Review: Sarafina

Sarafina by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sarafina by Philip Fracassi is an incredible tale set in the American South during the Civil War. The three Belle brothers, Mason, Archie and Ethan make a desperate decision to escape the horrors of war, little knowing the horrors they would escape into. Chased by the Confederate Home Guard as deserters they find refuge in an apparent idyllic setting: an isolated farm inhabited only by the beautiful Sarafina and her young son Titus.

Sarafina provides protection, healing, food and shelter to the brothers. As they begin to recover from their harrowing escape and Sarafina's influence on his older brothers grows, Ethan begins to suspect that things aren't quite as they seem. The more he learns and sees, the more convinced he becomes that they need to leave... but that may not be possible.

Fracassi delivers an exciting story with compelling and complex characters who aren't all what they seem, with an ending that was both surprising and haunting. I found it difficult to put the book down the deeper into it I got.

Recommended.

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Review: The Purple Door

The Purple Door by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you crossed the threshold yet? Have you dared to enter through The Purple Door, written by Paul Michael Kane?

...they were two unfortunate souls plagued by relentless bad luck, volatile tempers, and an uncanny ability to stumble into chaos.
-- The Purple Door by Paul Michael Kane

Kane delivers a short, but eerie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ tale of two would-be thieves who decide to break into a decrepit house in search of anything valuable to steal, and find far more than they bargained for.

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Review: The Voices in Your Head

The Voices in Your Head by Jeff Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am still trapped in the void, deep within the corridors of insanity.
― Jeff Oliver, The Voices in Your Head

THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD by Jeff Oliver is a disturbing, violent and gruesome tale told from the perspective of Geoff Hathaway. As a teenager Geoff experienced unimaginable horror and suffered tragic losses, including the murder of his entire family. In spite of, or perhaps because of, thiose losses he finds a way to exact horrific revenge on the murderers. But he learns that revenge comes at a price - a price he has been paying ever since as he is tormented each day by voices and visions of his murdered family and... others.

Geoff's torment is reflected at times in his chaotic first-person recounting of the "visitations" he endures. Told as a mix of prose and poetry, this story leaves open the question of whether those visitations are simply distorted memories, hallucinations caused by his mental state or real. Whether real or not, there is no doubt about the impact these have on him, and on those he encounters.

The story is enhanced by artwork by Dan Verkys who brings to life the horrors that Oliver describes.

This is not a book I would recommend to casual horror readers. There are descriptions of horrific deaths and cannibalism that will likely be triggering for some. That said, it is a tale told in a unique style and may leave you wondering whether those soft whispers that wake you up at night are simply leftover fragments of your dream... or something else.

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Review: Saving Tommy

Saving Tommy by Ian Gielen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Saving Tommy: A Horror Novella by Ian Gielen is a well-written, fast-paced, tension-packed story. A quick, but horrifying read!

Desperate and struggling parents, Boyd and Isla, get much more than they bargained for when they enroll their ten-year old son Tommy in an experimental, early clinical trial in an attempt to treat his deep depression. The trial involves pairing Tommy with a "Bliss Buddy", a genetically modified pet intended to help him feel safe and protected. While the results are positive and practically miraculous at first, Boyd and Isla quickly become concerned about the "Bliss Buddy" and the impact it may have on their son and their lives.

In this novella Gielen does a fantastic job conveying the impact of mental illness on families, and the extent to which parents will go to find ways to help their children.

Review: THE STEPHEN KING KILLER: A serial killer with a taste for horror

THE STEPHEN KING KILLER: A serial killer with a taste for horror by Aaron R. Tyler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Aaron R. Tyler... THE STEPHEN KING KILLER: A serial killer with a taste for horror is no exception - it's a fantastic, graphic & violent tale of a serial killer. It has a great premise and is written with superb execution (pun intended)!

The people of the Twin Tiers region of New York and Pennsylvania have a problem. There is a serial killer among them and no one, least of all law enforcement, realizes it... Victims are piling up: tortured, sexually assaulted and marked by the killer. When an overheard conversation makes FBI agent Joe Thorogood suspect that a murder he investigated may be connected to another, the FBI gets involved to understand the scope of the killings and track down the killer. The killer, however, takes great care to hide their tracks and keep the investigators guessing.

Tyler delivers a fantastic story and wonderful characters. The investigators are dedicated, determined and all too human (and, apparently, none of them are Stephen King fans!). The victims are desperate and helpless. And the killer is intelligent, horrifically inventive, and merciless.

After reading this story you may want to think twice about naming a child after a favorite character in a movie or book...

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