Title: Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations

Author: Carina Bissett

Release date: March 8th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Carina for a digital ARC of this one!*

Firstly – I owe a huge apology to Carina for the delay in posting this review. I had wrapped up reading it this past Saturday and was planning on posting the review Monday, but on Sunday, I was slammed with a massive head cold, which knocked me down for the count. I’m marginally better, which is letting me get this review up and posted!

Carina and I connected way back in 2019, in the most wonderful of ways. Carina was the first recipient of the Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and that truly warms my heart. Her short fiction has been published pretty much everywhere and she’s been nominated for pretty much everything!

Which meant, that when she emailed me about a potential review, I was all over it! It felt full circle for me, seeing how we connected, but also knowing just how strong her fiction is, I would be in for a treat!

What I liked: This collection is pristine. Varied. Steady. Masterful. Each story has an energy that crackles and within each, Carina deftly weaves a tale that is immediately striking, but also hits at something deep within the reader. As you can gather from the title and cover art, emotions run high throughout and the breadth of themes within this one made for numerous stories requiring a pause once done, reflection, and in some cases, re-reading parts to mentally digest how bare and exposed Carina’s writing was.

If you read any of my reviews, one thing I’ll often note is that when an author gets to a certain degree of honesty shared through fiction, I’ll refer to it as brave. I think Carina might’ve set the bar here for what I’ll compare every other story – no matter the length – with, from now on.

Standout stories for me were ‘Rotten,’ ‘Water Like Broken Glass,’ ‘Gaze With Undimmed Eyes and the World Drops Dead,’ ‘The Stages of Monster Grief,’ ‘Burning Bright,’ and ‘Dead Girl, Driving.’

‘Gaze…’ particularly stood out. It was a very unique telling of a woman at a hotel in Colorado who dreams of her old life while connecting with her new one. It was fantastic.

But hands down, my favorite story was ‘Cracked.’ The themes within this one are heavy, dealing with fertility, having children, being a single mom and the expectation of birth. It is about a middle-aged woman who gives birth to a massive, ten-pound egg. Carina straddles the line between humor and seriousness, but all the while making the reader reflect on their own perceptions when applied within the context of this story.

Within each story, the worlds, the characters and the themes that Carina have created are ones that will have you hooked and desperately wishing for more, even when you’re relieved when they come to an end.

What I didn’t like: I personally loved each story, some more than others – see ‘Cracked’!! – but overall, the level of storytelling was masterful. But, as always, reader mileage may vary based on personal preferences.

Why you should buy this: Carina’s short story writing is scholarly in its execution. If you’re starting out and want a masterclass on how to tell a story that it impactful but also accessible, this is the perfect collection to snap up and devour. Otherwise, if you’re simply a fan of sumptuous fiction that bleeds from the page, Carina’s collection is simply phenomenal. A must read for all fans of dark fiction collections.

5/5

Title: Being Followed

Author: Derek Muk

Release date: January 31st, 2024

*Huge thanks to Derek, Dean and Demain Publishing for a digital copy of this!*

We live in some of the most infuriating times. It doesn’t matter where you look, or how you filter your news, every day feels darker, light dimmer, hope a fading belief of a decade ago.

Between Russian and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the political landscape in the US, the rise of bigotry, anti-Semitism, far-right movements, and hatred worldwide and even the ever de-funding of Education and Healthcare in Canada, the world just feels like there’s no way to dig ourselves out of these dark holes. I could go on and on, but I’ll pause here, not wanting this to depress us even more.

And in the world of fiction, this is also a boom time. No matter where a writer looks, something is going to piss them off and inspire them to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.

Derek Muk is one such writer. And in this, his newest release, he’s angry, he’s pissed off and he writes with a feverish heat throughout. I’ll share this from the books Goodreads page;

‘Derek Muk says of ‘Being Followed’: “My book is a topical, modern-day, real-life, current events horror story (mixed in with mystery, suspense, thriller, and romance) that mirrors what’s going on in the U.S. and I think readers will relate to that. The book was inspired by racial tensions sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia rally, the January 6 coup/storming of the U.S. capitol, the murder of George Floyd, and the fascist atmosphere of the Trump Presidency.”‘

So, now you know what you’re in for.

The story follows Claire, a Jewish woman, who has just released a book looking at socio-political topics. Not long after the book is released, she begins to receive threatening notes. They’re left everywhere, even on her car at the University’s parking are, which she discovers after her class she teachers ends.

From there, things escalate – a break in at her apartment where they leave a horrendous display – and Claire knows that things will only continue to worsen, but she’s not going to back down, not give in to their demands. She contacts her former colleague lover, Albert, who comes to her aide and the two of them try to work through this together, bringing them closer once again.

Muk jumps between present day and their old University times, showing how the two of them connected back then, as well as how they reconnect as the threats ramp up.

Throughout, it’s a difficult read with deep themes that are honestly tough to digest. I see the news. I read the stories, watch the clips, but I don’t personally directly experience any of this. I’m a 40 year old white guy. I try my best to be an ally, to be there for those who need me and to know I’m a safe space, but I don’t get notes left on my car, graffiti painted on my home, or death threats emailed to me. I don’t get yelled names in public, or have strangers come up to me and wish me dead or spit on me.

And that’s the reality for millions of people every day. Millions. That’s not an over exaggeration. I’m writing this review the morning after the current US President, Joe Biden gave his State of the Union address, one in which he was interrupted by the Jewish Space Laser lady, who continues to rail against letting immigrants into the US and who believes that country needs to be more religious and more white. I can’t imagine, sitting there watching that as an ethnicity, who moved to the country to try and provide a better life for my family, and see such hatred on display. And it’s daily.

And Muk’s novella directly addresses that. It hits to the core of it and it’s a novella that I loved and I hated equally. I loved it because of how Claire and Albert are such strong, solid characters and strong, solid people. I hated it because it reads far too close to non-fiction than anything of this nature should.

I’ve eschewed from my usual format of reviewing specifically for this book, because this is a piece that needs to more widely read, is heartbreaking in its message while uplifting in its resilience and I don’t think the message within fits my standard format.

Kudos to Dean, Adrian and Demain Publishing for backing this and giving it the care it needed to be released. This novella may very well become a piece we see used to teach in schools, much like Orwell’s ‘1984.’

Well done, Derek.

5/5

Title: All the Fiends of Hell

Author: Adam Nevill

Release date: April 2nd, 2024

*Huge thank you to Adam for sending me a digital ARC!*

We’ve been living in a saline world, filled with blues and yellows and a hint of orange. Life goes on. Prices trend upwards, viruses spread and bombs drop on the innocent while all in the name freedom or oil. As we tread water, some of us scream to our reflection each morning in the mirror that ‘things will get better,’ while others look skyward and ask for their savior to return and smite the sinners, praise the followers.

And then…

In the distance…

A redness. Carried on the shoulders of pure, unadulterated dread.

Two years since the seeping terror that was ‘The Vessel’ was unleashed, England’s master of shudder-inducing horror, Adam Nevill appears over the horizon. Bathed in brine and doused in the redness of the bay, he too looks skyward. And what he sees is something none of us will want to have come into focus.

When I first heard about this book – in Adam’s always phenomenal newsletter – I was instantly hooked. An Alien Invasion horror novel from the mind that brought us the blackest books released over the last few decades. Stack his novels ‘Last Days,’ ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Lost Girl,’ ‘Under a Watchful Eye,’ ‘Cunning Folk,’ ‘No One Gets Out Alive,’ ‘Apartment 16,’ and ‘The Reddening,’ and not only do you have close to 4000 pages of fiction, but you also have an encyclopedia of how to literally scare a reader to death. Add in ‘The Vessel,’ and his short fiction, as well as ‘The House of Small Shadows’ and you’re looking at 7500 pages of bone-bleaching blackness. I haven’t yet read ‘Banquet of the Damned,’ (fixing that shortly), but I’ll assume it is no less bleak.

Nevill has found his path, carving it out of the hillside that runs along the ocean’s shore. He walks the line between the old guard – those who were dialogue driven and used that more to guide a story than plot (see Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub) – and the new guard, where each chapter ends with cliff hangers and we see a psychological torment infused throughout (see Paul Tremblay, Andrew Pyper).

Knowing Nevill would be crafting a story that would be equal parts exhilarating and traumatic (as plucked from a response he gave to someone, I think it was on FB?), I went in knowing I’d purposefully be taking my time. I wanted to savor this. Let each sentence and paragraph ferment in the back of my throat like I was some fancy connoisseur of expensive cheese. Nevill doesn’t just write. He paints. He creates. He unleashes bloody fucking hell on the characters and he doesn’t care if the reader makes it to the end alive. His novels suggest he prefers they don’t.

What I liked:  The story begins in the middle. Karl, sick with the flu and heartbroken over his failings and his divorce, is stuck in bed, mentally deciding on whether it would be better for him to kick this bug and get better or to just go to sleep and never wake up. He’s done with life. Then, during the night, he hears bells and, looking outside, sees his neighbors walk out into the streets, under the glowing redness of something from above, and they all ‘fall in reverse, skyward.’ This opening salvo, this five or so page introduction to this world was harsh enough that I paused here while reading. I put it down and went to another book. It unnerved me more than anything I’d read in some time. Actually, since I read ‘Under a Watchful Eye.’ Nevill’s writing is as close to uncomfortable as The Devil’s Note is on the piano. That tritone that creates such vestibular dissonance that you wish it stop immediately.

But he doesn’t stop there. Karl awakens the next day, not believing the events were real. It was a illness-induced dream, he tells himself. But everyone else is gone. All, except the few stragglers he finds who were also sick when the bells sounded. His neighbor with a disease. A couple kids who also had the flu. A senior’s home with elderly ill patients.

Nevill delivers a few lines that are so real, so uncomfortable that I understood just how perfectly he chooses his phrases. One such moment is when Karl finds all of the neighbors doors are open. Unsettling, yes. But, he wants to check on his sick neighbor. Going to her door, he calls out. No reply. Then he pauses at the front door. He can’t bring himself to go inside. It’s an invasion of someone else’s personal space. Much like a vampire needs to be invited in, Karl feels the same. When he sees the husband at the top of the stairs he forces himself to step over the threshold.

A similar moment happens not long after. Karl takes his car and drives. He comes to an intersection and the light is red. Still, he sits and waits until it turns green. Even with no other cars around and the reality that he is one of the few remaining survivors in the world, he follows those norms of society that are now ingrained in each of us, not wanting to ‘break the law,’ even though no laws will ever exist ever again.

From here, Nevill transforms the book from a straight forward ’28 Days Later’ style narrative – something is breaking glass, flickering in the light of the day, but forming more fully when redness comes across them (but not zombies!) – into something very similar to his masterpiece, ‘Lost Girl.’ Karl, who had his marriage dissolve over the ‘are we having kids’ argument, finds two kids, brother and sister, Jake and Hayley, and takes them under his wing. They immediately all seem to need each other and he wants to protect them.

This is throw on its head when a stranger shows up. The reader will immediately hate this character, and rightfully so. Nevill splits the terror here. 50% devoted to the red sky approaching and 50% devoted to Karl and Jake working together for a common goal. Survival. Retrieval. Vengeance. It’s a trifecta of perfection that Nevill delivers and he delivers it with glee. And each time we hear the haunting squeal of avianish harbingers, we clench our teeth and pray for survival. The horrors, as they’re come to be known as, were done so very well. Nevill uses a ‘less is more’ approach with them, giving us spurts of description but backing off before any of the edges are fully formed, any of the details fully filled in.

The final quarter of this novel is a straight sprint. Even if – like I was – you want to savor it, you won’t be able to slow your pace. It’s as though you’re on a train track and the brakes have failed. We get the sea, we get the horrors growing and approaching and we get Karl and Jake doing whatever needs to be done to keep Hayley safe, and then Karl going above and beyond to get them all to survive.

They very common saying of ‘red sky at night, sailors’ delight, red sky at morn, sailors take warning’ will no longer apply to anyone after reading this novel and having to digest all of the nightmares that’ll come along with it.

Nevill, in the afterword, discusses how H.G. Wells ‘The War of the Worlds,’ was an inspiration to writing this, but I’d also say that there’s a lot of the movie ‘Signs,’ here and not in a bad way. I personally love that movie, and if you’re of a certain age, the scene were Joaquin Phoenix’s characters watches the footage of the creature appearing still haunt’s you to this day. No, the similarities rest in the set piece and the characters. Within this book we have four characters that are prominent throughout, with a fifth arriving later. Much like in ‘Signs,’ were it starts with just the family at the farmhouse. Karl and the kids move along, trying to survive, while the family hunkers down in their home when the aliens arrive. But it’s all about survival and keeping the kids alive and trying desperately to find a way to make it through these horrid events that they’ve found themselves in.

What I didn’t like: From start to finish this novel is a heavy read and as the story progresses, we get more layers, like a weight being added to a bag you’re carrying. The one bit I wish we’d seen more of or learned more of were the things called ‘the left-behinds.’ I won’t go too far into it, as I’m trying to stay spoiler free, but they were so intriguing, I was hoping something would be shared about the how and why.

Why you should buy this: Well, firstly, if you’re a Nevill die-hard, you’re buying this. Secondly, if you live for ‘alien invasion horror,’ you’re buying this. BUT – if you’re not sure of either, buy this to follow one of the best characters I’ve read in some time – Karl. Karl isn’t your typical ‘hero.’ He often contemplates if it would be easier on him if he just killed himself and let whatever will happen, happen to the kids. He wonders if they’d be better off if he leaves them. He’s a real character. Someone who doesn’t believe he can possible save them, but wants to try because he does care, even if he won’t admit it to himself.

Nevill’s storytelling is always a joy to read, even if the books are filled with some of the bleakest moments you’ll ever experience. The master only gets better and with this newest march towards a total red eclipse, we all must bow down and chant skyward, that we abide, and let the redness wash us away.

5/5

Title: Necronado

Author: RJ Roles

Release date: February 16th, 2024

Since I first really began my writing journey, RJ has been a constant companion. When we connected, he has always been nothing but kind and supportive and throughout this time, its been great to see his own journey from reader, to drabbler to short story writer to long fiction. His devotion to horror is well known, as the creator of the Books of Horror Facebook page and one of the current Admins and he’s even formed a small press and released a number of anthologies. Safe to say, RJ loves horror and whenever you read any of this stories, that love shines on every page.

When he announced his newest novel, ‘Necronado,’ I was stoked. Hot on the heels of reading Chris Sorensen’s ‘Bee Tornado,’ I was excited to see what type of crazy 80’s pulp Roles was going to deliver. Would we get a tornado of dead folks whipping through the town? Would we get demon wind? What would it be? Who would survive?

I dove in smiling as wide as a loon.

What I liked: The story takes place in a small town, something Roles always has a mastery of. Every character and place he sets his stories in feels alive, as though we’re walking with him through the dusty streets and saying hello to every neighbor. In this case, a goofy guy decides he wants to see what happens when a specific ritual is completed. So, him and his girlfriend head to the cemetery where they complete it and, as is ALWAYS the friggin’ case – all hell breaks loose.

From there, we arrive at a writer struggling to meet a deadline, with a wife and son. Unbeknownst to him, his wife has been sleeping with the guy who cuts the lawn. After a storm whips through, the secrets are revealed and he takes off. RJ sets things up really nicely, in preparation to knock everything back down. That storm brings with it the undead. And from that point on we get a really solid zombie novel, filled with plenty of gore, shredded skin and survival at all cost. The characters that RJ introduced us too are so well formed that you root for all of them, even that asshole neighbor that you initially want to see chomped.

Throughout, RJ weaves a well-created tale of characters banding together, the undead marching along without any thought but ‘kill,’ and it all leads to the finale where, like a match struck in the dark, Roles unleashes bloody chaos. It was a fitting ending and one that really closed off this cinematic narrative.

What I didn’t like: The epilogue. 100%. While I really enjoyed everything up to that point, even the volume of characters introduced, I felt everything that made this book feel like a familiar zombie movie you might’ve watched and loved fifty or twenty years ago was undone by the epilogue. I won’t say anything else about it, as I don’t want to spoil it, but it just didn’t work for me.

Why you should buy this: If you ever used to have a spinning magazine rack of books where you grew up, this book would be sitting on that rack and you would NEED to buy it because of that phenomenal cover. Then you’d read it and think ‘HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AMAZING!’ and tell all your buddies at school the next day. This novel is a true throwback to the 80’s horror that we all read or watched as kids. Roles nailed every aspect of this one and I think readers are gonna be raving about this one for years.

4/5

Title: Disassembly of the Pig

Author: Neal Auch

Release date: April 9th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Neal for sending me an ARC of this one!*

I can’t recall how long ago, but I connected with Neal over on Twitter when some of his artwork was used for various book releases. I think the first one I ever really noticed was for the phenomenal novella, ‘The Mud Ballad,’ by Jo Quenell, which coincidentally featured a dissected pig’s head on the cover.

When Neal announced this as his first release, I had no idea what we would be getting. Was it going to be fiction? Non-fiction? An art book? A collection of his photographs? I really wasn’t sure, but the blurbs had me intrigued and when I cracked this open and read Matthew Stokoe’s fantastic foreword, I knew we would be in for a complex and uncomfortable experience.

Now, I want to caveat my review by first saying – I grew up raising animals. We had chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs. We hunted. From an early age I helped field dress deer, moose, elk and even bear. I also helped when we needed to butcher the chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs. Where I grew up this was all normal to us. I know in the city this isn’t, but this was a different place in a different time. I also used to help my grandpa with his trap line.

From there, I’ll add – in college and university I took a significant amount of anatomy courses – from the micro to the macro – and while doing my post-grad training for my occupation, participated in a human cadaver anatomical dissection lab.

What all of this is supposed to convey, is that I examined the photographs and read the epilogue and afterword from maybe a more analytical perspective than some casual readers? I don’t state this to come off as arrogant or as a braggard, more to just state that much like when I read Stokoe’s controversial COWS, I wasn’t repulsed or grossed out by the elements utilized as I took them to be purely metaphorical. I’m used to the literal. Just prior to writing this review, I had a patient with significant Diabetic ulcer complications. Anatomy – both external and internal – are aspects of my job I experience daily.

So, I went into this art book wanting to see what message Auch conveyed, or rather, what was he trying to say through imagery. And boy, did he have a lot to say.

What I liked: To begin with, the images within this are pristine and so very gorgeous. Yes, they’re of a (as the title states) a disassembled pig and will no doubt repulse, offend and outrage some potential readers, but Neal’s artistry speaks volumes through each of the high resolution images. It’s a start look at the various parts and angles of the animal. Some of the images are incredibly unsettling, for me especially the close ups of the eyes, seeing the ‘humanity’ of them, how similar they are.

And that’s part of the message here that Neal so eloquently and academically discusses in the epilogue. We see the way we view pigs in general, as this gross, shit-covered animal that will eat anything and everything. Yet, if you’ve ever spent time with any pigs, you would know they are highly intelligent, loving and sentimental individuals who love chin scratches, belly rubs and snacks. They’ll oink with glee and elicit short hops of joy when they get called. They’re not that far off from how many dogs react when their owners call for them or call them a ‘good boy.’

The poignant examination of our teeter-tooter relationship with pigs within the epilogue creates a true juxtaposition between the images and how we consume/treat the animals. We love to eat them but still consider them nothing but ‘swine,’ used as a slang word to disrespect people. We don’t care how they’re treated in the slaughterhouses, as long as we get our pork chops, bacon and ham cheaper than last week.

And it’s those two contrasting messages that Neal showcases that really is the true power of this release.

What I didn’t like: The entire package and layout was truly gorgeous. If I was looking for something, and this might be a bit nitpicky, I think I would’ve liked an index of images in the back. There were a number of obvious images/anatomy, but as we worked from outer to inner, there were innards and other bits that I had no idea what they were and it would’ve been helpful to have something saying ‘pg. 13,’ pig liver, or whatever.

Why you should buy this: Currently, Neal doesn’t have this listed for pre-order, so watch his website, which I’ve linked below. As for the ‘why,’ if you’re a huge fan of truly powerful images paired with articulate academic observations, this will be right up your alley. This wouldn’t be a typical book I’d seek out, but once again, it’s one of those books that I devoured (no pun intended) and will remain with me for many, many years. What an outstanding release.

5/5

https://nealauch.com/disassembly-of-the-pig

Title: The Death Doula

Author: Ali Seay

Release date: November 7th, 2023

Directly after devouring Seay’s upcoming novella, ‘I Think I’m Alone Now,’ I knew I needed to read more of her work and I knew I needed to read it now, otherwise my massive TBR would swallow anything I snagged up. So, after reading through the synopsis’ and even asking Ali herself what she recommended, I went with ‘The Death Doula.’ This was released in November of 2023 through Cemetery Gates Media and immediately upon reading the synopsis I was hooked. The title was striking, the cover art stunning and now, having experienced Seay’s deft writing, I knew I was going to be in for a treat.

What I liked: The story focuses on Marki, a ‘death doula.’ Her job is to be there at the end of people’s lives and help them transition from our world to the next. This was a gift she discovered by accident, but after finding it, knew she needed to be there and help those as they pass away. It has also caused her and her girlfriend, Paula, to break up, Paula unable to cope with how sad Marki always is after a job has ended.

On this particular night, Marki gets a text for a job she’s needed for. She heads to this strange home, one that seems to be near impossible to find. Once there, things begin to become odd. The man who is on his death bed keeps saying odd things, ‘He moves me’ being a prominent one.

At first Marki thinks nothing of it, and it’s this aspect, her caring and experience with how some folks are as they die, that Seay plays up really well. In Marki’s mind, nothing can be supernatural, when you’ve been around real death for so long. As things progress and she discovers some of the history of the home and the residents, she tries to be analytical about everything. But things change. Slowly at first. We see Marki unravel and begin to understand that an evil does reside within the home.

Then we get this absolute gem of a sentence – ‘He’s what the devil has nightmares about.’ This moment acts a trigger for the action to ramp up and for Marki to finally, completely accept that she’s arrived somewhere she shouldn’t have and that there’s going to be almost no way for her to survive intact.

Seay’s control of that avenue, that subplot – what Franklin requires of her and her fight to prevent it – controls the last quarter of this novella so very well. Even when we get an arrival from Paula and some outside neighbors attempting to help, the focus is on Marki, the houses past and her desire to survive and escape, no matter the cost.

What I didn’t like: Traditionally, in ‘evil taking hold’ of someone or something, we get a bread and butter moment, when we see that incident take place. In this one, we don’t have that. We just get a horrible event involving Franklin’s past and then it’s just accepted that evil has arrived. It felt a tad flimsy when it happens, but the events that take place post-incident certainly all stem from that moment. I just wish it had felt more tangible, more ‘evil has arrived!’

Why you should buy this: ‘I Think I’m Alone Now’ was such an amazing read and completely had me captivated, but I’m thinking that ‘The Death Doula’ was even better. Marki is a phenomenal main character – kind, compassionate, willing to be there when those at the end need someone the most, but also one who finds the fight to survive and the desire to do whatever it takes to make it out alive. The setting is phenomenal, Franklin was creepy as hell and overall, the pacing of this one was so spot on it made my heart race over and over.

Ali Seay has just delivered two of the best novellas I’ve ever read and throughout reading both, I was shaking my head that I don’t see her books and name shouted from every account that professes to love dark fiction and Splatterpunk. Written with the ease of a master, these were just amazing and I’ll absolutely be reading more of her work going forward.

5/5

Title: I Think I’m Alone Now

Author: Ali Seay

Release date: May 10th, 2024

*Huge thank you to Ali for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Man, I’m ashamed to say this is my first real read of Ali’s. I say first ‘real’ read, because up until now, the only thing it turns out that I’ve read of hers was her short story that appeared in the ‘Found’ anthology, and I vividly remember that one. Andrew Cull had asked if I could help read submissions for that one and recommend my top twenty of the eighty stories he sent my way, and Ali’s was easily in the top five.

But it wasn’t until she sent this one to me and I looked through her bibliography on Goodreads that I discovered that I’d not read a stand alone release of hers – but having now read this one, I’ll absolutely be making up for that.

I wasn’t sure what I’d be getting into with this one. Going in, I knew very little. Set in the 80’s – check. Teen girl – check. Creepy/odd neighbor – check. The story involving a possession element – check. And that was it. So, jumping in, I was pretty wide open for what I’d experience and boy, did this one deliver a wallop.

What I liked: The story follows teen girl, Doris – DORIE! Sheesh! – who lives with her mom. About a year ago, while home alone, some men broke into their home and she hid in the closet, only to be found. Fortunately, things didn’t progress beyond being tormented, but that hasn’t prevented trauma from taking hold. On top of that, her mom’s most recent guy friend has taken off and her older brother – whom she loves to the moon and back – has decided to move out, leaving her feeling alone and forgotten about.

She’s got a solid friend group and life is going tentatively ok. Like, lukewarm ok. Then one day, she notices her neighbor – Mr. Frank – watching her. They’ve always been afraid of him, no kid willing to even go and retrieve their errantly kicked ball in his yard.

From here, Seay unravels a phenomenally paced possession story. We get Mr. Frank’s back story, subtle (at first) changes in Dorie, before the thing that’s taken hold fully controls her and horrible things happen. Trigger warning for sure about animal harm and death for those who need it. We get some well played moments of revenge, some truly uncomfortable moments between friends and finally, Mr. Frank reveals who he really is and Seay ramps up the demonic presence within Dorie.

I think, now that I’ve let this sit for a day since finishing, that the true strength within this book is Seay’s slow-rustling of the demonic within Doris. It was intrinsic subtle at first. Barely perceptible that the reader could even contribute to trauma response or even a hormonal attribute based on her age and situation in life. But, as things progress, and we see the inner battle take place while the outer battle rages, Seay masterfully controls the double-sided narrative and gives us an epic novel’s worth of storytelling within a novella length page count.

Now, I will add, the majority of this takes place in the 80’s, but we also get some glimpses of Doris in the future, working with kids in Church groups. This played really well, especially when she recognizes the telltale signs of possession in one of the little ones she’s crafting with.

What I didn’t like: So, I did mention we get a quick snippet of revenge within, and while the scene itself was really fun and well executed, I think on a whole, it almost felt a bit too convenient. Part of this is due to the novella length (and any of us who’ve written novellas will know this happens from time to time), but I was hoping it would’ve set up a bit more of a revenge angle or subplot, but ultimately it didn’t, leaving that moment to linger and not be utilized emotionally like it could’ve been.

Why you should buy this: This novella was fantastic. From start to finish, I was gripped and racing through to see who Mr. Frank was, what Doris was dealing with and how the two of them were going to interact. Seay sets this up with a heavy air of ‘inappropriate’ and deftly sneaks away from that to deliver one of the most engaging possession stories I’ve ever read. From the time period this was set in, to the main character, to the antagonist and the climatic ending, this was perfectly played and just a truly phenomenal experience.

5/5

Title: Shadow of the Hidden

Author: Kev Harrison

Release date: March 19th, 2024

*Huge thank you to Kev Harrison, Brigids Gate Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC!*

Between his novellas, ‘The Balance,’ ‘Warding,’ ‘Below’ and ‘Curfew,’ Kev Harrison has demonstrated time and time again that he has a firm pulse on how to craft creepy, unnerving and anxiety-inducing fiction. In each one of those releases – along with numerous other short stories and longer pieces – Kev has infused his fiction with a deft European-influence. I don’t know if that’s the correct phrase I want to use here, but Kev isn’t from America, nor do we get the bread and butter/standard American-ized fiction feel when you read any of his stories. There’s a dampness in each paragraph. A darkness that seems to sit just below the surface, such that each time you turn the page you expect to be cursed or have a cobble stone thrown at you.

So, it was, with that in mind that I dove into his novel, ‘Shadow of the Hidden.’ A story that promised to be filled with blackness impenetrable.

What I liked: The story follows Seb, who, on his last day of work in Turkey, watches as a strange woman proceeds to yell at his friend Oz. We quickly learn that the woman has cursed Oz and his family and while Oz is frightened to his core, Seb shrugs it off, not believing in such ridiculousness.

Upon returning home in London, Oz calls and Seb learns that maybe there is more to this so-called ‘curse.’ Livestock killed. Strange happenings. And as being a loyal friend, he agrees to help Oz fine a way to lift this curse.

From here we fall into a Dan Brown-esque chase (in a good way!) where clues are scattered and Seb, Oz and soon a Professor all seek them out and try to find a way to stop the curse and save Oz and his family.

Seb is a great main character and it was frankly refreshing to see him get the short end of the stick a few times for being a white male, where in some of the locations events take place, he’s looked upon with disgust and suspicion. The locations themselves play a prominent role and I would’ve loved to have seen an index in the back sharing where each place did take place so I could go Google Maps them and feel even more sad under my nails and sun on my face.

The story is told in a rapid pace, and reminded me in a few places of Andrew Pyper’s ‘The Demonologist’ and if you know me at all, you’ll know I say that with the highest of praise.

The ending is swift and startling but absolutely leaves the door open for me, which even Kev alludes to in his notes at the back.

What I didn’t like: Keeping this spoiler free – not enough moments with actual protagonist. Its mentioned over and over, but very rarely do we actually see and interact with it and the moments that we do, are far too brief.

As well, a character meets their ending and in theory that should’ve just ended everything there, but Seb continues on and I was actually confused as to why he did, as theoretically the threat should’ve ended there.

Why you should buy this: This was essentially a Indiana Jones and the Cursed Friend. We get some really engaging, fast-paced moments and characters you want to root for and cheer for. I had a blast with this one from start to finish and it really shows Kev’s level of detail that no matter where this story went, I was firmly involved and actively engaged.

5/5

Title: Here Comes the Sun

Author: Justin M. Woodward

Release date: February 13th, 2024

Man, have you read Justin M. Woodward?

When I started out almost a decade ago, Justin and I connected and there’s very few folks who’ve been kinder to me in the writing world than he has been. Safe to say, after a few years away due to some family loss and mental health struggles, it filled my heart so much when this one was officially announced and officially released. It had been hinted at for some time, and in Justin’s afterword, we see that this one was finished almost three years ago.

Not only does Justin’s work hold a special place in my heart – go read ‘The Variant,’ ‘Rotten Little Things,’ or the classic masterpiece, ‘Tamer Animals’ – but to see that his new release was going to be a Splatter-Western had me chomping at the bit to get into this one and hooooooo boy, does this one snarl and bite.

What I liked: The story takes place in small town called Fort Whipple. We don’t have any confirmation, but based on the details, this one takes place sometime in the 1800’s or so, when cowboys and six-shooters ruled the land. There’s been a rumbling that a monster has arrived. We see livestock drained of blood and people get picked off one by one, a strange voice invading their minds before a leathery-winged beast rips them apart.

Woodward commands the words on each page like a veteran writer, getting us dirty and bloody within the first few pages, before pulling back and shading in the finer details. The characters are solid, centered around the town and what’s going on and it’s the little quips and back banter thrown in – looking at you Sheriff (‘now he wants to do his job!’) – really highlight the reality of how stressed and nervous the residents are.

The introduction of a wandering stranger, a black man now free, who is bound by strange rules from a strange thing called The Order, seems to escalate both the attacks, but also the rawness the community feels. This man becomes an easy target, but as we learn the truth and rush headfirst into a truly heartbreaking finale, Woodward has us on edge, not letting any of us know just what might happen.

The ending hits FUCKING hard. I had to re-read the final paragraph a few times, and I don’t know if Justin channeled some of his own grief within that moment, but JFC do those words stab you right in the soul.

What I didn’t like: For a Splatter-Western this one was a bit Splatter-Lite. I think it fit in well with how Justin tells the story, but if you’re looking for extreme carnage and brutal descriptions, this one tended to fade to black more often than bathed in blood.

Why you should buy this: Well, longtime fans of Woodward should’ve already snagged this and hopefully devoured it. If you’ve never read any of Justin’s phenomenal work, this is an excellent place to start and if you love the Splatter-Western-Horror releases, this one is one of the best that I’ve read yet, and that’s saying something when you consider the high quality of releases we’ve already seen.

Easy 5/5.

Welcome back, Justin. You’ve been missed buddy.

Title: Mouth

Author: Joshua Hull

Release date: March 15th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Tenebrous Press for the digital ARC!**

Over the last number of years, I’ve come to expect brilliantly written books from Tenebrous with fairly insane concepts. Look at ‘House of Rot,’ ‘The Black Lord,’ and ‘One Hand to Hold One Hand to Carve,’ just to name a few.

When ‘Mouth’ was announced, I was immediately intrigued by one specific phrase – “…drifter Rusty finds himself the caretaker of a massive, tooth-filled mouth in the ground…and it’s hungry.”

WHHHHAAAAAATTT.

Sign me up! I love books centered around strangeness in woods, and this one looked to be a perfect fit of that bill!

What I liked: On it’s surface, ‘Mouth’ seems like a very simple, straight-forward story. Rusty is living his life on the road, struggling to connect anywhere, but also not wanting to connect or set down roots. Then, randomly, he meets a stranger at a shop, they have a meal together and to his surprise, this man, gives him his property. He’s tired and wants to move on. Only caveat, is Rusty needs to take care (and feed) Mouth. At first, Rusty things Mouth must be a dog, but soon, he discovers that Mouth is not a dog, but a giant, massive, tooth-filled hole in the ground that loves mice and can somehow communicate with Rusty.

From there, Hull delivers a multi-layered story of friendship, connection, relationships and coming together to get vengeance on those who deserve it. We get Abigail, a nineteen-year-old horror fanatic who has been on the run since her abusive step dad went too far. We see her and Rusty connect as well as how her, Rusty and Mouth form one of the most surprising trio’s of friends you’ll ever come across.

The POV chapters from Mouth were really amazing. What could’ve been corny, Hull deftly used to show how this sentient ‘thing’ comes to understand who Rusty and Abigail are and that they’re all there together, to help each other and take away each other’s pain.

The ending offers up a poignant take on these three companions, but also that Abigail may work towards showing the wider world that appearances can often mask the true nature of one’s heart and it’s that powerful metaphor that weaves its way throughout this novella that stood head and shoulders above everything else.

What I didn’t like: I personally LOVE novellas. Love writing them and love reading them, but in this case, I really do wish we got a smidgeon more in terms of story length, purely to learn a bit more about Mouth’s evolution. Abigail mentions it very briefly when comparing videos of Mouth, but I’d have loved to learn a bit more about the ‘why,’ but sometimes filling in those dots can make it all that more powerful.

Why you should buy this: Another home run for Tenebrous, this reminded me of the awe and the intrigue I felt while reading Andrew J. Stone’s amazing ‘All Hail the House Gods.’ You’ll instantly connect with Rusty, Abigail and you’ll desperately want to experience more and more story with Mouth.

Hull’s writing was propulsive, the story phenomenal and overall, this seemingly simple read was anything but. Stunning.

5/5