Five families will arrive at their child's elite, small college for the opening night of "Parent's Weekend" to celebrate the successful closing of theFive families will arrive at their child's elite, small college for the opening night of "Parent's Weekend" to celebrate the successful closing of the first college year. The kids chose the restaurant and everyone was to arrive by 7:00 pm and unbelievably all five kids from Campisi Hall never show up for the planned dinner. At first the families thought they were just being reckless college kids but after a few hours one mother contacted the police knowing her son would never do anything like this to her since he knows how she worries about him. All the families start getting concerned when none of their children answer their phones with calls or texts when they were contacted so the police do take the matter seriously when just a week ago another student was reported missing and it didn't turn out very well. Why are 5 students suddenly missing when they come from completely different backgrounds? Does it have to do with past secrets of their parents or are the missing kids involved in dangerous or criminal activities that could cause harm to themselves and others?
I enjoyed this novel very much just as I have with the other 'Alex Finlay' books that I have read. I have become huge fan of this author and I can't wait to read more of his works. All the suspense and tension was well-written into the story and all the chapters were written from the different character's storyline and point of view. The characters were well fleshed out and I felt as if I knew the families and their kids. Did I mention I love 'Alex Filay's writing and storytelling? I was entertained and also trying to solve the mystery throughout the entire story and I don't have anything negative to say about this novel. It was a fast page turner and I highly recommend this exciting and intriguing book to everyone!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 EXCITING AND ENTICING ...more
WHAT ELSE WILL WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE SECRETS THE EVANS WOMEN HAVE BEEN HIDING?
Down to two Evans women left and they thought the worst was over unfortuWHAT ELSE WILL WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE SECRETS THE EVANS WOMEN HAVE BEEN HIDING?
Down to two Evans women left and they thought the worst was over unfortunately something else is stirring up the town and this time they think it really is a wild animal until they see the bodies coming into their funeral home and if the undead frenzy was bad before this mess will be something they cannot handle on their own and the new sheriff will discover everything he thought he knew from the earlier killings will be absolutely nothing in comparison with the new role he has to accept as his new fate when the mutilated bodies keep turning up and coming back to life which he could never have imagined in his wildest nightmares!
I enjoyed this book so much! The likeable and misunderstood characters are very well developed and colorful. Atmosphere galore! This book could be read alone although I would recommend reading the first book "BLESS YOUR HEART" first, so you have a full understanding of the prior characters and the roles they played which brought about the second book "ANOTHER FINE MESS" in this series. These storylines are unique and the writing and storytelling are just excellent. I certainly hope the author 'LINDY RYAN' will have a book three coming out soon plus many more to be written in the this absolutely horrifically fun, gory, shocking, creepy, amusing, entertaining and unusually endearing if one can imagine experiencing all those feelings and more from a horror book! Thank you so much 'LINDY RYAN' for sharing your wonderfully, bizarrely, strange, creative thoughts which you captured on paper and I am now a big fan and will continue reading your books in the future.
I highly recommend to all horror lovers and others as long as the readers have strong stomachs and a great sense of humor!
I want to thank the publisher "ST. MARTIN'S PRESS - MINOTAUR BOOKS" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 HORRIFYING AND MESMERIZING ...more
Olivier and Cassie are on their honeymoon in France where Olivier was originally born and raised and unbeknownst to the to the happy couple they have Olivier and Cassie are on their honeymoon in France where Olivier was originally born and raised and unbeknownst to the to the happy couple they have a stalker who is following and shadowing their every move. Who is this mysterious threat? Will this trip be Honeymoon to forever Happiness or Honeymoon from Hell? Will any of these three people make it back to their lives in the U.S. or will an unexpected confrontation change the course of their lives forever!
This book was a fast and entertaining read from author ANNE-SOPHIE JOUHANNEAU. She captured the essence of Paris, France wonderfully as I could sense the sights,sounds and smells from her very descriptive writing as if I was actually there with the characters seeing and feeling the beauty of their surroundings, from the famous Eiffel Tower to the quaint little cafes and bakeries where I could easily taste the delicious French pastries and deserts plus visualize every site they visited along with my being able to imagine some customs and mannerisms of the people of France. I enjoyed the pacing, the quick chapters and the style of the writing for this book.
It was fun learning the backgrounds of each character and the many secrets of their past histories slowly revealed bit by bit. The storytelling was cleverly done and kept the book interesting and intriguing at times. The ending was just okay for me maybe a little rushed and understated for all heavy developments within the story although I could see a follow-up book continuing where THE FRENCH HONEYMOON ended leaving many questions left unanswered! I would love to read more books by this author and I recommend this story to all readers who enjoy engaging, dark, thriller/mysteries!
I want to thank the publisher 'SOURCEBOOKS LANDMARK" and NETGALLEY for gifting this ebook to me and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating a 3 1/2 CLEVER AND DEVIOUS...more
A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND EMOTIONAL STORY OF GRIEF, SHAME, SECRETS AND LOST LOVES!
The year is 1900 when lovely, young Dorothy, a new teacher arrives A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND EMOTIONAL STORY OF GRIEF, SHAME, SECRETS AND LOST LOVES!
The year is 1900 when lovely, young Dorothy, a new teacher arrives in the small fishing village of Skerry, Scotland with bright hopes and dreams to begin a happy new life full of promise so different from her past.
Now, fifteen to twenty years later villagers see Joseph carrying an unconscious small boy soaked head to foot and wearing only one boot who he found washed up on the wet, sandy beach. Shock and whispers carry through the air speaking of the similarities between Dorothy's young son who was taken by the sea many years before. Dorothy will be the boy's caregiver over the brutal winter as there is no way in or out of the village due to blizzards and frozen ice afterward making any transportation or post service communication impossible. Dorothy grows attached to the strange child who reminds her so much of her own lost boy and her reality becomes blurred and challenged when she begins to to believe that the sea gave back this child to her as a gift to replace the one it took and she sometimes believes he is the same child. Meanwhile gossip continues throughout the village as usual because there is an uncanny resemblance to Dorothy's child which finally brings out secreted deeds and lies that some of the community carried from the past that may have led to the death of Dorothy's only beloved child.
This lovely and heartbreaking novel will stay with me for a very long time if not forever! I absolutely cannot believe this was the author 'JULIA R. KELLY'S' debut novel which was written so beautifully with magnificent and atmospheric storytelling of Skerry, Scotland where I completely lost myself within the pages and I truly didn't want the book to come to an end. It has been quite while since I have felt so much emotion while reading a story and I would find myself sometimes smiling although most of the time my eyes would be welling up with so many tears while feeling a painful ache in my chest experiencing the pain that the characters would be feeling (marvelous)! The author captured the authenticity of all the characters' personalities and feelings plus the isolation of the small community where I felt that I was actually there.somehow in this fishing village observing how everything played out. This was a wonderfully, rich reading experience which was due to the hauntingly, descriptive writing of 'JULIA R. KELLY'!
I highly, highly recommend this beautiful novel and I certainly hope there will many more books to be written by this talented author!
I want to thank the publisher "Simon & Schuster" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5++ MESMERIZING AND HAUNTING ...more
Beth and Frank have a loving relationship and they own and run a sheep farm with Frank's younger brother Jimmy whom Beth adores. One day a strange dogBeth and Frank have a loving relationship and they own and run a sheep farm with Frank's younger brother Jimmy whom Beth adores. One day a strange dog runs onto the farm and attacks the sheep and Jimmy had no choice but to put the dog down when a young boy runs up to them screaming and crying "You shot my dog" over and over. Beth runs over to care for the boy when his father walks up and Beth realized it's none other than Gabriel, her teenage love of her life that she spent the most romantic and passionate summer of her lifetime. They thought they were soul mates during that time and Beth has never gotten over Gabe but she never thought she would see him again since he happened to become one of the most well-known novelists of the 1960's. What happened to this couple when they were teenagers and what will happen when Beth learns Gabriel lives less than several minutes walking distance from her farm and what about Frank, the most gentle, loving, patient man who may have ever walked this earth! Frank has endured many storms in his lifetime but will he be able to weather this tornado which is about to be unleashed on him without the security of having a shelter to protect his heart and soul.
This story has wonderful dual timelines that stem from the years 1955 -1968 .and will carry the reader on a passionate journey revolving around a love triangle. The writing was beautiful with colorful but not overdone descriptions of the picturesque English countryside and the small country village where everyone knows everything about their neighbors so there aren't many secrets that are able to be kept hidden. Unbelievably good character development without the feeling of being bogged down so the story flows wonderfully from each timeline so the reader won't get lost or confused. The prelude about who was shot, why and who did it will carry through to the end with some heart wrenching court scenes as well. This novel had so many emotional. components, since every character came with their own set of history or baggage. For myself the realism of the storytelling is what drew me in and I could visualize everything as if this story was a movie playing in front of me. There was so much love and passion from these flawed characters that many readers will relate to it especially if they had ever experienced such strong feelings of being in love and the pain of relationships abruptly coming to an end.
'Claire Leslie Hall' wrote a magnificent novel of love, loss, grief, forgiveness and misunderstandings. The atmospheric beauty of the scenery and village was breathtaking at times and it was wonderful to read a story taking place in these older decades where the author depicted lives being lived in a time so alien to our past twenty to thirty years with all of modern technologies and home and public conveniences yet it was so easy to picture what life might have been like in those days. Superb writing and storytelling. This novel " BROKEN COUNTRY " may be unforgettable for many of us especially if the reader allows themselves to be carried away on the waves of emotion within the writing without harboring harsh judgements towards any of the characters actions. Mistakes will be made, relationships tested, pain and suffering will be felt and remember there will always be consequences for actions whether right or wrong. This is not the genre of book I would normally read so I most strongly recommend this novel to all readers and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books from this talented author.
I want to thank the publisher 'SIMON & SCHUSTER' and NETGALLEY for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 STUNNING AND HEARTFELT ...more
KELLY ARMSTRONG'S STRONG STORYTELLING JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER WITH THIS INTRIGUING SERIES AND "COLD AS HELL" IS NOT TO BE MISSED SINCE ITKELLY ARMSTRONG'S STRONG STORYTELLING JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER WITH THIS INTRIGUING SERIES AND "COLD AS HELL" IS NOT TO BE MISSED SINCE IT IS A SPECIAL NOVEL FOR HAVEN'S ROCK FOLLOWERS!
Hidden in a secret location in the Canadian Yukon lies a community, unknown to the public for certain individuals to escape from their former lives and find safety and solace with new identities to live in the harsh and sometimes very cruel wilderness without any modern conveniences e.g. as in anything electrical etc. Sounds similar to witness protection but it is not any type of government sanctioned agency. This new story has many exciting subplots evolving not excluding detective Casey, who is now eight months pregnant and has a high risk pregnancy as well and to travel to the nearest hospital a small plane is the only transportation to any nearby city. A member of the community who is single is kidnapped but she is able to get away from her attacker but when a second married woman goes missing during a blizzard Casey and Derek know they must hurry to find her due to the freezing temperatures and storms that are headed their way before they become snowbound for several days. There may be a killer in their midst and everyone will become a suspect even some members of their policing team unless they can find this vicious predator before they get the chance to get away amidst all the continuing chaos. Oh, no! What if Casey goes into labor while they're stranded because of blizzard conditions?
I enjoyed this book so very much as I've enjoyed every story that I've read in this exciting series. This book so was hard to put down since something new was happening in every chapter and I just needed to know more so I just couldn't stop turning the pages. Finishing these stories always carry bittersweet emotions as I love getting to the end of the mystery but I hate that I have to wait awhile until 'Kelley Armstrong' writes her next "HAVEN'S Rock" book and I sincerely hope this author continues this series for years and years to come.
These books can be read a stand-alones although I would recommend starting with the first or second books to really understand how this secret community came into existence and how they are able survive in the Yukon wilderness. Readers will not be disappointed! I highly recommend this book and I really can't wait to read the next book book hopefully before it's published!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press /Minotaur Books" and Netgalley" for the opportunity to read 'COLD AS HELL' and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 5 ATMOSPHERIC AND EXPLOSIVE ...more
Romee booked a romantic Christmas vacation for her boyfriend and herself in a secluded rustic cabin high in thAn Unexpected Christmas Terror Surprise!
Romee booked a romantic Christmas vacation for her boyfriend and herself in a secluded rustic cabin high in the mountains expecting that her lover would pop the big question but at the last minute he literally dumps her. Romee is devastated and since she can't get her hefty deposit back she decides to go alone and try to recover and sort her life problems out since none of her friends are available to go with Romee for all of them had made previous holiday plans.
From the moment Romee arrives at the cabin something feels off, she hears many odd sounding noises and feels like she is being watched as well, but figures it's only because she's not used to being alone in a strange place. Six days to go and thinking this was a bad idea and maybe she should go back home when the snow starts falling and falling and then turns into a blizzard.
More noises, items which seem moved out of place almost as if someone came into the cabin which is impossible since she has never left and also she has been drinking quite a bit trying to drown her sorrows, so maybe her wine fueled imagination is creating havoc where everything is actually normal. Even if she wanted to leave now, she can't because It is wild outside with snow accumulating by the hour and whiteout visibility, plus the roads were already treacherous driving up the mountain in good weather so now it would be virtually impossible for Romee to navigate down the mountain roads without chains on her tires. Now the real terror will begin!
What else could go wrong? Well plenty more, and I've said enough and I don't want to give anything more away, so readers really should get this book to find out about the terror, the fun, the horror, the unpredictable nightmare that will reign down upon Romee.
What an entertaining and unexpected surprise this book was for myself. The storyline drew me in and I felt so bad for Romee and and her problems and I was forgetting this was going to be a horror/thriller and it didn't disappoint once the action started. The frigid and isolated mountain setting was definitely convincing and just added to the enjoyment of the story. There were many twists and turns packed into this novella with quite a bit of dark humor as well.
Romee could be a very comical and naive character but her dire situation brought out strengths and also some serious and humorous blunders where I didn't know how she would survive in this crazy, scary, sometimes very funny yet violent and brutal situations. All I know is I will never go on a secluded trip alone! Ever!
I definitely recommend this enjoyable and terrifying holiday novella by Meyer Matthews that can be read any time of year and I look forward to reading more from this author!
I want to thank the self-published author Meyer Matthews and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 DELIGHTFUL HORRIFYING ...more
The story begins in 1868 London when an art curator secures a box from an estate sale and unbeknownst to him the sealed box had originated in TransylvThe story begins in 1868 London when an art curator secures a box from an estate sale and unbeknownst to him the sealed box had originated in Transylvania. The box was never to be opened since it was said a mysterious evil resided within but since these people don't believe in legends or folklore, although sometimes being true, of course they opened the box which only held small bones. They never noticed the dark, shadowy, cold mist swirling around the room yet they did feel a pervading sense of malevolence weaving between their bodies.
Vampyr's are legends and spooky stories to be told as entertainment at fancy dinners and parties but soon this one vampyr will find a new home in London if it can keep it's rare tastes secretive until it finds others of it's kind to join it so they can become a new society, because there are plenty of necessary, abundant meals for their acquired taste to be had in this overly, populated city.
I enjoyed this atmospheric book so much and I can't wait to find similar books that have such a unique twist on a well known vampire topic. This book was so well-written and edited which made it even more pleasurable to read. I loved the historic element of nineteenth century London capturing their style of speaking, the way they dressed, their modes of travel through the city, the shops, the inequality of the wealthy and the poor was depicted so wonderfully that I felt as if the story was really taking place all around me.
I thought that all the characters were richly developed and I found myself really caring or despising them. I just love when books make me feel emotions I wasn't expecting especially from a horror novel. I can't recommend this book highly enough, a true favorite read of the year for myself and I know that other horror fans will be impressed as well. I'm looking forward to reading more books from 'Richard Gadz' in the future!
I have given a rating of 5 RAVENOUS VAMPYR ...more
Three twelve year old little girls are having a camping out sleepover in Chloe's backyard. Excited to tell spooky stories and eating smore's until theThree twelve year old little girls are having a camping out sleepover in Chloe's backyard. Excited to tell spooky stories and eating smore's until they're ready to burst the girls are just over the moon with being allowed to have this great adventure. That is until the sudden scratching sounds outside their tent and feeling something hard and slithering moving on the ground beneath their sleeping bags. What began as a night of fun is quickly turning into their worst nightmare especially when no-one answers their screams for help!
This was such a wonderfully, special, horror book geared for middle grade young children that had a little bit of everything. I found this story very appropriate and scary for kids yet so much fun. I only wish these types of books were around when I was that young since this was definitely a really good horror book. Being an adult I can honestly say that I enjoyed this story even though it was written for middle grade children. There was so much hokey fun and hijinks along with scares and a monster plus some great, gory entertainment. I just love the author Jeff Strand and this was another well-written horror book that I would highly recommend to any parent to buy for their kids! I know if they enjoy fun, scary stories they will thank you over and over for this one.
I want to thank the publisher "Sourcebook Kids/ Sourcebook Young Readers" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 CREEPY AND FRIGHTENING ...more
This story begins on October 1, 1970 and needs on October 31st and is the perfect book for the Halloween Season.
FSO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO VERY VERY GOOD!!
This story begins on October 1, 1970 and needs on October 31st and is the perfect book for the Halloween Season.
Four boys who are the closest of friends are enjoying their childhood and unburdened lives until the night the tall, old stranger dressed in all black wearing a cape and top hat arrives in Maplewood New Hampshire. The man rents a room in the only boarding house along with several other seniors living there including an old pulp horror writer who hasn't left the home in over forty years believing that some of his horror stories came true and the entities he knows he saw are still out there searching for him and he has been in hiding all this time. The boys love this author's books and visit him on a regular basis and now they want to find all the information he can share about this dark stranger.
Peculiar events started happening the day that man arrived and every day that passes a darkness envelops the town and now children are disappearing plus a few other people yet the adults don't connect the dots and find anything unusual until it's too late. Will the boys convince people that they need help to stop the evil that's taking over their once safe and comfortable town or will everyone be swallowed up by the darkness that refuses to leave Maplewood and seems to have huge plans that will take place on Halloween night especially for all the trick or treaters and anyone else who dares to be out on October 31st!
This book was deliciously atmospheric, entertaining, enjoyable and well-written. An intriguing coming of age story for the boys and a great nod to the older generation as well. The characters are very well developed with delightful humor thrown in as well as the eerie darkness that encompasses every chapter. This book was hard to put down since I was enjoying it so much and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. This was my second book by this author 'Gregory Bastianelli' which was called "Snowball" and I highly recommend reading that if you enjoy a great Christmas or winter horror novel.
I wasn't sure how everything would come together by the end of the story but it all played out with many questions answered. The parts I didn't care for happened at the end of the book, maybe I wanted it to end more seamlessly although I believe it had more of a horror effect since it didn't wrap up with a pretty bow the way I expected. Horror books are very subjective and they don't always play out the way the reader wants it too but believe me this was a fantastic, fun, creepy, frightening horror book that I recommend to all horror readers!
I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this exciting horror novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 CREEPY AND SPOOKALICIOUS ...more
This is a story of a young married couple moving into a house that the wife absolutely hates and she also happens to be pregnant.
Emily and Miles LawreThis is a story of a young married couple moving into a house that the wife absolutely hates and she also happens to be pregnant.
Emily and Miles Lawrence have a solid, loving relationship and are excited to start their family since they have wanted to have a baby for a long time. Emily has a stressful pregnancy with complications and their new house is making it worse for her. She hears noises and a little girl's whispering voice and the room that will be their nursery has a bad feeling plus closet door open and close on their own but Miles thinks it's all in Emily's overactive imagination from her hormonal stress. Things continue to worsen for Emily and their solid marriage is showing cracks that are turning into craters as time goes on and she knows the house is haunted but why won't Miles believe her even when he's now witnessed strange events that he shouldn't be able to ignore.
Emily suffers postpartum depression after experiencing the most unbelievable, traumatic birth of their new baby. Their marriage is falling apart and the house is dangerous but Miles still thinks it's all in Emily's head and she will get over all these irrational thoughts as the baby gets older but he will soon find out that is not what the house has in store for this family but by the time he realizes everything is out of control it will finally be too late!
This was a terrific, disturbing, creepy and very spooky haunted house novel. The writing was atmospheric and captured the eerie essence of being haunted and being powerless against evil which one can't see yet is everywhere although the people closest to you don't believe you and think everything you experience is all your imagination. I can't imagine what that would be like to be locked away with horror attacking you and your family but no-one believes you.
The author EV Knight captured a complicated pregnancy and postpartum depression wonderfully and It's important for women and men who have never experienced this horrible and misunderstood mental health issue to take a peek into what some women, sadly have to suffer through to have children of their own. This particular case was a horror novel in itself. Whoa, what an unexpected ending!!
I really enjoyed this book filled with subtle and also in your face graphic, horror! I highly recommend this novel to all horror lovers but maybe not to women who are currently or planning to get pregnant in the very near future because it will definitely give nightmares to those in a sensitive state!
I want to thank the publisher "RDS PUBLISHING/ Screaming Dog Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 DISTURBING AND SCREAMING ...more
Nicola Laughton has had a raffle death ticket from the day she was born with the horrible, unrelenting illness of cystic fibrosis. Nicola never thoughNicola Laughton has had a raffle death ticket from the day she was born with the horrible, unrelenting illness of cystic fibrosis. Nicola never thought she would ever marry but she did meet the love of her life and sadly he died shortly after their marriage in a horrific traffic accident. Anton's last words to her as he died in her arms was "I'll be waiting" and some witnesses claimed to see his spirit hover over his body for a few moments. Ever since then Nicola has visited mediums and attended seances seeking to prove or disprove of life existing after death.
Nicola rents a summer house by the sea and brings her best supporters, her brother-in-law who is a sceptic and another friend whom she met at one of her seances and who definitely believes in the afterlife and hopes Nicola will find her answers. The medium she hires is also a scientist who comes well recommended.
Shortly after they arrive strange and bizarre occurrences begin to descend upon the group, subtle in the beginning but when swarms of black insects hover outside the house where Nicola can't even go for a walk due to her breathing and the insects flying in her mouth and eyes whenever she steps outside. It is a very strange phenomena to be sure and now Nicola wonders if she's made some very bad decisions about needing to have contact with Anton since all the paranormal experiences seem aggressive and dark so maybe she's made contact with something else and how will she make it all come to an end without any harmful entity attacking her and her friends. Something at this beach house has gone very, very wrong!
Kelley Armstrong has written another suspenseful and terrifying novel that I hated putting down and coming to an end. I enjoyed all the characters and felt they were well developed and I also loved all the twists and turns that K.A. always include in her books. This novel was so enjoyable and entertaining and I am so looking forward to reading many, more books by this author.
I recommend this book to any reader who wants something spooky, unsettling, suspenseful with some tense horror that never lets up and yet a great, back and present story concerning Nicola's chronic,deadly illness and her courage and stamina of beating the odds of her life expectancy by never giving up! I also loved the fantastic, explosive ending that I never saw coming which kept me on the edge of my seat through the last few chapters!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 1/2 SUSPENSEFUL AND NERVE SHATTERING ...more