Title: The Fisherman

Author: John Langan

Release date: June 30th, 2016

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect reading ‘The Fisherman.’ In fact, I was so intimidated by this book that for many years I didn’t even purchase it, believing whole-heartedly that I wouldn’t be a smart enough reader to digest this. I often worry about ‘literary’ horror in that I’ll be out of my depth with great/massive concepts and metaphors etc that I’ll not understand what’s going on and DNF because I can’t grasp the deeper meanings.

For anyone else who has this worry about this book – fear not. Langan is a stunning writer, absolutely, and operating on a completely different level than most, but his writing is also accessible and flows with such ease that you’d think your grandfather was telling you this story.

What I liked: The story follows Abe, a solid, dependable worker at IBM who finally falls in love, only to have that taken from him. After dealing with some of his grief, he finds he loves fishing. After another worker, Dan, also deals with lost love, the two of them strike up a friendship based on casting lines, catching fish and not speaking what rests just at the back of their tongues.

As time goes on, Dan, emboldened by some hidden discovery prompts the two of them to fish at this mysterious spot.

Langan does such a stellar job of showing a man just trying to carry on with his life, especially when the life he expected for himself and for his future, have been ripped away. Abe is instantly likeable, instantly feels like a character you’ve always known and his ache and grief fills you with ache and grief.

Of course, with dark fiction, things take a horrific turn. In this case we get two – an interlude of sorts where we learn the nature of how ‘The Dutchman’s River’ was named, as well as the last 3rd of the story when things occur and wrap up. Langan goes really dark throughout, but the character of Abe continued to ground this story and make you root for the man.

What I didn’t like: Honestly the back story of the river and how it got it’s name fell a bit flat for me. It should’ve had me riveted and engrossed, but instead I desperately wanted the section to end so that I could see what was going on with Abe. It does hold a purpose, especially with introducing The Fisherman, but I would’ve been personally happier if it was shorter.

Why you should buy this: The book itself was incredibly well done and the characters and moments throughout cut through into this reader’s heart and emotions. The ending was phenomenal and I loved seeing how Abe was able to kind of ‘find himself’ again, even if it was short lived. If this is on your TBR, I suggest you move it up and dive in, as the darkness that it holds was phenomenal.

4/5

(Banner by Steve Thompson)

Yesterday I teased this on my social media pages, but today I’m officially launching a passion project that I’ve been working on for some time.

That’s right – The Official Andrew Pyper Archives!

I wanted to wait until the site was live and Andrew had a chance to visit it and let me know his thoughts and I’m happy to report he loved it!

But before we dive too deeply into the archives, I’m going to hop back a little bit here and share how we got to this point.

It’s no secret Andrew Pyper is my favorite author and his books all hold a special place in this reader’s heart. As of writing this, I’m about 35% through my re-read of ‘Lost Girls’ and it’s such a trip to be reading the book again, discovering new nuances and little clues, but to also be transported back in time.

Back in 2014, I was a fairly sheltered reader. I read King and non-fiction and a few other dark fiction writers, but for the most part I wasn’t actively seeking out new-to-me authors. Why? Not 100% sure, I think it was the desire to stay with the familiar.

A fateful trip to the Marshall Road Walmart in Abbotsford changed everything.

In the 2 for $15 paperback section (which I always looked at but seldom purchased) were two books that intrigued me. ‘The Troop’ by Nick Cutter and ‘The Demonologist’ by Andrew Pyper. Two authors I’d never heard of, but two books that I thought I’d maybe read one day. I didn’t buy them on that visit though. Instead I took a photo of them as books I might buy in the future. Over the next few days I must’ve mentioned them to my wife 1000 times, because it got to the point she told me to just go get them. Luckily both were still there and my fate was sealed. I loved ‘The Troop’ but LOVED ‘The Demonologist.’ To the point that once I was done reading it, I immediately went onto the Chapters website and ordered ‘The Damned’ and ‘Lost Girls.’ For Christmas that year I got a copy of ‘The Wildfire Season.’ I was hooked.

And so, as time went on, my brain clicked after reading each book, that maybe, just maybe, I’d discovered that author for me. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are SOOOOO many amazing authors out there, but where many of you will immediately say King or Barker or Ahlborn or Moncrieff are your personal favorite (and I love all of those authors I just listed), the one author who I connect with their work the most is and always has been Andrew’s. 

It’s hard to describe and I wish I could do a better job (which is sad considering people read my own works!) but something about his prose, his usage of environment and setting, and his literary skills with his slasher brutality and willingness to ‘go-there’ when necessary has connected.

As you’ve all seen, over the last four years I’ve begun to accumulate a solid collection of physical Pyper books. I have them all on Kindle as well, but what began as a hardcover and paperback of each release has now morphed into seeking out an ARC of each one available, as well as 95% of the English releases. Now, it’s expanded to foreign editions as well (much to my wife’s chagrin!). Each of Pyper’s releases and each variation of those books makes me smile when I see them. Recalling the world’s within and the characters that live and dance through those pages.

Over time, I began to catalog these releases on my phone. One thing that I noticed was that for an International Bestselling Author who has numerous books currently optioned and in development for film as well as having won a number of acclaimed awards – Andrew’s name didn’t come up much for anthologies. I began to seek those out to see the when’s and where’s and at one point I messaged Andrew about these appearances.

I must add – I frequently bother/bug Andrew with questions. I never expect a reply and any replies that I get I cherish. Andrew is one of the nicest people out there and as someone who always feels like a nuisance, I never want to annoy him – but one such time I messaged him about a specific appearance or anthology story and his reply really jump started this formal journey. He said “I honestly can’t remember, that was a while ago and I don’t have any copies of that.” Through my time getting to know Andrew, he’s often said he’s not a big “possessions guy.” Which is fair. I even felt bad knowing that and sending him two rebound copies of his work and the spiral-bound ARC of ‘Lost Girls.’ But those two things together was like a lightbulb going off. 

What can you do for someone who isn’t a possessions guy but who has released this amazing body of work?

An online archive.

And so here we are. With Andrew’s blessing I got this going.

This has been an absolute joy to investigate, catalog, organize and create. It has made me smile repeatedly and even random things that I never expected to make me laugh has. Hell, I found an article for one of the books on Ebay! Someone was selling a one page newspaper clipping of a Maclean’s write up Andrew did years ago for $50! Ha! I didn’t buy it, but it helped me track down the link to catalog it.

Well, I think that’s been enough, yeah? I start talking Andrew’s work and I don’t shut up!

So, before I go, here’s a few closing remarks.

I’m going to continue sharing (and shouting) about my love of Andrew’s work. I hope each of you have an author you love that brings you as much joy as Pyper’s books do for me.

And if you’re a writer, I hope you have fans as passionate about your work as I am about Andrew’s.

I’m going to keep searching out links/releases etc and keep updating the archives as best I can. There’s a few things I’ll continue tinkering with.

I want to note that I don’t consider these archives mine. Yes, I spent time doing this, but ultimately this is Andrew’s and Andrew’s work. A history of what he has created. If he ever requested formally taking over this, or his kids did, or whatever, it’s all theirs. 

Lastly, I want to once again thank Andrew for everything. As I said before, I always feel like a nuisance when I message anyone, and I know he’s a busy guy. So, thank you for letting me always be such a fan of your work and for being so generous with your time and cheering me on doing this. It’s been a pleasure and I’m humbled and honored to call you a friend.

So, without any more of my ramblings – I hope you enjoy The Official Andrew Pyper Archives.

theandrewpyperarchives.ca

 

 

 

Title: Horror House of Perversion: An Extreme Horror Novella

Author: Carl John Lee

Release date: August 20th, 2021

The return!

Look, I don’t know about you, but I love enigmatic folk who seem to exist on the periphery of society. Whether through age, distrust of government/technology, or purely they have a disdain for the general world – these folk interest me to no end.

So it is, that one Carl John Lee arrived last year with his fantastic novella ‘The Blood Beast Mutations.’ I had the good fortune of interviewing Carl John and through a burgeoning relationship, he’s also in the process of creating a cover for an upcoming novel of mine.

Saying that – I still no few details. I assume he’s between 65 and 80. I believe this based on his inability to use technology as well as the stories he’s shared – many happening in the 70’s.

I was caught off guard with Blood Beast, being a debut, but with his history of screenplays and screenwriting, Lee knows how to spin a yarn. I was also caught off guard with his setting it in present day.

With his second release ‘Horror House of Perversion’ he once again sets it in the present day, but has adapted it from a screenplay he wrote roughly forty years ago, which is just phenomenal. I really appreciated having a digital arc sent my way, but do have the book preordered as well!

What I liked: The story itself follows a familiar narrative. A group of University friends gathers for a weekend in a cabin. It’s been many, many years since they’ve all been together.

It quickly becomes apparent that the group are fairly dysfunctional and most haven’t changed since those former days. But Carl John let’s us know that the group won’t just be having fun. No, this weekend, something from their past has decided it’s time to seek out vengeance.

I don’t care how old Carl John is, the man can write gore and death. It’s been a while since I’ve read a description that made me squirm, but we get a few here, especially when parts get severed and when things get inserted.

It was also incredibly refreshing to see a story where the men get picked off one at a time. This wasn’t your typically slasher flick where the busty blonde dies a quick death after taking her top off, and the story was the better for it.

What I didn’t like: I really enjoyed this one, but I gotta say – the lady who seemingly runs the house they stumble upon, was really odd and I’m not 100% sure her character really worked or had a purpose. No, scratch that. She had a purpose, she found the wounded women and gave them a home, but I think her part would’ve been better if we knew a bit about her or had more of a back story for her specifically and the WHY of her doing what she was doing.

Why you should buy this: If you like quick, brutal reads filled with the ol’ ultraviolence look no further. Carl John Lee is in command of every single word he puts on the page and leads the reader along like we’re a new puppy in his training class. This one flew by, had tons of cathartic moments and if this was a film, the budget would be mostly spent on blood. Great stuff by an author I hope more people discover, but also who continues to put more of these dark reads out.

5/5

Title: Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and the Giant Squid

Author: H.P. Newquist

Release date: April 9, 2010

Have you read ‘Behemoth’ by H.P. Newquist? It was released by Bloodshot Books a few years back and was my first time reading anything from Newquist. It was a stunning book, one that I often think about even now, but I was also surprised to learn that is was Newquist’s first work on fiction. It was even more surprising when I saw just how many non-fiction releases he has!

But it was this one, ‘Here There Be Monsters’ that intrigued me. I snagged it for my Kindle, but much to my surprise, Newquist kindly sent me a physical copy for myself and my son to enjoy! I have to say – this book is gorgeous. The artwork, classic illustrations and photographs inside really work to heighten the narrative even more.

What I liked: The book itself investigates the historical reports of sea monsters, the Kraken and what role the giant squid plays in all of that. We get a look at reports throughout the years, as well as Hollywood has embraced the Kraken to create some truly memorable moments in cinema history.

Newquist does a fantastic job of diving into each area, ensuring that we get a balanced look at the reports as well as the real-world implications. I loved seeing the old maps, the drawings from eye witness accounts and how they have always stayed similar, even as the centuries past by.

The look into the giant squid, its discovery and the research behind it that make up the final section of the book was truly amazing and, as someone who loves cryptids and creatures, the photos and descriptions were fantastic.

What I didn’t like: I wished this book was longer! Like double or triple the length haha! I loved reading everything about it and Newquist writes with such an ease, as though you’re listening to a professor share his love of the sea, I could’ve handled another hundred pages of lore!

Why you should buy this: Thorough, balanced and laid out really well, ‘Here There Be Monsters’ is as close as you’ll get to a complete look at the Kraken myth as well as the arrival of The Giant Squid to modern day Oceanologists and science. This was such a well done book, I’ll need to take a look and see what other non-fiction releases H.P. has done over the years!

5/5

Title: Road of Bones

Author: Christopher Golden

Release date: January 25th, 2022

First off, huge, huge thanks to Netgalley, Christopher Golden and St. Martin’s Press for approving me with an advanced digital copy to read. When I got the approval email, I grinned like a maniac for a solid five minutes, never once expecting to be approved! So, thank you!

Now, as for ‘Road of Bones.’

I hate to do this, but have you read any of my own releases? Or my reviews? You know, the one’s where I share time and time again that the cold, the desolate mountains and crazy, creepy creatures are my favorite things of all time? If so – you could ignore the rest of my review and just go preorder.

If not – well let me share!

What I liked: ‘Road of Bones’ follows Teig and Prentiss. Two Americans who’ve travelled to the most remote (and cold) place in the world, in Russia, to try and film enough footage to sell a potential show to Discovery. The Road of Bones or more accurately, R504 Kolyma Highway was constructed in 1932 and stretches for over 2,000 km’s through some of the most uninhabitable wilderness in the world.

The coldest I’ve ever experienced is -51 C (-59.8F) and most winters here, we get temperatures that drop to -40C. This will be for days or sometimes weeks on end, but never for prolonged periods of time, such as they have where the Road of Bones lies. The Kolyma Highway received this name, because it is estimated anywhere from 250,000 to 1 million people died while constructing it. Due to the cold, the remote location and the conditions, those who died were buried beneath the road.

It is with that context that Golden begins the story by ramping up the tension and reality that one small mistake, one little error, and you’ll freeze to death in a matter of minutes. If the truck stalls, if you go too fast, hit ice and go off the road, you’ll become a block of ice.

The banter between Teig and Prentiss was great, showing the kinship of two filmmakers who’ve struck out a number of times, but have the shared experiences between them to know what buttons they can push. Golden made both instantly likeable but also both instantly frustrating. You want to see them succeed but also you see why they haven’t.

Once our guide joins the group and a female character comes along, we arrive at Akhurst, the last stop before Yakut, then on to Oymyakon, the coldest settlement on Earth. It’s at Akhurst where Golden really turns the narrative on it’s head. We find abandoned houses, food still on the tables and doors thrown open. Tracks lead into the woods. And it’s what’s in the woods that transforms this from a simple survival story to a creature-feature survival story.

The tension was palpable throughout, Golden pushing the reader to our max.

What I didn’t like: It’s odd, because I LOVED this book, but I almost feel like it would’ve been great to see more of everyday life and how people live in such cold and extreme, but we don’t really get that. We arrive at Akhurst and everything goes Pete Tong and it’s a race to stay alive after that.

Why you should buy this: This was a top notch novel of terror by a writer who knows how to write action but also to create characters that feel like life long friends. The folklore that arrives is stunning and me pausing to Google things as I went. Loved it and it really heightened the frightening reality of the fact that the characters will either die from the cold, or what lurks just beyond the frost. Outstanding.

5/5

Title: Black Heart Boys’ Choir

Author: Curtis M. Lawson

Release date: September 8, 2019

I remember pre-ordering this and being excited to read it. Like so many others, my TBR is insane, but now I wish I would’ve dove in right away. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s releases, but frankly, this is a completely different level. How this book wasn’t nominated for a ton of dark fiction/speculative fiction awards is beyond me and truthfully, it’s frustrating when you see a book this stunning seemingly slip through and not get the recognition is deserves.

The story is brutal, the characters are flawed, real and relatable. You know these kids, you went to school with these kids. We were all one of these, whether the outcasts, the glee club or the jock group. And ultimately, this story feels completely bonkers but also completely realistic and topical.

What I liked: The story follows former rich kid, Lucien as he finds himself in public school. His father was a renowned classical musician, who took his life and as a result, his schooling was no longer being paid for.

He feels abandoned. By his father, his drug-addicted mother, and his former school. He’s angry. Time and time again, the adults have failed him.

It’s this anger that ultimately drives him throughout the actions within the book. 

He’s made a friend, someone who shares his interests. But it’s not until Lucien discovers an unfinished piece of music his father was composing with another musician that his anger is joined by obsession.

Lawson does a truly amazing job of crafting an all-too-real high school. You can practically smell the B.O. and Axe body spray. It’s been almost 25 years since I graduated from Nakusp Secondary School, but reading this brought me back to when I was walking the hallway – as a bully, a jock, an outcast and a loner. High school for so many of us was a strange and odd time in our lives, and because of this you can really understand the ‘why’ of Lucien’s plight.

I really loved how over the course of the novel you can see Lucien’s transition. Almost like Gollum finding his precious and while those dream like occurrences at first can feel odd and out of place, his experiences with the black unicorn were truly phenomenal.

The ending to this may come off as extreme, but really, was there any other ending? Was this going to have a different conclusion? I don’t think so and Lawson finished it off perfectly and exactly how it should’ve ended.

What I didn’t like: It’s odd, because I thought this novel was perfect, but I wished we would’ve had a bit more push back from J.C. and Asher when things really take a turn, especially with Leo. I won’t say more, spoilers and all, but they just seemed to accept that obsession of the Madrigal and go with it.

Why you should buy this: This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and one of the best books featuring music that I’ve ever read. I’ve heard varying opinions on S.T. Joshi, but his foreword was spot on when he stated that you’ll feel the music while reading, which seems impossible but is actual fact. You could feel the hum and vibration throughout. 

Lawson has done such an amazing job, more of you absolutely need to read this outstanding piece of dark fiction. Curtis has something truly special here and I’m angry and sad and ashamed that I didn’t get to this sooner to sing it’s praises and that this book hasn’t had its praises sung from the mountain tops. This book will leave you wrecked. Sad. Angry. Frustrated. Everything you want a book to make you feel.

Outstanding work. Outstanding.

5/5

Title: My Sister April

Author: Kyra R. Torres

Release date: July 20, 2021

What an unexpected delight!

Kyra and myself connected some time ago on Twitter and through this, we’ve interacted a bunch and I’ve always loved how supportive she is towards so many in the Indie community. When she announced the release of this, I snagged a copy and dove in, not even reading the synopsis.

What I liked: The story is a quick, snappy piece of dark fiction that centers around two sisters, left at the family farm for the night while her parents go out for a date. They leave the girls with one last word of advice – leave the pigs alone.

Torres does a great job of telling us exactly what is going to happen while still building a ton of tension and anxiety.

This is a short story, and from what I gather it’ll be included in an upcoming collection, but even within these small parameters, Kyra gives us a lot to take in and digest.

I really enjoyed that we could see the siblings relationship and how they knew what needed to be done, even when the words from their parents rattled around their brains.

What I didn’t like: In such a short story, it’s tough to really fault anything, but I will say – I did wish this was longer. Of course, it’s a short story, so it was purposefully written that way, but this is one that Torres can absolutely expand upon in the future if they so desire.

Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a really dark, engaging story that will make you squirm and beg characters not to do something, that you know full well they will be, then look no further. This was a blast and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Kyra’s work in the future.

4/5

Title: Glass House

Author: John Palisano

Release date: June 22, 2021

One of the first people who really took the time to encourage me when I started out trying to navigate the dark fiction world was John Palisano. John was super supportive and has always wanted to see me succeed, which for someone who was just getting involved was such a kindness.

On my end – I’ve definitely failed in reading as much of John’s work as I should’ve by now. I have a few of his releases, but have only read ‘Night of 1000 Beasts,’ which had some great moments that have stayed with me since.

Now, with ‘Glass House’ announced, I jumped on snagging it and dove in as soon as I could.

Wow, what an experience.

What I liked: From 2007-2014 there was a TV show on Showtime called Californication. It followed the down-and-out exploits of Hank Moody, an alcoholic, drug-addicted, sex-addicted writer, struggling to navigate his world as a best-selling author who wants to remain doted to the love of his life and their daughter. The main character was played masterfully by David Duchovny and while I loved the show and consider it one of my personal favorites of all time, the one negative I often had was the frequent lack of introspection that we would get from Moody.

Why do I start with all of this?

‘Glass House’ to me at least, read like finding Hank Moody’s journal and reading about how his life had spiraled apart after the show. How our main character had everything at one point – wife, house, seven figure bank account and a loving son, to now be renting a room in his girlfriends house, late on rent, struggling to co-parent with his wife and her new guy and working occasionally as a house sitter to make ends meet.

Palisano has delivered a stunning novella that ran the gamut of emotions. Using both prose and poetry (and song lyrics) to showcase this characters sad downward trajectory.

One thing I loved was how this house that our character has been at many times before, now seems to be this key, that has unlocked the deepest darkest memories and seems to amplify how they have truly effected our character. with them unlocked, Palisano deftly weaves a story that is chaotic and claustrophobic while also being impactful and intropsective.

What I didn’t like:  It’s an odd thing, because I LOVED this book, but there were a few moments throughout where I maybe didn’t get the full meaning of certain parts. I think this was purposeful, especially with the usage of poetry and lyrics, but I did find a few places where I had to re-read it to try and make sure I understood the meaning of what was happening.

Why you should buy this: This novella was truly stunning. A dark, memoir-esque piece that was both visceral and haunting. Palisano has truly crafted an engaging story that packed a wallop. I really loved how dark this went but at the same time we get to see someone trying to find the light.

Really well done, and something that’ll be staying with me for a long, long time.

5/5

Title: Underworld Dreams

Author: Daniel Braum

Release date: September 13, 2020

I’d seen this collection shared frequently and people raved about Braum’s stories when it was released back in September. I’ve been struggling lately to really dive into short story collections, as I’m a bit burned out on them to be honest. I’ve read a lot of them over the last few years.

The combination of the cover, the reviews and people asking if I’d read it, finally swayed me to take a crack at this and I’m glad I did.

What I liked: Braum has a simple, eerie style of writing. A style that tells you, the reader, that something is off, something is coming or will happen, but you never fully known when or to what extent.

The stories within are all sublime. Difficult subject matter written in a way that is easy to read, easy to digest.

The standouts for me were;

Tommy’s Shadow – a story of a high school musician who stumbles upon an odd man in a place nobody is supposed to go into. This was dark, bleak and the finale was karma done right.

How to Stay Afloat When Drowning – a story of aquatic inhabitants making themselves known to those who live on land. This was truly unsettling and you know something’s off right from the start.

Cloudland Earthbound – a story about a man hired to deal with an unseen force preventing a tunnel construction site. I loved this portal horror story. This was completely unexpected and I loved that it went where it went.

My favorite of them all though, was Goodnight Kookaburra. This was a story of a man on vacation/work trip in Australia who meets some people, only to have a truly odd encounter. This was a truly trippy story that left me unnerved.

What I didn’t like: As with every collection, each story will be individual to each reader. I found the second half of the book just as strong as the first half, which says something to Braum’s writing prowess. At times collections can feel like the second half is filled with word count padding, but not in this case.

Why you should buy this: Braum has delivered a really well paced and balanced collection with ‘Underworld Dreams.’ This reminded me of the recent collection from Adam Light that I read, where it shows the author is willing to tackle a number of subjects and tackles them really well. If you’re looking for a solid collection of dark fiction, you can’t go wrong here.

4/5

Title: The Coliseum

Author: Patrick Lestewka

Release date: March 25, 2011

It’s interesting to write a review of a novella, written by a single author, but having to compare that author with two other authors. In this case, it’s unique, because all three of these authors are the same person.

‘The Coliseum’ is a 2011, extreme-horror release by Patrick Lestewka, aka Nick Cutter, aka Craig Davidson. Davidson had a number of extreme releases under the Lestewka pseudonym between 2000 and 2011 and rumor even has it that there is a release under the Lestewka moniker that Davidson himself deemed “too extreme” and vowed to never let it see the light of day. Under the Cutter banner, Davidson has released a number of more “commercial extreme horror” novels. Think ‘The Troop’ and ‘The Deep.’ And as himself, he has released some highly successful books that range from insightful memoir to supernatural, coming-of-age.

I’d previously read ‘The Preserve’ under the Lestewka banner and was intrigued by the synopsis of ‘The Coliseum.’ Open a prison in Northern Canada where anything goes and the prisoners are left to fend for themselves.

What I liked: What is advertised is exactly what you get. A bunch of the worst-of-the-worst criminals in Canadian history get selected to be shipped to this revolutionary type of prison and left to their own devices. Food is dropped in daily, but it’s survival of the fittest and quickly rival factions are formed.

I enjoyed the way Lestewka decided to minimize the ‘ethical’ aspect of it and just state that the prison was pushed ahead and opened. That is the beauty of fiction at times, you can bend and shape the real life narrative to suit the story needed to be told.

The groups are interesting and the main players are all the worst of the worst. You never truly get to latch on with a specific person though, as you know nobody is making it out of this place in one piece.

I was also intrigued with the ‘biggest baddest’ character that was hunkered in the basement. While this played on the familiar trope of “there’s always a bigger threat coming,” it worked well to create an unease that no matter what happened on the main level wouldn’t ultimately matter if the thing in the basement decided to make themselves known.

What I didn’t like: I mean, I knew what I was signing up for, but this often was just extreme for extreme sake and a number of the gruesome deaths became repetitive. The story itself is set up specifically just to try and kill people as extremely as possible, but a tiny, small, smidgeon of character depth would have been fantastic.

Why you should buy this: There’s obviously a section of the horror world that gravitates towards the extreme aspect, so for them, this was tailor-made. If you’re wanting a bit more character depth and resolution, you will not find any.

If you’re looking for a fun, quick read about a converted hockey arena that now houses the horrible, look no further.

3/5