2023 releases

Review: Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker

~ megs14malloy

Thin AirThin Air by Kellie M. Parker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What would you be willing to do for a cash prize that would pay your way through college?

Would you betray a friend? How about your best friend? Would you lie about skills, goals and accomplishments? Would you kill the competition? Literally.

In Thin Air we meet Emily, whose family has fallen on hard times. Emily is 17-years old and attends a prestigious private school, but with things the way they are, there’s no way she will be able to afford college.

Emily has won the chance to travel to London, along with 11-other students from various private schools, to compete for a chance of a huge cash prize/scholarship, as well as invaluable connections for her future.

She’s just a plane flight away from financial freedom. All 12-contestants board the same flight from Chicago to London, where they believe the competition will begin.

Before they’ve even fully settled into the gorgeous chartered flight however, it becomes clear that someone amongst them would do anything to win.

Two Truths and Lie. You’ve heard of it. Imagine if someone dug up dirt on you and forced you to play? What if there were no lies and all your deepest secrets were revealed?

This contest is no joke. Then the bodies start dropping.

I was really looking forward to Thin Air as it has many tropes that I tend to enjoy and actively seek out. We have private school students, a competition, dark secrets, a locked room mystery and murder.

In theory, this sounded perfect and initially, I was intrigued by the set-up. The story starts at the airport, as the teens are getting ready to board the ill-fated flight. We learn about some of the contestants and our MC, Emily, in particular.

One of the things we learn about Emily is that she’s a bit hyper-focused on her relationship status and the various boys around her. That concern tracks throughout the story, much to my chagrin.

I get crushing on boys. Especially when you are meeting new ones. It’s fun to flirt and get to know someone, imagining the possibilities, however one would think after bodies start piling up, you may be able to pump the brakes on those thoughts for a moment, but I digress.

So, yeah, within the first 15% of the novel, I was intrigued by the set-up. It actually reminded me a lot of Lying in the Deep which I gave 5-stars earlier this year, except set on a plane versus a cruise ship. I was interested in seeing what was going to play out on this flight.

Unfortunately, for me, it just never took off. There were too many characters, who seemed so much alike that it was difficult to track who was who. They all seemed interchangeable. Even towards the end, I would read a name and be like, who ‘dis?

In addition, the thoughts of the MC never tracked for me compared with the circumstances she was in. People were getting murdered. There was an imminent threat to her life. In fact, she was even one of the prime suspects, but she was still just so concerned about the damn boys.

I’m really not sure why that frustrated me so much, but as you can tell, it did. It was like once I had it in my head, it’s all I could think about and the whole thing just became an annoyance.

It ended up taking me just a few days short of a month to read. There were moments where I was invested, but as soon as I put it down, I would have to force myself to pick it up again. There was nothing drawing me back in.

I’m not sure if that can solely be blamed on my dislike for the MC, or something more. The premise was great, but I just didn’t feel the execution delivered all it could have.

I love YA Thrillers. I read a lot of them. I know some of you may be thinking, I’m old, this wasn’t written for me and I get that, but I’m not lying when I say that I love this genre.

I am constantly searching out new authors in this space to obsessed over. Sadly, this one was a disappointment for me. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and it certainly wasn’t over soon enough.

With this somewhat harsh opinion out of the way, I will say I know many Readers will enjoy it. If you’re one of them, I am genuinely happy you had a great experience with it.

There’s a Reader for every book and book for every Reader. The fact that this didn’t work for me, really means nothing in the scheme of things. If this one sounds intriguing to you, give it a go. You may end up finding a new favorite.

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

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Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

The Only One LeftThe Only One Left by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After a client overdoses while under care, home-health aide, Kit McDeere, finds herself suspended from her job for 6-months. That’s a long time to be out of work, stewing on her past mistakes. Kit doesn’t like the feeling.

When her suspension is up, her boss tells her about her new assignment. Oh baby, it’s a doozy!

Unfortunately, she’s lucky to even still have her job, so Kit doesn’t put up much of a fight though. Beggars can’t be choosers. At least it will get her out of her Dad’s house.

Kit is headed to Hope’s End, a once lavish estate on the rocky coast of Maine. Set high on a cliff, the home has slowly begun to decay over the decades, leaning ever closer to the sea below.

Even so, it’s not the mansion itself that disturbs Kit the most. It’s who lives inside it. Lenora Hope, Kit’s latest client, is the sole survivor of the Hope Family Massacre of 1929. As the survivor, Lenora was the main suspect and was accused of killing her father, mother and sister.

The crimes are so infamous in the local area, there’s even a creepy little song about it:

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

Kit knows what it’s like to be accused of something however, so she tries to stick all she thinks she knows about Lenora Hope into the back of her mind. Regardless of her past, Lenora is now a woman in her 70s, who has been left mute and incapacitated by a series of strokes.

Confined to a wheelchair, Lenora is completely dependent on Kit for her daily care. Her only means of communication is pecking out her thoughts on an old typewriter.

One night, through her typing, Lenora makes Kit and offer. She wants to tell her everything that happened back in 1929. Is Kit ready to hear the truth?

There was something about the synopsis of this story that told me that I should read it via audio. I was interested to see how the perspectives would be done and how the audio could possibly elevate the overall storytelling.

In spite of the fact that I bought a hard copy on the day of release, I did actually hold out until I was able to get the audiobook from my local library. I’m so glad I made that decision. I loved this audio. It’s actually the first Riley Sager novel I have listened too.

I may have to go back and reread some of the others that way, if they are all done this well!

The narrators’ voices were perfect for the different perspectives they were portraying. It really helped to bring this story to life for me.

The setting of Hope Manor was also fantastic. With Lenora confined to her room, it’s really just the workers that keep the property afloat, flitting about interacting with one another. Kit, as the new girl, just tries to go about her work, soaking it all in.

There’s so much history in the house, and each individual there offers their own perspective on the past, as well as the present. Trust, there’s drama.

I loved the use of the typewriter as a way for Lenora to communicate and tell Kit her story. There was something so ominous about that act. Lenora watching each letter appear as the past unfolded before her.

There’s also some unsettling things going on around the house that provided a nice, is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-feel, that I tend to enjoy so much. Oh, and bonus, this is set in 1983 and I love the 80s!!

There were a lot of well done red herrings in this, as your mind works to try to figure out the truth. I suspected a lot of people; pretty much everyone, honestly. There were also a ton of twists and I enjoyed how Sager built the intensity as the story progressed.

It felt dangerous and definitely got my pulse racing. Right after I finished though, I did struggle a bit on how to rate it. Part of me thought, it was one twist too many, but then the other part of me thought, shut the f*ck up.

As you can tell, the good side won. I loved this. Another engrossing, memorable story from Sager. I cannot wait to see what he delivers next!

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Review: The Lodge by Sue Watson

~ megs14malloy

The LodgeThe Lodge by Sue Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deep, dark secrets and non-stop drama are certainly a family affair in Sue Watson’s The Lodge!!!

In this story we follow the Wilson family, who all get called to a weekend getaway at a remote lodge by the matriarch of the family, Angela. It’s a complicated dynamic, but Angela is ready to celebrate her 75th-birthday and she wants her whole family there.

Thus, she rents the Lodge and invites her son, Scott, his ex-wife, Fiona, his new wife, Danni, who once played the role of the other woman, and their baby, as well as Scott and Fiona’s two teenagers.

Thrown in just for fun is a young woman named Jenna, who claims to be a professional chef. As Danni and Scott react to Jenna’s presence though, it’s clear she may not be exactly who she’s selling herself as.

The story is told mainly through Fiona and Danni’s perspectives, but we do get some others in different sections. I found both women’s thoughts fascinating from the start and wanted to know more about their lives.

They’re both feeling self-conscious going into the weekend and they’re also bringing a lot of preconceived notions in with them. Both are mothers and also have a natural instinct to do whatever they can to protect their children.

When a terrible storm hits and the Wilson family is trapped at the Lodge, with no end in sight, tensions rise to an unbearable level. People begin to break and cracks are revealed amongst the many relationships.

Will anyone make it out of the Lodge unscathed?!

The Lodge was highly addictive and entertaining as all heck. It was actually my first Watson novel, but certainly won’t be my last. I look forward to many, many more in the future.

I listened to the audiobook and found the narration to be a perfect fit for the story. It drew me in right away and I felt like I was actually getting to know these characters; hearing their stories told their own way.

I vibed with Fiona immediately, and she continue to be my fave throughout. Although not perfect, I could see where she was coming from and definitely related to some of her feelings and motivations.

This story starts off rather quickly, throwing the Reader right into the enticing set-up, with all of the family coming together at the Lodge. You can tell right away that everyone is keeping secrets, but what are they and how big of a blowout are they going to make when they’re revealed?

In addition to the secrets, not a lot of great choices are made either and this definitely adds to the fun of the story. I just love characters making bad decisions.

The drama level just got deeper and deeper too as the story went on and more and more secrets came to light. It was freaking fascinating. I couldn’t get enough.

Towards the end, a couple details didn’t quite work for me, or felt a little too convenient, but overall, I think this was really well done. A great Winter Weather Thriller!

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a dramatic story, particularly with an extended family involved who have a lot of secrets from one another. Also, I recommend this to Readers who enjoy closed-circle mystery/thrillers that feature inclement weather.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a ton of fun!

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Review: The Nanny’s Child (The Lies We Tell #2) by L.G. Davis

~ megs14malloy

The Nanny's Child (The Lies We Tell #2)The Nanny’s Child by L.G. Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Nanny’s Child is Book #2 in The Lies We Tell by L.G. Davis. I read the 1st-book, The New Nanny, earlier this month and found it to be suspenseful and highly addictive.

At the end, there was still so much left to explore involving our main character, the nanny, Christa. I bought this book on kindle and started it right away. I couldn’t wait.

I have to be careful discussing the set-up of this book, because I don’t want to inadvertently spoil the end of The New Nanny. I will say, Christa now finds herself back in the United States with new leads to follow involving her past.

She has accepted a nanny position for Harper and Troy, looking after their twin girls, but Christa’s appearance in their lives is no lucky accident. Christa has a motive.

A neighbor, Madison, the ex-best friend to Harper, is suspicious of Christa from the start. Christa seems too good to be true, which pretty much means that she is. Madison begins some snooping of her own.

When their quiet suburban street is rocked by murder, all of the characters are thrown into a tailspin. How could Christa end up involved with another murder and more importantly, how is she going to get out of it?

The Nanny’s Child though intriguing, particularly early on, didn’t quite pack the same punch for me as the 1st-book. It’s unfortunate, because initially I was seeing just as much promise, but eventually it sort of fell off a cliff for me.

The New Nanny was suspenseful and dramatic, beginning-to-end. While this one started that way, it got to a certain point where it felt like the author was just sick of writing this story and ended up wrapping everything up extremely quickly and cleanly. It didn’t make sense to me in the context of everything else.

There was a particularly chilling story-line, carried over from Book #1, that provided a lot of the tension for the story, which seemingly out of no where just ended. The character involved in that was basically like, it’s over now. I give up. You’re free, Christa.

This didn’t make any sense to me that such a sinister character would suddenly just fold like that and frankly, I was disappointed that after everything we had been through, that is how it would conclude.

There was another piece of the story, involving a different character, that I felt sort of ended that way as well. It all felt very anticlimactic, after such a strong, dramatic build over the course of the two books.

With this being said, I still appreciate Davis’s writing and her ability to throw a lot of twists into her drama. Even though this one let me down a little bit in the end, I absolutely will be picking up more books from this author.

Overall, I’m sad to see Christa go. I wish some of these plot-lines could have been continued on in a third book.

Christa is like that friend you love, who has a lot of great qualities, but just makes terrible, risky decisions all the time. I’m gonna miss her.

I recommend this duology to any Reader who enjoys a fun, engaging, OTT-popcorn thriller. These books can be read extremely quickly, and will definitely take your mind off your own life for a while!

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Review: The Haunting on West 10th Street (Detective Maria Miller #1) by Helen Phifer

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting on West 10th Street (Detective Maria Miller, #1)The Haunting on West 10th Street by Helen Phifer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Haunting on West 10th Street is the 1st-book in the Detective Maria Miller Police Procedural Mystery series by Helen Phifer.

In this story we follow Detective Miller and her partner, Frankie, as they investigate a brutal crime in the attic of a Greenwich brownstone, where decades earlier a beautiful actress was murdered in the same way. The detectives are puzzled by the disturbing similarities between the crimes occurring in this house.

How could they be connected? Do they just have a sadistic copycat on their hands, or something more sinister?

Immediately upon entering the brownstone, Maria feels something dark. It’s a tickle in her senses; unpleasant and unsettling. The dramatic staging of the crime scene only enhances these feelings.

In both the past and present cases, body parts were removed from the victims and not recovered. Additionally, evidence of satanic rituals have been found. Who could possibly want to recreate something so evil?

This story is told using a dual timeline. We follow Maria and Frankie in the present, but we also get a historical perspective featuring the events leading up to the previous murder in the house. Lastly, we do get a modern perspective from an unknown individual, who appears to be our baddie.

I enjoyed getting the multi-perspectives, as well as the history. Although I did find the past sections a little slower-paced than the modern perspectives. With this being said, I still enjoyed the fact that it was told this way and I feel like it gave a lot of needed insight into the property and the characters involved.

The brownstone on West 10th feels like a haunting presence in this story. It becomes a character unto itself and I always appreciate when an author can provide us with such a vivid sense of place.

There is quite a bit of focus on the partnership between Maria and Frankie. They’ve been together for a long time and you can tell that they both care deeply for one another, but with Frankie’s marriage failing, could there be something more?

I know some Readers won’t care for the slight romance plot that’s woven throughout this story, but for me, I found it made the characters feel more realistic.

When you’re working with someone as closely as these two are, over a number of years, there’s bound to be some types of complicated feelings intrinsic to that relationship.

I didn’t feel like the author overplayed that, or let it overshadow the investigative aspects of the story. For me, it was blended in well and felt natural.

I did have the chance to listen to the audiobook for this one and I definitely recommend it as a format for this story. The back-and-forth between the timelines was handled well and the narration is fantastic.

Overall, this was super entertaining. I vibed well with Maria as a character and am definitely looking forward to going along on future investigations with these detectives. The ending was such a great set-up for the continuation of the series. I can’t wait to see what will come their way next.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys darker, Police Procedural Mysteries. Particularly, if you are a Horror fan like me, this may work really well for your tastes. Phifer definitely has a knack for incorporating some paranormal aspects into her mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to continue on with this series!

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Review: Under the Smokestrewn Sky (Up-and Under #4) by A. Deborah Baker

~ megs14malloy

Under the Smokestrewn SkyUnder the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Under the Smokestrewn Sky is the 4th-installment of Seanan McGuire’s, writing as A. Deborah Baker, Up-and-Under series. A magical Middle Grade series loosely-connected to McGuire’s Alchemical Journeys; an Adult SFF-mindblower.

While technically this is classified as Middle Grade Fantasy, it is actually perfect for Readers of all ages, containing quite a few philosophical and science-based elements.

Speaking of elements, each book in this quartet is constructed around one of the four classical elements: earth, air, fire and water. The first book was earth, the second, water, the third, air and then in this one, we feature fire.

The series follows two children, Avery and Zib, the A-to-Z of our tale, who upon a normal commute to school one day encounter a giant wall where it shouldn’t be. Together they decide to go up and over this wall, thus finding themselves in a magical world, known as the Up-and-Under.

Each story follows the kids as they journey through different lands in this world, journeying along the improbable road, trying to find their way home.

After a short recap at the beginning, we slip back into the story where we left off. It had a bit of a slow start for me and did seem more philosophical in nature, as far as the conversations between the various characters went.

Personally, I could have used more action, but Baker’s writing, per usual, was intentional and fluid. Every detail is there for a reason and I would love to go back at some point and read all four of these back-to-back.

I feel like I forgot so much about the functionality, history and politics of the Up-and-Under in between books, that I wasn’t able to appreciate the over-arching story as much as I could have. I would also love to reread Middlegame after I do so, to see if I can pick up more details in that as well.

And I guess this is it. I actually wasn’t sure if this was going to be the conclusion to this series, but it certainly felt like it. I’m sad to see these characters go. It’s hard not to grow attached to them after all we’ve been through.

I also have some thoughts regarding this series and a possible, or maybe even existing, connection to the Wayward Children series…

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a fantastical Middle Grade Adventure story, or anyone who has enjoyed previous works from Seanan McGuire, including the Wayward Children series.

I feel like the concepts are similar to that and now that you can read the entire series at once, all the better. With likable characters, suspense, magic and intrigue, this series is sure to be a hit with Readers of all ages.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. This is a great series and will live in my heart for a long time to come!

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Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

~ megs14malloy

Christmas PresentsChristmas Presents by Lisa Unger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

This was solid. I definitely enjoyed it light-years beyond Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, so that’s a plus and makes me open to picking up more from this author.

I wish this could have been a little longer, honestly. I felt a little clipped. I would have enjoyed learning even more about this group of characters. Maybe their stories will be continued, or elaborated on, at another time?

In this story, we are following a few different characters. Madeline Martin is a bookshop owner in Little Valley, who in her teen years survived a brutal attack that left her best friend, Steph, dead. Madeline has been living with the shadow of that night looming over her ever since.

Harley Granger is a True Crime Podcaster, who arrives in Little Valley looking to speak to Madeline about the night she would just as soon forget.

It seems Harley has been in contact with Evan Handy, the man convicted of murdering Steph and plans to explore these crimes on his Podcast. Since Evan’s conviction, three other women have disappeared, casting doubts on whether or not he worked alone.

Finally, we follow Lolly, an exotic dancer who gets thrown into the drama unfolding in the small town. Even though we do get Lolly’s perspective, Madeline and Harley are definitely the stars of this show.

The story is comprised of current day sections, as well as glimpses into the past, in particular surrounding Madeline’s life and the night of the crimes.

I listened to the audiobook for this, and while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I do feel the story could’ve been better served by having two, or even three, different narrators. This is personal preference though, but I think it could have helped to delineate between perspectives.

With this being said, I did think the content and set-up were very interesting. The characters were well-developed and easy to follow.

At the same time, since this was so short, I feel like I could have been even more connected, and enjoyed it even more, if it had been a tad longer. That way, all facets could have been taken a little futher. For what is here though, it is well done and I think a lot of Readers are going to really enjoy it.

An added bonus was the setting. The Christmasy-Winter-feel was great and it definitely put me in the mood for some colder weather reads!

Thank you so much to the publisher, HighBridge Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I definitely recommend this one to Unger fans, or anyone looking to try her work for the first time. I think this one would give you a great feel for her writing style.

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Review: We’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard

~ megs14malloy

We'll Never TellWe’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even though Wendy Heard and I have had a bit of a tumultuous relationship, after reading the synopsis for We’ll Never Tell, I knew I would have to read this one.

With a plot that sounded right up my alley, I decided on a whim to pick it up via audio from my local library. I’m so happy that I did. Not only is it fitting for this Spooky Season, it was also fast-paced and highly engaging.

This YA-story, set in Hollywood, California, follows a group of teens whose viral YouTube channel, We’ll Never Tell, features them trespassing into some of Hollywood’s most notorious locales.

The group of four, Casey, Zoe, Jacob and Eddie, run their channel anonymously and they each bring their own special skills to the table. Their videos are a bit dangerous, but they’re all passionate about it and their channel’s popularity is skyrocketing.

With their Senior year coming to a close, and everyone heading in different directions, they decide to end their journey together with one final banger of a video.

Their last video will feature their exploration of the infamous Valentini Murder House, home to a tragic murder/suicide in 1972.

As the teens are exploring, they’re getting some great footage, when suddenly the alarm is tripped. Knowing the police will be on their way, the teens flee as fast as they can, but unfortunately only three make it out.

Jacob is found in the home, having been stabbed numerous times. Jacob is in rough shape, barely clinging to life and he is rushed to the hospital.

The other three, concerned with getting into trouble if the police know they were there, decide to lie to everyone and tell them that Jacob must have gone there by himself.

The story follows the three remaining teens as they investigate what happened that night, as well as if it could be connected to the crimes of the past. There’s a lot of scrambling, lies and cover-ups, but feeling they have no choice, they plod on as best as they can.

I thought this was quite entertaining. I was hooked by the initial set-up and loved the Hollywood setting. That’s not generally something I would gravitate towards, but I feel like Heard did it so well and brought some of the mystery of old Hollywood glamour to the page.

The characters are highly dramatic and they make terrible decisions, but actually, it was pretty believable. I know I made some dumbass choices as a high school Senior. Don’t tell my parents…

Anyway, yeah. I got invested in this quickly. The mystery was fun. I wasn’t sure who I could trust, including our main girl, Casey. I also really loved the overall is it supernatural, is it not supernatural vibe Heard brought to the page.

I also enjoyed the use of mixed media. It’s not too heavy, but there were some newspaper articles, interviews, etc., that helped build up the intrigue and sense of reality.

The audiobook was fantastically narrated as well, and I would definitely recommend that format for anyone who has easy access to audiobooks. This story plays out quite well in that medium, helping to bring the characters to life.

I definitely would recommend this one to fans of YA Thrillers focusing on a tight-knit friend group and featuring local lore/mysteries. If you love those things, I don’t think this one will let you down!

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Review: Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Edited by Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr.

~ megs14malloy

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction AnthologyNever Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Attention Dark Fiction fans: if you only read one anthology all year, it should be this one; an amazing collection!!

Never Whistle at Night is exactly what the subtitle says, an Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. From the moment I heard about this release, I was stoked for it.

The synopsis sold me. I was also so excited to see the incredible group of authors contributing and that there would be an introduction by one of my all-time faves, Stephen Graham Jones!

I love all things Dark Fiction. It’s definitely my comfort zone and I truly enjoy exploring Dark Fiction inspired by cultures other than my own. I just love learning about the different dark lore/stories that various cultures around the world tell, or incorporate into their broader fictional narrative.

I am no writer, so I’m probably failing miserably in explaining what I mean, but hopefully you get the gist of why I was so excited for this particular anthology.

After the introduction from Stephen Graham Jones, the deep storytelling vibes are set and it’s time to dive in. I was immediately impressed with the variety and depth of the stories included. I had chills by the time I had finished the first story, always a good sign.

Anthologies and short-story collections are always a little hard to rate highly, as it’s very rare to vibe with all the stories included in a 5-star way. You’ll always have some you enjoy a lot and maybe a few that aren’t to your taste.

While I would say that is also true here, overall, for me, this was definitely a 5-star reading experience. Even though not all the stories were tailored to my particular tastes, I could still appreciate just how well they were written, and how each author truly brought their heart and their A-game to this collection.

If you are curious, some of the stand-outs for me in this collection were: White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse, Quantum by Nick Medina, Snakes are Born in the Dark by D.H. Trujillo, Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp, The Prepper by Morgan Talty, Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala.

My favorite story of the collection was actually written by one of the editors, Shane Hawk. The story is titled Behind Colin’s Eyes and follows a boy and his Dad embarking on what should be a regular day of hunting, but ends up being anything but that. This one creeped me the heck out. It gave me chills and the whole thing is seared in my brain now. I won’t unsee this. Great work!

Overall, there is so much to love about this collection. There’s definitely something for everyone in here. As mentioned before, the stories cover a wide-range of topics and you can tell that these authors took a lot of care with the stories they were sharing.

Never Whistle at Night is a must read for anyone who enjoys Dark Fiction. Available now!!!

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Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

~ megs14malloy

Starling HouseStarling House by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

💚🖤💜💚🖤💜💚🖤💜💚🖤💜💚🖤💜💚

Starling House is darkly enchanting. A perfect October read!

If you’ve read my review of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, you already know that Harrow and I didn’t get off to the best of starts.

I could see glimmers of greatest, but that story just wasn’t for me in anyway. In spite of that, I never write an author off after just one try, so have picked up other works from Harrow since then.

I had a ton of fun with her Fractured Fables novellas and was ready to try this one out upon its release.

This story is set in the small town of Eden, Kentucky, known for being the home to a reclusive 19th-Century author and illustrator, who mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind her gorgeous gothic estate, Starling House.

We follow a young woman named, Opal, who hasn’t had it easy. She cares for her younger brother and works hard every day to try to make ends meet. She wants a better life for him and sacrifices a lot.

Through a series of interesting events, Opal ends up with a job offer to work at Starling House. She’s to become the regular housekeeper for the estate; trust, a full-time job.

Opal knows better than to mess with supposedly haunted houses, but regardless of her trepidation, she sort of needs this. Bonus, the house-cleaning position offers her the chance to get to know the last heir to the estate, the handsome, yet prickly, Arthur Starling.

The story involves a lot of history of the house, the property, the Starling family, as well as the growing relationship between Opal and Arthur.

I enjoyed learning about all that. Harrow made it so interesting. I just wanted to know more. I will note, there are footnotes utilized in telling this story, and although generally I am fairly ambivalent about their use, I felt here they worked quite well for providing the Reader with extra information needed to truly connect with this story.

Starling House includes a trope, or maybe it’s more accurate to call it a theme, that I have seen pop up recently in quite a few other novels. Most memorably, Hide, These Fleeting Shadows and Episode Thirteen.

If you have read any of these, you may know the concept I’m referring. For me, this is BY FAR, the best that idea, or concept, has been brought to the page recently. I haven’t enjoyed it in any other case, but there was something about the way Harrow told this story that just worked for me.

I loved how dark and whimsical this felt, almost like a Dark Fairy Tale, but while also containing an ‘our world’ modern feel. It was almost a story out of time. It made me think about that television show, Once Upon a Time. Not because of the content, but just the overall vibe.

I became quickly invested in this. Early on I was hooked. I loved how Harrow chose to tell and build out this story. It was easy to get invested in the characters and while I wasn’t at the edge of my seat, I still didn’t want it to end.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Adult Fiction with dark undertones. If unsettling atmosphere, potential whimsical monsters and dark fairy tales are your jam, you have to check this one out.

I’m so glad that I continued to pick up Harrow’s work and encourage every Reader to give authors a second chance. Delightful reads like this could be just around the corner.

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