Review: Triple Axe by Scott Cole

Triple Axe by Scott Cole
Grindhouse Press (July 2018)
134 pages; $11.95 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

Triple Axe is essentially a murder-revenge story involving the serial murder of porn actresses and the decision of a few to fight back. There isn’t much more to the plot itself than that and you likely already know whether or not you want it.Continue Reading

Review: Silverwood: The Door

Review by Blu Gilliand

There’s collaboration, and then there’s art by committee.

Art by committee rarely works. The committee might have formed in order to pursue a common goal, but it’s typically made up of people with different agendas and different ideas on how to reach that goal. These individuals are often more interested in how this committee is going to elevate them to the next, more important committee than whether or not this committee achieves its goal.

Collaboration also involves individuals working together in pursuit of a common goal, but the difference lies in the approach. Collaborators blend their ideas and visions and voices in service of that goal. The idea isn’t to stand out, but to choose the right ingredients to achieve the best possible end result.

Silverwood: The Door is a collaboration…and a successful one, at that.Continue Reading

Review: Kill Hill Carnage by Tim Meyer

Kill Hill Carnage by Tim Meyer
Sinister Grin Press (July 2018)

288 pages; $12.59 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

Kill Hill Carnage is the quintessential Halloween book for any seasoned horror fan or avid reader looking to make an October TBR (to be read) list. The story covers a lot of ground for the genre; easily shelved under several horror sub-genres, which makes it appealing for a wide audience. There’s a little bit of everything here: Teen Drama, Creature Feature, Disaster Horror and Comedy Horror. Continue Reading

Review: Driving to Geronimo’s Grave and Other Stories by Joe R. Lansdale

Driving to Geronimo’s Grave and Other Stories by Joe R. Lansdale
Subterranean Press (October 2018)
272 pages; $26.70 hardcover
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing several Joe R. Lansdale novels, collections and stories in my time. It’s almost to the point where I’ve run out of superlatives to share; where the limitations of my vocabulary and ability make me want to just say, “Here’s a new Lansdale book. It’s good, as usual. Go throw money at it.”

But Lansdale deserves better, and you do, too. So, please follow along as I attempt to find new and interesting ways to heap praise upon Lansdale and his new collection, Driving to Geronimo’s Grave and Other Stories.Continue Reading

Review: The Mouth of the Dark by Tim Waggoner

The Mouth of the Dark by Tim Waggoner
Flame Tree Press (September 2018)
240 pages; $24.95 hardcover; $14.95 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Jayce Lewis’ daughter Emily has gone missing and Jayce is doing all he can to find her.  The more he seeks the more he learns about her life and his own. From the strange concoctions sold at the Crazyqwik, to the dog-eaters who think he’s a meat thief, to the Harvest Man, and just wait until you encounter the pink devil. It’s all like his mother told him time and again…

The world is a dangerous place.
Continue Reading

Review: Our Lady of the Inferno by Preston Fassel

Our Lady of the Inferno by Preston Fassel
Fangoria Presents (September 2018)
376 pages; $13.50 paperback; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

Two women.

One is a businesswoman navigating the male-dominated world of the Staten Island landfill system. She is respected, if not entirely understood, by her peers.

The other is a businesswoman, too; she’s also a den mother of sorts, fighting hard for a group of girls who see her as protector and savior. Under her guidance, they navigate the flesh-for-cash trade of New York’s 42nd Street. She is both respected and feared by her peers.

One of these women is deeply, dangerously insane.Continue Reading

Review: Skullface Boy by Chad Lutzke

Skullface Boy by Chad Lutzke
CreateSpace (August 2018)

202 pages; $9.99 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

This book had me at the dedication:

Dedicated to the bullied, the parentless and the unique. May the shallow assholes one day envy you.

Continue Reading

Review: The Sky Woman by J.D. Moyer

The Sky Woman: From Ringworlds to Earth, an Epic Struggle of Love and Survival by J.D. Moyer
Flame Tree Press (September 6, 2018)
288 pages; $24.95 paperback; $14.95 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

The Sky Woman: From Ringworlds to Earth, an Epic Struggle of Love and Survival by J.D. Moyer deftly combines multiple genres into a solid work which starts out reading much like your typical fantasy fare but goes places I never anticipated.Continue Reading

Review: We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
Quirk Books (September 18, 2018)
336 pages; $16.50 hardcover; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

The idea that rock ‘n roll is the Devil’s music is as old as a Robert Johnson blues riff. It’s an idea that’s been mined by countless musicians and writers over the years, to varying degrees of success. Leave it to Grady Hendrix, acclaimed author/historian of ’70s and ’80s horror fiction, to breathe new life into one of horror’s most well-worn tropes.Continue Reading

Review: Foe by Iain Reid

Foe by Iain Reid
Gallery/Scout Press (September 2018)

272 pages; $17.10 paperback; $11.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

Fans of Iain Reid’s first novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things already want this book. They’re looking for more of what he delivered in his debut novel — that  “unique, slightly off-kilter, unsettling prose that grabs you and pulls you into the story until it’s over” kind of thing. Rest assured, he’s done it again.Continue Reading

Review: The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz

The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz
Flame Tree Press (September 6, 2018)
288 pages; $24.95 hardcover; $14.95 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

It was almost two years ago Jonathan Janz first came to my attention. I kept hearing about his novel, Children of the Dark. This is what I said in my review of that workThis is one time where all of the hype was dead on.Continue Reading

Review: Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell

Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell
Flame Tree Press (September 6, 2018)
288 pages; $24.95 hardcover; $14.95 paperback
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

No one writes horror like Ramsey Campbell, as evidenced by numerous accolades over the years, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association, and the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild.

Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach is the latest book I’ve read from new publisher Flame Tree Press, and based on what I’ve seen so far, they will be a welcome addition to the marketplace. Continue Reading

Review: Severance by Ling Ma

Severance by Ling Ma
Farrar, Straus & Giroux (August 2018)
304 pages; $19.60 hardcover; $13.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

I’ve read a post-apocalyptic novel or two in my day, and a common thread that runs through them is that when the bomb drops or the plague hits or whatever apocalyptic thing it is that happens happens, people stop going to work. The apocalypse, it seems, is an unimpeachable reason to play hooky.

Not so in Ling Ma’s entertaining, thought-provoking debut novel, Severance. In Severance, when the apocalyptic thing happens — in this case it’s a disease called Shen Fever — the unaffected minority keep going to work. For some, it’s a coping mechanism. For others, it’s the promise of a hefty bonus, or the idea that their loyalty to the company will get them ahead when this all blows over.

For Candace Chen, it’s a case of not knowing what else to do.Continue Reading

Review: Zombie Apocalypse in Ditmas Park

Zombie Apocalypse in Ditmas Park by Kristine Scheiner
CreateSpace (May 2017)

32 pages, $6.99 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Zombie Apocalypse in Ditmas Park: A NYC Coloring Book Adventure for Ghoulish Hacks to Chillax is exactly what it sounds like. New York is invaded by zombies, and the rich blew up the bridges, so Brooklyn is left to fend for itself. Readers follow the adventures of the Scheiner sisters as they prepare for a Zombie Apocalypse Party. What ensues is a joyful romp through a zombie-filled wasteland rich with in-jokes that would make any zombie fan or New Yorker proud.Continue Reading

Review: The Bad Neighbor by David Tallerman

The Bad Neighbor by David Tallerman
Flame Tree Press (September 6, 2018)
288 pages; $24.85 hardcover; $14.95 paperback; 
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

There’s a new publisher I think we’re going to hear a lot about in the coming months.  They call themselves Flame Tree Press and they plan to publish both established authors and new voices in horror and the supernatural, crime and mystery thrillers, as well as science fiction and fantasy. Continue Reading