Title: This Wretched Valley

Author: Jenny Kiefer

Release date: January 16th, 2024

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Deja vu for those who read my reviews, but by now, you’ve probably deduced that I like reading books set in the wilderness and involving craziness. It could simply be they are lost and they need to survive or the forest itself can be possessed or an ancient entity wanting to remain untouched – either way, I’m game.

Add in the third spine-tingle maker for me – Dyatlov Pass – and I’m practically vibrating in anticipation. If you’ve not heard of Dyatlov Pass by now – I’ll pause while you go Google it and then we’ll wait here until you dig yourself out of the rabbit hole…………………………………… (eight hours later) AH! You’re back. See, not much going on in that crazy world with Dyatlov eh?

So, it should’ve been a no brainer heading into ‘This Wretched Valley’ that this book would’ve been tailor made for me, but alas, not all books hit home runs and for me, this one was an easy ground out to first base.

What I liked: The novel is centered around two main individuals – Clay and Dylan. Clay is doing a research project using LIDAR and attempting to find an unmapped rock face in order to graduate. Dylan is a recently signed professional climber, and as she’s been friends with Clay for some time, when Clay finds his potential A-grade rock face, he invites her along so that she can make the first climb and film some online content. They head there with two others (Dylan’s significant other Luke (and their dog, Slade) and Clay’s research assistant, Sylvia.

The only problem? The place Clay’s found is in an area the locals know to avoid.

As they hike in, we get the growing tension of GPS issues, each of the people thinking they’ve been walking in circles and Slade, the dog, going bananas time and time again. The dog doesn’t want to be there, but the group pushes its outbursts away, suggesting the dog has just seen a squirrel or a deer.

Once they do finally arrive at the cliff face, nothing goes right. Kiefer does a solid job of making the area feel uneasy and a suggestion that not all is right with the place, nor with the group. Arguments break out, time seems to move differently and each of the people find that they seem like things are repeating themselves, even when there’s video evidence to suggest otherwise.

It all comes to a head when an injury happens and they need to get the injured person to a hospital. This kicks of a series of events that ultimately culminates with the forest reclaiming those who’ve trespassed and the circular nature of well… um, nature kicks off again.

What I didn’t like: I reaaalllly wanted to like this one. Going in, I was hoping to get something along the lines of Nevill’s ‘The Ritual’ meets Lyons ‘The Night Will Find Us.’ Instead, I found everything to be telegraphed and falling into the world of ‘predictable,’ unfortunately. I personally didn’t care enough about any of the characters to want to root for any of them and when I didn’t have any emotional attachment, when anything happened, it had no effect on me.

Things got off on the wrong foot near the beginning, at least for me, when they stop for food and the waitress wasted no time in telling them that people go there and don’t come back and soon after, they end up driving in circles. Couple that with the way the dog was behaving – finding what appears to be a human femur – and the group brushing it all aside, it made it hard for me to ground myself in reality in order to then detach myself from reality, if that makes sense? I needed something to say, ‘Hey, these individuals are pragmatic and rational, so the irrational stuff happening is that much worse because of it.’ But we didn’t get that at all.

Why you should buy this: As with all books, if it sounds like something you’d dig, give it a shot! I LOVE 99% of all books I read and I go into every book expecting to have my socks knocked off, so when one is a misfire, it’s more of a rarity for me. This one just didn’t connect any dots with my reading brain and instead of DNFing, I stuck it out to the end, hoping that the ship would be righted and I’d really fall into it. Unfortunately, that never took place.

So, for you, if you are looking for a book set in a creepy place and things just don’t go right, this might very well be right up your alley.

For me, it just didn’t do what I had hoped it was going to.

2/5

Title: Eynhallow

Author: Tim McGregor

Release date: February 22, 2024

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Raw Dog Screaming Press and Tim McGregor for this eARC!

Eynhallow, Scotland.

A small, desolate, currently uninhabited island off the northern coast of Scotland. A place, according to Google, that has a folklore surrounding it that suggests the Finfolk, shapeshifting mer-people, reside their during the summer months.

Which, if you read Tim’s prior novella, ‘Lure,’ would have you wondering if these two are interconnected at all. But I’ll leave it at that.

Why I did bring that up, is to highlight the magic that Tim has captured in my imagination twice now. The first time was by crafting a cinematic, fairy tale with ‘Lure,’ a novella about a vengeful mermaid. Mermaids are a topic of story I struggle with and Tim had me rapt from page one and never let go.

Which gave me confidence going into this one. Why? Because I find Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus’ to be a slog to get through. Bits and pieces captured me unequivocally and have always stayed with me, but much like many of the older classics, my brain struggles to be whisked away, instead begging for them to be reduced to short stories instead of novels. I know, for some, that sounds blasphemous, but that’s how this readers brain works.

So, that brings us to ‘Eynhallow.’ A novella which has a very engaging synopsis, until the very last line – ‘His name is Frankenstein and he’s come to this remote isle to fulfill a monstrous obligation.’ That had my hackles up slightly. I trust that with Tim’s work I’ll get a stunning story and phenomenal prose, but when the name Frankenstein rings out, I was worried about how my reading brain would approach the subject.

What I liked: Set at the end of the 1790’s, we follow 29-year-old, Agnes Tulloch, wife, mother and, by default, the island’s midwife. She has no formal training in the practice, but after having four successful births and a few unsuccessful ones herself, she’s the go-to when a baby is arriving. Her life is hard, rough and cracks have appeared in her tolerance. She’s tall and very strong. And she was essentially forced into marrying her husband, who is almost twenty years older than her.

Her life is set and she goes about her day as normal. That is, until this strange visitor arrives. Victor Frankenstein. Those who were born on the island detest those from abroad, and so because of this, none of the islanders want to have anything to do with him. Agnes herself, is not from the island, born on the mainland and only moving her once wed to her husband, so Agnes’ husband hires her out to this stranger. She’ll bring him some food and keep his place clean.

At first things are fine, but as she learns more about Victor and the two develop a connection, life begins to change. McGregor does a wonderful job of making Agnes one of the best characters you’ll ever read. I mentioned her age previously, as throughout, you’d think she is twice that, her soul older and her will ironclad. She cares deeply for her children, and her submissiveness to her husband and his drunken abuse slowly dissolves, her internal strength growing as she sees a potential for her and her children.

The island itself plays a prominent role, its shores and undulations making for a perfect place for these families to be island-bound and artificially stranded. The currents are rough and sailing across isn’t without peril.

McGregor’s masterful prose shines through here. Every single sentence is a highlight and told through a razor sharp sense for a cinematic experience. I read at night, and all day, while at work, I was longing to return to Agnes and Eynhallow, wanting to see who the strange creature was the lurked on the periphery and just how Agnes would get out of this life she so desperately wants to leave.

The final quarter of this story is heartbreakingly bleak. Events have happened and Agnes has to watch her former life from afar. It was soul crushing to witness how time forgets her and she forgets everything else. Her kids, their names, those who used to live on the island and how she’ll haunt its shores forever more.

What I didn’t like: In all honestly, I found this novel perfect. Having finished it late last night and now writing this review up first thing, I struggle to pinpoint something to share with you that you may not like. I would tend to lean toward the obvious, this isn’t a rollercoaster paced novel, it’s more of a casual meander across an island and back, so if you’re looking for non-stop action and cliffhangers galore, this won’t be the novel for you.

Why you should buy this: Tim McGregor has knocked this one out of the park and once again he’s thrown my own reading prejudices in my face.

From start to finish, Agnes bleeds from the pages and you’re going to be rooting for her and holding your breath time and time again as she navigates the harsh life she’s been forced into. Fans of Shelley’s work will really enjoy this ‘side story’ of Frankenstein’s quest to create life from death and the last quarter is a great think-piece exploring the ramifications of what this would mean, were he successful.

Just an outstanding novel and one that I think will elevate McGregor into that next level of world-renowned writers. Right where he belongs.

5/5

Currently available for preorder through the RDSP website;

Eynhallow

Title: Psychic Teenage Bloodbath II

Author: Carl John Lee

Release date: December 1st, 2023

I remember when Uncle Carl released his first novella, ‘The Blood Beast Mutations’ back in 2020 and he sent me a really kind email (actually his son sent it as Carl stays pretty off the grid) thanking me for reading it and saying such kind things. And at that time, I think I sent something back along the lines of – ‘it won’t be long until everyone is reading your work.’ And I meant it. And now, some three years later, it always fills me with great joy when I pop on Tik Tok or Books of Horror on FB or wherever and I see someone gushing about how amazing Carl John Lee’s books are. Because it’s true. Yes, Carl writes extreme horror, but – and I’ve said this before – his books are filled with real stories, layered approaches, relationship building and honest to god plots. It’s a novel with extreme moments, not just extreme moments with an after thought of story.

With last years outstanding, ‘Psychic Teenage Bloodbath,’ (and according to Goodreads numbers, Lee’s run away hit!), we were introduced to Susan, a girl trapped in a coma but possessing phenomenal powers of her mind. Things ended with a bang, between Susan, Charlie and Lynette – and while I won’t discuss that here for spoilers, be aware that going forward, if you’ve not read book one, some things might spoil it for you.

You’ve been warned.

What I liked: The second book picks up a bit after book one, where we find out that Susan did in fact take over Lynette’s body and banished her mind to the far reaches of her brain. Charlie at first wasn’t aware of this, believing her and Lynette had escaped Susan’s wrath, but once she understands the truth, she’s stuck in a physically and mentally abusive relationship which is ruled by Susan’s jealous iron fist.

When Charlie sees her chance, she takes it, purposefully trying to kill them both, but this is only the beginning. They awake now, in the dream world, the psychological realm, where Charlie searches for Lynette, and Susan seeks out both of them, desperate for vicious revenge.

It’s here that Carl John Lee does something remarkable unexpected. Within the pages of this brutally extreme novel, we get an emotional interlude. Charlie is reunited with her dog, Princess, who has been waiting for her since they passed away. Once Princess and Charlie are able to properly say goodbye they end up at the Rainbow Bridge and the reader ends up a bawling sack of unexpected sadness over this moment arriving seemingly out of nowhere. The story continues on with more blood, shredding and body cavity depravity, before we get an unexpected (and hilariously placed) celebrity cameo, before arriving at the last quarter where all bets are off.

I will say, the way Carl John Lee executes the ending of this story (pre-epilogue) is magnificent and shows his penchant for cinematic storytelling.

The epilogue opens the door for a potential third novel, and if it wasn’t for the Rainbow Bridge moment in the middle, would’ve been the most heart-wrenching thing ever to exist in a Carl John Lee novel.

What I didn’t like: As with all Carl John Lee releases, remember that this will have some truly brutal moments. Some of them have very specific purposes, while others work to set up something further down the line, but if you struggle with extreme, just know going in that this is a full on sensory assault.

Why you should read this: Fans of Carl John Lee’s will have already preordered this – like me (but thanks again for the digital ARC Uncle Carl!) – but if you’re looking for one of the most solid extreme storytellers to whisk you away into a world of love, lust, desire, depravity and debauchery, look no further. Pick up book one, read it, and get ready for this one, as it takes the story laid out in the first to a whole other level.

5/5

Title: Pedo Island Bloodbath

Author: Duncan Ralston

Release date: September 15th, 2023

Ah… Duncan Ralston.

Look, the reality is, with the way the online, social media world operates, you’re going to fall into one of three categories. Category One – I like Duncan’s work and I like Duncan. Category Two – I like Duncan’s work, but I don’t care for what he posts/don’t interact with him online. Or Category Three – I have him blocked and refuse to read him.

It’s a shame that this is where we’re at, but even Duncan will agree that’s where we sit. And the truly shameful part of that is, those who don’t read his work are missing out on one of the most cerebral authors currently putting out high quality books. Much like Matthew Stokoe has achieved with COWS and High Life, Duncan has accomplished with the one-two punch of WOOM and Gross Out. Both of those works are escapism, psychological thrillers, masquerading as Splatterpunk/Extreme horror. Yes, the content is extreme, but so is life when you’re not living in a four bedroom, two bathroom home with a mortgage payment and two cars. Three point five kids, a white picket fence and a border collie that loves everyone.

Duncan’s work is always a multi-layered conversation on world events, timely, topical moments and often times has a deeper metaphorical aspect to things big and far. Take Gross Out and its conversation on the often-cited cliques that exist within the writing community at large. Ghostland examined the rising role of AI, technology and mankind’s continued desire to push things too far and then apologize after everything goes crazy. And I’ll add in Wildfire, a story about someone living off the grid, trying to keep themselves safer from the ever-changing insanity that is world events, while also discussing themes of domestic violence.

His work is more than what is shown on the surface, more than what you see when you read a title, see a cover, or spend a few minutes reading one star reviews of his work from folks who aren’t willing to dive deeper into the narratives shared.

With this newest one, Duncan has decided to add to his growing repertoire of global issues by frankly discussing human trafficking and the horrible reality of how many kids get gobbled up by the rich and famous with no repercussions. Now, I will say here, that I’m not a full on conspiracy theorist regarding many things, but when it comes to child sex trafficking, the stats are there and when you start to read more and more about just how prevalent it is, its soul crushing.

Saying all of that, I did go in with trepidation, simply because I knew this was a vampire story at its heart and I struggle with vampire stuff. I always give each story the benefit of the doubt and go in wanting to love it, so with this one, I put my trust in Duncan’s hands and let the tide take me away.

What I liked: The story follows a few different characters whose paths eventually merge. We have Sven, a journalist who has made a name for himself with in-depth features over the years. He’s gotten an invitation from the ultra rich, Emory. He has invited a whose who of super wealthy on his massive yacht, to travel to a strange, exclusive island. Sven knows something’s up and wants to expose what it is. Even odder, is Emory’s wife, Tess, an enigmatic figure who stays in the shadows. Then we have Clarissa, a young woman searching for her sister who was kidnapped when their parents were brutally murdered. She knows a monster did it and wants to find the truth. She meets Gabe, a young man working on the ship and connects with him, as well as a strange, but friendly, older man, who has a history that’s hard to believe.

With that as the setting, Duncan races along in this gripping, mystery-thriller that has a ton of squirm-worthy moments, extreme scenes and grisly gore. In his afterword, he mentions this starting as a Splatterpunk work and morphing into a mainstream novel with extreme aspects and I think that’s accurate. I fear though, that this title will prevent many of those specific fans from taking the plunge and enjoying this brutal romp.

The novel turns things up another notch, when we get to the island, meet The Duke and the mansion/manor comes into play. It’s a great set piece itself and I’ll hold out hope that Duncan might do a special/exclusive/limited hardcover type release with a map of the island and a blueprint of the abode.

The ending was spot on – BUT – much like his most recent work Puzzle House, does end on a cliffhanger and at the moment, we have no idea if there will be more entries into this world.

What I didn’t like:  As I said, if you, like me, struggle with vampire based stuff, this one does have a very straight up vampire storyline. Saying that, Duncan does do a lot with the mythology/folklore behind it and our old man character was a blast, reminding me of a character from the TV Show, The Strain.

Additionally, this one does have a lot of dark moments, extreme scenes and if you feel fuzzy at the first signs of gore, you’ll want to stay clear of this.

Why you should buy this: I mean, at this point, I don’t really need to try to convince fans of Duncan’s to read any of Duncan’s works. He’s a GOLD BANNER machine and someone who has built a massive fanbase through hard work, exceptional writing and some of the best books released in the last decade.

So, for those who’ve not read his work yet and are hesitant, I’ll say this – give it a try. Take this one for a spin, or Salvage, or Ghostland, or The Midwives, or Wildfire, or Puzzle House. Give one a shot and you’ll see what I’m talking about. A phenomenal writer creating phenomenal works of fiction.

As for this one, if you’re looking for a very solid vampire story, wrapped in a child trafficking yarn, told through the lens of an extreme horror conspiracy theory, look no further.

4/5

Title: In the Garden of Rusting Gods: A Collection

Author: Patrick Freivald

Release date: September 12, 2019

If you’ve followed any of my reviews over the last few years, you’ll have seen that I’ve mentioned I’ve been burned out on reading collections and anthologies for some time. Well, that was the case. Things have started to slowly take a turn towards me getting back into them. Typically, I have 4-6 books on the go at one time. I bounce around from them, until one steals my attention wholly and I can’t put it down, before returning to the others. I also like to have a collection/anthology mixed in there, to break up the space between each book. So, what I mean is, I’ll read one book for say, thirty minutes, then a short story in a collection/anthology, then jump to another book for thirty minutes and repeat. I paused that for some time, but have now began to return to that practice and it’s been great returning to that again.

I’ll also make an admission here and this might be slightly embarrassing, but also a complete reflection on the fact that I can’t kick some of my super small town upbringing.

My admission – if you’re an author who has been nominated/won a Bram Stoker or a Shirley Jackson Award, I kind of consider you writing royalty. (Long breath out… fix my imaginary tie… adjust my imaginary glasses… let the flush of embarrassment slowly fade… and continue). It’s true. It blows my mind when I interact with anyone who has those accolades (amongst many others – looking at you Huge and Nebula etc etc) and I’ll make a note to check out their work when I can.

Case in point, is the author of today’s book – Patrick Freivald. I’ve had this collection on my Kindle for a few years now, taken hard by the cover when it was revealed, but up until reading this collection, I hadn’t read any of Patrick’s work, but knowing he’s a multiple Stoker nominee, I figured I’d be perfectly assaulted with each story. In fact, up until reading this, I knew Patrick more from his work moderating the HWA Facebook page than anything else! So, this was a refreshing change!

What I liked: If I throw these titles out, where does your brain immediately go? Alien. Predator. Event Horizon. Splice. Terminator. My brain processes this as horror/sci-fi and both in movies and in fiction, this mashing of the two genres are some of my very favorite things I’ve ever watched or read. Reading this collection felt like I was reading Ridley Scott’s unreleased movie ideas. Freivald, time and time again, created these dark, intricate, horrific slabs of sci-fi infused stories that had me completely captivated and enthralled. Where I started this collection as a break between switching books, it quickly took over and I had to read it without setting down.

While each story was really well done – looking at the back-to-back punch up of ‘Twelve Kilos’ and ‘Foam Ride’ as an example, there were some stories that stood out as my favorites above the others.

‘Trophy Hunt’ involved werewolves trying to survive while being hunted. It was a fast-paced, solid story that flipped the script and really filled this lycanthrope loving readers heart with joy.

‘The Extermination Business’ read like an old time detective story, where a hired gun seeks out wererats and has to navigate his personal feelings with the job he’s been hired to do. Felt like this would be a great movie done in the same format as ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’

‘Forward Base Fourteen’ was a claustrophobic story of the last remaining survivors trying to make contact with another base, but when things go south, decisions need to be made. The atmosphere in this one was pristine.

‘In the Garden of Rusting Gods’ was a behemoth of a story. Maybe twenty pages long, this encapsulated an entire novels worth of narrative within. In the future, humans have gone underground as Lovecraftian-AI-Robotic alien beings arrive and invade. It was so cinematic in scope and the way Freivald told this one might make some of you hyperventilate.

Saying all of that, my favorite story hands down was, ‘A Taste for Life.’ This might’ve been the shortest story in the entire collection, but this one was a juggernaut and within only a few pages showed one scientist descend into madness while also showing progression in the subject being studied. Also set in the future and underground (but unrelated to the title story), zombies have taken over and those who have survived are now trying to find a way to cure them, or at least dampen the desire to kill all of the living. This one was just outstanding.

Throughout, Freivald goes from strength to strength and even the last story, ‘Taps’ takes us out on a high note. Each story also is accompanied by really great artwork, which is always a bonus.

What I didn’t like: As with every collection, each story will connect differently with each reader, but this one is so very solid.

Why you should buy this: From start to finish, this might very well be one of the best written collections you’ll ever read. Each story jumps in, pulls the reader along and then finish with a bang, a flourish of storytelling magic. I was drawn in slowly with the title story, but by the middle of ‘Forward Base Fourteen,’ I knew I was reading something special and soon thereafter abandoned all pretense that I wouldn’t be devouring this collection in a few sittings.

Amazing batch of stories.

5/5

Title: Snarl

Author: John Boden

Release date: September 5th, 2023

Recently, I’ve seen a few folks on Tik Tok and IG express some love for John Boden’s newest novella, ‘Snarl,’ and I realized it has been some time since I’ve visited his works. I’ve not read a lot of his work, a previous co-authored novella and maybe a half dozen short stories in anthologies, and each time I’ve really enjoyed his writing voice and the characters he creates. Much like Ronald Kelly and his approach – where you instantly know who you’re reading – John Boden is similar, which made for some excitement starting this one.

Odd now, that having read this one, sometimes when you’re reading multiple books by completely different authors, two stories end up being similar. Such was the case with ‘Snarl,’ having just finished ‘Humane Sacrifice’ by Felix I.D. Dimaro. In Dimaro’s, we follow Melvin, a man with a learning disability, living with his mom and willing to do whatever needs to be done for the love of his live, his cat Lucy.

Well, in ‘Snarl,’ we follow Marlin, a man who is a bit slow upstairs, who lives with his mom and who is willing to do whatever it takes to help the love of his live, in this case, his lifelong sweetheart, Lisa.

What I liked: As I just said, that is the entirety of the principle of this story. We’re in a small town, where everyone knows everyone and as it goes, everyone learns each others business. In this case, Lisa lets Marlin know that her husband is being abusive and wants to use Marlin as a way out, as a means to an end, no matter if Marlin gets hurt or not.

As if often the case, there is more going on than meets the eye. Marlin confides to a trusted friend about what Lisa has asked him to do. This results in blackmail, twisted words and a converging of several plot points that Boden works so very well to telegraph far in advance and still keep the tension high and the reader on the edge of their seat.

Couple that with Marlin struggling with the reality that in the womb, he was a twin and he lived, while his brother died. He has guilt over this, believing he killed his brother. And now, his mom is dying of Cancer and doesn’t have much time left. Boden weaves this narrative like a master throughout and adds in some introspective journal type entries throughout.

The ending is emotional and works so very well.

What I didn’t like: Much like I’ve seen mentioned on each IG post and Tik Tok video, I fall into the same category – the synopsis of this novella doesn’t do the story justice. I read the synopsis and was intrigued, a bit perplexed and wasn’t totally sure what I was going to be reading. But after I worked to push that aside and just let the story unfold, boy did it ever, and I think the story we end up getting is far more powerful than what we’re lead to believe.

Why you should buy this: If you love small-town, character driven narratives that has an interwoven story that is so very, very well done, look no further. This could’ve been a one sitting read if I didn’t have a bunch of other books on the go, and that’s 100% because John weaved a tale so perfect and pristine, I was grinning like a maniac the entire time.

5/5

Title: Human Sacrifice: The Story of the Aztec Killer

Author: Felix I.D. Dimaro

Release date: April 8, 2023

Since connecting with Felix however many years ago over on Instagram (I’m thinking five years? Maybe six?) I’ve loved seeing how prolific he is with creating new and exciting nightmares. Felix is also not afraid to explore different topics within his stories, which means you’re always going to get something new and he won’t be repeating himself.

I realized it had been a bit since I’d read one of his works, so, while we were chatting, I asked him if there was something of his specifically I should tackle next and he replied with ‘Humane Sacrifice.’ With that, I dove in, ready to deal with whatever horror Dimaro had thrown me into this time.

What I liked: The story follows ‘loser’ Melvin, a forty-year-old man living in his mom’s basement. He suffers from dyslexia, which was never diagnosed and as such has led to a lifetime of his mother shitting on him and calling him all kinds of names.

But Melvin pushes that aside, depending solely on his feline companion, Lucy, a cat he loves more than anything else in the world. When she develops a tumor and the vet lets him know it’s untreatable, Melvin spirals. Not all hope is lost, though. Not when a strange man tells him that there’s a way to save Lucy. And Melvin is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive and make her better. Even if that means taking the lives of others to feed Lucy their lifeforce.

It’s an interesting character study from there on out. One of a man who has been constantly pushed down, told he is stupid, told he can’t and that he isn’t able to do, and when he realizes he can make his own decisions and do what needs to be done, this creates an internal battle between good and evil. Between what should be done versus what he actually does.

The ending and the reveal are fantastic. As Melvin continues taking lives and Lucy continues to improve, Melvin himself grows ill and when everything collides and the truth is revealed, it’s a moment of sheer brilliance with how well Dimaro kept those cards close to his chest.

What I didn’t like: The nature of the story makes it so, but it does have some repetitive aspects, simply because Melvin must kill to feed Lucy. So, any tension that should be created by Melvin’s perceived slightness and awkwardness is minimized knowing that he will lash out and choose violence.

Why you should buy this: Dimaro has created a character in Melvin that you’ll both want to yell at but also hug. He’s a great take on the simmering character who you know will explode at some point in time and when his believed cat’s life is on the line, he’s willing to go that extra mile.

This novel is fast-paced, blood-soaked and completely bonkers in the best way possible.

4/5

Title: Despatches

Author: Lee Murray

Release date: September 1st, 2023

Huge thanks to Lee for sending me a digital copy of this novella!

Over the last number of years, I’ve read a lot of Lee’s works – from her novels, to her short fiction and into her non-fiction – and one thing has become very clear throughout all of that.

Lee is a masterful storyteller.

Couple that with her being one of the kindest, most supportive and caring people in the horror world and it makes it easy to root for her and every one of her releases.

Which brings us to her latest, ‘Despatches,’ released through the wonderful PS Publishing.

When this was announced, I was tentatively excited. I knew full well that Lee would craft a story that would capture all of the emotions of this time period. But it was that dread ‘E’ word. Epistolary. I personally struggle with epistolary storytelling, and I was worried that it would diminish my ability to crack this one and make it work for me. But much like Craig DiLouie’s wonderful novel ‘Episode Thirteen,’ Lee’s story pushed through my own barrier and had me captivated.

What I liked: Told through journal entries, newspaper clippings and transcripts, the story takes place during World War I and follows Cassius Smythe as he covers the events occurring in two different areas.

At first, things seem ‘normal,’ or as normal as anything can be during one of the darkest periods of our modern world’s history. But it’s while crossing a channel that things begin to grow sinister, more supernatural. This leads to a chaotic and excellently crafted scene where men abandon ship, a fog sets in and something from the depths makes itself known.

As the story progresses, we also learn of the emotional toll the growing body count takes on those fighting and while discussing this aspect, Cassius learns that the tunnels themselves may be home to something increasing the body count, which only ramps up the horror within each communication.

The ending is a really solid ‘finish.’ It ties things off officially and un-officially, which is 100% vague, but I need to remain spoiler free here!

What I didn’t like: The reality is, this is an epistolary story, so if you do struggle with that I understand you’re hesitancy. Saying that, this one hums along. Lee actually sent this to me yesterday and I thought I’d just get a chapter read, but I ended up reading it in one feverish sitting.

The second reality is, this is a war based story and with the state of the world, Remembrance Day tomorrow – at least here in Canada – you may not want to visit this piece right now. Do add it to your TBR though, as I have hope things will get better!

Why you should buy this: While this novella hasn’t gone ‘wide’ yet, meaning it’s available through the publishers site at this moment, this is one you should absolutely seek out and grab. Lee’s prose is world class, this story is pristine, horrific and brings us to the heart of the battle full on.

I truly couldn’t put this one down and can’t recommend it enough.

5/5

Ebook:

https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/despatches-ebook-by-lee-murray-6169-p.asp?v=0&variantid=6170

Hardcover:

https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/despatches-hardcover-by-lee-murray-6119-p.asp?v=0&variantid=6120

Title: The Bunny Man

Author: Lance Dale

Release date: November 7th, 2023

Originally released as a limited chapbook back in the summer of 2023, Lance Dale has now released his short story about a strange folkloric/urban legend as a standard ebook and paperback. Lance and I connected I don’t know how long ago and he’s been a massive supporter of my work (and all things Alanis) ever since, so I absolutely knew I was gonna grab this and give it a spin upon arrival.

What I liked: Lance has only released short fiction up to this point, but has an extension non-fiction background, and his ability to craft a story is front and center here, packing a novel’s worth of story into roughly twenty-five pages.

The story follows Sally, who was chosen to tag along with a super popular Youtube show in a contest, as they go to film their next video. It’s exploring the history of ‘The Bunny Man,’ a mysterious creature or man-in-a-suit, who attacked some people back in the 70’s near a bridge, but has popped up a few times over the ensuing decades.

Lance does a very solid job of introducing us to the cast, and getting us to understand their quirks and ticks and how they all interact together.

Once there, we get a quick rundown on how the episode will go and, as this is a short story, arrive at the apex of the story, with the action/conclusion taking place. It was a lot of fun, gave us some great brutality and showed us how far someone is going to go to survive.

What I didn’t like: I think the obvious part is the length. I think Lance could’ve easily expanded this to a novelette or novella length to give some of the story more room to breathe and to flesh out a bit more of the backstory. As is, the backstory is pretty tame when it comes to the urban legend world.

Additionally, the ‘twist’ is telegraphed far in advance, so I think expanding this would’ve helped keep those cards closer to the chest. And when it comes to a secondary ‘twist’ involving a character, that came a bit out of left field and more of that aspect could’ve been infused.

Why you should buy this: For such a quick read, this packs a wallop and it’s one dark fiction fans will whip through. Lance has really created a dynamic world with these characters and the setup and it definitely excites me to see what he creates next!

5/5

Title: The Valley (Linkville Horror #2)

Author: Mike Salt

Release date: April 5th, 2023

*Disclosure – ‘The Valley’ was published by DarkLit Press and was offered to me as a digital ARC. I have a novella releasing through DarkLit in 2024, but saying that, I declined accepting the ARC and preordered the three books in the series – at that time – and have recently purchased the fourth. This review is completely my own thoughts.*

After whipping through the first book in this ‘linked’ series (see what I did there!) of horrors set in and around Linkville, ‘Damned to Hell,’ I dove into book two, ‘The Valley.’ This book had me really excited and if you’ve read my reviews before or read any of my own works, you’ll know I’m always up for strange things happening in the woods.

This one, just from the description, had me salivating over a novel that sounded like it would be a throw back to the Eli Roth time period of horror movies. There was a solid stretch there where every director was ripping and shredding their actors and actresses by tossing them into the woods – in literally every country – and having things there attack. And I was all for it.

So, with this one, a group of friends rent a cabin in the woods (YES!) and find a strange map (DOUBLE YES!) and they decide to hike to the place on this strange map (GOOD GOD YES!) only to run into trouble (AHHHHHH!!!!!!), I knew this novel was gonna be perfect for me!

What I liked: If you read that previous paragraph and didn’t skip it – thanks for that! – then you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. A group of friends, who gather annually in different places around the world to have fun, decide this year that they’re going to go to the mountains instead of say, Vegas, or Cancun. At first, there are some grumblers, a few who are annoyed and don’t want to hike, but the cabin is great and the scenery is world class.

Salt does a solid job of getting us to that point, some great banter between life long friends, but it’s when the generator runs out of fuel that things really take off. A few head to the basement to refuel it and while down there, stumble upon what looks like a desk specifically for researching an area of the mountains. A waterfall that isn’t noted on some standard maps. And as a group, they decide to hike to it and see what it’s all about.

Of course, this is after learning that the previous owner died a grisly death and one of the friends in the group has been having strange dreams. You know, normal stuff in horror books that characters immediately overlook, ha!

It’s from here that the group faces its first real obstacle. As they go, a stranger arrives. They threaten them, the group scatters and soon enough they find themselves in a ghost town that seems to have been abandoned long ago. While here, a strange fog settles, time becomes irrelevant and they have to work together to potentially escape.

Mike keeps the tensions high, the anxiety growing and the hope of any of them surviving barely dangling out in front. We learn the horrible truth of this cursed place and when we get to the very end, are given a glimpse of just how much that strange town had wrecked havoc on those who make it out.

What I didn’t like: While I did enjoy the group of friends, I did find that there was almost too many of them, which made for tough going as the story progresses and you’re trying to remember who is who and who they are with. This also worked to diminish some of the emotional moments where a stronger connection between reader and characters would’ve resulted in a more impactful reaction.

As well, the time spent in the town did feel a bit longer, as we do circle around a few times, seemingly not progressing towards a resolution. It pays off in the end, but a few chapters did come off as repeats of the previous ones.

Why you should buy this: After reading the first two books in Salt’s Linkville series, I’m invested and really want to see what book three will throw at me. So far, both books can be read as individual books with no ties to each other, other than a shared location, and even that was a bit of a stretch based on this one being up in the mountains.

This one was a fast-paced story, set in a great spot with some truly fantastic storytelling that had me intrigued and unsettled at the same time! Now, onto book three!

4/5