Review: Slay Bells Ring (A Christmas Cozy Mystery #2) by Mona Marple

~ megs14malloy

Slay Bells RingSlay Bells Ring by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Slay Bells Ring is the 2nd-installment in Mona Marple’s Christmas Cozy Mystery series. I finished the 1st-book, Christmas Corpse, yesterday and thought it was so cute and fun, I couldn’t wait to start this next installment.

I ended up reading this entire thing today. They are novellas, so that wasn’t a difficult feat, but nevertheless, I did and now feel like I’m in peak Christmas mode.

This series centers around Holly Wood ((yes, that is her real name)), who in the 1st-book is rescued from her car after an accident by a woman claiming to be Mrs. Claus. Holly is then brought to the Claus family home in the magical town of Candy Cane Hollow to recuperate.

Holly becomes enmeshed in the village life, even helping to solve the homicide of their doctor’s receptionist. She also has become quite enamored with Mrs. Claus’s son, Nick, and he seems to be with her in turn.

This installment is a New Year’s Eve mystery, but the Christmas vibes are still heavy throughout. It is Candy Cane Hollow after all, where every day feels like Christmas.

The entire town, including Holly and Nick, attend the annual New Year’s Eve Ball, where all is going well, until a giant glitter ball comes crashing down, crushing an elf, Greasy, a local restaurant owner and chef, to death.

Though the local authorities believe it was an accident, Holly’s not convinced. She decides to lean into her new-found sleuthing skills and see if she can find the truth of what happened to Greasy.

Just like the 1st-book, this was such a pleasant read. It’s simple in its construction, and the perfect read for the holiday season when my brain feels pulled in a million different directions.

There’s something so warm and comforting about these little mysteries. Holly’s life outside of Candy Cane Hollow wasn’t going well. She had just got done at her job, and she had no close relationships. She felt very alone.

In Candy Cane Hollow, she’s found a place to belong, with residents being welcoming and inclusive. It has a found family element that’s so charming.

I also am enjoying the slow romance evolving between Holly and Nick. It’s very charming and I’m looking forward to watching that progress.

I do have the 3rd-book in the series on audio, they’re currently being released on audio and the narration from Charlie Albers definitely fits Holly’s personality. I would recommend the audio if you can get them, but I’m sure the physical copies are just as fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am having so much fun with this series. It’s exactly what I needed right now!

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Review: What Hunger by Catherine Dang

~ megs14malloy

What HungerWhat Hunger by Catherine Dang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Impeccable. The topics explored, the characters and writing were all exceptional. This took me by surprise how connected I was to Ronny and her life.

This never felt like I was reading a book. I was completely immersed and pulled into Ronny’s thoughts and experiences. She was such an empathetic character, and as an older person, reading the perspective of this young girl, I just wanted to protect her.

She went on such a journey over the course of this story, and was so strong in the face of it all, even though at times it was confusing and maddening to her. I loved that even though the story contained truly horrific elements, Dang was still able to infuse it with such love and hope.

This story follows a teenage girl, Ronny Nyugen, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. She’s really close with her brother, Tommy, who is the golden child that Ronny never feels like she’s measuring up to.

There is some clashes between the parents and the kids, as their two worlds grapple. The parents are more old-school and traditional, whereas the kids don’t want to stand apart from their peers culturally. They’d rather fit in and do things a bit differently than their parents.

When tragedy unexpectedly rocks the family, Ronny’s world is turned upside down with nowhere to turn. In the midst of all of this, Ronny decides to attend her first high school party, where a boy she knows crosses the line with her, throwing her world even more into chaos.

We follow Ronny as she starts to spiral. As she tries to navigate some true daunting things without feeling like she has anyone to turn to for help.

Soon she begins to have an insatiable hunger for raw meat. This new craving could turn out to be a saving grace for Ronny, or her potential destroyer.

As mentioned above, this book is so well done. Beautifully-written, it pulls the Reader in with it’s raw emotion of this family’s life. I think Catherine Dang has a tremendous talent for channeling life into her characters. Ronny felt so real to me. Everything she was going through, and the complexity of her family, it was exceptional.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who read and enjoyed The Eyes Are the Best Part. It tackles some similar subject matter, and the examination of culture and identity is just as vividly portrayed.

I loved how frank the narrative style was for Ronny. Her thoughts are what I would imagine a teenage girl’s thoughts to be under these circumstances.

I also really appreciated the examination of the more subtle battles, or tensions, between 1st-generation and 2nd-generation immigrant peoples within the same family. For example, Ronny talking about her and Tommy’s tastes in food and how her parents would make them feel bad about the things they enjoyed.

I think Dang is just so talented, how she wove so many different topics and themes into this one incredible and gripping story, yet still made it feel so cohesive and natural.

As you can tell, I loved this a lot. I was happy to see it at least made the nominees for the Horror Category in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Though it would have been close to impossible for this to get the recognition it deserves going up against some of the juggernauts that were in the Horror category, perhaps its appearance on that list will at least bring some new attention to this book.

Dang deserves all the flowers for this one!

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Review: Christmas Corpse (A Christmas Cozy Mystery #1) by Mona Marple

~ megs14malloy

Christmas Corpse (A Christmas Cozy Mystery #1)Christmas Corpse by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cutest Cozy Christmas Mystery Novella!

Christmas Corpse was exactly what I needed to put me into the holiday spirit. This story follows Holly Wood ((yes, she knows her name is ridiculous)). After losing her job, Holly is driving home to her empty house for Christmas.

Along the way, she ends up in a spot of trouble and goes off the road. When she awakens in her freezing cold car hours later, it’s to a Good Samaritan coming to her rescue.

The Samaritan in question claims her name is Mrs. Claus, and she whisks Holly away to her home in the magical, seemingly secret, village of Candy Cane Hollow.

Holly is more than happy to recuperate at Mrs. Claus’s home, where she gets to know the jolly, kind-hearted woman, as well as her handsome son, Nick.

Shortly after Holly is coming to realize just how magical a place Candy Cane Hollow is, they receive word that the local doctor’s receptionist, Persephone, has been murdered, apparently poisoned by a mince pie.

Well, most unfortunately, Mrs. Claus happens to be the best mince pie baker in the village, and therefore becomes the prime suspect. Holly vows to stay on and clear Mrs. Claus’s name. After all, Mrs. Claus saved her from freezing to death in a snowbank, it’s the least she can do in return.

This is just the cutest story. It’s like a warm hug, with just a touch of murder. I won’t deny it’s a simple story, but it’s also funny, engaging, full of likable characters and cozy Christmas cheer.

If you’re like me, and your brain feels pulled in a million different directions this time of year, this could be the perfect holiday read for you. I know it certainly made me much more in the mood for the holidays than I was before.

I love how Holly gets pulled into this magical little village, seemingly hidden from the rest of the world, and becomes completely enmeshed in local life. The villagers were more than happy to take her in and treat her like one of their own.

This is the 1st-book in a Cozy Christmas Mystery series, and I already have the next 2-books on audio from the publisher. I’m so excited to keep going with the series.

I have no doubt that the further I go with it, the more attached I’m going to become to this cast of characters and the adorable setting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for some Christmas Cozy vibes!

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Review: Bidding for Murder (Stamford Mysteries #3) by E.C. Bateman

~ megs14malloy

Bidding for Murder (The Stamford Mysteries 3)Bidding for Murder by E.C. Bateman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bidding for Murder is the 3rd-installment in E.C. Bateman’s Cozy Mystery series, The Stamford Mysteries.

If you’re unaware, this series follows Felicia Grant, a single-mom, who has returned to her home village of Stamford to help her Dad run their family-owned Auction House after her Dad’s health took a turn.

At this point, Felicia has been back in the village a while, and a lot has happened, including a few murders, which she’s become embroiled in solving.

Felicia’s ex, Dexter, the father to their son, Algernon, now 13-years old, has also returned to the village, so the family dynamics are chaotic and fun to follow. Add in her curmudgeon father, and you’re sure to be chuckling.

The mystery in this book kicks off when an old classmate of Felicia’s, Lucia, comes to town and asks Felicia to appraise some of her jewelry. The two meet up at the exclusive and mysterious Aquitaine Club, a private lodging and club in Stamford that regular residents really know nothing about.

Lucia, wife to a powerful politician, is staying there at the invitation of a friend, and Felicia is a bit overwhelmed and intrigued to even be invited in.

The meeting with Lucia is memorable indeed, and Felicia is drawn into the dramatic and secretive world of the Aquitaine. In fact, she’s invited back, along with her family, for their annual Halloween celebration the following day.

The evenings activities include a truly haunting Mummers performance, but everyone seems to be in good spirits. That is until the first body falls, followed quickly by another.

Before she knows it, Felicia is caught up in another investigation. Will she be able to weed out the killer lurking in the shadows before they successfully take another life?

There’s no doubt this is my favorite of the series thus far. A Murder Mystery set on Halloween night at a prestigious private club? Yes, please.

As a Spooky Season girlie through and through, I was loving the atmosphere Bateman was bringing to this story. It definitely had full-fledged Halloween vibes.

Additionally, I’m so attached to these characters now. As with many Cozy series, I feel like the further you go along, the more you feel like returning to the main characters is almost like going home. You get attached to their lives and whatever they have going on in it.

I found the mystery in this story so fun. I loved the locked room feel. Since it is set at the Aquitaine, and its being a private club, it is quite insular. The only people involved were those members staying there, as well as the employees, and Felicia and her family.

Over the course of the story, you learn a lot about the members and employees, and boy are they messy. There was so much going on amongst them, a lot of unlikable folks and certainly plenty of motives for any potential killers.

Pettifer and Jess are the police called to the scene, who we’ve come to know in previous books, and I loved having them back. I love how Pettifer and Felicia’s relationship has grown an developed across the books.

I really enjoyed trying to solve this one. There were so many clues, and I did have a lot of theories. It kept me hooked and therefore, up late into the night until I was able to finish. There’s no way I was sleeping on it.

I’m guessing from the final chapter and Epilogue that we’ll be getting another installment too, which I’m very happy about. I have no idea how long this series is slated to be, but I’m here for the long run.

I would definitely recommend this to Cozy Mystery fans, particularly if you enjoy charming village vibes and an amateur sleuth with a lot of pluck and a fun family dynamic.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me for a copy to read and review. I’m so excited for more Stamford Mysteries!

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Review: Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

~ megs14malloy

Nowhere BurningNowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Nowhere Burning is a dark, melancholic novel set deep in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains.

Although told via three main perspectives, the perspective that kicks off our tale, and really serves as the heart of the story, is that of Riley, a young girl, who saves herself and her brother from the clutches of their abusive Uncle’s home.

Running away in the middle of the night, Riley has one plan in mind, to join a group of unhomed teens squatting on the abandoned grounds of a infamous movie star’s ranch, aptly named, Nowhere.

I don’t want to mention the other two perspectives, as the Publisher’s Synopsis leaves them out, therefore I don’t want to be accidentally giving things away.

Just know this story is much more complex and nuanced than the synopsis may lead you to believe. One of the most interesting aspects of this novel, in my opinion, was trying to figure out how all three were going to ultimately connect.

Initially it seems Nowhere is the only connection, but is that actually true?

This novel is quite stark and gritty. It feels bleak, the tone of which reminded me a bit of the 2010 movie, Winter Bone. It’s also a very slow burn, that sneaks up on you emotionally.

I didn’t realize how much it had captured me until the very end. I begrudgingly admit this book made me cry actual tears and they seemed to come out of nowhere.

I was shocked at the emotion Ward was able to draw out of me. It was like a punch in the gut. I feel like the way she pulled everything together, it was just beautifully done. It was hard to not feel emotion and empathy for this set of characters that life seemed to be so unkind to.

The world isn’t always an easy place, but beauty, hope and love can often be found even on the darkest of days. This story felt like moving through a deep, unending fog, but it’s worth the darkness; it’s worth the trudge.

I would recommend this to Readers who like a dark, emotional slow burn. It feels very Literary Horror, with plenty of dark subject matter to really sink your teeth into. For fans of Ward, this is a must read.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I feel like this one is going to stick in my mind for a long time to come!

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Review: All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

~ megs14malloy

All of Us MurderersAll of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

In All of Us Murderers, a lush gothic mystery by K.J. Charles, we follow Zeb Wyckham after he is summoned to his wealthy Uncle’s manor home for a family gathering.

Even though the guest list no doubt includes many individuals Zeb would rather avoid, like his estranged brother, for example, he nevertheless accepts the invitation, curious to discover what it’s all about.

How bad can it be?

Therefore, Zeb arrives at the property at the appointed time and date and is less than thrilled to find not only his horrid brother, and his snake of a wife, but also his cad of a cousin and irritable ex, Gideon.

As they dine with their Uncle Wynn the very first evening, they discover the truth of why he’s brought them all there. It’s time for an inheritance game. The winner takes it all, and that’s a vast fortune indeed.

Wynn wants someone to marry his young ward, Jessamine, upon his death. That way, he’s assured she’ll be cared for. If one of them is willing to do that, they’ll get his full fortune.

Zeb can hardly believe what he’s hearing. Jessamine is very, very young, and from the start, she’s seemed not entirely well. He’s unsettled by his Uncle’s plan, and vows to take no part in it; money be damned.

However, that leaves his other male family members, and none of them are desirable as suitors. What is Zeb to do? How can he stop this unsavory business from playing out?

All of Us Murderers turned into a delightful reading experience for me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started, but I’ve thought about it many times since finishing.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, and it did sneak up on me, for sure. I was pulled in quite thoroughly without even noticing how invested I had gotten. The gothic atmosphere was impeccable and I loved the MC, Zeb, soooo much.

The mystery elements, mainly revolving around the motivations and intentions of Uncle Wynn, before turning into a full-fledged Murder Mystery, were also quite entertaining. It got intense the further it progressed, with the stakes getting higher and higher.

The star of the show for me truly was the gothic setting and subsequent atmosphere. With inclement weather rolling in across the Moors, the characters are trapped at the property with no means of escape.

Even when Zeb decides he won’t play his Uncle’s little game, there’s really nothing he can do about it. I loved that element, it made it feel claustrophobic and desperate.

It also has a Scooby-Doo feel about it in places, which I enjoyed, but I can see how some Readers may find those aspects a little silly. For me, the hauntings and history of the house just added to the overall ambiance. It was giving me exactly what I wanted in that regard.

Finally, I would note how much I enjoyed Zeb’s delivery of the events happening around him. He had a wry and witty way of viewing it all, which lent it a bit of humor to the story, even though what was happening was unhinged.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this and am happy to have read from a new-to-me author. I look forward to picking up more from Charles in the future.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def recommend this to anyone who enjoys a atmospheric Gothic Mystery.

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Review: Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera

~ megs14malloy

Tiny Threads: A NovelTiny Threads: A Novel by Lilliam Rivera
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Tiny Threads. I’m sad about this. I wanted to love it, as it explores the dark-side of the fashion industry and that’s something that truly interests me. While I can recognize there’s a good story in here somewhere, I just didn’t feel the execution pulled off what the author was hoping.

Sadly, it felt very mid to me, with no real memorable qualities. The overall story was quite bland, and I walked away wanting more. More of everything, more character development, intrigue, horror and plot.

Our main character is Samara, who leaves her home in New Jersey to pursue a job in Southern California with legendary fashion designer, Antonio Mota.

Samara is out of her element, and struggles to regain her bearings in her new home. Her coping mechanism is vodka, which I was told very, very, very, very frequently that she was drinking copious amounts of.

That was one of the first issues I had with this novel. How frequently I was told how much Samara was drinking. I would have preferred to have been shown her bad coping mechanisms and decisions in some other, more varied, ways.

I get it, she’s an unreliable narrator. I love an unreliable narrator, particularly those that drink too much, but I need a bit more depth to their character than what I feel I was delivered here.

I also liked getting the inside peek at this fashion house. I love stories that incorporate the business-side of things, and Rivera was doing that, I just wish she would have leaned even further into that exploration.

There were also some hints of some interesting horror elements, particularly those revolving around the nearby slaughterhouse, but again, I wanted her to explore that even further. To give me more; more history, more disturbing visuals, more substance.

I think Rivera has creative ideas. I liked how she brought the cultural identity of our MC into the story. That was the strongest aspect to me. I just wish, overall, it could have been a more well-rounded reading experience.

At the end of the day, I can see the good elements of this, there just weren’t enough to pull me through above a 3-star rating. I would be interested in picking up more from this author in the future. I know she’s a talented, this just didn’t work for my tastes.

I would still encourage anyone who thinks this sounds interesting, to pick it up and give it a go. Just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t me it won’t work for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m happy I gave it a shot.

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Review: Another by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

AnotherAnother by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

Another is beloved Horror author Paul Tremblay’s Middle Grade debut, and it was such a delight to read. I found the concepts fun, well-imagined and eerie. There were some genuinely creepy moments that got under my skin.

I would have been obsessed with this as a kid!

In this story we’re following Casey, a middle school boy currently living with Transient Tic Disorder, or TTD. The disorder first presented itself, unfortunately, when remote learning was a thing during the Covid pandemic.

All of Casey’s classmates witnessed his tics during a Zoom session. Casey has since been treated like a social pariah, and he has started isolating, keeping to himself a lot more.

When his parents receive an odd phone call one day, and then report to him that he has a friend coming to the house for a sleepover, Casey is confused. Who could it be? What friend? He knows nothing about it.

When Morel shows up, Casey is even more confused. He’s never seen this kid in his life. And what’s going on with his skin? It looks like clay and Morel doesn’t speak.

In spite of the oddness of Morel’s appearance and behavior, Casey’s parents act like nothing is off. In fact, they seemed charmed by him, and Casey is certainly in no position to turn away a potential new friend.

The longer Morel is there though, the more unsettled Casey becomes. Morel is evolving the more he interacts with the family, and Casey is left scratching his head about the nature of his new friend.

Another is an extremely well-crafted story. I didn’t know what to think when Morel first arrived. The whole circumstance with him being there, it felt dangerous, before I actually knew whether it was or not. It left me unnerved.

This story definitely channeled the nostalgic feel of classic kids horror from my own childhood, but done in a modern, more thoughtful way.

I feel like Tremblay put a lot of care into these characters and Casey is so well-developed and empathetic. He’s a character you can get behind and I felt like I went on this wild and crazy journey with him.

Morel’s presence was entirely unsettling. Particularly, because it felt like Casey was so on his own in this. His parents were captivated by Morel’s presence, they could see no wrong, leaving Casey to navigate all the mysterious happenings on his own.

I did enjoy Casey’s relationship with his older sister, Ally, but she was away at college, so couldn’t be much help to him in this situation.

I also enjoyed the real world issues that Trembay explored, such as the challenges of remote learning and isolation. I don’t tend to enjoy any stories that touch upon Covid, but I feel like it was done well here, and in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming to the rest of the plot.

I would highly-recommend this to anyone who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade stories. This has such a vibe and was so much fun to read. It’s fast-paced and engaging, with an excellent audiobook to boot.

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m hoping to see a lot more of Tremblay’s work in the Middle Grade space!

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Review: You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

You Will Never Be MeYou Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of my go-to authors. I try to pick-up everything she writes either as soon as it releases, or even prior to its release, when I’m lucky.

For this one, even though I had an ARC in my hot little hands, and was anticipating it, I never ended up picking it up, and then it just got buried in my stacks and my mind.

Recently, while stalking Jesse’s author page to see if there was a new Vera Wong book listed, I noticed this one and snapped to attention. I needed to read it immediately.

I ended up getting the audiobook from my library and listened to it over the past couple of days. I loved the dual narration from Eunice Wong and Risa Mei, and am glad I ended up taking in the story via the audio format.

This story follows two up-and-coming social media influencers, so having the audio narration for them, it really added authenticity to those influencer personalities. I feel like both women channeled what I would anticipate these characters would have really sounded like.

In this story we follow Meredith and Aspen, best friends, who are both in the influencer space. Mer started out as a fashion and beauty influencer, and ended up teaching Aspen all she knew.

After Aspen got married and had kids, she turned more towards the parenting space and became a Momfluencer. It was at that point, with her handsome husband and adorable children, that her content really started taking off, leaving Mer’s numbers in the dust.

Their friendship was strained by this shifting dynamic and the two ended up having a falling out. By the time we meet them, they’re no longer speaking, but the story catches us up on all we need to know in regards to their messy friendship break-up.

I loved the back-and-forth between the two perspectives as all the details of their relationship were filled in. I also liked how we were shown the truth behind their lifestyles. Sure, online all was beauty, grace and stress-free days, but behind the scenes, it was anything but.

I like the exploration of that topic. Social media influencers have such sway over the way many of us see our own lives in comparison and I thought it was interesting to get a bit behind-the-scenes, even in a fictional capacity.

The 1st-half of the book is building up these characters and developing the drama between them. At the mid-point, it does take a turn though and suddenly we’re thrust into a dark world following Mer’s disappearance.

Things get really crazy from there. I haven’t read any reviews yet, but I was surprised after completing it to see that the overall rating is only at a 3.63 currently.

I think perhaps it may be due to the slower nature of the 1st-half, and the fact that neither MC is particularly likable. They’re more like characters you love to hate versus just love. You’re prob not rooting for either of them.

I tend to enjoy stories that follow influencers, or really any type of celebrity, so this worked for me in that regard. Additionally, I loved how messy and twisted the drama was. I always enjoy digging into a toxic friendship, and this definitely was that.

Overall, I feel like this is another really solid showing for Sutanto, who seems to have no issues jumping amongst various genres and age-ranges with her stories.

This is the 12th-novel that I’ve read from Sutanto and I’m always impressed with how easily I get drawn into her stories. I found this riveting. Her characters are well-developed and the drama is always delivered.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. I had so much fun with it and definitely should have picked it up sooner!

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Review: One Bad Night & Other Stories an Aardvark Original Horror Anthology

~ megs14malloy

One Bad Night & Other StoriesOne Bad Night & Other Stories by Isabel Armiento
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One Bad Night & Other Stories, a Horror Anthology, is an Aardvark Original developed to celebrate Aardvark Book Club’s 3-year anniversary in October.

I knew immediately upon seeing the cover that I had to have it, but then I read the list of authors and was doubly-sold. Those authors are Kay Chronister, Del Sandeen, Kylie Lee Baker, Rachel Harrison, CJ Leede, Jennifer Marie Thorne, S. A. Barnes, and Stephen Graham Jones, all of whom have had previous novels offered via Aardvark.

If you are unfamiliar with Aardvark, they are an online book subscription service offering new and varied releases each month. The quality that makes Aardvark my favorite service is the amount of new Horror they offer, my favorite genre.

This collection features 8-stories, and below are my brief thoughts/ratings on each story:

1. Two Observers of the Slaughter Rites on Gannet Island by Kay Chronister — ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — This story follows a husband and wife duo embarking on some cultural anthropological field research on a remote island. It was so bizarre and fun and I became completely invested in it.

2. My Lithopedia by Del Sandeen — ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 — This was fun and it definitely got under my skin. Anything involving dolls, or things resembling dolls, which I would categorize the feel of the stone baby from this story as, usually get under my skin. I felt like this had such a classic horror feel, but was also a creative concept, so it played on past tropes, but brought something completely new to the table!

3. Lady Jawbone by Kylie Lee Baker — ⭐⭐⭐.5 — I liked the feel of this as well, but was left a little dumbfounded by it. I feel like, having read other things from this author, this was very different from her other work. I like the description of the setting, being in nearly constant dark, it sort of took away the visual sense, so it made me feel like I was in the dark as well.

4. A Necromancer’s Guide to Reconnecting with an Ex by Rachel Harrison — ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — I love Rachel Harrison’s writing so much. Her MCs always feel so true to life. While this didn’t pack quite the punch as her regular full-length novels, it was still very well-crafted.

5. Red Tide by C.J. Leede — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — This story was so interesting, including some sea-related horror, which I tend to enjoy. There were some super yucky descriptions, which I loved and also enjoyed how full-circle this felt.

6. 47 Pineview Way by Jennifer Marie Thorne — ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 — This was eerie. If it were a full-length novel and I was writing one of my regular reviews, it would be rounded up to a 4. This is a suburban-set story with the feel of the goblin market to it. It was def interesting and I cannot imagine being in the MCs position.

7. A Meditation on the Existence of Certain Cutlery by S.A. Barnes — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — This story was very S.A. Barnes! It almost felt like it contained a whole novel, it was so well-imagined. I don’t know what to believe about the end, I have different theories, and I love that Barnes left it open to the Reader’s interpretation.

8. One Bad Night by Stephen Graham Jones — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I almost didn’t make it through this story, NGL. The topics explored mirror pretty closely things going on in my own life at the moment, and I’ll tell you, it’s wasn’t easy.

I pushed through, skimming certain sections, because a friend read it before me and I sort of knew ahead of time the direction it would ultimately take. I was gutted by this story. It’s written with such raw detail and emotion. So, yeahhhh, SGJ, one of my favorite authors of all time tearing my heart out yet again. I love his writing so much. It’s always so heartfelt and real. What an end to the collection. Wow.

Overall, this was such a fun and well-rounded collection, ending with that gut-wrenching story from one of my favorite authors of all time, SGJ, which spoke to my soul.

Aardvark did a phenomenal job with their selection of authors and works for this anthology. I hope they create more of these in the future. I’d definitely be buying and reading them!

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