Tag: Reviews

Review: Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach

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Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach
Doubleday (August 7, 2018)
400 pages; $26.95 paperback; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Eric, aged three, disappears at the grocery store while under the care of his older brother, Ben. Every parent’s worst nightmare. The rising panic woven through this scene was incredibly well written.

I can’t say I liked everything about Bad Man. Early on, I was enjoying the read but found myself searching for the story. There was one red herring, in particular, which I was less than fond of. But, I will say Dathan Auerbach is a very capable writer, deserving of his success.Continue Reading

Review: Night of 1,000 Beasts by John Palisano

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Night of 1,000 Beasts by John Palisano
(April 2018)
208 pages; $14.95 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by R.B. Payne

The scariest things at a ski resort are normally daily ticket prices, $20 hot dogs, and the prospect of a twisted ankle or broken neck. This is hardly true in the gripping Night of 1000 Beasts by John Palisano, in which a hot-shot group of skiers find themselves in a horrific cosmic event where it becomes obvious that some of them have taken their last lift ride to the top.Continue Reading

Review: Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination by David Nickle

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Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination by David Nickle
ChiZine Publications (October 2017)
376 pages; $11.75 paperback; $6 e-book
Reviewed by Chris Hallock

No one, not even the author himself, could have predicted the timeliness of David Nickle’s Volk. Yet, here and now, the world is (once again) on a steady march toward unparalleled terror and fascism at the hands of arrogant rulers. Nickle’s follow-up to 2011’s acclaimed Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism is set in an early-to-mid-twentieth century Europe still reeling from World War I, but speaks of our contemporary landscape to a frightening degree.Continue Reading

Review: Subhuman (A Unit 51 Novel) by Michael McBride

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Subhuman (A Unit 51 Novel) by Michael McBride
Pinnacle (October 2017)
400 pages; $7.48 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Imagine if Michael Crichton penned The Thing or crossed writing styles with F. Paul Wilson; it might give an idea of what Michael McBride has accomplished in Subhuman. This novel begins a new series (UNIT 51) that looks to be one of the most exciting thriller/horror series in several years.Continue Reading

Review: The Hollow Tree by James Brogden

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The Hollow Tree by James Brogden
Titan Books (March 2018)
483 pages; $11.26 paperback; $8.49 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Last year’s dark fantasy underdog breakout, Hekla’s Children, brought the subgenre to life again with a mix of heavy action, horror, and fantasy, with a style that read quicker than a demon on a blood-slicked luge to hell. James Brogden became known in the mix of genres as a voice to be reckoned with, but second novels can be a downfall.Continue Reading

Review: Nothing You Can Do by Ed Kurtz

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Nothing You Can Do by Ed Kurtz
Down & Out (September 2017)
324 pages; $17.95 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Nothing You Can Do is the first collection from genre writer Ed Kurtz., containing seventeen stories of hardboiled crime. Most of them have been previously published, with the exception of the final story, which appears here for the first time.

Unless you are a hardcore Ed Kurtz fan, chances are pretty good you haven’t read more than a handful of these tales.Continue Reading

Review: The Moore House by Tony Tremblay

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The Moore House by Tony Tremblay
Haverhill House Publishing (July 2018)
238 pages; $26.99 hardcover; $16.99 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

I can’t think of a better way to describe Tony Tremblay’s debut novel, The Moore House, than with the author’s own words of warning from one character to another in the actual story…Continue Reading

Review: Halcyon by Rio Youers

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Halcyon by Rio Youers
St. Martin’s Press (July 10, 2018)
384 pages; $26.46 hardcover; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Straight from the success of last year’s The Forgotten Girl, Rio Youers bursts back onto the scene with another high-octane thriller that stretches the bounds of reality in a tale which blurs the lines between horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy. Those familiar with his writing will be treated to another smooth ride that will keep the pages flying. Continue Reading

Review: The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

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The Anomaly by Michael Rutger
Grand Central Publishing (June 2018)
352 pages; $17.38 hardcover; $13.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Every once in a while, a book comes along to remind you how much fun reading can be. Thrillers usually fill that void pretty well. Add in some darkness, and opening the covers can feel like a rollercoaster ride designed by Rod Serling when arguing with Clive Barker.Continue Reading

Review: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

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Strange Weather by Joe Hill
William Morrow (October 2017)
448 pages; $16.67 hardcover; $16.99 paperback; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

There’s something decidedly different about Joe Hill, besides the obvious relation. His novels and short stories defy categorization, often eschewing the conventions of horror and tropes of speculative fiction in favor of something much more… interesting.Continue Reading

Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

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The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
William Morrow (June 26, 2018)
288 pages; $21.59 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Jonathan Reitan

Before you know it, and in just one breath, you’ve already read the first 50 pages of Paul Tremblay’s summer release The Cabin At The End Of The World. It’s that good.Continue Reading

Review: Songs of Dreaming Gods by William Meikle

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Songs of Dreaming Gods by William Meikle
Macabre Ink (September 2017)
174 pages; $9.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Haunted house stories have been run into the ground and, in most cases, should be boarded up due to the tropes that lazy writing cannot fix. In recent years, only a few have managed to introduce something new. Examples include House of Leaves, The Unseen, and The Haunted, each bringing a new wrinkle to the subgenre.Continue Reading

Review: Relics—The Folded Land by Tim Lebbon

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Relics—The Folded Land by Tim Lebbon
Titan Books (March 2018)
336 pages; $13.09 paperback; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Tim Lebbon knows how to spin a tale that envelops the reader in a world they know, and then twists that reality into a unique playground for his characters to battle monsters and create stories which always sidestep cliché.

After a couple of straight-up thrillers, Lebbon returned to the land of weird horror with Relics last year, a novel that detailed the hidden world of the Kin, creatures who existed alongside humans yet are rarely seen. Fairies, nymphs, and monsters beyond description fought for their survival against enemies both human and supernatural.Continue Reading

Review: Cold Cuts by Robert Payne Cabeen

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Cold Cuts by Robert Payne Cabeen
Omnium Gatherum Media (July 2017)
228 pages; $12.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by C.W. Briar

Monster stories generally work best when approached in one of two ways. The first is to have a well-executed tale where intriguing characters clash with a unique creature. The other is for the story to double-down on clichés and formulas, preferably with a more tongue-in-cheek tone. Cold Cuts by Robert Payne Cabeen is squarely the latter.Continue Reading

Review: Cut You Down by Sam Wiebe

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Cut You Down by Sam Wiebe
Quercus (February 2018)
288 pages; $15.91 hardcover; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Noir fiction can be a mixed bag in today’s market. Many of the writers seem content to channel Raymond Chandler and roll through a murder-by-numbers plot with the most clichéd characters. Thankfully, a few breathe new life into the mix. Sam Wiebe is one of them. Last year’s The Invisible Dead introduced private investigator Dave Wakeland in the underused but vibrant setting of Vancouver. Coupled with the PI’s journeys into northern Washington State, the book feels fresh and avoids the pseudo-early twentieth century language and tropes.Continue Reading