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Berkley Street by Ron Ripley | Review
Berkley Street is a haunted house horror novel. Now, it is known that I love all sub-genres of horror, ranging from slasher to suspense but I did struggle to categorize this into one sub-category. It really is genre-bending fiction. Be prepared to open the first page and get bludgeoned with the brutality of the characters and the intestinal fortitude of our protagonist, Shane Ryan. The house has a mind of its own – it simply takes care of itself. If you haven’t been invited, then be prepared to meet a grizzly end! Each ghost has a story to tell none of it pleasant but all of it gruesome. I often…
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Devoted by Dean Koontz | Review
Devoted was a hard book to read in places. It was mostly successful in the theme of genetic mutation. I really enjoy Dean Koontz books but, in this occasion, it was neither a favourite or one that I disliked. It’s very much a book that gets very strange, very quickly. It’s a case of constantly reminding yourself that this is SCI-FI. I’ve noticed other reviewers likening it to Koontz’ other work – The Watchers, which I haven’t read, not sure if that is to my detriment or not? The book to me, felt like it just moved too slowly, and I did feel myself getting bored. The story in Devoted…
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The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper | ARC Review
The Worm and His Kings is quite frankly a phenomenal novella. It excels in its characterisation, which is by far, powerful. First and foremost, it is a novel about acceptance and identity. Monique, our protagonist, is a trans woman who has spent her entire life trying to fit in, to the detriment for her inner self. She tries to rectify that, an action that results in physical trauma. A story that highlights a world full of prejudice and hate. A cosmic horror novel that had me intrigued but had my search for answers going beyond the story, beyond the deeper meaning, beyond everything I thought I knew. Imagine losing the…
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Suicide Forest by Jeremy Bates | Review
Woah, well okay. Suicide Forest has a speed and a rhythm and that is to scare you shitless with its atmosphere and its tension. So, Japan has always intrigued me and it’s one of my places to visit when the pandemic is over. It’s all so enchanting but also has an air of ominous both with its culture and its history. One that has always stirred my imagination is that of Aokigahara (the suicide forest). You don’t want to examine the why’s of the forest for too long – it could plunge your psyche into a dark place. THEY HAD A SAYING: THE NAIL THAT STANDS OU GETS HAMMERED DOWN…
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It Came From The Darkness by P.J. Blakey-Novis et al | ARC Review
It Came from The Darkness is a charity anthology featuring some of the absolute best in horror fiction. It is compiled by Red Cape Publishing and Phillip Rogers PR 101 in aid of Max the Brave Fund. What I really enjoyed about this anthology was the 100-word piece allowance – it gave a teaser of what could be but largely left you hungering for more! The stories were deep, dark, and dangerous…it was stories in amongst stories. It felt like unravelling a Russian Doll. One thing was for sure – this book felt like two faces of an old coin – It Came from The Darkness but so many different…
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Starving Ghosts in Every Thread by Eric LaRocca | Review
I have a problem. I really do not know how to articulate into words this review! I know, I know it sounds super dramatic, BUT Starving Ghosts in Every Thread is a compact work of art! The opening chapter had my mind running wild. The beautiful narrative, in its almost poetic monologue had me captured like a fish on a hook! Eric LaRocca has pushed the limits between horror and symbolism. I had the distinct feeling that I was reading one thing but LaRocca was inviting you to look further, to peel each disturbing layer back until you had the full story. Our protagonist, Teddy is a girl that is…
