audiobooks

Review: The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The MoorwitchThe Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Moorwitch follows a witch named Rose, who as a young girl was forced to strike a sinister bargain with a fae in order to escape her abusive home. A decade later, that fae is back and ready to demand his side of the deal repaid.

She’s tasked with discovering the gateway to the realm of the faerie. If she does, her dwindling magic will be restored and she’ll be freed from her fae handler once and for all.

Knowing the approximate area of the gateway, Rose ends up going undercover as a governess at a crumbling Scottish estate. While it would be best if she kept her head down and just set to the task at hand, Rose can’t help but become emotionally invested in her young charge.

She also can’t deny the budding attraction she feels towards the laird of the estate, Conrad. It’s his adventurous sister she is now responsible for, and as time passes, she becomes more and more invested in their small family.

It seems it’s not just Rose’s magic and freedom at stake, but now also her heart. Will the witch be able to focus enough to complete her mission in time, or will she end up losing her magic forever? The clock is ticking.

The Moorwitch definitely took me by surprise. I received an Audio ARC last year, but had been very intimidated to pick it up. I do not read a lot of Fantasy, and the 15.5-hour audibook length scared me, not gonna lie. I was worried it would take me forever to get through.

I was wrong to be worried. I was pulled in from the very start. The writing was great, as were the characters. I loved Rose as an MC and also thought that the narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was perfect for her character.

The set-up was very well done and easy to understand. I also liked how quickly Khoury got to the point, and got Rose to where she needed to be.

The chemistry between Rose and Conrad was so good. They were so annoyed with each other and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. Speaking of the chemistry though, I also really appreciated that this is clean. There’s zero steam.

In a world of Fairy Smut, it’s nice to focus on an actual plot.

At the end of the day, I thought this was a delightful read. I’m so glad I finally shook off the nerves and just went for it. It was so much fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Brillance Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m only sorry I kicked it around for so long before picking it up. I’d love to read more from Jessica Khoury!

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Review: Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Clown in a Cornfield #4) by Adam Cesare

~ megs14malloy

Lights! Camera! Frendo!Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Lights! Camera! Frendo! is the highly-anticipated 4th-installment to Adam Cesare’s Teen Scream Slasher series, Clown in a Cornfield.

I’ve enjoyed the trajectory of this series. It feels like an ode to Teen Scream and Slasher movies, with this installment being no exception. Cesare is clearly a huge fan of this subgenre of Horror and it shows on the page.

In this installment, we’re heading back to Kettle Springs where a big budget movie focusing on the original Kettle Springs Massacre is ready to start filming. Sabrina Alvarez, a young, fairly unknown actress, has been selected to play the role of Final Girl, Quinn Maybrook.

Sabrina is nervous. It’s a huge role for her, and it’s her first time being on a shoot like this on her own, without her Mom. The rest of the cast and crew already seem well-acquainted, so she’s definitely the new girl on the block.

The director’s methods are also not what’s she is used to, but for the most part, everyone on set is friendly and welcoming. It’s the town itself that seems off.

And it’s Kettle Springs, so you know her instincts in that regard are correct. There’s definitely something off.

We follow along, via multiple different perspectives, as this film tries to get off the ground. Not everyone in Kettle Springs is happy about the exposure.

It’s not long before bodies start dropping again. Who’s going to be the Final Girl this time?

This was excellent. I enjoyed it so, so much. I loved the Scream 3 feel of a movie being made on the Kettle Spring Massacre. All the actors and actresses, it was fun to follow them on the set and watch as things started to get unhinged in a real Kettle Springs kind of way.

I recently read Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, which covered the making of the Scream franchise, and a lot of the different elements Cesare included here involving the cast and crew, reminded me of things I learned in that book.

I think Cesare did a great job making the film shoot feel believable, and then pulling in the Frendo lore and the rest of the town as well. We also see some old favorite characters again, like Cole and Rust.

For me, this is the best installment since the 1st-book. I loved being back in Kettle Springs. It was a great set-up, with copious creative kills and a solid continuation of the lore. I am so pleased with how Cesare concluded it. Will we be blessed with a book 5!?

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I highly recommend this series to Horror fans, and this book in particular if you’ve already started this series. I’m hoping we get at least one more book!

I don’t want it to end!

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Review: She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove

~ megs14malloy

She's a DollShe’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’s a Doll follows Lucy McQuinn, who is not like other girls main characters. Even though she’s smart and sweet, Lucy doesn’t quite fit in with her contemporaries.

The thing that really sets her apart though, happens after she’s murdered by a vile man named Kyle. At the time of her death, her soul takes possession of an 18-inch porcelain doll and she’s ticked.

Vowing to get revenge, Lucy, in her new form, wants to find Kyle and end his life like he ended hers. That proves tricky though. Her size and the fact that she’s made of porcelain, it all works against her. She’s gonna need some help.

Lucy turns to Nicola, a gal she knew in life, a fellow outsider, and someone who also hates Kyle. Understandably, it’s initially difficult to get Nicola to believe what she’s hearing and seeing. I mean, can you imagine a doll coming to you and proposing you work together to kill someone?

We then follow their friendship and their mission, as both women grapple with the unfairness of it all. Will Lucy be able to find the peace she deserves, or will she be forced to stalk the Earth an angry doll forever?

This is such a creative story. I enjoyed it so much. With the synopsis, I wasn’t sure how campy Truelove would end up taking it, as I’ve never read from her before, so was unsure of her style. I was impressed with the nuance in the story, and appreciated all that Truelove brought to the table here.

It’s actually a really nice blend of humor with darker, more serious topics that were thoughtfully explored. It actually packs quite the punch emotionally, and had quieter moments that definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

The audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, was super fun and I definitely recommend that format if you have it available to you. Tegan’s accent and delivery were perfect for Lucy’s character. The narration added such life to the story, and I found it very believable.

Overall, I think this is a great book, offering up much more depth than I initially anticipated. Readers are going to love it. A perfect read for your Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Bindery Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m so stoked to read more from this author!

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Review: The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

The Women in WhiteThe Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen, one of my go-to Thriller authors, is a story told in two-timelines.

Our present day perspective follows, Riley, who after a recent separation from her husband, gets a live-in caretaker position with an elderly woman named Betty.

Since they are living together and both open to companionship, Betty and Riley start to share things about their lives with one another. Riley finds Betty to be a very interesting woman. Her home is a time capsule, with no modern appliances, no cell phone or even a television.

As Betty starts to fill Riley in on her past, she expresses wanting to locate some of her old university friends. Riley offers to help, but she never could have guessed the truth behind what Betty was involved in all those years ago.

The past perspective follows Betty and the other women she’s told Riley about. We follow them as they become participants in a parapsychology study undertaken at a prestigious university. The project, run by a powerful and overbearing scientist, changes these women’s lives forever.

On the cusp of a revolutionary breakthrough, the women disappeared and the program was erased from history.

Riley believes Betty, even if the records are unclear. She’s locked into this mystery. She’s invested; as was I. Riley starts digging in and discovers that the repercussions of that program have lasted through to today.

But what happened to Betty’s friends? Is there any way to find the truth?

I really enjoyed this one. The subject matter was a good fit for my personal tastes, and I loved having both the past and present timelines. The way it was all pieced together by Pekkanen was perfectly plotted, IMO.

I also felt it easy to connect with the set of characters created here. I had sympathy for them, all they had been through, but was also intrigued and entertained by it.

Riley and Betty especially. I enjoyed watching the way their relationship developed. They became so close over the course of the story and I really felt that.

They found each other when they both needed someone, and I think Pekkanen did such a great job showing that, and making you feel that as the Reader.

The past perspective, in the 60s, the research into parapsychology, that reminded me of Firestarter, or other things like that. There was an air of MKUltra about it as well.

It all felt so sinister, and the women involved, by comparison were all innocent and unsuspecting. It made that timeline so gripping, just the way Pekkanen slowly revealed all that had happened within that program.

I also liked the excitement at the end, the conclusion to the mystery. Overall, I just think this is a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to people who enjoy dual timeline Thrillers with a lot of character work.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Pekkanen’s new works. I love her writing and her story concepts. I’ll can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

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Review: The Flayed Man by Chloe Lauter

~ megs14malloy

The Flayed Man: A NovelThe Flayed Man: A Novel by Chloe Lauter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flayed Man features a complex Mother-Daughter relationship, and is set against the stark landscape of the Mojave Desert in Nevada.

Ellis, our protagonist, works in triage in the ER at nights and she’s also a full-time caregiver for her Mom, whose health is spiraling. But the reasons behind her Mom’s health decline are not the typical ones you would expect.

Sure, it’s partially early onset dementia, but the root cause of it is what Ellis considers their family curse. They must feed daily on blood, or risk very heinous repercussions.

When Ellis’s Uncle, who is normally their main source for their blood supply disappears, Ellis has to quickly find a new source before her Mom’s condition gets worse.

She pairs up with a snarky paramedic, who she finds intriguing for all sorts of reasons, and they set out across the desert in search of blood. While on this dark and terrible adventure, Ellis discovers that the legend of the Flayed Man, that her Mom always told her, may in fact be true.

Ellis is now trying to navigate a new relationship, while not giving away all their family secrets, and revealing her true nature to her crush.

When blood hunger starts to overtake her, it becomes a battle to hold onto her humanity. Will she be successful in her endeavors, or will the deep dark finally overtake her?

I really liked this. The writing was great and I found myself completely invested in the story. It really creeped up on me. This isn’t your typical Vampire story, and I appreciated the emotional depth Lauter brought to it.

It’s such a beautiful examination of Ellis’s relationship with her Mom, but also an exploration of herself and what she ultimately wants in her life. For anyone with aging parents, what’s happening with her Mom may hit especially hard.

This is a Horror novel reminiscent of Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones. It reminded me a lot of that book, as far as the tone and the family elements went; the exploration of duty to family, and self-discovery.

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a gruesome yet deeply thought-provoking read. This is gory, don’t let the cover fool you. There’s a lot of Body Horror and I felt like it was very well-executed.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook is very well done. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

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Review: The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

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The AnniversaryThe Anniversary by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Anniversary follows two main characters, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley. When they were both 17-years old, back in 1992, one fateful night changed the trajectory of both of their lives, and intertwined their stories forever.

This sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Finlay expertly-weaves together the stories of Jules and Quinn, keeping me at the edge of my seat the whole way through.

On the fateful night in question, Jules survives an attack of the elusive May Day Killer, a serial predator who attacks unsuspecting young women every May 1st in small Midwestern towns. Though she survived the attack, certain psychological scars may never heal.

And poor Quinn, trying to break-up a fight, severly injures one of the participants, and he’s arrested and ultimately ends up in juvenile detention because of it. While he’s there, his mother is murdered, and the crime goes unsolved.

A year later, Jules is plagued with survivor’s guilt, and Quinn, recently released from juvie, struggles to put the pieces of his life back together.

We follow both of their perspectives through that process, with the book ultimately spanning over many years.

Jules and Quinn never give up their search for answers, and over time, more and more clues are revealed, bringing their paths back together once again. The bottom line is the May Day Killer is still out there, Quinn’s mother’s murderer is still out there, and they’re determined to find the truth before any other innocent lives are lost.

I feel like I’m not giving this detailed plot justice, but you get the gist. I really enjoyed the back and forth and how we followed the two MCs over such a long period of time. As the puzzle pieces started to fall into place, my attention was fully captured.

The audiobook was fantastic. It’s dual narrated by Brittany Pressley and Ari Fliakos, and having the individual narrators for both perspectives, really lent believability to the plot. It also kept my attention more than had I just been reading a hard copy, I think.

Jules and Quinn were both great characters. They had been through so much, but they never let the negativity of those events completely overwhelm them. Sure, they struggled through some complicated emotions, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but they never lost their determination and will to fight for closure.

They were also both very smart and resourceful. A highlight for me was their interactions together. I felt like they supported each other nicely.

Overall, I had a blast with this. It’s really, really good. The story is gripping, with tons of twists and turns that’ll keep you flipping pages well into the night.

Finlay’s last release, Parents Weekend, fell a little flat for a lot of people, I enjoyed it, but certainly not as much as some of his earlier works. With The Anniversary, I feel like he’s hit his stride again. I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to the pubisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to whatever Finlay has in store for us next!

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Review: Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

~ megs14malloy

Paper CutPaper Cut by Rachel Taff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paper Cut is a Contemporary Fiction novel following Lucy Golden, who is a bit of a True Crime superstar. She’s best known for escaping a cult as a teenager.

You might be wondering, what about that would make her so famous? Well, she had to commit murder to escape, so that fact alone has made her infamous in the public eye.

Twenty-years later, Lucy is still well known, but her life is a battlefield. She’s always one news cycle away from obscurity, which isn’t a great feeling. She has a stalker, online haters, and her family is a mess.

When a hotshot documentarian makes Lucy’s life the subject of his next film, she jumps at the chance. This would be a great opportunity for her.

Perhaps she can finally shut down the doubters and haters, cementing her place in the public consciousness, but what’s she going to do about her family?

As the filming begins, Lucy must return to the California desert and face some of the people she thought she had left behind forever. Soon enough, long-buried secrets are coming to the surface, and present threats escalate.

Can Lucy get control of all these chess pieces and protect the story she’s been telling all along, or will a truth be exposed she never wanted to face?

Paper Cut is a classic it’s not you, it’s me novel.

This is a fine story, the writing is solid and Taff did a great job creating the characters and seeing the plot through coherently, and at a steady pace. The issue for me is just that the content wasn’t to my taste.

It has a much more Literary feel than I tend to enjoy, and I felt like I was constantly waiting on more thrills, chills and suspense. I was bored. It left me feeling unsatisfied.

My experience with Paper Cut reminds me so much of my experience with The Three Lives of Cate Kay. While I can appreciate the merits of the story, particularly the detailed character exploration, it’s just not to my personal tastes.

For more Literary Readers, maybe who enjoy the slightly unsavory side of humanity, I think this could be very successful. However, I rate based on my own personal experience, so it’s just a 3-star for me.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow and Harper Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’d definitely be willing to give Rachel Taff another shot, and plan to do so in the future.

I never write off an author after just one book!

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Review: Your Favorite Scary Movie by Ashley Cullins

~ megs14malloy

Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of HorrorYour Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was excellent. I loved everything about it and learned so much. I love this type of Nonfiction that explores Horror Fiction in Pop Culture, and it’s impact.

The aspect I loved the most about this one, was the discussions of Wes Craven and his impact on the genre I love with my whole heart. Some of those moments even brought tears to my eyes. The world lost him too soon.

To hear the love that the people who worked with him had for him, not just love, but respect, it was so moving.

Cullins did an incredible job compiling her research. This must have been such an incredible project to undertake. You can tell what a fan she is, and she interviewed so many people integral to the success of the franchise.

This also made me incredibly nostalgic for that time when the first movie released. I was a Freshman in college and got to watch it at a cheap movie theater by my University. It was in the Winter, and if memory serves, it was fully sold out.

The energy in the theater, and the way it captured the minds of audience. It’s fair to say that it took over campus, with people trying to scare each other, dropping lines from the movie, making prank phone calls. It was such a moment in time. I’m so happy I got to experience that.

I would recommend this to any fan of the Scream franchise, or Wes Craven, as well as general fans of Horror Fiction. I also highly recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this, but I’m kicking myself now.

This could easily make my favorite books of the year list!

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Review: Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan #6) by Elle Cosimano

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Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan, #6)Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line is the 6th-installment of the much loved Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.

I’ve listened to all of these books on audio, and absolutely adore the narration by Angela Dawe. She is Finlay to me at this point. As soon as I hear her voice, I’m locked in and ready for whatever Finlay has in store for me.

This installment continues the story of Vero’s shady past. We’ve had piecemeal info on what exactly lead to Vero working for Finlay, but this book definitely helps fill in the entirety of her backstory.

Vero gets extradited back to Maryland, facing criminal charges for a theft that occurred at her sorority house while she was Treasurer there, which she swears she didn’t commit. She’s placed under house arrest at her Mom’s home back in her hometown, ankle bracelet and all.

Finlay knows Vero is innocent and she’s committed to helping her friend clear her name. Vero has been there for her through all sorts of tough times, and Finlay is ready to step up to return the favor.

Leaving her kids behind in Virginia with her boyfriend, Finlay heads off to Maryland to support Vero any way she can, and if you’ve read any of the books in this series, you know a lot of hi-jinks are going to ensue.

While this wasn’t my favorite of the series, as far as the plot and mystery component, I still really enjoyed my time with it. I absolutely love this great cast of characters that Cosimano has created. Their relationships and banter, watching their bonds grow, it’s all filled my heart.

Prior to reading this, I hadn’t seen the announcement for the 7th book, but this ending made clear there was another coming and I’ve since found that information. I’m personally hoping Finlay’s Mom will be more prominent again in the next installment, because I definitely missed her in this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review.

I love this series and will continue to pick them up as long as they’re released. I’m already looking forward to Book #7!!

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Review: Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown

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Better the DevilBetter the Devil by Erik J. Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Better the Devil is a YA Psychological Thriller that’s both dramatic and entertaining. It reads like one of the After School Special movies I used to love when I was younger.

I’m not throwing shade when I say that either. I’m serious. I loved those things, and a lot of popular celebrities starred in various episodes. I felt like this story captured a cinematic quality that could translate well to the screen.

In this story, we’re following a gay teen who is forced to run away from home after his extremely religious parents threaten to send him to a conversion camp. For him, it’s the logical next step, but unfortunately, extended life on the streets is very tough.

The teen is forced to do things that he never thought he would have to do, like stealing food to survive. When he gets caught shoplifting food from a store, he gets brought into a police station. While there, he notices a missing person poster with a boy on it, whose age progression happens to look shockingly like himself.

The missing boy’s name is Nate Beaumont. When the police ask him his name, he says Nate Beaumont. It’s the only thing he can think to do, but boy, oh boy, he could never have expected the insane can of worms that one choice would open.

The police are shocked. They know who Nate Beaumont is. He tells them he’s escaped from his captors, but he has no memory of anything prior to his escape. He’s taken to the hospital for assessment and the Beaumont family is notified.

The boy, now calling himself Nate, recognizes that things are quickly getting out of hand, but he assumes they’ll do some sort of tests, DNA tests or something, that will give him the time he needs to escape. But that doesn’t happen, and before he can make his escape, the Beaumont family is welcoming him home with open arms.

The next thing he knows, he’s at their house, at Nate’s house, swept up into their family. He has to play along, bide his time until he can figure out his next move.

The Beaumonts are such an enigma to him though. They’re nurturing and loving, so unlike his own family. He could get used to this, but then disturbing events start happening.

Someone is targeting Nate. Someone who probably knows the truth, that Nate isn’t who he says he is, but who? And more importantly, why?

Nate, along with his new friend, Miles, start digging for answers, but we all know, sometimes the past is best left buried. Will they be able to to figure out what happened to the real Nate, or will the baddie stop them before they get the chance?

This is a good novel. Many aspects of it were gripping. For me, the pace was off a bit, and I’m not sure I feel the author was really able to balance the serious aspects of this story with the more cinematic, entertaining aspects. A lot of it sort of gave me the ick, what Nate was doing.

I do understand his motivations, for sure. Brown did do a good job of building that up, and he still makes Nate a character you have great empathy for, but I don’t know, I still felt a little queasy at times, NGL.

I did end up loving many of the characters in here though. Not just Nate, but also his neighbor Miles, Miles’s dog, Chardonnay, and Nate’s Grandma Sharon, were all super fun and brought a lot of humor to the story.

I would recommend this to YA Thriller Readers, particularly for its actual target audience. I can definitely imagine teens really getting hooked into this one. I’ve never read any other work from Erik J. Brown, but I’m looking forward to doing so in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperAudio Children’s, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook narration from Daniel Henning was excellent and definitely channeled the overall vibe of the story!

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