Category Archives: Horror

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Cades Cove

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8783169

Cades Cove: The Curse of Allie Mae (Cades Cove #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book that I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading many more. I was totally sucked into the story from the very beginning. The characters were interesting and made me feel for them and their plight, I was even drawn to the ghost who I felt sorry for even while she was doing things that were so evil to innocent people. The action flowed effortlessly and had me so wanting to know what was going to happen that I stayed up reading when I should have been sleeping so I could get to work.

David and Miriam Hobbs take a weekend trip for their anniversary to Gaitlinberg, Tennessee. While there they go to Cades Cove, a place recommended by his boss as being very picturesque and romantic. When they are about to leave they find a small bag containing the keepsakes of someone named Allie Mae. Miriam tells David to return it but he cannot bring himself to turn it over to the rangers and so takes it back home with them, without telling his wife.

When strange things start to happen around the house and it begins to affect his children he wonders if maybe he brought home more than some simple souvenirs. When things turn deadly he knows that he has to do whatever it takes to end the terror.

This was an excellent ghost story with suspense, scares, terror, family, and love. I would say that there is a scene of rape that is very unpleasant and may offend some. Other than that I would recommend this to horror fans and anyone who just likes a good ghost story.

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The Zombie Axiom

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18883640

The Zombie Axiom (In the Time of the Dead)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked the idea of this story from the first time I read the blurb. It sounded somewhat different from the stories I had read in the past. With that being said it was very hard for me to become engaged with the story for a large portion of it. I never really did feel much for any of the characters, they never fully came to life for me. I was never really able to connect to any of the characters except for small instances near the end. The characters were not completely real to me, they seemed to almost be nothing more than stereotypes. The story did progress well and moved from point to point fairly nicely. The language was easy to follow and seemed to work for those characters as they were drawn. I will also say that I did not particularly like the way it was laid out, two chapters for a book of 311 pages made it hard to pace it.

After a meteor shower some of the people of Connisburgh start to act in murderous ways attacking their family and neighbors for no apparent reasons. Things start so slowly that at first no one notices what is happening. Three people get a front row seat to the apocalypse as it begins even though they are not sure what is happening right away. Virgil is a vet who would rather avoid people at all costs than get close to anyone, Sasha is a nurse who has an abusive home life but is a true survivor, then there is Derek, a Sensei in Akido who has a calm that nothing seems able to rattle.

These people and others will find that things may seem bad at first but that they can get even worse. There is an unknown variable that is pushing to help destroy humanity and our little band has no idea.

While it was not something that grabbed me and held my attention until the end, it did still entertain once I finally got into it. The confrontation could have come earlier since I had been promised that there would be one but it did materialize, if a bit late. I did find that the ending has at least sparked an interest in the next book. I do hope the alien aspect gets a little more play in the next installment.

Zombies good so if you like them I say give it a try.

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Thirteen Roses

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23480236

Thirteen Roses Book One: Before: An Apocalyptic Zombie Fable

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I do love a good zombie story! The one thing that did kind of annoy me about this one is that it seemed like it took so long to get to the zombies. Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying the lead up completely, it’s just I was looking all over for the zombies. I like the way the characters were introduced one at a time in order to give you a feel for who they are. It gave me a chance to decide if I liked them or not, meaning whether I was going to be rooting for or against them. I liked the use of interludes to give more background on the state of things as they unfolded. This was definitely a different type of zombie story with what seem to be spiritual/religious undertones.

A flower seller who appears to be nothing special but who speaks like a very well-educated man, and is much more than anyone would believe. Flowers are given to seven carefully chosen people for reasons that can mean life or death for them. One of those people has the ability to cause the release of a plague that will devastate the world and it seems to have been made possible by someone associated with our flower seller.

You have to read this in order to truly appreciate it. Angels, demons, the almighty, and an interesting cross of humanity. I want book two to be just as interesting as this one because I am highly motivated to read it as soon as it comes out. Great characters, good action, nice premise, and kind of fun. I would call it a must read.

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If you have not yet read book 1 do so immediately!

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One Blood

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13134666

One Blood

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a book that had me confused as to what it was really about. I went in expecting a simple horror novel but got a lot more than that. This is a twisted story of revenge, hate, blind ambition, manipulation,murder, voodoo,and a cursed family. The characters are all very dark and not always likeable but they can be sympathetic from time to time. I really found myself not liking most of them for most of the book because they were so single-minded and seemed like the worst type of opportunists. The two characters that I did feel a little something for were not really fleshed out enough for me to really decide anything about how I wanted things to go for them.

Can I just say that there is only one thing that can drive me up a wall while reading is when I have to keep track of what year I am in from chapter to chapter or even section to section within a chapter. This started in 1963 and moved in a nice linear line for a few chapters then it was on and we jumped around for almost the entirety of the rest of the story. I understand the need for it here but it made things drag a bit for me. If possible I thought there was too much background that could have been condensed and left more for those characters I wanted to get to know better. Just a thought.

This is the story of Randy LaFitte a man who was marginalized by his father when he was young and took steps to make his life better, or so he thought. Randy decided that the only way to get rid of a man he hated was to resurrect a curse which had been dormant for years. His actions set off a chain of events which will affect not only his family but the lives and families of all those within reach of his influence. Randy had big ambition and went about getting what he wanted in the most ruthless manner possible, not a nice man by any stretch of the imagination.

When his sins come back to claim him they take a form no one would believe possible.

This is a good story that I wanted to be even better. I liked where it was going but just wanted it to get there faster. I stopped and started reading when it seemed I knew what was happening but this still left not sure if I even understood it all. Don’t read this for horror but more for the mystery that surrounds everything and everyone.

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Poe

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18729914

Poe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received this book for free through NetGalley for an honest review.

I was really happy that I decided to get this book, it caught me off guard and made me love the characters. The writing was fun but still managed to convey a feeling of menace, maybe because even the bad guy had a sense of humor. The characters are all well-developed and give you a sense of reality in who they are and who they may become. I could identify with each of the characters on one level or another and that just made it even better for me. I wondered about the title at first but it quickly resolved itself in an interesting way. I am a big fan of Edgar Allan and one of my favorite stories of his is The Tell-Tale Heart, which is referenced here. There was no lag in the story and everything played out quickly with just the right amount of tension.

Dimitri is a nice guy who has had his fair share of tragedy in his life. When his parents died on their way to visit him at college he decided to leave instead of completing the semester. He ends up taking a job with the local paper writing obituaries while he continues to work on his novel, a paranormal tomb about Rasputin, not exactly the life he had envisioned but it pays the bills. There is a girl he is interested in and he has not even asked her out yet, though he talks to regularly as a source, Lisa works at the local convalescent home and gives him information on the residents.

The real complications start when he is sent out to cover a séance at the local haunted house, the Aspinwall mansion, where a lot of people died years before. This assignment changes his life in ways he would never have been able to imagine. It is also the beginning of a rash of killings that are linked to his family which will shock and terrify the community he lives in.

I really ended up liking Dimitri, right from the start he was this gawky, self-effacing guy with a personality you couldn’t help but be drawn to. Lisa was is the cool girl that you wouldn’t expect to be with him but she has more going for her than just looks, she is everything that he needs and they fit together. While you have some good gory scenes they are not over the top but just right to keep the interest. I found myself laughing, smiling, talking back to the characters (out loud) and being worried for their safety. I had a great time reading it and am hoping for more time with them, not to mention Poe and Nachiel. Seems like things ended on a draw and payback would be nice. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a little romance, ghosts, demons, angels, and immortal exorcist.

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Bell Hallow

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7083562

Bell Hollow: The Ghost Hunters’ Files

3.5 stars for this horror/ghost story. The story itself was not particularly scary but it had a feeling of menace running throughout that made it compelling. The establishing chapters which laid out the area and some of the characters was straight forward and flowed well. but when it came into the present time you had to pay very close attention or lose track of where in the timeline you were. I had a good idea of where it was headed once we got to the sixties but I had to read on just in case I was wrong.

There are forty acres or more tucked away near Nashville, TN that has been shunned since the beginning of time because it has been the site of strange smells, unnatural deaths, and an evil aura. Even the local tribes avoided the area, then a trapper shows up in 1750 and decides to build there and the evil gets more active forcing the local medicine man to try to contain it. He does but settlers come and not recognizing the signs awaken it once more.

This is about a family who becomes embroiled in the supernatural through no real fault of their own. Jared accepts a job that will destroy his close-knit family and drive him to brink.

We don’t even meet the ghost hunters until the last several chapters of the book. But that is alright because they are not a major part of the story. The characters were quickly constructed and did not have a great deal of depth but some still managed to stand out. This was a decent read and I enjoyed it but there just seemed to be something missing. I liked the history of the area that was talked about. Read but don’t look to deep.

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Booster & Reeves

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Booster & Reeves: The Night of the Revenants

Booster & Reeves: The Night of the Revenants

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was not your typical zombie story by any means. When I started this I was unsure of where it was going to go, but it did take me to a pleasant place and made me like it and at least two of the characters a lot. The story may have been a bit odd but it definitely had something rather fun and whimsical about it. Booster and Reeves are both interesting characters who had an interesting chemistry that worked.

The story itself had a flow that was easy to follow once you knew what exactly was happening and allowed you to follow the progression with no problem. The characters themselves are a bit larger than life but fit well within the tale that is being told and you can’t help but smile at what they are attempting to do and the way they go about it.

Broderick Booster is a bit of a lay about, rich and idle, he likes to play video games where he kills zombies. Reeves is a manservant, Boosters manservant and undeniably the brains in the house. When the dead start to walk an unexpected visitor shows up at the door, Boosters Aunt Gertie who has been dead for two weeks. She comes to tell him that he can stop the dead from walking if he takes on the quest that she has come to tell him about. He and Reeves cannot refuse and take off to stop the madness before it can destroy everything in its path.

There is not a lot of carnage or violence but enough to satisfy. You do have the added bonus of black magic and time travel to balance that all out. These guys should have another adventure because they are so good together. Enjoy this for the light take on zombies and some interesting people.

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Return to Hell House

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The Legend of Hell House

The Legend of Hell House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Return to Hell House by Nancy A. Collins

Return to Hell House by Nancy A. Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this because it was not just a rehashing of the original story
but brought something new to the table. With that said it was still true
to the original in tone.

This novella is based on Hell House by
Richard Matheson. It is a prequel which gives an early view of Belasco
House and the power which was gathered within it’s walls.

Emeric
Belasco was a depraved man who built his house as playground for those
who were willing to participate in all manner of perversion and
depravity. When everyone died within its walls his body was not among
them but the evil lived on. In 1931 an investigation as launched that
resulted in the death of all involved. In 1940 another attempt was made
to investigate Hell House, this is their story. Dr’s Rand and Graham are
there to prove that ghosts do not exist, they have brought three others
as well. There is Grace Lauter, a mental medium who wishes to prove
that her ex-fiance did not commit murder in Hell House in 1931. Benjamin
Fischer, a 15-year-old physical medium who wishes to shed his moniker
as ‘Ghost Boy’ but has not been allowed to truly grow up. And finally
there is Professor Fenley a friend of Ben’s mother and a dedicated
spiritualist. What they find in Belasco House is stronger and more
terrifying than anything they could have imagined.

An enjoyable
and quick read for fans of Richard Matheson. This story can also be
found in ‘He is Legend‘ edited by Christopher Conlon.

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The Haunted

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The Haunted by Michaelbrent Collings

I would give this a solid 4.5 rating. Though the opening lines are
familiar, this just makes it feel like a story I might enjoy. I would
have just expected something a bit more original. I have always liked
haunted house mysteries because they can be the creepiest.

The
story has a slow build as you meet the characters, though there are only
two, as most of the action takes place within the walls of the house.
This house has been vacant for a long time, only occupied for short
periods of time by people from away who do not or do not believe its
history. The townspeople avoid the house perched on the hill because
though it is vacant it is not empty.

Sarah and Cap arrive and
start to move into their dream home, which they got for a low price, and
immediately feel that things are strange. Sarah is pregnant and looking
forward to starting a new life and home with her family. The only
problem is that she feels she is being watched and things keep being
moved around. Is she going crazy or is there something else going on her
new house?

I have read a lot of horror novels and it is not easy
to make me feel the dread that is supposed to be conveyed in these
stories. This one drew me in and gave me that feeling of panic and
desperation our couple were feeling. I was with them as they tried to
first find out what was happening and then trying to fight it. While it
is not super scary, it is a nail biter with a fantastic twist ending.

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On Demon Wings

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On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror, #5)On Demon Wings by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The intensity keeps going up right along with the terror. Each entry takes you a little deeper into the mystery, a little deeper into the horror, and a little deeper into a tangled romance.

Who will we get to see here: Ada Palomino is Perry’s younger sister and would do anything to help her mend her broken heart. She knows that Perry is not crazy and actually does see ghosts. She may be a fashionista but she is a smart girl with a quick mind.

Mom & Dad Palomino, they love their daughters but have decided that Perry is crazy and that they know what is best for her. The problem is that everything they do shows they may want to help but it pushes Perry further away because their love seems to be conditioned on her being a more perfect child.

Maximus was last seen in “Red Fox“, he was Dex’s best friend in college but there is no love lost between them. He shows up on Perry’s doorstep as if he cares about her, but his motives are much more shady. He may be a handsome man but the things he is willing to do for revenge make him less than desirable.

This installment revolves around Perry and what happens to her in the aftermath of her broken relationship with Dex. As someone who can see spirits Perry needs to protect herself, but in her weakened mental and physical state she leaves herself open to the spirits who would take advantage of her. Perry is faced with fighting for life and sanity and the only person who truly has her back is Ada, a fifteen year old who understands more than she is given credit for.

Though I have loved all the previous books, this one really gave me something to think about. We get some big reveals which make some of the earlier encounters make more sense. And we do get some Dex. 😉

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