unique reads

Review: Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Coup de GrâceCoup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Coup de Grace introduces us to Vicken in the hours before he plans to end his life by throwing himself into the Saint Lawrence River near his home.

While on the subway that day, he ends up having an intimate encounter with another passenger. Afterwards, through Vicken’s thoughts, we see maybe his plan isn’t as solidified as he once believed. Maybe there is hope for him yet.

He ends up riding the subway to the end of the line and when he steps off, he finds himself in an empty, unfamiliar part of the station. Though he searches and searches, he’s unable to find his way out, or even back to where he started.

We follow along as he explores this new concrete prison, trying to make sense of how and why this is happening.

Let me be clear, this isn’t a fun read. I was fascinated by the concept and wanted to see how Ajram translated it to the page. It is compelling in a very morose sort of way, but considering the topics explored, that shouldn’t be surprising.

I appreciate so much the beautiful writing, and the way that Ajram put to words the thoughts and feelings of someone battling depression in such a believable way. I’m sure a lot of Readers will be able to connect with the visceral feel of that.

I did love the unsettling, claustrophobic atmosphere, as well and the depiction of being trapped in a stark, grey, barren concrete labyrinth. It got under my skin.

I found the symbolism of that, it kept describing the grey of the concrete and made me think, you know, what is the brain, but grey matter. Here we had an individual held captive by their brain and this concrete prison, essentially, was the perfect representation of that.

While I can appreciate how much work and thought went into this novella, I do rate books based upon my personal reading experience with them, and for me, this was a good experience, not great.

One of the aspects that didn’t quite work for me was the fever dream quality. That’s something I tend to not enjoy as much as I would a more standard narrative format.

That is 100% personal choice though, and I do feel like the author made the right choice for the story they were trying to tell, and that’s CERTAINLY more important than pleasing me, or anyone else.

With this being said, I would recommend this for Readers who enjoy Weird Fiction, who think the concept sounds intriguing, or who enjoy more thoughtful, not necessarily happy, reads.

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Review: The Last Session by Julia Bartz

~ megs14malloy

The Last SessionThe Last Session by Julia Bartz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Last Session is a slow burn, psychology-fueled, suspense story following a social worker named Thea.

Thea works on a psychiatric unit and one day, when a catatonic woman arrives, having been picked up on the streets, Thea feels moments of deja vu looking at her. She swears she knows her, but can’t figure out from where.

Even more strange is how similar the woman looks to her. Once out of her catatonic state, the woman claims she can’t remember the events leading up to her memory loss, and her being in the psych unit in the first place.

When Thea finally places who the woman is and how she knows her, she can hardly believe it. This person played a huge part in Thea’s own traumatic past. She offered her a sense of comfort and inspiration.

But just as suddenly as the woman appeared on the unit, she disappears. People claiming to be her parents came by and picked her up. Shortly thereafter though, her real parents arrive. So, who took her and where did they go?

What is going on here? Is this woman still in further trouble? Thea feels compelled to help her. She cannot let it go. She feels too strong a connection to her.

Following a trail of clues, Thea ends up in a Wellness Center in a remote area of Southwestern New Mexico. It’s there that a charismatic, New Age couple counsel individuals through a 1-month retreat focusing on romance and intimacy issues.

Thea enrolls herself in the program, and while she gets closer to finding answers for her missing patient, she’s maybe even more importantly, edging towards answers about her own past, and resulting hang-ups.

The Last Session is yet another story that immediately intrigued me, but started to lose me as it went on. Don’t get me wrong, Bartz did succeed with a lot of things here, but it veered too far into fever dream territory at the end for my liking. Ultimately, that did sour my experience a bit.

I did appreciate how bold the content was. The conversations about sex, and in particular, the MC’s explorations of her own issues surrounding sex and intimacy. I really enjoyed that side of the story.

I also loved Thea’s determination and how the whole mission evolved into not just being about her saving this mystery woman, but also saving herself; aiming to regain her own power and self-confidence.

I feel like the retreat, and the characters involved in that, were also really well-developed conceptually. It reminded me a lot of the cult of Mother God, or even Heaven’s Gate. I feel as far as cult stories go, it’s a good one, so if that’s something you enjoy, you should absolutely check it out.

Overall, I enjoyed this. While it was a little uneven for me, as far as my personal interest level goes, I still can appreciate its many strong attributes. Yet again, I am impressed by the risks that Julia Bartz takes with her stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what Bartz comes up with next!

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Review: The Other People by C.B. Everett

~ megs14malloy

The Other People: A NovelThe Other People: A Novel by C.B. Everett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From the Publisher’s Synopsis:

Ten strangers.
An old dark house.
A killer picking them off one by one.
And a missing girl who’s running out of time…

Trust me when I say, I need no more impetus to pick up a book than lines like this in a synopsis. This is the exact set-up I love for a Mystery-Thriller. No matter how times I read them, they never get old for me.

I have fun seeing how each author brings their own style and ideas to this classic set-up, and this one is definitely unique. No one can deny it that.

In The Other People, we have 10-strangers waking up and finding themselves in a locked country house. They have no recollection of how they got there, and yet they have personal items with them, and each of their rooms seems to have been designed with their individuality in mind.

They’re tasked with solving the disappearance of a young woman, who none of them know. They must rescue her before time runs out. And I mean that literally. There’s a timer ticking down every moment.

Adding stress to the already stressful circumstances is the fact that a killer is stalking the house as well, and no one is safe from their dark designs. As the bodies start dropping, pressures rise and everyone is driven to wits end.

While The Other People had a very promising start for me, my enjoyment level ended up being all over the place over the course of the story.

It had a great set-up and I loved the full cast of unlikable characters. They were all so different, what had brought them all together? I also thoroughly-enjoyed the meta-feel of it. It was delivering me a trope-filled Locked Room Murder Mystery, and it knew it.

It felt like we were celebrating that fact together.

Unfortunately, it did start to lose me toward the end. I still feel like it was a good book, it just wasn’t consistent enough for me to give it a higher rating. Frankly, I’m sad about it considering the strong start.

It did have one very unconventional perspective that I really appreciated though; the omniscient nature of it was refreshing and I thought it added to the overall intrigue.

I don’t know. I would still recommend this, for someone looking for a classic-feeling Locked Room Murder Mystery with a Psychological Thriller twist.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I liked the risks the author took with this, and I would definitely be interested in reading more from them.

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Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Buffalo Hunter HunterThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THE BEST HISTORICAL HORROR NOVEL I’VE EVER READ!

MY TOP CONTENDER FOR MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2025!!

THE MOST THOUGHTFUL VAMPIRE NOVEL I’VE EVER READ, AND PROBABLY EVER WILL!!!

AN EXCEPTIONAL AUDIOBOOK PRODUCTION — GET YOUR HANDS ON IT IF YOU CAN!!!!

I CRIED REAL GROWN-LADY TEARS AT THE END!!!!!

I’m not sure I need to say too much else about this. I’m sure from the stunning declarations above, you get the picture of my thoughts and feelings on The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

I would also say though, as far as the content of the story goes, the Publisher’s synopsis really does a good job of telling you everything you would want to know going in. The book is best served if you just take your time with it, and let it reveal itself to you in the way SGJ would want.

Trust him. He knows what he’s doing.

If you follow my reviews at all, you probably already know that Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite authors; bested only by Stephen King in my rankings.

I always look forward to his new releases and I feel like every time I finish one, I end up saying, this is his best work yet!!

I know I said that last year upon completing my favorite book of 2024, I Was a Teenage Slasher, and I’m about to get repetitive, because THIS IS his best work yet.

When I tell you I was engrossed in this story, I mean it. Every fiber of my being was invested. The way it was told, it was like I was there. Each aspect of the narrative was blended seamlessly together for maximum impact.

I couldn’t stop once I started. I needed to know the truth behind this story; the everything behind this story.

The audiobook production was a master class in bringing a story to life; in transporting the Reader to another place and making them a part of the action.

Particularly, in the final act. OMG, I cannot express how good it is. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on the audio, in addition to the hard copy, I would 1,000,000x recommend that.

At the end of the day, Stephen Graham Jones is such a talent. His edgy-style brings a distinct voice to all of his stories. You can tell that he pours his entire soul into his work. It shows. Every book is a journey that I don’t want to end.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Finally, a sincere thank you to the author, Stephen Graham Jones, for continuing to hone your craft. Your ability to stay creative and keep pushing boundaries always astounds me. You are so appreciated. I can’t wait to discover what’s next!!!

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Review: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

~ megs14malloy

Victorian PsychoVictorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Winifred Notty has been selected by the Pounds family to be their new governess at Ensor House in Grim Wolds, England. No doubt the Pounds are hoping that Winifred will be the perfect guardian for their two children, Drusilla and Andrew.

A Mary Poppins, of sorts, who’ll raise her charges with joy.

Unfortunately, what they get in Winifred is much more Harley Quinn than Mary Poppins.

As the monotonous days pass, Winifred has a harder time suppressing her violent compulsions. These thoughts aren’t new to Winifred, but this vast playground of the Pounds family home is. She has so many new directions to point her murderous fantasies.

Both the adults and the children are getting under her skin. There’s only so much more she’s going to be able to swallow without acting…

As Christmas approaches, Winifred develops the perfect plan, I mean, gift, to bestow upon this lovely Victorian family. It’s sure to be a holiday not soon forgotten.

Quentin Tarantino meets Henry James in this historically-set Horror novel that delves into territory few dare to tread. The synopsis describes this as a story that plunges readers into the chilling mind of an iconic new literary psychopath, and that couldn’t be more apt.

Victorian Psycho is an oddly-gripping little book.

The writing was beautifully-dark, but I did find the overall narrative more choppy than I tend to enjoy. Otherwise, I could’ve rated it higher. The audiobook is a great option for this story though. I had a lot of fun listening to it. Half the time, I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

Having an MC with this type of recurring thoughts is always a bit of a trip, but I think having it in such a traditionally Victorian setting made it all the more jarring.

For me, the gothic vibes only helped to enhance the shocking-nature of this violent and gruesome tale. It’s hard to describe and I wish I could have connected a bit more with what was happening in the story. I think it’s length, coming in at around 200-pages, maybe didn’t do it any favors.

In a way, it is like a punch, quick and impactful, but at the same time, I’m not sure how long that impact will last, as I never truly felt connected with what was happening. With this being said though, it was still entertaining.

Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had fun and would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

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Review: But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

~ megs14malloy

But Not Too BoldBut Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It’s oddly, beautifully-compelling.

I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn’t understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can’t necessarily explain it coherently.

In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I’m so glad I did!

But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It’s only 112-pages and well-worth the read.

The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you’ll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there’s no escape.

I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.

More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?

Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren’t adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.

Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.

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Review: The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl

~ megs14malloy

The Really Dead Wives of New JerseyThe Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

‘Footage first, feelings never.’

Hope is the newest cast member on the popular reality television show, Garden State Goddesses.

After her cousin, Eden, the program’s showrunner, introduced her to Leo Fontana, of the show’s infamous Fontana family, the two fell in love and their wedding kicked off the first episode of this latest season.

Garden State Goddesses mainly focuses on the Fontana family, Sicilian-Americans located in Shady Grove, New Jersey.

Soft-spoken, doe-eyed singer/songwriter, Hope, who originally hails from Northern California, is a fish out of water amongst the rest of the cast. She’s struggling to find her place; uncertain and self-conscious.

Hope’s new sister-in-law, Carmela, is the Queen Bee of the family, and the show. She’s less than elated by Hope’s presence and doesn’t pull any punches, making Hope uncomfortable at every turn.

Drama is top on the menu throughout this story, until eventually, someone ends up dead. Everyone has motives. Everyone is acting suspicious, but whodunit and is anyone else in danger?

I was sucked into this story fairly quickly. The set-up was interesting and I loved meeting all the characters. Dahl had me grabbing my popcorn early and often.

I love how she chose to include Confessional sections, which makes perfect sense with regards to the reality show production. I thought Eden did a good job of digging information out of these cast members.

I felt like Hope was a bit of wet noodle, so I agreed with Carmela on that one, but it was fun watching her try to fit in and get along. It’s clear she had a bit of shady history and I liked watching as all that was revealed.

While some things I thought seemed obvious, I was never sure and loved guessing what was actually going on. It kept me engaged and flipping pages at a frantic pace.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where I was loving it for the first 80-85%, and then it lost my interest at the end. Admittedly, I was slightly-disappointed with the way it wrapped-up.

I did like some elements of the conclusion, including a last minute mini-reveal, but I also felt like certain aspects were drawn out unnecessarily.

For most of it though, oh my word, was I having fun. The ‘propulsive page-turner’ comment in the synopsis is spot-on. I never knew what was going to be revealed next.

I don’t watch reality television, but I can see how it could be addictive. I feel Dahl absolutely succeeded in bringing those vibes to the page. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy OTT-drama and intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me a copy to read and review. I appreciated how Dahl really leaned into the reality show concept. It was a lot of fun!

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Review: Beast of the North Woods (Monster Hunter #3) by Annelise Ryan

~ megs14malloy

Beast of the North Woods (Monster Hunter #3)Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚💛💛💚

Beast of the North Woods is the 3rd-installment to Annelise Ryan’s Monster Hunter Cozy Mystery series. These quirky stories successfully combine two of my favorite things: creepy vibes and cozy mysteries.

These books follow MC, Morgan Carter, a cryptozoologist and specialty bookstore owner, who along with her adorable dog, Newt, investigates cases that may be linked to potential cryptid activity.

In this story, Morgan agrees to help her long-time store employee, Rita, after her nephew is accused of murder. He claims he is just a witness, having stumbled across the mutilated body of a local fisherman in the woods.

He also claims he saw a creature of many local legends, a Hodag, leaving the scene. He accuses the creature of being responsible for the gruesome crime.

The thing is, although his town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, embraces the idea of the Hodag, incorporating it into their community, it’s also widely believed to be a hoax.

Even though she doesn’t believe Hodags to be real either, Morgan agrees to travel with Rita to Rhinelander to try to get to the bottom of it and clear Rita’s nephew’s name.

Once there though, Morgan’s presence causes a stir with the townsfolk, and the deeper she digs, the more danger she seems to be in. If a Hodag didn’t kill the fisherman, and Rita’s nephew didn’t either, who did?

This series is a bit silly, NGL, but it’s also super-duper fun. I’ve grown so attached to this cast of characters, (I’m looking at you, Newt) and am definitely hoping for more installments. There’s so many other cryptids to explore.

I had never heard of a Hodag before, so actually had to look it up. I liked how the author chose to use a lesser known cryptid this time. In the 1st-book, we had a Loch Ness Monster-like lake creature, and the 2nd-book revolved around Bigfoot, so this one was a surprise.

I also really love Morgan as an MC. She’s smart, daring and most importantly, a great Dog Mom, always putting Newt’s needs first. I never have to worry about him while reading, because I know Morgan is keeping him as safe as possible.

This was a solid mystery, that got increasingly complex the more we learned. I also appreciated that we dappled a little more into Morgan’s past as well, so it felt well-rounded. I liked learning more about her.

As with many cozy mysteries, we do follow along with Morgan’s personal life as well. She’s in a budding relationship, and it’s very new, so they are exploring those boundaries within this book, which was nice to see.

There were some fun twists, although a few things seemed obvious and it took Morgan longer to figure out than I would’ve thought. Otherwise, it did get more complicated than I expected and took some surprising turns. I had fun going along for the ride.

I would recommend this series to any Cozy Mystery fans, but particularly those looking for something a little different in their Cozy. It’s one-of-a-kind.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next for Morgan and Newt.

Please don’t let this be the last!

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Review: Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2) by Alex Segura

~ megs14malloy

Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2)Alter Ego by Alex Segura

**4.5-stars**

I adored Secret Identity when I read it back in 2022. It took me completely by surprise how invested I became in that story and the characters.

Literary Mysteries aren’t necessarily a go-to genre for me. I do enjoy them from time-to-time, but I found Segura’s noir-feeling writing style, as well as the back-drop of the comic book industry, absolutely enchanting.

Unsurprisingly, I was stoked to hear about this sequel, Alter Ego. I listened to the audiobook, as I did with Secret Identity, and cannot recommend that format enough for both.

It’s not just a reading. There are sound effects, and other enhancements, that make these books special productions indeed. Especially considering the comics aspect.

One big change is that this 2nd-book is set in the present day, whereas Secret Identity was set in the 1970s.

As you can imagine, the comic book industry has been through a lot of changes over that time period. I did slightly missed the backdrop of 70s-era NYC, NGL, but not enough to effect my overall rating.

Our MC is Annie Bustamante, who is a successful filmmaker, author and illustrator. She’s had many opportunities over her career, but perhaps the one that means the most is the one she has just been presented: the opportunity to bring back to life her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx.

While Annie is excited about the possibility of delivering the Lethal Lynx to a whole-new generation of superhero enthusiasts, she’s not crazy about having to work with the people at Triumph Comics, including Bert Carlyle, whose father founded the company.

Fanning the flames of her uncomfortability, Annie begins receiving mysterious messages from an individual urging her to be careful, to trust no one.

All Annie’s alert bells are going off and the more she digs into the history of the Lethal Lynx, the more she believes she may not know the whole story. But what sorts of secrets could be hidden within the comic book industry, and what would someone do to keep them hidden forever?

This was so good. I didn’t love it quite to the same level as Secret Identity, but pretty darn close. I feel like some of my over-the-top joy with the first book was just how surprised I was by it. I knew more what to expect here.

IMO though, this is such an underrated series. The concept is wildly-creative and interesting. I love the backdrop of the comic book industry and the ways it explores the role of the creatives within that space.

I did love getting to know Annie in this story as well. She’s a single-mom, who is talented and successful, yet still struggles with some aspects in her life, just like any other person. I liked how real she felt.

I also appreciated how connected the novels felt. Even though they are separated by a fairly large span of time and follow different characters, the connections are there and I feel like they were so well done.

I loved being reminded of little things that had happened in the first book and coming across various people who I remembered. I hadn’t been expecting a sequel initially, so didn’t brush up on the first book prior to picking this up.

I didn’t need too though, as Segura’s execution was seamless transitioning between the two works. Even though this is its own, individual story, the influence from the first book was felt throughout and for me, provided great food for thought.

It was interesting to think about these kinds of art and intellectual property, and what happens to them over time. Who owns the rights and how they can be used. I feel like this may be an issue that is near and dear to Segura’s heart, as it was certainly explored with care.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was incredibly well done. I highly recommend this audio!!!

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Review: The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

~ megs14malloy

The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1)The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Ooo, this was hella entertaining and creative. I am very much looking forward to the next installment, as Ana and Din make the perfect detective duo.

This was my first time reading Robert Jackson Bennett and I was impressed from the start. His writing felt, for lack of a better word, substantial. Everything was lush, every description, every characterization, it was a delicious read.

It did take me a minute to feel comfortable with the fantastical setting, as there’s a lot to take in, but once I was able to relax into it, I had such a great time.

I’m hoping in the 2nd-book that we learn a bit more about the world and all the fantastical elements within it, as I did feel a little unmoored in this at times, NGL.

I did love the blending of a fantastical world with an investigative mystery/thriller. Ana Dolabra, as the lead, more experienced investigator, did remind me a lot of Sand da Glokta from Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series.

Glokta is one of my most beloved characters from that series, and I have a feeling that I’m going to grow just as attached to Ana. There’s something so brilliant about her, but you also feel an underlying sinister nature, even when she’s acting on the side of good.

There’s a morally grey vibe exuding from her that I’m instantly attracted to. And then there’s Dinios Kol, her new assistant. He’s such a sweet baby cherub. I know we are just going to see him grow so much.

The mystery was also so compelling. I loved how dark it was. People dying as trees erupt from inside their bodies!? What!? I have never read anything like that before.

I’m so excited to continue on with the series. As mentioned above, I am hoping for more world development in the next book. I’d like to learn more about the true nature of the Leviathans and their relationship to the people of Daretana.

I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of all this world has to offer. I’m sure it is going to exceed even my wildest expectations.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading all the things from Robert Jackson Bennett!!

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