Review: The Man On The Ceiling

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors by Chisto Healy (and 12 young authors)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors is a fun collection of dark and scary tales from a dozen young authors ranging in age from 6 to 13. 

The young writers in this anthology have given full rein to their wild and twisted imaginations - in all the best ways! The stories include shadows that come to life and attack the unwary, zombies, an unusual take on birthing new vampires, haunted and evil objects and locations (houses, forests and ponds), encounters with extraterrestrial horrors and an artist gifted/cursed with the power to get even with a vicious bully. While the themes may be familiar, the stories themselves are as unique as those who tell them. 

As Healy says in the book's foreword, the kids wrote their stories and then he worked with each of them "to flesh out their ideas, ... and did my best to help their vision come to life. Make no mistake, these stories are all theirs - not mine." The result is a wonderful anthology full of spookiness, chills, thrills and kills. 

I was drawn to this book by the variety of tales and the premise of helping young authors unleash their imaginations, bring their stories to print, and share them with others. With Healy's help, these young authors delivered the creepy goods!

Recommended for all, and especially for classrooms and programs looking for examples of what young writers can create when given encouragement and support.

Thanks to Chisto Healy for providing an eARC of this anthology for review. 

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors will publish on July 27, 2026 and contains stories from 

• Alexa Taylor: The Man On The Ceiling
• Madilyn Richie: The Dim Bonfire
• Rubi-Leigh Baynam: The Hybrid
• Welles Young: The Girl Who Became a Skeleton
• Mal Iler: Operation Thalassaphobia
• Tucker Coburn: The Invasion of the Dolls
• Gray Hernandez: In The Forest, They Dwell
• Boe Healy: The Revengecil
• Finn Ramirez: What's Wrong With Grandma?
• C.T. McKnight: The Music Box
• GiGi Volpe: The Color Red
• Key A.V.: Duck, Duck, Ghost

Review: Worry Box

Worry Box by Chris Panatier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I recently read Worry Box by Chris Panatier, thanks to the eARC I got from Angry Robot Books via #NetGalley, and let me tell you this is a killer story! The prologue alone is enough to make you say "WTF!"

As the story unfolds we meet the Martins, parents Nathan and Alison, their 9 year old daughter Dru and 11 year old foster daughter Lailah. The Martins hope to adopt Lailah, even as they help her cope with her intrusive thoughts, which often encourage her to commit dangerous or violent acts.

It's not long after they move into the perfect home in a desirable neighborhood that... unusual... events begin to happen. These inexplicable occurrences seem welcoming and even helpful at first, but soon take on a darker tone. The girls believe a ghost is responsible, while the parents feel one, or both, of the girls are involved, playing pranks that get out of hand. Both girls deny any involvement even as events escalate, and Lailah comes under extra scrutiny because of her intrusive thoughts.

Each of the chapters is written from a different character's perspective, so we get to experience each one's hopes, dreams, worries and fears. This shifting perspective highlights the Martin's confusion, concern, panic and horror, as weird events continue to occur within the house.

Worry Box is a master class in building tension and terror amid shifting family dynamics. As events spiraled out of control I found it more difficult to put the book down, and raced through the final third of the book to find out what happened and who was responsible.

Worry Box publishes September 22, 2026.

Review: Incarnate

Incarnate by Alma Katsu (expected publication: Sept 22, 2026)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Incarnate asks the questions: "How far would you go to become famous and popular?" and "What price are you willing to pay?" 

Dorothy Wagner, a frequent target of bullies while in middle school, has always been something of a loner. Intelligent, but insecure about her body image. Socially shy, but longing to fit in.

After graduating from college, Dorothy lands a job with a ground-breaking visual effects studio.  She devises a plan to secretly leverage the company's superior software tools to create an artificial persona, Isabella, who can be everything Dorothy is not, hoping to turn her creation into a social media superstar and gain popularity and fame by proxy. Thinking she has nothing to lose and that it's probably a scam, she accepts an offer from an anonymous stranger, who promises to help her get what she wants. Dorothy soon learns the painful price of success, and discovers the dark lengths that she will go to in order to protect her secrets. 

Incarnate is a riveting, dark tale of our time. As artificial intelligence runs rampant and social media sensations rise and fall, Alma Katsu has captured the devastating impact and horrific consequences these can have in the lives of those who fall victim to their glamour. 

 

Incarnate can be seen as a cautionary tale about the addictive and toxic side of social media, the lasting impact of bullying, and the growing spread of AI-generated content and personas. 

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an eARC of #Incarnate for review via #Netgalley.

Review: The Sorrows

The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In spite of or, perhaps, because of, its dark history, Castle Blackwood, on the remote, uninhabited island of the Sorrows, seems the perfect place for two Oscar-nominated composers to find inspiration for the musical score of a famed director's new horror movie. The duo arrange to spend a month on the island with their companions, cut off from all outside contact, and enter a dark and disturbing world where their baser instincts are brought to the surface, and echoes of the Sorrows' past take root in the present.

In The Sorrows, not all monsters are supernatural, and not all horrific acts can be blamed on the influence of what lurks within Castle Blackwood.

This is one of those rare stories that will keep you up at night. You HAVE to read "just one more chapter" before turning off the light... and when (if!) you do set it aside, your mind spins thinking about what you just read and what might happen next in Jonathan Janz's The Sorrows.

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Review: We Are for the Dark

We Are for the Dark by Gretchen McNeil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Tis a well-lived day!
May ye have health to see the morrow.
-- Gretchen McNeil, We Are for the Dark

Bale Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, appears on no maps, but that's where Constable Miriam Rideout and ex-FBI agent, now priest, Shane Ryan find themselves after a couple of frantic phone calls from, and apparent subsequent disappearance of, the island priest. The two outsiders initially mistrust one another, but soon develop mutual respect and friendship as they launch their investigation; a task made more difficult in the face of the odd behavior of the islanders, their apparent religious fanaticism, and their repeated vague warnings about dangers on the island.

In We Are For the Dark, McNeil tells a darkly compelling story, deftly peeling back layers to reveal some of the mysteries of the islanders and of the island, and raising questions about who, or what, is hidden in the shadows of the medieval St. Barrind’s Church... and why.

Thanks to DAW for providing an eARC for review via NetGalley.

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Review: Pixerina: A Haunting

Pixerina: A Haunting by Joanne Anderton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pixerina: A Haunting by Joanne Anderton, published by Bad Hand Books is a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ riveting tale of an artist being possessed by, and possessing, her muse. Cruelty, neglect, indifference, obsession ... all woven together in this fascinating, gothic story where the present and past merge, and letting go doesn't necessarily mean moving on.

Rebecca Bell and her husband Aidan share their suburban home but as their creative talents take different forms from when they first met, they find themselves drifting apart. Rebecca, an artist, has struggled in recent years to find something that inspires and motivates her. Aidan has set his poetry aside for a career working in government communications. When Rebecca, over Aidan's objections, gives in to the temptation to finally explore a nearby abandoned house, she finds what she is looking for, and more. Will unraveling the mysteries of the past, and of the ghost of the girl who never was, provide her with the keys to her own future, or will she be lost in the search?

This intriguing tale of Rebecca's encounters with the strange house and what remains there is compelling and pulled me right in. It's a fantastic story of searching, discovery and loss ... and the price that both muse and artist must pay.

Thanks to Bad Hand for providing an eARC for my review!


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Review: The Siren of Groves Peak

The Siren of Groves Peak by Glenn Rolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

With The Siren of Groves Peak, Glenn Rolfe delivers a gritty, terrifying blend of supernatural, and human, revenge. Secrets, lies and old wounds are brought to the surface as horrific murders, which the police seem uninterested in investigating, occur.

Groves Peak is like many small, coastal towns. It has its share of problems: drugs, alcohol, abuse and infidelities. But unlike those other towns, Groves Peak and its lobstermen have had decades of prosperity, even when the catch has been poor elsewhere, thanks to an agreement made with a siren years ago. Until now. Something has changed and people are being killed.

This is a well-paced tale that kept me guessing until the end. Many of the characters are not what they seem, and strength, sacrifice and betrayal are found in unexpected places. The story lines all come together like a wonderful seafood chowder, each adding it's own flavor to a delicious ⭐⭐⭐⭐ result.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press for providing an eARC to review through NetGalley!

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Review: Marla

Marla by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jonathan Janz makes a bold decision to begin Marla with quotes from two classic stories by two giants of horror: Carrie by Stephen King and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. If those quotes were meant to be aspirational, with hopes that MARLA would live up to those other tales, Janz, without question, succeeded.

Residents of King's Branch have long wondered about Marla Gorman and her mother Irene, who live by themselves on the outskirts of town. Rumors abound about the pair, and especially about Marla, who is rarely, if ever, seen by the people of the town. No one seems to know much about them for certain, and the Gormans rebuff all attempts to pry into their secrets.

When a number of unusual deaths occur in town, with victims that seem to have nothing in common other than a look of terror on their faces, Detectives Carl Lancaster and RJ Williams are assigned to investigate. With only vague, but disturbing suspicions that the deaths might be connected to the Gormans, Lancaster and Williams turn their attention to the pair, only to find much less, and far more, than they expected. And they realize that identifying the likely killer is one thing, surviving long enough to do anything about it is something else entirely.

Janz builds this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ story like a multi-layer dessert, first spreading a base of uneasy suspicion, adding a large helping of fear, and then topping it all with a layer of absolute terror. As you sink your teeth into it, be warned that this is one of those rare stories that also sinks its teeth into you... and it doesn't let go, even after the last spoonful is consumed as the last page is turned.

Buy it. Read it. Thank me later.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an eARC for review!

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Review: Carry Me to My Grave

Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden is classic, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ horror set in the late 1950s, due to be published on July 21, 2026.

Maggie Wise, born on the island of Shediak, Maine, has "the old fire" - magic that she used long ago to force the Morák to stop killing people and to bury themselves deep in pain and suffering. The Morák are vampires, but not the suave, well groomed, aristocratic vampires often portrayed in books and movies. Instead, these are horrific, warped monsters who exist only to kill and consume their victim's blood and flesh. More like (but worse than!) Nosferatu, rather than Count Dracula or the vampire Lestat.

Now Maggie is dying, and with her death the magic she invoked will fade, and the Morák will be released... unless her son Malcom can get her body from Elkhart, Indiana and bury her on Shediak within 2 days. The problem is, the monsters know Maggie is about to die, they know where Malcom will take her, and what he must do... and they will stop at nothing to prevent that from happening.

Golden delivers a riveting tale - compelling characters on a wild ride through the complexities of a dysfunctional family, hidden secrets, strange powers and savage monsters.

Recommended!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing an eARC for review.

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Review: A Short Stay in Hell

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, devout Mormon Soren Johansson learns that Hell is not a place of eternal physical pain and suffering. For Soren, Hell is a library... one that contains all the possible books that could ever be written. To escape this hell all he has to do is find one book... HIS book. The book of HIS life. Far easier said than done when you realize that the library contains billions upon billions upon billions of books.

This is an entertaining and interesting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ tale. It's "horror" with a small-h. The horror of having a near eternity of searching for a single book in the monotony of a seemingly never ending library. But it may leave you wondering about the nature of Heaven and Hell.

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Review: Friction: Dark Tales of Suspense

Friction: Dark Tales of Suspense by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Friction: Dark Tales of Suspense is a fantastic collection of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ dark tales by Paul Michael Kane. While each of the 9 stories are quite different from each other, they share common threads of fascinating characters, dark humor and suspenseful plots that will leave you thinking of them long after you've turned the final page.

Available directly from the author.

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Kane has described CASK as "a futuristic take on Poe's tale of revenge" and it is absolutely all of that... a wonderful homage without being a copy. Taking place on a space station orbiting Neptune, CASK goes beyond Poe's work by providing more depth to the main character's motivation and in the detailed setting, which almost becomes a character itself. This story will draw you in and grab hold of you in all the right ways.

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REST ASSURED
"And the living, as always, were looking for someone to make a promise they could afford."

Who knows how to deal with death better than an underworld boss and his men? But Don Angelo Moretti knows it's going to be bad for business if the dead won't stay dead...

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THE DEVIL'S MARTINI
"The first bargain is always the easiest. No paper, no witnesses. Just desperation.”

With THE DEVIL'S MARTINI you'll learn that the deals made with whispered promises in the night count... and when payment is due, payment IS due. You'll feel like you've walked right into a local bar and pulled up a seat alongside a mysterious stranger as he gives the bartender a choice - make the perfect martini, or lose his soul.

This story serves up a fantastic blend of confusion, fear and desperation as Eddie Carver attempts to meet his guest's demands, knowing what is at stake if he fails.

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THE PURPLE DOOR
"...they were two unfortunate souls plagued by relentless bad luck, volatile tempers, and an uncanny ability to stumble into chaos."

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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IN TENT CITY
"Death is a loud guest."

In most places, the homeless population is often ignored, and usually invisible... unless there's a problem. In King's Alley, there's a problem: the homeless are being targeted in what appear to be ritual killings, and the police aren't motivated to investigate the cause.

Stephen King Constant Readers should keep an eye out for some subtle nods to the master.

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THE FORGIVEN is a fantastic tale, told from an interesting and unusual point of view. The characters may seem familiar at first, but are surprising in unexpected ways. The accompanying illustrations are not only beautiful but they fit the story well.

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THE HOLLOW CHOIR is a superb, atmospheric tale that delivers tension, dread and hope as private investigator Vic Everstone tries to free a client's sister from the grip of a horrific cult. Echoes of THE HOLLOW CHOIR will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

There is a connection to another story in this collection which makes this all the more fun to read.

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FOLLOW, SHARE, SUMMON
"Blood was honest. Blood was a signature nobody could forge."

In the internet era, keeping your audience engaged demands commitment. Passion. Sacrifice. And sometimes, when you pour yourself into your work, you get more out of it than you expected ... much more.

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19 WAYS TO MURDER YOUR HUSBAND
"Because leaving required hope, and hope felt like a language she no longer spoke."

For years Mara struggled with insomnia as her husband Grant slept peacefully beside her. Some people count clouds or sheep to try to relax... she found something darker.

Who knew the simple act of trying to go to sleep could be filled with so much ... possibility?

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Review: Pyres

Pyres by Kev Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With Pyres author Kev Harrison delivers a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ supernatural horror story, centering around sisters Angela and Becky and a series of deaths by spontaneous combustion.

Older sister Angela lives in a somewhat remote English countryside cottage. She is a "spirit painter", enabling spirits who inhabit her temporarily to create paintings of people, animals and places that were important to them in life . Younger sister Becky, newly returned from Italy, is staying with her for a short while waiting to start her new job assisting immigrants.

Angela becomes concerned when she notices similarities between some of her recent paintings and the inexplicable burning death of a polarizing conservative figure. When a new painting depicts yet another horrific death that mirrors events in reality, she and Becky begin to suspect that some spirit or being is using her talents to predict... or perhaps cause... these deaths.

Some readers may be put off by the reflection of current events that serve as one of the pillars of the story, but this only makes the story more relatable. With PYRES Harrison delivers a chilling, fast-paced tale with a surprising twist, enhanced by alternating the narration of the story between Angela's and Becky's viewpoints.


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Review: I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours

I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy is a collection of 13 wonderfully dark tales. Cassidy brings us along on a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ twisting ride that is at times horrific, uncomfortable and funny but is always an absolute blast!

Some of my favorites from the collection:
REST STOP, the first and longest story in the book, tells the story of Abe in the middle of a long road trip to visit his comatose grandmother before she passes away. It's not a trip he particularly wants to make, as his relationship with his Bobbe has always been strained, at best. Needing to get something to eat and get gas for his car, Abe pulls off the highway into a gas station/convenience store and into an unfolding nightmare.

Nobody takes Santa Claus more seriously than a 6 year-old, and in NICE we learn the lengths to which a young boy will go to help ease the burden of the overworked Elves at Santa's workshop. Who knew being naughty could be so nice?

THE LUNAR ECLIPSE is a tale of long lost young love called to life for a second time under a blushing moon.

LAUGHLINES is a creepy story where finding out you are descended from English nobility might not be as charming as you think

The mind-body connection goes awry in INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS, when a yoga retreat delivers more than anyone bargained for.

Thanks to Shortwave Books and #NetGalley for the eBook review copy of #IKnowAPlace.

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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: King Sorrow

King Sorrow by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

King Sorrow by Joe Hill is a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ horror/fantasy tale about friendship, love, loyalty, desperation, redemption...and a dragon that likes to play with its food.

The problem with inviting the unnatural into your life is it might decide to stay.
Joe Hill: King Sorrow

King Sorrow follows the lives and choices of 6 friends: Arthur, Colin, Donovan (Van), Donna, Allison (Allie) and Gwen, as they deal with the consequences of helping one of them find a way to escape from a blackmailer who threatens to harm a family member if they don't provide them with valuable items from a local college. Their method of escape, and revenge, comes with an unexpected price...one that each deals with differently as it pits their senses of morality with their desire for survival.

Hill delivers a fantastic, superbly paced tale, full of surprises, twists and betrayals... and a dragon... and the ultimate internet troll...

No one was ever in charge of a dragon. Some snakes were too big to catch by the tail.
Joe Hill: King Sorrow

100% Recommended!

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Review: Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting

Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING is a dark, disturbing, haunted lighthouse found-footage thriller by Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar. The perfect read leading up to Halloween... or any time you're looking for a few sleepless nights. 100% recommended.

This is a bad place. Something is wrong with it. I don’t think people are meant to live here.
-- Diary entry from WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING

The Widow's Point Lighthouse is set on the coast of Nova Scotia in the small, idyllic village of Harper's Cove. Idyllic, that is, for those who are smart - or lucky - enough to remain clear of the lighthouse and its surroundings. The reader first encounters the reportedly haunted lighthouse, site of many deaths and accidents, as well as a number of unexplained disappearances and horrific murders over the years, in 2017, when paranormal author Thomas Livingston arrives to spend a weekend locked inside the abandoned structure. Through a series of video and audio recordings he recounts the tragic history of the lighthouse and documents his ... disturbing ... stay.

Fast-forward to 2025 and another, larger group of investigators enters the lighthouse, planning to stay for the week leading up to Halloween. The 6-member group is led by Trent Bell , a wealthy Youtube influencer known as T-Breeze. With him are his cameraman Steph, video editor Jeff and producer Phil. Also in the group is Professor Catherine Durand, a former resident of Harper's Cove and a respected anthropologist/historian proclaimed as “the world’s leading authority on haunted houses who doesn’t believe in ghosts”, and Rob Elliott, a famous paranormal investigator/ghost hunter and Twitch streamer. They come prepared with lots of high-tech video and audio recording devices, along with a variety of specialized ghost-hunting equipment, to document their stay and any supernatural events they experience.

Richard and W.H. Chizmar know how to tell a spooky tale. Their unique, shifting perspective, found-footage approach allows the story to unfold naturally and helps the reader share the tension and fear that grows within the group as they take up residence in the lighthouse and begin to experience odd sensations and unusual events. Also shared is the group's increasing anxiety as secrets are revealed and some begin to act oddly the longer they remain under the influence of the lighthouse and its other occupants.

WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING has many unexpected twists and surprises, a very high "creepiness" factor, and more than a few frightening revelations. The Widow's Point Lighthouse is tall, its pull is strong and its reach is long. It's best read as far away from the coast as possible, with all the lights on, the shades drawn and in the company of a large, calm dog.

Review: The Hollow Choir

The Hollow Choir by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We all have "those bands" that stay with us. You know, the groups that deliver the memorable songs that find their way from our ears into our minds and, in rare instances, our souls. There are those groups that become part of who we are. Then there is THE HOLLOW CHOIR.

In this superb, atmospheric tale, Paul Michael Kane delivers tension, dread and hope as private investigator Vic Everstone tries to free a client's sister from the grip of a horrific cult.

Echoes of THE HOLLOW CHOIR will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

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Review: The Midnight Muse

The Midnight Muse by Jo Kaplan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With THE MIDNIGHT MUSE author Jo Kaplan delivers a unique ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ tale of possession and heavy-metal horror, weaving together the past and present to reveal the truth of what really happened to local indie-band Queen Carrion during a weekend in the woods.

A year after the disappearance and presumed death of their lead singer/songwriter Brynn Werner, the remaining members of the metal band Queen Carrion gather, somewhat reluctantly, in the Umpqua forest near where Brynn was suspected to have spent her last days before vanishing. Some have come to say goodbye, others to find a way to move on, and for Harlow Sorenson, the band's drummer who isn't willing to accept that Brynn is dead, it is a chance to search for her in the dense forest. The weekend away gets off to a rough start when the isolated cabin they've rented proves to be difficult to find, and its condition is much worse than shown on the rental listing. They soon realize that they aren't as alone as they expected, but who and/or what is out there with them ... and why?

The story is told mostly from Harlow's perspective who, in the present day, is confined to some sort of institution, and enhances the mystery through the use of news articles and log excerpts from a defunct research project, as we learn of the weekend's strange and horrific events.

THE MIDNIGHT MUSE is eerie and disturbing. Kaplan weaves a tale of tension and suspense, making the reader wonder what is real and what is delusion.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ClashBooks for the review copy!

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