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The Darkest Lullaby – Jonathan Janz

The old house waited. For years there had been rumors that the owner, Lilith Martin, had been part of an unholy cult. People spoke of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood, sex…and sacrifices. Then Lilith died and the house sat empty. Until now.

Lilith’s nephew, Chris, and his wife, Ellie, are moving in. Ellie isn’t happy about living in such a dark, foreboding place, but she wants to get pregnant and this house has a lot more room to raise a baby than their apartment. Unfortunately, she and Chris will soon learn that Lilith has other plans.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things for the chance to join the blog tour.

I think there must come a point in every horror book or film where the viewer/reader asks “why don’t they just leave this place?” In The Darkest Lullaby I think I reached this point around the time my Kindle told me I had read 40% of the story.

Clearly Jonathan Janz also appreciated his characters should have been getting the Hell out of Dodge as he worked in a couple of nice twists to ensure Chris and Ellie (our couple in peril) have to remain in their creepy house in the woods. No escape for Ellie from her husband’s odd and threatening behaviour. No escape for Chris from the strange woman he is compelled to follow into the woods. No escape from the strange things in the old run down house. Uh oh.

I have read a few of Jonathan Janz’s books and he is great at building up the tension, has no qualms about bumping off characters in grizzly and disturbing ways and you cannot be sure if the good guys will survive (or if they even are the good guys). For fans of a good-old horror tale you can’t go far wrong with Janz’s books.

In The Darkest Lullaby we have an entity who wants to use her nephew to find a way to return from the grave…if she even made it to her grave! Chris and Ellie move into Chris’s aunt’s old home in the hope of finding peace and a nice place to start a family. However soon after they arrive Chris starts to behave oddly and Ellie becomes increasingly alarmed by strange goings on in the house.

As the story unfolds we learn that Lillith, Chris’s aunt, had an unhealthy obsession with her nephew and a really strong dislike of Ellie. That really can’t be a good combination!

The Darkest Lullaby is one for the horror fans. Bloody, unsettling and with strong adult themes. A late night page turner which kept me reading…mainly so I could find out which characters survived!

The Darkest Lullaby is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in digital and paperback format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkest-Lullaby-Fiction-Without-Frontiers/dp/178758271X/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=jonathan+janz&qid=1565820624&s=gateway&sr=8-16

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April 12

Second Lives – P.D. Cacek

When four patients unexpectedly wake after being declared dead, their families are ecstatic and the word “miracle” begins to be whispered throughout the hospital. But the jubilation is short lived when the patients don’t respond to their names and insist they are different people. It is suggested all four are suffering from fugue states until one of the doctors recognizes a name and verifies that he not only knew the girl but was there when she died in 1992. It soon becomes obvious that the bodies of the four patients are now inhabited by the souls of people long dead.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher so I could join the blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to host a leg of the Second Lives blog tour.

For the first fifty (or so) pages of Second Lives we are introduced to the key characters. Half of them died shortly after we were introduced. Their deaths are not glorified or gruesomely depicted, as I may have expected from a horror novel, but are shown with compassion and the characters are given a dignity as the curtain draws on their lives.

I had originally believed Second Lives to be a horror tale but despite edging towards a supernatural slant it is not a gore-fest, monster mash, chilling tale of death and resurrection. It is a cleverly crafted, character driven story which raised some thought provoking moments.

Much of the enjoyment in Second Lives comes from reading about how the characters cope with the situation which they find themselves in. To have died and be ‘reborn’ into the body of a stranger. Not as a baby to grow and live anew but to drop into someone else’s life. Sometimes the new life lives in a time period long after the deceased character originally lived so the body-shock issue is compounded by a radical lifestyle shift too. It can be overwhelming.

Second Lives was an opportunity to read a story vastly different from the “normal” thrillers I read. The premise is very clever and the execution equally so.

Second Lives is published by Flame Tree Press and is available to order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Lives-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07QCVBDRS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555013420&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

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February 26

The Playing Card Killer – Russell James

Brian Sheridan may be losing his mind.

Asleep, he’s plagued by dreams of murder, women strangled with a red velvet rope then left with a playing card tucked in the corpse. While awake, he’s hallucinating that he’s being stalked by a man painted like a skeleton. It’s getting hard to know what’s real. He hopes all this is driven by his cold turkey withdrawal from a lifetime of anti-anxiety medications.

But when one of his nightmare’s victims shows up on the news, dead, Brian fears he himself may be the unwitting killer…

I received a copy from the publishers so I could join the blog tour and provide a review. My thanks to Anne at Random Things tours for the opportunity to participate.

My previous experience of Flame Tree Press books have been of horror tales and ghost stories. The Playing Card Killer is a crime thriller, an engaging murder mystery story.

The principle protagonist is Brian Sheridan. He is going to experience some unpleasant and vivid dreams which will determine how events in The Playing Card Killer will play out. Unfortunately Brian does not know this so when we meet him at the start of the novel he is making the important (if misguided) decision to stop taking his medication. Brian’s girlfriend Daniela has made it clear to him that if he doesn’t take his meds then she will not stick around – but Brian knows best and wants the fog removed from his brain so he can think for himself. Yup all the warning signs are there and it is not too long before Brian’s decision comes back to haunt him.

Remember those dreams I mentioned? Brian is having very real dreams about murders. He hopes they are dreams. He is sure they are dreams. But how can he know so much about these deaths and visualise them so clearly when they are occurring in places he has never been yet can describe perfectly? When one of the deaths from Brian’s dream becomes a real news story Brian begins to question his sanity even further – could he be killing strangers in his sleep?

Russell James sets up the reader nicely for this solid detective thriller. Once it is clear there are real-life murders to be investigated the cops enter the tale. A great “good cop/bad cop” combo entertained me here. The two are not partnered, the good cop is exactly that – a determined and focused detective in pursuit of the truth (and a killer). The bad cop is a schmuck. He takes the easy route, steals credit for other people’s work and we know not to like him. The dynamic and the squad-room competitiveness added a nice layer of detail to the story.

To share too much more detail about Brian’s problems would be to share too many spoilers. So that isn’t going to happen. What I can share is that The Playing Card Killer was a fun read which I enjoyed over a couple of days. Russell James has a nice writing style which kept the pace of the story nipping along without any dips or excessive padding. Keep the story going and you will keep me happy while I read – job done!

The real test of a good story is to ask myself if I would pass the book to friends for them to enjoy…in this case I certainly would. And I know they would enjoy it.

The Playing Card Killer is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Killer-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07L9JWH94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551128200&sr=8-1&keywords=the+playing+card+killer

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February 21

The Haunting of Henderson Close – Catherine Cavendish

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone.

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.

Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers to provide a review as part of the blog tour.

I find it surprising that there are not more horror stories set in Edinburgh’s Old Town. If you have ever have the opportunity to visit the narrow streets of the Scottish capital then you will know how atmospheric it can feel. The city has its fair share of ghost stories and there are plenty of ghost tours and accompanied ghost walks to entertain residents and visitors alike.

That is what makes The Haunting of Henderson Close so appealing – the key characters in the story (well in the modern day part of the tale) are staff at a ghost walk. Clad in period costume and taking the role of real characters who lived in their corner of the Old Town, Hannah and her colleagues tell eerie stories of days gone by. They give tourists a look into the past and explain what life was like in olden days when the streets were slums and disease was rife.

Hannah is the lead character in The Haunting of Henderson Close. She is just starting in her new role as cast member on the tours. As she finds her feet and learns the background to the people and the houses she needs to discuss we get glimpses of strange figures in places they should not be. Cold gusts of wind on a still day and the sensation of being watched.

The author does a fabulous job of capturing the sense of location, the narrow streets, dark corners all make the chilling encounters seem so vivid. As we get drawn into the story the peril to Hannah and her colleagues increases. Soon the visions and visitations will escalate, danger becomes more imminent and Hannah even finds herself experiencing a flashback? (maybe) to decades previously when the streets buzz with the poorest wretches of Edinburgh’s past.

To build on the experiences Hannah is encountering we are also taken back in time to meet people who lived in the streets of the Old Town. Some of those we meet are not destined to end their lives peacefully and we begin to question if their spirits are those that Hannah is encountering in modern day.

The time hops in the story become more significant as we get drawn into events (no spoilers as to why) but it was a nice shift in the narrative which I felt worked well and made me keen to keep reading.

If supernatural chills are what you seek then The Haunting of Henderson Close is highly recommended.

The Haunting of Henderson Close is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in digital, paperback and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunting-Henderson-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07L9L8P9Z/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550695144&sr=8-1&keywords=catherine+cavendish

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November 27

The Sorrows – Jonathan Janz

The Sorrows, an island off the coast of northern California, and its castle have been uninhabited since a series of gruesome murders in 1925. But its owner needs money, so he allows film composers Ben and Eddie and a couple of their female friends to stay a month in Castle Blackwood. Eddie is certain a haunted castle is just the setting Ben needs to find inspiration for a horror film.

But what they find is more horrific than any movie. Something is waiting for them in the castle. A malevolent being has been trapped for nearly a century. And he’s ready to feed.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the chance to join this tour.

I find horror tales to be the most unpredictable reads in my tbr pile. With a crime thriller you generally know what to expect, adventure stories feature the “untouchable” heroes and psychological thrillers are twisty unexpected tales where the lead character will usually prevail in the end. In a horror story – all bets are off.

My favourite chilling tales are the haunted house stories where the menace is hidden, subtle and is slowly revealed. But there is very much a place on my bookshelves for a “schlock horror” where everything is bloody and brutal and the story has zero subtlety.

So what of The Sorrows? This one evolved as the story developed. Early indications were that this would be a subtle read. Four key characters in a remote location. Each brings their personal demons to a large lonely castle on a quite island off the coast of California. The aim is to produce the score for a forthcoming horror film – the creepy location to inspire the creative process for the composers.

At first the castle seems to be tormenting each of the residents, apparitions or memories will surface. Footsteps stopping outside a locked bedroom door but no sound of the person leaving again. The castle has a dark history and it soon becomes apparent that our residents are in grave danger. However, it is hard to feel too sorry for one of the guests as he really does not come across as a nice guy. Heavily in debt and unable to convince his father to bail him out of his latest predicament – the castle presents a haven to escape the unwelcome attentions of the debt collectors. If something bad were to happen to this chap it may make for entertaining retribution!

Happily Jonathan Janz knows how to deliver the chills. The subtle chills give way to monster perils, the danger full and bloody and very much in your face. The tone of the story changes up once the scene has been set and the back stories established. Danger escalates, terror increases and the psychological chiller gives way to a brutal battle with a demonic entity.

The unpredicability of the story kept me reading, I wanted to see which of the characters may survive and which would meet a grim fate. It is the eternal lure of a horror tale – we know there is a “big bad” out there and that not every character will make it to the end of the story…the fun is seeing what may happen.

The Sorrows is published by Flame Tree Press and releases on 30 November 2018 in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sorrows-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07JGDX81V/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543257520&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sorrows+janz

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November 13

Think Yourself Lucky – Ramsey Campbell

David Botham just wants a quiet ordinary life—his job at the travel agency, his relationship with his girlfriend Stephanie. The online blog that uses a title he once thought up has nothing to do with him. He has no idea who is writing it or where they get their information about a series of violent deaths in Liverpool. If they’re murders, how can the killer go unseen even by security cameras? Perhaps David won’t know until they come too close to him—until he can’t ignore the figure from his past that is catching up with him…

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the chance to join the blog tour.

This one is going to split the jury I feel. On one hand the story has a series of nasty killings, seemingly instigated by someone that takes exception to their victim’s anti-social or unacceptable behavior. Good horror novel fare and a fun hook that shows bad behaviour is not going to be tolerated by our killer.

On the other hand I didn’t find the story flowed as easily as I needed and I found the narrative a bit cumbersome.

We see a scene as David Botham which ends with David being frustrated/thwarted or vexed by the situation. Then the killer relives the same scene (or is it David’s perception) and this time the irritating individual that David encountered is permanently silenced.

The mystery behind the story is who is responsible for a series of brutal deaths? The anecdotal narrative of the murders is uploaded to a blog. It is made quite clear that David is no writer and distances himself from any suggestion that he may be. However, there are too many overlaps and coincidences for random chance to be a factor so, over the course of the story, the reader has to puzzle out what is happening.

I liked the premise of this story and there were some nicely dark touches throughout, however, this has not been my favourite Ramsey Campbell title but it would be one I suggest you pick up if you are a fan of revenge/retribution thrillers.

Think Yourself Lucky is published by Flame Tree Press on 15 November 2018 and you can order a copy in paperback or digital format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Yourself-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07JGGC5JV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541974475&sr=8-1&keywords=ramsey+campbell

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October 9

The House by the Cemetery – John Everson

Rumor has it that the abandoned house by the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of a witch. But rumors won’t stop carpenter Mike Kostner from rehabbing the place as a haunted house attraction. Soon he’ll learn that fresh wood and nails can’t keep decades of rumors down.

There are noises in the walls, and fresh blood on the floor: secrets that would be better not to discover. And behind the rumors is a real ghost who will do whatever it takes to ensure the house reopens. She needs people to fill her house on Halloween. There’s a dark, horrible ritual to fulfill. Because while the witch may have been dead… she doesn’t intend to stay that way.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the chance to join this tour.

Just in time for Halloween we have a new release ideally suited for reading durint the dark autumnal evenings. John Everson’s The House by the Cemetery brings a great mix of chills, witches, ritualistic kills and at the heart of it all a house reputed to be haunted.

The scene is set perfectly from the prologue when we see a group of kids exploring the haunted house under cover of night – their trip is a dare and the house seems to be a haunted property marketed as a visitor attraction. However, it is night and the kids are in a place they are not meant to be so we can be sure all will not end well and a mystery is quickly established.

What I particularly enjoyed about The House by the Cemetery was that the author grabbed my interest in the prologue then takes a small step back to build up the chills and the creepy events. It is very effective and avoids the less subtle ‘schlock horror’ where every second chapter is a bloodbath. Constant build and increasing peculiarities gave the impression of a growing menace.

Our lead character, Mike, is renovating the haunted house – making it ready for paying visitors who will part with their bucks for a scare on 31 October. The longer Mike spends in the house the more he becomes aware of the odd and unpleasant incidents which are happening. Yet he presses on with his work, removing dead animals one morning and chatting with the young woman who comes to the house to chat with him and share some beers. You want to shout at your book to make Mike get the Hell away from the creepy property but he needs the cash and keeps coming back…can it end well for him?

John Everson has a very readable writing style and I poured over The House by the Cemetery. “One more chapter” is the best internal debate to have when I am reading late at night and it was very much in evidence here.

Get yourself some Halloween reading and order a copy of The House by the Cemetery. Chills aplenty.

The House by the Cemetery is published by Flame Tree Press on 18 October and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Cemetery-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07J2MQ5N8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539029287&sr=1-1&keywords=house+by+the+cemetery

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October 4

The Toy Thief – D W Gillespie

Jack didn’t know what to call the nameless, skeletal creature that slunk into her house in the dead of night, stealing the very things she loved the most. So she named him The Toy Thief…

There’s something in Jack’s past that she doesn’t want to face, an evil presence that forever changed the trajectory of her family. It all began when The Toy Thief appeared, a being drawn by goodness and innocence, eager to feed on everything Jack holds dear. What began as a mystery spirals out of control when her brother, Andy, is taken away in the night, and Jack must venture into the dark place where the toys go to get him back. But even if she finds him, will he ever be the same?

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things for the chance to join the blog tour.

The latter part of 2018 has seen me reading more horror tales than I had anticipated. This is largely due to a wave of fantastic releases from Flame Tree Press – each book I read from their collection leaves me wishing another would not be too far away.

The Toy Thief sports a deliciously creepy cover and was a distinctly eery read.

This is Jack’s story, she is not the Toy Thief from the title but she is very much the star of the piece. Jack lives with her father and older brother – the family are ‘getting by’ but the loss of Jack’s mother (who died while giving birth to Jack) casts a long shadow over the family.

At age of 9 Jack becomes aware of a late night visitor to their home. A creepy encounter which Jack only became aware of due to a missing toy and a video camera accidentally left running.

The quest to find a missing toy and explain understand the images captured on camera will change Jack’s life (and the lives of her family) forever.

D.W. Gillespie gives us a tense take on innocence lost, unwordly terrors and family bonds. Another great find from Flame Tree Press.

The Toy Thief releases on October 18th and you can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toy-Thief-Fiction-Without-Frontiers/dp/1787580474/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538523279&sr=8-1&keywords=the+toy+thief

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September 10

Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach – Ramsey Campbell

It’s Ray’s and Sandra’s first family holiday in Greece, on the island of Vasilema. The skies are cloudier than anywhere else in Greece, and they’re intrigued by local eccentricities―the lack of mirrors, the outsize beach umbrellas, the saint’s day celebrated with an odd nocturnal ritual.

Why are there islanders who seem to follow the family wherever they go? Why do Sandra and the teenage grandchildren have strangely similar dreams? Has Sandra been granted a wish she didn’t know she made?

Before their holiday is over, some of the family may learn too much about the secret that keeps the island alive.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach

Greece is the setting for Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach and we are on holiday with a very English family. Ray and Sandra arrive at their chosen resort first – the rest of their family are due the next day.

As Sandra and Ray settle into their accommodation we note that their hosts are a little odd, possibly distracted. There are cryptic comments which Ray and Sandra do not seem to be picking up on, a lack of mirrors, the strange custom which requires their hosts to knock on doors twice and wait to be invited into the room.

Both have a restless first night and Sandra gets bitten on her neck – local bugs must be out in force. But these niggles are soon forgotten when the rest of their family arrive – kids and grandkids and all the fun they bring.

If I am being honest I felt sorry for Ray and Sandra – their family irritated the life out of me and their quiet holiday appears less-so when the family squabbles kicked off! But everyone is determined to enjoy their vacation and it is not long before they are venturing into the local town and meeting some of the residents.

Again the peculiar cryptic warnings are suggested. Some ignored, others dismissed as language or communication concerns. The reader knows strange things are afoot and the warnings of not venturing out at night, no mirrors in the rooms, bite marks on three of the family does seem to allude to a very familiar threat.

Ramsey Campbell is a master of horror fiction and you know that the story he will spin around Sandra, Ray and their extended family is not going to be one of a relaxing summer break. There is evil abroad and it is far from certain that the holidaymakers will survive unscathed.

Another strong addition to the Flame Tree Press collection who are bringing some cracking horror thrillers to our bookshelves.

Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach is published by Flame Tree Books and is available in paperback, audio and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirteen-Sunset-Fiction-Without-Frontiers/dp/1787580326/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536528825&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=ramsay+campbell+sunset+beach

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September 8

The Siren And The Spectre – Jonathan Janz

When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different.

Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow.

And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House.

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tour for the chance to join the blog tour and to Flame Tree Press for my review copy.

Over recent weeks I have been extremely fortunate to have enjoyed some of the new titles being published by Flame Tree Press. They are assembling a cracking collection of horror tales, each new read has left me unsettled and thoroughly entertained.

The Specter and the Siren is a haunted house story – there is more (much more) to it than that but events do centre around Alexander House and David Caine’s experiences while he stays in the house.

Caine is an author noted for his cynicism towards the supernatural and an old school friend invites him to live in Alexander House – an old property with a dubious past and the reputation for ghostly experiences. If he writes a book on his experiences then there is a hope the interest generated in Alexander House will turn the property into a money-spinner for his friend.

From the moment the reader is taken into the Alexander House there is a tangible sense of gloom and foreboding. Caine feels it too and we realise that despite not believing in the supernatural he does get nervous easily and is not enjoying the dark, creaking house. Things are about to get considerably more terrifying for Caine.

The house does not sit in isolation. Caine has a neighbour, a retired gentleman who enjoys fishing on the river (Alexander House sits on an isolated peninsula and is surrounded by water). Another neighbouring house shelters the most dysfunctional family I can recall. The parents are permanently drunk or stoned. Hard-core pornography streams constantly on their television and the mother, Honey, has insatiable desires – Caine being fresh meat. Her husband is a willing participant is violent physical abuse and their kids try to find a “normal” in this toxic environment.

These neighbours will both help and hinder Caine as he tries to adjust to his new living arrangements and he is going to need all the help he can get. Alexander House is not a happy residence and Caine is sitting in the heart of danger.

Jonathan Janz has delivered a truly unsettling read which horror fans will love. The history of Alexander House is horrific and it it not content to remain “history” – Caine and his friends are in more danger than they could possibly have realised.

Loved this – even though it freaked me out!

The Siren And The Spectre is published by Flame Tree Press and can be bought in paperback and digital format. A copy can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Siren-Spectre-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07GVQJHTX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536399131&sr=8-1&keywords=the+siren+and+the+spectre

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