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Review: Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

HazelthornHazelthorn by C.G. Drews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Hazelthorn is a YA Gothic Horror story from C.G. Drews. I read from Drews for the first time last year when I read their popular novel, Don’t Let the Forest In.

I was immediately impressed by the style of their prose, the relationships developed within the story and the vivid imagery evoked. I’m happy to report, all of these top-shelf qualities are again on display within the pages of Hazelthorn.

This story follows Evander, who has lived like a ghost within the walls of Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in as a small child by Byron Lennox-Hall, the reclusive billionaire owner of the estate.

Evander has very specific rules that he is made to abide by, such as he can never leave the estate, he isn’t to go into the gardens, and he shouldn’t ever be left alone with Laurie, Byron’s mischievous grandson.

The last rule was actually established for good reason, when 7-years ago, Laurie tried to kill Evander, a situation which he barely survived. In spite of this though, Evander does have a bit of an unhealthy attraction to Laurie. Honestly, he’s hard to resist.

When Byron unexpectedly dies, and it’s announced the entire estate is being left to Evander, he suddenly has threats coming from all sides. As you can imagine, other family members aren’t exactly pleased with this turn of events.

Despite his sudden windfall, Evander’s not happy. He’s suspicious about the way the way Byron died. He believes he was killed, but why? And how can he prove it?

Suddenly, Laurie becomes Evander’s best ally for getting to the bottom of what really happened to Byron, and figuring out the true that lies at the heart of Hazelthorn.

This was great. It’s dark and engaging and I was intrigued by Hazelthorn and everything going on there. Actually the more I think about it, perhaps I underrated this one a bit. It’s probably closer to a full 4-star rating for me.

I just think in comparison to Don’t Let the Forest In, I didn’t find this one as easy to track, and I also didn’t feel as emotionally invested, although there was still so much to love about this story.

In some ways, this story did remind me of a few other things I’ve read before, for example, These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall. What did stand out was the level of botanical horror that Drews included. That I really, really enjoyed.

This did have some interesting twists and some dangerous family drama, which I also thought was a lot of fun. I actually wouldn’t mind reading this again someday, maybe getting a hard copy and annotating could help bring more of the nuances of the story to the forefront for me.

At the end of the day, this is another fantastic story from Drews, delivering on their signature writing style and lush, gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. C.G. Drews is such a talent, and I cannot wait to continue to follow their career. I know we’re going to have a long and beautiful friendship!

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Review: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

~ megs14malloy

The Place Where They Buried Your HeartThe Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Christina Henry is one of those authors whose latest releases I always anticipate. I don’t love them all, some definitely work better than others, but what I really appreciate is how varied her stories are and the risks she’s willing to take.

I feel like a lot of authors, including many of my favorites, have a very distinct style, some may even say formula, for knocking out novel after novel. For Henry, I feel like even her style varies depending on the story she is developing.

Regardless of my final feelings on any of her books, I am always impressed with her breadth of ideas and ability to create such rich stories again and again.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart will stand out as one of my favorites from her in terms of how memorable it is and how much I have continued thinking about it after completion. While I didn’t love all aspects of this story, particularly towards the end, it truly got inside my heart.

In this story, set in a Chicago neighborhood, we have the typical set-up of a creepy house at the end of the street. We all know one of these houses. There are local stories about it, usually involving terrible things that have happened there. Kids either avoid it, or dare each other to go inside.

That’s what happens in this case. When Jessie’s little brother, Paul, is annoying her, she thoughtlessly dares him to go inside, which he does with two of his friends.

Unlike his friends though, Paul never comes back out. Upon searching, he’s completely disappeared. It’s like the abandoned house has actually consumed him.

Wracked with guilt, we follow Jessie, in the aftermath of this terrible day that truly shattered her family unit. Even as Jessie grew up, she never left the street though, never giving up hope that she could one day find out the truth of what happened to her baby brother.

As the years pass, the house continues to be a menace to the neighborhood. I loved when Jessie really started digging into the past of the house, and trying to figure out the evil that lays at the heart of it.

In fact, there were many aspects of this that I loved and appreciated, but a few others that I didn’t care for as much. Most specifically, for me the concluding portions felt too simplified in their resolution and quite anticlimactic after the great build.

It’s also a heavy story. I’m not saying that as a judgement. I love a grief-focused Horror story. I just want to prepare unsuspecting Readers, who may be anticipating a straight, fun-filled Haunted House tale.

There’s a lot going on with Jessie and her family. Her relationship with her parents, it’s not great. None of them ever really healed from Paul’s disappearance, so there’s some pretty toxic interactions going on amongst the three of them. Jessie was able to find solid relationships outside of her home though, and I really liked the found family elements Henry included.

Additionally, the atmosphere, mystery and descriptions of the house were very well done. Though ending rubbed me the wrong way, overall it’s a great read.

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

Christina Henry is an incredible talent and I will continue to look forward to everything she writes in the future!

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Review: A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

A Box Full of DarknessA Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙

Beloved author, Simone St. James, returns to Fell, New York, in her latest Paranormal Mystery, A Box Full of Darkness.

For avid fans of St. James, you may recognize Fell as being the same location as her earlier novel, The Sun Down Motel, which I adored when it released in 2020.

The start of this reminded me so much of The Haunting of Hill House. The Netflix show, not the book. We follow three siblings, Violet, Vail and Dodie, who are essentially called back to the house they grew up in, alongside their younger brother, Ben, who disappeared years before.

There are reports that the property is being haunted by a spirit, at least according to the recent landscaper’s reports. The siblings agree to go back, deal with the past and try to figure out, once and for all, what really happened to Ben all those years ago.

I was really intrigued by this set-up. I liked meeting all the siblings and learning about them. They’re all vastly different, but you can feel the love and support they have for each other.

It’s with great apprehension that the three return to the Fell house and you can feel that uncertainty through the page. The vibes of the house were rich and unsettling. I wanted to know everything about it, and what happened not only to Ben, but everyone else in the family around that time.

I loved this mystery and was completely hooked into it. There were also references alluding to events at The Sun Down Motel, and also, I believe, The Broken Girls, which was really fun. I love little Easter Eggs like that connecting author’s various works.

Overall, I found this very engaging and entertaining. I loved this group of siblings and their complicated family history. I won’t claim it’s a perfect story, but I think if you are looking for something to keep your attention and keep you guessing, this is a fantastic option.

It’s got St. James’s signature style of ‘is it paranormal, is it not paranormal‘, which I really love about her stories. I’m so happy with my experience with this one and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Simone St. James’s new releases and this one didn’t disappoint!

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Review: The Devouring Light by Kat Ellis

~ megs14malloy

The Devouring LightThe Devouring Light by Kat Ellis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Devouring Light is the latest from Kat Ellis, who wrote one of my all-time favorite YA Horror novels, Burden Falls. That book solidified me as a Kat Ellis fan, so I’ve been looking forward to this one.

Once I started reading, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, finishing it in a day. I was reminded how freaking great Ellis is at this whole writing thing.

In this story we are following Haden Romero, a musician, who is on her way to a music festival along with her BFF and bandmate, Kizi, when they experience car troubles.

Luckily, or maybe unluckily, they make it to a service station where they run into Haden’s main rival from her childhood, musician Deacon Rex, front man of the band Rex Mori. Not wanting to leave them stranded, Deacon agrees for the two girls to ride with him and his bandmates on their tour bus.

Making the situation even more uncomfortable for Haden is the fact that her ex, Cairo, is now the drummer for Rex Mori and is also on the bus.

It’ll be fine. Haden thinks they can just make it through the ride and then go their separate ways. It seems the universe though, may have something else in mind.

The bus crashes, leaving them marooned in a treacherous swamp in the middle of nowhere. The aftermath of the crash is chaos. Haden just wants to find everyone and find a safe place to collect themselves while they await help.

The only shelter they’re able to find though is a decaying old house. It looks like it’s been vacant for a long, long time, but there’s an ominous feeling suffocating them from the moment they stumble upon it.

Intermixed amongst the present sections of Haden and the other musicians, we get mixed media excerpts that are focused on a more historical glimpse of the property known as The Light.

The very first part of the story actually is one of these mixed media passages, so I really ended up loving the back and forth between those two aspects. It was fun to watch as it became more clear how it was all going to be connected.

Ellis didn’t waste any time introducing us to the main characters, their relationships and then getting us to the swamp, where the bulk of the action occurs. I really loved that setting. I haven’t read too many stories set in this kind of place, and it was a nice change.

The descriptions of the house and the surrounding area were so good. The house felt like it had a pulse. It felt that real and I was scared for our characters being there, but they had no other options. The outside was just as dark and dangerous; full of terrors.

I loved the plot progression a cringe-worthy horror imagery. There was something Cabin Fever about it and I really enjoyed that. The trapped feeling, the desperation and the disgusting descriptions of various things happening to bodies; yikes.

The end gets pretty crazy, but I was here for it. By then I was so hooked in. Ellis could have told me anything and I would have been like, yep, that makes total sense.

I think for Readers who are willing to sit back and just have a good time and go for it, this will work very well. It’s creepy, full of great atmosphere and some pretty yucky bug/creature stuff. A read I would definitely recommend for any YA Horror Reader.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Ellis will continue to be one of my go-to authors in the YA Horror space!

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Review: Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

Disappearance at Devil's RockDisappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

As a Reader, I focus a lot on new releases. In the majority of cases, if I don’t get to a book either before, or within like 4 or 5-months, of its release date, it’s going to end up languishing on my shelves, or Kindle, unread for years.

A month ago, I was browsing books that were past nominees for the Bram Stoker Awards, and this just happened to be one of them. I decided it was high time I get to it. I’ve owned this book since it’s release and am kicking myself for not picking it up sooner.

This story features a sort of classic set-up: three teen boys enter the forest, only two return. We follow the missing boy, Tommy’s, mom, Elizabeth, and his younger sister, Kate. We also get the perspective of the boys in the days leading up to Tommy’s disappearance.

There are a lot of moving parts to the narrative, but they’re all blended together so well that it makes for a seamless, emotional and engaging story.

I am huge Tremblay fan, so I wouldn’t say I was necessarily surprised at how much I enjoyed this, or how good the writing was, however, I do walk away feeling this is one of Tremblay’s best works to date. I can’t stress enough how incredibly well-told it is; completely immersive. I was drawn in quickly and couldn’t stop.

The inclusion of the boys perspectives, since they are just teens, had a certain Coming of Age feel that enjoy. That combined with various real world horrors, really played into my tastes. I thought the audiobook narration was perfect for the tone of the story as well. Overall, just exceptional.

At the end of the day, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock was a great reminder for me to not neglect my backlist. There are so many incredible stories lurking on the shelves just waiting to be discovered.

I would absolutely recommend this to people who enjoy genre-bending, emotionally-impactful stories, full of haunting imagery and real world horrors. I’m so glad that I finally made time for this one!

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Review: The Devil in Oxford (Ruby Vaughn #3) by Jess Armstrong

~ megs14malloy

The Devil in Oxford (Ruby Vaughn, #3)The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Devil in Oxford is the 3rd-release in Jess Armstrong’s Ruby Vaughn series. These adventurous Gothic Mysteries have truly captured my heart.

This installment finds Ruby accompanying her employer, Mr. Owen, to Oxford while he attends an annual meeting of the Antiquarian Society of which he is a part.

Ruby is looking at the time in Oxford to serve as a bit of a holiday for her. She’s brought her housemaid, her cat and she’s excited to spend time with her old friend, Leona, who works in Oxford. As you may know, however, trouble tends to find Ruby wherever she goes.

That trouble arrives on a night out at an exhibition of artifacts amassed by the disgraced scholar, Julius Harker. How could an event like that possibly bring on trouble, you may ask? A bunch of stuffy old scholars, you may say.

Well, when Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is quickly arrested. Ruby gets drawn in, mainly by her friend, Leona, who is close with all parties involved. The last thing Ruby wants, really, is to get dragged into another dangerous investigation, yet, that’s exactly what happens.

As all of this is happening, Ruan Kivell, the Cornish Pellar, Ruby is battling feelings for, arrives in town as well, insisting upon seeing her. Well, that’s just fine. They work great together. He can only aide in Ruby’s investigation, she just wishes he’d stop reading her thoughts.

Thus, Ruby sets out to discover the truth about what happened to Julius Harker, because she’s definitely not buying the story they’re being sold.

I think it’s fair to say that I’m really invested in this series at this point. I love how each installment feels like a completely new adventure. One of my favorite aspects is discovering where Ruby is going in each new book.

I also just love Ruby as a protagonist. She has such an interesting backstory, which I still don’t feel we know the true depths of. She’s stubborn as a mule, but so quick and determined. She’s like that friend you just want to shake sometimes, but you know what, she gets stuff done.

I was so happy at the start of this, just to be returning to this world and cast of characters, and of course, I squealed when Ruan entered the chat.

I liked how tense this mystery got. There was like this dark, seedy underbelly of Oxford that Ruby and Ruan were having to dig into. It felt dangerous, and since we didn’t know a lot of these cast of side characters from the previous books, I had no idea who to trust.

I’m glad that Ruan did end up showing up in the story, not just for the romance vibes he always brings, but also for the safety and steadiness he provides Ruby. Their personalities compliment each other well, and they do work well together.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries, particularly if you enjoy those with occult elements and gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait for the next book. I’m really hoping we get to learn even more about Ruby’s past!

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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: Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson

~ megs14malloy

Coffin MoonCoffin Moon by Keith Rosson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Coffin Moon centers around Duane Minor, a Vietnam Vet working as a bartender in his wife, Heidi’s, parent’s bar, and his 13-year old niece, Julia, who the couple recently took in.

Duane is struggling with his sobriety, while Julia is struggling with some very traumatic events in her home life that has left her separated from her mother and brother.

When Minor ends up crossing the baddies that try to pull some shady sh*t at the bar, it changes all of their lives forever. Leading the charge for the bad guys is a man named John Varley, not your average killer, who sleeps during the day and whose teeth grow extra long at night.

After Heidi is killed in retaliation for Minor’s interference, he is wracked with guilt, while Julia is filled with rage. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of pursuit across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their goal is to root out John Varley and make him pay for all he’s taken from them.

Will any amount of blood be able to sate their grief and guilt?

This was devilishly good. Set in the 1970s, I feel like Rosson did a fabulous job channeling the gritty Crime Fiction vibes of that era. The tone of it, it’s morose, devastating and heavily vengeance-focused. We love to see it.

I’d love to read this again and take more time with it. This time through, I went rather quickly, so focused on what was going to happen. In future, I think it would be worth a revisit to focus in more on the character work and relationships.

I loved both Minor and Julia. Their interactions together and the way their bond evolved, it felt so natural and it truly tugged at my heart-strings.

Additionally, John Varley was fascinating. We learn quite a bit about him and his history, and those are some of the moments that I would like to revisit the most. There was something sweeping and epic-feeling about his story that brought even more to the historical meat of this story.

There were so many devastating moments in this book. Moments where I would read it and think, OMG, how would you get over that? But Minor and Julia just kept on going on, and I love that resilience and even if it was driven by rage in Julia’s case, I respected the hell out of their strength.

It felt like Rosson poured a lot of emotion into this one. It hurt my heart a bit, not gonna lie, but it was so worth it. I was sad about much of it, but impressed with the fact that Rosson could make me feel so much for these characters in such a short amount of time.

Overall, I found this to be such a unique and classic-feeling Horror story. I have never read anything from this author before, but I will be reading more in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this will definitely be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!

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Review: Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell

~ megs14malloy

Asylum HotelAsylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Asylum Hotel follows architect, Aubrey Spencer, who after a devastating incident at work has begun seeking solace through photography. Her area of interest: abandoned places. Cue the spooky music.

The Seabrink Hotel, a stately-yet-crumbling seaside hotel, once catering to the rich and famous, is Aubrey’s current subject. The hotel is soon set to be renovated, so Aubrey wants to be sure to capture it 0n film before that occurs.

As she’s roaming the site, she runs into a man she recognizes, Dimitri Petroff, who she knows from his YouTube channel where he explores abandoned places.

The two end up hitting it off, and spend the night together. The following morning, Dimitri’s body is found at the base of a seaside cliff. Aubrey is in shock.

How could this have happened? It doesn’t make sense. The police wrap up the scene quickly, assuming it’s suicide, but Aubrey’s not buying it.

Unable to let it rest, Aubrey sets out to discover the truth of what happened to Dimitri. Local legend leads her to think something he may have seen at the Seabrink could have resulted in his death.

Digging into the hotel’s past, Aubrey uncovers a dark and sordid history that leaves her unsettled and believing that there may be some truth to the local legends.

Y’all, I really, really enjoyed this. This is a true Paranormal Mystery, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, if you’re looking for a strict Mystery-Thriller, it may be best if you steer clear. For those who like a little Paranormal sprinkled on top though, this one is for you.

I loved the setting and all the dark history surrounding the Seabrink Hotel. I enjoyed Aubrey as a MC as well. I haven’t read a lot of stories where the MC is an architect, so that was a nice touch.

My favorite aspect of this though, oddly enough, was the dynamic between Aubrey and her best friend, Nikki, who comes to stay with Aubrey after Dimitri’s body is discovered. There was something about the two of them together that just filled my heart.

Maybe because I live long distance from my own best friend, I’m not sure, but I loved how involved and supportive they were with one another. Their interactions added a lot to this story for me. It made me more connected in a way.

Additionally, I have to mention the fabulous audiobook narration done by Xe Sands. As always, Sands brought this story to life. I felt like I was listening to Aubrey relay the story to me directly. It’s really well done. Sands is one of the best in the business. There’s no denying that.

At the end of the day, while this isn’t a perfect book, I did have a lot of fun with it. It hooked me and I got through it so quickly. I liked many things about it and look forward to picking up more from Juliet Blackwell.

Thank you, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review!

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