Review: An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino

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An Immaculate DeceptionAn Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

An Immaculate Deception is a debut Historical Horror novel from Isabela Livino. This book is set in 1870s-Brazil, where we meet and follow a woman named Madalena.

Madalena has fallen in love with a dashing young man, and as sometimes happens, finds herself pregnant, out of wedlock. Having been raised in a strict and religious household, Madalena fears her mother’s head could actually explode when she learns Madalena’s secret.

After Madalena confesses, her Mom’s head doesn’t explode, but she does put up a forceful ultimatum: marry, or surrender the baby.

Madalena feels confident that the baby’s daddy, Leandro, will do the right thing when he hears the news. He’s bound to propose. He loves her. Yeah, yeah, he loves her.

She picks a night to tell him, and just as she’s about to share the news, a terrible storm sweeps in and causes the carriage they’re traveling in to careen off the road.

Awakening after the accident, Madalena finds herself in a bed at Leandro’s secluded estate. She’s being looked over by a Doctor Lobo, and she let’s him know she’s pregnant, to which he’s surprised.

Leandro is also there, but he doesn’t seem the same since the accident. His personality has completely changed. No longer the charming and affectionate lover she once knew, he’s now glowering and always watching.

It’s not just Leandro though, the house itself sets Madalena on edge. She fears it’s haunted. There’s phantom smells, things disappearing, a startling lack of mirrors. She begins to fear Leandro and Doctor Lobo as well. She doesn’t trust them at all. She feels trapped.

She’s got to figure out what’s happening here and get away before it’s too late. It’s not just herself she needs to think about, but also her unborn child. It’s a race against the clock for Madalena; one girl against the world.

This was good. I enjoyed my time with it, and while it didn’t necessarily blow me away, I feel like it’s a strong debut novel. I was particularly intrigued in the 1st-half. It was mysterious and I enjoyed the descriptions of Leandro’s house and the things going on there.

Additionally, there was shift at one point that really surprised me, and I loved that the author chose to set the narrative up the way that she did. It made the reveals more impactful, IMO.

There were some aspects that I found odd and slightly-confusing, but for the most part it had a solid premise, good characters and lightly-creepy vibes.

I would recommend this to fans of The Hacienda, or Mexican Gothic. I think if you like those sort of Gothic Historical Horror stories, this could work for you as well.

I will say, I do feel a little weird about the cover. Speaking of The Hacienda. I feel like perhaps they hit a little to close to Isabel Cañas’s cover style. As soon as I saw this, I thought, does Isabel Cañas have a book coming out that I don’t know about?

I feel like it’s sort of her thing now to have this beautiful, artistic covers with a lone woman in a red dress, especially outside, with some sort of weather brewing, and that’s exactly what this is. I just wish they would have gone in a different direction, as it feels a little copy-catty.

With this being said, this isn’t a review of the Publisher’s choice of cover, it’s a review of the story itself, and that’s what I’ve based my rating on.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely pick up more from Isabela Livino in the future.

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Review: I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig

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I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement HomeI’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After a decades-long stint in prison, former serial killer, Carol, is looking forward to starting afresh at her new retirement home, Sheldon Oaks, upon her release. At 75-yo, Carol has a lot of life left to live and she’s ready to do it as a free woman.

Unfortunately, after a fellow resident suddenly falls to his death, all eyes are on her. Although Carol has tried to keep her unsavory past a secret, there are people who know and they’re quite suspicious of her now.

Carol had nothing to do with this death, and it seems she’s gotta prove it if she ever wants to achieve her dream of living in peace.

We follow Carol, and the other residents, as they dig into this mystery and try to figure out the whodunit. This is a cute story. Please don’t let my 3-star rating scare you off.

It’s a fine story. It did absolutely nothing wrong, though it did struggle holding my attention. I feel like if I wasn’t already such a big fan of the Marlow Murder Club Mysteries, or even The Thursday Murder Club, I might have enjoyed it more.

I just feel like for me personally, the fact that I’ve read and loved those other series first, made this seem a little lackluster in comparison. That may not be fair of me, but it is the experience I had with it, and I do rate based on my own personal reading experience.

With this being said, if you are just looking for an easy, cozy read, following an elderly protagonist starting over and solving mysteries, this could definitely be the book for you. I would never discourage anyone from reading it, and I’m sure a ton of Readers are going to fall in love with Carol.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series or not, but I am going to check out the premise of the next book. I would consider it if I think it’s a case that would be super fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I always love checking out new Cozy Mystery series. Some stick and some don’t, but that’s perfectly fine. There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book!

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Review: Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Clown in a Cornfield #4) by Adam Cesare

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Lights! Camera! Frendo!Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Lights! Camera! Frendo! is the highly-anticipated 4th-installment to Adam Cesare’s Teen Scream Slasher series, Clown in a Cornfield.

I’ve enjoyed the trajectory of this series. It feels like an ode to Teen Scream and Slasher movies, with this installment being no exception. Cesare is clearly a huge fan of this subgenre of Horror and it shows on the page.

In this installment, we’re heading back to Kettle Springs where a big budget movie focusing on the original Kettle Springs Massacre is ready to start filming. Sabrina Alvarez, a young, fairly unknown actress, has been selected to play the role of Final Girl, Quinn Maybrook.

Sabrina is nervous. It’s a huge role for her, and it’s her first time being on a shoot like this on her own, without her Mom. The rest of the cast and crew already seem well-acquainted, so she’s definitely the new girl on the block.

The director’s methods are also not what’s she is used to, but for the most part, everyone on set is friendly and welcoming. It’s the town itself that seems off.

And it’s Kettle Springs, so you know her instincts in that regard are correct. There’s definitely something off.

We follow along, via multiple different perspectives, as this film tries to get off the ground. Not everyone in Kettle Springs is happy about the exposure.

It’s not long before bodies start dropping again. Who’s going to be the Final Girl this time?

This was excellent. I enjoyed it so, so much. I loved the Scream 3 feel of a movie being made on the Kettle Spring Massacre. All the actors and actresses, it was fun to follow them on the set and watch as things started to get unhinged in a real Kettle Springs kind of way.

I recently read Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, which covered the making of the Scream franchise, and a lot of the different elements Cesare included here involving the cast and crew, reminded me of things I learned in that book.

I think Cesare did a great job making the film shoot feel believable, and then pulling in the Frendo lore and the rest of the town as well. We also see some old favorite characters again, like Cole and Rust.

For me, this is the best installment since the 1st-book. I loved being back in Kettle Springs. It was a great set-up, with copious creative kills and a solid continuation of the lore. I am so pleased with how Cesare concluded it. Will we be blessed with a book 5!?

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I highly recommend this series to Horror fans, and this book in particular if you’ve already started this series. I’m hoping we get at least one more book!

I don’t want it to end!

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Review: Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher

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Bridget & Gabe Are Not OkayBridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay is the 2nd-book in Lex Croucher’s The Camelot Disasters series. This is a Queer Medieval YA Rom-Com series that is a reimagining full of Arthurian lore.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never read any of the original source materials that make up the backbone of these characters and lore. I have only ever partaken in adaptations and retellings, but I have read and watched a lot of those.

For me what sets Croucher’s versions apart is the humor and the beautifully-developed characters. This group of characters are just so lovable, but also relatable, and their interactions together are top shelf. I love them.

Whereas the 1st-book focused on Gwen and Arthur, and the peculiarities of their relationship, this 2nd-installment focuses on Gwen’s crush, the lady knight, Bridget Leclair, as well as the newly-crowned King Gabriel (Gabe).

Bridget was actually my favorite character from the 1st-book, due to the descriptions and personality that reminded me so much of Brienne of Tarth.

In this book, we find Bridget has lost their spark, and Gabe too has been struggling since the battles of the first book, having lost his father and his arm.

Don’t let this fool you though, there’s still plenty of humor and heart-warming interactions to enjoy. I also really enjoy following along with characters as they work through personal struggles. I appreciate how Croucher allows the characters to communicate openly and honestly as well.

Arriving at the end, I realized I didn’t want it to stop. The concluding bits had some fun little inclusions that I’d love to see expanded, particularly in regards to a wizened old man they came upon. I’m really hoping we get at least one more book in this series. I’m not sure what the actual plans are, but I’d happily pick up another installment.

I’d also highly recommend the audiobook if you have that available to you. The narration by Kishore Walker and Theodora Taylor somehow feels very time period appropriate. I’m not sure what it is, the accents, or just the delivery, but it truly transports you into the story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me withcopies to read and review. This series introduced me to Lex Croucher and I’m super grateful for that!

I look forward to more.

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Review: Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance #1) by Karina Halle

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Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance Book 1)Hollow by Karina Halle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Hollow is the 1st-book in Karina Halle’s Gothic Shade of Romance series. I know nothing about this series, but I believe it’s just a duology, ending with Legend. As you may guess from my rating, I will not be continuing on.

This is a Spicy Sleepy Hollow retelling, where Kat Van Tassel hails from a family of witches, and she’s been set from childhood to marry her BFF, Brom Bones. However, before they reach the age to marry, Brom suddenly disappears, leaving Kat’s future is up in the air.

Kat ends up enrolling in the Sleepy Hollow Institute, which happens to be run by her family. The field of study at the school, advanced witchcraft. It’s all very secretive and Kat feels unprepared for her studies there.

On her very first day, she finds herself instantly drawn to the school’s newest professor, Ichabod Crane. There’s a reciprocating draw on his side as well, which we know because we also get his perspective.

When Brom returns in the midst of all this, after 4-years away, with amnesia, and a much darker personality, Kat is thrown for a loop. Does she return to the boy she was promised to in her childhood, the boy she once loved, or explore this new relationship with the hot professor?

But Crane and Brom have a history too, and this is where things start to get messy. Just kidding! Things were messy wayyyy before that, hence part of my dislike. This couldn’t be more contrary to my tastes if it tried.

I did like that the audiobook featured dual narration and I did like the initial set-up. After that though, it was pretty much all downhill.

I didn’t get the gothic atmosphere I wanted at all, nor a sense of place. Sleepy Hollow is such a vibe, I wanted that oozing off the page. IMO, this felt like it could have been set at any time, in any place, which was a huge disappointment.

Honestly, it’s on me. I heard Sleepy Hollow and I jumped for it, when I should have dodged out of the way. I know I don’t like this type of book. No matter how much I try to make it work, because I see so many other people enjoying them and I want to as well, it doesn’t work.

It’s just not for me. I found all the spicy scenes to be absolutely cringe and ridiculous. I was listening to the audiobook, and I cannot tell you how many times I said, ewwwww, out loud whilst listening. The descriptions and adjective choices, yuck.

Speaking of yuck, I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. I know this novel has a huge audience of Readers who’ve not only read it, but loved it. Sadly, I’m just not part of that crowd. If you loved this one, I’m genuinely happy for you.

We all deserve incredible books and we’re all allowed to have different tastes and kinks. For me, I’m happy to cross this one off this list and never look back. Thank you to the publisher, Ace and Tantor Audio for providing me with copies to read and review. I appreciate it!

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Review: The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin

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The Vanishing PlaceThe Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

After a murder in the New Zealand bush, and a witness who looks like a ghost of the past, Effie decides she must return to her home country, a place she’d sworn never to return.

Effie grew up in the bush, caring for her younger siblings, raised by parents who completely cut them off from the rest of the world. It was a hard existence, and the children experienced things that would make you toes curl. It’s left permanent scars on Effie’s psyche.

Effie’s been living her adult life in the UK, far from the places of her earlier traumas. When she gets a phone call though, from someone from her past, telling her of this young witness, who looks just like a younger version of herself, she has to return.

She needs to put this to bed. She needs to actually find out what happened to her family, and perhaps help this young witness in the process. In order to do so though, Effie’s going to have to face the demons of her past all over again.

I read this at the wrong time, I think. I didn’t vibe with it all. Though reading the synopsis, you’d think I would. Unfortunately, I was bored for the majority of the story. The writing is great, so it’s not that, and I did appreciate the depth of it, but it just wasn’t for me right now.

Many of my Book Friends, whose tastes normally align with mine, loved it, so def don’t take my word for it. I honestly think it was just the wrong book for me in the moment.

I never connected with the characters in a way that would establish the empathy I think is needed to truly enjoy a story like this. I needed to be invested in Effie and her past, and sadly, I just wasn’t.

It was refreshing to read a story set in New Zealand and I did enjoy the audiobook narration as well. I also think the author did a good job of taking us back-and-forth between past and present without making it confusing or convoluted.

I think there’s a lot of heart in this story, unfortunately my ice cold heart just wasn’t receptive to it at this time. i would definitely be open to reading more from this author in the future though.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy more Literary Thrillers, particularly with a strong focus on the family.

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Review: She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove

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She's a DollShe’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’s a Doll follows Lucy McQuinn, who is not like other girls main characters. Even though she’s smart and sweet, Lucy doesn’t quite fit in with her contemporaries.

The thing that really sets her apart though, happens after she’s murdered by a vile man named Kyle. At the time of her death, her soul takes possession of an 18-inch porcelain doll and she’s ticked.

Vowing to get revenge, Lucy, in her new form, wants to find Kyle and end his life like he ended hers. That proves tricky though. Her size and the fact that she’s made of porcelain, it all works against her. She’s gonna need some help.

Lucy turns to Nicola, a gal she knew in life, a fellow outsider, and someone who also hates Kyle. Understandably, it’s initially difficult to get Nicola to believe what she’s hearing and seeing. I mean, can you imagine a doll coming to you and proposing you work together to kill someone?

We then follow their friendship and their mission, as both women grapple with the unfairness of it all. Will Lucy be able to find the peace she deserves, or will she be forced to stalk the Earth an angry doll forever?

This is such a creative story. I enjoyed it so much. With the synopsis, I wasn’t sure how campy Truelove would end up taking it, as I’ve never read from her before, so was unsure of her style. I was impressed with the nuance in the story, and appreciated all that Truelove brought to the table here.

It’s actually a really nice blend of humor with darker, more serious topics that were thoughtfully explored. It actually packs quite the punch emotionally, and had quieter moments that definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

The audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, was super fun and I definitely recommend that format if you have it available to you. Tegan’s accent and delivery were perfect for Lucy’s character. The narration added such life to the story, and I found it very believable.

Overall, I think this is a great book, offering up much more depth than I initially anticipated. Readers are going to love it. A perfect read for your Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Bindery Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m so stoked to read more from this author!

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Review: The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy

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The Ghost WomenThe Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ghost Women is an atmospheric blend of Dark Academia, Police Procedural and Occult Horror, all in a believable historical setting. I had no idea what to expect going into this, having never read from Jennifer Murphy before, and man, was I impressed.

Our story kicks off on a hot Summer morning in 1972, when the body of Abel Montague, a wealthy student at St. Luke’s Institute for the Arts, is found hanging upside down from a tree in the forest abutting the school.

In his back pocket, a tarot card, and you guessed it, it’s The Hanged Man. Upon examination, it’s clear that his body has been arranged in the exact pose as the man on the card.

Detective Lola Germany is the investigator in charge of Abel’s murder and we do get her perspective throughout the novel. She’s originally from the area, and ended up being my favorite character.

As she starts her investigation, interviewing students and the school administration, Lola meets Abel’s live-in girlfriend, Pearl. It’s clear Pearl is not just upset about Abel’s death, she’s hiding something.

Lola’s digging takes her further into Pearl and Abel’s world, and brings her into contact with Pearl’s group of girlfriends. They’re all a little quirky and do consider themselves a coven of witches.

They’ve also openly been using the tarot. Could the coven be involved in Abel’s murder? Perhaps helping Pearl, if Abel has crossed her in some way?

But soon more people are found dead. Again, their bodies arranged to match a tarot card left at the scene. Lola realizes these ritualistic killings could be connected to something much larger, and older, than she’d initially expected.

I ended up enjoying this story so much. More than I thought I would, actually. I loved the 1972-setting and the location being in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

It does have Dark Academia vibes, being set at a secluded private art school, and that’s not always my jam, but having the perspective of Detective Lola looking into the mysterious murders definitely helped for my personal tastes.

I thought the mystery was also very intriguing. The incorporation of the tarot cards into the murders was fun and only added to the atmosphere. I liked the occult feel it brought to the story.

Additionally, Murphy’s writing was just great. It was so fluid and compelling. I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this one. I need more people to read it.

My only minor issues were some of the perspectives, of the young ladies at the school, I did have a little bit of trouble differentiating amongst them. That could have been totally the headspace I was in at the time of reading it though. So take that with a grain of salt.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m very happy to have been introduced to this author; looking forward to more!

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Review: Marion by Leah Rowan

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Marion by Lean Rowan is a modern-feminist retelling of Robert Bloch’s 1959-Horror Classic, Psycho. Rowan’s version is the Villain Flip that I never knew I needed.

I enjoyed this a lot. More than I expected actually. I appreciated Rowan’s creativity, as well as all the nods she gave to the original story whilst truly making it her own.

We follow two perspectives, “Marion”, which was the name of the MC in Hitchcock’s adaptation of the novel, though Bloch’s original protagonist was Mary, and a young private investigator named Hannah.

Marion works at an ad agency in NYC, and ends up having a large sum of money come into her possession, given to her by her boss to deposit, and decides, after a hassle at the bank, to take the money and use it to help her sister, Lauren.

She flees with the money on a bus to Saratoga Springs, but the bus ends up breaking down and she finds herself stranded, late at night, far from her final destination.

It’s through this series of unfortunate events that Marion eventually finds herself at the small roadside motel that’s own and run by Norm.

From there things evolve fairly true to the original, but when the infamous shower scene kicks off, Marion gets the upper hand, kicking Norm in the balls, grabbing the knife and stabbing the life out of him.

Now Marion’s not just a thief, she’s a murderer as well. My, my, my, how quickly things can escalate.

Hannah, the private investigator, is on the hunt for a missing girl named Emily. She’s dogged in her efforts and ends up at the hotel in the aftermath of what went down with Marion.

These two perspectives weave back and forth, building out the bigger picture and carrying us towards the wild, and IMO, satisfying conclusion.

I did definitely enjoy Marion’s perspective more, but I always like an investigator as well, and Hannah supplied that for me. I would say some of the messaging from Hannah’s perspective was a little heavy-handed, but for the most part, it was well-done.

Personally, I wish it would have been set in the same time period as the original, the modern setting and the incorporation of Covid, was sort of a downer for me. I also feel like the twist of Marion getting the upper hand would have been more impactful in a historical setting.

Other than those minor things, I think this is a great debut. I loved the creativity and the way Rowan played true homage to the original, while also making it enough of her own story to feel original. I’m looking forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. It’s a macabre delight!

Review: The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

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The Women in WhiteThe Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen, one of my go-to Thriller authors, is a story told in two-timelines.

Our present day perspective follows, Riley, who after a recent separation from her husband, gets a live-in caretaker position with an elderly woman named Betty.

Since they are living together and both open to companionship, Betty and Riley start to share things about their lives with one another. Riley finds Betty to be a very interesting woman. Her home is a time capsule, with no modern appliances, no cell phone or even a television.

As Betty starts to fill Riley in on her past, she expresses wanting to locate some of her old university friends. Riley offers to help, but she never could have guessed the truth behind what Betty was involved in all those years ago.

The past perspective follows Betty and the other women she’s told Riley about. We follow them as they become participants in a parapsychology study undertaken at a prestigious university. The project, run by a powerful and overbearing scientist, changes these women’s lives forever.

On the cusp of a revolutionary breakthrough, the women disappeared and the program was erased from history.

Riley believes Betty, even if the records are unclear. She’s locked into this mystery. She’s invested; as was I. Riley starts digging in and discovers that the repercussions of that program have lasted through to today.

But what happened to Betty’s friends? Is there any way to find the truth?

I really enjoyed this one. The subject matter was a good fit for my personal tastes, and I loved having both the past and present timelines. The way it was all pieced together by Pekkanen was perfectly plotted, IMO.

I also felt it easy to connect with the set of characters created here. I had sympathy for them, all they had been through, but was also intrigued and entertained by it.

Riley and Betty especially. I enjoyed watching the way their relationship developed. They became so close over the course of the story and I really felt that.

They found each other when they both needed someone, and I think Pekkanen did such a great job showing that, and making you feel that as the Reader.

The past perspective, in the 60s, the research into parapsychology, that reminded me of Firestarter, or other things like that. There was an air of MKUltra about it as well.

It all felt so sinister, and the women involved, by comparison were all innocent and unsuspecting. It made that timeline so gripping, just the way Pekkanen slowly revealed all that had happened within that program.

I also liked the excitement at the end, the conclusion to the mystery. Overall, I just think this is a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to people who enjoy dual timeline Thrillers with a lot of character work.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Pekkanen’s new works. I love her writing and her story concepts. I’ll can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

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