Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 382

Publisher - Signet Classics

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Dracula is perhaps almost as interesting regarded historically as the product of a specific time as it is engaging to continuing generations of readers in a 'timeless' fashion. In her introduction Byron first discusses the famous novel as an expression not of universal fears and desires but of specifically late nineteenth-century concerns. At the same time she is entirely attuned to the ways in which, however much Dracula is a Victorian text, Dracula is a very twentieth-century character, a representative of modernity and of the future.


My review

Guys this has been on my shelves for donkeys years! Cannot believe I hadn't read it before now :O We all know the story, we have saw the movies. Jonathan Harker is headed to meet and stay with Dracula as part of his job and Dracula is the client. This is a huge task for Jonathan and he is committed to doing a great job. As we all know who and what Dracula is but poor Jonathan does not and we follow his journey via his diary entries. We also hear from Mina, his fiance's through her diary entries, in fact all the entries/stories/sides of the tale are in diary format.

Atmospheric, spooky and although a bit of a slower pace than many of the books we devour nowadays it keeps your attention and the suspense throughout. I have just watched two of the movies (I had seen before) and it is interesting to see the changes and takes from the book, mostly it stays true to the important parts.

I am no a fan of the classics at all, I find them a struggle to get through yet I did enjoy this one, took me a wee bit longer than a normal book would, espesh one so thin. A different time and style of writing but I think if you are a fan of Dracula and don't mind diary entries style of writing you will also enjoy the book.

Perfect for this time of year, revisiting an old fave and of course Van Helsing is in it (I won't eve be able to visualize anyone but Price when I read him in books, indeed why would you want to). 4/5 for me this time, if you struggle with the classics but want to read one, look no further!

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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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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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Tick Tock by Dean Koontz

Tick Tock by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - Dipped in and out over 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Headline Book Publishing

Source - Birmingham Horrorcon

Blurb from Goodreads

Tommy Phan, a successful detective novelist, comes home one evening to find a small rag doll on his doorstep. That night, with the popping of two stitches, something terrifying will emerge to tear apart the fabric of Tommy's reality--and his life.


My Review

Tommy is having issues with his family, he is Vietnamese-America, embracing his American half where his family want him to embrace the Vietnamese heritage. Tommy is struggling, he is a successful novelist making good money but it will never be acceptable by his mother. Just when he celebrates buying a flash new car, he happens across a doll that changes everything. On the run for his life, he comes across an unlikely ally in Del, a waitress he met earlier and are thrown together. Between them and her dog, the three try to stay ahead of the killer and stay alive before time runs out.

I have read Koontz before but think this book is a bit different, a monster yes but it has humour, family, family issues, attraction and I bloody love Del's dog, I only wish it had bigger parts in the story. Lots of hair raising moments, a deadly pursuit, life or death situation and Del, despite coming in as the second main character, actually steals the show. She is strong, quirky, seems to know so much more than she is letting on, talks in riddles and her dog, mother and home are all fantastic.

Pacey, intriguing and keeps you wanting to know what is coming next. The chapters are quite long, although there are wee page breaks so you can dip in and out reasonably well. I don't think there is a follow up to this book which is a shame as I would have loved to have seen more of these characters. I also wish the book had been longer as it seemed to round up really quickly, they do say a good author leaves you wanting more, 3.5 stars for me this time.

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