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
*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!
*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.
