Weeeeeeelllllll!

Here we are!

August 1^st, 2025. Which means July is done and over with and so is the month-long marathon I just did of sharing and showcasing Canadian Horror! I stuck predominantly with books, but did have a post about cover artists, publishers and movies!

Every single Instagram/Tik Tok post also featured a song from a Canadian band, which was a ton of fun to kind of go through and choose.

Now, a couple of quick bits before you can scroll through this insane compilation of links for everything!

Firstly – for 99% of all the books listed here, you’ll see that the link is to the Amazon US site. That’s because 75% of people who will click through this will be from the US. If you are in a different country, simply change the link from amazon dot com to dot ca or whatever your Amazon country is. Easy peasy.

Secondly – there are a few books within that are either out of print or no longer on Amazon. So, a few will purely have Goodreads links.

Thirdly – for a few of the publishers that I could, I put in the direct link from their website – specifically Little Ghosts and Undertow.

Fourthly – I did my absolute best to include and showcase as many Canadian authors as I possibly could. If I missed anyone, anyone at all, I am very sorry. This was a huge undertaking, but also a huge labor of love, so please no, if I missed it, it was due to the sheer volume of books I had saved and somehow a book slipped between the cracks.

Lastly – thank you for everyone’s huge enthusiasm towards all of this! Please, enjoy the compiled list below and please, please, please buy books from authors in here that you’re interested in!

 

Cover Artists

Trevor Henderson – https://trevorhenderson.format.com/

Geoff Parrell – https://numbphasedesign.ca/

Francois Vaillancourt – https://www.francois-art.com/

Publishers

Eerie River – https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/

The Seventh Terrace – https://the-seventh-terrace.com/

Undertow Publications – https://undertowpublications.com/

ECW Press – https://ecwpress.com/

Little Ghosts Books – https://www.littleghostsbooks.com/

Movies

Splice – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1017460/

Pontypool – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226681/

Skinamarink – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21307994/

Scanners – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081455/

The Void – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4255304/

Ginger Snaps – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/

Videodrome – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086541/

Books

Dark Canadiana Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Canadiana-Anthology-Canadian-Horror-ebook/dp/B0FBGWT4LB/

Gulf by Shelly Campbell

US – https://www.amazon.com/Gulf-Gripping-Otherworldly-Coming-Age-ebook/dp/B0BBCYV55J/

Weed by Night by Sarah L. Johnson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Weed-Night-Short-Sharp-Shocks-ebook/dp/B097C6PCGZ/

Everything Leads Back to Alice by Chris Marrs

US – https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Leads-Alice-Chris-Marrs-ebook/dp/B00NWMOTZU/

Return to Dyatlov Pass by J.H. Moncrieff

US – https://www.amazon.com/Return-Dyatlov-Pass-J-H-Moncrieff-ebook/dp/B07BF48WP5/

No One Will Come Back For Us by Premee Mohamed

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/no-one-will-come-back-for-us-epub

Final Track by Julie Hiner

US – https://www.amazon.com/Final-Track-Detective-Mahoney-Book-ebook/dp/B082FVH3DP/

The Talosite by Rebecca Campbell

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/the-talosite-epub

Northern Nights Anthology

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/northern-nights-epub

Solstice in Purgatory Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Solstice-Purgatory-Purgatorio-Robert-Bose-ebook/dp/B0CKJ6N8PD/

Toronto Noir Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Toronto-Noir-Akashic-Janine-Armin-ebook/dp/B008SBHIVC/

Prairie Gothic Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Gothic-Anthology-Stacey-Kondla-ebook/dp/B08NYYKVDW/

Taaqtumi Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Taaqtumi-Anthology-Arctic-Horror-Stories-ebook/dp/B08SHRP647/

Prairie Witch Anthology

US – https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Witch-anthology-Stacey-Kondla-ebook/dp/B0BL3W44QM/

FOE by Iain Reid

US – https://www.amazon.com/Foe-Iain-Reid-ebook/dp/B075RK464N/

The Coliseum by Patrick Lestewka

US – https://www.amazon.com/Coliseum-Patrick-Lestewka/dp/1889186902/

Rave by Konn Lavery

US – https://www.amazon.com/Rave-Konn-Lavery-ebook/dp/B08Y92C384/

Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris

US – https://www.amazon.com/Green-Fuse-Burning-Tiffany-Morris-ebook/dp/B0D98VL8WF/

Infested by C.M. Forest

US – https://www.amazon.com/Infested-Fast-Paced-Thriller-Horror-Novel-ebook/dp/B09SJ43GYK/

The Axe Remembers by Marcus Hawke

US – https://www.amazon.com/Axe-Remembers-Redwood-Ripper-Story-ebook/dp/B0D4XJJK31/

It Looks Like Dad by J. Krawczyk

Link – https://www.littleghostsbooks.com/product/it-looks-like-dad/992

Mountain Fast by S.J. Shank

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Fast-S-J-Shank-ebook/dp/B0D2BSZ8TS/

The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen

US – https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hunger-Nicholas-Pullen-ebook/dp/B0CTZSHQ8G/

False Bodies by J.R. McConvey

US – https://www.amazon.com/False-Bodies-J-R-McConvey-ebook/dp/B0DKB3W6TL/

Red X by David Demchuk

US – https://www.amazon.com/Red-X-Novel-David-Demchuk-ebook/dp/B08SW818Q7/

The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B07GNVCRTW/

Woom by Duncan Ralston

US – https://www.amazon.com/Woom-Extreme-Psychological-Horror-Novel-ebook/dp/B075H3MRQ6/

Infestation by William Meikle

US – https://www.amazon.com/Infestation-S-Squad-Book-William-Meikle-ebook/dp/B0777HLL97/

The Girl Who Hid in the Trees by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Hid-Trees-ebook/dp/B07MJ851BH/

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Gargoyle-Andrew-Davidson-ebook/dp/B0031TZAO8/

The Troop by Nick Cutter

US – https://www.amazon.com/Troop-Nick-Cutter-ebook/dp/B00BSBR5DA/

The Guardians by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B004EBT6XS/

The Tunnelers by Geoff Gander

Link – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12040820-the-tunnelers

The Bear by Claire Cameron

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Claire-Cameron-ebook/dp/B00F1W0R00/

Harmless by James Grainger

US – https://www.amazon.com/Harmless-James-Grainger-ebook/dp/B00NDTUB6I/

Survival Instinct by Kristal Stittle

US – https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Instinct-Kristal-Stittle-ebook/dp/B00BLH7XQ0/

The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Circle-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B0031TZALQ/

Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie

US – https://www.amazon.com/Suffer-Children-Craig-DiLouie-ebook/dp/B00DX0F4L4/

Cataract City by Craig Davidson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Cataract-City-Craig-Davidson-ebook/dp/B00CVS430M/

Fishing with the Devil by Rob Bose

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994737823/

A God in the Shed by J-F. Dubeau

US – https://www.amazon.com/God-Shed-J-F-Dubeau-ebook/dp/B0721NVXSY/

The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave by J.H. Moncrieff

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Who-Wouldnt-Leave-ebook/dp/B06XBJ5NSK/

Beyond the Deep by Carson Fredriksen

US – https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Deep-Carson-Fredriksen-ebook/dp/B0DT9QN5TX/

Sycamore by Ian Rogers

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sycamore-Ian-Rogers-ebook/dp/B0DJDKB9PR/

Pushing Daisy by Christopher O’Halloran

US – https://www.amazon.com/Pushing-Daisy-Christopher-OHalloran-ebook/dp/B0F8SKYD95/

A Reviewer’s Guide to Writing Book Reviews by Rick Hipson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Reviewers-Guide-Writing-Book-Reviews-ebook/dp/B0D829VTTH/

Most Likely to Summon Nyhiloteph by Madison McSweeney

Link – https://www.littleghostsbooks.com/product/most-likely-to-summon-nyhiloteph/2028

The Bone Key by Mary Rajotte

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Key-Mary-Rajotte-ebook/dp/B0CYBYJ1KZ/

I Will Wander On by Ron Prasad

US – https://www.amazon.com/WILL-WANDER-Terrifying-Tales-Death-ebook/dp/B0DGX5WMJR/

Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert

US – https://www.amazon.com/Death-Family-Shana-Merchant-Novel-ebook/dp/B07RZGJB86/

Those Who Dwell Below by Aviaq Johnston

US – https://www.amazon.com/Those-Dwell-Below-Aviaq-Johnston-ebook/dp/B08B1VYZ1M/

Cats Like Cream by Renee Miller

US – https://www.amazon.com/Retail-Cats-Cream-Higher-Learning-ebook/dp/B0F2GNZ69C/

Seven Days by Patrick Senecal

US – https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Days-Patrick-Sen%C3%A9cal-ebook/dp/B07GNVYDXB/

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

US – https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Crusted-Snow-Waubgeshig-Rice-ebook/dp/B07DWLKMS5/

One Of Us by Craig DiLouie

US – https://www.amazon.com/One-Us-Craig-DiLouie-ebook/dp/B0776QMHPT/

Spectral Evidence by Gemma Files

US – https://www.amazon.com/Spectral-Evidence-Gemma-Files-ebook/dp/B079ZC2V3L/

The Deep by Nick Cutter

US – https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Nick-Cutter-ebook/dp/B00J69Y5GQ/

The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Demonologist-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B00APJ0XYE/

Wagon Buddy by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Wagon-Buddy-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B07GXXLZF2/

Different Beasts by J.R. McConvey

US – https://www.amazon.com/Different-Beasts-J-R-McConvey-ebook/dp/B09VCXS5JV/

Mad Cow by Alexis Kienlen

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Cow-Alexis-Kienlen-ebook/dp/B086VTD8RT/

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Gothic-Silvia-Moreno-Garcia-ebook/dp/B07YK1K1YK/

Stranded by Renee Miller

US – https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lake-Monster-Howl-Stranded-ebook/dp/B0DVDY3ZPG/

All the Things We Never See by Michael Kelly

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/all-the-things-we-never-see-epub

The Bone Mother by David Demchuk

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Mother-David-Demchuk-ebook/dp/B087DW5ZV5/

Shelter for the Damned by Mike Thorn

US – https://www.amazon.com/SHELTER-DAMNED-Mike-Thorn-ebook/dp/B08QNHMKRW/

The Nightshade Cabal by Chris Patrick Carolan

US – https://www.amazon.com/Nightshade-Cabal-Chris-Patrick-Carolan-ebook/dp/B08GN3G67N/

Acadia Event by MJ Preston

US – https://www.amazon.com/Acadia-Event-MJ-Preston-ebook/dp/B088WFXZX1/

Experimental Film by Gemma Files

US – https://www.amazon.com/Experimental-Film-Gemma-Files-ebook/dp/B08F9NT1K7/

The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/the-ghost-sequences-epub

We Spread by Iain Reid

US – https://www.amazon.com/We-Spread-Iain-Reid-ebook/dp/B09RX2LW56/

The Mud Man by Donna Marie West

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mud-Man-Donna-Marie-West-ebook/dp/B09TK3TLSZ/

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

Link – https://undertowpublications.com/ebooks/helpmeet-epub

Soup by Kate DeJonge

US – https://www.amazon.com/Soup-Kate-DeJonge-ebook/dp/B09X8W4JLR/

A Time For Monsters by Mason McDonald

US – https://www.amazon.com/Time-Monsters-Mason-McDonald-ebook/dp/B09WHDPZKQ/

Black Bloom by Felix I.D. Dimaro

US – https://www.amazon.com/Black-Bloom-Felix-I-D-Dimaro-ebook/dp/B09VYT5JQ6/

These Long Teeth of the Night by Alexander Zelenyj

US – https://www.amazon.com/These-Teeth-Night-Alexander-Zelenyj-ebook/dp/B0C9W3L3H3/

All We Want is Everything by Andrew F. Sullivan

US – https://www.amazon.com/All-Want-Everything-Andrew-Sullivan/dp/1894037847

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter

US – https://www.amazon.com/Little-Heaven-Novel-Nick-Cutter-ebook/dp/B01CO34GCI/

The Damned by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Damned-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B00LD1OSMG/

Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley

US – https://www.amazon.com/Find-You-Dark-Nathan-Ripley-ebook/dp/B074ZR3NWN/

The Window in the Ground by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Window-Ground-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B08B455LRG/

The Miracle Sin by Marcus Hawke

US – https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Sin-Marcus-Hawke-ebook/dp/B08NHZGTY6/

The Walking Son by Eddie Generous

US – https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Son-Eddie-Generous-ebook/dp/B092RP7CWR/

Vindictive by Ryan Lawrence

US – https://www.amazon.com/Vindictive-Ryan-Lawrence-ebook/dp/B09HFZ4C56/

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

US – https://www.amazon.com/Motherthing-Ainslie-Hogarth/dp/0593467027/

Lure by Tim McGregor

US – https://www.amazon.com/Lure-Tim-McGregor-ebook/dp/B0B2V3PX3J/

Every House is Haunted by Ian Rogers

US – https://www.amazon.com/Every-House-Haunted-Ian-Rogers-ebook/dp/B0BGZ1NVY4/

Dollhouse by Andrew McManaman

US – https://www.amazon.com/Dollhouse-Andrew-McManaman-ebook/dp/B09KNS9P2G/

Amy by R.W. Duder

US – https://www.amazon.com/Amy-RW-Duder-ebook/dp/B0B5FFZC83/

The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan

US – https://www.amazon.com/Marigold-Andrew-F-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B0BLJ3STLT/

Ghostland by Duncan Ralston

US – https://www.amazon.com/Ghostland-Duncan-Ralston-ebook/dp/B07ZTWN79D/

To Die Alone in the Yukon by Lynn Berk

US – https://www.amazon.com/Die-Alone-Yukon-Lynn-Berk-ebook/dp/B0781JD7N3/

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Ghost-Club-Novel-ebook/dp/B077CSX3GD/

A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files

US – https://www.amazon.com/Book-Tongues-Hexslinger-1-ebook/dp/B08F9G6182/

Hollow by Rhonda Parrish

US – https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Rhonda-Parrish-ebook/dp/B07YSX5YGT/

Brand New Dark by Beau Johnson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Brand-New-Dark-Beau-Johnson-ebook/dp/B0971T9F6F/

Seventeen Skulls by Joe Powers

US – https://www.amazon.com/Seventeen-Skulls-Joe-Powers-ebook/dp/B0F8FMGLY9/

Birds in the Black Water by Kodie Van Dusen

US – https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Black-Water-Paranormal-Drama-ebook/dp/B0B832WGS9/

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter & Andrew F. Sullivan

US – https://www.amazon.com/Handyman-Method-Story-Terror-ebook/dp/B0BHTPDMH7/

The Belize Experience by James Seamone

US – https://www.amazon.com/Belize-Experience-Loosely-based-events-ebook/dp/B0BC4R2SQV/

Linghun by Ai Jiang

US – https://www.amazon.com/Linghun-Ai-Jiang-ebook/dp/B0DJDGRMFR/

A Strange Little Place by Brennan Storr

US – https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Little-Place-Paranormal-Revelstoke-ebook/dp/B0BK5BKQTT/

The Mouth is a Coven by Liz Worth

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mouth-Coven-Liz-Worth-ebook/dp/B0B6GMTP3W/

The Fire on Memory Lane by Felix I.D. Dimaro

US – https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Memory-Lane-Felix-Dimaro-ebook/dp/B09BXDSHGR/

Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Scarewaves-Trevor-Henderson-ebook/dp/B0BNPGXD14/

Devil Music by Joseph Mulak

US – https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Music-Secret-Dempsey-Manor-ebook/dp/B0BJ1ZTGZM/

The Other Ones by Jamesie Fournier

US – https://www.amazon.com/Other-Ones-Jamesie-Fournier-ebook/dp/B0C632XSB1/

Apparitions by Adam Pottle

US – https://www.amazon.com/Apparitions-Adam-Pottle-ebook/dp/B0DKYS7G2W/

Cutter’s Deep by Ronald McGillvray

US – https://www.amazon.com/CUTTERS-DEEP-WELCOME-Ronald-McGillvray-ebook/dp/B0BYM5H3NY/

Agony’s Lodestone by Laura Keating

US – https://www.amazon.com/Agonys-Lodestone-Laura-Keating-ebook/dp/B0BZWD45JT/

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

US – https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Turning-Leaves-Waubgeshig-Rice-ebook/dp/B0BZ3L7RGD/

Not For This World by Steve & Auryn Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Not-This-World-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B0FBLFSCC8/

Father of Lies by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Father-Lies-Complete-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B09854197X/

Of Witches… by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B08FVD3K8T/

Mastodon by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Mastodon-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B09N43LVK9/

Churn the Soil by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Churn-Soil-Pulse-Pounding-High-Stakes-Paranormal-ebook/dp/B0BLLYDK4Z/

The Color of Melancholy by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Color-Melancholy-Examination-Intersected-Through-ebook/dp/B0C15CZMC7/

When I Look at the Sky, All I See Are Stars by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/When-Look-Sky-All-Stars-ebook/dp/B0D9FJF2VH/

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

US – https://www.amazon.com/Other-Valley-Scott-Alexander-Howard-ebook/dp/B0C7RM1TFB/

Sacrifice of the Sister’s Lot by Chris Kuriata

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Sisters-Lot-Chris-Kuriata-ebook/dp/B0CTD74D9B/

Grey Dog by Elliot Gish

US – https://www.amazon.com/Grey-Dog-Elliott-Gish-ebook/dp/B0CP6B75K5/

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

US – https://www.amazon.com/Butcher-Forest-Premee-Mohamed-ebook/dp/B0C1X7W5B2/

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

US – https://www.amazon.com/Puzzle-House-Duncan-Ralston-ebook/dp/B0F9FTQCMH/

Withered by A.G.A Wilmot

US – https://www.amazon.com/Withered-G-Wilmot-ebook/dp/B0CP6C9X6J/

Metal Demon by Julie Hiner

US – https://www.amazon.com/Metal-Demon-Julie-Hiner-ebook/dp/B0CLKZ85Z6/

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

US – https://www.amazon.com/We-Used-Live-Here-Novel-ebook/dp/B0CL5F8GXF/

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

US – https://www.amazon.com/Eynhallow-Tim-McGregor-ebook/dp/B0CVKP8Q7V/

The God Damn Dead by Colt Skinner

US – https://www.amazon.com/God-Damn-Dead-Colt-Skinner-ebook/dp/B0CKKB5CQX/

The Queen by Nick Cutter

US – https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Novel-Nick-Cutter-ebook/dp/B0CL5DXMVL/

The Exchange and Other Calamities by Mallory McCartney

US – https://www.amazon.com/Exchange-Other-Calamities-Mallory-McCartney-ebook/dp/B0DYWD1PPW/

William by Mason Coile

US – https://www.amazon.com/William-Mason-Coile-ebook/dp/B0CPDSTZZM/

The Station Master of New Brook West by Robert Couttreau

US – https://www.amazon.com/Station-Master-New-Brook-West-ebook/dp/B0D1CPVCZ8/

Wheetago War: Roth by Richard Van Camp

US – https://www.amazon.com/Wheetago-War-Richard-Van-Camp-ebook/dp/B0D1YCTXK3/

Coup de Grace by Sofia Arjam

US – https://www.amazon.com/Coup-Gr%C3%A2ce-Sofia-Ajram-ebook/dp/B0CR9P6Q6B/

Skull Daddy by Stephanie Anne

US – https://www.amazon.com/Skull-Daddy-Stephanie-Anne-ebook/dp/B0D5TYBMQV/

The Butcher’s Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett by David Demchuk & Corinne Leigh Clark

US – https://www.amazon.com/Butchers-Daughter-Hitherto-Untold-Lovett-ebook/dp/B0CWLRX5CR/

The Roots Run Deep by C.M. Forest

US – https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-Horror-Collection-ebook/dp/B0DCP6NW5L/

The Invisible by Steve Stred

US – https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Steve-Stred-ebook/dp/B0DHHW4ZTD/

What Happened at Blackthorn by Madison McSweeney

US – https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Blackthorn-Madison-McSweeney-ebook/dp/B0DS2Y1S3H/

Exiles by Mason Coile

US – https://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Mason-Coile-ebook/dp/B0DQNB74ND/

Red Laces by Colt Skinner

US – https://www.amazon.com/Red-Laces-Colt-Skinner-ebook/dp/B0DF49N75B/

Grey by Ian Rogers

US – https://www.amazon.com/Grey-Ian-Rogers/dp/1803944811/

The Sweep by Dustin Ekman

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sweep-Dustin-Ekman/dp/1069275409/

Beware Us Flowers of the Annihilator by Alexander Zelenyj

US – https://www.amazon.com/Beware-Flowers-Annihilator-Alexander-Zelenyj-ebook/dp/B0F1TZKWN3/

Reality Squall by J. Krawczyk

US – https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Squall-J-Krawczyk-ebook/dp/B0D9KPYXPK/

The Preserve by Patrick Lestewka

US – https://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Patrick-Lestewka/dp/1453842446/

Haunted Canada by Pat Hancock

US – https://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Canada-True-Ghost-Stories/dp/0779114108/

Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess

US – https://www.amazon.com/Pontypool-Changes-Everything-Tony-Burgess-ebook/dp/B00B0SA85I/

Lost Girls by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Girls-Novel-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B0055DKS90/

The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor

US – https://www.amazon.com/Night-Wanderer-Native-Gothic-Novel-ebook/dp/B00GC4HE5M/

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bonechiller-Graham-McNamee-ebook/dp/B007JC6LC8/

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

US – https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Powers-Book-Summoning-ebook/dp/B0031TZ9N0/

The Sleep Experiment by Jeremy Bates

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Experiment-edge-your-seat-psychological-ebook/dp/B07SC83P32/

Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor

US – https://www.amazon.com/Wasps-Ice-Cream-Tim-McGregor-ebook/dp/B0BRLDM5TZ/

The Doom That Came to Mellonville by Madison McSweeney

US – https://www.amazon.com/Doom-that-Came-Mellonville-ebook/dp/B09DN6GRJR/

We All Fall Before the Harvest by C.M. Forest

Link – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61057388-we-all-fall-before-the-harvest

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

US – https://www.amazon.com/Episode-Thirteen-Craig-DiLouie-ebook/dp/B09ZB6C8TV/

Old Man Rider by Beau Johnson

US – https://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Rider-Bishop-Book-ebook/dp/B0B8JZQT5L/

Peel Back and See by Mike Thorn

US – https://www.amazon.com/Peel-Back-See-Mike-Thorn-ebook/dp/B09H6B8372/

The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert

US – https://www.amazon.com/Kind-Kill-Shana-Merchant-Novel-ebook/dp/B0B4P47CVG

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

US – https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Horror-Movie-Survive-ebook/dp/B0CK8BTKK8/

Soft Places by Betty Rocksteady

US – https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Places-Betty-Rocksteady-ebook/dp/B0BKH4CWP2/

Death Trap by Ayralea Lander

US – https://www.amazon.com/Death-Trap-Ayralea-Lander-ebook/dp/B0CV5V79RX/

Bad Blood by Tobin Elliot

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-First-Book-Aphotic-ebook/dp/B0BGM62XNK/

Tales From the Parkland by Ronald McGillvray

US – https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Parkland-Collection-Supernatural-Stories-ebook/dp/B0CXZS2R4F/

Crystal Moth Conspiracy by Konn Lavery

US – https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Moth-Conspiracy-Born-Book-ebook/dp/B0C4QV15TM/

Into the Storm by Shane Kroetsch

US – https://www.amazon.com/Into-Storm-Shane-Kroetsch-ebook/dp/B0867ZHCF2

Those Who Came Before by J.H. Moncrieff

US – https://www.amazon.com/Those-Before-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07XPDNFL2/

Claw by Katie Berry

https://www.amazon.com/CLAW-Canadian-Thriller-Katie-Berry-ebook/dp/B081R1SND1/

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

US – https://www.amazon.com/Noise-Downstairs-Linwood-Barclay-ebook/dp/B0776JC5PN/

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Down-Motel-Simone-James-ebook/dp/B07S1K42R2/

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

US – https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Ending-Things-Iain-Reid-ebook/dp/B017I25CZU/

The Only Child by Andrew Pyper

https://www.amazon.com/Only-Child-Novel-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B01M2BRJ6G/

In That Endlessness, Our End by Gemma Files

US – https://www.amazon.com/That-Endlessness-Our-End/dp/0578759764/

Hearts Strange and Dreadful by Tim McGregor

US – https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Strange-Dreadful-Tim-McGregor/dp/0578840510/

The Residence by Andrew Pyper

US – https://www.amazon.com/Residence-Andrew-Pyper-ebook/dp/B084GBDWJ8/

The Restoration by J.H. Moncrieff

US – https://www.amazon.com/Restoration-J-H-Moncrieff-ebook/dp/B08Z3C2PJQ/

Darkest Hours by Mike Thorn

US – https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Hours-Expanded-Mike-Thorn-ebook/dp/B09H66PLFK/

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

US – https://www.amazon.com/Find-You-First-Linwood-Barclay-ebook/dp/B08FKGG1HS/

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

US – https://www.amazon.com/Book-Cold-Cases-Simone-James-ebook/dp/B097B3MDXJ/

Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

US – https://www.amazon.com/Never-Look-Away-Linwood-Barclay-ebook/dp/B003ALA6HI/

The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie

US – https://www.amazon.com/Children-Red-Peak-Craig-DiLouie-ebook/dp/B085C788FB/

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

US – https://www.amazon.com/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood-ebook/dp/B004GHN8I4/

All of Them to Burn by Beau Johnson

US – https://www.amazon.com/All-Them-Burn-Beau-Johnson-ebook/dp/B08366P9TR/

Terror in High Water by Joe Powers

US – https://www.amazon.com/Terror-High-Water-Joe-Powers-ebook/dp/B0F8J914ZY/

Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

US – https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Rising-Premee-Mohamed-ebook/dp/B083ZG22LG/

In Dreams We Rot by Betty Rocksteady

US – https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-We-Rot-Betty-Rocksteady-ebook/dp/B0CSPTT3P3/

Title: Sisters DeRosa

Author: L.J. Dougherty

Release date: August 1st, 2025

*Huge thanks to L.J. for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Over the last number of years, Dougherty has worked hard to create himself a horror-niche that I could only describe as European Giallo-esque. With his espionage trilogy, as well as his novel, ‘Daughters of Cruelty,’ L.J. has cemented his styling as that with well detailed, Euro set pieces and engagement, while also utilizing fantastic amounts of 70’s flair. Harkening back to a time where every alley housed a criminal and every woman carried a set of Double D’s with a pistol strapped to their garter belt.

And you know what – it works. It really works.

And I say that as someone who never liked spy or espionage stuff growing up. I wasn’t drawn to the James Bond world or the action adventure thrillers where a heist takes place and the race is on to track down the bad guys.

But somehow, Dougherty has managed to wrap his fingers around me and make me not only read and enjoy these books, but to also love them. The outlier of his bibliography is, of course, ‘Woodhaven,’ which is a phenomenal piece of isolation/dystopian horror, and I highly recommend you give that one a go too.

But with ‘Sisters DeRosa,’ Dougherty took what he built in the finale of his trilogy, in ‘Blood Opus,’ and ramped it up, churning out a demonic-cult horror novel that was equal parts erotica and espionage. This novel really showcases Dougherty’s screenwriting sensibilities as we get a novel ripe for cinematic adaptation.

What I liked: The novel follows Viv, a young woman struggling to find her way in New York. She was going to art college, but had to drop out due to cost and now works as a barista. She was born in Italy, but a moment as a youngster in a church sullied any desire she has of ever returning. But return she must, as her brother is now married and expecting his first child and has invited her over for a visit.

After checking into her hotel, she hears an argument in an alley outside and intervenes, inadvertently stepping into the deep end of something she could never have predicted. It’s here she meets Luna, who has run away from a convent, after discovering it’s not really a place for women to become nuns, but rather a front for a demon worshipping cult. She’s now set on returning and rescuing her younger sister.

Dougherty sets things up well and we see Luna and Viv connect, while also seeing a bunch of moving parts reveal themselves. The cult runs deep, infiltrating every avenue of the world around them and as they get closer to finding Luna’s sister, we begin to slowly learn the truth about what happened in that church all those years ago. A moment that’s forever stained Viv.

The final quarter of the novel is one big explosive finale. Frankly, it was awesome. We see truths revealed, loyalties tested and how Viv and Luna must make huge sacrifices in order to remain together and keep each other safe. I think it’s fair to say that while the first seventy-five percent of this was influenced by 70’s and 80’s religious horror, the final twenty-five percent was a Clive Barker comic book splattered across the written page. It was gloriously insane.

What I didn’t like: As odd as this sounds, I wasn’t overly fond of the epilogue. I’m not sure if it was the location where it takes place – and staying spoiler free means I can’t reveal that – but it felt like there was a marked attempt at ‘elevating’ the way some of the characters spoke and, for me at least, it just didn’t hit home like I think it was supposed to. Saying that, I liked where things went, I just wasn’t a fan of the dialogue adjustment.

Why you should buy this: Much like S.J. Shank has worked his magic on historical/fantasy/horror and Joseph Sale has revamped fantasy/imaginative/horror, Dougherty has really cemented himself as a leader in 70’s influenced Euro/Giallo horror. Between him and David Sodergren, we’re getting some phenomenal entries into a world that seemed to fade away from the written page, while going through a revival on film, but Dougherty has brought it back full force.

This book was dark, delicious, uncomfortable and brutal, all in equally pleasant doses.

I can’t recommend this one enough. It was phenomenally captivating.

https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-DeRosa-L-J-Dougherty-ebook/dp/B0FB48FSHL/

Title: The Fovea Experiments

Author: M.J. Mars

Release date: July 4th, 2025

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

I’m a huge fan of what Patrick and Wicked House Publishing have been doing and the books they’ve been releasing have been a ton of fun so far. I’ve had my eye on Mars ‘The Suffering,’ which came out a few years ago, but haven’t managed to get to reading it yet.

After taking a break for a bit from Netgalley, recently I’ve been jumping back on and when I saw this one, I hit request super quick. I’m a huge fan of the ‘sleep experiments’ trope of Reddit/Urban Legend/ Creepy Pasta type stories. The Russian Sleep Experiment is probably the one that’s spread the most of the years, and seeing that this one was based on a sleep experiment gone wrong, I was stoked to dive in and see what Mars conjured for us.

What I liked: Set roughly twenty years after a sleep experiment went wrong, teen girl Nala, is trying to find her space in the online webisphere of blogging. She’s created a true crime channel and sneaking a look at her mom’s case files – her mom was a detective but after a traumatic incident is now a private investigator – she gets some content. One such file sticks out – about the sleep experiments gone wrong AND it looks like the prime suspect from all those years ago, just happens to be Nala’s current high school teacher.

Naturally, she makes a video and posts it with no regard to what anyone will think and it goes mega viral. Her teacher, Josh, meanwhile has been dealing with sleep issues ever since he was the lone survivor of that prior experiment gone wrong. Now, he needs confront the literal demons he’s been keeping at bay since all those years ago.

Mars dives in with all the grace of an atomic bomb. It’s one blast after another of revelations and jagged deaths. A new sleep experiment is taking place, and it’s being lead by the daughter of the doctor who did the previous one Josh was in. Things go crazy quick here and we see just what horrors lie in the darkness when the participants close their eyes and the blackness forms into a shape.

The final quarter of the book is a full on occult-demon assault that ramped up the creepiness and the body count. It all lead to the terrifying conclusion, which was spot-on perfect.

What I didn’t like: There was a few things that kind of stuck out to me. For the depth of the story that was within, I just don’t think it was explored enough. It would’ve benefited from being another one hundred or even two hundred pages long. That would’ve given it the time to explore the occult back history, give us more depth of the first experiment and would’ve allowed the second experiment participants to not be characters I never really cared for or connected with.

As well, there’s a major, major death that happens involving a focal point of the book and the lack of any sort of real reaction just didn’t work – for me at least. I would’ve expected a surviving character to be crushed and break down and they weren’t. They just kept kind of plodding along and it didn’t feel like a natural reaction.

Why you should buy this: This slotted nicely into that Creepy Pasta world and was a ton of fun. I think for many of the voracious readers out there, this will be an unsettling, occult, one-sitting read that will keep them awake at night and question every shadow. Mars did a wonderful job of setting up the pins and knocking them down, which made for a very engrossing read.

https://www.amazon.com/Fovea-Experiments-Novel-MJ-Mars-ebook/dp/B0FBMNQL5X/

Title: My Name Isn’t Paul

Author: Drew Huff

Release date: November 18th, 2025

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

Having previously read and greatly enjoyed Drew’s novel ‘The Divine Flesh,’ when they reached out to me about asking if I’d be down to check out this cosmic horror novella, I was very intrigued. The synopsis is, frankly, an odd one. Mirror people – things that are not human buy kind of cosplaying as humans. Or to quote from the synopsis, “…a hyper-empathetic eldritch abomination.” Interesting. Honestly, when reading this synopsis, about these abomination’s that take the form of people by wearing their skin and then having a breeding season, I didn’t know what to expect at all. Then, Drew throws in the mental breakdown, cross country angle two sentences later and I thought of the hilarious movie, ‘Paul,’ with Seth Rogan. With all that said, I still had no idea what I’d find within these pages, but that never deters me!

What I liked: The story follows Paul, though not Paul. Paul was a guy – a complete dick, as it turns out – who died in a car crash, only to have our main alien character come across his body and slither within. Over the last decade, this alien’s lived nicely within the skinsuit, real Paul’s wife coming to realize it wasn’t him that came back from the road trip. You see, real Paul was a travelling salesman, selling vacuums etc. and so this alien takes up that job and continues to go about their life as though they are actually Paul. But that all changes when one of their alien pals takes their own life and alien Paul gets thrown into heat and needs to breed. Got it? Keeping up?

From there, we get a mix of introspective examinations and external carnage. It works on a purely shock level of ripping and shredding, but also metaphorically over big life changes. I found with the way the alien beings were described, that this would work very well as a trans person’s look at what society expects and believes and what they want for themselves. We get a constant badgering of ‘when are you going to have kids?’ and ‘why wouldn’t you want to be what your were born?’ alongside the Paul alien discussing what makes them happy and what they want to achieve in their life. I might be off on it, but that sentiment seemed to really ring out, and though I say a trans person’s outlook, I could see it applying to immigrants and LGTBQ folks as well.

The final quarter sees the storylines merging together and we learn what kind of ticked Paul off into this crazy trip he went on and we see where things will go from there. It’s a solid wrap up, even with real Paul’s wife and how the Mirror People are more tuned in with the wider world than it at first seems.

What I didn’t like: I do often struggle with significant perspective changes and that’s really what Part 2 was. Part 1 and 3 are based on Paul and part 2 is based on the other alien bug things. It made for a jarring shift, so if you struggle with that, be warned, but it worked well to give us some back story and some fill in on what was happening while Paul brokedown.

Why you should buy this: While it’s listed as a cosmic horror novella, this one is hard to peg down into any one genre. It’s got elements of sci-fi, bizarro, splatterpunk and erotica. Its kind of a melting pot of ideas that merge together to form this batshit crazy story that was a lot of fun to read.

Go into this one with a grin on your face, because when you finish, that grin will be a massive smile plastered across the entirety of your face. What a ride.

https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Isnt-Paul-Novella-ebook/dp/B0F87WT171/

Title: The Knave of Graves

Author: S.J. Shank

Release date: July 24th, 2025

*Huge thanks to S.J. for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

It was only last August of 2024 that I read Shank’s debut novel, ‘Mountain Fast,’ a historical fiction horror novel about a group of soldiers heading to a fortress where nobody wants to go.

It was really well done, very densely layered and the atmosphere Shank created was top notch. Amazingly, I got to meet up with Shank at DreadCon later in the year and we chatted like old friends.

Fast forward to early this year and I saw Shank announce his next novel, ‘The Knave of Graves.’ The cover looked great and the synopsis was intriguing and when he reached out to see if I’d give it a go, I was very excited. He warned me that it wasn’t horror, but I love to read pretty much anything, so that wasn’t a concern.

And, while ‘Knave…’ isn’t horror per se, it walks the line very closely, especially with the supernatural elements.

What I liked: The novel follows Jeppo, caretaker of the graves within the town, as well as the sacred bones that lie within. He left the town when he was younger to train at the Academy, but has returned without completely his teachings after his father has died and he needs to take over for him. The town has paid his way to go to the Academy, so he has a debt owed to pay off. That doesn’t mean he isn’t without some magical powers, and these powers help him within his job. On top of that, he’s developed a tentative working pact with the witch who lives near, trading things when needed and overall he’s built himself a solid and stable life, though one that he finds lonely.

It all changes when an outsider visits from a large city and wants to hire Jeppo to manufacture him knock off Academy jewelry that has charms infused within. Jeppo can see a better life for himself by doing so, but he suspects something is off with the man and soon enough we learn his instincts are right.

Shank does a wonderful job of fully forming Jeppo, creating a character you connect with, want to see better himself, while still knowing that there are secrets within the man that will only be revealed over time.

Those secrets are slyly teased out when this stranger reveals what he really is and wants to collect the skull of the Saint buried within the graveyard. This is a problem, for Jeppo has already promised the skull to two others, including the witch, and this is when the battle of good versus evil begins and we see Jeppo try to work all of his tangled mess together into some way to save the town and those within it.

Along the way, Shank infuses this with a lot of wry humor, including a hilarious angle of a flock of geese accidentally falling in love with Jeppo.

Throughout, I really connected with what Shank was trying to do and how the character of Jeppo was a study in an individual fighting internal desires with external realities.

What I didn’t like: I will say, because of the historical nature of this one, and the thoroughness that Shank writes with, some of the dialogue did feel stilted and a bit dry. It made sense as to ‘why’ they spoke like that and said things how they did, but for this reader, some of it was didn’t have the impact it should’ve.

Why you should buy this: This read closer to a ten-episode HBO series than a novel. Shank does a wonderful job of creating this world and the characters within and from start to finish you feel fully immersed in the land you find yourself in.

Shank has easily carved himself a slot in the historical fiction world and readers who love those settings will find themselves very happy with this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Knave-Graves-S-J-Shank-ebook/dp/B0F68GKJ1G/

Title: If You Knew Me

Author: S.P Miskowski

Release date: September 23, 2025

*Huge thank you to S.P. for sending me an advanced digital copy of this one!*

Fandom.

Six letters that when put together in that way form a work that seems to hold so much more weight than it should. I should know. As – perhaps – the world’s most prominent fan of Canadian author Andrew Pyper, I’ve seen the stereotypical idea of how people view fandom with almost every single Pyper post I make. And I get it. Stephen King’s Misery set the table for what horrible rabid fandom can look like and with the rise in stalking and obsession that has seemingly ramped up over the last decade (which I presume is directly related to the proliferation of social media), I understand why people post Annie Wilkes memes/gifs or send them via DM’s when I post stuff.

And that perfectly highlights the double-edged sword of fandom. There’s an expectation now that people go too far, that people grow obsessed and with unchecked mental health issues often associated with extreme fandom, not only does it become an expectation, but it also becomes an ‘I told you so’ mentality after the fact.

Case in point is ‘If You Knew Me.’ This book is a powerful examination of what unchecked mental health issues multiplied by obsessive fandom looks like. It reminded me a lot of the movie ‘The Fan,’ which starred Robert de Niro and Wesley Snipes. If you’ve not seen it, I highly recommend you do.

In that movie, it’s a fan obsessed with a sports star. In this book, it’s a fan obsessed with a former TV star. And with the way this one unfolds, Miskowski does a phenomenal job of unsettling us readers.

What I liked: The book follows Parker, a recently unemployed woman who longs to be a writer, but hasn’t found that story yet. While housesitting at her aunt’s place, who formerly owned a large online magazine company, she finds a story pitch that was sent in and unopened. Inside, she finds Ann Mason’s story, detailing something she did as a teen, something awful, but she only told one other person – the former lead in a short-lived detective show that she loves.

From there, Parker travels to Ann’s place in Arizona in the hopes of interviewing her. Once there, Ann’s left and Parker begins to find cracks in Ann’s story.

Miskowski deftly interweaves Ann’s dictated storyline with Parker’s interviewing of those around Ann – a neighbour, a former employer – and it works far more efficiently than a lot of mixed media/epistolary style books have for me. It allows the reader to effectively see the chaos inside Ann’s head, while also connecting with Parker.

The first half of the book smoothly rolls along. But the second half. The second half is a full sprint towards an ending that seems foretold but unexpected. I kind of knew what would be coming, but all the while Miskowski kept things so schizophrenic on Ann’s side, that I just didn’t know for sure, wasn’t 100% in what I thought I knew and that amplified the tension.

The ending/epilogue was also a really great use of mixed media but also a snarky look at online commenting and internet trolls.

What I didn’t like: There were two things of note for me. The first was that it took me a minute to get into the epistolary aspect of the novel. I often struggle with storytelling in this style and it took a bit for my brain to get on board.

The second was that there’s a bit later on about Parker’s grandma that is necessary to the story and Parker’s narrative, but for me at least, it seemed to take some steam off the train that was thundering down the track.

Why you should buy this: I for one can’t wait to see this book all over Tik Tok. I can’t imagine this won’t be in every second video about what psychological thrillers had the poster up all night finishing it. This is a book that could be categorized very easily as ‘propulsive.’ It never lets up, never allows you to take a breather to figure out all the chess pieces that are moving in the background and the fact that Miskowski describes a half dozen episodes so fully of a fake TV show shows the depth and detail that go into everyone of her novels.

This one is a taut, nerve-wracking thriller that absolutely blew me away and reinforces why Miskowski is a living legend. Get on this one, you’ll not be disappointed.

https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Knew-Me-Novel-ebook/dp/B0DW4J5K83/

Title: Oracle 3: Murder at the Grandview 

Author: Andrew Pyper & Craig Davidson

Narrator: Joshua Jackson

Release date: June 12th, 2025

 

In September of 2024, I was in Toronto to attend DreadCon,. 

It was my second trip to Toronto in consecutive years to celebrate something horror with Andrew Pyper. 2023 was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Andrew’s The Demonologist, and I found myself there a year later, this time to host a panel with Andrew and Craig Davidson about pseudonyms, as all three of us used them in our writing.

When I was out there in 2023, Andrew had revealed to me the news about the upcoming William release as Mason Coile, and – while on the train to the Hockey Hall of Fame – I told him (smugly I might add) that even if he’d not shared the details, I would’ve known he’d have written it because of the prose. I’ve often spoken of Andrew’s writing voice, his prose, and those of you reading this right now who know Andrew’s work inside and out will be nodding your head. Andrew wrote like only Andrew. 

After reading both the screenplay and the novel of William, I reaffirmed to Andrew that even under the Mason Coile moniker, it was Andrew Pyper’s writing and he found that hilarious.

So, on the way to DreadCon, Andrew in the drivers seat, myself in the passenger seat, we discussed a bunch of stuff, and I asked Andrew about Oracle 3. I’d like to think I’m a smart fella, though sometimes it takes me a bit to catch on, and Andrew’s reply was one that didn’t click until the details of Oracle 3 were released. He said “It’s done and dusted. It’s currently waiting for Joshua Jackson to find time in his schedule to perform it again but it should be out next year.” And then he added – “We’ll see if this one puts that prose theory of yours to the test.” Now, at the time, I just assumed he’d be referring to the change in structure. Oracle had been a single narrator in a single book. Oracle 2 was a full cast and production with ten episodes. So, returning to a single book single narrator performance was what I thought Andrew had been alluding too.

Alas, I was wrong and it became clear while I was in Toronto for the third consecutive year, in February of 2025, but this time at Andrew’s celebration of life. While there, I was talking to Craig Davidson and I asked him if he could spill the beans on the title of the third Mason Coile book. He’d mentioned in the memorial he’d provided for the Globe and Mail about helping Andrew finish a book, and to the masses, we all assumed that was the third Coile book that’d been mentioned in the Publishers Weekly announcement for Exiles. Craig said he had no idea and that Andrew had done that on his own. (I’ll add, Andrew had mentioned to me in the car ride to DreadCon that the third Coile was done, but wouldn’t share the title either). It clicked then, that Craig had helped finish the third Oracle and this was confirmed when the release information and preorders were announced.

So, that’s a VERY long-winded way of me saying, Oracle 3 had me intrigued. Andrew and Craig previously wrote an unpublished novel together and a short story, but nothing that’d been publicly available. Craig – who is one of the nicest guys in the world – has the monumental ability of being a chameleon when it comes to writing. His structure and prose is very different as Craig Davidson compared to his alter egos Nick Cutter and Patrick Lestewka. That made me hopeful that he could work along Andrew and emulate the Pyper-prose that has been a constant in my life for a decade. 

I had no doubt that the narration would be phenomenal – Joshua Jackson’s performance as Nate Russo in the previous two were fantastic – so I was confident there. And, knowing Craig had worked with Andrew through an outline and key points, increased that confidence. But to me – a Pyper super fan – I was still stressing about how it would play out. How Andrew’s series would potentially conclude in the literary hands of another, even if those hands were from one of Canada’s biggest authors.

What I liked: The story follows Nate Russo, along with Claire and Tillman, head to a remote location in northern Ontario to investigate a murder. There, in a derelict former lodge – The Grandview – a reunion of friends was taking place, when one of them met a gruesome ending.

Now, if you’ve read/listened to the previous two audiobooks in this series, you’ll already know that Nate has powers – he can read people, see their thoughts and memories when he touches them and has a dark passenger – The Bone Man. Once on the island, Nate knows there’s more going on than a simple disagreement that turned deadly. Something else is there. Something worse than The Bone Man.

As the story picks up, we learn that two of the friends were also trying to use this trip as a way to get the others to invest in a synthetic drug they’d developed, one that opens your mind and let’s you go on a wonderful trip. Known as Blue Dragon, Nate wonders if the drug might’ve opened the door to something from somewhere else to slip through and infiltrate the Grandview.

Throughout, we get this cat and mouse game, this is it or isn’t it storyline that propels the plot forward. Even as things on the island are revealed and discoveries are made, the listeners never fully get a solid answer. Yes, this is something else. No, this is just a person having a bad trip. But that all begins to change with the introduction of The Traveler. 

It’s here that the story really takes off and we go from a mass market thriller to a more straight forward horror story. It’s here where we see the shift from Davidson the literary writer, to Cutter the horror author. Things get dark. Dirty. Mucky. And by God, things get Pyper prosed.

There are brief moments in here where I’d believe Andrew wrote parts of it. From what I gather, and what Craig’s said in interviews and in the author’s note at the end, he wrote this off of Andrew’s outline and the two of them meeting up and discussing things. But my goodness did Craig manage to conjure some truly spot-on and phenomenal Andrew moments throughout.

The ending and epilogue of this both allude to a firm ending for Nate Russo’s journey, but also keep the door freshly open for more, and honestly, seeing what Craig’s done here, I’d be up for more in the series.

Nate Russo is one of Andrew’s greatest creations, and Craig wholeheartedly did that character justice.

What I didn’t like: In this case, the only thing I wasn’t too sure about, was the relationship between Nate and The Bone Man. Coming in, from the previous two, I’d come to believe it was a certain mutually-beneficial arrangement between the two, and it seemed to see-saw back and forth throughout this one. It’s a minor thing, and most likely a very purposeful thing based on how the plot plays out, but it’s what struck me.

Why you should buy this: If you loved the first two, you’ll absolutely love this one. Even though I only could listen to it in 20 minute increments on my drive to and from work each day, I was completed invested and couldn’t wait to dive back in each time. Jackson’s performance was great, and his ability to bring each character to life was spectacular. 

Craig Davidson has absolutely delivered a wonderful, loving and phenomenal book in the Oracle series, and I can’t thank him enough for doing this for Andrew and for his fans. 

A taut, fast-paced, who-dunnit, the third book in this series proves that Nate’s story is only getting started and I hope we see more entries down the road.

https://www.amazon.com/Oracle-Murder-Grandview-Book/dp/B0F2NR3GZF/

https://www.audible.com/pd/Oracle-3-Murder-at-the-Grandview-Audiobook/B0F2NXDNVW

Title: Veil

Author: Jonathan Janz

Release date: September 16th, 2025

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

I’ve been reading and reviewing long enough to remember the YEAR OF JONATHAN JANZ. If you’ve not heard that, well you missed out on getting a couple new Janz releases plus I think almost a dozen re-releases, all within the same year. This was maybe 2017 or 2018 and it was a gloriously amazing time to be a Janz fan! Throughout Janz’s literary career, one thing has become absolutely paramount in every single story he writes. The man cares about his characters. What I mean about that, is it’s very very veeeerrry rare to find a one-dimensional character in his story. There’s not a lot of folks just there to be there and not move the story along and you’ll learn what makes them tick.

That was what had me so excited when ‘Veil’ was announced. Janz hasn’t been afraid to subgenre hop in the horror world – he’s done everything from werewolves to vampire’s to spooks and specters and ghosts and everything in between. But he’s not done anything truly in the alien/sci-fi world, and fresh off the alien desecration that Adam Nevill unleashed with ‘All the Fiends of Hell,’ I couldn’t wait to see what Janz had up his sci-fi sleeve.

What I liked: The story follows high school teacher John, who is dealing with a heavy life. He’s separated from his wife Iris, constantly fighting with his older son and trying to stay connected to his younger daughter. And on top of that, he feels like a lesser person, dealing with a significant limp from a leg length discrepancy from an accident when he was younger. But that all pales in comparison to what’s begun to happen around the world. Without any sort of rhyme or reason, people are going missing, plucked from the sky by something… never to be seen again.

We’re thrown into the deep end immediately. John and his son go for a walk to the store, discussing father and son issues, and what’s happening in the world, when his son rounds a corner and is just… gone.

That moment, quite early on, is the launching point for the world to turn upside down as the sky opens and hundreds of thousands begin to be plucked and disappear. Video footage emerges, curfews are enacted and after John’s wife also gets taken, him and his daughter hunker down and do their best to survive. Of course, there’s a nut job vigilante in the neighborhood, wanting to make sure all the dwindling supplies are stored in one place – for safe keeping naturally – and its those moments were we see how the novel also alludes to real life events – Covid and political upheaval and even presciently to what’s happening with ICE in the US right now. Janz does a phenomenal job of twisting this from first being an abduction novel and turning into a story about a father doing everything and anything it takes to try and find those he loves the most.

As it progresses, we learn what has arrived and what they’re doing and there’s a hard line that gets drawn between here and there and Janz plays those cards perfectly, showing us what just may await those who pierce the veil.

The final quarter of the novel is a full sprint. It’s tough to really describe everything without having spoilers, but I will say it worked really well to have this earth and non-earth juxtaposition where we feel grounded and then frantic.

The ending is a mix of heartwarming and heart wrenching and honestly that’s exactly what this book needed.

What I didn’t like: Two things stuck out to me. The first was that I found the son disappearing felt almost like it happened too soon. It was the rare moment in the book where I felt like we didn’t get enough of the father-son dynamic to really grab a strong grasp of their relationship before the son was gone.

The second was that the aspect of here versus there seemed like it was too easy to traverse across. Again, I don’t want to be a Spoiler McSpoilface, so I’ll leave it there.

Why you should buy this: Horror and sci-fi have been pals for ever since books began to be written and movies filmed. So, it should be noted that while this is ‘sci-fi’ it’s grounded in the horror genre and shows Janz’s horror sensibilities time and time again. This was frantic. Chaos infused claustrophobia. It was a father desperately trying to find his family and things from elsewhere arriving and wrecking havoc.

Janz is an elite writer, one who has honed his writing voice and mastery of prose over decades now, and once you begin a Janz book, you know you’re in sure and steady hands.

This book was achingly perfect and is sure to connect with long-time fans and bring in plenty of new fans and I expect to see this book – especially with that cover – become a mainstay on social media for many years to come.

https://www.amazon.com/Veil-Jonathan-Janz-ebook/dp/B0D13HZPQW/

Back in 2021, Andrew Pyper unleashed Oracle upon us. It was a departure for Andrew, in that it was an Audible exclusive, audio-only release. Fans were thrilled to have a new Pyper ‘book,’ and Andrew delivered, introducing us to one of the best main characters he’s created in Nate Russo and the hauntingly perfect antagonist, known as The Boneman. While long-time Pyper fans flocked to this release, thousands of new readers/listeners discovered Andrew because of the narrator – one Joshua Jackson. I’ve written in the past about how well of a job Jackson did bringing this world to life, and when Oracle 2: The Dreamland Murders was announced and Jackson was back as Russo, fans were elated. Even more exciting was the news that Oracle 2 was a full production. 10 episodes with a cast performing the parts, a soundtrack, and an audio side performing/producing the accompanying noises, Oracle 2 fully brought the experience to life.

After that, there was some radio silence regarding whether we’d get Oracle 3. On my end, I frequently queried Andrew – Is it happening? Is Jackson on board? I’d usually bring it up every 2 or 3 months, to which Andrew would reply something along the lines of “I think so.”

In 2024, when I was in Ontario for DreadCon, on the drive out, I asked Andrew again about Oracle 3 – after we’d chatted about Exiles and the third Coile book (Andrew was very evasive about the third Coile book!) and he told me at that time that the manuscript was done and it was now just a matter of Joshua Jackson scheduling in the time to perform it.

As we sadly know, at the beginning of 2025, Andrew passed away following an 18-month battle with cancer. After Andrew passed, his good friend, Craig Davidson (also known as Nick Cutter in the horror world) contributed a very moving tribute about Andrew in the Globe and Mail. Within, Craig mentioned that he helped Andrew complete one of his books and initially, the chatter was that Craig had helped finish the third Coile book. But not long after, it became known that Craig had assisted Andrew in completing the Oracle 3 manuscript.

Now, on the eve of Oracle 3: Murder at the Grandview, Craig was kind enough to answer some questions about the Audible release and what might come in the future.

Steve – Craig, first off, thanks for doing this. I’d spoken with Andrew back in 2023 and again in 2024 about Oracle 3 and he said it was at various stages of completion. In late 2024, at DreadCon, he’d told me it was finished and that it was waiting Joshua Jackson to record the narration aspect.

At what stage did you become involved?

Craig – I guess I was involved from the beginning, when Oracle 3 was pitched to Andrew. Back in 2023, I’ll say (I’m terrible with dates), Andrew and I met at a place we often did in Bloor West in Toronto – I’ve told this story partially, elsewhere, so I am repeating myself to a degree but … so I knew by then that Andrew had cancer, but this was the first time I’d met him since he’d told me. He looked, well, like a man who had cancer. Paler, thinner, but still Andrew.

We chatted about a lot of things, obliquely. His diagnosis, his plans, his … well, frankly, his lifespan as he was given to understand it. And at that time – and this could be as much a factor of his mindset in light of this terrible diagnosis as much as anything his physicians had told him – he was on a short clock. He never said how short, perhaps he had been given no indication of that from his doctors, but he seemed to view it as short and as such, he wanted to spend it wisely.

From a writing perspective, that meant (as I came to see it) the Mason Coile books, of which I believe he wrote 2 after his diagnosis, amazingly. And beyond that, I think he spent time writing meaningful work for his children, his wife, and others in his life. So, with those being his main focus, there was this Oracle series … and he told me during that lunch that Amazon had made an offer, a significant one, for the third book but he’d turned it down – he simply lacked the bandwidth.

So, after that lunch I was walking home and in a bad/scared/miserable state of mind, I guess unsurprisingly … Andrew and I had talked about a whole lot of things, but one mainstay was the nuts and bolts of writing for a living. Turning down a contract the size of which Amazon had been offered was unthinkable for the Andrew I knew … but that was the pre-cancer Andrew, and his priorities had vastly altered.

Anyways, walking home I got a notion and called my agent (also Andrew’s agent) Kirby and told him, basically: Listen, I’ll write that Oracle book for Andrew. If Amazon’s into that. Morbidly, I thought if Andrew was right about his short clock, well, his wife could use the money.

And Amazon agreed. Andrew and I agreed to do it. Andrew wrote an outline, I followed it as well as I could. I did my best. I had fun, in light of circumstances. Mainly, it gave Andrew and I another reason to hang out. I think, as one gets ill in such a way, the usual process is to retreat: into family, into the home, into a small set of routines. And ultimately Andrew did so, and we all understood, but until then Andrew and I would continue to meet for lunches and dinners and talk writing, and books, and his own work (he kept crushing it right until the end, the man was an absolute machine of happy industry) and, yes, Oracle.

So, if anything, the book gave us that. And I’m glad.

Steve – Was it daunting to jump into this world that Andrew had created? Nate Russo is a textbook Pyper lead – a bit world-weary, sardonic but ultimately has an internal hope that things will get better. You and Andrew previously wrote a novel together, but this is a bit of a different situation, coming in to help him complete this work. Was there any type of preparation that you did?

Craig – I think these Oracle books are the closest to Andrew’s own personality, as you state it in your question: sardonic, hilarious, world-weary, but ultimately and pervasively hopeful. So there’s a huge fear of screwing that up for readers who loved the first two books, but I suppose it’s the same I’d feel stepping into almost any writer’s shoes, or they into mine – in the end, because there was very little other option in the matter, and because Andrew gave his permission … and I think he probably found it kinda cool to have another writer, a buddy and co-writer, take a crack at his creation – and he was nothing but generous and thoughtful and supportive in his notes and emails about it … anyway, for all those reasons I just dove in. Other than reading/listening to the Nate Russo books, and another work Andrew directed my attention to, no, there was no other preparation.

Steve – Oracle was a singular book with a singular narrator. Oracle 2 was a full production release, with multiple episodes and a full cast performing the script. Now, with Oracle 3 returning to a singular book with a singular narrator, did anything change in the approach to this one? Andrew previously told me that he found the story far more straight forward for the 3^rd than for the 2^nd.

Craig – Yes, I think narratively it’s more straightforward? It’s a locked-room whodunnit of a certain stripe, though with the usual supernatural overtones. The Boneman causing havoc. Those wonderful, rich characters Andrew created, abetted by a cast of ne’er-do-wells or possible ne’er-do-wells in an old, abandoned hotel. Lots of shadowy hallways, empty rooms, and brooding ghosts.

Steve – What can we expect with Oracle 3? Or rather what can you share! Anticipation is high for the third entry in Nate Russo’s story and other than the synopsis, us fans haven’t been given much to go on. Was this based on a real incident and fictionalized?

Craig – I don’t think it was based on a real incident as far as I was given to understand, though it harkens to Andrew’s own childhood/teenage-hood and perhaps some work he once did, a summer job at a lodge? And it’s a story about a certain time of life, a time Andrew had come to and I as well, where we look back at our lives with a certain wistfulness for those paths traveled and not traveled and how those made us into the people we are. So, very human and relatable, as I think is a hallmark of Andrew’s work.

Steve – Lastly, and thank you again so much, Craig for taking the time to do this, is this the end of the Oracle series? Or has Andrew potentially shared any ideas for future Russo adventures with you with the possibility that you’ll continue the series? It was always interesting to discuss this series with Andrew. On the one hand, he said he didn’t like to get bogged down with a ‘series.’ Having to keep working on a single world over and over again when there were so many other places to explore. But he also said he loved watching Russo grow and change and deal with everything he was dealing with. So, I’d be curious – as would all of the fans! – to know if Andrew had left us with more potential entries in the Russo world or not.

Craig – I really don’t know where it might go, Steve. As of now, we may have reached the end of this particular road, but never say never!

(Craig and Andrew in 2017 on The Dark Side tour)

*

I greatly appreciate Craig doing this interview, as well as how phenomenal of a friend he was to Andrew, Andrew’s family, and for stepping up and getting Oracle 3 completed.

Oracle 3: Murder at the Grandview releases TOMORROW, June 12th, 2025 and is an Audible exclusive!

You can still preorder today – links to US and CAN Audible below. As well – buy Andrew’s books, support one the greats AND buy Craig’s books and support a phenomenal author, who – much like Andrew was – is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

Audible CANADA Link:

https://www.audible.ca/pd/Oracle-3-Murder-at-the-Grandview-Audiobook/B0F2P2RG8D

Audible US Link:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Oracle-3-Murder-at-the-Grandview-Audiobook/B0F2NXDNVW