2025 releases

Review: Whistle by Linwood Barclay

~ megs14malloy

WhistleWhistle by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After tragically losing her husband in a hit-and-run accident, Annie Blunt, a popular Children’s author, is looking to escape from NYC in order to get a fresh start for herself and her young son, Charlie.

Through her editor, she’s able to secure a lovely rental house in a small town in upstate New York, close to the Vermont border, or as Charlie calls it, ‘in the country‘. It will definitely be a big change of pace for them.

Looking for things to do at their new place, Charlie ends up discovering an old train set locked in a storage shed in the yard. Annie helps him bring it in the house and set it up, but there’s something nagging her about it; an unsettling feeling she cannot explain.

Strange noises, strange occurrences throughout the neighborhood, and a strange feeling haunting Annie’s every moment. She’s determined to get to the bottom of what is happening in their new place.

Is it her? Is the stress finally taking over, or is there something more sinister at play?

Interspersed throughout Annie’s story, we also get a past perspective that may provide the answers to what is happening to her and Charlie. It might not be a train journey, but this novel is certainly a journey. Wow!

Whistle was a very fun read. While it won’t go down in history as the most memorable Horror novel I’ve ever read, I appreciate the classic feel of the storytelling. Barclay definitely succeeded in captivating my attention.

It actually heavily reminded me of a less diabolical version of Needful Things. There were a lot of aspects of this story that reminded me of that one, and I wasn’t mad about it.

I appreciated that Barclay didn’t try to throw in a bunch of narrative tricks, or gimmicks. It’s just a straight-forward story that manages to be creepy as heck.

Also, I found the characters compelling enough to care for their outcome, which is always a plus. Additionally, I’ll never look at a toy train set in the same way again…

Overall, I was really impressed with this. I would definitely recommend it to any Horror Reader, or even people who maybe don’t read Horror as much, but want to dip their toe into an unsettling Supernatural Thriller once Spooky season comes along.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had never read from this author before, but I’m excited to look into his backlist!

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Review: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

Well, ActuallyWell, Actually by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eva Kitt is the host of a sarcasm-heavy, internet-based chat show called Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-List celebs while noshing on hot dogs.

While she once dreamed of a serious career in journalism, that’s not how it worked out. She’s here now and she’s trying to do her best, even though it seems like the world may sometimes be against her career advancement.

Riley Cooper is the guy who broke her heart in college. Not just broke it, shattered it and danced on the pieces. He’s also a beloved social media personality, where he hosts a show on deconstructing toxic masculinity.

After a few too many cocktails, Eva watches one of his annoyingly-successful vids, and is disgusted he gets away with peddling lies. Thus, she makes her own scathing review of Riley’s work and character; as you do. She doesn’t have that many followers on her accounts. No one is going to see it, or take it seriously.

IT GOES VIRAL…and she said some things!!

Eva finds herself raked over the coals by her bosses, but then she’s given an opportunity to redeem herself. All she has to do is reach out to Riley and interview him on her show.

Eva would rather do anything, seriously ANYTHING, but that, but with her career on the line, she’s forced into the interview, where she finds Riley as handsome and devilishly-charming as before.

When he suggests that she allow him to take her on a series of six dates to make up for the past, all of which will be followed via social media, she begrudgingly accepts. It has nothing to do with him. She’s thinking of her career here…

As the dates progress, the two begin to relate to one another in unexpected ways. Did Eva have it wrong? Is the boy that broke her heart, suddenly the man that she needs to heal it?

Y’all, Mazey Eddings is a go-to Romance author for me, and this novel is the perfect example of why. I was immediately pulled in by the humor, banter and quick, yet thorough, character development.

The set-up is so fun. I enjoy stories involving celebrities of any kind, and Rylie was definitely giving off those celeb status vibes. I also loved the concept of the 6-dates for him to redeem himself to her. Each date was unique and helped to progress their relationship.

Eva was giving off major Bobbi Althoff vibes. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was seriously all I could think of. She did get a little frustrating at times, Riley was definitely the star of the show for me, but I did feel like Eva’s character showed some real growth over the course of the story.

I like how Eddings always has characters that are going through some fairly serious, and common, real-life issues. I like watching people work through challenges like that, and to see them open up and receive help from others in regards to those issues.

That’s life, right? It always gives the stories a bit more of a believable feel to me. No one is perfect, no one’s life is perfect, and I like the see the messy day-to-day things pulled through into my fiction. Maybe it helps me feel not so alone, IDK.

This is also super steamy. So we have the serious life stuff, but we also have some wild, toe-curling, giggling and swooning bedroom stuff. That’s a nice mix.

I would recommend this to any Romance Reader, particularly if you have read from Eddings in the past and enjoyed. There’s so much to love within this story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. Eddings has crush another one! Well done!

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Review: Girl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner

~ megs14malloy

Girl in the CreekGirl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Erin’s brother, Bryan, went missing 5-years ago. His last known location was the small town of Faraday, Oregon, alongside the Clackamas River.

Erin has the opportunity to travel to Faraday, along with her friend, Hari, to work on a piece for their True Crime podcast. She’s not in town long, before it becomes clear that Bryan isn’t the only person to have gone missing from Faraday.

Erin quickly gets pulled into another missing person case, a more recent one, that of a young local woman, Elena Lopaz. Something stinks in this town…

After Elena’s deteriorated corpse is found, she’s transported to the morgue, from where she goes missing again, but how!? What the heck is going on in Faraday?

Girl in the Creek is an interesting story. I would say it’s a middle of the road read for me. It definitely had some compelling elements, and then had a few that were a bit more lackluster, IMO.

For me, the middle of the book was were it was the strongest. I was gripped as Erin really started digging in around Faraday, trying to get to the bottom of the disappearances and what could be behind them.

She ends up paring up with the older lady, Olivia, who owns the B&B she has rented, for a good portion of the investigation. I really liked the two of them working together. Olivia is a native of the town, whose own son went missing years before.

Olivia brought a lot to the table with her survival knowledge, and also her insight into the town and its history, of which her own father played a pivotal role.

There was also some really fun body horror included, and definitely more than one moment that made me cringe, which I love. Who doesn’t love that?

Gosh, I am realizing as I write this, how difficult it is to talk about this without spoiling anything. So much of what I want to say would give away the truth of what’s happening in Faraday and I definitely don’t want to do that.

I will say that I was a little disappointed by the way certain things were wrapped up. It almost felt like there was so much build, that was increasingly intense, and gripping, and then we get to the end and it’s like the author didn’t know how to wrap it up, so just threw some stuff in there and called it a day.

This seems harsh, I know it does, but I don’t know how else to express that feeling. I know that’s not true. I’m sure the author worked very, very hard bringing this to the conclusion that they wanted, but to me, it just felt overly simplistic in comparison to the build-up.

With this being said, this is a good Sporror story. I would recommend it to fans of EcoHorror. I loved the setting of the PNW, and felt like the author did a great job with building that sense of place. That was definitely one of the stronger aspects of the story for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This book certainly gave me a lot to think about, and I would be interested in picking up more from this author.

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Review: Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

~ megs14malloy

MayraMayra by Nicky Gonzalez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mayra is a slow burn, debut Horror novel set at a mysterious house deep in the Florida Everglades. We follow Ingrid, who after years of radio silence, finally hears from her childhood best friend, Mayra.

While it might seem strange for Mayra to call Ingrid so suddenly, out of the blue, to invite her on a private weekend getaway, it’s actually pretty true to character. Mayra did always march to the beat of her own drum.

Desiring a shake-up, Ingrid impulsively accepts the invitation and sets out on a solo road trip towards her destination, using only the sketchy directions Mayra provided her with.

The Everglades are a tricky place. She’s out of reach of cell service, and as the swamp starts to feel like it will swallow her little car whole, Mayra wonders if she’ll ever actually get to reunite with Mayra.

Luck is on her side though, as she does eventually arrive at the quirky little house where Mayra is staying. The two fall into their old patterns of relating with one another pretty quickly, but soon enough the fun reunion is covered by a dark cloud: Mayra’s strange-behaving boyfriend, Benji.

Mayra did deliver on the solid Southern Gothic atmosphere I was hoping for, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver much else. The setting was definitely my favorite aspect.

I enjoyed the way Gonzalez described the house, as well as the area around it. It had a true sense of place, which is something I always appreciate, and it was unsettling. I could feel the heaviness of it, of the air and natural surroundings.

Additionally, I did feel the development of Ingrid and Mayra’s characters, as well as their relationship history, was strong, but as far as a plot goes, it just didn’t go anywhere for me. It was too long-winded in the build, and sadly had me bored and frustrated.

I wanted answers, mystery abounds, but as I got to the end, I ultimately ended up with more questions than I had even at the beginning. The finale was way too fever dream for my tastes, and I was left feeling disappointed.

Too much build, too little payoff.

Overall, the 1st-half, that anticipation, was stronger for me than the 2nd-half. I wish it could have kept a solid level of interesting set-up, followed by an actual conclusion that made sense. It would have been a more satisfying read for me if that had been the case.

Sadly, we can’t love them all, and even though the content of this, stylistically, didn’t work for my tastes, I would still recommend it for fans of more Literary, character-driven, Horror, or fever dream narrative styles.

Thank you, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a very solid debut, and I look forward to seeing what Nicky Gonzalez delivers next!

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Review: 80s Ghosts by V.S. Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

80s Ghosts80s Ghosts by V.S. Lawrence
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Chrissy is determined to make her ghost hunting show a success. Even though her vlog-style show has been developing, she’s literally one failed investigation away from financial ruin.

Her back is against the wall, that’s why her latest investigation has to be a success and she’s willing to do anything, risk anything, to make that happen.

When she receives an invitation to investigate Merlin High School, the location of a fire in the 1980s where many lives were lost, she jumps at the opportunity.

The high school is prime grounds for haunting. They could actually find something good this time. Evidence that will boost her show to the next level.

As she and her team settle in and begin their formal investigation of the school, Chrissy notices everyone seems to be acting strangely, including herself. As past and present begin to blur, the investigation starts to go off the rails.

Before, Chrissy just wanted her show to be a success. Now, she’d be happy for them all to just get out alive. What’s going on at the old Merlin High, and how will Chrissy and her team be able to help and move past it all?

Unfortunately, after an engaging start, 80s Ghosts took a nosedive into eye roll territory about 3/4 of the way through for me. There’s just a certain level of silliness I can get behind, and this was not it.

Let it be known, I love campy, I do not love cheesy.

With this being said, I did enjoy and appreciate the ideas behind this story. The initial set-up was great. I just wanted more intensity and dark horror imagery, which I don’t really feel like I got.

I would be interested in picking up more from this author though. Even though this one didn’t go in the direction I had hoped, I still see a lot of promise with this writing.

I think for Readers who are newer to the Horror genre, or maybe making the transition from YA to Adult, this could be a good fit. Also, if you are really into Ghost Hunting content in whatever medium, this could be a fun one for you.

The audiobook was also well done and I would recommend that format if you’re going to pick this one up. It was a great listening experience.

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

I’m glad I had the chance to read this one, and will definitely pick up future work from V.S. Lawrence!

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Review: My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie

~ megs14malloy

My Ex, the AntichristMy Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

My Ex, the Antichrist is quite literally a dream book for me. Putting it simply, I would describe this one as Daisy Jones and the Six for Horror Readers.

If you’re like me, and love the Horror genre above all others, and you possibly read Daisy Jones and the Six, and loved it too, but thought, ‘where’s the murder? Where’s the chaos?‘

This book is for you!

In this book, we follow the rise and fall of a fictional punk band called The Shivers. Lily and her boyfriend, Drake, are the founding members of the group, then pulling in Ramona, Eric and Malcolm.

The entire novel reads like a Behind the Music episode on steroids, and much like Daisy Jones, I highly recommend the audiobook format for maximum impact.

We know that at the end of their run, Lily had confessed to murder. All was steeped in mystery, as the band refused to talk to anyone about what had happened, leading up to Lily taking such drastic action.

A decade later, Lily has agreed to an interview, and the rest of the band members follow suit. This book is comprised of those interviews, perfectly placed to allow the whole history of the band to play out.

This was such a great time. As mentioned above, 1,000,000% recommend the audiobook format if you’re going to pick this one up. I can’t stress this enough, because of how well the audio production is done. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it half as much if I had just read a physical copy.

More than just the story of the band, I also loved the themes explored, and tend to enjoy epistolary format anyway, so this was a complete treat. I had no idea that’s how this story was going to be told.

It did feel a little stretched out in certain areas, but overall, it was a hella entertaining read. It reads super quickly, and is my favorite Craig DiLouie to date.

It may have you walking away thinking, maybe your ex isn’t so terrible after all…

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit Books and Hachette Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This was a complete surprise! So good!

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Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia

~ megs14malloy

The BewitchingThe Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Minerva was raised on her Nana Alba’s stories. Stories that included bizarre things, superstitions, magic and witchcraft. These shaped Minerva’s interests into adulthood, as many of us can probably relate to.

Minerva is now a graduate student at a prestigious Massachusetts college, focusing on the history of Horror Literature. More specifically, Minerva is researching the life and work of Beatrice Tremblay, a lesser known author of macabre tales, who once attended the same school.

During her research, Minerva discovers that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by true events that happened in her own life.

In The Bewitching, we’re treated to: Minerva’s timeline in 1990s Massachusetts; to stories from Nana Alba’s life in 1900s Mexico and beyond; as well as Beatrice Tremblay’s time in school during the Great Depression, and the events that inspired her most famous novel.

This might sound like a lot, with all the different people and places, but trust me when I say, it’s beautifully-woven together into one easily understandable, overarching tale.

Admittedly, I am a huge Silvia Moreno-Garcia stan. I’m obsessed with her ideas and the way she tells stories. While not every single one has been a hit, more often than not, they have been, and I always love diving into a new book from her, as you never know what you are going to get.

I was intimidated going into this, as it is told in three different time periods, following three different perspectives, and I tend to not love sweeping sagas like that. However, I loved each of these perspectives. I was equally enamored by each, which is a hard feat to pull off.

This story is dripping in atmosphere, across all three time periods. It’s amazing to me how she was able to completely capture the essence of all three time periods in such a lush and compelling way.

The characters are full of life and distinct in tone. I loved the mystery, intrigue and lore behind it all. It was so good, I can’t wait to read it again someday. I’d love to take some more time with it; perhaps finding even more connections.

10/10 recommend for Readers who love vibrant, unsettling atmospheres, and witchy stories, both historical and modern. Also, slight dark academia vibes…

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

I expected to like this, but I was actually surprised at how connected I felt to the story, and how much I ended up loving all the various aspects it was comprised of. This will live in mind for a long time to come!

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Review: A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux

~ megs14malloy

A Girl Walks into the ForestA Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Girl Walks into the Forest follows Valla, a teenage girl selected for her beauty to marry a member of the aristocracy of a neighboring kingdom.

Valla sees her betrothal to mysterious Count Leonid as a blessing. It’s not just a way for her to escape the confines of her small desolate village, but it’ll also win favor for the village. Life should be easier for everyone after this.

Unfortunately, in order to get to her new husband, and new kingdom, Valla must traverse the infamous Gottyar Wood, where many dangerous creatures lurk.

Valla is escorted by her brother and sister-in-law, and it seems their journey is cursed from the start. After a vicious attack leaves Valla in a feverish stupor and her face maimed, they’re lucky to make it through alive.

The Count isn’t pleased when presented with Valla’s new, altered appearance. Where is the beautiful bride he was expecting? Ugh, how frustrating for him…

Valla feels the same. Where is her beautiful prize? The luxurious lifestyle and extravagant castle, not to mention the sweet Prince, she was expecting? Because she’s not finding any of those things here.

But Valla’s shock and surprise at the state of the castle, her soon-to-be husband and his family is just scratching the surface of the unpleasantness she is in store for.

This is such an engrossing, beautifully-told YA Dark Fantasy. The blending of Horror elements with the Fairy Tale-feel captured my attention from the start.

I loved the incorporation of the Baba Yaga lore, and the atmosphere was very well done. I was also impressed by the level of body horror included, and how far Roux took some of the darker elements.

I will say the 1st-half was stronger for me than the later half, but overall, I was happy with the conclusion, and the story as a whole. We like it dark!

I’ve never read from this author before, but I’m definitely interested in checking out more of their work. If you have a favorite, drop it below.

The writing was so readable. I liked that Roux didn’t get too flowery with it. I hate when a plot gets lost with overly-purple prose. The way this was told was easy to follow, yet still complex and exciting as far as the themes and action.

I liked the feminist elements as well, and feel like this would be such a great story for younger Readers looking to expand further into the Horror genre. I think this is a great transition novel from YA to Adult, though it can clearly be enjoyed and appreciated by Readers of all ages.

Additionally, if you are a Reader like me, who craves lush, creepy atmosphere, you have to check this out. Starting with the forest, and then into the castle, Roux riddled this story with an atmosphere to get under your skin.

I also appreciated how Roux paced the story. Once the main action in the castle kicks off, things escalate fairly quickly, until everything starts to unravel at once. I was so attached to Valla; I was at the edge of my seat wishing for her safety.

At the end of the day, I think this is a must for Readers of Dark Fantastical Fiction. Particularly, if you still enjoy novels in the YA-space. Bonus for the Feminist Feels.

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m definitely excited to pick up more from this author!

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Review: Out of Air by Rachel Reiss

~ megs14malloy

Out of AirOut of Air by Rachel Reiss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Out of Air is a YA Thriller novel that follows a group of scuba diving teens, who get in too deep after discovering a legendary cave, and the power that dwells there.

This sounds creepy, right?

And that’s exactly why I picked it up. I love the idea of following a group of teen divers, and honestly, caves kind of scare me, particularly those you access via water.

I think there so much that can be hidden there, or go wrong, so the possibilities are endless!

This story is full of teen drama, and mainly follows Phibs Ray, and her five friends, who 6-months ago discovered a handful of ancient coins while on a dive. This find boosted them into some social media stardom.

In the current timeline, they have just graduated high school and are taking one last scuba trip together to an island off the coast of Australia. It’s there that they discover the cave, which seems to cause strange changes in some of the young explorers after surfacing.

From there we have some interactions with other treasure hunters, as well as spooky physical and mental ailments going on with the teens.

Overall, this was a good story. Reiss brought some interesting concepts to the page, and I loved that we were following teen divers. With this being said though, I did find the construction a little messy and I’m not sure how memorable it’s going to be long-term.

Even a few hours after finishing it, I had already forgotten all the character’s names except for Phibs, which to me just sort of shows that it lacked that special something to make it lurk around in my brain.

Also, the Horror aspects of the plot were slow to get going, and there wasn’t a ton of distinction between Past/Present in the audio version, which made it slightly confusing.

It would say it at the top of the chapter, but it all felt very one note, so was easy to get lost in time.

These are small quips though, overall, it’s entertaining, and I think it would be a great Summer Read for Teens interested in diving and ocean exploration.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely pick up future work from this author. I’m intrigued!

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Review: With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

With a VengeanceWith a Vengeance by Riley Sager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

While this is my lowest rated Riley Sager novel to date, I did still find it quite entertaining. I can’t lie about that. With a Vengeance takes us on a cross-country train journey with a handful of questionable characters.

The full set of individuals was lured onto the trip by a young woman named Anna, who is hoping over the course of the journey from Philadelphia to Chicago, she can get them all to confess their crimes, and the ways they’ve wronged her.

Anna finds out that even the simplest plans can go awry though, when one of the passengers is killed. There’s no stopping now, they’re on a non-stop express to Chicago, trapped with a killer.

What progresses from there is a fairly classic Locked Room Murder Mystery, with a few twists, as well as many revelations involving the various characters.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and did enjoy it in that format. I felt like it kept it moving and helped it to play out in my mind like a movie.

I find this with all of Sager’s writing. The delivery always makes it easy for me to picture everything that’s happening. I also feel like his writing has a touch of a film noir quality to it that I adore.

For this one in particular, I think maybe because of the time period, I couldn’t help but think of Hitchcock, and it perhaps being shown in black and white. The way the characters interacted and their dramatic motivations gave it an air of a classic film.

Overall, this might not be a new favorite for me, but I still had a fun time reading it, and as always, I look forward to whatever Sager is going to grace us with next!!

Earlier:

Denied again for an ARC. Riley, your people hate me.

It makes me so sad. I received the first six of his books early, I believe, but the last two, no way. I used to love getting them early and screaming how much I love them from the rooftops. Sadly, those days are gone.

Problems of a bookworm…

Original:

❤️🖤💙❤️🖤💙❤️🖤💙❤️

Pack your bags. Sager’s taking us on a train journey!

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