Horror Thriller

Review: The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The SwampsThe Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Swamps is a Thriller Horror novella from one of my go-to authors, Seraphina Nova Glass. I very rarely read Thrillers in novella form, but since it was SNG, I absolutely needed to.

Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t disappointed by this one for a moment. Coming in at 200-pages, and rife with unsettling tension, I had no problem completing this in 1-sitting.

In this story we follow Ethan and Macy, husband and wife, who have a quickly-growing YouTube channel, Ghost Patrol. They’re paranormal investigators known for their batter, with him being the believer, and Macy playing the skeptic.

They’ve grown so fast, and had such positive buzz that Netflix is heavily considering them for their own show. Looking for something big to give them an edge with the popular global streaming service, Ethan and Macy assemble a small team and head to the bayou of Louisiana to investigate the disappearances of two local women.

Tasha and Max, another couple, who have worked with Ethan and Macy before, are the crew along on the shoot. They do behind the scenes stuff, such as filming and sound. Max’s brother, Robert, also ends up tagging along.

They rent a small cabin at the edge of the swamps that turns out to not be as advertised. That added with the stress of the bizarre landlady and her disturbing handyman, the excursion is not off to a strong start. Unfortunately, things only get worse from the shocking initial impression.

I was surprised by the direction this ended up going in. It dipped a toe into Horror territory much more aggressively than I had been expecting, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. I love Seraphina Nova Glass, so seeing her explore that space is a real delight for me.

I thought she did a great job of setting the scene and building the tension in such a short number of pages. I was gripped, just thoroughly entertained. I’m sure it won’t be winning any Literary prizes, but I don’t need it to do that. That wasn’t what I was here for.

The e-book also has great illustrations at the start of the chapters. I thought that was a nice touch. It helped bring the story to life in my imagination.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a quick, thrilling read. It doesn’t require big brain energy, but is sure to keep you engaged the whole way through.

Thank you to the publisher, Podium Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I thought this was a smashing good time!

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Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

~ megs14malloy

The CaretakerThe Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Follow the rites…

The Caretaker is one of those books that I’m blessed enough to get a chance to read early, and then I can’t wait for everyone else to read because I need to talk about it!

This story captured my full attention and did not let up the entire way through. I read it in a day and it left me with A LOT to think about. I was doing mental gymnastics trying to keep up with everything Kliewer was throwing at me, and honestly, it was exhilarating.

Macy Mullins, our MC, is a young woman a bit down on her luck, who needs to scramble to support not only herself, but her little sister, Jemma. After a string of failed job interviews, Macy is still on the hunt when an enticing ad on Craig’s List catches her eye:

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:
Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy applies and ends up securing an interview. She meets with the woman who she would be working for, and although it’s an unusual meeting, to say the least, Macy can’t afford to be picky.

As an outside observer, I may have been screaming at Macy to not agree to take the job, but I also can’t pay Macy’s bills, so she does what she has to do and she accepts.

It’s only 3-days work, where she’ll have to stay at the woman’s house in the wilderness of Oregon and take care of her house. How bad could it possibly get?

Y’all, it can get bad. I think we all know this. Even Macy probably knew this, but like I said, she really didn’t have much of a choice. The first thing that really captured me about this book was how realistic and well-developed Macy was as a protagonist.

While I’ve never experienced some of the things that Macy had been through, I couldn’t help by feel connected to her struggles. I had such empathy for her while she was just working through her own thoughts.

I also felt like I was going on this journey with her. The house, the property, the weirdness of the whole circumstance was seeping off the page and into my brain. It felt tactile to me. I was feeling it all; transported.

The synopsis describes this as a waking nightmare, and I can’t think of a better way to put it. There were scenes that played into some of my own fears and left me absolutely chilled to the bone and my blood pumping.

I need to get a physical copy, because I’ll be reading it again. It’s twisted, layered and I would love to take more time with it. Now that I know the end, I feel I could pick up more of the smaller pieces I may have missed on this first go.

Upon completion, I sat and just stared at the wall for a good 4-to-5 minutes. Yes, that’s a good thing. If this doesn’t leave you with an existential crisis, I’m not sure what will.

At this end of the day, I found this wildly-entertaining. It’s highly-consummable, gripping and disturbing. It’s going to stick in my mind for a long, long time.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is the first I’ve read from this author, but you better believe I’ll be picking up more.

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Review: You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado

~ megs14malloy

You Should Have Been Nicer to My MomYou Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom follows Xiomara as she returns to her Papi Ramon’s house following his death. The entire family is gathering for the reading of Papi’s Will and though Xiomara is somewhat estranged from her family, she’s compelled to be there.

She does have good memories of Papi, and his stories, but for the most part she’s feeling a lot of apprehension about this event. It’s sure to be tense and emotionally-charged.

The wealthy Abreau family gathers at Papi’s estate, but nothing could have prepared them for the following words being read: “One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.”

I mean words like that will stop any family gathering in its tracks; at least for a moment. Xiomara is shocked, but she feels the truth in the statement. The rest of the family is outraged. They demand the attorney return to his office to retrieve the previous version of the Will.

As the attorney departs, a vicious storm breaks out forcing the rest of the family to remain trapped together within the house. Suspicions and tensions run high, and over the course of the night numerous family secrets and scandals are revealed, violence erupts, but who is el bacà?

This was so fun! I recognize this won’t work for every Reader, but luckily for me, it 100% worked. It’s an interesting take on an inheritance story, and I appreciated all the effort Tirado put into the messy family dynamics.

For me, the story felt fast-paced and engaging the whole way through. This is a big family and there’s a lot of shite going on amongst them. I was so here for it, just sitting in the corner, eating my popcorn.

Seriously, this is the type of story where you just feel like a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold. I really enjoyed Xiomara as a main character. I could feel all of her emotions as she was forced into such close proximity with a family she had grown distant from.

In certain ways, this reminded me of Rachel Harrison’s Black Sheep. It’s that sort of play on a toxic family and I enjoyed it in both stories.

This is the 3rd-novel that I’ve read from Vincent Tirado, though the other two were YA. I’ve really enjoyed them all. I feel like Tirado’s writing is just a great fit for my tastes. I appreciate how they take risks with their stories, and they aren’t afraid of examining some dark themes.

I also really enjoy their character work, particularly the main characters. I’ve felt connected with them in each of the novels I’ve read from Tirado. I’m rooting for them and wishing for their safety as, of course, they all find themselves in various sticky situations.

Admittedly, there’s a lot of arguing and battling in the family in this one. It’s constant, and while normally I’m not crazy about stories that feature people fighting all the time, for some reason it worked fine here.

I think maybe because usually when I hate it, it’s a group of friends, and I think to myself, why are these people even friends? Because we choose our friends, right? But we can’t choose the family we’re born into, which is why I think here it just sort of made sense.

The final bits were so satisfying as well. I thought it concluded seamlessly and it left me with a little evil grin on my face that I love. Again though, definitely not going to be for everyone, but I think for the Readers it hits with, it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to whatever Tirado writes next!

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Review: 25 Days by Per Jacobsen

~ megs14malloy

25 Days25 Days by Per Jacobsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

25 Days is a Winter Horror Thriller set in the month of December. The author has cleverly structured it so that it can be read like an advent calendar, as each chapter is one day leading up to Christmas.

Hence the name, 25 Days.

The story follows Adam Gray and his family. Adam and his wife have been at odds recently, and in an effort to draw everyone closer together, he rents a holiday home for them for the days leading up to Christmas.

The vacation rental is a remote cabin tucked away on a snowy mountain. Far from the outside world, the family should have zero distractions, allowing more time for good ole’ fashioned family fun.

Things quickly take a dark turn though, when someone begins leaving grotesque gifts in a Christmas stocking tacked to the barn door. Each more brings something new, and the gifts progressively escalate in threat level.

It’s clear someone is stalking their cabin, toying with them like a cat with a mouse. How will Adam be able to protect his family? He needs to get them off this mountain, but the odds are definitely stacked against them.

I don’t have a ton to say about this one. This wasn’t bad by any means, it just felt very standard to me. Glancing at other reviews, it definitely seems that other Readers enjoyed this one a lot more than me.

It does have a particular intensity to it that I can see why it would pull people in, but for me, it just never truly captured me. I was reading it and it was fine, but nothing drew me in, or made me feel invested for this family.

It was mildly entertaining in the moment, but overall I’d say fairly forgettable. It’s giving standard Winter Thriller, vacation gone bad, vibes, but maybe amping it up a bit.

I do think it could be fun to read while on your own Winter vacation. It might keep you up at night, particularly if you’re in a remote location.

In only took me a day to read, quick and easy, so that was a plus, but I probably won’t think about it again now that the review is done. If you’re looking for a Wintery Horror Thriller though, give it shot. So many Readers are having fun with it, and you may too.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me a copy to read and review. While I appreciate the thought the author put into the structure of the story, it just wasn’t for me.

On to the next!

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Review: How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates

~ megs14malloy

How Bad Things Can GetHow Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

How Bad Things Can Get, which features an online influencer hosting a retreat on a private island, started out mildly intriguing for me and then promptly fell right off the cliff into eye-rolling, when will this be over, territory.

Glancing over some other reviews after I finished, I’d definitely say I’m in the minority opinion on this one, so please take this review with a grain of salt, because that’s what I am: salty.

I’m starting to think Darcy Coates maybe just isn’t an author for me, and that’s okay. This is the 3rd-book I’ve tried from her, and they’re not going well.

This had a bit of promise in the beginning, as our characters arrived at this island, I liked the excitement of that. As it started unfolding though, it felt so all over the place; chaotic and not ever able to capture my attention.

It was a bit Beast Games, mixed with the Fyre Festival and just a little sprinkling of the live-action Scooby Doo, when the gang heads to Spooky Island.

If this sounds like a mess, it is. It is.

There was one really fun, creepy scene on a beach though, involving naked people and some deaths. I liked that bit, but one scene does not a successful book make. The characters drove me nuts, the direction it took made my eyes glaze over, it just didn’t work for me.

Nevertheless, others are enjoying this one, so don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sure many Readers will love this one. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me.

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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: Morsel by Carter Keane

~ megs14malloy

MorselMorsel by Carter Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morsel is a Horror Thriller novella that definitely packed more of a punch than I expected. This is also a debut and I was certainly impressed by the creativity of it.

In this story we’re following Lou, who on a work assignment ends up in the hill country of rural-Ohio. It requires the surveying of some land, so she’s on foot through some diverse terrain, but she’s got her dog, Ripley, with her, her truck and her phone. All should be fine.

She sees something horrifying in the woods though, and fearing for her safety and that of Ripley, she races them back to her truck, for what’s she’s hoping will be a fast getaway.

Unfortunately, her truck appears to have been sabotaged, so she’s not escaping this dangerous situation that way. From the plot goes places that I truly didn’t expect.

For a while, I wasn’t sure exactly where Keane was headed with this story. It felt a little odd in the beginning, but I trusted we were gonna get somewhere I was going to enjoy. The build-up was unsettling enough to lock me in.

Then around the mid-way point, an unexpected event startled me so much, it knocked me off my loafers. I was shocked and horrified. I didn’t see it coming. From there it was like I was buckled into a hell ride, holding on for dear life, praying Ripley would be okay.

As mentioned above, IMO Morsel is a really strong debut. While I wasn’t completely sold on every single aspect of the story, I did love that the author took it all the way. There were some great graphic descriptions and a few twists that took me completely by surprise.

If you’re going to deliver me gore, I want it all out and Keane delivered. They didn’t hold anything back, and I appreciated that risk. Overall, a super solid story with some toe-curling descriptions and intriguing social commentary.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what Carter Keane writes next!

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Review: The Midnight Knock by John Fram

~ megs14malloy

The Midnight Knock: A NovelThe Midnight Knock: A Novel by John Fram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Midnight Knock is a really difficult book to talk about without giving anything away. I’ve been sitting with my thoughts on this one for a month. I’ve been trying to figure out a fair way to explain why this didn’t work for me more than it ultimately did.

While reading, I was locked in the majority of the way through, finding it completely engrossing. There’s a dark mystery to all that’s happening, and I was so desperate to get to the bottom of it.

This story follows a group of strangers coming together and having to survive the night at a remote Texas motel. The majority of the characters are traveling in pairs and over the course of the story, we learn about them and what brought them to where they’re at.

There’s also a murder mystery component, where a guest at the hotel, Sarah Powers, is killed and now they all need to figure out the whodunit before it’s too late.

And by too late, I mean the owner’s of the hotel give the remaining guests an ultimatum. If they don’t figure out who did it by midnight, they’ll all die when the protective motel lights go out, because there’s something sinister lurking out in the West Texas dark.

The Midnight Knock channels some of the vibes of From Dusk Till Dawn and pairs them with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. As mentioned above, it does have a super compelling build.

However, for me, the downfall was when the truth behind what was happening was revealed. The component at the heart of the matter lost all of it’s sinister nature for me. It just felt ridiculous, like, this is what we’ve been in fear of this whole time?

In the end, I was just disappointed by the whole conclusion. I hated the way the big bad was ultimately portrayed after that huge, intense, and slightly disturbing build.

The 3.5-stars definitely is here for the vibes, the characters and the mystery. It’s worth picking up because I feel like my issue with it is personal taste, and you could feel completely differently. John Fram is obviously a very talented writer and I have to give them props for taking risks and being creative.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While this isn’t my favorite from this author, I am still glad I read it and can appreciate its merits.

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Review: Blood Like Ours (The Blood Trilogy #2) by Stuart Neville

~ megs14malloy

Blood Like Ours (Blood Trilogy #2)Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Blood Like Ours is the 2nd-book in the Blood Trilogy by Stuart Neville. The 1st-book, Blood Like Mine, took me completely by surprise when I read it last year.

Initially, I thought that one was a standalone, so I was super excited when I discovered it was actually slated to be a trilogy. Since that time, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this installment and it didn’t disappoint.

These books are a stellar blend of Horror with Crime Fiction. It’s got such a tone to it. Dark, intense, and oh yeah, there’s a lot of blood involved.

Coffin Moon, which was a fairly-hyped Horror release this year, would be a fairly good comp in my opinion. So, if you enjoyed that one and are looking for more in a similar vein, you should check this series out.

Vein…did you see what I did there??

In this installment, we continue to follow Rebecca and her daughter, Monica, who she calls Moonflower. We also continue to follow FBI Agents, specifically, Special Agent Sarah McGrath, who’s very familiar with their case.

The cat-and-mouse dynamics from the 1st-book carry over here, but we also get a new perspective, an young Irish immigrant, who ends up with a shocking connection to Monica and Rebecca.

I love how this book continues to build out this world and cast of characters involved in this story. When it all started, it felt quite insular, with Rebecca and Monica feeling like islands unto themselves. As the story has progressed though, we discover just how many players are actually involved in this whole thing.

It’s intriguing as heck. The way Neville moves all these pieces around, it feels like you’re witnessing a first class chess match with a bunch of blood splatter.

This ending too, OMG!!!

There’s so much more to explore and I can’t wait to discover where the 3rd-book is going to lead us. One of my favorite aspects of this one was the new perspective, Emma, and all the insights she brought to the historical side of this story.

I don’t want to say too much, because the synopsis keeps it vague. I will say as a sequel, it’s completely successful at continuing the original story, whilst also bringing in a lot of new information and truly expanding the stakes, as well as the intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Book 3 cannot come fast enough. I can’t wait!!

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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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