As you may know by now, I’m a huge fan of music and ingest a lot of stuff from many, many genres. I listen to pretty much everything, but when something catches my attention, I tend to listen to that A LOT. And though it’s nearing the end of September, I’m confident in what I’ve heard so far this year to formally write up my personal TOP SIX ALBUMS OF ’26!

Now, one of these albums is definitely my favorite of the year, so I’ll save that until the very end. But the other five – psssshhhhhhhhh – I couldn’t pick one over the other.

Winterfylleth – The Unyielding Season – released March 27th, 2026

When I first saw the cover artwork for this album, I immediately messaged my buddy David Sodergren and said ‘Now this is cover art that makes me want to check an album out.’ And you know what – it worked. And it is phenomenal.

This was my first time hearing Winterfylleth, a black metal band from England and wow did it pummel me. Propulsive, atmospheric and conjuring so many emotions, this album was a gateway for me. I’ve checked out all their work and they never fail to deliver. One thing that I noticed was how much the vocals lean into At the Gates-esque vocals, which made this old metal head very happy.

Standout tracks – Heroes of a Hundred Fields, A Hollow Existence, Perdition’s Flame, In Ashen Wake

Rob Zombie – The Great Satan – released February 27th, 2026

As you most likely know, I’m a huge White Zombie fan, and since then I’ve found Zombie’s discography hit or miss at best. ‘Educated Horses’ is an all-time fav Rob album and I feel like I’m chasing that album whenever he releases a new one. This one was actually highly recommended to me by Sodergren, who messaged me and said it was fantastic and to check it out. He was right. Every song hits hard and is a blast here and even though initially I was a bit on the fence with the track (I’m a) Rock ‘n’ Roller, I’ve grown to really enjoy that one. Fast, quick and so, so solid, this is perhaps the second best Zombie solo album after … Horses.

Standout tracks – Heathen Days, Black Rat Coffin, Sir Lord Acid Wolfman, The Devilman, Unclean Animals

At the Gates – The Ghost of a Future Dead – released April 24, 2026

A phenomenal album by a legendary band, but an album forever painted with the sorrow over frontman Tompa passing away. Dealing with cancer, he recorded all of his vocals before having surgery that end his ability to sing, this album is a tough listen, knowing what we know now, but one of their best releases. Showcasing why they were at the forefront of the Gothenburg sound, this album sounds timeless while also fresh and vibrant. What an amazing final release from one of the best bands – and vocalists – to ever do it.

Standout tracks – The Fever Mask, The Dissonant Void, Det oerhörda, Tomb of Heaven, The Unfathomable

Anthrax – Cursum Perficio – released September 18, 2026

Translated as ‘I complete my journey’ or even ‘My journey is over,’ Anthrax returned just last week with their first album in a decade, ‘Cursum Perficio.’ And what an album it is. One of my most anticipated for 2026, this might be my personal favorite Anthrax album. It’s hard to describe how much I love this album. This is essentially Joey Belladonna fronting the John Bush Anthrax albums. I love the two albums ‘Volume 8: The Threat is Real’ and ‘We’ve Come For You All,’ which to me showcased the phenomenal musicianship of Anthrax with the brilliance of Bush’s vocals. Well, Joey never ages and my Lord can that man sing. This album shows why they’re one of the Big Four but also reminds the world they’re still making amazing music and remain at the forefront of bands you should be listening to.

Standout tracks – It’s For the Kids, Everybody’s Got a Plan, The Edge of Perfection, Infectious, Cursum Perficio

And this leads to my favorite album of 2026!

Six Feet Under – The Next to Die – released April 24, 2026

When I described this album to Sodergren, I told him it was like the best 80s album that wasn’t released until today. Chris Barnes and Jack Owen together are unstoppable and this album reminded a lot of folks why two of the scenes OG’s can show the new kids how it’s done. Barnes vocals are ferocious on this and he sounds reinvigorated and Owen’s – alongside Ray and Jeff – rip through riff after riff, while Lord Marco absolutely crushes the drums. SFU has put out a lot of amazing albums over the years – and few misses, let’s be honest – but this album was a mighty, mighty return and one of the best albums they’ve ever released.

Standout tracks – Approach Your Grave, Mutilated Corpse in the Woods, Wrath and Terror Takes Command, Grasped From Beyond, Next to Die

So, there you have it! My fav 5 albums of 2026!

What about you? What albums from this year blew your mind and you can’t stop spinning? Let me know!

That’s right friends! My newest novel is out now in the wild and YES, I absolutely forgot to post about it here on my own website on release day! SMH.

Out now from Vincere Press, come follow two influencers who believe they’re heading to film a reality TV show, only to discover things are not what they appear to be!

As well – there’s an amazing Canada Giveaway happening through Vincere Press!

You can enter the contest here – https://vincerepress.com/giveaway

You can find the book and many more in the TNTD series on Vincere’s website here – https://vincerepress.com/

AND if you want to order the book RIGHT THIS MINUTE – grab it here – mybook.to/onwerewolfisland

Best of luck surviving!!

Title: The Yule Day Slaughter (Slasher Season #2)

Author: Craig DiLouie

Release Date: November 17th, 2026

*Huge thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for a digital ARC of this one!*

Just a few months earlier this year I ripped through the first book in this duology – The Summer Fun Massacre – and loved it, though I did note that I was slightly annoyed that Summer Fun was marketed more of being book one of two and that book one was going to end on such a massive cliffhanger.

Well, I didn’t have to wait long for that cliffhanger to be… uh… uncliffed?

The second book of the two is getting launched down our throats just in time for the snow to arrive, unless you live where Craig lives and the snow should be arriving by the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!

‘The Yule Day Slaughter’ is a book you can’t go into without having read the first one. And because of that, if you’ve not read the first one, this review will be rife with spoilers from book one. Sorry! So, HALT. YE SHALL NOT PASS HERE (unless you’ve read the first one). And don’t worry, this review will be spoiler free for book two!

What I liked: SERIOUSLY. If you’ve not read book one, turn back now. Last warning!

The book picks up a three years after the events of the first. Tom’s taken the vacated role that Buddy Jackson had, now the new sheriff and Laura, the teenager who he saved from book one in the Hungry Hare massacre, is now a police officer, though she’s dealing with PTSD and not sure how to manage it. She fills the darkness with alcohol and strangers. Life’s found a balance. Until that balance is tipped. Winter is coming, festivities are planned and all seems well until the killings begin.

Tom at first doesn’t suspect it can be the Hare, though Laura knows its them. The ghoul’s returned, far sooner than the previous time between prior massacres.

Because a prominent family in town was slaughtered, all but one, Tom calls in The Texas Rangers to help and this adds another layer to the novel. One thing Craig’s deftly done is create a full, broken picture of Tom. He’s struggling to hold on and do what’s right for the town, even when inside he’s breaking. And when he makes an unlikely love connection, it makes things even harder for him to compile what must be done versus what he wants to do.

One thing I really loved about this novel is that it feels like DiLouie manages to fit 1000 pages of story into it. We get a lot of characters coming and going but none of them feel glossed over or simply there to die. Laura grows throughout the book, gaining strength and courage, even more than she had coming into this one, and really becomes her own person. Tom’s character is effectively beat down and him partnering with a key Texas Ranger worked really well to highlight his physical disintegration but also his mental focus on completely the job.

The ending was a lot of fun and the setting Craig chose for us readers was phenomenally cinematic. I think a lot of readers are going to be giddy when they get the final scenes and see what he’s done here.

What I didn’t like: I think the only thing that I struggled with – and this is probably because I’m getting older and I struggle to accurately figure out how old teenagers are – was the transformation of Laura from book one to book two. I had a vision of her being mid-teens last book, though she was older, so at the beginning I grappled with her transition to now being a police officer. Again, that’s on me.

Why you should buy this: Rarely does the second book in a two book series (Will there be a third? We’ll see!) elevate the events in the first book while also actively increasing the lore and smashing the readers expectations, but this one absolutely does that. DiLouie’s world within this book, and the first, felt real. Felt familiar. And he made us know these characters which aided in delivering emotional wallops when different folks died. This book was far more cinematic than I expected and its atmosphere and delivery reminded me a lot of Craig’s exceptional ‘One Of Us’ novel.

A folklore slasher with plenty of blood and heart, I suspect this book will become a holiday horror classic over the next decade or so. Until then, it should prominently feature on many bookstagram and booktok accounts as the leaves turn and the snow falls.

Title: Death in Its Many Forms

Author: S.H. Cooper

Release date: October 2nd, 2026

*Huge thanks to S.H. for the digital ARC of this one!*

If you’ve been following my reviews for some time you’ll have seen two trends appear. First – I’ve frequently lamented how I’m struggling to read collections and anthologies (reminder – a collection is from a single author, an anthology is from multiple authors) simply because I read SO MANY a few years back and I grew burned out on them. Second – for fantastic author pals, I’ll always put my own struggles aside to read and review their work to help promote it and hopefully increase eyeballs on those releases.

S.H. Cooper is one such author pal who I’ll always read and review and support. In my head I have a group of authors I’ve lumped together who I’m always excited to see what they’re producing. Laurel Hightower, Sonora Taylor, Tiffany Mok, Nico Bell & S.H. Cooper make up that author group FYI. So, if you’re at home reading this and looking for authors to read and support, this fivesome should be already written down.

When Cooper announced ‘Death in Its Many Forms,’ I was super excited! I couldn’t wait for this to release, as Cooper’s writing is fantastic and I love how she tells her stories. When she posted she had ARC’s available, I reached out and was elated when she sent me one back.

Knowing how easily Cooper handles subgenres and moves around within them, I dove in and as expected – was richly rewarded.

What I liked: Showcasing her talents across ten stories, Cooper tackles different ways/forms of death within each. The settings may all be different – though a few are similar-ish and not in a bad way – but the emotional weight of each is the same. Death will come and nobody is safe from the grim reaper.

Each story hops from highlight to highlight and I found myself really cherishing my time with each tale, loving the setup and the delivery. Cooper – much like the other four I highlighted earlier – has a familiar yet fresh writing voice and I found hints of the other books she’s written nestled within a number of these stories. I honestly struggled to pick out any story that I considered my favorite, so after finishing the book and reading my notes about each one, I chose two to highlight that really struck me deeper and connected with my reading brain more than the rest.

‘Charnel Mother’ – a story following two grave digger’s hired to retrieve a body goes sideways real quick. This one might’ve been the scariest/spookiest story within the collection. While in the process of getting the body during the night, one of them swears they see a woman watching them and hears what they think is a bell. Soon, they both think they see the woman following them and, in typical Cooper fashion, things only get more horrible from there. This was excellent and one I wished was about twenty times the length!

‘Breaking the Routine’ – if I had to choose a favorite, this one would probably be in. We follow a woman on her typical work day. Arrive at the office, makes coffee, goes to her desk, staples paper etc., etc. Repeat. Repeat. Ground hog day. But then she notices slight variations. Hears odd noises, sees shadows. As the reality of what’s occurred sets in, Cooper doesn’t hold back and this one goes from unsettling and strange to heart wrenching and soul crushing. Phenomenal story.

What I didn’t like: I feel like my notes might be wrong, but one thing I noticed was that outside of the last story, every story is told in 1st person POV. I only think readers would find this an issue if you were sitting down and reading them all back-to-back, but because I would read a story and pause for a day or two, it never felt like more of the same or created an issue with resetting the reading brain between each story.

Why you should buy this: I mean, it’s an S.H. Cooper release. So, yes. You should absolutely buy it. If that isn’t convincing enough, then how about this – ten fantastic stories told through the fantastic prose of a fantastic writer, where – should you choose – you could absolutely read in a single sitting. Fantastic. And when you finish and close the book you’ll do two things. The first will be to buy more of Cooper’s books – I suggest Inheriting Her Ghosts and Threads of Ash: South – and the second will be to nod your head and say, ‘Well, that was fantastic.’

Amazing collection.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/255910767-death-in-its-many-forms

https://authorshcooper.com

Title: Crone

Author: Keith Rosson

Release date: September 22nd, 2026

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC!*

I’ll admit I’m late to the Keith Rosson reading game. Somewhere on my Kindle lies his collection ‘Folks Songs for Trauma Surgeons’ but I’ve just not managed to get to it. When people told me I HAD to read ‘Fever House’ I checked it out, but I’d read a lot of rockstar character books over the last few years and needed a break, so I’ve not gotten to it. Then ‘Coffin Moon’ arrived & sadly, I’m vampire-d out as well lol. So much so, that when I was writing my own novel, ‘Churn the Soil,’ I started with vampires as the forest guards but swapped them to ancient-earth entities that resemble dimorphodon’s because I couldn’t bring myself to do vampires. Now, this may all sound negative – and I promise I’m trying not to sound negative – I’m just letting you know why I’ve not read a Rosson book yet.

And then came ‘Crone.’ The synopsis had me hooked, I loved the cover and the title made me intrigued over what Rosson would do with something in the woods. And by now you should know I love all things ‘something in the woods.’

What I liked: The novel, for the most part, follows Eli Lamp. A former detective who lives near Portland, his wife died during childbirth and when his daughter was a teen, Hannah disappeared, taken by someone in a van on the outskirts of town. Since then, his life has fallen apart, but he’s rebuilding. Though no longer an addict, he’s still beholden by the drug gang he grows for, in their debt for keeping him alive after he sought retribution in Portland.

All is ticking along. Until the son of the gang leader turns up dead in a river. And after he’s buried, he returns. And all hell breaks loose.

Rosson sets things up nicely in the first quarter. We get the lay of the land, the constant uncertainty of life under the thumb of a deranged ruler and we see how Eli keeps chasing ghosts while keeping the deals in place between the law and those living on the other side of it. We grow to tolerate Eli, though I found I never was able to fully like the man. Why? I’m not sure. But it made for an interesting experience and kept me riveted as the story progresses.

The other portion of the novel is told through Avery’s POV. Avery was Eli’s daughters friend, with her on the night she was taken. Avery’s returned to town, strung out on drugs after having stolen a bunch of cash from her boyfriend. She’s returned because she saw her friend in a dream and her friend said she needed to come back.

Avery’s storyline works well to not only show us how Hannah’s disappearance created a ripple effect around those who loved her most, but also a way to introduce the crone, the thing that lurks in the trees.

As the story progresses, more and more truths are revealed and its in these moments that Rosson highlights the human element of the story, which really makes this one hum along. In lesser hands, these moments may not be even included, which would’ve kept this novel fairly surface level when it came to emotions and progression.

The final quarter was solid and when the shit hits the fan, it hits the fan solidly. We get answers to questions each reader will definitely have and we learn the history behind the thing in the woods, which was great to learn.

What I didn’t like: While I really enjoyed Eli’s storyline, I personally don’t enjoy the whole backwoods drug gang stuff. It kind of felt a bit like Sons of Anarchy, which I really struggled with watching. So, keeping focused on Eli and Avery, made sure this one hit the right notes. Additionally, (slight spoiler aspect FYI) we do learn about Hannah’s disappearance, and I almost wish we hadn’t, though it did make for a really great section.

Why you should buy this: If you’re already a Rosson fan, then this one’s a no-brainer and you’ll be all over it. If you’ve never read anything from Keith yet, I think this one’s a great jumping in place. Tight, explosive and repulsive in the right amounts, this novel hooks in and keeps you hooked. The pacing was spot on and the atmosphere throughout was really well done. And most importantly, this isn’t your tried and true familiar crone or witch character. This one was fantastically transformed. This book will keep you up long after you should’ve gone to bed. And you won’t even regret it.

Title: I Am the Monster Under the Bed

Author: Emily Zinnikas

Release date: September 15th, 2026

*Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

I gotta be honest – when I saw the email from St. Martin’s Press come through offering this ARC for review, I wasn’t a fan of the title. After having read the book – and loving it by the way! – I’m still not a fan of the title. Reading the title initially, it gave me the sense that this was YA or middle grade horror. Pushing my trepidation aside, I read the synopsis and a light bulb went off. This was going to be my jam.

When I was a kid first getting into horror, there were only two tropes that truly terrified me – monsters under the bed and creatures in the woods. When I read the synopsis, I was immediately snagged by those two details. That as a child, Willa, the MC, had memories of something under her bed. And, that a group of teens went into the woods and only Willa came out. And though, in the description it doesn’t outright say ‘creature in the woods,’ that’s where my mind immediately went!

What I liked: Keeping with my ‘I gotta be honest’ opening line, I honestly had no idea this was Emily’s debut novel. When a publisher reaches out regarding an ARC opportunity, I have one line of thought – is the synopsis something I’d enjoy. If I’ve heard of the author before, great. If not, it doesn’t turn me away if the synopsis is intriguing. The reality of life is that we all have the same twenty-four hours in the day and every day is busy. I only have so much reading time – even less right now during the summer – so, I want to maximize my reading pleasure, and when I read this synopsis, I knew I’d enjoy it.

The novel follows a world renowned author, Willa, who paints under the moniker W. Sloane. Few know that W. Sloane is one and the same as the sole survivor of the Rapture Mystery Slayings, the event where six of Willa’s high school friends were brutally murdered, while she survived. She didn’t do that, she knows it, but back then, the local police and residents doubted her story and that she was the only one to return. She was always considered weird. She had a friend named Elliot who lived under her bed. She stayed clear of her basement, where the shadow people lived and wanted her gone, and she fed the forest to keep it full. On the night of the deaths, she forgot to leave meat out for the forest to feed, so, for all of these years, she’s blamed herself for their deaths, though she didn’t kill them.

She’s stayed away since graduation, but that all changes when a celebrity psychic calls her out and demands the cold case be reopened. Coupled with her beloved high school art teacher passing away, she’s forced to return and confront her past, and how that’s rippled into the present, head on.

Zinnikas does a great job of painting (no pun intended) the reclusive nature of Willa. The why of her shunning publicity, even as her paintings are hung in the most prestigious museums and art galleries around the world. And when a journalist sneaks in under the false pretense of an art interview, her cover is blown and the paparazzi nature of our TMZ world helps send Willa back to Rapture.

Once there, we get to see a familiar storyline. The return of the outcast. How small minds stay small in small towns and how those who remain can’t fathom that people change. Luckily for Willa, she befriends a new cop, even as people from her past show up and she struggles to not spiral. She’s there, doing this for the one woman who believed in her.

There were at least a dozen scenes in here where I felt my feet pull away from the end of my bed. Between trips down memory lane where Willa recounted her friendship with Elliot under her bed, to scenes within the forest and how branches would move and sway as though independently controlled, I was terrified. There’s large sections of this book that read close to the horrific atmosphere shown normally in Indie horror, not in polished, Big Five Press horror, so kudos to Emily and her editor for keeping the book as dark as they did, because that was a significant worry I had when I started.

Additionally, I’d like to point out how much I loved Zinnikas’ internal dialogue aspects of Willa as she struggled with her guilt/experience/survivor mind. Between how Willa was processing being stalked, running into the high school teacher who was inappropriate with her all those years ago, and being the only survivor – while being alluded in public by adults and professionals that she was the one who did it – Willa is a complicated character. Never once did it feel like an overwhelming amount of hurdles for the reader to deal with and the flow of Willa’s mental state was easy to follow and feel for.

The final quarter takes a different turn with the psychic becoming more involved and the secrets of Rapture coming to the surface. Those things that Willa saw that made her weird. It made for a fantastic finale, the forest really coming into detail and the cinematic climax as equally scare as hell and cathartic.

What I didn’t like: The only thing that stuck out for me was that I found a lot of the Rapture random people introduced didn’t get much time to become individual entities. Which meant when Willa would bump into a rando in the grocery store or wherever, I often couldn’t remember if she’d already encountered them or not. It wasn’t a big thing, but outside of a few Rapture residents, most of the characters beyond the main crew were all grey and not materialized.

Why you should buy this: This was fantastic. Every beat felt hypnotic and Willa made for a great MC. I’m still stunned this was a debut novel, because it reads like Zinnikas has been publishing for years. A dark, gripping, engaging read, ‘I Am the Monster Under the Bed’ had me hooked from the beginning. After having finished it, I want to read even more books with people being friends with what goes bump in the night and you already know how much I love my horror set in the woods.

For anyone looking for a fast-paced scarefest, this one will make you keep the lights on and flipping the pages until the sun rises once again. And for anyone wanting a smalltown who-dun-it with creeps and thrills, look no further.

Loved this one.

Hey all! I hope you’re doing well and managing the craziness that is 2026!

So, back in March of 2026, Kaiju Killers Pt I was released. I posted about it here on my website and the response has been awesome so far! At the same time as its release, I also announced Kaiju Pt II! BUT, neglected to actually post it here. SMH. I’m so sorry!

I’m trying to be more on the ball with updates, but for some reason, dropped said ball here.

Pt I and Pt II work as sequels and complimentary pieces to my novel Mastodon. They fill in some of the behind-the-scenes moments of Mastodon, and the craziness within, while also continuing the story.

Even better – Joe Hempel and Fright Night Audio will be releasing the Audiobooks of both parts, and we’re shooting for a September and October release for those!

The covers for both Kaiju Killers – which when side-be-side make for an amazing image – were handled by Geoff Parrell at Numb Phase Design! Find his work here – https://numbphasedesign.ca/

Geoff also did the cover for my novella We Watch.

You can grab Pt I & Pt II here – mybook.to/mastodonseries

or grab Pt I at the direct link;

And you can grab Pt II at this direct link;

Title: The Video Store Massacre

Author: Michael Grimala

Release date: May 15, 2026

*Huge thanks to Michael for sending me a digital copy to review!*

Where I grew up, there wasn’t a lot.

Really small town, no stores/malls, and for the most part I was my own entertainment. We had three TV channels, CBC being the staple on Saturday nights for Hockey Night in Canada. I spent a lot of time in our backyard playing sports by myself or spending time in the trees along the base of the mountain our house butted up against.

One thing we did have was a VCR. And just two houses down from us, Marilyn Scott rented VHS tapes out of her garage – think most were $1, some $2, so without fail – and several times a week – I’d grab a buck or two from my mom and walk over, in search of something to watch. Marilyn also let us run a tab, so in some cases, after we were done playing at the park across the street from her place, I’d stop in and grab something, dutifully writing down the title and how much was owed in her notebook.

Between the VHS rentals and my other neighbour lending me her Stephen King novels, this was my introduction to horror. Marilyn didn’t care what I rented. I was eight, nine, ten, and she’d look the other way if it was PG13 or Rated R. I watched everything I could get my hands on, knowing full well my younger sisters wouldn’t want to watch any of the movies.

Recently, the amazing Tony Jones messaged me about a book he thought I’d love. He raved about it, said it was an unexpected gem and that it was a throw back to the kids band together to battle an evil that dominated most of the 80s and 90s horror films. I was intrigued by it and then to my surprise, the author, Michael Grimala emailed me and offered a review copy!

What I liked: Honestly, I didn’t even read the synopsis. Tony had loosely described it and the title had me hooked. Remembering how much fun my youth was by grabbing VHS tapes purely by cover image/title, I went in decently blind.

The novel follows a new-to-town kid named Calbert, who hastily has arrived in Auburndale after his mom insisted they pack and leave their old place. He’s unsure why, and even worse, the move happened during mid-summer, so he can’t even use school to make friends. That changes though, when his mom leaves for work and he sneaks out to explore the town. His mom is very protective of him and doesn’t want him going anywhere on his own, though for why he’s unsure.

While exploring, he runs into Ray, John and Denise, three kids his age who are huge horror fans and who are planning on making their own horror movie. After getting ran out of the local movie store from an angered school principal, they end up at the abandoned Drive-In Movie Theatre, where the trio hang out and watch films in the old staff area. It’s here that Calbert learns some people believe the place is haunted, after a bunch of people were killed years prior.

It’s from there that Grimala begins to reveal the horrors. We get a lot of really fun scenes, where each of the kids need to confront and deal with their own personal fears, all the while trying to figure out the truth of what happened all those years ago. They’re desperately trying to stay alive, as the horrors begin to haunt both their waking and sleeping lives and throughout, they try to determine ‘why.’ Why now? Why them? And why is it even happening?

We start to get those answers, but in doing so, Grimala ramps up the carnage, the chaos and the volume of fake blood that’d be necessary, should this ever be adapted. Throughout though, this remained exceedingly fun, a great homage to the movies and books I read as a youth, much like many fellow readers.

The settings we experience in here also help to heighten the story. We get a school, a video store, the drive-in, a hotel and a few others I won’t mention to remain spoiler free, but each and every one worked to both entertain but also ramp up the action. I really enjoyed how the set pieces were used and utilized and added to each of the characters terror.

The ending works well, and we get a huge cinematic send-off with all of the moving components coming together and those characters who’ve survived working to overcome the last push that evil always seems to have in media such as this one.

What I didn’t like: The one thing that I noticed, that ended up dimming some of the shine of this book, was that there was very little backstory build up of the main characters. We learned very little about most of them, outside of some key details that were necessary, and because of that, the emotional connection we’d typically develop with each of them just wasn’t as significant as it could’ve been. Saying that, nobody likes to be bogged down by excessive backstory, nor seeing a book that feels well-paced, slow to a slog because an additional two hundred pages of backstory were added, so I think this might be an individual reader thing, where I wished for a bit more and others may find it was the perfect amount.

Why you should read this: ‘The Video Store Massacre’ is a fun, throwback novel harkening to the fast-paced 80s and 90s horror movies featuring a great cast of kids who you want to see overcome increasingly difficult odds. Grimala must’ve wrote this with a maniacal grin on his face, because it feels fresh and vibrant, while also paying homage to a lot of movies and books that came before it.

A debut novel that’ll stay with you long after the credits end, this is a perfect summer read for those of us who like to stay up far past our bedtimes wondering what’ll happen next. And now I wish I could walk down the street to Marilyn’s garage and rent a few tapes for the weekend!

Title: Nightjars

Author: Michael Wehunt

Release date: September 29th, 2026

*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a digital ARC of this one!*

Since discovering Michael’s collection ‘Greener Pastures’ I’ve always been excited for each of his releases and devoured them upon their landing on my Kindle. I was honoured to have Michael even reach out previously to see if I’d review his novella ‘Everything Is Beautiful and Nothing Bad Can Ever Happen Here,’ and when I while writing my own novella ‘We Watch’ (which I also dedicated to Michael [humble brag, lol!]), his novella heavily influenced the tone and atmosphere I was going for within. When I read his PHENOMENAL novel ‘The October Film Haunt’ I couldn’t wait to see what his next full length release would be. And then ‘Nightjars’ was announced and I had to take a calming, collective gulp. Why? Because I struggle heavily with Vampire fiction. Since I was a kid, Vampire media – no matter the format – just never did anything for me. I didn’t find them terrifying. I wasn’t scared of their powers or their fangs or their glamouring ability. My wife and I watched True Blood when it originally aired and I don’t think I made it to the end of it, though I’m pretty sure she did. Vampires, to me at least, are far down on the list of things I enjoy.

So, with my significant Vampire prejudice in place, I put my trust in Michael’s storytelling ability.

‘I Believe in Wehunt’ just might need to a shirt.

What I liked: The novel centers around Luke, his ex-wife – who happens to be pregnant from her new significant other, and their daughter. Luke has battled addiction, which lead to his separation, but has vowed to stay on the straight and narrow to be their for his daughter. His father wasn’t always there and when he was, Luke has odd memories. Those memories are thrust into the forefront of his life when strange photos are shared with him. Soon, the meaning behind those photos is revealed and Luke needs to do whatever he can to prevent his daughter from being taken.

Michael does a really solid job of setting the stage here. We see Luke, learn to tentatively like him – even if he is a bit sappy and frustrating – and easily understand how much love he has for his daughter. It’s there in his efforts to stay clean and sober. It’s there in the playhouse he’s building with her when she spends time with him. And it’s there when he gets a small, wooden version of her made, one that lives in the playhouse to keep it warm while she’s at her mom’s.

Wehunt also does a great job of showing the push-pull nature of Luke and his ex’s relationship. How she wants to trust him and keep love for him in her heart alive – at least for their daughter’s sake – but when things start to go up the creek and they both can’t find paddles, it’s that mutual love for their daughter that band them together. Even when they’re apart.

One thing this book managed to do, which took me a bit to put into words, was how Michael painted colors with his prose. It was a phenomenal approach to storytelling. One where some scenes were faded blue and moldy green and others were warm yellows and glowing oranges. It was subtle at first, but as the book progressed, I could tangible feel the cinematic approach he was using with his descriptions, one where the dark greys and ashes blacks were ripped down the middle with thick splashes of vibrant read. It was as close to read a graphic novel – as a novel – as I think I’ve ever experienced.

The final quarter of the book takes a similar approach while also ramping up the pacing and tension. We arrive where all roads have lead and there we see and learn the history of the main Vampire that has been terrorizing Luke and haunted Luke’s past, and we see Luke transform from ‘just a dad’ to something willing to go that extra step and do even more to make sure his daughter is ok. It added a significant extra layer of emotion to the story, even as Luke’s POV was lessened and his ex-wife’s increased.

The ending can only be described as powerful. There’s a sliver of light (pun intended, ba dum tiss!) for a sequel within this world based on the decisions made and questions answered, but as is, if we see this as ‘THE END’ it was a gut punch and spoke to the family dynamics that played out across the scope of the story.

What I didn’t like: I mean… if you don’t like Vampire fiction, this is a Vampire book. But, if you’re like me, what pulled me through this novel was Wehunt’s mastery of atmosphere and the family emotional narrative.

Why you should buy this: If you’re a Wehunt fan, you’ve probably already pre-ordered this, like I have. If you’re a Vampire fan, then you’ll absolutely want to gobble this down. And, if you’re not a Vampire fan, I’d still suggest you give this one a go, simply for the fact that this felt like the first time I read the graphic novel ’30 Days of Night.’ That was one of the rare Vampire released I’ve loved and been unnerved from.

Wehunt takes a darkened idea and twists it into a blackened narrative that showcases what makes him such an amazing writer. Heart, soul, and atmosphere all coated with a thick layer of blood.

Perfection.