Author: megs14malloy

Review: Fiend by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

FiendFiend by Alma Katsu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fiend focuses on the Berisha family, who own one of the largest and most powerful import-export companies in the world. The patriarch of the family, Zef, rules the family, and his company, with an iron fist.

His three children, Dardan, Maris and Nora, all know their place within the family. As the only boy, Dardan is slated to take over the company, with Maris, just a girl, having a more minor role, and Nora, the baby of the family, basically excluded from it all.

This family, powerful as they may be, is dysfunctional as all get out. Basically, think Succession, but more messed up…

For most of their lives, the children believed the family was blessed, but as they grew, they come to understand the aura surrounding the family’s success may actually be a curse.

When things stop going as planned, the family splinters and cracks, revealing the dark underbelly hiding at the heart of the family. They didn’t become one of the richest family in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it may be their own to hit the ground.

Alma Katsu is well-known for her Historical Horror novels, of which I’ve read two, but this is actually her first foray into writing a modern-set Horror story.

I liked this one. I loved the super messy family dynamic and how it included Then and Now sections. There’s no way I could read this without thinking of Succession, so if you were a fan of that show, you should give this one a go.

I also like the ideas behind the Horror elements of the story, though the highlight for me was the family itself. We mainly get the story told through Maris’s perspective, and she did have an interesting role within the family.

I also enjoyed learning about this business. I do like stories that include business activities. I know that may seem strange to some, but it’s a personal interest of mine, so I do enjoy the rare book that includes those details.

I think for me, the reason I couldn’t rate this higher is that I wanted more of everything. It felt very surface level. Coming in at just over 250-pages, I honestly would have been happy with another 50-pages of content.

Especially towards the end, as the pace increased, I would have loved to have spent more time with those concluding events. I also would have loved a bit more of the family history. Further, the supernatural elements could have been descriptive as well, IMO.

Overall though, this is an entertaining story. It reads very quickly, and is worth picking up. I think if you are someone who enjoys family dramas, or stories that involve business dealings, you could have a lot of fun with it.

Katsu did a great job with this modern setting, and I’m hoping she writes more stories like this one. Even though this won’t make my Favorites List for 2025, I’m still really glad that I read it, particularly during Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Katsu is an author I’ll definitely be reading more from in the future!

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Review: Mirage City (Evander Mills #4) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

Mirage City (Evander Mills, #4)Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mirage City is the 4th-installment in Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. This is a Historical Mystery series set in 1950s-era San Francisco and follow a diverse cast of characters.

I have grown to love this series so much. Andy Mills is such a lovable main character, and I absolutely adore the classic detective/film noir vibes that Rosen brings to these stories.

This mystery kicks off after our MC, Private Investigator, Andy Mills, gets commissioned to find three missing members of the Mattachine Society, a secretive Queer Rights organization. Early leads point him towards L.A., which happens to be Andy’s hometown, and where his Mom lives.

Although he is apprehensive about returning to L.A., he needs to go where the clues lead. Worlds collide when further signs point him to a psychological clinic where his Mom works as a nurse.

Again, Rosen weaves together a tense mystery full of danger, long-held secrets and a lot of heart. Though it starts a little slow, the pace steadily increases until the explosive end.

I enjoyed how Rosen continued to build the tension throughout. This one felt like a spiderweb. There were so many different connections, and it ended up being quite the twisted web indeed. The inclusion of the motorcycle gang made it extra-entertaining.

This one did feel a little different because Andy had to travel to L.A., so was separated from his found family that I’ve come to love through the previous books. I did miss them, but we do get some scenes with them at the open and close.

His time away though, definitely allows Andy to reassess his life and come to a better understanding of what he wants his future to look like. I did enjoy the storyline involving his Mom. I think he needed to have the time with her, no matter what the outcome.

In addition to recommending the series as a whole, I would also highly recommend the audiobooks, splendidly-narrated by Vikas Adam. Vikas is Andy to me. I can’t imagine this series without Vikas’s voice.

I also appreciate the representation of the Queer community in these books. The way Rosen explores the historical challenges they faced, yet somehow brings an overall feeling of hope to the page via the safe spaces they have carved out for themselves in an otherwise hostile world.

I just feel those aspects are so well done, and certainly not something I’ve seen a lot of in the Adult Mystery space. I’m not sure what the future plans are for this series, but I’m really hoping it continues on.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. As you can tell, I adore this series. The characters, setting, mysteries and lush noir-style have keep me fully engaged and coming back for more.

I’m really hoping that more people discover these books and that the series continues on for a long time to come. I would pick up each and every one!

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Review: The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

~ megs14malloy

The Ghost WoodsThe Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ghost Woods is a Historical Gothic Horror novel from one of my go-to authors, C.J. Cooke. I have been waiting to get to this one for years. I’m so happy I finally decided to pick it up this October. Honestly, it’s about time.

I believe this novel was released in the UK in 2022, and has now been released by Berkley in the U.S. earlier this year. I’ve had this for a while, but really wanted to wait for Spooky Season to pick it up.

I remembered absolutely nothing from the synopsis when I went into this, and frankly, I recommend that. If you’ve enjoyed C.J. Cooke in the past, or enjoy historically-set gothic stories, just take a chance and pick it up.

It’s one of those stories that just effortlessly unfolds. It’s told from the perspectives of two different women, Mabel and Pearl, and begins with a Then/Now set-up.

The action takes place at the crumbling Lichen Hall, a Mother-Baby Home set on the Scottish border. We learn of these women’s lives, their reasons for going to Lichen and their time there. Eventually, Then/Now merge, and an unexpected concluding section should leave you breathless.

As mentioned above, I didn’t know quite what to expect going into this, but I expected Cooke to deliver her signature levels of atmosphere and intrigue. Spoiler alert: she absolutely did.

Lichen Hall is gothic with a captial-G. I adored the descriptions of this stately-yet-aging manor home, secluded at the border of the Ghost Woods. The way it was described, you could feel nature just trying to retake the space. I loved that vibe; so good.

I also really enjoyed how well-developed and empathetic the main cast of characters were. The reality of Mother and Baby Homes in history, you could tell that Cooke took that representation very seriously, and I think she really excelled at portraying those circumstances on the page.

That is something I always appreciate about Cooke’s work. Even though they are works of fiction, they’re in a way an ode to our past. You can tell that she takes her research to heart, and tries to pay homage in anyway she can to those who came before.

I respect the hell out of that.

I highly recommend this one. I actually highly recommend all of Cooke’s work. I loved the Sporror/Eco-Horror elements she brought to the page here. That was so well done.

I don’t generally mesh well with pregnancy stories, or motherhood stories, they’re very hit or miss for me, but I did appreciate so much about this. Those elements here never made me roll my eyes, and that’s a big plus. This is actually more like what I wanted Witchcraft for Wayward Girls to be…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Now I need to start Cooke’s latest release, The Last Witch. I can’t wait!

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Review: Darker Than Night by Owl Goingback

~ megs14malloy

Darker Than NightDarker Than Night by Owl Goingback
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Darker Than Night, originally published, I believe, in 1999, follows a Horror author, Michael Anthony, and his young family, after they move from NYC to rural-Missouri when he inherits his deceased Grandmother’s house.

I picked this up because I’ve been really interested in Owl Goingback’s work and this one sounded perfect as my favorite holiday, Halloween, approaches.

When Michael, his wife, and their two children finally arrive at the house after their long journey, they find it in a bit of disrepair. They’ve got a lot of cleaning to do.

The house is also populated with many of his Grandmother’s things, including numerous Kachina dolls and masks, figures common in several Native American communities.

It’s not the figures themselves really that are disturbing, but the sheer number of them, and the way they always seem to be watching you. The Kachinas aren’t the only unsettling thing about the house though. There are other details that seem to set the whole family on edge.

They all start to see shadow figures, darker than night, and mysterious stains, looking much like human faces, begin appearing on their flooring. It’s clear something is going on in this house and it’s put them all in danger.

Further, the locals are chattering about the famous author, and his family, that have moved into his Grandmother’s house, who they all considered crazy. The locals might have answers about what is going on at their property, but it’s hard for the Anthonys to decipher fact from fiction.

The more Michael and his wife dig in and look for answers, the more unsettled they become. Mysterious entities, locally known as Boogers, frequently are mentioned. It sounds silly. The Boogeymen; stuff of childhood nightmares, but when you’re actually living it, it’s much too real.

They’ve got to get the children and run, before it’s too late.

Darker Than Night is a classic-style Horror story, not perfect, but very entertaining. I loved the set-up of the inherited house and all the bits-and-bobs that came along with it.

I also enjoyed the small town Missouri setting, as well as the incorporation of some Indigenous cultural elements, such as the Kachina dolls. I feel like Goingback did a great job following through with all the concepts he brought to the page here. The beings were well-imagined.

Overall, it’s a well-rounded story that’s easy to fall into and read all the way through. It’s a simple story in it’s construction, and I appreciated that. Goingback isn’t trying to wow us all with extraordinary prose or jaw-dropping twists and turns. It’s just a well told story, start-to-finish.

Sometimes I get annoyed when authors try to do too much, to impress us all with their huge brains. I am just here for the story and that’s exactly what Goingback delivers. I need to check out more of his work.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is just looking for a classic-feeling Supernatural Horror story. This one is super-engaging and can be read very quickly. Perfect for Spooky Season!

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Review: The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato

~ megs14malloy

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and BoyfriendsThe Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends follows 19-year old college freshman, Brennan, after he is suddenly turned into a vampire.

Navigating life as a new vampire comes with challenges, especially considering all the other things going on in his life, like school, family stuff, mental health and dating.

He has though, by default, also become part of a secret society filled with other local vamps, so at least he’s not alone. Also, it is helpful a little as far as learning how to survive as a young vampire, even though the sheer number of informational pamphlets is at times overwhelming.

Returning to university after recovering from a suicide attempt was tough. Brennan was hoping for a fresh start, but this wasn’t exactly what he was thinking. Even though his mind may be spinning a lot of the time, Brennan is determined to make it work. He can do this.

When the super cute boy who works at the campus library, Cole, discovers Brennan drinking from a stolen blood bag however, Brennan is forced to open up and reveal his new secret earlier than he would have liked.

Cole seems more than willing to keep Brennan’s secret, and it fact, it seems he sort of likes him? Brennan can hardly believe his luck. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for the pesky vampire thing.

Problems bigger than his own arise when students begin to go missing, and strange ‘animal attacks’ begin occurring around campus. Brennan, and his new friend group, believe there may be a rouge vampire in their area, and they need to stop them before anyone else comes to harm.

This is a very rough synopsis of this story, because this book is so many things. It’s Brennan, a regular guy dealing with life, transitioning to college, struggling to find his identity and path, while also being turned in a vampire and meeting the boy of his dreams.

That’s a lot to navigate here, but D’Amato blended everything into this story so absolutely beautifully. I loved getting to know Brennan and his relationship with Cole was sweet, swoony and so compelling.

I also loved the concepts behind the vampire bits. The local guilds, how they got their blood, etc., it was all very creative. I was impressed with how well D’Amato meshed the IRL-stuff with the fantasy/vampire elements.

The story itself was cute and funny. I listened to the audio and Michael Crouch’s narration was spot-on for Brennan. Crouch truly brought his character life. He is such a likable MC. I loved his perspective, just how he relayed everything that was going on, it’s highly-entertaining.

The banter between Brennan and Cole was fantastic; so witty and charming. But also amongst the side characters, all of the dialogue was well done.

I think for me the only areas where I wasn’t totally blown away was some of the vampire bits in the middle area. The beginning was fab, the ending was so, so fun, but it did sort of go off for me just a little bit in the middle. That’s the only reason this isn’t a full 5-stars. Also, I’m a picky bitch.

Overall, this is the sweetest, softest, swooniest, M/M vampire romance you’re going to find. Bonus points for the fact that there’s a real plot.

It definitely snuck up on me and sort of stole my heart a bit. Cole and Brennan were just the sweetest. I was swooning for them and the progression of their relationship amidst all the fun vampire content.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Jamie D’Amato definitely impressed me!!

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Review: The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling

~ megs14malloy

The Graceview PatientThe Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Graceview Patient follows Margaret, ‘Meg’, Culpepper, who suffers from a debilitating autoimmune disease known as Fayette-Gehret syndrome, for which there is no cure.

Meg’s world has shrunk smaller and smaller as her symptoms and pain have caused her to continually isolate herself, and cut herself off from family and friends.

When offered the opportunity to participate in a all-expenses-paid experimental medical trial at Graceview Memorial, though she has her doubts, Meg agrees to take part. She doesn’t really feel she has much other choice.

During the course of the trial, she needs to move into Graceview for a few months as a full-time inpatient. It’s explained to her that they will basically be completely destroying her entire immune system, and then regenerating it in the hopes it will eradicate her syndrome in the process.

As she settles into the hospital she meets nurses, another patient and others involved with the study. The further she gets into it, the weaker her grip on reality, and the weaker my understanding of the story.

I was following along swimmingly until about the halfway point, and then the fever dream quality took over to the point that I had no clue what was happening anymore. Seriously, what the hell happened?

If you asked me about this book, besides what is written above, I couldn’t tell you. While I truly appreciated the unsettling atmosphere Starling created at this hospital, as well as the Medical Horror elements, as far as the story goes, I didn’t ultimately end up enjoying it as much as I wanted. I can appreciate it, but I wasn’t crazy about it.

I frequently mention that I’m not a big fan of fever dream stories. Every once in a while, one will come along that I’m able to connect with, for example, The Starving Saints, also by this author, but that unfortunately wasn’t the case here.

As mentioned above though, the atmosphere is fantastic and it is definitely an intriguing plot. If you are a Reader who enjoys fever dream style narratives, and don’t mind maybe walking away with a few questions, you could end up loving this one. It’s worth a read.

The audiobook is very well narrated by Xe Sands, who did a phenomenal job upping the tension with their emotional delivery. I do feel the audio format is a great option for taking in this story.

At the end of the day, even though this isn’t my favorite from this author, I will always continue to pick up her work. I respect so much her range of ideas and her creativity with her concepts. I never know what I’m getting into when I pick up one of her books, and I love that.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. As an atmopshere girlie, I’m glad I checked this one out!

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Review: The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

~ megs14malloy

The LibrariansThe Librarians by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**

The Librarians is set in a public library in Austin, Texas, and follows, you guessed it, a group of librarians, Hazel, Sophie, Astrid and Jonathan. They’re all very different, but have grown comfortable working with one another every day.

In fact, the library seems to be more than a workplace for them, it’s a safe haven from the outside world.

That is until two patrons are found dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night. It no longer feels quite so safe, not with a murderer afoot.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I became obsessed with getting it. Who doesn’t want to read about librarians solving mysteries? I don’t know, probably some people, but I can’t get enough and I wanted this one badly.

After reading it though, I’m not sure quite how to react to it. It wasn’t to my tastes at all. It had a very different vibe to what I anticipated, though I bet a ton of Literary Fiction Readers will love it.

Even after the murder, which took a minute to get to BTW, but even after that, I thought, here we go, it’s gonna get fun now. But it didn’t. It never got fun. The amateur sleuthing was like at a 2 on a scale of 1-to-10.

To me, the mystery felt like a non-entity as it was buried so deep amongst the copious amount of character work, which never seemed to end. I don’t think I would have minded that as much, if I didn’t find the characters so bland and boring.

Overall, the tone was all Literary, and oh yeah, someone got murdered way back at the beginning. Way more Literary, and way less Murdery, than I wanted.

Nevertheless, don’t let my salt turn you away from this one. If you think it sounds interesting and you don’t mind all the character work, give it a shot. You could end up loving it.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it very much!

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Review: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

Not Quite Dead YetNot Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Not Quite Dead Yet follows 27-year old, Jet Mason, who lives in Woodstock, Vermont with her wealthy family. Jet’s currently spinning her wheels a bit, her life in a rut, but she’s got time so she’s not too concerned.

That is until she’s attacked in their home on Halloween night by an unseen intruder, leaving her with a catastrophic head injury. Upon awakening in the hospital, a doctor informs her that he’s certain, within a week, her injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet is in shock. This is obviously tragic news, but it does give her 1-week to find her killer. She was attacked with purpose; the person knew who they were attacking.

Jet’s never thought she had any enemies, but someone must hate her enough to want her gone. She needs to find out who before her time is up. She’s determined to bring the truth to light, even if it’s the last thing she’s ever going to do.

This was such an interesting set-up, and Jackson wastes no time getting into. I appreciated how quickly we got to the heart of the matter; Jet’s attack, resultant injury and subsequent investigation.

Initially, Jet’s personality took some getting used to. She has a different way of viewing the world around her, and a fairly dry delivery of her thoughts and emotions. I was slightly taken aback with her at first, but I really came to love her.

There were so many questions regarding Jet’s family, their pasts, their construction company and their influence in the town. I loved learning about all these different facets of their lives via Jet’s investigation.

If you’re concerned Jet’s all alone in these pursuits, don’t be afraid, her closest friend, Billy, is also along for the ride, helping in all aspects of the investigation.

I loved him too. He was such a great side character. Their relationship was supportive and seemed to help Jet, well both of them really, process through a lot of stuff that they discovered while digging through everyone’s dirty laundry.

There were some shocking twists and turns, but once certain evidence was discovered, things began to slot into place rather quickly. It was well done, and the more I think about it, the more it impresses me.

Overall, I loved the originality, as well as all the twists and family drama that Jackson included. I feel like this will stand out for me long term due to its uniqueness, and how fun it was to try to figure out.

Additionally, the bittersweet ending gave me actual feelings.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Holly Jackson’s new releases and this one did not disappoint!

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Review: The Bloody Brick Road by Maude Royer

~ megs14malloy

The Bloody Brick Road: A Wizard of Oz Retelling (Volume 1)The Bloody Brick Road: A Wizard of Oz Retelling by Maude Royer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I feel robbed. I wanted a bloody and brutal Wizard of Oz retelling; thinking Slasher Horror, or something equally exciting and got nothing of the sort.

Giving a character the name Dorothy and incorporating red shoes, does not a Wizard of Oz retelling make. At the end of the day, this story felt like it was searching for an identity and required further edits.

The 1st-sentence of the Publisher’s synopsis I read states, ‘In this wildly creative, horror-soaked reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, nothing is as it seems in Dorothy’s dystopian nightmare.‘

Whoever wrote this, you lie. 1. This isn’t wildly-creative. 2. This is hardly a reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. 3. This doesn’t feel dystopian at all.

Things you got right: 1. It’s a nightmare.

I’m not going to drag this out. It wasn’t for me. I’m sad I wasted 6-hours reading it, but am happy to be moving on. If it was going to go the Extreme Horror route, which it seemed it wanted to take due to the graphic fetish elements, it needed to lean much further in to get there.

The sad part is, there were inklings of a solid Serial Killer Police Procedural in here, but mashing it together with the other elements, it just didn’t work. It needed to be one or the other, or perhaps better blended than it was.

Overall, a very uneven read, nothing like what I was pitched. The dialogue was forced and laughable, and the graphic sexual elements felt absolutely ridiculous in this story.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the copy.

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Review: Spread Me by Sarah Gailey

~ megs14malloy

Spread MeSpread Me by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spread Me is an engaging, yet startling, SciFi-Horror novella from Sarah Gailey that contains quite a bit of, shall we say, surprising content. It certainly took me by surprise, perhaps you’ll be better prepared than I was…

I can hardly believe I am giving this 4-stars. It’s a strange novella. I’m low-key blushing thinking what y’all are going to think of me when you truly discover what it’s about.

This is one of those cases, rare, but here we are, where I don’t really like to discuss the plot. I want you to be as surprised as I was, because I think that’s half the fun. It’ll have your mind-spinning, trying to get your bearings, while your brain figures out how to respond to all this.

It has to be one of the most bizarre stories, as far as the more erotic/sexual elements, that I’ve ever read. It made me so uncomfortable, but I couldn’t look away; COULD NOT. I still don’t know what to think…

I have to applaud Gailey for their creativity and fearlessness. Honestly, I don’t think this was published with the aim of having big mass appeal. Authors willing to take that kind of risk, to write what they want, always impress me.

Spread Me is definitely niche, and I feel like it may have some serious messaging that I think I am picking up on, but maybe not? It’s tough. I’d love to see the author speaking about their thought process and goals with this one.

While I would recommend this to more seasoned Horror Readers, I would throw caution about the sexual elements. If graphic content, sexual in nature, is something that you don’t enjoy reading, you may just want to skip this one.

If you don’t mind those elements though, and just want to know what all the buzz is about, you should definitely check this out. The SciFi set-up, of this being in a research station, and the type of research the group was doing, that was all well executed and fascinating.

I enjoyed the claustrophobic feel of the station itself. The research group felt extremely isolated, and then when it was discovered what they were dealing with, even more so.

Because this is a novella, coming in at just over 200-pages, Gailey wastes no time getting to the action. In fact, there’s really no lull through the entire story. It’s quick, punchy and effective at making you squirm in a limited number of pages.

I suspect for some Readers the initial knee-jerk reaction is going to be distaste, because I really don’t see people going into this expecting what they’re going to get.

However, I also feel like this story gets in your brain, and the more you think about it, the more you realize how much it actually drew you and impacted you. Whether those feelings were super highs or super lows, it impacted you.

Overall, this is memorable. There’s a very solid SF-Horror plot here, that is somewhat overshadowed by the extreme nature of the sexual elements, but at the the end of the day, it somehow works. As strange as it may seem, it works.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I look forward to Gailey’s next book!

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