Bark At The Ghouls

This is another one of those secret books and I LOVE those. Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica Released July 2015 Thriller  |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Library Borrow A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head... Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home. Heidi spends the next few days helping Wi

This is a spooky slow burn. Violet by Scott Thomas Released September 2019 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Received for Review Consideration In the lineage of Peter Straub's Julia, Scott Thomas’ Violet is the disturbing tale of a woman haunted by her long-abandoned imaginary friend. For many children, the summer of 1988 was filled with sunshine and laughter. But for ten-year-old Kris Barlow, it was her chance to say goodbye to her dying mother. Three decades later, loss returns—her husband killed in a car accident. And so, Kris goes home to the place where she first knew pain—to that summer house overlooking the crystal waters of Lost Lake. It’s there that Kris and her eight-year-old daughter will make a stand against grief. But a shadow has fallen over the quiet lake town of Pacington, Kansas. Beneath its surface, an evil has grown—and inside that home where Kris Barlow last saw her mother, an old friend awaits her return. 

This review is part of my review archive project and was written in December 2012. My goal is to eventually move most of my reviews here even if I'm 90 before I finish! The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot Released March 2009 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source:  Found At A Used Clothing Store "You have two days to pass your audition. You better pass it, feller. You’re joining the circus. Ain’t that the best news you ever got?" Delivered by a trio of psychotic clowns, this ultimatum plunges Jamie into the horrific alternate universe that is the centuries-old Pilo Family Circus, a borderline world between Hell and Earth from which humankind’s greatest tragedies have been perpetrated. Yet in this place—peopled by the gruesome, grotesque, and monstrous—where violence and savagery are the norm, Jamie finds that his worst enemy is himself. When he applies the white face paint, he is transformed into JJ, the most vicious clown of all. And JJ

This was such a fun little listen! I need to buy all of Cat Sebastian's books, I think. A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian Released August 2019 Romance   |   Goodreads    |  Amazon SOURCE: Library Borrow (Listening Length: 2 hours and 43 minutes.) A seductive thief Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly? Finds her own heart For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she never imagined as she begins to fall for the impertinent woman. Has been stolen When an unwelcome specter

Book #2 in "The Messy Man" series doesn't disappoint! The Hungry Ones by Chris Sorensen Released May 2019 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Received for Review Consideration At the outskirts of Maple City sits the Crossroads Motel, a throwback to the days when the motor lodge was king. Two years ago, the motel was the site of an act so brutal that its buildings were left to rot. Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place. When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her grand opening is still a week away. But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.    My 2 Cents For Free! THE HUNGRY ONES picks up soon after the events that tortured the little family in THE NIGHTMARE

This is a book about human monsters. The worst kind of monster. Ain't Worth A Shit by Robert Essig & Jack Bantry Released July 2019 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Received for Review Consideration From Jack Bantry, editor of Splatterpunk Zine and author of The Lucky Ones Died First and Robert Essig, author of Death Obsessed, In Black and People of the Ethereal Realm comes a story of gut-wrenching noir. Issy has become used to her new life in the UK, away from poverty in her native land. New beginnings weren’t without struggle, and sometimes the past comes back when you least expect it. Mark dealt a little weed on the side, just enough to get him a few bucks and provide some for personal use. No big deal. Not until he makes a little mistake. Sometimes even the smallest error can turn into a dire situation. There’s another world under the veneer of city streets in London’s Leicester Square, streets people walk every day without suspicion

This is a wildly fun book if such things can be said about a bloodbath, lol. Triple Axe by Scott Cole Released July 2018 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Received for Review Consideration Jesse Jinx is a porn star. She has dreams of starting her own adult film production company where she and the other actors will be treated more fairly. But there won’t be a production company if she can’t come up with the money—or if there aren’t any porn stars left. A deranged killer is on the loose, targeting adult entertainers, and choking them to death with a weapon that leaves no trace of itself. When the authorities refuse to help Jesse and her two closest friends, the three women decide to take matters into their own hands . . . with axes. As their colleagues fall one by one, they have a plan to stay alive—and they’re ready to hatchet! My 2 Cents For Free! Triple Axe is an amusing little serial killer tale written for those of

I have had a decent run of books lately and there have only been two that didn't quite work out for me. I don't like to DNF but I also don't like the idea of struggling through a book that doesn't get along with me and there are simply too many books in my pile(s) right now. Lustmord: Anatomy of a Serial Butcher - Book One  by  Kirk Alex The face you make when you put your damn glasses on, read the fine print and realize the book you've just been accepted for on Netgalley is nearly 800 pages long. I don't know if I can do this one, folks. I'll give it another try in a few weeks . . . Quite a few weeks later: Nope, this book is too long, too meandering and too cruel. I will never finish it. Sorry, Netgalley. I suck and I need better glasses. Here There Are Monsters  by  Amelinda Bérubé It pains me to do this because I purchased this paperback brand new and I don't splurge that often but I am going to DNF this one after re

This one worried me but it turned out to be a five star favorite! You never know. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher Released April 2019 Audiobook Fantasy Adventure   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source:  Library Borrow When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football. My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came.There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we aren't loyal t

This is a very fine collection of short horror fiction. I almost liked them all! Come Join Us By The Fire Released October 2019 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Get It Here   Source: Online Freebie Nightfire Books, a new horror imprint from Tor Books, is proud to present 35 horror short stories showcasing the breadth of talent in today's field, from genre luminaries including New York Times bestselling authors Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Kadrey, and Victor LaValle, to bright new talents Cassandra Khaw and Sam J. Miller, and masters of experimental narratives, Carmen Maria Machado and Brian Evenson. There's something for every listener, so come join us by the fire and hear tales not to tell against the dark... but to embrace it. Time: 9 hours 45 minutes . My 2 Cents For Free! This is free. At least it was at the time I wrote this post so go get yourself a copy right  here ! If these stories are any indication of what we can exp

Recent Mini Reviews Because I am nothing if not lazy! Here's a bunch of other stuff I've read recently(ish).  Again, they are mostly audio. Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark I HIGHLY recommend you listen to the audiobook version of this book because it is narrated by the writers and you'll miss a lot of the emotion in the words if you don't hear them tell it. I also suggest that you only pick it up only if you are a fan of the My Favorite Murder podcast - otherwise you might not get what it is all about and you'll probably be very disappointed and will be left scratching your head at the title. It's not a guidebook instructing you how to "Stay Sexy & Don't Murdered" (that's the tagline of the true-crime comedy show), it's a book about the podcasters very personal, very intimate struggles with family, mental health and their careers. As a fan of the show, I found it both intere

My little holiday vacation turned out to be an extended vacation due to two full days of snow and messiness. Who can complain about two extra days off?  I got a little reading done and it was nice to relax but the Christmas stress is now full upon me and keeping me up at night. There's also something weird going on with my dog's tail that is worrying me but I'm hoping it's a minor sprain because he is a monster at the vet! I hope you've all been able to sneak in some reading. Here's whats up next in the TBR:  Next up is THE CULT CALLED FREEDOM HOUSE by Stephanie Evelyn. This was a pick for the December  Goodreads Ladies of Horror Fiction group so I had to bump it ahead. I like a good cult story so I'm looking forward to starting it. Soon I'll be reading  HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR MOVIE  by Seth Grahame-Smith. This is an updated version - I guess it came out a few years ago but I missed it then and my review is super late (ahhh!). Also

Camping brings horrible memories to my mind of sleeping on the ground and listening to our friends hollar at each other all night long but those woes are nothing compared to what happens to this family on their annual camping trip . . . The Stranger by Steve Stred Released June 2019 Dark Fiction   |   Goodreads   |   Amazon   Source: Received for Review Consideration Ahhh… nothing like the annual summer family camping trip, right? Malcolm, his wife Sam and their two kids have been staying at the same cabin, at the same campground for years now. Heck, Malcolm’s been coming to the campground since he was a kid. Miles and miles of groomed trails, hiking, kayaking on the pristine lake. What’s not to like? But this year… well this year’s different. You see, roof repairs have caused them to have to change their plans. Now they’re staying at the cabin at the end of season, in fact they’re the last campers before it closes for the winter. While happy to be spending tim