Author: megs14malloy

Review: The Grin in the Dark (Spine Shivers) by J.A. Darke

~ megs14malloy

The Grin in the Dark (Spine Shivers)The Grin in the Dark by J.A. Darke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hamid has a night of babysitting ahead of him, but he doesn’t mind. It’s for his twin cousins and they’re pretty easy. They’ll probably be asleep the whole time anyway and his Aunt and Uncle’s house is cool.

He figures he’ll binge some t.v., eat great snacks, and before he knows it, the night will be over. But as we all know, things frequently don’t go as planned.

The night starts to go sideways on the drive there, when he and his Mom hear over the radio about an escaped convict in their area. That’s creepy, but the prison is pretty far away, so Hamid tries to block it from his mind.

After his Aunt and Uncle leave, he settles into their big comfy couch and starts his t.v. marathon, until the power goes out. Hamid’s night is about to become the worse night of his life…

Y’all, I’m not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to read this book while home alone at night in my dark bedroom with only my book light to guide me. This story terrified me, and I’m not joking.

I was texting my sister while I was reading it, because I was so scared, I didn’t want to leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom, and after a few Adult Beverages, I was reaching a dangerous territory.

This is a YA Horror Novella, so I don’t want to say too much more about what happens in this book, as it comes in at just over 100-pages. I will, however, leave some buzzwords and phrases in case you need further prodding to pick it up:

babysitting, clowns, inclement weather, power outage.

I wouldn’t say the writing was the best I’ve ever read, but it succeeded in doing what it set out to do. Additionally, I loved the illustrations and execution of the scares. P.S. I am ended up hiding this after I finished it, because I could no longer abide it being in my bedroom.

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Review: The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery (The Widows’ Detective Club #3) by Amanda Ashby

~ megs14malloy

The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery (The Widows’ Detective Club #3)The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery by Amanda Ashby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery is the 3rd-book in Amanda Ashby’s Cozy Mystery series, The Widows’ Detective Club.

As the name suggests, the stories center around a group of older women, all widowed, who work together and end up solving mysteries in their local area. Our MC is Ginny Cole, who after recently losing her husband, moves to the village of Little Shaw looking for a fresh start.

We get all of the stories from Ginny’s perspective and I think Ashby has done an incredible job building out her character. I adore her so much.

When Ginny moves to the area, she gets a new job at the local library, and also gets befriended by a group of women, who really take her under their wings, as she begins the process of trying to move on with her life after the loss of her beloved husband.

At this point, she’s solved a couple of cases with her friends and they’re all becoming quite comfortable with their new labels as amateur sleuths.

The mystery kicks off at wedding, when the canine ringbearer uncovers a skull that happens to have belonged to a local woman who was killed 20-years prior.

The wedding was already tense, as the two families hail from rival villages, so the skull is the nail in the coffin so to speak. The police get called in, and the ceremony gets called off.

Ginny and the rest of the widow detectives feel terribly for their young friend who has called off her wedding. They suspect that someone may have placed the skull there purposefully in order to break the couple up, but who would do such a terrible thing?

With a few suspects in mind, they kick off another stellar investigation, which ends up spanning 2-towns, 2-decades and involves a colorfully-catty set of characters.

While I wouldn’t say the mystery of this 3rd-installment, was the most intriguing for me, probably my least favorite of the series thus far, TBH, I’m nevertheless so comfortable with this group of characters at this point, I hardly minded.

I like being with them. I’d be down for any mystery they want to get involved in. Additionally, I feel like every series has books you connect with more than others, and even though this wasn’t my favorite, it was still a lot of fun.

It could just be that it is a different sort of mystery. It doesn’t read as a straight up murder mystery from the start, though it does eventually turn in that direction.

I’m genuinely pleased with it overall. It got wild, and I loved how the Widows really put themselves out there in this one. They were each following leads, thinking on their feet and working together in a super compelling way.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am quite fond of this series at this point, and as mentioned, love the women in this group.

I hope they’re back in many more mysteries to come!!

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Review: Lakewood by Megan Giddings

~ megs14malloy

LakewoodLakewood by Megan Giddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena’s Grandmother was the matron of their little family, helping to take care of both Lena, and Lena’s Mom, who suffers from a chronic illness. So, when Lena’s Grandma passes away, it leaves a big hole in that regard.

Soon it’s clear that the family has a lot of debt and practically no income. Lena must therefore do whatever she can to try to make ends meet for her and her Mom.

Even though she’s enrolled in college, Lena knows she needs to get high-paying work as soon as she can, which may mean putting her studies on hold for awhile. Unfortunately, the job market is depressing as heck and not offering her a lot of opportunities.

Starting to despair, Lena then learns about a chance to participate in some sort of medical or psychological experiment. She’s intrigued. After pursuing it, it seems almost too good to be true.

The downfall, she’ll have to move from home, to the remote town of Lakewood. Her Mom would be alone, which makes her most nervous of all, but arrangements can be made.

With her participation, Lena will get free housing and the pay is very high, more than she could ever make anywhere else given her current options. Additionally, free healthcare for both her and her Mom. She can’t pass that up.

She has to keep her participation 100% secret though. She needs to lie to family and friends. She even signs an NDA to that effect. Luckily, they’ve come up with a believable cover story for her.

The heart of the story follows Lena moving to Lakewood and taking part in the program. She’s recording everything that happens each day, at least what she can remember, writing it down in a letter format and then hiding it, for reasons I won’t go into here.

I liked the way Giddings chose to format Lena’s perspective. It felt very personal, the way she was recounting all that was happening. I felt like that friend receiving the letters.

I also found Lena to be a very empathetic character. She was so honest about everything, and as the Reader, you see this young person struggling, she’s got so much on her plate, and she’s willing to do anything to help her family. Including potentially putting herself at risk.

She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s someone you root for through thick and thin. Lakewood is full of mysteries and the experiments continually get stranger and more dangerous.

The other people who are participating all add their own levels of drama and intrigue to the story as well. The way this softly intensifies throughout is chef’s kiss. I would realize in various moments that I was feeling fear, but I had no idea why. It made for such a cool reading experience.

While it did have a bit of a slow start, I think the pay off was well worth sticking with it. I appreciated the spotlight it shined on medical experimentation and the racial injustices historically witnessed in such practices.

Side recommendation for the non-fiction book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, that I feel could pair nicely with reading this one.

Overall, I think this is a stellar debut. It left me with a lot to think about. I loved the tone and mood of the writing, the topics explored, and Lena as a protagonist. I would recommend it to fans of When No One Is Watching and The Other Black Girl.

For me, it was the shadow organization feel that I really vibed with. The uneasiness of following Lena’s day-to-day existence in this strange place, with even stranger things happening to her, it was powerful. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Megan Giddings!

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Review: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

~ megs14malloy

Their Monstrous HeartsTheir Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Going into Their Monstrous Hearts, I knew nothing about it. I was sold by the cover and just had to have it, because against sound advice, I do judge books by their covers.

I was therefore delighted when I discovered that the basic set-up of this novel is an inheritance story, one of my favorite tropes.

We’re following Riccardo, a down on his luck author, who is estranged from his family and about a millimeter above rock bottom. Just as he ponders how he is going to get his life back on track, and deliver his agent the pages they’re demanding, a mysterious stranger arrives to inform him that his Grandmother, Perihan, has passed away.

Riccardo thinks, what’s that got to do with me? I haven’t spoken to the woman for years. The stranger, maybe a solicitor of some sort, insists that he’ll want to make his way to Milan to learn more about what he’s been bequeathed.

Finally deciding he could use a change of scenery, Riccardo takes them up on the plane ticket, and it’s off to Milan he goes. Once there, his Grandmother’s estate house isn’t quite as opulent as he remembered, but it’s still better than the street corner he was 5-seconds away from sleeping on.

It’s decrepit and definitely giving off an ominous vibe. Curious about the state of his house, his Grandmother’s friends and everything else about the current situation he finds himself in, Riccardo starts poking around; as you do.

He discovers a notebook of his Grandmother’s writing. As he dives into it, it gets strange. Is this fact, or fiction? A confessional, or a woman’s imagination gone wild?

This is a strange story, NGL. It’s not going to be for everyone, as evidenced by the current overall rating, but I found myself captivated by the audiobook. First, the wonderful dual narration helped me to envision these characters perfectly.

Mentioning the dual narration makes me think, I should also mention, that not only do we get Riccardo’s perspective in the present, we also get all of his Grandmother Perihan’s writings, that unfold a story of the past.

The way this rolled out, there was something so intriguing about it to me. Perihan’s story, I wasn’t sure what to think at times as far as was it true, or was it something she was creating. Either way, I needed to know the truth.

If you’re a Reader who can see the grotesque in things that are too beautiful, this book might be for you. And if you know what I mean by that, you are the Reader for this book.

I know the rating at this moment looks intimidating, but there’s no way I’m gonna be the only Reader who is darkly intrigued by this story.

It is weird. There are some things I’ll admit I’m not sure if I’m understanding the way the author intended, but I really enjoyed the mystery, atmosphere and the more monstrous aspects of this storyline. In my opinion, this deserves some more attention.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend the audio if you are going to check this one out. As mentioned above, I feel the dual narrators brought this story to life!

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Review: A Mastery of Monsters (Master of Monsters #1) by Liselle Sambury

~ megs14malloy

A Mastery of Monsters (Mastery of Monsters Trilogy)A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Before his Sophomore year of University, August’s brother, Jules, goes missing. The general consensus is that he was overwhelmed with school, and other things going on in his life, and decided to skip town.

August knows that is impossible. Jules has been her rock since their family fell apart, and he would never do that to her. Especially considering how upsetting it was when their mother disappeared. Their family spiraled from there.

August is one tough cookie though, and she doesn’t care what anyone says. She will find Jules. He left behind a note, and although cryptic, she knows he is in trouble.

After a 10-foot tall creature, resembling a mix between a werewolf and a psychotic Easter Bunny, attacks her in the park, she realizes her brother might be in way more danger than she ever could have guessed.

Virgil Hawthorne, a bookish and mysterious boy she met after a night of partying a little too hard, could be the key she needs to get to the bottom of the creatures existence, and Jules whereabouts.

As it turns out, Virgil needs assistance with something as well, and he feels like August could be the answer. All she has to do is join the Secret Society he’s a part of. The two strike a deal and set out to achieve both of their goals.

I love Liselle Sambury, and this is a great start to an all-new series for her. I am already anticipating the next book. I wouldn’t say this was a perfect reading experience, but it definitely intrigued me and held my attention.

It’s such a nice blend of SFF-concepts, and I loved the complexity of the ‘magic’ system, for lack of a better word. It’s not really magic, but I’m not quite sure how to describe it. Whatever you want to call it, it’s so interesting.

Additionally, this contains one of my favorite tropes, a competition, and I loved learning about the politics and factions within this Secret Society. I’m just hoping I don’t forget all of the details by the time the 2nd-book releases.

Even though I enjoyed this quite a bit, I’m not sure I would want to reread it before picking up the sequel. It’s a long one and that’s quite a time commitment.

I sort of had this same thought before picking up the 2nd-book in the Blood Like Magic duology. However, if my memory serves me correctly, Sambury did such a sensational job opening up the 2nd book, refreshing the Readers memory without making it repetitive, that I truly had nothing to worry about.

I have a feeling this one is going to be the same. Either way, I’ll be grabbing a copy of the sequel as soon as I possibly can.

Thank you to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If any of the following buzzwords sound intriguing to you, you need to pick this one up:

Monsters, dark SFF, Dark Academia and a competition trope.

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Review: The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (Goosebumps #5) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Goosebumps)The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb by R.L. Stine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While on holiday in Egypt, Gabe’s parents get called away, leaving him in the care of his Uncle, who happens to be an archaeologist working in the area.

This also means he’ll be spending a lot more time with his cousin, Sari, who admittedly, drives Gabe nuts. She can such a know-it-all and is always teasing and pranking him.

On an excursion to his Uncle’s worksite, Gabe begins exploring the tunnels of the ancient pyramid. It makes him feel strange being in there, like he’s not alone. It’s so eerie, and then he gets lost!

Will Gabe ever find his way out, or will he be just another victim of the Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb!?

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb was Book #5 in the original Goosebumps series, and as you would imagine, it does feel like one of the classics.

It’s full of jokes and pranks. As any fan of the series can attest, Stine loves a jokester. It’s one of the true staples of his stories. He’s always peppering them in every way he can.

Overall, this is a fun story. There’s quite a bit of action I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed the Egyptian setting. It’s exactly what I was in the mood for going in. There’s something to be said for Stine’s formula. Sure, it’s predictable, but you always know what you’re getting!

I would recommend this to fans of the Goosebumps franchise. If you’re new to them though, I wouldn’t start here. You have better options for a first go at it.

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Review: The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

~ megs14malloy

The SafariThe Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

As Odelia Babel, successful-CEO to a fashion empire, prepares to marry for the 2nd-time, she decides to take her family on luxurious vacation for the special day. The ultimate destination wedding weekend.

Her betrothed, Asher Bach, is decades her junior, much closer to her grown children’s ages than her own, but nevertheless Odelia swears it’s true love, and so does Asher.

They’ll be staying at Leopard Sands in South Africa, a posh safari well-known to the family, as they’ve frequented it many times before. Even though it seems like a perfect trip, not everyone is excited for the soon-to-be newlyweds.

Attending the family event are Odelia’s three adult children, Joshua, Sam and Bailey, her daughter-in-law, baby granddaughter and her assistant/best friend. In spite of the closeness of this group of people, there’s a ton of tension simmering under the surface.

Sam and Odelia end up having an epic fight. Things are said that push the boundary further than ever before.

The following morning, a mere hours before the wedding ceremony, Odelia is found dead. Suspicion immediately falls on Sam. Everyone heard the fight. It was bad.

Sam swears it wasn’t him. He has an alibi. He was with his sister, Bailey. At least that’s what he claims. Bailey is nowhere to be found…

As the investigation starts, everyone is a suspect and the once peaceful Leopard Sands begins to feel menacing and claustrophobic. Even though there’s literally endless land and space around them, this still managed to pull off a classic Locked Room Mystery feel that I enjoyed.

This is the 3rd-year in a row I’ve read a new release Thriller from Jaclyn Goldis, and The Safari is definitely my favorite. I was here for all the craziness, it got wild and the setting felt refreshing for the genre.

It’s a dramatically-messy family drama set against a backdrop of beautiful South Africa. I loved the fly on the wall experience I got with this one. It was quite entertaining. It’s a straight-up popcorn read, and I was invested.

I loved the set-up, and getting to know the family. The dynamics were messy from the start. I liked getting a front row seat to all that.

As it progresses, it starts to get a little manic, and I suspected everyone at one point or another. Maybe the baby did it? I honestly didn’t know. Maybe they all did it. We’ve seen that happen before.

There were some areas, mainly involving Bailey, that meandered a bit, and sort of went a little out of focus, but that was brought around in the end and overall, I was pleased with her story arc.

Additionally, towards the end, it did get a little difficult to track. There were side characters, locals to the area, that took up larger roles and some of them, and their connections to the story, started to get a little convoluted.

Overall though, this was an entertaining read. I got through it so quickly and had a lot of fun with the wildly OTT-drama. You won’t like a lot of characters in this story, but you may like watching them spiral.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Each one of this author’s releases have gotten stronger for me, and we love an upward trajectory. I can’t wait for the next one!

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Review: Xmas Break by J.E. Rowney

~ megs14malloy

Xmas BreakXmas Break by J.E. Rowney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Xmas Break is a fast-paced Horror Thriller novella set on Christmas Eve. The first thing that attracted me to this was the cover. I couldn’t resist it and after reading the synopsis, I was even more stoked.

Who doesn’t love a little holiday-themed Horror/Thriller?

This story revolves around sisters, Isla and Clara, who have been estranged since their mother’s death and subsequent inheritance fallout.

It’s been years since the two have spoken, when Isla suddenly receives an invitation from Clara to join her and her partner, Greg, for the Christmas holiday at their luxury mountain retreat. After discussing it with her husband, James, Isla reluctantly accepts the invitation.

They travel to the house on a snowy winter night, and it is indeed just as luxurious as promised. Unbelievable really. And there’s her perfect sister, with her perfect husband and her perfect decorations…

But something seems off. Her sister is acting strangely, but Greg even more so. Isla and James are growing increasingly uncomfortable. They try to have a nice dinner, but things feel forced.

Nevertheless, Isla is giving it her best effort. She is, and temps do start to thaw, a little. At least on the inside. Outside the storm rages on, and wouldn’t you know it, the power goes out.

The stakes continue to escalate as the night goes on, and soon it becomes clear that these sisters are going to have to put the past behind them if they want to survive to see another Christmas Day.

While stylistically, Xmas Break may not be the strongest book ever written, it’s still wildly-entertaining. This puts the Popcorn Thriller seamlessly into the Christmas holiday, and I’m here for it. Also, I did end up appreciating the more thematic messaging towards the end.

I would say this is completely OTT, so if you aren’t down for that type of Thriller, I would steer clear of this one. For those looking for a fast, fun ride, with ridiculous action and mostly unlikable characters, it’s a must read for you next holiday-themed TBR.

Thank you to the publisher, BooksGoSocial, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I read this in a few hours, and had a lot of fun with it.

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Review: Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters #1) by Ellen Oh

~ megs14malloy

Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters, 1)Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spirit Hunters is the 1st-installment in a Spooky Middle Grade series by Ellen Oh. This book follows Harper, a 7th-grader who has recently moved to a new town, along with her parents and younger brother, Michael.

As the Reader, you can tell that they’ve moved in part due to some sort of traumatizing event that’s happened in Harper’s life, but the truth behind that is slowly revealed over the course of the novel, instead of all at once.

This gives Harper a bit of mystery to her character, which captured my attention from the start. She’s a great character; one I was interested in getting to know.

There’s also mystery surrounding the new home they’ve moved into. Quickly, Michael starts acting strangely, talking about a friend no one else can see.

While his parents brush it off, children often develop imaginary friends during times of stress or upheaval, Harper is convinced something more is going on.

After making a new friend in the neighborhood, Harper then hears the stories of the house. It’s haunted. She knew it!

As Michael’s behavior continues to worsen, and living in the house becomes more disturbing, and even dangerous, Harper knows she needs to get to the bottom of the haunting and stop it, before it’s too late.

Spirit Hunters was such a fun and wild ride. This book, along with the next 2-books, have been sitting on my shelves for so long. I woke up one day in the mood for Middle Grade Horror, and decided it was finally time to give this one a go.

I’m so glad that I did. I loved all the characters and following along as Harper learned more about their new home, and about herself.

I loved how Oh created such a dark history for the house. It felt menacing, and I did feel a real intensity to the story as I began to fear for Harper and her safety. To me, sometimes MG authors may pull back, but I felt like Oh really dipped into Horror territory and I appreciated that.

The spirits in this story posed a real danger, and as the story raced towards the conclusion, I could not put it down. I had to know how it was going to turn out for Harper.

I also liked how this story explored Harper’s mental health in regard to a traumatic event that had happened in her past. It added depth to her character, and I liked how those details were included.

Overall, this exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the series. I’m hoping to pick up the 2nd-book, Spirit Hunters #2: The Island of Monsters, very soon!

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Review: Goosebumps — Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #7) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps, #7)Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Many know Slappy the dummy as one of the most iconic Goosebumps characters of all time. And while I have read other books with Slappy as an antagonist, I’ve no recollection of ever reading this, Night of the Living Dummy, Slappy’s first appearance.

Recently, I needed a quick, fun, not too mentally taxing, audiobook while doing things around the house and decided to pick this up. I’m glad I did, as it fit the bill nicely.

In this story we follow twins, Lindy and Kris, who find a discarded ventriloquist’s dummy. Lindy decides to save it, brings it home with them, and names it Slappy.

Kris, never wanting her sister to upstage her, needs to get a dummy of her own, which she names Mr. Wood. In classic Stine fashion, the sisters battle it out, performing with their dummies, but are the dummies battling too?

Something weird is going on. Disturbing things begin to happen when the dummies are around, and it soon becomes clear there’s an evil lurking in their house. Will the girls be able to band together and figure out what’s happening, or will the dummies force them apart forever?

In my humble opinion, this is definitely one of the stronger Goosebumps stories. At this point in the series, regardless of the direction his character goes in later stories and series spin-offs, Slappy does indeed feel menacing here.

While Stine always loves siblings fighting and having rivalries, I liked how the twins did eventually put their differences aside, and worked together.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this as one of the ‘must reads’ of the Goosebumps universe. I feel like it provides a solid foundation for Slappy’s character moving forward, and is also just a lot of fun!

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