atmospheric

Review: Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

~ megs14malloy

Night WatcherNight Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nola Strate is a late-night radio host in Portland, Oregon. Her show, Night Watch, features listeners calling in to share stories of hauntings and other creepy happenings.

One evening, a caller, seemingly in present distress, strikes a special cord with Nola, reminding her of her own escape from a serial killer years before.

It’s after this disturbing call that Nola begins to feel like she’s being watched. Could it possibly be The Hiding Man, the serial killer from her past, back to finish the job, or is there a new threat looming just outside her sight?

Nola is convinced it is The Hiding Man, but will she be able to figure out who it actually is before it’s too late?

Y’all, this was really good. I listened to the audiobook and felt like the narration fit the story to a tee. It legit had some moments that got under my skin, playing into some of my own real life fears. Nola was also quite believable as an MC with an intriguing backstory.

I also loved the overriding True Crime feel. Nola’s show, Night Watch, gave it a podcast vibe that I thought was really well done. At times, I felt like a real-life listener.

It was compelling from the start, and I found myself completely invested very early. I think it was that call that’s mentioned in the synopsis, that Nola receives at the show, it would be impossible to walk away after that.

The mystery was super intriguing. Had Nola’s past truly come back to haunt her? I wasn’t sure, but I loved sticking around to find out.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys intense Thriller stories, perhaps with a podcast, or serial killer element. Also, this is just Horror enough to appeal to true Horror fans. Don’t believe me? You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author, especially if she remains in this lane.

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Review: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

~ megs14malloy

Something I Keep UpstairsSomething I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Something I Keep Upstairs is set in the coastal New Hampshire town of Newcastle, and follows a story told by Billy Hasler.

He shares with the Reader the events that happened to him and his group of friends in the Summer he was 17, that would change the course of all of their lives.

That was the Summer before they were all supposed to head off to college, as most of us know an oft emotional and pivotal time in a young person’s life.

When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits his deceased Grandmother’s mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems the perfect spot for Summer shenanigans. As they start to spend time there with their friends though, it becomes clear that the island houses a dark past.

Things spiral out of control for the group. It becomes the stuff of nightmares, and it’s hard to trust what you’re hearing from Billy. This house is evil and it’s something that’s effected generations of people in Newcastle.

It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon either. Will Billy be able to escape its hungry grasp unscathed, or will he suffer the same fate of many before him?

For my personal tastes, Something I Keep Upstairs wasn’t a super enjoyable reading experience. My attention frequently wavered and I probably only managed to retain 1/2 of it. Nevertheless, I have to give many extra points for Barker’s fluid writing style and wild-creativity.

While this had some strong attributes, like the atmosphere and inclusion of local history/lore, a few of the concepts weren’t to my tastes. I also felt it dragged on for way too long. Coming in at just shy of 500-pages, this story felt like a monster undertaking that struggled to get off the ground.

I did love the sort of confessional Coming of Age narrative style though. I think that was a great choice by the author, and perhaps if the ‘what’ of the island captured my attention a little more, I wouldn’t have minded the length as much.

Some of the extra points also go towards the many unexpected turns of the story, which I never saw coming. However, with this being said, I did find it difficult to track some of the side characters and past events/time shifts.

At the end of the day though, I think it was merely a mismatch for my tastes. I can appreciate the skill it took to create this story, but for me, it just wasn’t a hit.

With this being said, this is purely my personal opinion based upon my reading experience. Just because I wasn’t the biggest fan, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go. It’s absolutely worth the shot!

Thank you to the publisher, Hampton Creek Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I def plan to check out more from this author!

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Review: The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey

~ megs14malloy

The Wolf TreeThe Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Wolf Tree is an Adult Mystery novel set on a remote Scottish island. Late last year, I saw a few of my trusted book friends reviewing this one quite favorably.

As is my custom, I was immediately filled with uncontrollable FOMO, so I sought out a copy. Then as is also my custom, I let it sit on my unread shelf for months and months and months.

Recently, I finally decided to give it a go, wanting a strong Police Procedural Mystery full of atmosphere and intrigue. Oh baby, did I get what I wanted.

This story follows George Lennox, and her partner, Richie Stewart, who’re embarking on their first big detective assignment since George suffered a terrifying accident on the job that left her with a serious head injury.

The powers that be have finally decided that George is ready to get back out there, and she and Richie are sent to Eilean Eadar, a remote windswept rock, best known for the unsolved mystery of the lighthouse keepers who vanished from there back in 1919.

The small community who lives on the island, easily more sheep than people, are used to self-sufficiency. They live a remote and rugged life and are used to looking after one another, through good times and bad.

George and Richie are sent there to investigate after a young man, Alan, is found dead at the base of the lighthouse. The islanders, led by a ubiquitous priest, Father Ross, seem determined to thwart the DIs’ investigation. The local story is Alan took his own life, but is that really what happened?

Due to it’s remote location, the detectives are forced to stay on the island for the duration of their investigation. The more they interact with the locals and learn about their culture and history, the more George becomes convinced that something is seriously off here.

I had so much fun with this one. I became completely invested in the mystery and loved the partnership of George and Richie. They’re definitely a detective duo I want to read more of. I like how McCluskey gave them an interesting history in addition to the mystery they were solving.

McCluskey also nailed the island atmosphere and I found this to be spooky in addition to mysterious. I loved the feel of the locals. They were believable, yet also untrustworthy. It gave the whole thing an unsettling feeling from the start.

I did have moments where I felt challenged to keep up with a lot of the side characters, but for the most part, I think McCluskey did a great job creating a thick web of intrigue, while also keeping it accessible and understandable.

About halfway through, I was curious if this was going to become a series, and I’m so happy to report that there is a 2nd-book, The Cursed Road: A new gripping Scottish crime thriller from the bestselling author of THE WOLF TREE, set to release very early next year.

Y’all, I will be first in line for that. George and Richie are such a great match, their skill sets playing perfectly off one another. Richie, as a more aged, experienced detective, of course feels protective over George, and for her part, she’s just testing her limits.

I would recommend this for fans of Caz Frear’s Cat Kinsella series, the DC Morgan series by Clare Mackinstosh, or the DCI Jonah Sheens series by Gytha Lodge.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait for the next book to release!

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Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

~ megs14malloy

Hemlock & SilverHemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read…a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind, in the Publisher’s synopsis for this book, I felt like all my dreams were coming true.

Kingfisher gracing us with a Snow White reimagining, you know it’s bound to be amazing. Spoiler Alert: IT WAS!!!

This story features, Anja, a healer who specializes in poisons. Anja receives a summons from the King to assist with his daughter, Snow, who appears to be dying and they can’t figure out why.

Nothing seems to be helping. Anja is smart, creative and experiments frequently to create different antidotes. If anyone can save the young princess from some unknown threat, it’s gonna be her.

This is just the basic set-up for this story, because I don’t want to risk giving anything away. As with most of Kingfisher’s work, Anja ends up surrounding herself with an endearing cast of side characters, including a brooding guard and opinionated cat.

I can’t tell you how much I loved Anja. From the very start, she felt like someone I could relate to. I know this sounds silly, since this is a Fantasy story, but her narrative voice, the way she thought and related to the world around her, it’s so similar to myself.

I’ve actually felt that way about many of Kingfisher’s main characters, so perhaps the two of us just have very similar senses of humor.

Anja was also delivering solid intrepid scholar vibes, which was so fun and interesting to follow. She definitely is a bit out of her comfort zone traveling to the kingdom to help the king, but stays strong even though it’s intimidating and does what needs to be done.

The mystery behind what was happening to Snow was super compelling as well. As that unfolds, I loved how dark Kingfisher took it, and some of the imagery that was created was so darkly-beautiful.

The guard, Javier, when they started investigating Snow’s illness together, OMG, there were so many funny moments. The stellar narration of the audio def brought life to that humorous banter. I could picture it all like a movie.

Another thing worth mentioning is how well Kingfisher writes animals and animal companions. This is a common thread I’ve found in her works. They all have so much personality, like all of our real life animal companions.

You can tell she is an animal lover. I never worry about animals being killed or abused in her stories. Taking that worry away makes it a much cozier read for me.

Overall, I felt this was brilliant. Anja made this story special for me, and memorable. She’s easily my favorite protagonist of the year so far. I would lay down my life for her.

I’m such a huge Kingfisher stan, so I was expecting to love this, but I was actually surprised how swept up in the story I became. The audiobook had me hooked.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so happy to have another novel to add to my Favorites Shelf!!

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Review: It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

It Was Her House FirstIt Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘I suppose we get the ghosts we get,
not necessarily the ones we want.’

After Ronnie Mitchell receives an inheritance due to the tragic passing of a family member, she purchases a rundown mansion in West Seattle. With anxiety high and in need of distraction, this could be just the project she needs.

Ronnie has some carpentry experience, so feels like she’ll be able to tackle anything the house throws at her. Unfortunately, what she knows nothing about is the bloody, violent history of this particular house.

Will that come back to bite her, or can she handle that too?

It Was Her House First was a captivating read, even though somehow it wasn’t at all what I expected. I enjoyed it though very much. It reminded me a bit of The September House, so I would recommend it for fans of that book. It’s not quite as graphic, but still manages to give those vibes.

I loved our present perspective MC, Ronnie. I connected with her way of thinking and it made it extra enjoyable. She has a bit of a wry, honest sense of humor, always just laying it out there for the Reader. I loved that.

We also get different perspectives that help to fill us in on the history of the house. These perspectives are all tied to it’s heartbreaking history, and unsurprisingly, they’re still very much connected to the house and the present situation Ronnie finds herself in.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the house itself and the longer that Ronnie is there, the more interested she becomes in filling in that history knowledge for herself.

I appreciated Ronnie’s strength and determination when it came to the house. Unsettling things begin happening fairly quickly after she takes ownership, but she never shies away. If anything, she leans in, going further than I think a lot of people would.

She felt very brave to me. Sometimes to a level where you questioned her choices, but nevertheless, she had a goal and she was sticking to it, come hell or high water.

Overall, I feel like this one is an interesting twist on a standard haunted house tale. I enjoyed the interactions of all the various players involved in the drama, and feel like Priest pulled off a lot with this one.

Even though it is a haunted house story, it has a bit of a cozier feel. As mentioned above, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoyed The September House, but also to fans of Rachel Harrison and T. Kingfisher’s Adult Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Cherie Priest!

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Review: The Stitchers (Fright Watch #1) by Lorien Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

The Stitchers (Fright Watch, #1)The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Stitchers is the 1st-installment to Lorien Lawrence’s Spooky Middle Grade trilogy, Fright Watch. I have owed this book for close to 5-years, and am now kicking myself for waiting this long to pick it up.

I absolutely adored this story. Lawrence was able to pull me in and get me completely invested from the very beginning. I loved the MC, Quinn, and her friend/neighbor, Mike.

They made quite the dynamic duo.

Quinn and Mike both live on Goodie Lane. They’re both on the school track team and most days, go running together early in the mornings before school.

On these early morning runs, they frequently observe odd and slightly disturbing behavior from their neighbors; all elderly folks, they’ve dubbed The Oldies, who’ve lived on the street for as long as anyone can remember.

This behavior isn’t really anything new, as Quinn’s Dad, who fairly recently passed away, was a police officer and even he found their neighbors suspicious.

Why don’t they ever seem to age?

After her father passes, Quinn becomes even more focused on getting to the bottom of whatever is going on with the The Oldies. Mike seems like the perfect Robin to her Batman, and he’s more than willing to help out.

The neighbors seem to be on to them though, aware of the kids digging around. Are Quinn and Mike in real danger, or are they just letting their imaginations get away from them?

As things start to heat up on Goodie Lane, their situation escalates quickly. Quinn and Mike desperately search for answers, but will it be too little, too late?

This is such a great Middle Grade Horror novel. I loved how quickly it kicks off and how likable our main characters are.

The mystery of the story is puzzling and it gets top marks for the eerie atmosphere. There were some seriously creepy moments and I loved watching all the action play out.

The Oldies, as a group, are super creepy antagonists. Some of the interactions that Quinn and Mike had with them gave me literal chills. I was fearful in those moments for the characters I had come to love.

I also really appreciated the, shall we say, Beauty Horror, included in this one. Lawrence has some serious Horror chops, don’t let the Middle Grade categorization fool you. This is a good one and read under the right circumstances, it’ll get under your skin.

I loved this so much that I immediately started this 2nd-book after finishing it. And that’s saying something, because I’m terrible at committing to series.

I would recommend this one to any Reader who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade, but honestly, I would recommend this one to any Horror Reader in general. I definitely think this has something to offer individuals of all ages.

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Review: The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas

~ megs14malloy

The Possession of Alba DíazThe Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I will not be cured…but neither will I be caged.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

In 1765, a plague sweeps through Zacatecas, Mexico, forcing our MC, Alba, along with her family, to flee the city and seek refuge at a property owned by her fiance, Carlos’s, family.

The property is an active silver mine and many of Carlos’s family members are there, involved in the day-to-day operations, including a black sheep cousin, Elias, whom Alba finds quite intriguing.

Living there is a bit of shift in lifestyle for Alba, but she’s not hating it. One day on a tour, she actually gets to venture into the mine, and wanders off a little on her own to explore.

Big mistake and let this be a lesson to us all.

Alba has a disturbing first experience in the mine, including auditory hallucinations that shocked and confused her. She became disoriented and feared herself lost. It’s after this initial exploration that events start trending into negative territory for Alba.

She begins hallucinating, sleepwalking and experiencing strange convulsions. She also starts having dark thoughts that are completely out of the norm for her.

Fearing for her sanity and her life, Alba ends up befriending the last person she should, and seeking solace through his company. As the two try to figure out what’s going on with her, they boldly face enemies from all sides.

Heck, yeahhhhh! Isabel Cañas has done it again. The Possession of Alba Diaz is dripping in atmosphere, and full of an unsettling dread. How does Cañas make me love Historical Fiction?

Answer: With the atmosphere, that’s how!

Granted caves, or anything cave adjacent, such as, oh, I don’t know, silver mines, are definitely a real life fear of mine, so Cañas played right into that with this novel.

I have had great success with Cañas’s novels in the past and this one did fall more into my comfort zone, as far as content goes, than the previous two. I love a possession story, and although this is a very slow burn, I feel it paid off.

Cañas definitely has a feel, or a formula, to her work. I’d be able to tell it’s one of her novels, even if I hadn’t seen her name on the cover. Her MCs have similar vibes, but I like it. I always know what I’m getting myself into and it keeps me coming back for more.

In addition to following Alba, we also get Elias’s perspective and I adored him. I’m so glad that it was a dual narrative, because I felt like he brought so much.

His backstory was very interesting, and though he was such a sweet cupcake, he was treated terribly by his family, but that’s a whole other thing. Both he and Alba were out of their element at this place, and I liked that they were able to be there for each other through some crazy stuff.

At the end of the day, this was a very satisfying reading experience. I always appreciate how much time and care it seems Cañas takes with the settings of her stories and building a sense of uneasiness.

I also like the real history she peppers throughout, and how the land/area always feels like such an important part of the story. I would probably put this last out of her three books in overall enjoyment order, but I still really, really liked it. I’m just an Isabel Cañas stan; what can I say?!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to see what this author releases next. We’ve had haunted properties, vampires and possessions, what are we getting next!?

I will be on the edge of my seat until we find out. Whatever it is though, you better believe I will be first in line for a copy.

I cannot wait!

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Review: The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap

~ megs14malloy

The ResurrectionistThe Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Resurrectionist is set in Edinburgh in 1828.

We’re following James Willoughby, who left a somewhat posh lifestyle in Oxford behind in order to pursue the study of surgery in Edinburgh, a city known to be a trendsetter in medical advancements.

The regular University isn’t enough though. He wants to be able to work with human cadavers, for which he’ll need to enroll in a private surgeon’s school, the cost of which is sadly out of his price range.

Nevertheless, James is determined, and ready to strike any sort of a deal he can to become a student. Aneurin MacKinnon, a handsome young dissectionist, offers him the opportunity, but it comes at a cost, and James will have to work for it in ways he never could have imagined.

In short, this wasn’t at all what I expected, but I still ended up really enjoying it. I expected Horror, but got more of a straight-up historical fiction story, heavy with interpersonal drama. Nevertheless, I was sucked in.

Admittedly, Historical Fiction isn’t a genre I gravitate towards, but the rich gothic vibes of this definitely saved it for me. I was impressed.

James was a little naive, but that made him endearing. He was also determined and not afraid to put in the work. I was rooting for him to get everything he wanted, in spite of the world fighting against him in many different ways.

I also loved Aneurin, or Nye, who plays a big part in the story. He added a bit of dark intrigue. There were moments I couldn’t quite figure him out, but enjoyed trying.

Overall, this succeeded in grabbing my attention, and although it’s not something I would necessarily reach for if I had known more about it, I’m glad that I did pick it up.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to checking out more from this author!

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Review: The Legacy by Jere Cunningham

~ megs14malloy

The LegacyThe Legacy by Jere Cunningham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Originally released in 1977, The Legacy by Jere Cunningham has been lovingly-reissued by Valancourt Books as part of their Paperbacks from Hell collection.

I was lucky enough to be gifted the full set for Christmas a couple of years ago, and have been slowly making my way through them when the mood strikes. For the record, I’ve loved them all so far. There’s something about dipping into a classically-told Horror story that’s just so cozy!

In this story, we meet David Rawlings, an ambitious young doctor, and his lovely family, as they inherit David’s childhood home after his father’s untimely death.

When David is notified that his somewhat estranged father has passed unexpectedly, he is in a bit of shock. His father was always such a strong man. He seemed untouchable. What could have happened?

In order to see to the arrangements, and meet with his father’s attorney, David packs himself and his family, including his wife, Sandra, their young daughter, Melanie, and beloved Doberman Pinscher, Streak, into the family car and makes the journey to small town Mississippi.

The property is outstanding. Sandra is struck by its vastness and beauty. At first she’s hesitant to remain there for the 7-weeks asked in the Will, but eventually she comes around.

The family starts to settle in, but from the start disturbing occurrences are happening around the property, including another death. David becomes convinced his father’s death wasn’t from natural causes, or an accident.

Something is going on here, and he needs to figure out what, because now the rest of his family is at risk.

The Legacy captured my attention with the rich Southern Gothic atmosphere. I loved how it was slowly built through the descriptions of the property and surrounding area.

The way events rolled out, building the suspense and intrigue, I felt it was masterfully done. I grew to love this family and was so worried about them ((particularly, the dog, of course)), because things were feeling so dangerous and uncertain.

There was inclusion of a few local characters as well that only helped to enhance the story, IMO. You could tell that some of the locals, friends of his Dad’s, knew what was going on, but they weren’t sharing the info with David, which was frustrating.

The occult elements truly amp up as the story continues, and it all filled me with a complete, nail-biting, sense of dread. It really was a great build. Two thumbs up.

Additionally, the Southern Gothic atmosphere was chef’s kiss and the trope-filled plot kept me on my toes. I would have given it a full 5-star rating, if it weren’t for some animal content that made it less enjoyable for me. There were parts with the dog I had to skim…

Overall though, a great, slow burn, classic-feeling Horror story that I recommend to any true fan of the genre. I def need to read more from this author.

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

~ megs14malloy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

babysitting, clowns, inclement weather, power outage.

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

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