Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Book Review - Voices in the Snow (Black Winter, #1) by Darcy Coates

 

 

Clare remembers being out in the cold and being surrounded by snow. She remembers seeing abandoned cars and toys scattered among the road. She recalls seeing dark shapes in the snow and being afraid. And then she doesn't remember anything afterwards.

Clare wakes up in a strange gothic home. She has no recollection on how she got there. The stranger tells her that she was in a car accident and he found her in the snow. Clare feels unsafe and wants to leave but, there is a vicious snowstorm trapping them in the house.

The stranger seems kind but, Clare doesn't know if she can trust him. He told her that they are alone but, she keeps seeing and hearing things. She feels that something is watching them in the woods.  She feels that she is being hunted and she is on edge. She fears that she might not be safe anywhere.

This novel is a departure from her normal horror house stories. Personally, I like her haunted houses stories more. This book is beginning of the series and it looks like you will need to read all the stories to get the full story. The book had creepy elements but, I felt like something was still missing. The characters didn't seem believable. I am not sure I would read the other books from this series.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Book Review - The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

 

 


 In the small town of Ipson, everyone knows about the Ashburn House. There are rumors that the old owner, Edith went mad and that the house is haunted by ghosts. The ghost stories hint at a cruel supernatural being that dwells near the house. When Edith dies, Adrienne inherited the house. She is beyond ecstatic at her good fortune as she is in dire need of a new home. She has no money and has nowhere to go. Adrienne looks at the house as a chance to start over.

Adrienne notices that there are strange messages scratched into the walls. When she leaves a room, the furniture moves around. And when the night falls, something is lurking in the darkness. When exploring the area around the house, Adrienne finds a grave in the forest. The grave has a vague headstone but, it hints at a dark secret. As Adrienne tries to unravel the mystery behind the grave, she discovers that something is hunting her and it won't stop until it gets its prey.

 This was my first novel by the author and now I am hooked! The story was suspenseful and an entertaining read. I did feel that the novel progressed very slowly with many frivolous details. The story had a few predictable elements along with a few twists. I enjoyed reading the parts with her cat, Wolfgang.

**Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Book Review - The Patient by Jasper DeWitt



Photo Credit - Amazon

Parker H. is a young psychiatrist who finds a new job at a mental asylum in New England. He decides to undertake the curing of a dangerous patient that everyone else in the asylum avoids. He begins to chronicle his journey through a series of online posts. Parker hopes to communicate with the world on his struggles and efforts on helping the patient.

The patient is a forty-year-old man who was originally admitted to the hospital at the age of six for night terrors. However, the patient currently has no known diagnosis. His symptoms keep evolving and every person who attempted to help treat him ends up driven to madness or suicide.

The hospital directors are desperate but, fear for Parker's safety. They allow him to be confined to the patient's room and have minimal contact with him. They are worried that if they release the patient to the outside world, that there will be terrible consequences. Parker is confident that he will be the person who will help cure the patient. However, it becomes very clear that after his first encounter with the patient, things start spiraling out of control.

The novel was an interesting and engrossing read. I finished the entire book in one sitting and it was just too good to put down. Some of the characters were more well defined than others. For example, Parker's wife, Jocelyn seemed like an afterthought. Parker was considered a genius and brilliant but, I sometimes question some of his behaviors. However, all in all, I still found the novel to be a suspenseful read with a bit of a supernatural twist.


**Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Book Review - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Photo Credit - Amazon


Dr. Montague wants to investigate Hill House which is known to be haunted and none of the inhabitants of the house stay for long. Dr. Montague and three other adults decide to stay in the house to see if they can witness any paranormal events. Dr. Montague picked them for special reasons. Theodora was invited because had psychic abilities of guessing cards without seeing them; Eleanor had an experience with poltergeists, and Luke is the heir of Hill House. In the beginning, their stay seems like merely a spooky encounter until Hill House starts gathering its power to make one of them their own.

I was very excited to read this book but, felt quite disappointed. The novel was very short and felt incomplete. There wasn't much character development or story building. I felt like the story was written where the author hints of what might have happened but, the reader is left to guess what happened. I had a hard time liking any of the characters, they seemed cruel to each other for no reason. I think the author is hinting that is the house changing the characters' personalities. This wasn't my type of book but, it might be for others.



**Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.*

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Book Review - Dark Ink by Gary Kemble

Photo Credit - Amazon


Journalist Harry Hendrick investigates sordid political corruption. He is intrigued to get to the bottom of it when he hears chilling rumors. Mistress Hel is intent on getting revenge. She uses dark arts to get her revenge from past wrongs.

Harry is asked to investigate a string of murders and deaths. The cause of each death hints to supernatural reasons. As Harry digs deeper into the deaths, he realizes that he is caught inside a deadly web. Can he stop Mistress Hel before it's too late?

When I picked up this novel, I didn't realize it was the second book in the series. The novel could be read as a standalone but, I felt like I was missing some backstory on Harry. I liked the creepy atmosphere of the novel and the supernatural theme. However, I can't say that I am a fan of Harry's. I felt like he spent a lot of time trying to focus his desires than actually doing any investigating work. I finished the novel as it was a quick read but, I don't see myself reading more books in this series.


**Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Book Review - Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus + Giveaway


 
Photo Credit - Amazon

Ellery's mother is from a small town called Echo Ridge. Ellery has never been there but, she heard about it. Her aunt went missing when she was seventeen. Five years later, a homecoming queen was murdered at a local amusement park. Now Ellery and her brother, Ezra has to move to Echo Ridge to live with their maternal grandmother they barely know.

Even the small picture-perfect town is hiding secrets. In a memorial service before school begins, there was an ominous message about homecoming becoming deadly as it was five years ago. Shortly after the message appears, a girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about people keeping secrets. Her mother and grandmother are keeping secrets too. The longer she spends in Echo Ridge, the more she realizes that everyone is hiding something.  She realizes that someone is willing to kill to keep their secret quiet. Will Ellery be able to find out what happened to her aunt years ago?

I usually like reading novels like these because they usually have unexpected twists and delicious secrets. I was saddened when the story was predictable except for a portion of the ending. On a side note, while I did enjoy the novel, I found that there was a lot of characters and the ages were a bit confusing to me. For example, Ellery's mother and the other students are the same age but, the other students have younger siblings who are the same age as Ellery and Ezra. This was hard for me to grasp and conceptualize.  I wish there was a timeline of ages and past events as this would have made some of the story easier to follow along. Overall, a fun read for people who love novels with "small towns with deadly secrets".

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

About the Book:
Title: TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET 
Author: Karen McManus
Pub. Date: January 8, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 336
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonAudible,  B&NiBooksTBD

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.


About Karen: 



As a kid I used to write books when I was supposed to be playing outside, and not much has changed. I'm a marketing and communications professional who also writes Young Adult contemporary and fantasy fiction in Cambridge, MA.

When not writing or working I love to travel, and along with my nine-year old son I've ridden horses in Colombia and bicycles through Paris. A member of SCBWI, I hold a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Which I have never, ever used professionally.


Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET, US Only.


Rafflecopter link:


Tour Schedule:

Week Five:
1/28/2019- The Clever ReaderReview
1/29/2019- All the Ups and DownsReview
1/30/2019- Two Points of InterestReview
1/31/2019- EatingbetweenthelinesINCReview

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Book Review - The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Photo Credit - Random House

**May contain spoilers**

A short story from the acclaimed Gone Girl writer, Gillian Flynn. Originally, written as a short story in anthology for George R.R. Martin’s Rogues. Clocking in 62 pages, the short story can be enjoyed under an hour.

The unnamed narrator goes through life as a con artist but always wanted to be something more. As a side-gig as a psychic that sees aura, she comes across a troubled woman who is having issues at home. Thinking it would be an easy meal ticket, she agrees to come to the woman's house to cleanse it. Although as both women are about to find out, things are not as always what they seem.

The book is a very quick read. It is thrilling and goes by fast. I did enjoy the book, but I felt the ending left me wanting more. As a talented writer, I believe Gillian could have definitely ended the book a bit better. A side qualm, I don't believe the book is worth the retail price of $10 as its only 62 pages and has huge font.  It seems like another way to get money out of her fans. Save money and get the cheapest version, if possible -- as it is definitely worth a read at least once.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion**