The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Ten writers are selected for a summer-long writing retreat with the most celebrated and reclusive author in the world. Their host is the legendary Roderick Wells. Handsome, enigmatic, and fiendishly talented, Wells promises to teach his pupils about writing, about magic, about the untapped potential that each of them possesses. Most of all, he plans to teach them about the darkness in their hearts.

The writers think they are signing up for a chance at riches and literary prestige. But they are really entering the twisted imagination of a deranged genius, a lethal contest pitting them against one another in a struggle for their sanity and their lives. They have entered into Roderick Wells’s most brilliant and horrible creation...The Dark Game.


My Review

Ten writers are selected (invite only) to go to one of the most successful but recluse authors mansion/private grounds. They are under strict instructions, secrecy to get there, no phones but the prize, one of them will have ultimate success just like one lucky author who won before. Fame, riches, success, the challenges will be grueling, the demands far more than any of them could imagine but it will be worth it right?

Roderick Wells is the man of the moment, older author, been around a long time and keeps away from the world so all of these authors cannot wait to get started. Wells can be rude, abrupt but he is an old man and amazing at his craft. The authors note his older appearance and signs of ailing health but the longer they spend the more they notice changes.

We hear from the individual authors and they show sides of their personalities and motives/hopes for personal gains than what they present infront of the group. They are not the nicest of people and those we do like we hear more about as the book goes on, they all have something in their past and or struggles with their writing.

As one by one authors *drop out* of the competition the others, at least some, start to question their absence/disappearance. The book gets dark quite quickly and horrors come from the pages to terrorize the authors and us readers. We get a story within a story as Well's pushes them to create stories that push their abilities and tap into darker/raw talent. The staff and house have creepy tones and whilst it is a completely different story it gave me an echo of that movie with Vincent Price where they have to stay/survive overnight to win the cash. This is over the summer rather than overnight and instead of a creepy house the things in here are far darker and dangerous. I think this is my 2nd or 3rd book by this author (I even have a wee bookmark of him to go with it) I have another one or two on my tbrm and look forward to reading them. Creepy, dark, shocking and absolutely of the things that go bump in the night although for Janz horror things they don't always wait for the nighttime, 4/5 for me.

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The Restoration by J H Moncrieff

Today is my stop and last day of the blog tour for book "The Restoration" by author J H Moncrieff, arranged by Random Things Tours.

About the author:

J.H. Moncrieff's City of Ghosts won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense. Reviewers have described her work as early Gillian Flynn with a little Ray Bradburyand Stephen King thrown in for good measure.

The book is available to buy now, click HERE for Amazon UK.

For my stop I have my review, non spoiler as always, enjoy.

The Restoration by J.H. Moncrieff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 256

Publisher - FlameTreePress

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Inspired by the author’s overnight stay in a historical haunted house, The Restoration is a thrilling tale of intrigue, murder, and family secrets that refuse to stay buried.

It was the perfect opportunity…or so she thought. When Terri Foxworth is hired to spend a year restoring a crumbling manor house, she believes she’s hit the jackpot. She moves in with her young daughter and high hopes for the project’s success. As the restoration begins to go terribly wrong, she realizes dark forces won’t let her leave the house until its horrible secrets are revealed.

This job could very well be the death of her.


My Review

Terri Foxworth restores old houses, live in on the job and this house is perfect, Glenvale House. The only problem is she isn't the first to be hired, those who came before her have bolted because Glenvale doesn't just have beauty, it has secrets oh and a ghost. Not that Terri believes in ghosts however when her daughter Dallas has encounters with it she can't keep denying. Then things start to escalate, the owner has no time for these stories and some people just can't let the house or the past go.

The story moves at quite a fast pace, it is only 256 pages so you don't have loads of descriptions of the actual house being restored. As the ghost manifestations increase we delve deeper into a ghost story with twists and turns, terrifying a mother and daughter and a house that has secrets some people would rathe stay buried.

I didn't love Terri, I questioned her behaviour in a fair few moments but disliked characters often make for the best because you do a 180 (often) and root for them. The book offers ghosts, murder, mystery, spooky, secrets, relationships, family and then some! I needed a story that let me leave behind my life/dramas and step into another's, The Restoration provided that. This is my first dance with this author I will be having a nose at her other works. A ghost story to give you a wee creep or two and inspired after the author stayed in a historical house.



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Faithless by Hunter Shea

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Faithless by author Hunter Shea, organised by Random Things Tours.

About the author

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot was real. He’s the author of over 17 books, including 'The Jersey Devil'and 'We Are Always Watching'. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum.

Faithless is available to buy now, treebook or ebook - click HERE for Amazon UK. For my stop I have my review, enjoy.

Faithless by Hunter Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3.5 days

Pages - 256

Publisher - FlameTreePress

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads


How do you survive hearing your family being brutally murdered over the phone? For Father Raul Figeuroa, all faith and hope are lost. Turning away from the priesthood behind, he retreats to his aunt's empty farmhouse in upstate New York, hoping to drink himself to oblivion. But he's not alone in the house. Something is trying to reach out to him. Or is he losing his grip on reality? When his childhood friend Felix comes to visit, things take a darker turn. The deeper they dig into the mystery, the closer they get to hell literally breaking loose.


My Review

Aw man poor Father Raul, horrendous drive home in the rain, car trouble, on the phone to his wife and kids when he hears them brutally attacked. Sprints for home, car abandoned, it is too late and life for Raul will never be the same. Lost faith, lost the will to live he heads to his aunt's farmhouse on a mission of self destruction. In a haze of booze, self pity and medication Raul starts to notice things happening in the house. He can't blame his new house crasher, a cat that seems to know the place well but he can't remember his aunt having one. Things start to go "bump in the night" which you could blame on the drink/drugs.......until he starts to hear his family. Why would they follow him to the farm and what do they want from him?

I feel so so sorry for Raul, hearing your family being killed on the phone and being able to do nothing about it. That would break anyone but a man of the cloth, ooft. The story starts with the murder then we have a descent into addiction/oblivion, loss of reality and then the presence of his loved ones. On one hand you would be happy to know they are there but also freaked out especially being Raul, a priest so devout then losing all faith. Poor guy is emotionally wrought, then torn over the thought he failed them, he is a bit of a wee scone.

The book builds up slowly, setting the scene, a wee character here and there and just when you think you have it worked out Shea yanks the rug. It is different and the pace changes, it has its spooky moments, tension, shady characters and no surprised but I LOVED the cat!

I am struggling to read just now, concentration is all over the place but short chapters and a story that took me out of my own woes and into Raul's horror, 4/5 for me this time.

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August's Eyes by Glenn Rolfe blog tour

Today is my turn and closing the blog tour for August Eye's by author Glen Rolfe, for my stop I have my review, enjoy.



About The Author:

Glenn Rolfe is an author from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona,and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

The book is available to buy now, click HERE for Amazon UK.

August's Eyes by Glenn Rolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 228

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

"An intense tale reminiscent of classic works by Jack Ketchum or Stephen King" — Booklist

When dreams start bleeding into reality, a social worker is forced to face the mistakes of his past.

A serial killer has found a way to make his land of graveyards a sinister playground to be bent at his sadistic will.

The secrets behind August's eyes will bring two worlds together, and end in a cataclysm of pain and ruin.



My Review

Sometimes we have a dream that stays with us for the rest of the day, a dream that freaks you out, that gives you the heebies. Meet John, that is exactly what is happening to him, the dreams are getting more frequent and creepy. When he thinks he sees one of the boys from his dreams, in real life he really starts freaking out, is he losing it? As the dreams become more vivid and John attempts to deal with his issues and the dreams he starts to realise that sometimes you can't escape the past and actions have consequences.

Heads up guys there is a creepy pervert pedophile bad guy, he doesn't appear a whole lot but the theme is relevant to the story and we do hear from the scumbag at points. The dreamland we visit via John, as a kid, is creepy, haunting, eerie and sets up the atmospheric spooky vibes that are laced throughout the book. There are also nods to movies and songs, I love this in a book, I end up telling Alexa to play them and movies or books I tend to look up. These type of references or casual mentions tends, well for me anyway, to fire up some memories - I grew up on old school horror!

We are introduced to horror in human form then normal life/relationships for the main character as things start to slowly edge in and become freaky/dark. I love when a book builds up like that, you get to know the characters, care for them or not, then things start to unravel and descend.

Rolfe is a new author for me, I enjoyed the chilling vibes and hair raising moments that brought normal life to the supernatural. Dreams or rather nightmares have always been a good way for stories/movies to go, you are so vulnerable when you are asleep so it adds to the horror/fear. The book seems to add a dash of some many things, some crime, depravity, creepy crawlies, supernatural and crosses over to John's normal waking day, I really liked it. August's Eyes is my first dance with this author, I will be checking out his other offerings for sure, 4/5 for me this time!

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Your Turn to Suffer by Tim Waggoner Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour, for my stop I have my review (as always non spoiler), enjoy.

YOUR TURN TO SUFFER
Tim Waggoner
Publication date: Mar 2021
“His ability to weave the surreal with the hyper-real is his greatest talent.” — Signal Horizon. Lorelei Palumbo is harassed byasinister group calling themselves The Cabal. They accuse her of having committed unspeakable crimes in the past, and now she must pay. The Cabal begins taking her life apart one piece ata time – her job, her health, the people she loves – and she must try to figure out what The Cabal thinks she’s done if she’s to have any hope of answering theircharges and salvaging her life.

Out to BUY in ebook, treebook and hardback from AMAZON or the Publisher website FLAMETREEPUBLISHING now.

Bram Stoker Award-winning author Tim Waggoner writes both original and mediatie-in fiction,and he has published over forty novels and four short story collections. He teaches creative writing at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.

Your Turn to Suffer by Tim Waggoner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 256

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

“His ability to weave the surreal with the hyper-real is his greatest talent.” — Signal Horizon.

Lorelai Palumbo is harassed by a sinister group calling themselves The Cabal. They accuse her of having committed unspeakable crimes in the past, and now she must pay. The Cabal begins taking her life apart one piece at a time – her job, her health, the people she loves – and she must try to figure out what The Cabal thinks she’s done if she’s to have any hope of answering their charges and salvaging her life.



My Review

Weird eyes and a weird message "Confess and atone--or suffer." Lorelai thinks it is just a strange encounter with a woman with freaky eyes. Things however start to go wrong quickly, freaky happenings, people she knows behaving strange and things just get worse and worse, darker, more threatening until Lorelai realises this thing is bigger than her and if she doesn't "confess and atone" she will indeed suffer and she won't be the only one!

The thing about Flame Tree Press is the books are always dark, freaky and have dodgy happenings, Your Turn to Suffer is right at home. Some of the scenes are really dark, uncomfortable, brutal - things you often come to expect in horror books. Animal brutality, human brutality and duo world, ours and another you will go to with Lorelai to "help" her appreciate her predicament and work on her atonement/confession.

Super dark, gore fest at times but it has more than that to offer, some scenes are emotive, hard, shocking, echoes of a cult but like none we have ever seen. One for horror fans and if you go through a lot of horror, this will maybe offer you something different, fresh, 4/5 for me this time!

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Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for "Will Haunt You" by author Brian Kirk, I am closing the tour. If you have missed the previous stops please check them out, we all offer different content.

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: FLAME TREE PRESS; New edition edition (14 Mar. 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1787581373
• ISBN-13: 978-1787581371

• Buy Link from Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Haunt-Fiction-WithoutFrontiers/dp/1787581373/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551890615&sr=1- 1&keywords=will+haunt+you




BLURB: You don’t read the book. It reads you. Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the dark corners of the deep web. A disturbing tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror. Jesse Wheeler―former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead―was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. It takes more than some urban legend to frighten him. Hell, reality is scary enough. Seven years ago his greatest responsibility was the nightly guitar solo. Then one night when Jesse was blackout drunk, he accidentally injured his son, leaving him permanently disabled. Dreams of being a rock star died when he destroyed his son's future. Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to stay clean. But Jesse is wrong. The legend is real―and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on his fears and resurrect the ghosts from his past. Jesse is not the only one in danger, however. By reading the book, you have volunteered to participate in the author’s deadly game, with every page drawing you closer to your own personalized nightmare. The real horror doesn’t begin until you reach the end. That’s when the evil comes for you.





ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. http://www.flametreepublishing.com/





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brian Kirk is an author of dark thrillers and psychological suspense. His debut novel, We Are Monsters, was released in July 2015 and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. His short fiction has been published in many notable magazines and anthologies. Most recently, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories and Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders, where his work appears alongside multiple New York Times bestselling authors, and received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year compilation. During the day, Brian works as a freelance marketing and creative consultant. His experience working on large, integrated advertising campaigns for international companies has helped him build an effective author platform, and makes him a strong marketing ally for his publishing partners. In addition, Brian has an eye for emerging media trends and an ability to integrate storytelling into new technologies and platforms. While he’s worked to make this bio sound as impressive as possible, he’s actually a rather humble guy who believes in hard work and big dreams. Feel free to connect with him through one of the following channels. Don’t worry, he only kills his characters.


Twitter : @Brian_Kirk
Website : http://www.briankirkblog.com/


For my stop I have my review for the book, enjoy.

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - In and out over 4 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

You don't read the book. It reads you.

Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the dark corners of the deep web. A disturbing tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror. Jesse Wheeler--former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead--was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. It takes more than some urban legend to frighten him. Hell, reality is scary enough. Seven years ago his greatest responsibility was the nightly guitar solo. Then one night when Jesse was blackout drunk, he accidentally injured his son, leaving him permanently disabled. Dreams of being a rock star died when he destroyed his son's future. Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to stay clean. But Jesse is wrong.

The legend is real--and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on his fears and resurrect the ghosts from his past. Jesse is not the only one in danger, however.

By reading the book, you have volunteered to participate in the author's deadly game, with every page drawing you closer to your own personalized nightmare.

The real horror doesn't begin until you reach the end. That's when the evil comes for you.



My review

I need to point out this book has "a prequel" if you like but it is in website format, if I hadn't agree to the tour and read this I would have went out and bought it right away. Check it out before going any further, be warned though it will freak you out it is so well done! http://briankirkblog.com/obsideo-the-...

Jesse Wheeler is tee total and the lead guitarist in a old rock band reuniting for one night and then they all disappeared. Before it Jesse had read a book, the book you are now familiar with if you clicked the link above, if not check it out, seriously. This is what happened, this is the story and warning of the book he read, the story you are now reading, you have been warned.

So the concept for this book is pretty original, I read A LOT of horror and weird books and this was a first for me. Jesse is the main character and not very likable at times, he is tee total for a reason and as you read you will get some background on him, his son, his other half and why he is being tormented. It is without a doubt one of the most trippy, weird and at times freaky books I have came across. Jesse is the narrator and I got lost in some of what was happening, I think this was to add an authentic feel to what he is experiencing and taking the reader along with him.

The book gave me echos of the movie Cabin in the Woods as I felt like that when I watched that, not always knowing what was going on, weirded out, creeped out and having so many questions. Add in a flash feel of The Matrix combined with the very old school "invaders" type movies it is a whole bowl of unique weirdness that will have the hair on the back of your neck standing up. The dialogue is a bit spacey too but again I think that is to give the reader a chance to absorb exactly what Jesse is going through and he is warning the reader as you go the peril you are in by reading his story. I think this is going to be a marmite book, some folk are going to just get it and devour it whilst others may struggle to appreciate what the author has created. Certainly a new angle at spooky horror and I can't wait to hear what you guys thought of it, 3/5 for me this time. This was my first dance with this author, I will keep a wee eye out for his other creations.

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The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish Blog Tour

Today I am opening the blog tour for "The Haunting of Henderson Close" by Catherine Cavendish, published by Flame Tree Press.


About the book




BLURB: Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…  

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released. Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face? 

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

http://www.flametreepublishing.com/

You can buy the book HERE

About the author:



Catherine's website www.catherinecavendish.com

Hello, my name's Catherine Cavendish and I write horror fiction - frequently with ghostly, supernatural, Gothic and haunted house themes.

Out now - from Flame Tree Press - THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE. Ghostly horror set in Edinburgh's Old Town.

Available now from Kensington-Lyrical - the NEMESIS OF THE GODS trilogy: mWRATH OF THE ANCIENTS, WAKING THE ANCIENTS and DAMNED BY THE ANCIENTS - set in Egypt and Vienna and featuring the sinister Dr. Emeryk Quintillus whose obsession has stayed with him past the grave. 

My novellas COLD REVENGE, MISS ABIGAIL'S ROOM, THE DEMONS OF CAMBIAN STREET, THE DEVIL INSIDE HER and THE SECOND WIFE have now been released in new editions by Crossroad Press.

My novels THE DEVIL'S SERENADE and SAVING GRACE DEVINE have also been released in new editions by Crossroad Press, as have my novel of the Lancashire Witches - THE PENDLE CURSE - and my novellas, LINDEN MANOR and DARK AVENGING ANGEL.

I live with a long-suffering husband and a delightful black cat who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue. Who am I to argue?

When not slaving over a hot computer, I enjoy wandering around Neolithic stone circles and visiting old haunted houses.

Twitter : @Cat_Cavendish

For my stop I have my review:

The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.

Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.


My Review

We open in Edinburgh, 1891 with a murder and skip to present day, well Edinburgh 2018 and meet Hannah. Starting her new job as a tour guide, dressed for the time and regaling stories of the past and ghosts things are grand. But when renovations start in Henderson Close strange things start happening, evil is unleashed and ghosts suddenly seem to be very real. Hannah and her colleague have to find out what is causing this and most importantly - how to stop it. Where do you turn when you are up against a ghost, the clock is ticking and danger is close - can Hannah do what needs to be done?

Oh you guys I bloody love a ghost story, I have done Mary King's Close in Edinburgh a few times and I totally love it. You go under the town and get to see small bits of history that actually still stand from years gone by. Henderson Close is just that, but when work is done something is unleashed and Hannah, initially, seems to be the only one to voice it. Shut down, threatened with her job but when things take a violent turn Hannah knows she can't ignore it. Ghosts, freaky happenings, a duo timeline, the past mixing with the present ah it is just too good. I think everyone should read this, then go do the Mary King's Close tour and freak themselves out. You have tour parties in the story and how many times have you visited somewhere haunted and felt something or seen something, this happens in the book and the hair on your neck prickles!

I loved ghost stories growing up and even as an adult that love has continued, naff movies I love them too and would be delighted to see this on the screen. Hannah is a sweet enough character but for me I wanted more about what was happening, Cavendish made good on that. We don't get massive droves of back stories on the tour guides and nor should we. The focus is on the happenings or those from the past and when you get a modern day pull into the past AHHHHHHH I friggin love it. Master King did that same thing in 11.22.63 and I think most folk who like supernatural books love that. If you had the chance to go back in the past, like before our time, would you? And imagine not only that but actual interaction with folk of that time. I have read a few books that have done this and I think there should be so so much more, it is a great idea and one many are captivated by.

We start off with a character from the past and throughout the book we get wee flashes of past characters that make you want to plough through the book to find out the who, what and why. A book that builds up a creepy atmosphere pretty much from the beginning and hooks you in one spooky happening after another. Definitely a book for lights off, candle on, and wrapped in a duvet or blanket. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me. I feel I have to highlight this is now a few books I have reviewed for Flame Tree Press, all new authors to me and I grew up reading King and point horror. They seem to find authors who give a new spin on the genre or recapture the loved voices of old that I grew up with that hooked me into both horror and reading. Certainly going to be checking out their other authors and works!

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The Toy Thief by D W Gillespie Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Toy Thief by author D W Gillespie, although I am closing the tourplease check out the other stops on the tour as we all have different content, so you don't miss anything. Before I post my review, check out the cover for this one, I don't (or didn't use to) bother with covers but there are a ton of great ones out there. Like this one, how eerie, spooky and freaky is it, it was the cover that drew me to the post about the book to be honest!





The Toy Thief by D.W. Gillespie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 240

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

Jack didn’t know what to call the nameless, skeletal creature that slunk into her house in the dead of night, stealing the very things she loved the most. So she named him The Toy Thief… There’s something in Jack’s past that she doesn’t want to face, an evil presence that forever changed the trajectory of her family. It all began when The Toy Thief appeared, a being drawn by goodness and innocence, eager to feed on everything Jack holds dear. What began as a mystery spirals out of control when her brother, Andy, is taken away in the night, and Jack must venture into the dark place where the toys go to get him back. But even if she finds him, will he ever be the same?


My Review

What happens when you see something you aren't supposed to? We open with Jack (Jacqueline), reflecting on her, her brother Andy, family and the past. Written in first person narration, we see Jack in present day and lots of throwback to childhood memories and why she is the way she is today. We know something happened when she was younger and it takes a wee bit of unravelling before we hear about and "meet" The Toy Thief.

Jack isn't a very nice person as an adult and if bad language offends you this is your headsup, Jack swears a fair bit. As she goes back in time and recalls what happened, the first glimpse, the actual encounter and the fall out afterwards you get a bit more appreciation for how she has been shaped to the person she is today.

For me the story is two fold, the spooky horror aspect and the family dynamics, both are strong and bring shape to the story. The Toy Thief is creepy and a few of the scenes made the hair at the back of my neck stand up. We all have things that freaked us out as kids and flashes of the story made me think about irrational childhood fears, memories and that is always a thumbs up for any author.

The family bond shone through, Jack and her brother Andy have a strained relationship, no mother and only their family raising the two of them. From the get go we know things aren't perfect between the siblings but they have a bond and are close, when we see their childhood and everything that follows it makes the reader have a better understanding of the relationship.

I have read a few books from published by Flame Tree Press, it is almost like a new brand of horror. You have the creepy, the darkness, family/relationship elements and with horror but not always in your face or over the top. This is my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, the book doesn't give up its secrets quickly, like an onion you have to go through each layer, getting more as you go, 3.5 out of 5 for me this time.

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Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.





How nice is the cover, I don't often notice covers but it was one of the first things that drew me to this book.





Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 288

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

It’s Ray’s and Sandra’s first family holiday in Greece, on the newly developed island of Vasilema. The family weren’t to know that the skies are cloudier above the island than anywhere else in Greece, and they’re mostly intrigued by the local eccentricities and customs—the lack of mirrors, the outsize beach umbrellas, the saint’s day celebrated with an odd nocturnal ritual. Only why are there islanders who seem to follow the family wherever they go? Why do Sandra and the teenage grandchildren have strangely similar dreams? “I was in this huge place with no light and I didn’t want to see. Something sounded... huge.” And has Sandra been granted a wish she didn’t even know she made? Before their holiday is over, some of the family may learn more than they can bear about the secret that keeps the island alive...


My Review

Ray and Sandra are heading to Greece for a family holiday, their children and grand children are joining them. It is their first visit and the place is a wee bit strange, thinking it is just their customs and ways they will get used to it. Things however get stranger, affecting members of the family more than others, the locals react bizarrely at times and Ray needs answers the more he gets drawn in.

Ok so this is my first dance with this author, anyone who has Stephen King's backing - you just know is going to be good. From the get go we pretty much know something is afoot but you aren't exactly sure what. The tingling at the base of your spine, the urge to put the light on a bit brighter as you go further into the story. This isn't an in your face horror, it is more a slow burning gothic type style with suspense and bone chilling tension building up. Subtle hints, creepiness, warning signs that as a reader I was urging the characters to pick up on.

There is a huge focus on family dynamics and the family relationship as a whole, I really hated the son in law, how he spoke to staff, locals and his family. Pompous I think is the word that comes to mind and he really irritated me but it makes for good characterisation. We see how the family interact and are with each other and to the locals. What they want to do with the holiday and what is important to them, the choices they make and how the locals engage with them.

The book has many dimensions, relationships, love, family, local history and a bit of legends. If you are looking for an in your face, monsters and jumping scare fest this isn't the book for you. However, if you want something that is like the old black and white movies, slow building tension, hints at what is looming, dark, atmospheric and engaging then this is your book. Nothing screams out at you, it is all so subtle for the most part which sometimes gives the reader the power to build the fear and terror themselves. I actually nearly missed my bus stop because I was enthralled within a specific scene again nothing was in your face but I was holding my breath at what I suspected was just around the corner.

All to often we get blood, guts and gore but sometimes we like to revisit the golden oldies were you don't see the monster but you know it is there, something is there. Jaws and Blairwitch had you the audience doing the work but gave you the tools to build the terror (Jaws to a point), this was what Campbell done here I think. I read a lot of books, horror, supernatural, spooky, monsters and all the other genres, this was something different for me. Creeped me out at parts, some of the family scenes enraged me again purely because one character grated on me so much. But overall I loved the feel of the book and what I feel the author did, I also enjoyed the story within the story. I would love Campbell to visit that again and make it a book in its own right. 3.5/5 for me this time, although it is my first dance with this author I know it won't be my last, I look forward to checking out more of his work.

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Creature by Hunter Shea Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Creature by author Hunter Shea, please check out the other stops on the tour as we all offer different content.





Creature by Hunter Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 256

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The monsters live inside of Kate Woodson. Chronic pain and a host of autoimmune diseases have robbed her of a normal, happy life. Her husband Andrew’s surprise of their dream Maine lake cottage for the summer is the gift of a lifetime. It’s beautiful, remote, idyllic, a place to heal. But they are not alone. Something is in the woods, screeching in the darkness, banging on the house, leaving animals for dead. Just like her body, Kate’s cottage becomes her prison. She and Andrew must fight to survive the creature that lurks in the dead of night.


My Review

Kate Woodson is struggling, she has health conditions that cause her unimaginable pain and impact on her day to day life, relationships, sleep, mood, you name it it impacts it all. Andrew, her husband, is hard working but sorts a getaway for them both inbetween treatments. The perfect retreat, she can recharge her batteries, recover and just the three of them, him, her and their dog Buttons.

The first part of the book deals in depth with Kate's struggles and really gives insight into how difficult life can be living with these chronic conditions. When you read the afterword it packs an additional punch, adding weight to what you have already read, I think anyone with these or similar health conditions will readily identify. Then we start to have an atmospheric buildup of events that prickle the hairs on the back of your neck before descending into chaos and horror. The later part of the book is spooky, creepy, freaky, brutal and gets the old heart racing.

I think before you pick this book up you need to be aware that it is almost split in two, the first half being very much about the wife's condition. It is absolutely required, it lets us understand so much about them as a couple, Kate herself as a character and everything that follows. I picked this up thinking it was going to be a horror right off the bat, it isn't but for me it really worked. I do enjoy a book that goes into health conditions anyway so it ticked boxes for me anyway. Then it flows into something else, creepy atmospheric scenes that if you have watched as many horrors as I have you get spooked by envisioning the scene vividly. Abandoned in the middle of nowhere, limited or no mobile service and you hear a noise, ooft, hairs standing up already on my arms. I love stuff like that, it isn't immediately in your face, the blatant horror comes but it has a build up. It doesn't always work for me, in this book it did. Please read the afterword and the my copy had a Q&A which gives a great insight into what the author experienced and went through bringing this book into print. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4.5 for me this time, I think it could be a marmite book for some but if you go into it aware of the pace I think you will love it.

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