supernatural thriller

Review: Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce

~ megs14malloy

Dark Is When the Devil ComesDark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Dark Is When the Devil Comes is a story of estranged sisters, Hazel and Cathy. The two had a falling out years ago over an incident that occurred at Hazel’s wedding.

Years later, and recently divorced, Hazel returns to her small hometown of Idless, in the English countryside, to lick her wounds and hopefully recover.

Her parents are heading out on a 5-week holiday, so she offers to stay at theirs and sit for her Mom’s beloved Persian cats. It feels strange, but it is home and she can think of no better place to hide out and get her life back in order.

Cathy has mixed feelings about Hazel’s return, but agrees to meet up with her. Perhaps reconciliation is possible. But on the day they’ve selected to meet, Hazel doesn’t show.

Though Cathy didn’t expect everything to be glossed over right away, she certainly didn’t expect Hazel to ghost her. If she’s honest about it though, that type of behavior is out of character for Hazel. Something is off.

Along with another local woman, Suzi, who was childhood friends with Hazel, Cathy begins a relentless search for her sister. Even though they haven’t been close in recent years, she’s still family and Cathy cannot give up on her.

The desperation is palpable.

I’m a huge Daisy Pearce fan. What can I say? This was so freaking fun for me, made all the more compelling by the stellar audiobook narration.

I know her books aren’t for everyone, but they definitely work for me. I first fell in love with her writing in Something in the Walls. I felt that story to be chilling and gripping. I read it so quickly and couldn’t wait for more from Pearce.

This novel, though I rated it the same at 4.5-stars, I actually think I enjoyed even more.

In addition to following Cathy in her hunt for Hazel, we also get Hazel’s perspective. So, as the Reader, you know where she is, in a sense, and you know what’s happening to her.

I loved the back-and-forth. Both perspectives were intense, with both women being forced to face very trying circumstances. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Suzi. I think she made the story so much more engaging than had it just been Cathy investigating by herself.

I don’t know how else to adequately explain why I enjoy Pearce’s writing so much, it’s just something about the plotting mixed with the darker, unsettling atmospheres that really does it for me.

The atmosphere, as well as the way the tension continues to build throughout, reminds me of Jennifer McMahon or Sarah Pinborough, two of my go-to authors.

I think if you’ve enjoyed their books, you should check out Daisy Pearce, if you haven’t already. I would also highly recommend the audiobook, as the narration by Catrin Walker-Booth is excellent. Her voice felt so genuine and true to the story. It was very enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait for whatever Daisy Pearce releases next.

You better believe I’ll be first in line!

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Review: Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden

~ megs14malloy

Carry Me to My Grave: A NovelCarry Me to My Grave: A Novel by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Wow, this was excellent. A brutal and bloody road trip story that I never saw coming!

I’ll be honest, I don’t think I read the synopsis prior to picking this up. I see Christopher Golden’s name on a cover, and that’s enough for me.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot either, as I feel like it’s best just to be swept up into the story knowing as little as possible. However, I will give you a few key points in the hopes of intriguing you enough to pick it up.

This is set in the U.S. in the 1950s, and we follow Malcolm and his sister-in-law, Violet, after Malcolm’s Mom, Maggie, passes away. On her deathbed, Malcolm promised her that he would see her body safely buried in the ground of the town of her birth, Shediak, Maine.

They have a timeline, a very specific and important timeline, and are to make their way to Maine via train, all the way from the middle of the country.

Maggie’s death has awoken an ancient evil, buried in the ground. It’s risen, with the sole aim of preventing Maggie’s burial at Shediak. Needless to say, Malcolm and Violet’s journey is not going to be an easy one.

By 25% in, my jaw was on the floor. What in the heck was going on? It was insane, but I was here for it. I popped my popcorn and settled in for the wild ride Golden was setting up to take me on.

I loved the historical setting and how we got to travel via train for a good part of the story. It also took modern tech, like cell phones and GPS tracking out of the equation, which was refreshing, IMO. I think Golden did a phenomenal job of setting the scene and sticking with it.

I became completely immersed in the story. The direction it went, I was not expecting at all. It was so good. I was feeling pretty bleak for a while for these characters, and upon completion, yeah, still sort of bleak, but I love the way Golden concluded it.

There were a couple of sections I felt dragged a little, and then towards the end, a couple sections that were so chaotic, I had a hard time picturing the action. Overall though, a very well-rounded, horrific story. I loved the level of blood and gore brought to the page, and how intense it felt.

Even in the quieter moments, there was an overriding sense of urgency due to the extremely high stakes. That made it a very fun reading experience.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Christopher Golden is one of my go-to Horror authors, and I love checking out his latest works.

You never know quite what you’re going to get!

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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: Marla by Jonathan Janz

~ megs14malloy

MarlaMarla by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marla is set in the small town of King’s Branch. Many small towns, as a lot of us know, have their own local legends and lore, spooky houses to avoid and things of that nature.

For King’s Branch, it’s Marla Gorman. Marla is a teen girl who lives with her Mom in a rickety farmhouse on the edge of town. She seems harmless enough by that description, but Marla is a recluse, which makes people wonder. No one ever sees her out and about, but plenty of rumors circulate about her and her mother as you would expect.

On the night of the first murder our main character, Detective Carl Lancaster, catches sight of Marla leering down at him from a window of her home. Though seemingly insignificant, the momentary interaction leaves him chilled.

The night of the second murder, Detective Lancaster sees Marla again. This time under more unsettling circumstances, and the interaction happened at the exact moment of the second man’s death. Even though they were far away from the murder scene, Lancaster is confident Marla’s involved somehow and he won’t stop until he figures out how.

We don’t just follow Detective Lancaster’s perspective however, we get a few other perspectives as well, which really enhanced the feel of this whole town being involved in this unraveling drama.

None of them could’ve anticipated the truth about Marla. That’s only clear as the action escalates and we get more detailed glimpses into Marla’s dark and secretive world. The truth was certainly not what I expected.

I had a lot of fun with this book. It definitely has an 80s/90s Horror vibe to it that I loved. The action kicks off quickly, and it’s pedal to the floor the whole way.

There’s a lot of action and the tension steadily increases throughout. I enjoyed Detective Lancaster’s perspective a lot. He’s a very likable MC, and I was rooting for him to succeed.

I think Janz did a great job creating this town, and all the various residents as well. The legend of Marla felt real, and for anyone who has ever lived in a small town, I think you’ll find those aspects believable.

The way the other townsfolk were curious about Marla and her Mom, and all their many speculations, I could definitely picture that happening IRL.

I easily read this in a day, and yeah, it ended up being just what I was hoping for. Will it be for everyone? Certainly not, but luckily it worked for me and my tastes in more vintage feeling Horror.

I haven’t read a Jonathan Janz novel in many years, and this was a great reminder that I need to pick up more. I’ve been exploring his backlist to see what I need to get to next.

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is an exciting ride, and I’m very happy to have made time for it. Marla is a memorable girl!

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Review: Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

~ megs14malloy

Fabulous BodiesFabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fabulous Bodies follows Poppy Stringer, a fashion influencer, who also happens to peddle in dead bodies at night. Hey, it’s hard to make a living in this economy. Don’t judge.

Poppy receives a call one night that prompts her to retrieve the body of one of her heroes, recently deceased rockstar and queer icon, Eddie Michaels.

She heads to the Medical Examiner’s office, where she’ll finagle access to his corpse, and then get him out of there. It’s all routine for Poppy. That is, until Eddie wakes up.

What follows is a Supernatural Adventure romp through one bloody night in Palm Springs. Poppy is along for the ride, whether she wants to be or not, and Eddie certainly has some surprises for her.

Fabulous Bodies was fabulously-creative, as I’ve come to expect all Chuck Tingle books to be. It’s an odd story, a bit chaotic and surprisingly thoughtful in its character work. I loved the journey Poppy had emotionally.

She was forced to come to a lot of important realizations about her life and relationships. We love that for her. Personal growth, yayee! All with the backdrop of trying to defeat a murderous and undead former idol of hers; NBD.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mara Wilson, and I felt like Mara’s voice was perfect as Poppy. It truly felt like I was just listening to her tell this crazy story about one f*ed up night. I would highly recommend that format.

I also liked how wacky and graphic Tingle made this. It’s campy and unhinged, but also written very well. It reminded me in some ways of books such as Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, and My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie, both of which I enjoyed.

The commentary that Tingle included on fame and influence, were also well done. It’s light, but there, apt social commentary for our times. I appreciate Tingle allowing Readers the space to think for themselves, and in a story this wild, there’s plenty of food for thought.

At this same time though, you can just have fun with. I had a lot of fun listening to it. It’s certainly unpredictable. While I’m not sure how long the details will stick with me, in the moment it was pure entertainment.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Tingle’s newest releases as you never really know what you’re going to get. We love a surprise!

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Review: These Familiar Walls by C.J. Dotson

~ megs14malloy

These Familiar Walls: A NovelThese Familiar Walls: A Novel by C.J. Dotson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

These Familiar Walls is a Paranormal Horror Thriller from C.J. Dotson. This story follows our MC, Amber, in two timelines.

The present is 2020, and Amber, along with her husband, Ben, and their two children, move into Amber’s childhood home. Amber has inherited the house after her parents have been murdered, inside the house, by Nathan, one of Amber’s friends from her teen years.

Amber also lost her sister, Hannah, along with her brother-in-law, in a house fire not long ago. It’s clear from the start that Amber is working through some things, and perhaps her childhood home, full of unpleasant memories, isn’t the best place for her during this difficult time.

We also get Amber’s perspective from 22-years before, in 1998, when she first befriends Nathan, the boy who would grow up to become a murderer.

Nathan exhibits classic signs of the homicidal triad, including cruelty to animals (on page) and fire-setting. I’m not sure what his proclivity for bed-wetting was, but I’m gonna guess it happened once or twice.

Needless to say, Amber’s parents weren’t crazy about her hanging around with the disturbed boy next door, and it cause a lot of contention in their household. A fact Amber has never forgotten.

These scenes from 1998, while interesting, particularly the interactions involving Amber’s little sister, Hannah, did slow down the pace for me a little bit.

The spooky stuff in the house kicks off fairly quickly, and the sections of the past sort of brought it down for me until about the 60% point.

I did really enjoy the unsettling things happening to Amber within the house in the present perspective. There were a lot of visions connected to the past, and creepy scenes involving the mirrors that definitely got under my skin.

I was torn initially on how to rate this, because I found portions of it to be distasteful. This needs explanation, but I’m not sure how much I can say without spoiling things. The more I’ve thought about it though, the more I have to doff my cap to the author in my uncomfortableness.

I found one of the violent, pivotal scenes in this book abhorrent. However, I am a Horror Reader. I’ve definitely read wayyyy more messed up stuff than this, so I have to think that the author did a great job eliciting these emotions from me. I must have been so sucked in, so involved in the lives of this family that it made it extra impactful. Either way, it’s uncomfortable, or was for me.

I do believe that was the intention of the author, of course, for me to feel this way. Therefore, I can’t hold it against them, my own emotional hangups. They did what they set out to do, and well done for that.

I just needed to get over that mental hurdle and appreciate the novel’s ability to put me in an uncomfortable place and keep me there. By the time everything is revealed though, that emotion lifts and then we get to the heart of the paranormal of the story.

I felt that was executed well. It’s hard sometimes to translate those kind of concepts, what may be in author’s head onto the page, but I think Dotson did a good job. While some aspects were predictable, I think overall it’s an engaging and gripping read.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read from Dotson so far, and am looking forward to more in the future!

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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: 13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano

~ megs14malloy

13 Months Haunted13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

13 Months Haunted follows Piper Lowery, a public librarian, who meets a strange young girl while volunteering at the local middle school.

The events of Piper’s tale take place in the 1990s, but the set-up of the story itself, is Piper actually relaying these events to an interested relative. I did think that was a fun and slightly-different way to present this story.

The young girl’s name is Avery and she is new to the school. She does have some odd behaviors, but the oddest thing about her is the fact that her mother attends school with her, sits in all Avery’s classes, and literally tails her daughter like a shadow, even to the restroom.

Piper begins hearing rumors about Avery and her Mom. They’re sort of the talk of the town. People say the Mom is a witch, that they fled their old town after Avery’s sister and father were killed by a supernatural force.

While Piper finds this a bit extreme, there is something off about the mother-daughter duo. Through multiple interactions, Piper ends up befriending them and the rest proceeds from there.

This book started off great. It captured my attention early and I loved the small town setting, and the fact that the main action takes place in the 1990s; definitely a nostalgic period for me.

I was about the same age as Piper was during this same time period, so I could relate to a lot of what she was experiencing starting out her life as a young adult. There’s also a lot of focus on the new, popular use of the internet.

For people who grew up using the internet from the time they were small children, let it be known, it was very different for those of us who never really had access, or even email, until around college-age. It was like a wild-west landscape. Unless you were in IT, you didn’t really know what was going on, or how it worked.

Piper has a blog and she shares a lot on it. It was really more of a diary for her and she does relate the odd goings-on after she meets Avery for the first time.

So, there are some fun details involving that whole aspect of her life as well, particularly after she starts getting comments on what she’s posting. It added a bit of a mixed media element, which I do tend to enjoy.

I loved the mystery surrounding Avery and her Mom as well. I really wanted to know the truth about them, and their past. Was something supernatural actually at play?

Even though the rumors circulating about them were fairly vicious, Piper comes to learn that there may have been some truth to them, but how much? She starts digging in with force, really out of an effort to try to help Avery, and I enjoyed those amateur sleuthing components.

Unfortunately for me, eventually the intrigue started to wear off. I’m not sure exactly why, but the plot just seemed to drag for me after about the halfway point.

I had theories, none of which I was particularly confident in, but it did start to seem repetitive and took me over 2-weeks to finish. I can’t explain why I felt this way about it.

I just think once the initial mystery of what was going on with Avery was out of the way, it sort of lost it’s main excitement factor. I did like the way it wrapped-up though. I felt the conclusion interesting to contemplate. There were some real repercussions there at the end.

Overall, I did find this to be an interesting and unique story. Although some of it did seem a little drawn out to me, I did love the ending and overriding premise. Additionally, the mysterious elements were solid, as were the details of Piper’s amateur investigation.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Juliano is very talented. I love his concepts and will continue picking up his work for a long time to come!

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Review: The Whistler by Nick Medina

~ megs14malloy

The WhistlerThe Whistler by Nick Medina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Whistler follows our MC, Henry, a young man who is grappling with his new reality of being confined to a wheelchair after being paralyzed in a horrific accident.

Before his accident, Henry was happy. He was a talented musician, had a beautiful girlfriend, Jade, who he had a great, active relationship with, and his ghost hunting channel was actually gaining some traction.

Post-accident, Henry has to move in with his grandparents, relying on them for even the simplest tasks. His relationship with Jade, as well as with his best friend, is estranged. He feels useless, hopeless and emasculated.

His grandparents, Jade, everyone is trying to talk him up, telling him he can still live and have a good life, but they just don’t understand how he feels. Henry feels so alone.

Oh, and he’s also being haunted…

As the being haunting him gets continuously closer and more bold, Henry realizes he needs to confront his past, and the events that caused his injury, if he is to have any hope of banishing it for good. He can’t do it alone, so Henry is forced to open up to those around him that he’s been shutting out.

The Whistler took me completely by surprise. Not because of how incredible it is, but because of its connection to Indian Burial Ground, which I wasn’t expecting at all.

I’m such a Nick Medina fan. I love the quality and richness of his storytelling. The tone of his stories, they take me through every different emotion and leave me simultaneously gutted and inspired. This story is an absolute roller coaster ride of feelings.

The Prologue, which doesn’t follow Henry, but is related to the events that caused his injury, was terrifying. I read it home alone in the dark, and I was genuinely creeped out.

From that moment on, I was gripped by the story, that’s mainly told through Henry’s past and present perspective. I loved the depths that Medina went with this character.

Seeing the difference in Henry between his past, happier, times and his present, post-injury, was very jarring. It made him feel so incredibly real, as everything happening to him, and the journey he was on emotionally, it was raw and messy. I felt that representation was done with great care.

The haunting elements were so well-imagined. Medina created some stellar horror imagery on page. I loved how the never whistle at night lore was woven through as well.

In fact, the first time I read Medina’s work was in the Indigenous Dark Fiction anthology, Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, which was where I learned of that belief. I was excited when I saw that Medina had written a full novel incorporating that lore.

As mentioned above, this story is related to Indian Burial Ground. It’s not a sequel, or anything, and of course can be read as a standalone, however, I do feel it will have the greatest impact for those people who have already read IBG.

Overall, I was so impressed by this. It’s such a gripping, mysterious, haunting, and well-rounded story.

I would definitely recommend this Horror readers, or readers of Indigenous Fiction in general. Also, anyone who read and enjoyed Indian Burial Ground, you have to check this out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait for whatever Medina writes next!

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Review: Fiend by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

FiendFiend by Alma Katsu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fiend focuses on the Berisha family, who own one of the largest and most powerful import-export companies in the world. The patriarch of the family, Zef, rules the family, and his company, with an iron fist.

His three children, Dardan, Maris and Nora, all know their place within the family. As the only boy, Dardan is slated to take over the company, with Maris, just a girl, having a more minor role, and Nora, the baby of the family, basically excluded from it all.

This family, powerful as they may be, is dysfunctional as all get out. Basically, think Succession, but more messed up…

For most of their lives, the children believed the family was blessed, but as they grew, they come to understand the aura surrounding the family’s success may actually be a curse.

When things stop going as planned, the family splinters and cracks, revealing the dark underbelly hiding at the heart of the family. They didn’t become one of the richest family in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it may be their own to hit the ground.

Alma Katsu is well-known for her Historical Horror novels, of which I’ve read two, but this is actually her first foray into writing a modern-set Horror story.

I liked this one. I loved the super messy family dynamic and how it included Then and Now sections. There’s no way I could read this without thinking of Succession, so if you were a fan of that show, you should give this one a go.

I also like the ideas behind the Horror elements of the story, though the highlight for me was the family itself. We mainly get the story told through Maris’s perspective, and she did have an interesting role within the family.

I also enjoyed learning about this business. I do like stories that include business activities. I know that may seem strange to some, but it’s a personal interest of mine, so I do enjoy the rare book that includes those details.

I think for me, the reason I couldn’t rate this higher is that I wanted more of everything. It felt very surface level. Coming in at just over 250-pages, I honestly would have been happy with another 50-pages of content.

Especially towards the end, as the pace increased, I would have loved to have spent more time with those concluding events. I also would have loved a bit more of the family history. Further, the supernatural elements could have been descriptive as well, IMO.

Overall though, this is an entertaining story. It reads very quickly, and is worth picking up. I think if you are someone who enjoys family dramas, or stories that involve business dealings, you could have a lot of fun with it.

Katsu did a great job with this modern setting, and I’m hoping she writes more stories like this one. Even though this won’t make my Favorites List for 2025, I’m still really glad that I read it, particularly during Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Katsu is an author I’ll definitely be reading more from in the future!

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