Tag Archives: Horror

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1, 2024

A spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood…

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body….

••••

REVIEW:I’LL BE WAITING by Kelley Armstrong is a contemporary, adult, supernatural thriller focusing on thirty something widow Nicola Laughton.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspectives (Nicola) using present day, and memories from the past, I’LL BE WAITING follows Nicola Laughton in the wake of the death of her husband. Approximately twenty-two years earlier, a group of high school friends went into the woods to perform a seance but in the ensuing aftermath death and destruction would follow. Fast forward to present day, wherein Nicola’s husband Anton would die tragically in an early winter snow storm, and in the months that follow Nicola would be contacted by mediums and psychics claiming they have been in contact with the dead but when a certified parapsychologist is willing to help NIcola contact her dead husband, the resulting fall-out sees more death and destruction for our story line heroine.

I’LL BE WAITING is a story of obsession and madness, secrets and lies, grief and acceptance, betrayal and vengeance. Nicola’s extended family struggle with her need to contact her late husband; a new friend is determined to help Nicola get the closure she needs and wants; and the angry spirits refuse to give up until everyone has paid. The premise is dramatic, dark and thrilling; the characters are determined, destructive and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Murder Road by Simone St. James – a Review

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Murder Road by Simone St. James – a Review

 

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Description:
July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

 

 

Review:

Murder Road by Simone St. James is another one of her excellent psychological thrillers.  Murder Road takes place in the summer of 1995, centered between newlyweds April and Eddie. They are embarking on road trip to for their honeymoon destination, only to discover they had taken a wrong turn to Coldlake Falls; as they end up on a deserted highway called Atticus Line. On the dark road, a flash of lightning shows a woman slowly walking; they stop and offer her a ride, which she hesitates, but then accepts.  April notices blood on the girl, and they rush to find a hospital, to help the her; who in a short period dies. 

 Detectives Quentin and Beam show up at the hospital, and after being interrogated, they warn April and Eddie, not to leave town.  Instead of being good Samaritans, they now are considered suspects. Unexplained murders have been happening along the Atticus line for many years, and legend has it that a vengeful spirit roams the road, hunting for hitchhikers.  Rumors say twenty years ago, someone was murdered, unable to identify her, they name her Jane Doe, but legend calls her The Lost Girl.

Unable to leave, April and Eddie manage to have the owner of a B&B allow them to stay. At first Rose, was very weird, but in a short time, Rose opens up, and beings to help them, explaining the stories from the past. They learn more about the ghostly legends of The Lost Girl.  They also meet Beatrice and Gracie Snell, two teenage sisters, who are wannabe detectives, with lots of information about the missing people.  Truly, they were better then the detectives.  Both Eddie and April have their own secrets, which neither knew about; they both suffered from domestic abuse, adoptions, and personal drama.  As we reach closer to the end, there is a surprise that will reveal some things from the past.  Besides that, I really liked April and Eddie.

What follows is an exciting, dark, suspenseful and creepy mystery in both time periods, which kept me hooked to find out what happened.  Murder Road was an exciting and awesome mystery, with a slight paranormal element, as well as being chilling and captivating.  The mystery has so many surprises, which were gripping and horrifying at times; a page turner all the way. Simone St. James did an amazing job writing this captivating thriller. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers with a ghostly background, you should be reading Murder Road.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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The Only One Left by Riley Sager – a Review

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The Only One Left by Riley Sager – a Review

 

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Description:
At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

 

 

Review:

The Only One Left by Riley Sager is another one of his gothic thriller novels. I have read a number of books by Sager, and in each book, he continues to surprise and shock us with so many twists we never expect. 

The story starts off in 1929, when the Hope family was murdered. Lenora was the only one who survived, telling the police that she did not kill her family.  She became the lead suspect, but the police could not find evidence to convict her, becoming a legend, which she never left her estate.  Fifty plus years later, Lenora is paralyzed and constantly needs care, and her latest caregiver left.

We meet Kit McDeere, our heroine, who lost her job as a home-health aide, after her mother died under unusual circumstances, which she pleaded innocence. She is given another chance to be a caregiver, but she is hesitant, since she would need to care for Lenora Hope, who everyone thinks killed her family all those years ago; but she accepts the job, as she needs money.

Kit is surprised to find the infamous Lenora confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak or move, except for her left arm; having suffered multiple strokes. In a short time, while caring for Lenora, Kit is surprised that she wants to tell what happened all those years ago; especially claiming her innocence.  Lenora communicates with Kit using a typewriter with her left hand, a slow process over time.

Kit begins to suspect that Lenora is not revealing the truth, especially when the remains of the previous caregiver is discovered; Kit is scared and wants to leave, but she needs the money.  She tries to learn more from other staff members, who have been there for a long time.  The cliffside mansion is falling apart, increasing the danger of living there. To say too much more would be spoilers, as the last third of the book is filled with twists and surprises.

What follows is a wild last third of the book, with so many secrets, twists, turns and deception.  The Only One Left was so very well written by Riley Sager, with shocking surprises, as we race to the climax.  Sager outdid himself with this book, as it was a thriller all the way. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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River of Wrath (St. Benedict 2)by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

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RIVER OF WRATH (St. Benedict 2) by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 31, 2023

Leslie Moore is struggling to get through her last semester at St. Benedict High. Even her relationship with her boyfriend Derek is falling apart. But after receding floodwaters from the Bogue Falaya River expose the bones of a woman, Leslie becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer.

Sightings of an apparition haunting The Abbey send Leslie and her friends back to the scene of the horrors from last Halloween, but no one is prepared for what they find.

After a stranger—the handsome Luke Cross—arrives in town, another girl goes missing, and the sheriff suspects the newcomer is hiding something. Leslie believes the Devereaux family is connected to everything going wrong in St. Benedict. And she means to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.

Not all secrets can be kept silent. Some eventually find their way home.

•••••

REVIEW: RIVER OF WRATH is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult ST. BENEDICT thriller focusing on a group of high school seniors, and the increasing number of bodies found along the Bogue Falaya River in the small Louisiana Parish known as St. Benedict. RIVER OF WRATH should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one RIVER OF ASHES.

WARNING : Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives RIVER OF WRATH focuses on a group of high school seniors who attend St. Benedict High, a group that is slowly succumbing to a possible curse. As more bodies begin to surface in and around the Bogue Falaya River, Leslie Moore, and her friends Sara, Kelly and Taylor begin a search for the truth but the more secrets revealed the possibility increases that Leslie and her friends may suffer the same fate. Having pushed away her boyfriend Derek, in the face of unending guilt and grief, a newcomer to St. Benedict catches the eye of everyone involved, a newcomer with dangerous and dark secrets of his own.

RIVER OF WRATH is an intense, dramatic, graphic and detailed story of horror, vengeance and betrayal, power and control, wealth and madness, obsession and murder. The story line is ensconced in the requisite YA tropes including mean girls and jealousy, as well as the parents fueling or hiding intimate details and history of the St. Benedict Parish. Once again, the premise is haunting and startling; the characters are tragic, desperate, determined and mad. RIVER OF WRATH ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one RIVER OF ASHES

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Alexandrea Weis

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website/ Facebook/ Twitter

From New Orleans, Alexandrea Weis was raised in the motion picture industry and began writing stories at the age of eight. In college she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen once again and began her first novel, To My Senses. Since that time she has published many novels. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning books, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. Her work has been critically acclaimed and has been continually growing in popularity.

Alexandrea Weis is also a certified/permitted wildlife rehabber with the La. Wildlife and Fisheries. When she is not writing, she rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She is married; they live in New Orleans .

•••••••••••

Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.

He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.

One of his favorite quotes is:  “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.”  ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

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The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager – a Review

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The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager – a Review

 

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Description:
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.

 

Review:

The House Across the Lake is another fantastic novel by Riley Sager. I have read a number of books by Sager, and in each book, he continues to surprise and shock us with many twists we never expect. 

Casey Fletcher, our heroine, is a well-known actress, who in the past year lost her husband to drowning.  She hides out from the press, at the family lake house in Vermont, spending her time constantly drinking a number of bottles of liquor a day; as she continues to grieve.  Casey uses her binoculars daily to look at other houses around Lake Green, and becomes obsessed with watching a famous couple, former model Katherine Royce and her husband, Tom, who have recently purchased the house across the lake. 

One day, Casey sees Katherine struggling in the lake, and she comes to her rescue; with both of them becoming fast friends.  Both Katherine and Tom visit Casey, to thank her for saving Katherine.  During the evenings, Casey continues to overdo her drinking and spy on the Royce’s, until she continues to notice that something is not right in their marriage. 

When Katherine suddenly disappears, Casey is obsessed with finding out what happened to her; as she suspects the husband.  Casey will confide in a friend living next door, who has a police detective friend; but there is no evidence of wrong doing; in her determination, she uncovers strange and darker truths.  Will the police investigate or ignore her claims due to her excessive drinking?

The House Across the Lake was an amazing exciting thriller, that had me on the edge of my seat throughout; with a journey that is filled with many shocking twists and turns.  To say anything more would be spoilers, and this is a story that needs to be read to the end.   Riley Sager once again gives us another wild, crazy and surprising, not to mention entertaining ending.  If you love intense and exciting thrillers, you can do no wrong reading Riley Sager.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Extasia by Claire Legrand – a Review

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Extasia by Claire Legrand – a Review

 

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Description:
Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain–an evil which has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

 

 

Review:

Extasia by Claire Legrand is a stand-alone YA horror novel. I loved Legrand’s Empirium trilogy, and decided to read this book.  Extasia is set in a dystopian future where a small group of men have created an oppressively patriarchal, abusive power in Haven.  I must add on that after reading the last chapter of this book, I suspect there will be another book from this world.

Amity, our heroine, has waited all her life to be chosen as a saint, and today she will become the 4th saint of Haven.  She looks forward to stand with her sisters to fight evil; though in this book, evil is indeed the people of Haven. The punishment given to the saints is horrific and terrible, as the elders allow the people beat up the girls during ‘visitations’ based on their hatreds/unhappiness.

Amity has been getting strange vibes, and when two of the other saints convince her to travel to meet the witches, who proclaim that Extasia has been calling her. She begins to see creatures and wraiths; in a short time, she learns spells/magic and becomes very powerful. Is she supposed to protect Haven or are the Elders a cult, betraying and harming the girls?

Amity goes through a journey that changes her drastically; she begins to question what the Elders have done, and why are women always hurt, blamed and punished; and the men are allowed everything. Very heartbreaking. As Amity’s powers continue to grow, she tries to understand what she sees in ghost appearances, learning spells from the witches, and trying to stop all the vicious murders in Haven; but she knows that the lies the Elders used on them needed to be stopped, and perhaps the Devil is truly the safe one.

I liked when the 4 saints changed their names in the book created by the witches; Amity became Rage, Mercy became Vengeance, Silence became Sorrow, and Blessing (her sister) became Hunger.  The girls were great characters, especially Blessing and Silence; and I did admire many of the witches, even though they were murderers.  Amity had a boyfriend (really best friend), Samuel, who was nice and loyal to her. 

Extasia was a very dark and violent story line. I did not know what to expect when I started this book, but surprisingly, Claire Legrand managed to pull me in from the start and despite all the evil, I ended up really liking this book.  This is a difficult review to write, as saying too much more would be spoilers; you really need to read this to understand it all.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke – a Review

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The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke – a Review

 

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Description:
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters–Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers–except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.

 

Review:

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke is a standalone gothic novel.  The story starts with Liv in 1998, when she accepts a commission to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a Scottish Island.  Liv arrives in Lon Haven, with her three daughters, Sapphire (Saffy), Luna and Clover. While learning more about the strange mural that she needs to paint, Liv learns that underneath the lighthouse is a cave that imprisoned and burned to death women accused of witchcraft.  The local people tell her about the wildings (created by the fae) that is the curse from back in the 1600’s hundreds. Though we learn about what happened to the witches burned to death, the story centers around two timelines; 1998 and 2021; with Liv in 1998 and a grown-up Luna, in 2021.

Though Liv doesn’t believe in the local rumors about wildings, and young children who return after time, but are not the real child, but a wilding.  In a short time, Saffy and Clover are missing, and Liv is desperate to find them, especially when the rumors are wild and crazy; and soon thereafter, Liv too is missing.  The story does go back and forth between the two time periods.

The story moves to 2021, when Luna (the only survivor), gets a phone call that her sister, Clover has been found, after 20 years. Ecstatic, Luna rushes to get to her sister, as she has searched all these years for her mother, Saffy and Clover.  To her shock, when they bring out Clover, Luna sees the sister she lost 20 years ago, and is still a 7-year-old child.

Luna, despite her shock, does not reveal that her sister is different, and takes her home to try and ravel what is happening.  She will discover numbers on Clover, which have some kind of meaning.  With Clover being erratic, Luna decides she must return to Lon Haven to find the truth. Is her sister a wilding or a witch? Are all those residents’ rumor real or myths?

The Lighthouse Witches was a dark gothic paranormal haunting thriller that managed to creep me out a few times.  It was a wild story, filled with witchcraft (magic, curses, etc), which did keep me glued to the book (taking a few breaks along the way).  To say too much more would be spoilers, as you need to read this from start to finish.  The last ¼ of the book revealed some amazing twists that put the pieces together, though totally mind boggling.   If you enjoy gothic, creepy books, I suggest you read The Lighthouse Witches, which is very well written by C.J. Cooke.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry – a Review

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Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry – a Review

 

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Description:
Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt’s grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that’s just legend, the village gossips talking.

Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

 

 

Review:

Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry is a standalone novel.  Henry has been giving us some modern & dark tales on various stories such as this one.  Horseman takes place 20 years after the headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane events, as Sleepy Hollow has been quiet. Ben Van Brunt, is the granddaughter of Brom Bones, who was part of the stories years before.  Ben (who is a girl, but acts like a boy), is 14 years old, and loves and wants to be like her grandfather; she is strong and tough; as she stands up to the boys who tease and threaten her.  One of those boys is found in the woods with his head and hands missing, and the town is in an uproar, fearing the that the magic and horror is returning. 

Ben tries to find more information about her deceased father, and learns he was killed years ago in the same manner these young boys were.  Brom and Katrina (her grandparents) warn her to stay away from the dangerous woods.  When another boy’s body is discovered in the woods, Ben finds herself being accused by the boy’s father as the one who is using magic to kill his son, and the other boy.  Ben sees the creature who is killing the boys, as well as hearing sounds of the horseman trying to come to her rescue.  Is she imagining the thumping sound of the horse, is the horseman real?

What follows in a dark and intense story, where we follow Ben when she finds herself in danger, as she is taken captive by the dead boy’s father, and she does everything to fight and survive, even if she has to kill.  But when she comes face to face to the creature, her survival is dire; can the Horseman be real and save her?  One of the amazing parts is when Ben is in the woods, I can actually feel the thumping of the hooves as she can feel the Horseman coming. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and with all that happens, you do need to read this book.

Christina Henry wrote another interesting and dark storyline, as well as being scary with chilling scenes.  If you like intense dark stories, based on old tales that are created in the modern world, you should read Horseman, which was very well written by Christina Henry.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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