Flame Tree Press Blog Tour - After Sundown

 

TITLE: After Sundown

AUTHOR: Anthology edited by Mark Morris

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2- week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horroranthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer.  

MY THOUGHTS: Oh please let this be an annual thing.  This is definitely one of the best anthologies I've read in a long time.  Morris and Flame Tree Press did a great job of gathering some of the today's most popular names and adding a few new names to the bunch.  The result, a great collection of horror tales which I could simply not read fast enough.

I always find it hard to review anthologies but not in this case.  Many of the names you will recognize - C.J. Tudor, Grady Hendrix, Laura Purcell, Ramsey Cambell and Tim Lebbon to just name a few.  If that isn't enough to grab your attention, then I don't know what is.  In fact, if Morris could have added Hunter Shea to the collection, then I think it would have been as close to perfect as possible.  I think it's hard to rate an anthology a 5/5 because I can 't imagine every tale of the 20 to be a 5 star read.  However, this is as close as I've seen in ages.  Let me mention a few of my faves.

First there is Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor.  I've had some difficulty with Tudor's full-length novels in the past but this is a story which I wish had been a complete novel.  I loved the sarcasm and wit of the MC and narrator and while I wasn't thrilled with the ending, it still remains one of my faves.  

Next is Tim Lebbon's story, Research.  This is an author I have loved in the past and this tale is no exception. It takes a deep look into a horror writer's mind.  And oh are the inner workings truly remarkable.  

And finally I have to mention Bokeh by Thana Niveau. This author is certainly new to me but she only confirms what I always suspected - never trust a fairy.

If you are looking for a wonderful collection to add to your shelf, then look no further.  I've only mentioned a few of the gems held between the cover but there is so much more for you to discover.  If you love short story collections, then this is one you won't want to miss!

RATING: 4 PAWS

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Mark Morris has written and edited almost forty novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies. His recent work includes the official movie tie-in novelizations of The Great Wall and (co-written with Christopher Golden) The Predator, the Obsidian Heart trilogy (The Wolves of London, The Society of Blood and The Wraiths of War), the anthologies New Fears (winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology)and New Fears 2 and many more.

Flame Tree Press Blog Tour - The Portal

 

TITLE: The Portal

AUTHOR: Russell James

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 20, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

Three hundred years ago, on an isolated island in Long Island Sound, Satan tried to open a doorway to Hell. Now he's returned to finish the task. 

A black speedboat arrives at the small island community of Stone Harbor. Its mysterious passenger, Joey Oates, inspires terror by his very presence. He’s Satan incarnate, back to complete a ritual left unfinished three hundred years ago. A lost talisman called the Portal can open a doorway for the demons of Hell to enter our world. Oates plans to find the Portal, and finish unlocking it. 

 Former lovers Scott Tackett, family hardware store owner, and Allie Layton, flamed-out Hollywood actress, are about to reconnect after years apart, until they discover the evil growing in town. Only they can stop Oates’s awful plan and save the world from the living nightmares standing ready to crawl out of Hell.

MY THOUGHTS:  Honestly October was a great month for this book's release and I really hope lots of people pick it up in the future.  Seriously, Joey Oates gives off some serious Randall Flagg vibes and it's been since I've read The Stand last year that I've encountered such a sinister character.

The book starts off looking back at years ago when a coven of witches, under Satan's influence, tried to open a portal on Long Island Sound. Something happened which caused the ritual to fail but now, 300 years later, Satan has returned, in the form of Joey Oates, and this time he's formulated a better plan for success.  If he does, a portal will open which will literally unleash Hell on Earth.

I found this book to be extremely interesting and the pacing, while not always action-packed, was steady and consistent.  Toward the end, the pacing picked up because clearly Janes was building toward an epic battle and I found that I couldn't read fast enough.  I also felt truly invested in some of the characters.  Both MCs, Scott and Allie, are flawed, especially Allie, but they were so realistic and so endearing that I never stopped hoping that things worked out for them, and for the rest of Long Island Sound as well.

If you are looking for a creepy book which takes an in depth look at good versus evil and how even good people sometimes are led to do bad things, then definitely pick up The Portal.  James does a wonderful job with character development and the book is a great mix of character driven prose and plot driven action.  Go get it now!

RATING: 4 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida. After flying helicopters with the U.S.

Army, he has had multiple horror and paranormal thrillers

published. His wife reads his work and says "There is

something seriously wrong with you."

Retro Horror Vol. 5

 

I can't believe we are on Round 5 of the Retro Horror project.  I hope you've been enjoying it because I've enjoyed reading some lesser known works.  This month I unearthed a hidden gem so read on for my review and then hop over to Stormi's at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! to see her choice this month!

TITLE: Best Friend

AUTHOR: Pat FEeley

PUBLISHER: Fawcett Books

PUBLISHING DATE: 1977

MY THOUGHTS:  Best Friend is a novel of slowly building terror. It is based on the fact that some people have an unusual affinity for animals and that some animals, especially well-loved ones, seem to respond with uncanny sensitivity. They are easily trained, seemingly intelligent enough to know what's wanted of them, attuned not only to the commands but also to the feelings of their owners. 

Such a pair are Isabelle Buckingham and her dog beau. But between them there is something more. And almost before Isabelle herself knows it, her devoted Beau is aware that she is sick to death of her bullying, critical and philandering husband. 

Best Friend is a tale of a suburban dream turning into a nightmare, on the order of Burnt Offerings - but without resort to the occult or science fiction. It is completely plausible. And all the scarier for it.    

MY THOUGHTS:  So this is best described as a slow-burning horror novel.  However, I would argue that at its heart, it's basically a love story.  A love between a woman and her dog.  

When the book opens, Isabelle is faced with losing her beloved pet, Patch.  Both of Izzy's children have moved out and started lives of her own and her husband Peter, works all the time and has several extra curricular activities, so she feels that Patch is her whole life and purpose.  Even though she is distraught and needs to grieve, her husband and their family friend, veterinarian Roger, encourage Izzy to go with Rog the next day to look at a new liter of pups.  Both want her to fill her void because they know how lonely she will be but she has no plans on doing so.  That's until a reserved ball of fluff chooses her.  Izzy immediately falls in love with Beau and their bond only grows their initial contact.

Izzy soon brings Beau home and since he comes from a championship bloodline, she decides to start training for shows.  She enlists the help of an elderly man she knows from the beach and a friendship grows between them.  Beau is bright and intelligent but there are two big factors brewing.  Beau is a large breed dog and is getting bigger every day and he definitely doesn't like Peter.

I adored this book.  At under 200 pages, it packs a punch.  While not really action-packed, I still couldn't put it down.  As many know, I love all my dogs but I would be lying if I glazed over the special bond I have with Cassius.  And honestly, I saw the same bond between Izzy and Beau (although I must add that Cass does love Mr. Barb - but I know he loves me more).  Peter is a jerk pretty much throughout the whole book, at one time demanding Izzy get rid of her beloved dog and it was refreshing to see Izzy's character development as the book progressed.

I won't give anything else away but just know that this is a book that I will cherish for years to come.  And even more special is the fact that while I tracked it down and ordered it from Thrift Books, the book itself is an old library book from my hometown library - talk about coincidence. I do highly recommend this book and while my rating might be a tad high, know that it reflects the emotional bond I felt with this book.  I hope I can convince even a few more people to pick up this little-known horror novel.  

RATING: 5 PAWS

Can't Wait Wednesday (295)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS:  It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there’s nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing—survive the night. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I have to admit I love the idea that this happens in Ohio, which is very close to me, and also occurs in the early 1990's.  Sager is a hit or miss author for me but I know how popular he is so I'm sure lots of people can't wait for this one!

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: When another pit bull rescuer is found murdered in an abandoned house, werecougar Lily Mason and her human boyfriend Parker Knowles are drawn into the investigation. Lily and Parker take in the victim’s two adorable bonded pitties—much to the delight of their pet pit bull Smooshie (and the less delighted Elvis).

With the help of their friends, human and non-human alike, Lily and Parker are determined to find out what happened to their fellow dog rescuer. But tracking the killer puts everything at risk, including their own lives.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  Mom is totally slipping!  She loves this series and had no idea another was on the way.  Good thing my book sniffer has been working overtime!

WHAT BOOKS CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie

 

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

Today I wanted to do something different but still focus on scary and spooky things.  I do that so much here I didn't want to be redundant.  So I found a list on Oprahmag.com of the 33 Best Halloween Horror Books for Adults.  You can find the list HERE.  I decided to see if I have actually read 10 of them and feature them today.  

Hope you enjoy!

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK - I'm actually surprised to see this on an adult list as I've read it YEARS ago.  I guess it's kind of a traditional Halloween one huh?

THE HUNGER - Oh please don't get me started on this one.

THE SHINING - Yes, one of my favorite books of all times!

NOS4A2 - AKA the book that never ended.

THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING - I was on a blog tour for this one earlier this year and really enjoyed it.  Glad to see it on the list.

THE GOOD HOUSE - A book I read and loved all the way back in 2005.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE - Stormi and I actually buddy read this one this year. So glad I finally picked up a Christie book.

1984 - I know I read this one in high school.  It's probably scarier now than it was then.

So out of the 33 listed, I've read 8.  Not too great but not too shabby either.  Hop on over to the list and let me know how many you've read.  

And yes, I'm glad THE HUNGER could make just one more list at Booker T's Farm.

What's Happening (10-25-20)

 

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out.

Better late than never but I wanted to make sure to get a post out today.  Things here are pretty much status quo.  My evening calls to check on Gpa have turned into a nightly episode of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  I know he isn't being mean on purpose and I keep reminding myself that but sometimes it still doesn't help.

The pups are doing well.  We are getting ready to celebrate Apollo's first Halloween. I'll make sure to take some pics.  We aren't really doing trick-or-treat handouts due to COVID but there are a few kids in the neighborhood we are putting care packages together for.  Nothing major but it will still allow us to have the Halloween spirit.

We have been watching lots of old scary movies and a few new ones.  We finally watched Books of Blood last night and Mr. Barb thought it was boring but I found it to be okay.  Nothing spectacular but at least entertaining.  We also watched Abyssal Spider, a foreign film about a giant sea spider, and are in the middle of Bly Manor.

The main time killer is that I have finally made tons of progress on my library.  Out home is 120 years old and we don't have the availability to move everything out of the room while revamping it.  Thus I've had to do it in stages.  It's half painted in a wonderful purple called Wonderland and trimmed in white.  I've also built and installed 4 white bookcases.  I need to build one more, paint a little less that 1/2 of the room, hand some pics and do some final touches. I will give you guys a virtual tor when I get to a good point.

I have two books I'm focusing on this weekend.  Both are for Flame Tree Press tours at the end of the month. 

And I also received a few exciting ARCs.

So sorry for the new graphics.  I'm still trying to figure out something I like with the new Blogger and everything. I hope you are also all staying safe.

Look for lots of reviews this week as I'm playing catch up!  

Flame Tree Press Blog Tour - Voodoo Heart

 

TITLE: Voodoo Heart

AUTHOR: John Everson

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 20, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: When Detective Lawrence Ribaud wakes alone in a bloody bed with his wife missing, he knows this is more than just a mysterious case of murder. His wife is the latest victim in a string of bizarre disappearances. All across New Orleans, on one night each month, people are vanishing, leaving behind nothing but a pool of blood on the bedsheets… and an abandoned heart. Ribaud doesn’t believe in voodoo, but he soon finds himself moving through the underbelly of a secret society of snakes, sacrifices and obscene rituals in search of the mysterious Black Queen … and the curse of her Voodoo Heart. 

MY THOUGHTS:  I don't know that I've mentioned it a lot but voodoo has always fascinated me.  Which is odd with my aversion to snakes and all that.  In fact, as a teen, one of my favorite "horror" movies was Angel Heart.  Come to think of it, maybe that actually started my aversion to Mickey Rourke.  Oh well, I digress.  So when I was offered a chance to be a part of the tour of a voodoo related book from one of my favorite publishers, I jumped at it.

Detective Lawrence Ribauld wakes up one morning with his wife missing and blood all over his bed.  Somehow, she has become the latest victim of a string of missing people and Ribauld now has a personal stake in figuring out what is going on in the haunting town of New Orleans.  Once he sets out on his investigation, he is soon thrown into a world of voodoo lore - including curses, blood and eww, snakes.  Can he figure out what is going on and live to tell about it?

This book was fascinating, intriguing and spooky - a perfect Halloween read.  It's full of tons of information regarding voodoo practices which makes me seriously question what Everson does for fun, or applaud him for his degree of research.  At its heart, pardon the pun, Voodoo Heart is mystery wrapped up in horrific details.  Like most all of Flame Tree authors, I can't wait to see what Everson comes up with next.  He definitely has a new fan here at Booker T's Farm!

RATING: 5 Paws

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JOHN EVERSON is a staunch advocate for the culinary joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s European horror cinema. He's also the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Covenant and eight other novels, including NightWhere and Siren.

2 Bloggers 1 Book - The Nesting

 

This month we chose a book both Stormi and I were really excited to read.  I think it's gotten a fair amount of hype so read on and see I'm jumping in the bandwagon. Guess what, I jumped and totally missed! So read on for my thoughts and then head to  Stormi's at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! to see her opinion! 

TITLE: The Nesting

AUTHOR: C.J. Cooke

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins

PUBLISHING DATE: September 29, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

The woods are creeping in on a nanny and two young girls in this chilling modern Gothic thriller. 

 Architect Tom Faraday is determined to finish the high-concept, environmentally friendly home he's building in Norway – in the same place where he lost his wife, Aurelia, to suicide. It was their dream house, and he wants to honor her with it. 

Lexi Ellis takes a job as his nanny and immediately falls in love with his two young daughters, especially Gaia. But something feels off in the isolated house nestled in the forest along the fjord. Lexi sees mysterious muddy footprints inside the home. Aurelia's diary appears in Lexi's room one day. And Gaia keeps telling her about seeing the terrifying Sad Lady… 

Soon Lexi suspects that Aurelia didn't kill herself and that they are all in danger from something far more sinister lurking around them. ?

MY THOUGHTS: This book started out badly for me.  In fact, after the first chapter or so, I was convinced I might not make it through.  I'm glad to say it did pick up eventually but I was still wanting more.

As the book opens, Lexi has just attempted suicide.  We don't really get much backstory except that her life is pretty much a train wreck and soon afterwards, her boyfriend of many years kicks her out because she is "too much for him."  So Lexi is lost, broke and homeless.  She gets the bright idea on an actual train on day to steal the identity of the girl in front of her and accept a job being a nanny in Norway for a man and his two young daughter, who just lost their mother to suicide.  It seems Lexi is set to be a completely unreliable narrator.

But soon after she arrives, Lexi settles in to being a pretty decent nanny.  She likes to two young girls, Gaia and Coco, much more than she anticipated.  However, weird things start happening while Tom is building his deceased wife's dream house.  It seems the land, which he has dramatically disturbed with his architectural plans, is out to get even with the family.  Throw in the fact that Gaia and soon afterwards, Lexi, are seeing the "sad lady" in the home at night and that Tom is growing increasingly more angry and unpredictable.  In fact, Lexi begins to suspect his wife's death was not a suicide. 

So all of this sounds good and in premise, the book hit the mark.  I enjoyed the Norwegian folklore.  I even forgot for a time what a mess Lexi actually was.  However, the ending felt rushed and the author chose to throw in various elements to progress the plot which I don't feel were fully fleshed out.  Also, the ending threw me for a loop and not in a good way.  Something happens which just sort of erases lots of feelings of mistrust and violation and again, it lacked more explanation.

I do believe there will be a wide audience for this one and I don't regret reading it, it was just a middle of the road read for me.

RATING: 3 Paws

Can't Wait Wednesday (294)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh's darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She'll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

When ghosts talk, she will listen...

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh's dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl's gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children--leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It's on Ropa's patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She'll dice with death (not part of her life plan...), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She'll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa's gonna hunt them all down. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Let's be honest, it probably had me with the Stranger Things comparison.

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: When sporting events were put on hold in March 2020, commentator Andrew Cotter shifted to working from home. The one-on-one competitors? His two Labrador retrievers, Olive and Mabel.

 In the hilarious videos that ensued, the dogs engage in various contests, from bone-snatching and breakfast-eating to crushing it on the dog walk, while Cotter narrates to hilarious effect. The scene of Mabel, simply standing still in a fetid pond was one of the most popular. Why? Because this is how dogs live, and Cotter captured it with humor and joy. It’s why the series has been viewed more than 50 million times, entertaining dog owners, sports fans and celebrities around the world. 

Olive and Mabel are more than online celebrities, however, as revealed in this charming narrative. Filled with stories about how Cotter fell in love with his dogs, his passion for hiking with them through the glens and over the peaks of his native Scotland, and the ongoing relationship between Olive and Mabel (particularly the “competitive fire” lit during these days of quarantine), the memoir is by turns side-splittingly funny and thoughtfully tender. It’s sure to resonate with all dog lovers.

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT: Mom has said numerous times she couldn't survive COVID and the aftermath so I think this will be a great look at how two good looking gals helped their owner through the world as we now know it.  It's no wonder pet adoptions are up this year!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I've Read Because Stormi Recommended Them

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week's topic is books we've read because of someone's recommendations.  I've decided to spotlight my best friend Stormi from Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

Stormi has been after me to read this one forever.  I'm halfway through and she was right - I'm loving it!

I still need to review this one but Stormi recommended it last month for a challenge prompt.  I think we both had similar feelings about this one (look for my review soon).

I had owned this book for ages before Stormi convinced me we should pick it up for our series buddy read.  I'm so glad she did!

I do believe it was also Stormi's idea to start our buddy read series off with this series.  She set the bar pretty high with this one!

This series came highly recommended from Stormi and she was right, I loved this first one and it reminded me somewhat of the Veronica Speedwell books.  I just need to find time to continue,

So you're only getting five this week.  I've been busy painting my library and building bookshelves for the past few days which is why I've been a tad absent.  I promise I'll be visiting soon!

Review Catch Up Time - He Started It

 

TITLE: He Started It

AUTHOR: Samantha Downing

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLISHING DATE: July 21, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

From the twisted mind behind mega hit My Lovely Wife comes the story of a family—not unlike your own—just with a few more violent tendencies thrown in.... 

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance. 

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone. 

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory, a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons. 

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.… 

MY THOUGHTS: I actually read this one in September but as I alluded in the title, I need to do some catching up.  I flew through this book and can't wait to pick up Downing's debut book to see if I like it as much.

So when the book starts out, we learn that Beth, Portia and Eddie's Grandfather has died and in order to claim his sizable fortune, he has one final request of the grandchildren who never really liked him.  They have been tasked to take a trip exactly like the one they did when they were kids.  Upon completion of the trip, the inheritance will be divided between the three of them.  So they set out along with Beth's husband and Eddie's wife.  Now it needs to be noted that these three siblings do not really get along and haven't seen each other in years.  So needless to say, each of them has their own baggage to unpack along the way.

This thriller was just plain fun.  I didn't really like any of the characters but this is a great example of where not liking them didn't damper my enjoyment.  The closest I came to liking anyone was with Portia, the baby sister, who is a "dancer" trying to work her way through college.  Even the spouses were annoying.  But I loved the fighting and drama going on between all of them and Downing delivered twist after twist.  

So as I was rapidly devouring He Started It, I could see a 5/5 rating formulating, but, then there was that last page!  Never have I experienced a read when the last page alone changed my rating but yep, there's a first for everything.  I didn't quite like where the book headed at the end.  And because the book was so fast paced, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that there was one final wham at the end.  It wasn't even a FULL last page.  

That being said, I still loved the book.  I would recommend it to anyone and everyone and if you like family drama, suspense, dark secrets (there's a lot) and twists and turns, this is definitely the thriller for you.  Now I just need to make some time for The Lovely Wife.

RATING: 4 Paws (could have been 4.5 but you know Goodreads and their inflexibility.  

Can't Wait Wednesday (293)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry.

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws.

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I really want to know what happens when William gets angry and you know I love horror set in snow!

CASSIUS'S PICK

FROM GOODREADS: Jazz Ramsey is just getting used to the idea that her on-again-off-again beau, Nick, might actually be a permanent fixture, when she gets a strange call in the middle of the night from his mother: There’s a dead man in her backyard. Nick’s mom has a long history of drinking and a vivid imagination, so when no evidence of a body is found in the vicinity, Jazz is about ready to write off the claim.

Just to be on the safe side, she brings over a human remains detection dog to sniff out the area, and to her surprise the animal leads her and the police to a nearby park, where a the body of a middle-aged man has been found. More surprising still is the photograph found in the man’s pocket—of Nick’s mother holding her infant son.

She claims not to know who the man is, but the cops find out soon enough: he’s a recently paroled convict who served thirty-five years for murder. So what was he doing in Cleveland, and what does he have to do with Nick? Painful as the answers may be, Jazz is determined to find them—even if it means risking her own life. 

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I know Mom likes this series a lot as she is actually current on it.  This is the third book and I'm glad to see Mom has another one featuring Jazz and her cadaver dog.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???