Book Review - The Folcroft Ghosts by Darcy Coates

 

When their mother suffered an accident, Tara and her brother, Kyle, were sent to live with their estranged grandparents. May and Peter Folcroft seemed like the perfect grandparents. Their house is quaint and its hidden in the base of the mountains. 

They noticed that strange things keep happening. Furniture keeps moving around and there are figures in the fog. Tara and Kyle believe that the house might be haunted. A brutal storm cuts down their only line of communication into the outside world. 

May becomes obsessive with them and rarely lets them out of her sight. They try to pretend that they are a happy family. But, when they discover a locked room and a forgotten journal, they know they need to escape.

I read quite a few of the author's books and found this book to be enjoyable. It had a very creepy quality to it. The twist was interesting but, it was hinted at. I liked that they included a few short stories by the author that were interesting to read. I wished that they were fleshed out a bit more into their own novels. If the author released a collection of short stories, I would definitely read them because she seems to have a knack for writing creepy stories.

Book Review - The Shadows by Alex North

Photo Credit - Amazon

In the small town of Gritten Park, there lives an unstable teenager named Charlie Crabtree. Every town has at least one kid who has a dark imagination, a sinister smile and is an outcast. People always suspect that they are capable of doing something awful and it was only a matter of when.

Twenty-five years ago, Charlie committed a heinous murder. It was a murder so shocking that it has attracted a fanbase on the darkest corner of the internet. The murder has inspired more than one copycat with countless others following the case closely.

Paul Adams remembers the murder and moved away in hopes of forgetting the murder. Charlie and the victim were Paul's friends. After moving away, Paul has finally gotten his life together. When his mother suffers a fall and takes a turn for the worse, Paul decides to move back home. Paul doesn't want to return home but, he feels duty-bound to his mother to see her.

Shortly after Paul returns home, things start going wrong. Paul learns that there is a copycat murder in the nearby town. His senile mother is getting distressed and mentions that something is in the house. Paul realizes that someone is following him and he is worried that it might be Charlie who hasn't been seen since the day of the murder.

I haven't read the first novel by the author but, this novel can be read as a standalone. I felt like there were a few references made to the previous book that I didn't quite understand. I thought the book was a thrilling and engaging read. The book will keep you up at night wondering if there is something out there in the shadows. I look forward to reading other books by the author.

**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 extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty + Giveaway

Photo Credit -Amazon

Willa is her clan's best thief. One day, she sneaks into a cabin of the day folk to bring back treasure to her people. Willa knows she is taking a huge risk by entering the day folk's homes especially since they kill what they don't understand.  When she is left hurt and is in the day folk's home, she calls upon her forest allies for assistance. Upon returning to her clan, she begins to learn not everything is what it appears. Who can Willa trust? What can Willa do?

The novel is a thrilling and engrossing read. It was fast-paced and fun to read. I couldn't wait to find out how Willa gets out of situations. I also like how she relied on her allies to help. I like how she growed and matured.  Overall, a great read and I can't wait to read more by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

About the Book:

Title: WILLA OF THE WOOD

Author: Robert Beatty

Pub. Date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Beatty comes a spooky, thrilling new series set in the magical world of Serafina. 

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. 

Willa, a young nightspirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk in the cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work — the day-folk kill whatever they do not understand. But when Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in a day-folk man's home, everything she thought she knew about her people — and their greatest enemy — is forever changed.

About Robert:

Robert Beatty is the author of the #1 New York Times best selling Serafina Series published by Disney-Hyperion, a spooky mystery-thriller about a brave and unusual girl who lives secretly in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate.

Serafina and the Black Cloak was a #1 New York Times best seller, has been on the list for more than 45 weeks, and won the prestigious 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. The second book in the series, Serafina and the Twisted Staff, became a #1 New York Times best seller in the first week of its launch and earned a “Starred Review” from Kirkus Reviews, which said, “Even better than its predecessor, a sequel that delivers nonstop thrills from beginning to end.” Enjoyed by both young readers and adults, the books are being taught in over a thousand classrooms nationwide. The third book in the Serafina series comes out in July 2017. Robert Beatty has been awarded an additional four book deal with Disney-Hyperion.

Robert Beatty lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three daughters, who help create and refine his stories. He loves to explore Biltmore Estate and the darkened forest trails where his novels take place. He writes full-time now, but in his past lives, Robert was one of the early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-founder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative Magazine. In 2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of WILLA OF THE WOOD, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2776/?

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

7/9/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

7/10/2018- A Backwards Story- Interview

7/11/2018- Novel Novice- Guest Post

7/12/2018- Don't Judge, Read- Review

7/13/2018-  Two points of interest- Review