deadly game they never finished―an innocent card-matching challenge called Meido. A game without instructions.

As soon as they begin, they’re dragged out of their reality and into an eerie hellscape of Japanese underworlds, more horrifying than even the darkest folktales that Owen’s grandmother told him. There, they meet Shinigami, an old wise woman who explains the rules:

They have one night to complete seven challenges or they’ll all be stuck in this world forever.

Once inseparable, the survivors now can’t stand each other, but the challenges demand they work together, think quickly, and make sacrifices―blood, clothes, secrets, memories, and worse.

And once again, not everyone will make it out alive.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

The marketing describes this book as a horror Japanese Jumanji, and it is right on the money. 

This book’s plot is completely over-the-top, fast-paced, and freaking wild from start to finish. 

One of the pros of this book is just how fast-paced it is, though it does feel like it tried to hit on every single potential trope in a short, only 270 page book. As a result, it didn’t really get to go in depth on any of them. That said, as a horror addict and a gamer, it was fun to see a lot of these horror and game tropes come to life. The book is very meta and well-researched, and it shows. 

Book Review: Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

Title: Cleat Cute
Author: Meryl Wilsner
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+ 
Date of Publication: September 19, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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Synopsis

Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become friends with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Phoebe Matthews has always admired Grace’s skill and was star struck to be training alongside her idol. But she quickly finds herself looking at Grace as more than a mere teammate. After one daring kiss, she’s hooked. Grace is everything she has been waiting to find.

As the World Cup approaches, and Grace works her way back from injury, the women decide to find a way they can play together instead of vying for the same position. Except, when they are off the field, Grace is worried she’s catching feelings while Phoebe thinks they are dating. As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Another hit by Meryl Wilsner! 

I absolutely adore their writing style. The book is told in close third person, and some of the author’s thoughts and ways of saying things are downright hilarious–even when the scene itself isn’t meant to be funny. 

I love how this book is quite spicy, and even though Phoebe and Grace don’t officially get together right away, their relationship heats up right from the get-go. I typically prefer slow-burn romances, but I discovered that I love Wilsner’s fast-burns with “Mistakes Were Made”, and I’m here for the ride. Please write and publish these books faster! 🥺

I did feel like the angst of the relationship between Grace and Phoebe was a little forced. There was no real rule that teammates can’t be in a relationship. That said, I did appreciate the backstory behind why Grace was so reluctant to be in a relationship with Phoebe. And I adored how the entire thing went down! 

Book Review: Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Hemlock Island
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Horror
Date of Publication: September 12 , 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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Synopsis

Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it’s the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who’ve fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out…and failed.

When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who’s now a cop.

There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it… But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone—or something—that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Hemlock Island gripped me right from the very first pages! 

Laney’s ex-husband bought a remote island and built her a beautiful house on it. He gave it to her in the divorce, but she can’t afford to keep it on her teacher’s salary. So, she rents it out to strangers. But some of these strangers vandalize her home, and she has to head out to the island to investigate. Her niece, Madison, who she’s the guardian for, tags along for the ride. Once she’s there, her ex-husband, former best friend, her ex-friend and her brother are all there to “help.” It’s clear right off the bat that everyone has secrets and while her divorce was amicable, there’s a lot more to the story than even Laney knows. And then one of them goes missing, the boats are destroyed, and they’re all stranded on Hemlock Island–with a killer. 

The basic premise feels somewhat tried and true, but as the book progresses, the twists and plotline becomes jawdroppingly unique. Armstrong perfectly blends a fast-paced plot with character development, as the truth about what truly happened between these characters is gradually revealed. 

Book Review: Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Title: Dark Corners
Author: Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall # 2
Genre: Thriller
Date of Publication: August 8, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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Synopsis

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Our favourite true crime podcaster is back for an encore! 

In this book, Rachel Krall, whom we met in The Night Swim, is on another case. Rachel Krall’s name has come up in an FBI case. Terrence Bailey, who’s in jail for armed robbery but suspected of being a serial killer, mentioned her name to a social media influencer who visited him in prison. And now that social media influencer is missing. 

This book is fast paced and has a lot going on. The chapters are short, so it’s easy to fall into that trap of – “Just one more chapter!” 

I love Rachel as a protagonist, and it was fun to watch her progression as a character. While this is the second in a series, there are only a few brief mentions of the first book. You definitely don’t have to have read (or remember) what happened in that book to enjoy this one. 

Book Review: Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

Title: Puzzle House
Author: Duncan Ralston 
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Date of Publication: September 15, 2023
Publisher:Wicked House Publishing

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Synopsis

Six strangers arrive at the home of preeminent puzzle master Alexei Vasiliev for the reading of his will. Among them are the deceased’s widow, who’d already begun divorce proceedings, a virologist troubled by actions in his past, and a convicted murderer on day release. The potential beneficiaries will split Vasiliev’s $150M fortune if they participate in his last great work.

The choice is leave the house with nothing or continue in the hope of solving the six interconnecting escape rooms within this house.

Once there, the participants soon discover Puzzle House is far deadlier than it appears, and that making their way through the rooms may be a matter of life and death. Someone is watching their every move, toying with them, turning them against each other. With their lives on the line, they are forced to wonder, is it all just a deadly game created by a gleeful sadist, or something far more sinister?

– Goodreads

My Thoughts

Puzzle House is a fun horror novel with a unique premise. Six strangers are invited to the reading of an eccentric billionaire’s will. Only one of them actually knew the man–Joy Reese, his ex-wife. It quickly becomes obvious that this billionaire doesn’t intend to just hand over his fortune. He intends to make them earn it, through proving their wits through a series of puzzles. 

This book is entertaining and fast-paced. There are lots of twists in the plot, not just in the types of puzzles they’re forced to solve, but also in the reveals of each of the characters’ dark secrets. The puzzles were clever, and the consequences of failing to solve them in time were quite severe. There’s quite a bit of intelligent research put into the puzzles, but I can’t elaborate more without including spoilers. That said, some of the turns in the plot were a little over the top, but it was just so fun that I didn’t care.  

This book is just over 200 pages, and Ralston doesn’t waste any of them. I grew to love a few of the characters, but I do wish that the book could have been just a smidge longer, so I could learn more about the backstories of some of the other characters.